Valuable Tips for Home Sellers | Comox Valley

Tips for Selling Your Home Quickly

November 3, 2015 by Brett Cairns

Selling your home is obviously a complex process. Any time that you are dealing with something that is worth so much money, you want to make sure that it gets done right. Although there are numerous different things that you need to pay attention to and many factors that go into making the sale, there are still ways to get it off your hands quickly if you need to. With a professional real estate agent that knows the area, anything is possible! Here are some tips for selling your home quickly in the Comox Valley.

Go the extra mile

Everyone always talks about curb appeal these days when it comes to homes, and for good reason. It is one of the most important aspects of your home from a selling perspective. If you want it to fly off the market, then you need to go the extra mile and increase that appeal in any way possible. I recommend driving by your home after looking at other comparable Comox Valley property listings in the neighborhood. What sets you apart? What makes your home look beautiful? Would you buy it again after seeing everything in the area? There are a few things you can do to immediately make it look better. Try :

Putting new siding on
Fixing the roof
Adding a beautiful garden in the front
Putting on a beautiful wooden door
Adding a stone walkway

There are a million options. We have beautiful homes here in the valley so the competition is fierce.

Cater to the masses

Ever wonder why politicians don’t normally take an extreme stance on things? It’s because they want to cater to as big a part of the population as possible. Sure, an extraordinary colour scheme might appeal to some people, but it won’t appeal to many. By keeping your home neutral, you give yourself a much better chance of finding a buyer. The main reason is that buyers will see it as a blank slate that they can craft into something that they like instead of something they will have to work to transform. Make sure to stick with white as much as possible and don’t make too many crazy additions.

Be realistic

When you deal with a professional real estate agent, they will do everything they can to get you the best price for your home. We will handle it like any negotiation and with all of our local experience and know-how, you can bet that we will get you what you deserve. If you want to sell fast, though, it is best to be realistic. Don’t start too high. Together we will work to find a balance between getting you the proper the value, and creating a price that is appealing enough for a quick sale. We can talk more about it during your consultation.

With something so important and valuable, it is best to take your time; however, we understand that sometimes you need to get things done fast. These are just a few tips for selling your home quickly. For help selling your home, contact

How to Increase your Property’s Curb Appeal

April 16, 2015 by Brett Cairns

One of the biggest factors to consider when selling your home is its curb appeal. The term “curb appeal” is commonly used in the real estate world to describe the condition of the exterior portion of your home, as seen from the road (or curb).

In order to increase the curb appeal of your home in the most efficient and effective way, seek out the advice of a real estate professional. We have the experience to advise you on what changes you can make to grab the attention of prospective buyers. Here are a couple of suggestions:

Professional Landscaping

One of the first things you need to do when trying to enhance your curb appeal is to get professional landscaping done. By having a well-manicured lawn and great looking vegetation around your home, you will be able to grab the attention of passersby who will take a second look at that for sale sign. Ensure that you take care of the front, sides and back of the home. Your landscaping should be inviting and not in the way or a distraction.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Another good way to increase curb appeal is to apply a fresh coat of paint to the exterior of your home, where applicable. This will help to add a sense of vibrancy to your home and can garner you the attention you are looking for. It’s also best to let the professionals handle a job of this magnitude. When you do paint do not paint the front door in a colour that does not go well with the rest of the home. It will stand out and take away from the overall effect of the home.

Clean up the Yard

Make sure that you clean up the yard and driveway. Clean is good. Dirty and cluttered is bad.

These are just a few basic suggestions for increasing curb appeal. To ensure your home listing sells faster and for the right price, give Brett Cairns a call for expert information and guidance: (250) 898-3348.

Why You Need an Experienced Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Comox Valley Home

March 16, 2015 by Brett Cairns

Selling a home can be a difficult process, but it doesn’t have to be. While you might be thinking about selling your home yourself, the time and effort that it takes just isn’t worth the hassle. Jumping into the world of real estate is not for the faint of heart and the legal issues can be overwhelming. That’s why finding the right real estate agent for your needs is so important.

The process of selling your home can be very long and drawn out. Merely adding it to the many other Comox Valley MLS property listings is only a minor part of the process. There are home viewings, offers and counter offers, inspections, property research, and many other things that have to be done before the sale is finalized. Hiring someone that knows the business can help shoulder some the burden of selling your home.

Let’s take a look at what a professional agent can bring to the table:

Years of experience in the world of real estate to help you better navigate the details.
Access to a ready list of potential buyers, which will help sell your home faster.
A widespread reach that will have your home marketed in many different ways including the internet, word of mouth, and print ads.
The ability to showcase your home in a unique way that will attract a higher asking price.
Expertise on how to properly price your home in order for you to get the largest asking price.
A team of dedicated staff that helps accomplish the goal of selling your home quickly.
They can often refer you to the best home inspectors in the area that will work for affordable rates.
You will not have to pay them a single dime until your home is sold.

