10 Tips to Home Ownership

Owning a home is a fantastic thing, yet sometimes a great responsibility that gets over looked. To assist you, here are 10 things to try to keep in mind during your home ownership.

1. Take good care of your home
-as a rule try to budget 1 to 3% of your home’s value for maintenance and repairs each year.

2. Build your homes equity
– By Making an extra principal payment here and there when possible, one can decrease the interest paid over the life of the loan.

3. Your home should have a good first impression
– By Keeping your front entrance clear and welcoming you will increase the curb appeal of your home which improves your homes value.

4. Be properly insured
– In most cases you only need to insure the replacement value of your home and personal property, not the land.

5. Love your neighborhood–not just your home
– If you’re not happy with your current neighborhood, start thinking of where you would be happier and let’s get planning to get you there.

6. Make improvements
– Statistics show that updated kitchens and baths are the number 1 key selling features in most homes, so spend your dollars there first.

7. Safety is a must
– Install not only smoke detectors but with most homes now having natural gas furnaces it is also important to install carbon monoxide detectors to ensure the security of your family.

8. Go green and improve your monthly costs.
– More and more these days, buyers are looking for more energy effecient homes. Improvements in the insulation of windows, doors, and storm doors can save energy costs and increase your home’s resale value.

9. Stick to Neutral Colours
– If you’re thinking of moving in a year or so, choose light, neutral paint colors, what looks great to you does not always look appealing to all.

10. Know when it’s time to move
– Over time people often outgrow a house or neighborhood. If you’re thinking of making a change, please call or email to discuss the next steps.