Mississauga Real Estate | Buying a Home in Mississauga

It seems that the only true way to find a home that is absolutely perfect in every manner for you personally is to make the decision to build it yourself. Although not everyone has the financial luxury to be able to do this; it is growing in popularity thanks to TV shows such as grand designs and, for some at least, represents the perfect way to find the home of their dreams.

Not that anyone was thinking it would be, but going through the process of designing and then planning the construction of a home is not easy. There is so much to think about along the way and there is sure to be more than a few stressful periods where you begin to question the decision you have made. However, the end product will undoubtedly be something that brings about immense pride and accomplishment and you then have the rest of your life to enjoy it.

So before you embark on this mammoth adventure; here is some helpful advice you may want to think about along the way.
Temporary Accommodation –
The chances are that you will have had to sell your current home, or are in the process of doing so, in order to help fund the project and therefore you need to think carefully about where you are going to live during the process. Depending on the size of your build it is likely to take a good few months (maybe even years) until your new home is in a state to be lived in and so you should choose your temporary accommodation carefully.

Some people will elect to move in with friends and family but those who want to be close to the action and always involved often choose to stay onsite in a caravan or any other kind of mobile home.

Save In The Right Places –
You are almost definitely only going to go through this process once in your life and so you will want to go about it the right way. And so if you are spending large amounts of your hard earned money on the project anyway then it seems pointless to try and cut corners. Attempting to save money on materials and the building process itself could well backfire in the future, leaving you heartbroken, and so you should look to save in the right areas.

Make the exterior as structurally sound and impressive as possible and then make the relevant cut backs (if they are needed) on the furniture and systems you put on the inside.

Go Green –
After spending an unthinkable amount of money on your new home; it is a good idea to look at how you can take advantage of relevant measures that will help save you money in the future. The best way to do this is to create the most energy efficient home you can; something that has become a modern trend with a lot of people who choose to build their dream home from scratch. There are many green procedures that have been made a mandatory part of the construction process in recent years but the further you take these the more energy saving capabilities your home will have.

Procedures such as air permeability testing (establishing how much air escapes from your home) and SAP calculation (creating an energy performance certificate for the property) are now part of government regulations to ensure all new dwellings reach a nation standard. However, there is no reason to stop at being ‘standard’ on your quest to save money on energy bills throughout the rest of your life.

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Chris Mayhew would love to build the house of his dreams but is just looking for ways to raise the funds. He would recommend ATSPACE to anyone looking for a trusted building control partner.

If you decide to use an estate agent when selling your house, it is important that you follow these guidelines to ensure your house sells for the right price and to the right people.

Do Your Research

Choose an agency that belongs to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Property Ombudsman scheme. Their reputation for selling in your area is of utmost importance, as is how previous clients have rated them. Check how often they update their websites and how often they advertise properties on online property portals.

From the outset, you need to have an idea of whether you are after a quick sale or the best price possible for your property. Prepare an accurate description of your home, including tempting information such as being near local town centres, bus stops, and school catchment areas. Be prepared for any circumstances – either a rush of interest or the complete opposite, where perhaps holding an open-house weekend would benefit you.

Commission And House Pricing

It is good to know that if you select just one estate agent (sole agency), your commission fee will be lower than if you use multiple agencies. However, you may reach fewer buyers, so this choice is perhaps dependent on how fast you need to sell the property in question. Commission is usually between 1 and 3.5%, be sure to ask what services are included in these fees.

Although you may be tempted to go with the highest valuation for your property, be realistic. People will not bother to view your home if they think it is out of their price range. Pricing is one of the most important components in the selling process. Remember, once you have interest, price can always be negotiated.

Have A Backup Plan

If your marketing strategy fails to attract buyers, it has to be changed – but only after a period of at least 3-6 months. Keep in touch with your estate agent and review the progress together. If you feel they are not doing enough, do not be afraid to switch to a new agency to generate new interest in your property.  As a last resort, it may be time to consider lowering the asking price to attract a new demographic of buyers.

Selling Online

The internet is the most popular starting point for a growing number of property buyers. This method is by far the cheapest option. Fees range from £40 – £500, but some are completely free. This being said, never rely completely on the internet as your sole marketing resource. A 'For Sale' board can be obtained from a sign maker for around £40, you can place an ad in your local newspaper, use social networking tools (with caution), distribute leaflets and hold your own open-house weekend.  A disadvantage to this method is that you have to do your own viewings, but it is down to the individual to decide whether it is the appropriate and more affordable choice.

Having an estate agent as well as an online advertising agency should be recognised as a very efficient method to sell your house quickly. The combination works well to cover every avenue. Perhaps test both and observe which method achieves the most interest. That way, you can see which is right for your property.

Have you sold your house recently? What kind of real estate agent did you use, and how would you rate the experience? Do share your opinions in the comments.

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•  License: Creative Commons image source 

Emily Jarvis is an avid writer of anything and everything that takes her interest, with a long term career goal in journalism. She writes for eMoov.