Vancouver BC real estate: December 2010

Off-Street Parking - A Problem?

Are all your cars parked in front of your property? - This is very off-putting to people thinking about buying your home. Many people think just because they don't have a garage there is nothing they can do about parking their motor vehicles on the street outside their property. Some councils will allow you to flatten the curb of the pavement next to your house if you don't have room to extend your driveway; of course planning permission may be necessary. An off-street parking area can add up to 10 percent to the home market price.

Swimming Pool/Tennis Court

If you are looking at adding a swimming pool to your home you could find that this throws up some difficulties, such as where your house is and whether it is going indoors or outside. Think about the weather when making your choice, to attract buyers if your climate is cooler then look to install an indoor pool. Even if the pool is heated and has a cover on, if the weather is cold potential buyers know it is scarcely going to get any use, therefore you could find a pool is a negative point. On the other hand if the pool is to be utilized all year, situate it indoors; maybe make a feature by putting in patio doors that lead to a nice decking area. A potential buyer wants to have fun, so an attractive, warm pool is going to look inviting. Building a pool, when done correctly, is going to be something that will add a nice sum of money to the value of your house, about 10 percent.

If you are going one step further for the luxury market, look at a tennis court; but remember these type of luxuries only fit in a few neighbourhoods. As with the swimming pool, a tennis court can add up to another 10 percent to the value of your home.
Both of these additions serve as an indulgence that you can offer the potential purchaser. Of course adding these are going to increase the value of your home, so may price many people out of the market. On the plus side, if they are completed well the price your home goes for could daze you.

Building a Waterside Attraction

My years of dealing Vancouver MLS listings confirmed me one theory. A waterside feature is likely to retain its value. You may find, according to a survey, that it may increase the value by a third, which is brilliant news. Be practical though, you are not going to be able to add a lake to your yard, or a stream running through it, if it is not already there; but a pond could be the answer. More academic definitions of a pond are: areas of water where light penetrates to the bottom of the water body' and 'bodies of water shallow enough for rooted water plants to grow throughout,' You can make a pond extremely basic or you could build one to hold fish and make it feature of the yard with fixtures surrounding it.

Depth, area, water source are all things that need thinking about when planning your pond, as is avoiding attracting mosquitoes and other bugs if the water doesn't flow freely. Professional advice at least, should be asked for before starting this type of job, after all if it is done right it will definitely pay off.