Eric & Juliana Vallée

There are a lot more things to consider when purchasing a unit in a multi-residence complex or multi-suite building than whether or not you’ll get along with the overexcited couple in Unit 9. First off, there’s the matter of fitting your odd-shaped sectional through the front door. More importantly, however, you need to consider strata fees.

You might be asking “Strata what?” Strata fees (also known as condominium maintenance fees) are monthly fees collected from each unit owner in a multi-residence complex/multi-suite building to cover ongoing costs and maintenance. Living in a multi-residence complex or multi-suite building, you’ll have access to common areas. Both you and the sporty woman in unit 6 will have access to property like hallways, gardens, gym, pool, etc. The liability of common property form strata fees. These fees pay for your unit’s portion of costs for things like garbage removal, sewer, landscaping, building maintenance, on-site insurance, onsite-management, and so on.

Strata fees are calculated according to the square footage of your individual property, meaning you and the mysterious bachelor in Unit 20 most likely won’t be paying the exact same amount. Think about it. If you and a roommate were purchasing groceries, would you pay pitch in the same amount for buying two cups of a yogurt as your roommate who bought ten pounds of meat, five bags of chips, a box of ice cream, and a case of soda? Of course not! Strata fees are sort of like a monthly trip to the groceries, where you pay a percentage relative to what you purchased. If you’ve got a voracious appetite – in this case, the desire for a larger kitchen, bedroom, etc. – you’ll have to pay your fair share.

If you think strata fees are just a way to rob you of your hard-earned money, they’re not. Each year, the strata council sets a budget, breaking down the total costs involved in maintaining the strata lot. It calculates your monthly strata fee by dividing the square footage of your unit by the total strata lot square footage, multiplying this amount by the common area costs and diving it by 12. Say, for example, the total square footage of the strata lot was 159,600 square feet and your unit was 1,400 square feet. If common costs were $65,000, your monthly strata fee would be $47.51 per month. The more square footage your unit, the more you pay. It’s that simple.

Consider strata fees seriously when purchasing your unit. The more frills and features your multi-residence complex/multi-suite building has, the more it costs to maintain them, meaning higher strata fees for you each month. That swimming pool isn’t going to clean itself, now is it? Beefed-up security measures may be desirable, but consider that with heightened security, you’re paying more overall to keep your stuff safe (and will have less money for pizza and wings come Friday night.) Take strata fees into consideration before purchasing a unit in a multi-residence complex/condominium. The cushier the living situation, the more you’ll have to pay. Just remember. Without them, you’d be swimming in a bug-filled pool.

Imagine you’re a potential homebuyer. You’ve found what appears to be your dream home on an online real estate listing. It’s got everything you need in terms of rooms, space, etc. Excited, you arrange for a tour. The door opens, you step inside and…your supposed dream home is more like something out of your worst nightmare. Sure, it’s got everything you need, but the way the seller’s staged it – odd paint colors, poor lighting, outdated cabinets, bare walls – you could never imagine living here, let alone stepping foot in it again.

The moral of the story for you, the seller, is that staging a home is vital to selling a home. You’ve only got one chance to make a first impression, and this is one impression worth thousands of dollars. You may have the finest home on the block, but if you haven’t taken the proper measures to stage your home, you might as well be selling some spooky, condemned building on the other side of town. While some buyers might be able to see beyond clutter and nasty wallpaper, many are fickle and will base their decision on your hanging a tacky velvet painting above the dinner table.

Put some effort into staging your home and you will make it more sellable. Think about the time you purchased it. What about the way the seller staged it made it more or less appealing? Did you adore the way the seller arranged their artwork, but dislike the pea green paint in the living room? These seemingly small choices can have a big impact on a buyer’s overall impression of a home.

If you’re staging a home for sale, make sure first and foremost that it is clean and clear of clutter. Those boxes full of yearbooks and Halloween decorations? Store them in the attic or donate them. Also, be sure to do a thorough cleaning of your home, including dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc. While you’re at it, make sure your home smells nice (and not like Mr. Clean just made a visit.) Consider lighting candles and/or plug-in air fresheners. Make your home smellable and it will be sellable.