Remember, a real estate agent also has detailed experience and information about the area they operate in, which is invaluable in helping you to sell your home. That’s certainly the case with RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty’s Brett Cairns and the Comox Valley area. He specializes in properties located in this beautiful part of Canada and he knows the ins and outs of the local market well.

For more information please call (250) 898-3348.

What is my Comox Valley home worth?

February 27, 2015 by Brett Cairns

This often asked question “How much is my Comox Valley Home Worth?” has a fairly straight forward answer. Why then is it asked so many times and why is there so much confusion in the the worth of homes in the Comox Valley?
The most practical answer to this question is that your home is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. But, having said that, there are a number of things that may influence what someone is willing to pay for your home. Let’s look at a few of them.

There are a number of things out in the market place that attempt to place a value on your home. Some more common ones include:
1. Property Tax Assessments;
2. Mortgage Appraisals;
3. Real Estate Company Appraisals; and
4. Market Value.

First, property tax assessments are performed in British Columbia by the BC Assessment Authority for property tax purposes. The assessment authority states that for most properties the value is primarily based on real estate sales and market trends. However, the property tax assessment notice highlights important dates relative to this process. For 2015 assessments (received in January 2015) the assessment form states that the assessed value is estimated for most properties as of July 1, 2014 and that the assessed value reflects the property’s physical condition and permitted use as of October 31, 2014. Two comments:
1. The assessed value is already 6 months old when homeowners receive the assessment notice; and
2. How can the assessed value reflect the property’s physical condition (Oct 14) when the assessment is done in July and the assessor does not actually visit your home?

How many times has an assessor visited your home before doing a property tax assessment? Have you checked the database that they use to see if the statistical details on your home are even accurate? How many assessors are there for the thousands of homes that are assessed each year in your area? While property tax assessed values may come close to the market value of homes in some instances, they also may differ by a wide margin either above or below market value.

Second, mortgage appraisals done on a home by financial institutions are done as a means of protecting their investment in your home (the mortgage) over the longer term. An appraiser will provide a statement of the current value and possible future trends to the lender. Lending value for mortgage purposes is a long-term conservative estate of the value. Provided the value of the property exceeds the outstanding balance of the mortgage throughout the life of the debt, the lender’s investment is secure.

Third, there are generally any number of companies and individuals who may be called upon to do an appraisal on your home. These appraisals may use a variety of different methods to estimate value. According to the BC Property Assessment Appeal Board’s website, there are currently no legislated standards for real property appraisers but that most appraisers have some form of either provincial, national or international accreditation. So, it is important to check into the appraiser’s qualification and experience before having them do an appraisal. Also important is to understand the method of the appraisal along with its limitations and to confirm that the person doing the appraisal will actually be visiting your home or property as part of the process. Assuming that they produce an accurate assessment of value, the value is determined as of a specific date. If the market changes afterwards, then the appraisal becomes dated.

Clearly, each of the methods above have their limitations. They also are tied to specific dates and some are more dated than others. How accurate are each? It depends is the best answer. It depends on the person who did the assessment or appraisal. It depends on the reason for the appraisal. It depends on the method used for the appraisal. It depends on what factors were considered during the appraisal and it depends on whether or not the assessor or appraiser actually came to your home or property as part of the assessment or appraisal process. How close any or all are to the market value of your home depends on many factors. Without knowing all of them it is difficult to conclude much.

The most dependable way to determine market value is through a market value analysis done by a competent real estate agent. Real estate markets can and do change over time and so does market value. Just as with anything else in life, it is important to know several things about the market analysis. This type of analysis is supposed to represent what the market (not your real estate agent) says your home is worth. Market value is based on recent sales prices of similar homes in the same neighborhood. According to the Sauder School of Business, market value is defined as: “At any given time, the market value of an interest in land is the price it might reasonably be expected to realize when sold by a willing seller to a willing buyer after adequate time and exposure to the market.”

What constitutes market value is reasonably well defined. How market value is evaluated is not. Each real estate agent will have been taught how to statistically evaluate market value through some basic training. However, statistics are only a starting point. Knowing the market and “comparable home” and viewing the home before determining market value are all important. Real estate agents all have different levels of education, training, experience (as a real estate agent, as a professional, and in life) and competence.

Choosing a real estate agent to list your home and place it on the market at market value so that it will sell is a personal and important decision. Aim high for peace of mind. Contact Brett when you are ready to list your Comox Valley home for sale.

Comox Valley Sellers – Know Your Home!

March 19, 2014 by Brett Cairns

Several recent experiences with Comox Valley home sellers prompted me to write a short article on selling homes in the Comox Valley. Why? Because some of these tips may make a difference in whether or not you are able to sell your home at all.

As a Comox Valley home seller, when you list your Comox Valley home for sale do not rely solely on your real estate agent to do all of the work necessary to sell your home. You may have a great agent who knows their stuff. However, you also may end up dealing with an even better real estate agent who represents the home buyer. Having a deal collapse a few days before an accepted offer goes unconditional is not the time to find out something new (and bad) about your home.

