What are the typical buyer closing costs in this market?

In our local market, buyers can typically expect closing costs to range from 1.5% to 4% of the final purchase price, which covers legal fees, property transfer tax, and disbursements.

How much down payment do I need to buy a home?

The minimum down payment required is 5% for the first $500,000 of the purchase price, and 10% for any amount above that up to $1 million.

Is Your Toilet Costing You Money?

Is Your Toilet Secretly Costing You Money?

You might not hear it, but a leaky or inefficient toilet could be silently flushing your money down the drain every single month! As a homeowner, protecting your investment means checking for these common culprits that spike your water bill:

The Silent Water Wasters

The Running Toilet (The Sneaky Leak)
- The Problem: A faulty flapper valve (the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank) or a misaligned fill valve can cause water to constantly trickle from the tank into the bowl, forcing the tank to refill itself repeatedly. This can be quiet, making it hard to notice.
- The Cost: Even a medium-sized leak can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day, adding $100 or more to your monthly bill!
Inefficient Older Models
- The Problem: Toilets manufactured before 1994 are generally not WaterSense-certified and can use anywhere from 3 to 7 gallons per flush (GPF). Modern, high-efficiency models use 1.6 GPF or less.
- The Cost: Flushing an old toilet uses significantly more water than is necessary, drastically increasing your overall water usage and monthly utility costs.
Worn-Out Components
- The Problem: Internal parts like the flapper, fill valve, or chain deteriorate over time. When these inexpensive parts fail, they cause a constant running issue.
- The Cost: Ignoring a $10 flapper replacement can result in thousands of dollars in wasted water over a few years.

Easy Ways to Check for a Leak

The Dye Test: Drop a few drops of food coloring (or a dye tablet) into the toilet tank. DO NOT FLUSH. Wait about 15-30 minutes. If the color appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak.
Listen Closely: After flushing, listen for any sound of running or hissing water once the tank has refilled.

A healthy home is an affordable home! Taking a few minutes to check your toilets can save you significant money and help conserve water.

Need a plumber referral or have questions about home maintenance that impacts your real estate value? Send me a message!