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.