5 Reasons Why Open-Plan Living Is Better


If you’re considering making the switch to an open-plan living arrangement, you’re certainly not alone. More and more people
particularly millennialsare eschewing traditional homes in favour of open-plan layouts that emphasise community and collaboration.

Here are just a few of the reasons why people are opting for open-plan living (often with the help of GIA Custom Design & Construction).

1. More Natural Light

In traditional homes, rooms are typically divided by solid walls that block out natural light. This can create a dark, dreary environment that doesn’t exactly promote positive energy or good vibes. Open-plan living arrangements, on the other hand, allow natural light to flow freely throughout the space, creating a bright and airy atmosphere.

2. Greater Sense of Community

In traditional homes, each room is isolated from the others, which can make it difficult to connect with family and friends. Open-plan living arrangements encourage togetherness and provide ample opportunity for social interaction. Whether you’re cooking dinner in the kitchen or relaxing in the living room, you’ll always be within earshot of your loved ones.

3. More Flexibility

Open-plan living arrangements are incredibly versatile and can be easily adapted to changing needs and preferences. For example, if you want to change up the furniture layout, it’s a simple matter of moving things around until you find a configuration that works for you. Traditional homes, on the other hand, are much more rigid and inflexible. Want to knock down a wall? You’re probably going to need a professional (and a permit).

4. Improved Acoustics

In traditional homes, each room has its own distinct acoustics that can make it difficult to carry on a conversation from one room to the next. Open-plan living arrangements eliminate this problem by providing a single, consistent acoustic environment throughout the space. This makes it easy to hold conversations without having to shout or use hand gestureseven when you’re across the room from each other.

5. Increased Opportunities for Entertainment

Open-plan living areas provide plenty of space for entertainment activities like watching movies, playing games, and hosting parties. And since they include multiple seating areas, there’s no need to crowd around one small television or sacrifice comfort for people who want to sit on the floor. Traditional homes, on the other hand, often have smaller rooms that can make it difficult to accommodate large groups of people comfortably.

6. Improved Airflow

Another benefit of open-plan living is improved airflow. This is because there are fewer walls blocking the flow of air. This can be especially beneficial in the summer months when it’s hot outside and you want to keep your home cool.

7. A Sense of Spaciousness

Open-plan living also creates a sense of spaciousness, because there are fewer walls dividing up the space. This can make your home feel more inviting and welcoming.

8. Easier to Keep Clean

Last but not least, open-plan living is easier to keep clean because there are fewer nooks and crannies for dust and dirt to accumulate in. This means that you’ll spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your home.

Open plan = better

Open-plan living is becoming increasingly popular among millennials who appreciate its many benefits over traditional home designs. From improved acoustics and increased flexibility to greater sense of community and more natural light, there are plenty of reasons why open-plan living is betterjust take a look for yourself!

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Smooth Start: 5 Steps to Take When Getting Started in Commercial Real Estate Investment

The stakes are high when investing in commercial real estate. When getting started, you really want to make sure you go through everything with a fine-tooth comb. This may seem like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are five steps to get your commercial property investment portfolio off the ground:

1. Join Forces with Property Professionals

Doing this on your own can be risky and tricky. That’s why you’re better off with people that know the ins and outs of commercial property.

A broker, an attorney, and a contractor are the crack team you need to ensure you do things right. This is a big project, so the more knowledgeable people you have on your side, the better.

You need a broker with experience in the kind of property you’re investing in. You need a lawyer to go over sales and purchase agreements while checking if the property has any legal issues attached to it.

A commercial real estate contractor will give you accurate pricing and protection against liability. A property management company with a commercial record will assist with professional marketing, higher occupancy, and solid accounting and reporting.

2. Associate with the Greats 

Though a lawyer, broker, and contractor can help you with most aspects of your commercial real estate venture, you shouldn’t stop at just hiring a qualified team. It’s also essential to develop relationships that will help improve your business. At the end of the day, opportunities are what you need, and you could use a lot of help in this regard.

