daisymoll

How do they work, do you just go and look around a house without being hassled?

Pretty Flowers

Yep that's right. I did a few while I was over here in september.

Here in Burlington they normally take place on Sundays between 2 and 4.

I spent my last Sunday of my holiday driving around looking for them. Most open houses are advertised in your local rag... er... community newspaper

Fluffy Boogie

Hello Burlington Ladies!

I've mentioned before (to Daisymoll) that we might be moving out that way - I told a Dutch exec. today that we were planning on heading out that way .... he gave me the most SHOCKED look!
His sister-in-law (his wife is also a Canuck) lives there and he said it gave him the heeby-geebies!
I asked him why and he said it was all developmental - so many houses being built that it scared the poop out of him! Is Burlington starting to look that ugly/ Or what is it that he's afradi of?
BTW, which other city in Ontario could you compare Burlington to? Is it more like Hamilton, Vaughn or Milton, less like Brampton (where I came from)?
Just checking - I should really visit next time we fly out - if we do - before we move.....

Fluffy

Pretty Flowers

If you're planning to move to Burlington, I'd recommend moving south of the QEW. North is the worst version of suburban hell - lots of new house building and very little in the way of infrastructure. I looked at a lot of property that way in the first week I was out here, and rapidly came to the conclusion that I would go nuts in short order if I lived in North Burlington.

Having said that, I like the area south of the QEW and would be tempted to move there, but I eventually settled on Oakville, given the shorter commute to downtown Toronto. Oakville is *a lot* more expensive than Burlington, but I'd recommend it if you can afford it.

HTH

Sarah

MikeUK

With the current building trends... Burlington, looks like anywhere else...

I can without doubt state that large parts of Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville, Brampton, Vaughan, in fact the whole Halton Peel region is nothing more than a large urban zone.. … with new houses in almost the same design springing up all over the place…

Having said that it’s a popular Toronto commuting zone.. complete with all the trappings of a commuter zone we know from home…heavy traffic, poor air quality, bad drivers and over priced property.. and not forgetting the chaos that descends on the traffic every bank holiday…

But we have jobs…

Glaswegian

So do we and lower taxes

iaink

Im sure the unemployemnt rate in toronto is no better or worse then most of the rest of the country.

Unfortunatley most of that poor air ends up drifting down the lake to my idylic little area Hardly fair is it. Cant you all take the bus?

MikeUK

yep.. and a Winter that lasts 8 months too..........

hot wasabi peas

Well, sort of. Yes, you just show up and look around the place. Whether you'll be hassled or not depends on how busy the house is and/or how pestering the realtor is (the seller's realtor is usually there, the owners are usually not). You can almost be guaranteed to be greeted with the smell of freshly baked bread.

Glaswegian

That's a "winter" that lasts 8 months ... the chinook warms us up nicely every couple of weeks

4C and sunny right now in Calgary ... oh look, it's -5C in Mississauga

MikeUK

I'm sure we can discuss this much better on Monday

ray1968

Go into the opne house and look around and ask questions, if asked to do so sign a visitor book but if you don't want hassle from the realtor calling you ..tell themyou have an agent already. Sometimes though the visitor book is for the security of the homeowner and shows him who went through their house. Please show the realtor some respect ..they are trying to earn a living and sell the house for their client and if they hassle you too much ie asking too many questions just tell them again you have an agent.


Most open houses are on weekends in the afternoon , in fact in Spring there is almost one in every street


Ray

Biiiiink

Are there not many open houses in the UK then? I went to hundreds (no joke) with my brother when he was looking for a 1bed in Edinburgh a few years back. I assumed it was the norm, especially at that end of the market. Always Sun 2-4pm and Thurs 6-8pm. Turn up, wander round with the crowds, get a schedule, ask questions and on to the next one!!

Biiiiink

iaink

Or in May

MikeUK

If we want to be really cruel ...bring it up when its snowing in june