Tag Archives: rénovations

This is a chronic problem for a number of homeowners: lack of space. If your budget doesn’t allow any expansion or room extension under normal conditions, what is there to do? Here are a few great ideas.

A well-structured attic, no matter how small, is an interesting option. It’s the perfect space to set up a home office. The space under the roof offers a quiet place. The natural light from outside is easy on the eyes. The staircase serves as a psychological border between work and family life. The feeling of working in complete isolation is similar to that of working in the basement or backyard shed.

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A living room in the attic has multiple advantages. You’ll enjoy tranquility; if you install skylights, you will have more sunlight than in the basement; if the beamed ceilings and traditional dormer windows have been preserved, you’ll achieve an invigorating design; not to mention a beautiful birds-eye view of the exterior landscape, especially during the fall and winter. Again, here, the staircase isolates you from the rest of the world.[……]

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Most real estate brokers will tell you: overpricing your home from the moment you put it on sale is asking for trouble. You have so little to gain and so much to lose. Here are the reasons why.

A seller may be tempted to ask for an exaggerated price in case a buyer, too naive to realize it or too rich to afford wasting time, finishes by taking the bait. That is wishful thinking. The odds of that happening are slim. Very slim.

Perhaps the homeowner thinks, since there is no hurry, that he will patiently wait for his price, comfortably seated at home. A buyer will eventually come knocking. Wrong!

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Perhaps the seller overestimates the value of his property or demands an unreasonable price to compliment his homeowner’s pride. No matter the case, he will regret his decision.[……]

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Sometimes, buyers are faced with a difficult decision. They have already crossed out a large number of properties on their list, but two or three are still remaining. Now for the final elimination round. Which property will it be? Need some advice?

  • Ask your real estate broker. If your home search process was rather long, your savvy broker was able to identify your needs and personality because he or she has gotten to know you.
  • You would be willing to live with some constraints. Others, not at all! They would make your everyday life miserable. Learn to recognize them. Be honest with yourself.

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Nowadays, buyers are lucky. They can search the web to get data on a desired property. They can then count on experts, such as the real estate broker, to obtain more data to bridge their knowledge gap. Having all the data on hand is the lifeblood of negotiation.

Some buyers use intimidation and tenacity to reduce the price of a property. When, in fact, raising your voice, constantly criticizing, and acting up are ineffective methods. All these attitudes lead to confrontation.

The buyer’s most persuasive argument remains his or her knowledge of a property’s data. The more the buyer knows about the property, the more negotiation power he or she will have over the seller, especially if the selling owner is unprepared.[……]

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Homeowners who wish to sell their home or condo should know the fair value of their property to set the selling price and to negotiate more effectively. Sometimes, homeowners will set the price according to their own calculations. This method is feasible, but not foolproof.

Many people rely on the municipal assessment to set their property’s market value. Bad idea. The real estate market evolves every day, whereas the municipal assessment services, bound by bureaucracy, are slower. Consequently, there is a gap between the fair price of the property and the municipal assessment. Oftentimes, this assessment is inferior to the true property price. The municipal assessment reflects the fair value of the property, but not the value itself.

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Some rely on a very popular practice: finding a property that is similar to theirs that has been sold, not too long ago, in the same neighbourhood. The property must be, if possible, identical or nearly the same. Same type of home, same year of construction, same living space, same lot size, same outdoor layout (pool and other installations), etc.[……]

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Some people buy their home without thinking that they will sell it one day. If they like the house, that’s all that counts. The investment aspect is trivial to them. In contrast, others buy their home according to the property’s resale value. They want to maximize their buying power. Perhaps advice is needed here?

Listing all the factors which determine how a property’s value may fare over the course of time would be too long, but Via Capitale experts will provide you with a few.

The location of the property you wish to buy is of utmost importance for its resale value. For example, if you live in a high-density neighbourhood, the added value of the renovations you will carry out will be much greater than in a less populated area. That’s just how it is in a competitive market.

If the neighbourhood that you will live in is unattractive, has adverse economic conditions, and is far from retail and public services, no matter how hard you try to increase the value of your home with different upgrades, your efforts will be unsuccessful. You would only be wasting money.[……]

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