Real Estate Blog - July, 2022

The Best Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Agent

It’s no secret that buying or selling a home can be one of life’s most stressful endeavors. With so many unknowns and variables at play, limiting stress during this event can help make the process more enjoyable; one of the simplest ways to help reduce the stress and anxiety attached to purchasing a home is to hire a real estate agent.

The Role of a Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent acts as the intermediary between buyers and sellers. The agent will connect the two and handle all legal negotiations to ensure the deal takes place without a hitch. A real estate agent helps clients sell, buy or rent their property. They also may guide the client when it comes to navigating the market, take them on showings, and assist…

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How to Make Your Laundry Room More Efficient

As time goes by, it feels like we only get busier as a society. Small household tasks can seem overwhelming between work, family obligations and social events. While some people may find peace in spending a day at home, cleaning and getting things in order, others are seemingly always rushing around trying to squeeze small household tasks in before jetting off to the next event. This is where creating an efficient living space can pay off in dividends. Arguably, one of the more time-consuming chores at home is laundry – and the bigger the family, the more laundry there will be, leaving you wondering how to make your laundry room more efficient.

We will take you through some of the best ways to make your laundry room more…

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Tips on Combining Households When You’re Blending Families

As blended families have become more common—making up more than 10% of all Canadian households, according to Statistics Canada—more people face the challenge of bringing two families together under one roof. Deciding whose home to move into, or whether to sell both properties and start house-hunting together, requires lots of thought about locations, amenities, and space. Then there’s all the stuff both families have accumulated and compromising on who keeps what. We asked a professional organizer for tips on how to navigate these big decisions and make the moving process smoother for everyone.

Who goes where? 

Merging households requires careful planning and discussion. No two families are alike, so there are many factors involved in making…

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Renovations You Should Leave to the Pros

If you’ve spent the last few years binge watching your favorite home renovation shows and looking for #DIYInspo projects all over social media, you’ve probably considered making a few tweaks around your home. 

However, when it comes to home renos, knowing when to hire a professional is essential.

A recent survey conducted by Leger examined how Canadians changed their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey found of the 17% of people who had improved their homes, only one third hired professional help—the rest opting to tackle the jobs themselves.

While it may be tempting to take on home renovation and home improvement projects that don’t appear to present any risks on the surface, there are several instances when the expertise of a…

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Climate Change Risk Disclosure when Selling Real Estate in Canada

Governments prioritize updating national flood maps, to help Canadians buying or selling a home assess climate change-related risk more comprehensively

RE/MAX Canada’s latest report looks at the Canada real estate market through a lens of climate change and the risks to homebuyers, which include displacement due to extreme weather events, higher insurance premiums and compromised liveability, and are already being felt by homeowners from coast to coast.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the estimated trend of the overall costs of catastrophic losses has increased from approximately $1 billion in 2005 to almost $2.5 billion in 2021.

“These climatic stresses are increasingly colliding with federal and…

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Real Estate Tips for Buyers from REALTORS®

Buying a home is no easy task. It’s likely the biggest investment you’ll ever make in your lifetime and there are so many things you need to take into consideration, like where you should live, how much you can afford to spend, and when the right time to move is. 

These are just some of the questions that buyers need answers to—and truthfully, just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to buying a home. With the help of a REALTOR®, you’ll be able to answer these questions for yourself and get a better sense of what the home buying journey looks like for you.

We asked a few REALTORS® for some of the advice they give to home buyers, whether it’s their first home or they’re downsizing, to help them feel more confident in the process. 

When is…

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Canadian Slang from Across the Country

To set the record straight for the international reader, we don’t all say “aboot”. Even if you catch us saying “aboot” we will never admit we said “aboot.”

OK, enough aboot that, eh?

While our English dialect is recognizable virtually anywhere, Quebecois French has its own fierce and proud identity. So, yes, Canadian slang has its own quirky twists and turns. 

We explored the origins of some of the most iconic Canadian foods in 2018, now we’ll look at words and phrases that set the country apart from the rest of the world—and sometimes apart from ourselves, from province to province.

Double-double

Next to eh, double-double is likely the most ubiquitous bit of Canadiana, a coast-to-coast phrase denoting a coffee with two cream and…

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Best Cities to Live in Newfoundland

Newfoundland is one of the most coveted provinces for those planning to move to Canada. This province has a rich and long history, diverse culture, and so much beauty. Whether you are looking for a rural or an urban lifestyle, you can get the best of both worlds here. This guide will help you discover the best cities to live in Newfoundland. Get to know these cities so you can decide which one to call your next home.

8 Best Cities to Live in Newfoundland

Before you embark on a house-hunting adventure, use this guide to know where you should be looking.

1. St. John’s

St. John’s is the capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It makes sense that it would be listed among the best cities to live in Newfoundland. However, it…

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10 Tools Every Homeowner Needs

Even if you don’t consider yourself handy—and there’s no shame in that—having a well-equipped toolbox is a must for every homeowner. You never know when you’ll need to screw a cabinet handle back in, hammer down a floorboard, or tighten a loose pipe until a professional can do a permanent fix. Your toolbox doesn’t need to rival that of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor’s, but there are some basics you’ll want to gather up. 

We asked Mike Sexton, owner of Double Check Handyman and Shed On Site in Fredericton, New Brunswick, to give us some insight to the 10 tools every home should have. 

1. A hammer

This is probably the one everyone thinks of, but not all hammers are created equal.

“There are a couple of different kinds,” says Sexton. “Don’t…

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It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere: 5 Canadian Wine Tours to Take This Summer

It’s always happy hour somewhere, or at least it’ll feel like it is when you’re surrounded by idyllic vineyards, flights of carefully curated wines, quaint bed and breakfasts, and an array of activities that’ll leave no room for boredom. Canada may not be the first country that comes to mind when wine is the topic of discussion, yet our winemakers often give those in France, Italy, and Spain a run for their money.

Ontario’s Prince Edward County and Niagara-on-the-Lake are obvious, reliable choices for wine tastings and deserve mentions, but it’s always exciting and rewarding to discover new wineries, varieties, and regions.

Don’t believe it? You should see, swirl, and sip for yourself! With hundreds of officially…

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