Victoria is a magical and beautiful place to spend the holidays, with plenty of lights and events throughout the city. Here are just some of the events taking place for Christmas, including parades, markets, performances, lights, tours, and brunches with Santa!
Don't forget to check out local coffee shops and restaurants as well for their Christmas specials!
When it comes to living in an area that is at risk from earthquakes—as Victoria is—it’s important to ensure you’re prepared and aware of the measures you may need to take in the event of an emergency.
According to seismic experts, there is a 32% probability of a damaging earthquake occurring in our region in the next 50 years, with many other smaller ones occurring often, so so it’s a good idea to have a plan for what steps to take before, during, and after an earthquake. Here’s our guide to the best safety and preparation advice for earthquake preparedness.
Ready for another year of tricks and treats in Victoria? Check out local activities, ghost tours, haunted houses, mazes, dances, and other events taking place during the season of the pumpkin.
When it comes to buying a home you want to leave no stone unturned—after all, this is the biggest and most important purchase you’ll be making, and there should be no doubt left in your mind that you’ve found the right home for you.
This is where a home inspection comes into play. A pre-purchase inspection provides you with the opportunity to uncover details that won’t be apparent to the untrained eye, giving you insight into the future viability and structural soundness of the property, and bringing to light any potential problems or red flags. This not only gives you leverage when negotiating, but it can also help you make your final decision.
Here are some of the reasons why home inspections are an important part of the home buying process, as well as how you should approach a home inspection as a part of your home buying journey.
Being able to provide knowledgeable and effective real estate advice to our clients is a key part of the service we provide, and in order to do that, we need to have an understanding of a wide variety of factors, including market trends and outlooks for the region.
However, it’s not just professionals that can benefit from that knowledge. For homeowners and prospective buyers, knowing what’s happening can help you make informed choices, and guide your decision making process.
With that in mind, here’s why buying and selling at the right time is so important, and what the market conditions in Victoria are telling us about whether now is the right time for you to make your move.
When it comes to figuring out your next move, location will undoubtedly be at the top of your criteria. This doesn’t just mean the neighbourhood you choose, but the area as a whole that you want to live in as well.
And there can be few cities that can match Victoria in terms of scenery, culture, amenities, and quality of life. If you’re on the fence about moving, don’t worry — here’s our mini guide to what you need to know about living in Victoria, and advice for what to keep in mind when making your move to this fantastic city.
No matter whether you’ve recently moved to the Island, have made it your home for years, or if you’re a prospective buyer wondering what it may have in store for you, you’ll be interested to know what there is for you to do and enjoy with your whole family on Vancouver Island.
It’s undoubtedly a great place to raise a family, and we think this list highlighting some of our personal favourite family activities on Vancouver Island, showcases exactly why that is.
Selling your property and getting the best return possible is all about appealing to prospective buyers. And a big part of that appeal comes from how you present your home; it’s about showcasing its potential and qualities in the best light possible, ensuring you make the right impression.
This is where staging comes in. Professional staging will usually involve arranging furniture, decorations, and other design elements in a way that is designed to appeal to prospective buyers. Professional staging is an expense, albeit one that will often pay off in terms of increasing the sale value of your home.
However depending on the budget, and your aims and expectations, it may be beneficial to either go the professional route, or to take a more hands on DIY approach. But no matter how you go about it, there are a wide range of benefits when it comes to staging your home for sale, which we’re going to take a look at now.
Pricing your home to sell is an essential part of budgeting and planning for your next move, and there are several factors that go into the final number. For homeowners it can sometimes be a little difficult to parse the number they’re offered by appraisers and real estate experts, but with a little research and understanding, you can have a better idea of what the market value range for your home truly is.
Something that’s unique to BC homeowners is the BC assessment, which provides an estimated value for your home. In this blog we are going to to explain a little more about that, and its limitations, as well as providing you with advice on how to understand the true market value for your home, and what to do afterwards should you receive multiple offers.
One of the trickiest propositions for anyone selling their home is that of deciding exactly how much work, if any, they should put into renovating the property before selling. Renovations are often costly, both in terms of time and money, and therefore there is a definite risk/reward element to any considerations.
On top of this, even minor cosmetic changes need to be thought of with the broadest audience in mind, something that’s a much more fraught process than just accounting for your own individual taste!
Luckily, you don’t have to make that decision alone, we’re here to lend you our expert opinion with this guide on whether or not you should be renovating your property before selling, and which renovations would better serve your interests.
When it comes to property timing is everything, not just in terms of the market, or picking the right time for you to make your move, but in terms of making sure you have the easiest transition possible between your old and new homes.
One of the most important decisions any homeowner has to make is whether they want to sell their old home before or after purchasing their new one.
Truthfully there is no one right or wrong answer, it’s a matter of understanding your situation, and finding the right path for you. Which is why we’ve laid out some of the benefits and drawbacks of each approach when it comes to whether you should buy or sell first when moving to a new home.
Over the last two years, we’ve seen so many parts of everyday life upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we can expect that to continue as we start this new year. In BC, there are still a number of restrictions and regulations that need to be adhered to, and there is guidance specifically for REALTORS®. We would like to assure you that we are following all regulations and safety advice, and in this blog we take a look at the measures that are currently in place
Accurate at time of publishing in January 2022
