Buying or Selling in Late November/December...know this!!

Keep these tips in mind:

Banks and lawyers vacation too. Make sure if your lawyer is to preform a title search or close out the transaction in late Dec that he or another lawyer are physically available. Make these arrangements early. You may need to go a week or 2 early to sign some of the documentation.

Make sure as a Seller that you give as much notice as you can to utility providers to come do final readings for adjustment purposes. These large companies get stacked to towards the end of the year and doing these readings timely will help streamline the adjustments for closing purposes.

Call moving companies as early as you can. You will being paying a premium likely to do a late Dec or early Jan move. So more then any other time, price shop and ask for referals.

If you're a Seller leaving town after listing in December, be sure to have access to a dedicated phone line/fax line to deal with any offers and make sure someone is looking after your house. Awful time for a water pipe to burst. It won't happen...but be prepared for anything.

Shovel Sellers. It's already a pain in the butt when buyers arrive and the streets aren't plowed so they circle around for 10 minutes just to find a spot to come view your house. If you didn't shovel your driveway and front steps...you're going to leave a negative taste in the buyer's mouth...assuming they don't fall and eat snow.

Make certain that you leave lights on at all times. The days get grey and so do homes inside, no matter how many windows or the perfect exposure. Also, turn the heat on. Take it off the program while you're at work for the few weeks the house is being marketed. Yes, your bills will temp go up but the selling price should easily take care of those bills.

Buyers-open all the blinds and look for the condensation. It's there!! Home inspection will determine the need for replacing windows or simple sealing jobs.

Humidifiers should be on. Many older homes have mold in basement and do have an odor. Putting moisture in the basement air and opening up windows from time to time can only help.

There are many more things to know when purchasing into the winter season. If you have any further questions around this or the market...don't hesitate to ask me.

Michael Gruenstein MBA CSC
mgruenstein@trebnet.com
http://www.TheSmithsBuyAHouse.com
http://www.PropertiesintheGta.ca