Top Spots for Shopping in Nanaimo

Living in Nanaimo means you don’t give up a thing when it comes to shopping.

Woodgrove Centre is the largest shopping mall on Vancouver Island located on Old Island Highway #19A. and has 150 shops.

Country Club Centre is located on Old Island Highway #19A. and has over 50 Shops

Nanaimo North Town Centre located on Rutherford Road and Old Island Highway #19A. has over 50 shops

Port Place Shopping Centre located in downtown Nanaimo has over 30 shops

Big box stores include: Superstore, Costco, and Home Depot

Downtown Nanaimo includes 3 distinct areas that offer many unique shopping experiences.

The Arts District with art galleries, studios and artist cooperatives featuring local and BC artists all centred around Commercial Street.

Old City Quarter has destination shopping and dining along pedestrian friendly cobblestone streets. This area features revitalized heritage buildings dating from the late 1800s to early 1900s. Located at Fitzwilliam and Wesley Street.

Waterfront offers souvenir shops, boutiques, and ice-cream. Located along the harbourfront walkway (seawall).

Farmers Markets with fresh, seasonal produce and other handmade goods are available at

Lantzville Farmers Market , Cedar Farmers Market, Bowen Road Farmers Market, Nanaimo Downtown Farmers Market

Moving Mishaps And How To Avoid Them

Don’t move when everybody else does if you can possibly avoid it. For a cost effective move, consider moving toward the beginning or the end of the month, and not during the summer.  Booking a move when everybody else isn’t is a great way to avoid over-extended movers who may be so over-worked that something may go wrong. The earlier you start your move, the more moving companies you can have do a visual inspection and quotation, and the more research you will be able to do.  Not having to rush around will save you quite a bit of stress. Also, don’t forget to back up your computer and if possible, take your computer with you when you move instead of having the moving company handle it.  Much like losing an item with sentimental value, the data that could be lost from computer damage is often irreplaceable.

Moving can be quite expensive, but deciding to choose a mover based on price alone is almost always a mistake.  Clever movers will quote one low price up front, then find creative ways to tack on extras.  Some unethical movers have even been known to try to collect more money upfront when they reach your new home, actually refusing to unload the truck until you pay them what they are asking. Movers generally charge by weight, volume and the time it takes to load and unload your items.  So getting a visual inspection and quotation from multiple moving companies is very important.  If you are considering getting an online quote there is no practical way they can come close to being accurate because every move is unique and different.

Buying a Nanaimo house with good resale value

Buying a house is an exciting time. People can often get caught up in the moment when they are making a decision of whether or not to buy a house and may not be considering resale.  However, it is important for them to consider resale value when they are contemplating a home purchase. Buying a home is similar to any other investment purchase, there are risks.  If you are looking towards buying a Nanaimo house with good resale value the top thing to consider is location.

Look for a house that does not back onto a busy street and avoid corners and intersections. A good choice would be the middle of the block or a cul de sac. Be sure all essential shops and services are located nearby and should include grocery stores, gas stations, dry cleaners, and convenience stores. There should also be fairly convenient access to local highways, major traffic routes, and public transit. Have a good look at the local shopping centre to see if it is healthy and busy and not in decline.  If it is, this could indicate that the local neighborhood is also in decline.  If there are a lot of “For Lease” signs, you might want to reconsider your purchase.

Quick tips to get your Nanaimo home ready for winter

            The winter months are quickly approaching, so be sure that you and your Nanaimo home are ready for the winter months ahead.  It is very important to safely get onto your roof to inspect for missing shingles or other factors that may lead to a leaky roof. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, call in a professional and have them take care of the rooftop work for you.  Inspect doors and windows to ensure that the weather-stripping is in good condition to keep your house warmer and cozier in the winter months.

            Make sure that your heater and ventilation systems are in good working order.  Clean out accessible ducts and replace filters where necessary.  Inspect your chimney for creosote and call a chimney sweep to keep your fireplace safe and functional.  Now's the time to clean out those rain gutters.  If you want to do it yourself, make sure that you can safely access the gutters and then scoop out any debris, blast the drains clean with a high-powered hose, and repair any leaks you may find along the way. Drain water from outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems to keep those pipes from freezing. Disconnect and store outdoor hoses; cover outdoor faucets with foam insulators.

Moving with kids – It can be fun

            Moving with kids can be stressful, but there are a few things that can make moving fun for the whole family. Plan a Movie night to watch a family favorite. This can make your new house feel familiar. Order pizza or have root beer floats and forget about the day's stresses and enjoy each other's company, along with a meal that is easy to clean up.  When beds are still packed, camp out on your living room floor for a great adventure for the kids. Sleeping in the same space can be reassuring to young children.

