All Forum Posts by: Carolyn Guertin

Thanks all. I appreciate you sharing your expertise. You've given me new areas to investigate. 

I'm interested in investing near Wellington. How would you rank Porirua for value for money? 

I'm also wondering what the hidden risks in the foreclosure market might be in New Zealand? 

Thanks in advance for sharing your insight. 

Carolyn

@Account Closed Welcome to the group, Mishaal. Pleased to meet you. 

For a handy(wo)man, I would recommend Andrea Maunder. She does all our work from ceramics to decks to siding to fireplace to drywall. 

For plumbing, Chip Oexmann and his team at ARS/Rescue Rooter Fort Worth have saved us thousands of dollars and many headaches over the years. 

Welcome, Ariel. Excellent choice -- both of profession and community. 

Carolyn

I'm grateful to everyone for sharing your expertise. We were able to negotiate the price down $3,500 as compensation for the electrical problems, and issues with decoy appliances. It made a good deal a better deal. Signed and sealed now. Thanks. 

Thanks, Michael. Yes, it's more of an issue of the presence of decoy appliances without connections that destabilizes the whole deal than the cost as such. Thanks all for your level-headed advice. We're negotiating with the seller for a price reduction. 

I know there are scratch and dent stores, but how to get good prices on appliances and where in Canada?

cg

I made an offer on a bungalow with an income suite downstairs last week. The basement unit only needs some paint and a few other touches to be rentable -- and I was counting on that income to keep the place afloat while I work on doing more extensive renovations on the main floor. 

I had the walkthrough with the building inspector today. The house passed with a few issues: some small electrical problems, a fireplace that is unsafe and needs to be removed, and the celebrated brick barbecue deemed a fire hazard. I can live with those revelations, but the shocker is around the appliances. I knew there was no fridge in the main floor unit, but thought that I was getting one (extremely small) fridge, two stoves, and a washer and dryer. The inspection revealed that the gas stove upstairs doesn't work (it has never even been connected) and the dryer downstairs caught fire while being tested. So now instead of having to buying just a fridge, I'm also looking at buying a stove and a dryer as well. My question is can I negotiate the price down by way of compensation (and, if so, how much?) or are there other ways to ease the blown budget? Or should I just walk away? 

Thank for sharing your thoughts. 

cg