5 Tips to Help Sell Your Home in the Winter

There can be benefits to selling your home in the winter - fewer properties on the market means yours can stand out and be seen for instance. But there are challenges as well. These 5 tips can  help you get the most out of a winter listing!

1. Lighting

In the winter, especially on the coast where it is often grey outside in the winter months, lighting is crucial. Check that all your lights are bright, change out any weak or dim bulbs.  Look for dark areas in the house and see if lamps or strategically placed lighting will enhance those areas. Warm light in the winter is nice or try using the daylight-style bulbs.

Photo by Jean-Philippe Delberghe on Unsplash

2. Warmth

People love to feel cozy in the winter, but keep in mind that they will be coming in with coats on after being out in the cold air, so a house interior will already feel warmer to them. In other words you want the home warm but not hot. A nice throw on the couch and some soft accent pillows will enhance the cozy feeling.

Photo by Stephanie Harvey on Unsplash

3. Cleaning

In the winter when the outside spaces are dormant and cold the inside needs to shine even more.  Make sure the indoor living spaces are sparkling. Flooring in the winter can quickly become muddy and dirty, so keep watch on that. Also mud rooms and entryways in the winter quickly get cluttered with coats, boots and gear which need to be cleared away.

Photo by Crystal de Passillé-Chabot on Unsplash

4. Outdoor Lighting and Entryway

While people won’t spend as much time looking at the outside of the property in the winter, they will notice a dirty entryway or one that is not well lit. Keep it clean and bright, so the entrances are reassuring, welcoming and safe.

Photo by Nathan Walker on Unsplash

5. Bring the Outdoors In

With very little colour outside, having some fresh flowers or a plant or two inside the home improves people’s moods without them even realizing why. A kitchen or dining room table with flowers in a vase, a green plant in the living room, or even a colourful bowl of fruit can add a fresh and inviting ambiance to a home.

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Looking Forward to 2020

(As this is our last blog post of the year, here is our look ahead to next year as sent out in our year-end newsletter.)

With buyers interested in a wide range of recreational and remote properties, we are looking to increase our inventory. If you are thinking of listing a recreational or remote property but aren’t sure of the timing, give us a call and let’s talk!

The speculation tax and increased property transfer tax implemented in the larger urban BC areas is having an impact on surrounding markets, but it is an unsettled one. On one hand, we expect to see buyers who are now avoiding those areas turning to other regions to invest. On the other hand, sellers in those areas who had wanted to sell and move away are perhaps re-thinking as they are not selling at the higher prices of a few years ago. Campbell River is poised to appeal to both groups, as we are an affordable and attractive community in a spectacular coastal location with great amenities. Our northern Gulf Islands and more remote recreational properties appeal to those buyers who may have been looking for investment land or properties on the southern Gulf Islands.

We will continue to work to promote our coastal lifestyle to out of town buyers. Although a large percentage of our buyers are regionally local, there are buyers further afield who are looking to invest or relocate in a coastal region. To this end we are looking at some target-specific publications as well as targeted marketing in social media venues.

With two boats between them, Ed and Shelley are looking to get boots on the ground more often at our remote and recreational properties as well as still spending the time in the office that helps build relationships and bring deals together.

Our BCO Team looks forward to serving you in the new year, and we wish all our clients the very best in 2020.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

What Is That? Recreational, Rural and Remote Real Estate Terminology

Buying a remote, rural or recreational property is quite different from buying a municipal property. When talking about these properties, there are terms that we might think are common that in reality are not in most people's general vocabulary. Here are four things that get mentioned regularly in our office!