Let your children have a hand in decorating their new room.  Their age will dictate the level of their participation but younger children can still help pick a favorite accent color or a few new accessories. Older children could pick design styles, new bedding, and even paint color and their involvement will help them feel ownership of their new space.

To lessen anxiety for the younger kids, take Goodwill piles to the trunk of your car at night so that you can drop them off the next day. That way they won’t accidently see that one toy they never played with and decide it’s their favorite and you’re a monster for giving it away. Perhaps before you move, if it is at all possible, you might plan to take a trip a week after the move to give you all something to look forward to after leaving your friends and old neighbourhood behind.

How To Make Money Being A Landlord

Invest in a rental property that is low maintenance. The more items you have in your rental property that require maintenance, the higher your potential repair costs could be. Spas, elaborate landscaping that requires a lot of upkeep, and fancy kitchen appliances are just three examples of things that could end up costing you more money in repairs than what you are making in rent.

Do you really want to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?  Experienced landlords and property managers know that if a toilet gets clogged, a heating system goes down, or if a tenant locks themselves out of their house, it is not going to happen during normal business hours.  When you are a landlord be prepared for a 2 a.m. wake-up call from your tenant with an emergency that he thinks needs to be solved right away. Many professional real estate investors engage property managers to deal with tenants.  While there are pros and cons to this, there is the added expense of the property manager fees that cut into your profits.

Familiarize yourself with B.C.'s landlord tenant laws. Many new landlords think that they can choose who they rent their property to and end up accidentally violating tenancy laws.  Successful landlords know that the last thing they want to do is discriminate - even by accident - and receive a notice of violation, or worse. Before you decide to become a landlord consider the true costs involved in owning rental real estate and do the necessary research to make your income property in Nanaimo a success.

Nanaimo Homes For Sale – Is It Worth It To Stage?

When home staging is done properly, it can potentially put your home ahead of the competition.   You want prospective buyers to imagine that they’re already living in your home.  A well staged home shows buyers what it could be like to live in that home.  Homes often sell faster when staged. Even at more modest price points, staging can help a property command a higher price.  However, some homes look better when they’re empty than when they’re filled with furniture.  Sometimes it’s the floor plan, sometimes the lighting looks better without furniture, or maybe there’s a huge picture window that will draw peoples attention to the gorgeous view you’ve got.

One way to decide whether or not to stage, is to survey your competition.  Pretend you’re a potential buyer for your home, then take a good look at what the alternative choices are.  Visit open houses, see what’s available over the internet, and maybe even ask your real estate agent to take you around to view competing properties when they’ve got a little extra time. The cost to stage your home for sale is also something to think about.  If there are a lot of similar homes for sale when yours goes on the market, maybe it does make sense to spend a little extra and stage your home.

Staging a Home for Sale In Nanaimo

We have plenty of experience staging homes for sale in Nanaimo! Please call for more information.

Housing in Nanaimo for the 55+ market

A real estate agents client base is often made up buyers seeking housing for the 55+ market.  Often at this point in life couples find themselves to be empty nester's and choose to be less tied down to their homes.  Perhaps they want to travel more and don't want to leave a large, family home un-attended.  The other possibility is that couples are thinking ahead to a time when either age related difficulties or health concerns may make owning a traditional home too difficult to manage. According to stats from Nanaimo's City Data the Median age of the population in Nanaimo is around 43 years of age.  It is likely this median age in Nanaimo will soon be 55+.

The top choices for housing in Nanaimo for the 55+ market are: ranchers with low maintenance landscaping, patio homes, manufactured homes in development's like Deerwood Estates and single level townhouse, half duplexes and condos. The wonderful thing about purchasing any of the above is that the resale potential on your home will be excellent.  As the population ages housing in Nanaimo for the 55+ age group should be much in demand. For a complete list of available housing in Nanaimo for the 55+ market please either email me or give me a call.

Nanaimo Real Estate 55+ Market

If you are in the 55+ age range and are interested in Nanaimo real estate, please call us. 

When is it Time To Downsize Your Home?

Look for these signs to tell if it's time to downsize your home:

1. When you find yourself more and more leafing through beautiful, four-color travel guides to  transport you to far away places you'd rather be instead of house cleaning or caring for that big backyard, it may be time to consider trading down for a low-maintenance easy care condo or townhome.

2.  Are you and your spouse beginning to rattle around in your home? Perhaps you've got too much house and need to move.

3.  Owning a bigger house than you need means higher utility bills, higher maintenance costs and higher landscaping costs.  Even if you're not financially stressed, you may still be thinking that there must be better things to do with your money than pay that high heating bill every winter.

4.  You have accumulated so much stuff that the garage and spare bedrooms are being used as storage rooms is a sure sign that you've got too much house and a garage sale may be in order.

