So you've put up your Mississauga home for sale and you're moving to Saskatoon to buy a new property. The question is: which one will you choose? With such a wealth of different real estate styles, home sizes, and budget ranges out there, it can be difficult to pare down your options. Here are some suggestions for criteria that will assist you in narrowing your search parameters and making your realtor's list of properties manageable.
Budget
The amount of money you have to spend on a home will be the biggest factor in your decision. Eliminate from your list any properties above the amount of money you made when you put up your old house for sale. Markham's prices are higher than Saskatoon's so you may be able to afford more here than you could there. Many online real estate lists allow you to search by maximum price, which can be helpful.
Neighborhood
If you've noticed a neighborhood when you were driving around Saskatoon that you particularly liked, this can also help you set up some more search parameters. Tell your realtor about the neighborhood. Were the homes like Toronto townhouses? Were the streets quiet? Was it near a good school? He or she can then suggest others similar to it and you can consider only properties in those areas. Be careful though, some neighborhood boundaries aren't well defined and you could end up eliminating good houses by accident.
Style
Having a particular style of home in mind is where most people start out, but it still warrants mentioning. If you want a cottage, search for cottages. House plans mean you're searching for a vacant lot. Condos eliminate any stand-alone property, and so on. You can also opt to search for a particular architectural style, but Saskatoon is such a new city that your options are pretty limited in that regard. There may be a few older Victorians but most of the homes will be modern.
Size
The number of people you're going to be living with usually determines the size. If you've got a husband and two children, you won't be looking for lofts. Toronto and Saskatoon, being larger cities, sometimes require space sacrifices to accommodate budget, but if you give your realtor a requirement for number of bedrooms, bathrooms, or square footage, he or she will come back with a shorter list that will be easier on your brain.
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