Get Moving: Appliances

Ottawa appliances. In some cities, it is almost expected that the seller will leave the appliances as part of the sale. In Ottawa, it is something that the seller and his or her real estate agent discuss in advance. If the listing does not include mention of specific appliances as included, then the buyer will be in a position of either negotiating to have the appliances included in the Purchase Agreement or buying new appliances - fridge, stove, washer, dryer - and possibly a dish washer and a microwave oven.

Fridge and a Painted WallFridge. What would you absolutely have to buy in order to survive and what should you have ready on the first day or two that you have possession? Unlike furniture, where buying in advance can be a problem, I think you must have a fridge. Food goes bad and people can get sick so keeping your food safe is important. You can wait a bit for the delivery of other appliances as there are work-arounds such a laundromats, barbeques, restaurants and toaster ovens.

Size matters. Oops, one caveat on buying appliances before house possession. Did you know that there are many sizes of fridges and stoves? You need to find out how much space is available before you go on a buying spree. Get your real estate agent to find this out for you.

Clunking along. Sometimes the appliances left by the previous owners are not what you would want but they are “perfectly good”, meaning they do the job but have no redeeming features. We bought a house in the Glebe that had a dishwasher that was held together by duct tape - inside the unit. Thinking that it would not be long before that little beauty died, we decided to wait it out. More than five years later the dishwasher stilled worked and the duct tape, while an eye sore when loading the machine, held it together. However, with the almost simultaneous death of the fridge and stove, we decided to get all three of these appliances at the same time. Happily it was years after we had gone through the rather steep costs of moving.

Sales, fit, and budget. There are lots of places to shop for appliances in both Ottawa and Gatineau. Appliances are expensive, watch for sales. Be sure to get what you want, what fits your space and what fits your budget.

Photo Credit:  Fridge and a Painted Wall by:  http://flickr.com/photos/jimwinstead/214649613/

Valerie Zinger  ~ Ph.  613-723-5300 ~ email:  vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Get Moving: Furniture

Are you moving to Ottawa or moving within Ottawa?

Here is a question to ask yourself: Before I move, what should I buy or arrange to have on my first day at my new home?

Do NOT (repeat after me) do not buy furniture. 

chairEven when you know there is room for more furniture, you are not going to be sure how it will fit or where exactly it should go until you are living in the house.  Okay, you likely have a few months between when you buy the house and when you take possession.  The temptation is HUGE to get some new stuff.  I think you should do the shopping and scouting and make your lists BUT only buy furniture after you have been in the house a bit.  

Also know that you are going to want to buy furniture because delivery is often 6 – 12 weeks after you buy some pieces.  Unless you have been working with an interior decorator or designer or can return everything, resist getting things until you can measure twice and diagram where you will put your new things. 

For example, I bought a simple little armoire to put in a large bathroom to act as a linen cupboard.  When we moved into the house, the armoire did not fit.  It did not fit in any other room and we had it too long to return it to the store.  It sat in the garage until we sold it to a friend.  I recently heard that she has it in her garage, having thought it would fit in her home.  Some furniture is cursed.

So even though you are moving, hold back on moving too quickly on purchasing new furniture.

Photo Credit: Big chair or small house? by http://flickr.com/photos/davemorris/3834941/

Valerie Zinger

Working to Meet Your Needs

This site will be under development as I design it to meet your needs.

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Look for changes in the next few weeks. I look forward to offering you ideas, perspectives, information, and news you can use to help you navigate through the process of buying or selling your home in Ottawa.

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