Real Estate Blog - November, 2016

Simple Tips to Maximize Your Edmonton House Flip

Edmonton house flipping has slowed in the past few years, but this isn’t representative of the real estate market. Even in low-growth periods, house flipping can be profitable, but only if you do it right. Here are three tips to help select and renovate your next property for a more profitable flip.

1. Start At The Neighbourhood

Attempting to flip a $500,000 home in an area that feasibly sells for around $500,000 means you are unlikely to make a significant profit when house flipping. The best place to start when looking for a house to flip is to look at what homes in the area are selling for. The home you pick should be less than that number by a healthy margin to help you maximize your profits. Remember, even if you get a fixer-upper, your work…

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Money-Saving Tips For Your Kitchen Renovation Projects

Kitchen renovations can be some of the most expensive renovations you can do. Replacing counters, cabinets, and appliances ramps up costs very quickly so that even the simple projects can end up costing tens of thousands of dollars. But kitchen renovations are also great for selling a home as buyers love great kitchens, quality appliances, and stylish decor. If you’re wanting to do some home renovations but you’re a little tight on cash, these money-saving tips could help you get the renovation you want, just for a lot less cash.

1. Paint Instead of Replace

This can apply to almost every aspect of your kitchen. Putting on a fresh coat of paint in your kitchen will update the look, give it a newer feel, and possibly cover up some previous damage. You…

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Home Improvements to Avoid When Renovating Your Home

Renovations are a mixed bag for people who want to improve their property and add value at the same time. Some renovations can dramatically increase the value of your home, often for a relatively small amount of money, but some expensive renovations can actually decrease your home’s value. Here are a few renovations to not do in your home if you want to increase it value.

1. Convert the Garage

While you may want a really amazing man-cave or a private office for your home business, people who want to buy your home want the garage to be a garage. Over-investing in converting your garage into something else is not only incredibly expensive, but it’s almost guaranteed to slow down the sale of your home, costing you money along the way.

2. Cover Your…

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Four Tips For Home Buying This Fall

hen you’re buying a home in the fall, you are faced with different circumstances than a summer buyer, in more ways than just the weather. Here are just a few simple things to keep in mind when you are hunting for real estate in Edmonton this fall.

1. Don’t Let Mother Nature get the Better of You

When it comes to house hunting in Edmonton, weather plays a significant role. It’s always best to take advantage of the early fall when you’re house hunting simply because you’ll be wrestling with the weather a lot less. But there are advantages to house hunting in the later fall as well. While the roads may be more difficult to navigate, you will get a sense of how the home feels in the cold and in low light, since much of your house showings may be after…

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Tips For Buying In A Buyer’s Market

Edmonton’s real estate market has been called a buyer’s market, meaning that sellers are catering to buyers, not the other way around. While this is great news for people who want to buy property, buying in a buyer’s market also comes with specific challenges of which everyone should be aware. Here are just a few things to do and watch for when buying property in a buyer’s market.

1. Take Your Time

Buyer’s markets often come with a strange pressure put onto buyers: the pressure to finish a deal quickly. Many sellers are eager to sell in any economy or situation, but many get extra desperate to sell in a buyer’s market. With that added pressure, many buyers will often settle on something that they don’t really want. But if you take your time by going…

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4 Little-Known Secrets You Should Know When Buying A House

Professional and serial property buyers know some things that the average home buyer doesn’t. These tricks are often considered “trade secrets,” but you don’t have to be a professional to know them. Here are four little-known secrets that professionals in the Edmonton housing market know to find better houses and make sounder investments.

1. Yes, Location Matters

They say that only three things matter in real estate: location, location, location. It’s not really very true, many things matter when buying a home, but location is extremely important. But it’s not important simply because of convenience for living, location is important for when you want to sell as well. Homes in good locations appreciate better than homes in less desirable…

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The Pros And Cons Of An Open Floor Plan

Open floor plans have become an extremely popular interior design choice. Many people are either buying homes with open floor plans or converting their homes to be more open, including expensive renovations that blast out walls and create more space. But are open floor plans worth the extra investment? Here are some advantages and disadvantages to going with an open floor plan.

Advantage: It Can Be Safer for Kids

By not having additional walls, your kids will be much easier to watch in an open concept home. So instead of having their own playroom where they could be unsupervised, you can relax in your living room and still keep an eye on them.

Disadvantage: You Have to Stay Tidy

If you or your family tend to be fairly untidy, an open concept…

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A Simple Guide To Roofing Materials

When it comes to protecting your home, there are few more important components of a house than its roof. The right roof will keep your home dry in the rain, warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. Today, homeowners have access to a variety of roofing materials, all of which have specific benefits and disadvantages. Here are some of the most popular roofing materials available and how each can protect your home.

1. Asphalt

These shingles, sometimes called “composite” shingles, are made from asphalt, mineral granules, and either fibreglass or cellulose. These extremely common roofing materials are commonly found throughout the world.

Advantages:
-Higher-quality shingles are known for their long lifespan.
-Come in a variety of different forms to…

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FAQ: Regulations For A Secondary Suites in Edmonton

Secondary suites are an amazing way to supplement your income, but you have to do it through the proper channels. Here are just a few common questions that people ask when it comes to secondary suites in Edmonton, what regulations exist, and how to make the most from your secondary suite.

What is a Secondary Suite?

In Edmonton, a secondary suite is a very specific form of suite, one that needs to meet specific requirements to be considered legal and viable. But there are actually three different kinds of suites that you can have on your property: a secondary suite, a garage suite, and a garden suite.

A secondary suite is a completely separate apartment within your home, like a basement suite or, as it is affectionately called sometimes: the…

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