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Budgeting for Moving Day Expenses


On moving day, you'll have a big task. You’ll need to get your possessions from your old property to your new one — ideally without delays or damage! Surprisingly, many people underestimate the time and costs involved in doing that. Careful planning and budgeting are crucial to ensuring moving day goes smoothly.


You basically have three options:


1. Hire a moving company to handle everything.
2. Hire a truck and crew, while doing some of the work yourself. (For example, you can pack and help with loading.)
3. Do it all yourself by renting a moving van and getting friends and family to help.


If you're going with option one, get quotations as early in the buying/selling process as possible. Services, costs and quality vary widely among fullservice moving companies.


If you're going to do some or all of the move yourself, the best place to start is by making a list of what you'll need. In addition to renting a moving van, or hiring a truck and crew, there are many supplies you may require. For example, you’ll need boxes, protective fill and/or wrapping (i.e. bubble wrap), markers for labeling boxes, packing tape, and more.


You may decide to rely on friends to help load the truck on moving day. That's
fine. Just be sure you have enough people to do the job within a reasonable
timeframe, and confirm everyone's attendance at least a couple of days before.

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Ideally, you would like buyers to wait until they’ve viewed your whole property before they judge it. However, the reality is, buyers start forming an impression of your home as soon as they see it from the curb. So, it pays to do everything you can to improve your property's "curb appeal".


Here are some ideas:


-   You can improve the impact of your landscaping by trimming hedges, removing any unsightly weeds, and cutting the grass. Planting just a few fresh flowers can make a big impact.


-   If your main entrance door is old, a fresh coat of paint will make it
look like new. In some cases, the effect is significant.


-   Remove any items that might distract the buyer from forming a good
first impression. For example, garbage cans, stored items along the
side of the property, etc.


-    Make sure the curtains and blinds on your front windows are open
during viewings. That will make your home look more friendly and
appealing.


-   If your driveway has grease stains and other blemishes, consider
renting a power washer and giving the driveway a thorough cleaning.


-   Clean your front windows. If possible, also clean the exterior panes.


-   Finally, if possible, park your vehicles on the street and away from your home. Doing this will not only make your home look more inviting to buyers, it will give them a convenient place to park.


Most of these tips can be done in less than a day. Yet, they can make a big difference in your home's curb appeal. They are worth the effort!

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Victoria Real Estate Market Still Adjusting to Federal Government Changes


A total of 640 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this March, 7 per cent fewer than the 688 properties sold in March 2018 but a 52 per cent increase from February 2019. Sales of  condominiums were down 7.1 per cent from March 2018 with 196 units sold but were up from February 2019 by 51.9 per cent. Sales of single family homes were down 4.5 per cent from March 2018 with 322 sold.


“We continue to see a somewhat static local real estate market through March,” says Victoria Real Estate Board President Cheryl Woolley. “Like in February, REALTORS® have been busy showing properties and discussing strategy with buyers and sellers, while the sales numbers themselves continue to be relatively flat when compared with last year. These market conditions are not a surprise. Consumers continue to adjust to the B20 mortgage qualification rules and the long-term, low inventory of homes. The good news is we have seen a month-over-month increase of active listings on the market - though we remain well under the ten-year average of 3,403.”


There were 2,435 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of March 2019, an increase of 14.3 per cent compared to the month of February and a 37.9 per cent increase from the 1,766 active listings for sale at the end of March 2018.


The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in March 2018 was $867,900. The benchmark value for the same home in March 2019 decreased by 2.8 per cent to $843,600, lower than February’s value of $845,900. The MLS® HPI benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core area in March 2018 was $501,500, while the benchmark value for the same condominium in March 2019 increased by 1.0 per cent to $506,500, slightly higher than February's value of $502,800.


“The mortgage stress test continues to put further pressure on lower-priced properties by reducing the borrowing power of many prospective buyers and pushing a lot of buyers into an already compressed price bracket with limited inventory,” adds President Woolley. “This means that even though sales are slower than the peak in 2016, many buyers can expect to encounter multiple offer situations as competition increases at lower price points. The federal government recently announced a CMHC shared-equity mortgage program, which aims to reduce first time home buyer payments. However, this program applies only to properties $480,000 or less, and will put even more pressure on lower priced homes and condominiums. These current market dynamics make it increasingly important for our region to continue to find ways to create more affordable housing options to avoid price pressure on the lower-priced properties.”

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MLS® property information is provided under copyright© by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board and Victoria Real Estate Board. The information is from sources deemed reliable, but should not be relied upon without independent verification.