Happy House Hunting in '08

President's Pen, by Diane Hatfield, Ottawa Real Estate Board President, The Now Emc - Thursday, January 10, 2008

2008 will no doubt see thousand of Ottawa residents moving to new homes somewhere in the city, for a variety of reasons.  A growing family; a new job; and empty nest; a need for more garden or less maintenance – each requires a different type of living space, and Ottawa’s resale housing market offers choices to fit all of these needs and more.

But you’re settled where you are now, and moving can feel like a daunting task when thought about from the comfort of the couch.  Where to begin?  The best opening move is to find a REALTOR® who can help you find the new home of your dreams. 

If you’ve worked with a specific REALTOR® in the past and developed a good working relationship with them, give them a call.  If not, and you’re thinking of moving to a specific neighbourhood, or purchasing a certain type of home (waterfront property, a condominium downtown, a hobby farm) there are REALTORS® who focus on all of these areas and bring years f expertise to the table.  Do some research; the Ottawa Real Estate Board’s website has a searchable online roster of its REALTOR® members  available 24 hours a day.  Drive around the neighbourhood you’re interested in and check out the For Sale signs.  Ask someone who’s recently purchased a similar property.   before meeting with him or her, make a list of Must Haves, Nice to Haves and your price range, as well as the general style of home (bungalow, condo, two-storey) you would prefer and the neighbourhoods you’re focusing on.  This will enable your REALTOR® to set up an automatic search on Ottawa’s MLS® system to find homes that meet your criteria; they can also preview on your behalf the homes that look most promising, so as to not waster your time; and finally, set up appointments for you to view those homes that do measure up to your wish list.

Then comes the moment of truth; the viewing. When viewing a potential new home, you may find it difficult not to judge, it by its cosmetic appearance – the wall colours, décor, landscaping and finishes may not be your taste, but hose are things that can easily be changed, usually without excessive expense.  Instead of focusing on the outdated wallpaper, take a good look at the “bones” of the house.  Structural and architectural details, layout, lot and yard size, amount and timing of daylight, room sizes and so on are far better benchmarks to determine the home’s suitability for you and your family.  You can always repaint the fuchsia powder room and dig up the cedar hedge.