Here is a recent example. I negotiated an offer for a Comox Valley home buyer on a home in the rural area of the Comox Valley. We included a number of conditions in the offer that needed to be met before it became unconditional. Here is a few of the things I discovered for the buyer:

There were no permits on file at the regional district office yet the home had a couple of recent additions
One of the buildings on the property was actually located on an adjacent property
The home for sale was located within the area affected by the Riparian Areas Regulation; and
On inspection, the home was found to have Vermiculite in the attic (some Vermiculite contains asbestos which can be a health risk. Interestingly, the home seller did not know this.

There were also other issues with the home and property. Why would a homeowner with a home to sell not know about the requirement to obtain a permit before commencing an addition to their home? Why would a homeowner not know that one of the buildings they owned was actually located on a neighbour’s property? Why would a homeowner not know anything about how the fish bearing stream running through their back yard close to their home affects the development of their home and property? Why would a homeowner not know they might have asbestos in their home, especially when they were not the original owner of the home?

The well known expressions “I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing” simply does not work in real estate in this day and age. Real estate is a highly regulated industry in British Columbia and there are many different BC real estate laws that apply to real property transactions. A seller who plans to sell their Comox Valley home would be wise to find out what they can about their property before they list it. When problems are known they can be addressed so that they do not become larger problems later on.

A competent real estate agent is a great asset to the seller and a seller’s agent can help their client find out as much as possible about the property before it is listed so that things like latent defects are properly disclosed to potential buyers. Socrates is famous for arguing that we must know ourselves to be wise. The same principle can and should be applied to your home and property. You live there. Sellers know what you are living in and on. Your health and financial security may depend on it

If you are looking to buy or sell Comox Valley real estate, contact Brett Cairns of RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty to discuss your intentions and how he can help you meet your real estate goals. He is just a call, click, email or text away.

If I have a Comox Valley Home for Sale What is it Worth?

February 20, 2014 by Brett Cairns

What is my Comox Valley home for sale worth? This is a very common question asked by home sellers and potential sellers of Comox Valley real estate. Fairway homes for sale in Crown Isle are at the top end of the scale. Home buyers often ask the same question “How much is this home worth?”. To answer these questions let’s take a look at worth, value, and price.

According to the dictionary worth is the quality of something that renders it desirable, useful or valuable. Something may have worth to someone because they have an emotional attachment to it – such as a family heirloom. To someone else the same thing may not have any worth. Something may have worth to someone because it fulfills a need for them – such as an old car used for basic transportation. Something may have worth to someone because it represents monetary value to them – such as an investment that they have acquired. For example, if I have a Comox home that is listed for sale that has been in my family for generations, it may mean more to me than a potential buyer who does not have any emotional attachment to it.

The value of something is often expressed objectively and subjectively. The objective view is that there is value in the object or commodity merely because it exists. The subjective view is that value is in the eye of the beholder, not merely in the object itself. While something may have emotional or other value to someone, value is often expressed in monetary terms, or price.

Price relates to the actual number of dollars that the sale of an object or commodity like a Comox Valley home is expected to bring (asking price) or actually brings (selling price) when it is sold.

All Comox Valley real estate transactions involve buyers and sellers. Sellers often have emotional attachment to their homes in addition to whatever they have invested in their homes (purchase price plus the cost of renovations). Sellers, as home owners will often have some value (expressed in terms of a price) in mind when they go to sell their home. Unfortunately, unless they are knowledgeable of current real estate market conditions and how the market is currently affecting the type of home that they own in their local neighborhood, they may not have a realistic appreciation of the current market value of their Comox Valley home.

According to the Sauder School of Business, market value is defined as: At any given time, the market value of an interest in land is the price it might reasonably be expected to realize when sold by a willing seller to a willing buyer after adequate time and exposure to the market. The important things to note are that market value is related to a certain point in time, the price which might reasonably be expected, dependent on a willing seller and buyer, and dependent on adequate time and exposure to the market.

There are a number of factors that will have a bearing on the price that the sale of a specific Comox Valley home will bring. Location, features, condition, and cleanliness are but a few. Having an understanding of current buyer profiles (Where are buyers coming from and what are they looking for?) and current market conditions (supply and demand, list to sell ratios, time on market, etc.) for the area within which you live are also important. A Courtenay high end featured home for sale in Courtenay East may be worth more than the same home in Courtenay West merely because of the location.

When all external factors are properly considered, the asking price set by sellers is important. This price should be based on current market conditions and it may be influenced by other things such as the motivation of the seller. Setting the price either too high or two low will generally not result in the most favorable results for the seller. For example, having a home priced too high for the market may result in no showings but no offers, or worse, no showings.

The bottom line is that before answering either of the two questions posed at the start of this blog, one must understand the conditions in the local real estate market, and then be able to apply what the market is saying in order to determine the market value of any specific home. The level of effort and attention to detail applied to answer these questions may vary according to the real estate professional that you engage to answer them. When you are provided a market value for your home, ask the person to explain the process used to come up with the value so that you are better informed, and more confident with the answer provided. If you need a second opinion contact Brett Cairns of RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty.

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