5.  More and more baby boomers are reaching retirement age and are selling their big homes for something smaller.  Many real estate experts question whether or not the next generation of buyers are going to be willing or able to buy all of those big homes on the market.  If this proves to be right, now might be the time to consider downsizing rather than waiting for everybody else to do it. 

Nanaimo Homes For Sale

For other pertinent information regarding Nanaimo Homes for sale call us anytime!

Should I find a home before I list mine?

Is it best to find a home before listing or list and then find a home once it sells? 

There is the chance that if you sell your house first, you might not be able to find anything, or you find something and lose it because your house doesn’t sell in time. To prepare yourself in the best possible way you may want to do some research by viewing some homes that appeal to you. Choose a Realtor that is well-informed about the area and knows what these homes are worth. This will help you avoid overpaying for a property and reassure you that there are many lovely homes available and that one or several of the current listings may work for you.

Should I find a home before I list my Nanaimo home? 

            A Realtor can supply you with a CMA (Comparative market analysis) which will help determine the market value of your home.  Ask your realtor to do a room-by-room walkthrough, and make recommendations on ways to stage or declutter your home so it shows at its best.  This is also the time to make any repairs necessary to get your house sold. Get your finance in order for your next purchase.  The mortgage market has seen some big changes over the past 6 months.  Its important to know what you will be approved for at the new rates and with the new requirements. Doing your up-front research will pay off as you will be in a position to get your home listed quickly when you are ready, or when the right house comes onto the market.

How to Motivate People to Buy Your Home

Smart home sellers should always remember that buyers have many choices.

Qualified buyers usually go for the home with the best asking price and the one that gives them the best value for their home-buying money. If you're trying to sell your home in a competitive market, you are going to have to be price competitive. It's not always about asking price, however.  Sometimes you will have to take that extra step to get a qualified buyer to choose your house to make an offer on instead of the house down the street. You can probably think of many ways if you are willing to 'think outside of the box'.

How to Motivate People to Buy Your Home in Nanaimo

             

            The following are some suggestions to motivate buyers to buy your home. Reimburse them for their legal fees and other closing costs. Offer them a credit for any cosmetic work that needs to be done, such as painting or carpet cleaning.  Provide a credit for updating appliances, bath room fixtures, or window coverings. If you can afford it, arrange for a weekly cleaning service for a certain amount of time, after the deal is done, as a 'thank you' for them buying your house. When you do this, you set yourself apart from the competition and give qualified buyers good reason to choose your home rather than the one down the street.

What to consider when buying a home

There many things you need to keep in mind when buying a home. Choosing a desirable neighborhood and the number of bedrooms are two very important things followed by resale considerations. When looking at your needs, budget and personal tastes come into play to decide if  you want a new home or one that requires some work like a "fixer-upper."  If the area you are considering has a lot of seniors, consider purchasing a home with no stairs like a rancher. While house-hunting, it's a good idea to make notes about and take photos of what you see because viewing several houses at a time can be confusing.

What to consider when buying a home in Nanaimo 

If you are thinking about buying a condo, it makes sense to spend a bit more and get a two bedroom unit because a one-bedroom condo is far more difficult to resell. You may also want to consider how high strata fees are, ability to rent out unit and if pets are allowed.  On the other hand, 2 bedroom homes are very hard to sell and have very little appreciation potential. Most people want at least three bedrooms. Homes with a well-maintained, attractive, and charming view-from-the-street appearance have good resale potential. You can protect your investment by not buying a different or unique home to allow for broader appeal to more potential buyers.

Property Disclosure Statement – What is it & why is it used?

In Nanaimo, as well as the rest of B.C., it is law that you must complete a Property Disclosure Statement (PDS) when listing a home.   This document is completed by the seller about the property they are trying to sell and is part of the paperwork necessary to list a house.  There are specific property disclosure statements for residential, strata and rural property. All parties to the sales contract must sign and date the property disclosure statement. This PDS does not mean that the buyer should not have a home inspection.  This inspection helps buyers understand the condition of the property and what repairs may be needed.

Nanaimo Property Disclosure Statement

A property disclosure statement is important because the seller and the seller’s Realtor must, by law, disclose any known material latent defects in the property to the buyer.  The property disclosure statement helps protect against allegations of negligent misrepresentation. Some trouble areas include: boundaries (property lines), insulation, roof condition, septic tanks, structural problems and well water. When a buyer views a property disclosure statement they should still plan to make their own inquiries about the property.  This is especially important if the seller has initialed that he/she has no knowledge as to the status of a question on the PDS.  Many questions on the PDS are worded “Are you aware… or To the best of your knowledge…”  In many cases a seller may not know the status of insulation etc.

How To Use Curb Appeal To Sell Your Nanaimo Home Quickly

First impressions are the lasting ones and studies have shown that when people look at something for the first time their impression is formed in the first 6 seconds and that first impression never changes even if a lot of contrary evidence comes up later. When a prospective buyer sees an overpriced home, they usually do not come back, even if they liked the home and the price is reduced.

