Bike before you buy

Have you ever driven through a new neighbourhood a few times, before renting/purchasing a house/flat/apartment?  You like the surroundings and decide to “go for it.”  It is only when you move in that you notice several little things that you had not observed, because you were driving by and not walking by. Unfortunately it is too late to change your mind, because you have signed a lease, or a purchase agreement.

A Canadian realtor has thought of a unique solution to this problem.  Fionna Gossling of Vancouver has a programme called ‘Buy by the Bike’.  Fionna feels that the best way to get familiar with a neighbourhood is to have a look at it at your own pace.

Get a feel of the area

She feels cycling through the neighbourhood allows one to get a “feel of the area.” An added benefit of course is that you can make your house hunting expedition a fitness exercise, and since there is all this talk of “going green,” you are doing your part. You also know for sure, whether your neighbourhood is conducive to bicycle riding for you and your children.

Encourage your visitors to use cyclesBike before you buy

You can even encourage your visitors to use their cycles when they visit you!

The concept is simple and is an option for house hunters who would rather find their new home by bicycle than by car.

“It occurred to me some time ago that for some people a much better way to spend a sunny weekend or evening, would be to cycle through the neighbourhood to look at the home, which is exactly what I am now offering,” says Fionna.

If this sounds rather eccentric remember ours is a country where the bicycle is the most common mode of transportation.