You may even find more investors if that’s the type of arrangement you’re attracted to. From developers to architects and engineers, a whole host of professionals could be of service to you.

3. Learn, Learn, Learn

Having the right team and being in the right circles doesn’t mean you can sit back and relax. Learning more about the investing process will do you a lot of good. From YouTube to books and even podcasts, there are countless educational resources for you to explore.

There are even real estate investment groups you can join, which might offer you a great networking opportunity. You may even wish to work towards becoming a Certified Commercial Investment Member to gain deep insight into the industry.

4. Implement What You Know

No matter how much work you put into educating yourself, it’ll be meaningless if you don’t apply what you know. Regularly underwriting deals will teach you to separate the good ones from the bad ones.

A lot of money goes into this type of thing, so if you can master the skill, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. You underwrite, you make an offer, and then you do it again soon after. 

Your return will be greater, and you’ll be empowered by the ability to make deals on your own. It isn’t nearly as hard as it seems. Yes, people go to school for it, and the occupation is professionally recognized, but there’s even software you can use these days.

5. Have an Action Plan

You’ll have to figure out what kind of property you’re investing in. You may be interested in going the retail route, or perhaps industrial real estate is more to your liking. From multifamily set-ups to office space and even the hospitality industry, your options are endless. So, think about your objectives and preferences, and decide which niche is most suitable. 

Follow the tips above, and you’ll have a sturdy foundation from which to launch your venture into the world of commercial real estate investment

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An Informative Guide to Real Estate Investing For Beginners

It’d help if you had stability in your life, and real estate investment is an excellent place to start.

Real estate is one of the most reliable and stable investment portfolios. It comes with great appreciation, leverage, tax benefits, and constant cash flow. In addition, properties are constantly rising in value and can quickly be sold.

So, how can you get started with real estate investment? Here is the ultimate investing for beginners guide.

Educate Yourself

The key to succeeding in real estate is to have the correct information. You’ll need about half a year to master the main steps of real estate investment. Consequently, you can either enroll in an online program or speak to an expert, such as BlokHaus Real Estate + Investments.

If you choose online information, you can go for YouTube podcasts, blogs, or online seminars. Having the correct information ensures that you’ll avoid the main problems of real estate investment.

Learning must continue even after you have mastered the basics. For example, the real estate market is changing, and you need to know the latest tricks. It’s also a good idea to know the latest laws.

Make a Plan

Once you’ve achieved the proper knowledge, you need to craft the ideal property investing strategy. A plan ensures that you don’t fail and can easily track your progress. It also introduces discipline since you can avoid impulse decisions.

The investment plan must list your short-term and long-term objectives. It should also highlight the preferred investment strategies and expected timelines. The plan should also have some contingencies in case your investments don’t pay off.

Finally, the plan must determine your investment budget and how you’ll spread it over the months and years.

Use Online Investing Platforms

There are many online investing platforms that you can use to invest in property. These platforms connect investors and sellers via a website or mobile application. You’ll get to learn of the various ongoing real estate projects and how to get financing.

It’s also possible to receive quarterly distributions via an online platform. Nevertheless, you need to know how illiquid and speculative real estate investments work.

Choose Real Estate Investment Trusts

Real estate investment trusts are the best way to benefit from the real estate industry without owning physical property. These trusts work the same way as mutual funds. In essence, you’ll be owning a company that, in turn, owns commercial and residential properties.

You’ll be receiving regular dividends depending on how the buildings are valued.

If you feel like the investment is not bringing enough money, you can always cash out. This type of property investing is better because you don’t have to deal with housing repairs and late tenant payments.

Use the Investing for Beginners Guide to Make Real Estate Investments

Real estate investments must be in your investment portfolios. This is because they provide stable and guaranteed income for an extended period. Nevertheless, you need to read the investing for beginners guide before you get started.

Are you looking for more investing tips? We have articles that provide accurate and relevant information.