Does your home look like something out of “That 70s Show”? Be sure to stage your home in an appropriately modern fashion. Retro is cool, but old-looking is just that: old-looking. If your home looks dated, it will be less appealing to a buyer. Still using those cabinets you bought in 1985? Paint them or install new ones. Regarding wall paint, be sure to go with neutral colors that appeal to any buyer. Draw attention to the space in your home, not your lack of interior design skills. While you’re at it, make sure to provide ample lighting. Dim lights do no good. Pop in some new bulbs and leave the lights on. Home staging doesn’t have to be rocket science.

As a seller, staging a home for sale is undeniably important. Make your home livable and it will be much more sellable. Now is the time to get rid of those neon lights and salmon-colored walls.

The Greater Vancouver real estate market is holding steady for the holidays. November activity helped put Greater Vancouver housing market activity back into “balanced territory,” according to a press release issued by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. While the pace of home listings slowed compared to that of recent months, November sales numbers were historically normal for this time of year.

It’s as good a time as any time buy and sell a home in Greater Vancouver “The pace of home listings entering the market eased slightly in November, compared to recent months, while sale levels remained fairly normal for this time of year,” said Rosario Setticasi, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

A total of 14,090 properties are currently listed for sale on the Greater Vancouver Multiple Listing Service. While this is nine percent less than in October, it is a 13 percent increase from this same time last year.

It’s hard to compete with June’s numbers, but the benchmark price increased from $580,080 in November 2010 to $622,087 in November 2011. Overall, this is a 1.4 percent decline from the June peak of $630,921.

While numbers aren’t quite as impressive as this summer, the Greater Vancouver real estate market is on the right track for the holiday season. Now is a great time to buy or sell a home.

Searching for a castle to call your own? Your kingdom awaits you in New Westminster, home to some of the finest real estate in Greater Vancouver. New Westminster is truly a city fit for a king (or queen.) Located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, this “Royal City” was actually named by Queen Victoria after the area of Westminster in London. If you’re looking for a city with rich history and a promising future, you’ll find many beautiful homes for sale in New Westminster.

Located on the north bank of the Fraser River, 19 kilometres southeast of Vancouver, New Westminster is not only home to great real estate, but booming business, superb schools, and pleasant people. Take a look at our New Westminster real estate listings and find out what New Westminster’s nearly 60,000 residents already know.

If you’re hunting for great homes in New Westminster, you can start by taking a look at its selection of notable neighborhoods. Take Sapperton, for instance. This neighborhood, which sprung up out of a need for local sawmill, hospital, and distiller employees to be closer to work, is as convenient for residents now as it was back then. Attend a Sapperton Rovers soccer game and follow it up with a sweet treat from Temptation Gelati. For more great New Westminster homes for sale, check out Queensborough. Relax your mind in a yoga class at the Queensborough Community Centre and flex your mental muscles at the Starlight Casino. If you want to find out more about a particular neighborhood (or complain about a neighbor’s yelping dog), New Westminster is home to proactive residents’ associations.

Once you find real estate in New Westminster that meets your housing needs, a great job won’t be far behind. Whether you’re here to cut lumber at a sawmill or heal cuts at a hospital, there’s a job for you in New Westminster. With the excellent Royal Columbian Hospital in town, health care jobs account for 5.4 percent of New Westminster’s workforce. If you faint at the sight of blood, New Westminster is home to many scalpel-free careers in public administration, educational services, and manufacturing. Great real estate and employment await you in New Westminster.

Whether you’ve got a child about to enter first grade or you want to further your own education, New Westminster offers excellent educational opportunities for all ages and interests. The New Westminster School District – home to one secondary school, two middle schools, and nine elementary schools – will educate your children on everything from ABC’s to Pythagorean Theorem. Should you or your little genius wish to pursue a higher degree, New Westminster is home to the New Westminster Campus of Douglas College, Justice Institute of British Columbia, and The Boucher Institute.

Along with history, math, and science, you’re sure to learn what a tight-knit community New Westminster is once you purchase a home here. New Westminster not only offers the finest real estate in Greater Vancouver, but entertaining community events like FraserFest and the Hyack Festival. Make new friends and enjoy fireworks, parades, delicious food, and more. You’ll find beautiful people and beautiful homes in New Westminster.

Of all the homes for sale in Vancouver, BC, New Westminster boasts some of the finest. Check out our New Westminster real estate listings and start living like royalty. www.valleerealestate.ca