Doyle: a view from the buyer’s shoes

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This week, I put myself in the shoes of the buyer. I knew, of course, that the value of homes in Vaudreuil-Soulanges had increased between 20% and 25% year over year, and up to 80% in the last five years, but even so, the impact of the label was real. What I didn’t realize was just how far sellers are pushing the boundaries of what is expected of buyers.

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Did you know that closing dates are commonly being delayed than used to be the norm, so sellers have a little time to search for their new home. I was surprised to find that some sellers go the extra mile and set occupancy dates that are a month or two after the closing date. That means they can get their money from the sale but live without paying rent until move-in day, while the buyer pays two mortgage payments or continues to pay rent for the first few weeks of the mortgage term.

Did you know that some buyers have chosen to bid without the usual inspection subjects these days. I did not expect to see so many houses sold without a legal guarantee. At least sellers can’t help but confess to known problems with a home on declaration forms, even if they can avoid liability for unknown defects.

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Similarly, a listing I saw noted that the location certificate was out of date, and that it would be the buyer’s responsibility to obtain and pay for a new one – an expensive and time-consuming process these days. Providing a current location certificate is generally the responsibility of the seller, as this document is the one that specifies the essential details of the property to be purchased, including where the property boundary is and if there are any easements to keep in mind. bill. Oh yeah, and that listing was also sold without legal warranty, washing the seller’s hands of a lot of the usual responsibilities.

As expected, there were very few houses on the market within my budget, even after expanding the search to all of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Of the houses I found in Centris, many already had an accepted offer. Others looked good until I read the seller’s statement and found pest problems, foundation damage, a history of flooding, or worse.

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Like most shoppers these days, I found myself quickly recalibrating my criteria to find out where I could compromise. Can I take the kids to school instead of sending them on the bus? Could you live with a smaller house? Maybe you could renew? Maybe being on a busy street would not be that bad?

My first tours of the home were on Saturday, and I quickly learned that yes, there are some areas that feel too far away (especially in winter driving conditions), there are some houses that are too small, some renovations that are too complicated for me. comfort. , and some streets I wouldn’t want to live on, no matter how pretty the house may seem.

In the end, however, I found a house that I liked enough to make an offer. It’s on a nice street, with the right amount of space, and some unusual features that I really love. It’s not exactly the style of home that I thought I would go for, and I need to invest in renovations to make it work for my needs, but it’s within my budget and in the right catchment areas of the school. I call it a victory. If all goes well with the inspection, it will be mine next spring.