There are certain questions that come up whenever we’re showing a home in Edmonton, and it really helps us when we already have these answers. These questions go beyond square footage and # of parking spaces. So if you’re planning to sell your home in Edmonton or area, you should look into getting the following answers.

1. How old is the roof?

Specifically, people want to know how long until they have to replace it. Roofing can be a major expense, and as such it will factor into their opinion of value on the house.

2. How old is the furnace? Hot water tank?

In Canada, specifically in northern cities like Edmonton, we take our heat very seriously. I think it’s the whole “freeze to death” fear. So we want to know that there’s a good furnace in there. Ideally we want a furnace that’s under warranty so that when it conk’s out in the middle of January at -35 degrees, we can call someone to fix it and not have to take out a 2nd mortgage to pay the guy. Same goes for the hot water tank. Knowing how old the furnace is counts a lot towards the salability of the home, and being able to prove a reliable and consistent maintenance schedule would be great too.

3. What do the utilities cost?

Similar to point #2 above, utility costs are a big part of our life here in Edmonton. Given the huge expense that a home can bring, it’s only reasonable to be concerned about the other costs.

4. What year is the home? Who built it?

It’s easy enough to find the age of the home, it’s on your tax assessment or previous MLS listings. But like anything else, it’s an important fact to know, as homes from certain age brackets have certain issues that need to be addressed. Asbestos? Aluminum wiring? Pine shakes?

Your home is 50 years old… skip to #5.

But for those of us with newer homes, the name of the builder is kinda important. Like cars, we all have brand preferences. (I drive a Lincoln, my wife is a Honda girl, and we live in an Avi home.) Some brands instil confidence, others make buyers flee with fear. Here’s the problem; what gives confidence to one buyer will cause another to flee. But both buyers will ask the question: Who built it?

5. Is there hardwood under these carpets?

If your home is built in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s or later.. move along. Nothing to see here.

But for older homes, original hardwood is a big bonus to many buyers. They LOVE it; heck it’s probably the reason they’re buying this home and not a newer one. There’s a charm about beautiful old hardwood that draws people to these older character homes. Here’s the issue; they don’t trust that it’s there automatically. So they usually go to a heat vent and pull up your carpets when you’re not looking. It’s better just to tell them if it’s there; doing so is more gentle on your current flooring than having every single showing result in pulling up your carpets.

6. Which schools?

Having kids made me a better Realtor. Admittedly, having 4 of them in 5 years was overkill.

Knowing which schools the kids will be attending is far more important than just about anything else to a parent. OK, to a mother. Dad’s really just care if there’s a place to hide from the kids (den! Theatre room! Back door!) and a decent garage (to also hide from the kids). But the school question comes up. A lot. Especially in “young neighbourhoods”. A lot. Seriously, at every single house, we get asked “and which school do the kids go to?” Sometimes the answer is: “the same school as the last house we saw that was 4 doors down the street.”

Best to know the 3 levels of schools that you’re zoned for, because seriously… that question will be asked. A lot.

*I was at a Realtors conference in the U.S. in 2009, and many of the MLS systems are starting to allow searches based on school zoning. That’s how important this question is!*

There you have it; your homework if you’re going to be selling your home. While you’re at it, you probably want to know how your neighbourhood is performing in comparison to the rent of the city. You can do that by visiting my Neighbourhood Value Assessment service, which is completely free.