Perc Test: a percolation test is a test to determine how quickly fluid is absorbed by soil. This is done to determine if a septic system is possible, as good percolation is required for a leach field (to absorb liquids). Simply stated, these tests are done by digging a hole (usually by auger either hand or machine) to a specified depth and then filled with water to time how quickly they drain. Perc tests are required before a septic system can be installed and can tell you where, or even if, a septic system could go on the property.

a perc test pit 

Dug Well vs Drilled Well: A dug well is a well, generally 10-30ft deep, that is dug out by hand or by backhoe. It is generally lined to prevent collapse and has a large diameter. A drilled well is constructed by a drilling machine and can be as deep as required to reach water. Often it is only seen as a capped pipe on the surface.

drilled well cap

Survey pegs: It is generally easy to determine where the boundaries are on a city lot and city staff can come investigate when there is a dispute or discrepancy. But on rural or remote properties that are generally larger and less developed, it can be difficult to determine boundaries. If the property has been surveyed in the last 20 years or so, it should be possible to find what are called survey pegs. These are placed by the surveyor to mark corners, road crossings, etc on a property. With survey in hand, if you can find one pin you can then generally use measurements and compass directions (or the trusty GPS) to find the other boundary markers. On older properties that may have been surveyed 50-150 years ago, it is still possible to find markers but not as likely. Instead of the white pegs favoured by most surveyors today, these pegs are just as likely to be metal (making them harder to see in the west coast undergrowth).

typical modern, white survey peg

WETT inspection: Any home with a wood stove or fireplace will likely need this for an insurance provider. WETT stands for Wood Energy Technology Transfer and an inspection will be done for all wood burning appliances and fireplaces. Sometimes an insurance provider will accept one done previously (say by the previous owner for their insurance) but sometimes they want a new one done. Inspectors need to be WETT certified to be able to provide the report.

If you hear Ed or Shelley say something, or see something in one of our listings, that you aren't sure about - ask! Questions are always welcome.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Late Fall Weather on the West Coast

The wet west coast is a common phrase out here, but as with any cliche it isn't always true. This year has been drier than average through most of the fall. While this is very nice for anyone who works or enjoys spending time outdoors, it does have repercussions. No one is concerned about watering their gardens, but the local ski hills are concerned that they won't be opening on time (no rain at lower levels means no snow at higher levels) and the local conservationists and river watchers know that less precipitation in the fall can mean lower water levels and drier forests come spring and summer next year.

 views over the coastal mountains are not so common in the fall, but this year they have been stunning!

Clear and cold weather near the ocean often leads to thick marine fog that can come and go all day, generally clearing off at night. As the sun is further south in the sky it also makes for some beautiful soft lighting. Sunsets and sunrises have been quite beautiful.

gorgeous sunsets and sunrises

More moisture is supposed to be heading our way in December and everyone knows that it can snow at any time on Vancouver Island. It may not last long but a lot can fall in a very short period of time, creating a magical winter wonderland.

beautiful dusk colours

Rain and grey may be the norm that lead to the moniker "the wet west coast" but that doesn't mean we don't see a great variety of weather in late fall and through the winter.

getting outside into the green woods

The one constant is that it is always beautiful on the coast, no matter the weather, and that true west coasters will get outside in anything!

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Vancouver Island City Living

Living on Vancouver Island you have easy access to lots of rugged wilderness, large trees, amazing beaches and vast spaces. While these are definitely a big part of the appeal of island living, what people don't realize are just how many amenities Vancouver Island offers as well, making it an ideal place to live with the best of both worlds at your doorstep.

looking at downtown Victoria

The four main urban areas on Vancouver Island are (in order of population) Victoria (the Capital Regional District includes a number of smaller cities and municipalities which most visitors refer to collectively as Victoria), Nanaimo, the Comox Valley (including Courtenay and Comox) and Campbell River. All of these centres have major hospitals (Victoria has two), including new hospitals in both the Comox Valley and Campbell River, and vibrant downtown districts.

Vancouver Island has two universities and numerous colleges. The University of Victoria has been around for over 50 years and attracts students from across Canada as well as many international students. It is also a popular choice for students on Vancouver Island.  Vancouver Island University is based in Nanaimo. It was originally Malaspina College, and in 2008 was granted full university status under its new name. All the urban centres have local colleges as well as private colleges.