To sell your home quickly, make sure that your curb appeal is at its best. This positive first impression can make prospective buyers feel that your house is the place they could call home. To maximize curb appeal keep the front yard neat and tidy and free of any distracting clutter and have flowering plants to catch their eye. You may want to hire a professional landscaper to help keep your yard looking its best.

Does Your Real Estate Agent Have A Good Website?

Between 80% and 90% of potential buyers use the internet as part of their home search and serious, qualified buyers use the web for a lot of research before they even contact a real estate agent to schedule a showing. There are still many businesses out there that don’t have a website so be sure your realtor has internet marketing as part of the overall sales and promotional program for your house for sale.

Pretend that you’re a potential buyer for your own house, hop on to the internet, and see which Realtors have the best website presence in Nanaimo. Your listing should be exposed to as many prospective buyers as possible.  A visitor to a real estate website will spend only 3-4 seconds on the site before deciding whether or not to click over to a different website. The more user-friendly your realtor’s website is, the more visitors or traffic that website will get, which in turn translates into more qualified buyers looking at your Nanaimo home for sale.

What to do about ugly green algae on siding

When you’re spending time outdoors in the warm, sunny weather this spring you’ll probably notice some ugly green algae has appeared on your garden shed siding. After a wet winter algae often grows on the north facing side of walls.  If you have decided that removing this algae will be your first spring cleanup chore, a spray bottle and some bleach should do the trick.

For a nice clean shed just do the following: fill a spray bottle with half bleach and half water. It should be strong enough to cut off anything. Have a bucket of rinse water, a sponge and some dry rags. Spray the algae generously and let it set for a few moments. When you see streams of green running from the area you just sprayed, wash it off with clean rinse water and a sponge then dry the area with the rags. If the algae is thick, it might leave a greenish stain, just repeat the process and rinse it off again.

Will Going Green Help Sell Your Home?

According to the Canada Green Building Council, a green home uses less energy, water and natural resources, creates less waste and is healthier and more comfortable to live in. Best of all, the net cost of owning a Green Home is about the same as owning a conventional home because although you may pay a bit more up front for a certified green home, you’ll make up the difference with energy cost savings in the long run.

The Canada Green Building Council is a not-for-profit, national organization that has been working since 2002 to advance green building and sustainable community development practices in Canada. It has worked with all levels of government and private development to help retrofit and help newly constructed houses and buildings to meet green building standards. Not only will going green help sell your home, it will also give you satisfaction in knowing your green home is helping make Canada more environmentally responsible and a healthier place to live!

Basic Indicators of a Home With Good Resale Value

You can find a Nanaimo house with good resale value if you consider the following aspects: A home in a desirable location will almost always attract a larger pool of home buyers. Look for one that does not back onto busy streets and is not on a corner or intersection. Your best choice is a home in the middle of the block or on a cul de sac. Try to find one near essential shops and services such as grocery stores, gas stations, dry cleaners, and convenience stores.

The home itself should have more than one bathroom and more than two bedrooms. Look for a home with good flow and an open floor plan as well as having ample storage space and closets. Other desirable things are a garage, family space and recent updates.

Childproofing Your Nanaimo Home

When childproofing your home consider potential hazards that can occur both inside and outside of the house.

Inside the home you should install safety gates, latches and locks, door knob covers and door locks, anti-scald devices (for faucets and shower heads), corner and edge bumpers (for the edges of furniture and fireplaces), electrical outlet covers, carbon monoxide alarms and cordless window coverings. The kitchen is full of potential dangers so the safest thing to do is install a baby gate across the entrance. Also windows should only be able to open 3 inches, or have a window guard.

Outside the home use extra protection with a barrier completely surrounding the pool and spa, such as a fence with a self-closing and self-latching gate. Your outdoor deck is as perilous as a pool, except that you want to keep your child in and not out so install a self-closing and latching gate.

Energy Saving Tips For Winter in Nanaimo

Here are 3 tips on how to spend less money on keeping your Nanaimo home warm this winter. 
1. Have your heating systems serviced and inspected twice a year and install clean filters to help lower your energy bill. Catch any major problems before they occur by having a regular routine maintenance program for your furnace and air conditioner. 
2. Check the insulation stripping on your doors and windows, warm inside air will quickly escape to the outside through any gap, then caulk or replace it to get rid of any leaks. Money spent on insulation supplies will be a lot less than having to pay for wasted warm air.
3. If you haven’t had the heating system updated on your older home for years, consider replacing it.  You’ll be surprised at the energy efficiency of today’s heating and cooling systems and may see energy savings showing up right away. For more information on Nanaimo homes for sale 2018 contact Lynn Donn.