Three good reasons to think resale when you buy

By NextHome Staff
October 21, 2014

Buying a brand new home has obvious advantages – you choose the lot location, elevation, floorplan and, of course, the interior finishings. Anything you want to make your new home well… yours. Resale potential and what features might appeal to future buyers of your home are likely not top of mind.But, builders and realtors alike say you should think about resale when you select the inclusions, design elements and decor basics of your new home. It may be your brand new home now, but one day you may choose to sell – and that’s when your personal tastes could affect the resale value of your home.Consider these insights from the Canadian Home Critics Survey from realty firm Century 21:Home decor1

DecorIn Quebec, for example, 20 per cent of homebuyers (the highest in Canada) dislike decor full of the owners’ personal touches. Buyers in Ontario rank dated flooring as one of their top decor turn-offs. In Alberta, 28 per cent (the highest in the country) say updated finishings – such as counters, flooring and mouldings – are added features that would persuade them to buy.

Energy efficiencyCanadians overwhelmingly would select a home due to energy efficiency upgrades (41 per cent) over updated finishings such as granite counters or hardwood floors (22 per cent). In Atlantic Canada, 59 per cent rated energy upgrades as the top feature that would persuade them to buy, the highest percentage in Canada. In BC, residents overwhelmingly say energy efficiency upgrades are the number one additional feature that would persuade them to buy home (41 per cent).Home decor2

 

Clean, modern looksOntarians rank dated flooring as the number two home decor turn-off. The number one way to turn off Ontario homebuyers is to not clean the house well (57 per cent), while 18 per cent say old furniture taints their first impression of a home. If a home has old flooring, it better be sparkling; uncleanliness tops Canadian homebuyers’ turn-off list (60 per cent), followed by dated flooring (40 per cent) and bold paint colours (18 per cent).Century 21 infographic

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