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I Need to Sell My House Fast, What Are My Options?

Suddenly you need to move to a new home — whether it’s for work reasons, an expanding family, or another major life event — and that means you need to sell your current home fast. How can you get your house ready to sell as soon as possible and what are the options for getting the job done? Here are some tips to keep in mind with guidance from the real estate experts at HomeLight. 

Update your home with what buyers want

Getting your home in shape to appeal to buyers is one way to ensure that you can sell your home ASAP. A recent survey of insights from top agents across the country reveals the areas of your home to update that will best reflect what buyers are looking for. Some of the updates to consider are outdated home features to fix up before selling, such as carpet in the bathroom, popcorn ceilings, shag carpet, wood wall panels, linoleum, vinyl flooring, and bold paint color schemes. Going for neutral tones for paint, carpets, and other flooring can be the best way to get on track to sell fast. 

Work with an expert

This might seem obvious, but working with an agent who has experience selling homes quickly is one of the best tips for a quick home sale. In this situation not just any agent will do. When trying to find the right match, ask potential candidates about their history with sales and their average timelines, as well as their knowledge about selling in your specific neighborhood. Having facts can help you pick the best person to get the job done quickly. 

Auction sale

If you want to sell your home fast, an auction may be the way to go, while keeping a few considerations in mind. According to Forbes, auctioned homes take an average of 45 to 60 days from listing to close. But this type of sale could be risky because you have limited control over the final sale price — it’s possible that your home could sell around 10 to 15 percent lower than the market value. It’s best to consult with an agent to consider all options.

Cash offers

Some agents recommend that the best way to sell a house quickly is to accept a cash offer. Not all cash buyers are the same: You might be working with buy-and-hold investors that purchase rental properties; fix-and-flippers; or high-tech, venture capital-backed companies called iBuyers that purchase homes in good to fair condition, make light repairs, and typically turn over a high volume of homes with thin profit margins. Accepting a cash offer can take time as you work with a professional — such as using HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform — to request a cash offer and find the highest bidder.

If you need to sell you home fast, there are many options and ways to get the job done. The strategy you pick will depend on many factors, such as your home’s condition, your neighborhood, and just how fast you need to sell. Working with a professional to guide you will ensure that you are on track to success. 

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Montreal Real Estate Trends to Expect in 2019

montreal real estate

The Montreal real estate market is one of the major markets in the entire country, alongside that of Toronto and Vancouver. Right now the market for Montreal is on a hot streak, and that predicted by experts to continue well into 2019 and beyond. In fact, many see the Montreal real estate price growth to exceed to that of other cities in the whole of Canada.

montreal real estate

Here are some trends to look forward to in the real estate market of Montreal in 2019:

Home Prices Will Still Rise

This is also predicted for many other cities, but the confidence that experts have for the Montreal market is quite strong. In fact, the median prices for homes in the Greater Montreal Area are expected to go up by 3%. In contrast, the increase in the median prices for homes in the Greater Toronto Area is only expected at 1.3%, while it’s only 0.6% for the Greater Vancouver Area. Nationally, median prices in Canada as a whole are expected to rise by 1.2%.

It does seem like the growth rate is decreasing all around, even with the prices climbing up. That is due to certain factors, such as regulatory real estate intervention, the consistently low price of Canadian export oil, rising interest rates, and the inherent risks of global trade.

Demand Will Remain Strong

What’s fuelling the rise in prices is the constant demand for homes from potential buyers with the budget to afford them. The demand is partly due to increasing population growth along with the strong migration, and so these new immigrants to Montreal will certainly need new homes.

The huge peak millennial group consists of the 25 to 31-years old buying a home for the first time, and most of them plan to own their homes instead of just renting. Baby boomers are also planning to sell their empty nest oversized family homes for more suitable smaller houses.

The unemployment rate has also reached historically low numbers. This means more people in the city have jobs and are saving money to buy a home, while new professionals come in to meet the demands for more workers.