The Save On Foods Memorial Center in Victoria regularly features high profile music acts. The MacPherson and Royal Theatres in Victoria and Port Theatre in Nanaimo attract major stage and dance productions, while the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay and the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River provide a nice variety of live entertainment for those communities. Victoria also boasts the world-class Royal BC Museum as well as an art gallery. There are many other places of culture, history and creativity throughout the urban centres and even on the smaller islands near Vancouver Island.

Empress Hotel, Victoria Inner Harbour

Both Victoria and Nanaimo have a number of indoor shopping malls, including The Bay Centre and Mayfair Mall in Victoria, and Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo - all very popular with island residents. All the urban centres have a wide variety of shopping available.

Thanks to the mild climate, world-class sporting facilities and excellent recreation centres can be found on the island. Golfing is almost a year-round sport here, with a PGA tour stop in Victoria every year.

Westbay Marina across to Victoria's Inner Harbour

One of the appeals of living on Vancouver Island is that you really can have it all. Anywhere you live on the island offers amazing coastal beauty, while all the amenities needed or wanted are also available.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

Southern Vancouver Island Trees

Vancouver Island is home to a number of different eco systems. Some of the most distinctive on Vancouver Island (and the Gulf Islands) are the Garry Oak and Arbutus forests on southern Vancouver Island.

A Garry Oak in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria

Garry Oak eco-systems are becoming quite rare, and are protected in many places on the southern islands. The system likes dry, partially meadowed areas, often along the seashore or on rocky hillsides. There are a few pockets of this eco-system on some of the more northern gulf islands, for example Hornby Island. The southern gulf islands have many of these meadow systems.

Arbutus trees are very common south of Nanaimo but they too have had stress, and in recent years have suffered from diseases that threaten to do serious damage. In smaller quantities arbutus are found in small pockets as far north as along the cliffs of Buttle Lake in Strathcona Park and on some residential properties in Campbell River and Courtenay/Comox.

Garry Oaks and Arbutus sharing space along the Westway walkway in Esquimalt

Both of these trees and their respective eco-systems are part of the magic that is the natural beauty on Vancouver Island.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!

A Typical Real Estate Day with BCO

When we try to explain to people, especially colleagues, what a typical BCO day is like, we often find ourselves at a loss to convey just how different our days are - even though we are selling real estate.

There are of course in-town real estate days where we tour with clients in the city or the small surrounding communities visiting houses for sale, or where we are listing a local residence. We love  Campbell River and very much enjoy being a part of this market. But then there are the other days, which are just as common and which are each so different. Some days it is driving all the way to the north end of the island to visit lakeside acreages at Alice Lake. Other days it is chartering a plane on the west coast to visit some remote properties with a buyer. And still other days it is getting in one of our boats to visit a coastal property on an island or even the on the central coast mainland.

Take the day last week as an example: it started with getting in the boat before the sun came up and heading north up to Johnstone Strait and into the islands off the coast of north-eastern Vancouver Island. We arrived at the property we were viewing for a potential listing with our gear in hand - gear that included tape measures, clipboards, cameras, bagged lunches and a rifle. Yup, a rifle. The owner had warned us that a grizzly bear was hanging out on the property near the dock, and we needed to be prepared for it. So Shelley had her rifle on her shoulder the entire time we were on the grounds.

We didn't see the grizzly, but we certainly saw evidence of it being there in the dug up ground (at this time of year they are hunting for grubs and roots, anything to add to the fat layers for winter). The caretaker and neighbouring property owner also told us of the bear.

After working on the property - taking photos, taking measurements, writing lots of notes - we left a sign behind (because making a repeat trip to put up a sign if and when we list the property is not an efficient use of time when the property is this far). After a bit more reconnaissance of the area we then boated back, arriving home in Campbell River on the boat around sunset.

We call this a "typical" BCO day, because any given day can find us out there at properties like this. We know that it is different to what anyone else does and certainly isn't what people think of when we tell them we are a real estate team. It is the very thing we love most about this job we have chosen and created for ourselves - the diversity and challenge of the properties we serve.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!