Moving to a new home within the same city is something many homeowners do over the course of their lives, whether it’s a move precipitated by changing housing needs or the desire to live closer to work, school or recreation. Whatever the reason, moving is a big deal and requires a lot of time and organization from every member of the family.
But moving from one city to another, especially a city you’ve never lived in before, can be an even more daunting undertaking. There are so many questions to answer: How do we find a new house? What neighbourhood should we choose to live in? What are the different types of homes
available in the new city? What’s the public transportation system like? Where are the sports and cultural facilities located? Should we try to live close to work, or commute, and how’s the traffic? If you’re moving for a new job or educational experience, you’ve got all the stress of that particular life change as well, on top of the basic questions of shelter for your family.
Fortunately, there are real estate professionals in every city who can help you find the answers to all of those questions and more. Their job is to help you build a new home base from which to establish your new life. Ottawa, as our national capital, is a city that many new residents choose to adopt as their home every year, whether they’re immigrating from another country or moving from another part of Canada. They might be members of Canada’s armed forces, foreign diplomatic personnel, or people working for the many companies who have their headquarters here in Ottawa. Because of the transient nature of our population, many members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board have ample experience in helping families relocate to Ottawa from somewhere
else.
A real estate professional can help you from the very beginning of the process: touring neighbourhoods with you to figure out which one is right for your family; finding listed homes that meet your family’s needs and wants; setting up appointments for viewings; and even
previewing homes to check that they meet your criteria. Even if you only have a short period of time in which to visit Ottawa and purchase a new home, a real estate professional can work within your schedule. If you’re moving from another province or country, he or she can also help you familiarize yourselves with local real estate laws and requirements, as well as recommending which conditions you might want to place on your offer, such as a satisfactory home inspection, first refusal clause, etc.
Once you’ve found a home you’d like to purchase, a real estate professional can also assist you in arranging mortgage financing, negotiating your offer with the sellers, and even recommending moving companies. So make your move a much more enjoyable experience – call a member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board, and enjoy your move to our fair city
The President's Pen column was prepared by the Ottawa Real Estate Board and first appeared in the May 20, 2010 issue of the EMC community newspapers.
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