There is still high consumer confidence, and economic growth in Montreal is steady. The new Canada-US-Mexico Agreement has also renewed confidence in trade south of the Canadian border.

Finally, it helps that prices on the whole in Montreal are comparatively more affordable than the homes in Toronto and Vancouver. The median prices for the Greater Toronto area are expected to rise to $854,552 in 2019. For the Greater Vancouver area, these prices will be even higher, with forecasts predicting median prices of up to $1,291,144 in 2019.

In contrast, the median prices for homes on Montreal are downright cheap even with the largest jump in prices. Experts say that these median home prices in the greater Montreal area will still be only $421,306 in 2019. That’s less than half the price in Toronto, and less than a third the price in Vancouver!

Continuing Interest from Foreign Investors

When Montreal real estate professionals talk about “foreign investors”, they’re actually referring to Chinese investors. The Chinese economy is still booming, and it’s predicted that the upper-middle and affluent class in China will reach 220 million by 2022. So far, the number of individuals with high net worth has increased by a factor of 9 over the last 10 years.

About two-thirds of these affluent Chinese have international real estate investments. In 2010, Chinese investment in international property was only $5 billion. By 2017, this has increased to almost $120 billion.

Canada has been one of their favourite real estate targets, but lately this interest has been waning. Chinese investment in Canadian residential real estate decreased by 55% in 2017, while interest for commercial property it went down by 61%.

Montreal is the most notable exception to this trend. More Chinese investors are becoming interested in the Montreal real estate market. Experts attribute this to the lower prices of homes in the area, and the taxes imposed by Vancouver and Toronto on foreign buyers surely didn’t help.

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What Does it Take to Make a Great Landlord

As someone who has been both tenant and landlord, I wanted to write this piece for anyone who is considering letting out property to ensure that you are doing the best for yourself, your property and ultimately, your tenants. There are a lot of landlords out there who simply don’t do the best by their tenants and this can not only make your and their lives more difficult, but can also prevent you from finding tenants who are happy to stay long term which is the best solution for any landlord. Let’s take a look then at what makes a truly great landlord.

Business First

It is vital to remember that renting out property is a business and should be treated as such, it is not a hobby or something you do in your spare time. Because of this you need to ensure that you are professional at all times, the tenants are your clients and they should be treated as such. Make sure that you have secured both the property and the tenants with great landlord insurance, I like to use homelet.co.uk/landlord-insurance/, the choice is yours but make sure that you have sufficient insurance.

When it comes to payments and information that you need to give your tenants, ensure that they receive them in a timely manner, doing so will make it clear that you expect the same in return when it comes to paying rent.

Be Responsive

You are letting out your property as it has been shown to your tenants and if anything should go wrong with the property then you need to be on hand to find a solution. So many landlords that I have either worked with or that my friends have worked with have been painfully slow when it comes to responding to problems. If you want to be  a great landlord then you need to fix problems as soon as they arise.

Screening Process

The one thing that costs landlords more money than anything else is unpaid rent, trashed properties and midnight disappearing acts. You can never totally avoid the possibility that this could happen but you can reduce the chances by following a thorough screening process and use due diligence. Ensure that your prospective tenant has no recent evictions, no recent felonies and has good references from previous landlords, you should also be asking for 3 months rent up front to give yourself some peace of mind.

Be Respectful

You don’t have to like your tenants, you don’t have to be chummy with them or condone of their decoration choices, you do however have to be respectful. Many landlords see their tenants as though they are some kind of problem, this is not the case and as mentioned before, these are your clients. In order to have the best possible relationship with your tenants, ensure that you give them the respect that they deserve.

Be Ready

As a landlord you are going to need the help of several professional services and it is important that you are ready with contact details when the time comes. An emergency plumber, a heating engineer, steam cleaners or indeed, a letting agent are all numbers that will come in handy and you should try to strike up a bond with them so that they can come to your need when it’s required. You may also need to find out how to protect a vacant property for times when you don’t have a tenant.

 

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