Buying vs. Renting

On average there comes a time in one’s life where we ask ourselves if we should stop wasting our money on renting our current accommodations and start thinking about entering the housing market by purchasing a new home. There are pros and cons of renting or buying.

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Responsibilities for Landlords

Read this article regarding responsibilities for Landlords that includes question and answers like:

Question: What is a Landlord?

Question: What can Landlords ask for on rental applications?

Question: What is a Landlords Responsibility?

Read the entire article at http://www.housingblock.com/landlord-resources/article/responsibilities-for-landlords-46.html

How to prepare to move

1. Find the right Mover

If you decided that packing or moving yourself is not a job that you are interested in doing, there are many great companies out there that can help. Throughout this article there are some great links that may help you find a company that fits your needs and budget. Do your research on the company before choosing. Remember that the movers will be moving or perhaps packing some of your most fragile belongings. Ask yourself, are they insured, do they have a good track record, do they own/use the right moving material such as moving blankets, tap, wrap, dollies etc.

2. You are moving out of a home you owned

• Contact your Gas, Water and Hydro providers to have your meters read to have the billing transferred on the day you move to your new billing address.

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Effective Rental Listings for Landlords

Write an effective rental listing to help you find the right renter quickly

For every month that goes by while your rental stays vacant you continue to lose money. Writing an effective listing will ensure you capture your audiences interest. The following are some pointers that will help you along the way and you will see how easy finding and targeting the right tenant can be.

When posting/marketing your rental unit you need to think about what renters want and what type of renter you would like to attract. What features does your rental have that will help you draw viewer’s attention and keep them interested? Does your rental come with certain items, such as furniture, new appliances or perhaps your rental unit is a cottage and it comes with fun activities for kids and adults like boats or fishing gear. These are some important attributes that you should elaborate on when writing you description.

Some important features to consider are:

The Kitchen – Describe what types of appliances you are including and any upgrades such as granite counter tops. A brief description outlining the kitchens layout is also beneficial . Example: Enjoy our open concept kitchen that includes granite counter tops and brand new stainless steel Maytag appliances

Bathrooms – Indentify how many bathrooms the rental unit includes and how many are full bathrooms(toilet, sink, bathtub/shower) or half bathrooms (no shower).

Bedrooms – Outline the number of bedrooms the home has or if your rental is a cottage how many beds each bedroom has.

Basement – Some viewers may be interested in whether the basement is finished or unfinished. Provide a description for them so they know upfront.

General points– Are utilities included? Describe the neighbourhood highlights or is the rental near certain sites like a grocery store, liquor/beer store, gym or hospital. How much parking or storage space is available? Describe the condition the unit is in.

The more information you provide, the better results you will have in finding the right renter quickly. Click here for an example of a tenant checklist. See what they may be expecting by reviewing the checklist that they may have in hand while visiting your unit.

Tenant Checklist

Looking to post a FREE Canadian residential rental where your rental will get noticed. Post your FREE rental listing with TransCanada Rentals by clicking here

Being prepared to rent a home

Whether you are planning on moving out of your current housing accommodation or just moving to Canada, United States or UK you are most likely looking to rent your first home. Prior to jumping online or looking into the newspapers searching for that perfect rental, decide what you want in a home. We have placed together a useful checklist to walk through some important items that you should consider. Tenant Checklist

Now that you have decided what you would like your rental to include or not include visit some of the following sites which will help you in the searching process.

For Canada Rentals: http://www.transcanadarentals.com
For United States Rentals: http://housingblock.com
For UK Rentals:  http://housingblock.com

It is very important to look at several apartments. That way, you can be sure the place is right for you and your family. Take along one or two people such as your spouse, family member or friend who will provide you with honest feedback. Make certain:

• All doors are working and lock properly
• Are the appliances working?
• Is the Plumbing Working?
• Is the water tank is in good condition?
• hot water flows from all taps; the bathroom has a shower
• or bathtub, and the toilet flushes properly;
• Find a complete Property Evaluation Checklist by clicking here

Furthermore, make sure you visit a number of apartments before making your decision. The following Apartment Comparison worksheet will help you capture your thoughts and compare each address, while assisting you in your final decision. This worksheet can be printed and brought along to your viewings. To print a copy, select File from your web browser and then print.

There are several different types of rental housing that are available depending on your country or location.

Privately-owned rental housing is the most common. Tenant will pay rent to an individual known as a Landlord or a Property Management company for your living space.

Shared housing occurs when you share the kitchen, bathroom and other areas of an apartment or house with others. You and your family have your own private bedroom. Special needs housing is shared housing that is designed and built for people with special medical, physical, or psychiatric needs.

Subsidized housing, such as public housing, non-profit housing and co-operative (co-op) housing, is usually a lower cost alternative to market housing. The rent is lower for subsidized housing than for privately owned rental housing because a municipal government or charitable organization pays part of the operating cost. Understand that because subsidized housing costs less, demand is high. There is often a waiting period of up to four or five years

Link to this article: http://www.housingblock.com/tenant-resources/renting-a-home/being-prepared-to-rent-a-home-35.html