Will Your Furniture Fit?

When shopping for a new house or condo, most buyers consider such factors as proximity to schools, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, size of the kitchen, and more. These are, of course, all important considerations. But there’s one question that few buyers ask – until it’s too late. “Will our furniture fit?”

This may seem like a trivial concern. But if you’ve invested thousands of dollars in a new living room suite, you’re going to be very disappointed if it looks too crowded in your new home.

Here’s a tip: measure rooms in your current home that contain the furniture you like most. This could be the living room, rec room, master bedroom or even the patio. Then imagine how much smaller – if at all – that room can be and still accommodate the furniture.

When you view condos or houses on the market, take those measurements with you. That way, you’ll be able to quickly determine if room sizes are going to be an issue.

And don’t forget to take a good look at entry ways. If you have a large wrap-around sofa, for example, you’re going to want to make sure you can get it through the door!

Should You Accept A “Conditional” Offer?

There’s no doubt about it. The best kind of offer is a “firm” offer. The buyer offers you a certain price for your property and, should you accept it, the deal is done. Congratulations. You’ve just sold your house!

But more often than not, an offer is “conditional”. That means the buyer is offering you a price, but with one or more conditions. If those conditions are not met, the buyer can walk away from the deal.

Examples of typical conditions include:

  • Conditional upon arranging suitable financing within a fixed period of time.
  • Conditional upon the buyer selling his own home by a specific date.
  • Conditional upon an inspection of the property.

Should you accept a conditional offer? After all, if you do, the deal might fall through. But if you don’t, you might be passing up on an opportunity to sell your house for the price you want.

A REALTOR® who understands the real estate market can help you make the right decision.