Congratulations!

You’re ready to graduate from the world of renter to homeowner for the first time! It’s a big investment, but well worth it if you know what you are doing.

During this rewarding and high-pressure time, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of simply having a place to finally call your own. However, whether this is a “for now” home or a “forever” home, there are definitely some guidelines that you are going to want to follow to make your you walk away with best deal and future free of headaches!

Just because a prospective house looks perfect on the outside, doesn’t mean there isn’t some more investigation to be done. Here are The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team’s top tips for new Kelowna homeowners!

STOP! Do These 3 Key Things BEFORE Purchasing Your New Kelowna Home

Explore The Neighbourhood

Sure, the house is beautiful, and the neighbourhood is charming! But, what about the neighbours? Spend some time investigating the neighbourhood or your dream home may quickly become your living nightmare. Is the neighbourhood family friendly, or (if you are looking for peace and quite) does the neighbour run a daycare in their backyard? Is there enough parking for yourself and visitors, are any of the neighbouring houses unkempt or have unseemly people coming and going? Are there lots of dogs barking? This can be a pro or con depending on your pet situation! Some of the nicest looking neighbourhoods have the highest crime rates. Depending on your needs, you are going to want to explore the neighbourhood’s traits as much as you would the house. Be sure to take a stroll down the neighbour hood at different times of day-especially at night- when the atmosphere is completely different! Remember, when you purchase a house, you are also buying the neighbourhood!

Leave It To The Professionals

It can be easy to opt out of professional inspections, but The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team strongly discourages that! A professional, qualified inspector or construction expert can save you thousands! We all like to think the people we are dealing with are honest, genuine people, and for the most part, they are! However, even the most well-intentioned individuals can make mistakes or be unaware of the risks their property holds. For this reason, it is imperative you hire yourself an unbiased professional inspector (sorry, cousin Rick. Your online certificate won’t hold here!) to inspect those hard to see areas including the roof, foundation, plumbing and electrical systems. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and raise your concerns. Avoid using a contractor hired by the seller to ensure there is no conflict of interest. After all, they may have a cousin Rick of their own!

Check Zoning Laws

You may have big plans for your new home! Maybe an extra room, pool, or even a solarium. Before you do anything, including putting your money down, check with the local zoning authorities to find out any restrictions that may be imposed on you. It’s better to find out before you purchase, especially if building a pool is a deal breaker for you!

Kelowna provides some of the greatest real estate in all of British Colombia!
If your looking for expert guidance on purchase your new home or have questions on how to navigate the real estate industry, contact The Dion-Ivans Real Estate Team, today!

Check out the newest Kelowna real estate for sale here!