What You Need to Know When Buying Home Insurance.

What You Need to Know When Buying Home Insurance.

As a real estate agent, I get and asked many questions regarding all aspects of a real estate purchase. Insurance is one of those questions that comes up all the time. I am not an insurance broker. As a realtor I can help you navigate and point you in the correct direction for purchasing insurance. There are often many questions from the insurance broker that as your realtor I can help you answer. The following is an excerpt from The CAA Manitoba insurance brokers website that gives a nice snapshot of some of the important hello aspects of purchasing home insurance. Please follow the link below for more information.

PLEASE NOTE: All insurers have different polices and rates, it a good idea to shop around.

When.

Contacting your CAA Manitoba Insurance Broker as soon as possible prior to the possession date of your home is important. Depending on the age of the home, more time to process insurance may be required. Insurance needs to be in place as soon as you become the legal owner of the property. Getting insurance is key to getting your dwelling keys.

Why.

Before lending money or completing the process of purchase, banks and mortgagee companies require proof of insurance in order to cover their investment. Also, home insurance packages include liability coverage which protects you against negligent acts.

Basic dwelling information.

Year the dwelling was built, square footage and number of storeys, plus:

• Type of heat
• Type of plumbing
• Square footage of any decks or porches
• Name and address of lawyer and mortgagee
• If there is a sump pump or back water valve? Any claims?
• Garage – detached/attached and number of cars it can hold
• Age and type of roof – asphalt, metal, tar and gravel, cedar shingles, etc.
• Type of wiring and amperage service of the wiring. Circuit breaker or fuses
• Exterior construction – aluminum, vinyl or wood siding, brick, stucco or stone

Coverage.

• Most insurance companies provide package policies written as either Broad or Comprehensive coverage.

Broad Form

• Provides All Risk coverage on the building which is subject to policy exclusions, limits and statutory conditions. Coverage would provide named perils coverage on the contents. Named perils usually includes the perils of smoke, windstorm/hail, impact by land vehicles or aircraft, fire or lightening, explosion, falling objects, theft, transportation, riot, vandalism and limited water damage.

Comprehensive Form

• Provides All Risk coverage on both the building and the contents which is subject to policy exclusions, limit and statutory conditions.

https://www.caamanitoba.com/insurance/property/learning/home-buying

Getting the biggest bang for your buck!

Getting the biggest bang for your buck!

Paint!

My husband does the painting in our house! I am very thankful for that. We have had many painting projects over the years. I am always shocked and amazed with what a difference painting a room or two makes to the over all feel of a home. In our current home we went from a dark gray which made the house feel quite like a tunnel or a cave …. to a bright light gray. The transformation is amazing! We also just switched out some of our rental properties to lighter paint colours- with bright under tomes- cleans them up even an older home! Makes a big difference especially how people feel in the property. The goals are for people to be happy and want to live in those spaces.

Picking the right color…shade…. tone…. ahhhhhhh!

The biggest problem that I have with paint is the colors that I choose never ever looks like they are supposed too or what I think they should look like in the actual house! LOL! My husband always rolls his eyes….it happens every time. He worked in a paint store for several years when he was younger and has done many projects, so I rely on his experience to guide me in the direction of the right tones and shades.

You get what you pay for! Buy good quality paint!

His first rule always with no exception is to use good paint. It makes all the difference in the world. Believe me many mistakes have been made by myself and my clients trying to get a bargain on paint. Through my company Century 21 Westman Realty in Brandon we have opportunities for our clients through Dulux Paint Stores paint for you to take advantage of at any time! Please ask me about this excellent value!

My biggest piece of advice is to make friends with the clerk at the paint store! They do this day in and day out and the advice that they can give you for choosing paint color is the best advice! If you’d like to reach out to me please do so I would be more than happy to put you in contact with several of the local people I use in Brandon as interior decorators and paint store experts!

Good luck getting creative! Have a fantastic day …. and I am sure your next painting project will be fabulous and will make a wonderful transformation in your home sweet home!

Please share your experiences…good or bad.

Happy Painting!

Boost your curb appeal

Boost your curb appeal!

Is your house Catching the eye of perspective buyers on your street?

In real estate we often talk about a properties curb appeal. Obviously the first thing that you notice when you drive up to a property is its appearance! We often overlook curb appeal and over focus on renovating and doing upgrades to the inside of the house! Albeit these things are particularly important also! If you think about it from an advertising perspective, curb appeal should be one of the most important things we look at when we put a house up for sale! It is the first thing we see!

How would you rate your house and its curb appeal right now?

Here are a few budgets friendly ‘fix ups’ You might want to think about before you put your house up for sale:

1. Front door paint. You might want to think about changing the colour of your front door or adding colour to your front door if it is only plain white. This can be very welcoming as someone drives up to your house!
2. Clean the windows. It is amazing what a little elbow grease can do. Clean windows really change the appearance of your house! It also shows a perspective buyer how much you care for your house. Give it a go and see for yourself.
3. Garage door up-date. This one can be a little bit more costly so do your homework! New garage doors add a world of difference to your home’s appearance.
4. Tidy up. Simply doing a real thorough cleaning and trimming trees and bushes makes a world of difference to the appearance of the house. Freshly groomed flowerbeds and trimmed grass always projects a feeling of a well cared for home!
5. Perhaps your driveway needs a new coat of seal, or a fresh layer of gravel.

These are just a few things you might want to consider before you put your house on the real estate market! I am often amazed by what a BIG difference sometimes SMALL changes make!

In Brandon and surrounding areas, we have many small businesses that can help with all these projects. Just let me know if you need help sourcing out local handymen, cleaning companies, lawn/yard care companies, and I wide range of home improvement sources!

Good luck with your next project!