"Do I sell first or buy first?" It might be the most common question I hear from homeowners ready for a change. Maybe the family has outgrown a bungalow in Summerside, or you are ready to trade a country property for something smaller in Kensington. Either way, you have two moving parts and only one set of moving boxes. Here is how I help people think it through.

Option one: sell first

Selling first means you know exactly what you have to spend. You are not carrying two homes, and when you do write an offer, it is cleaner because it does not depend on selling your current place.

The trade-off is that you might need somewhere to live in between. Some sellers negotiate a longer closing date so they have more time to find the next home. Others rent short term or stay with family. On PEI, where inventory in a specific community can be limited, selling first can feel nerve-wracking if you have your heart set on one area.

Sell first if: you need the equity from your current home to buy, your budget is tight, or you prefer certainty over speed.

Option two: buy first

Buying first means you can wait for the right home without a deadline. If something perfect comes up, you can act.

The risk is owning two homes at once if your current place takes longer to sell than expected. That can mean two mortgages, two sets of property taxes and two heating bills. Some buyers use bridge financing, a short-term loan offered by many lenders, to cover the down payment on the new home until the old one sells. Whether that is available and sensible for you is a conversation for your lender.

Buy first if: you can comfortably carry both homes for a while, or you are confident your current home will sell quickly.

Option three: line them up

The most common approach is somewhere in the middle: making the two closings work together. There are a few tools for this:

• A sale of property condition. Your offer on the new home depends on selling your current one. It protects you, but sellers often view it as a weaker offer, especially in busy times.
• Matching closing dates. Try to close the sale first, then the purchase a few days later, so you are never without a home and never carrying two for long.
• Flexible possession. Sometimes buyers of your home will agree to a later possession date, or the seller of your new home will agree to an earlier one.

Start with a clear number

Whichever route you choose, it all starts with knowing what your current home is likely to sell for. That number sets your budget and helps you decide how much risk you can take. My free home evaluation is a good first step, and it comes with the recent sales behind the estimate.

Next, talk to your lender about how much you can carry, whether bridge financing is an option, and what pre-approval looks like with your current home still unsold.

Get your home ready before you shop

If you plan to list soon, do the prep work before you fall in love with another house. Declutter, handle small repairs and gather paperwork. Then, if the right home comes along, you can list quickly instead of scrambling.

Think about the season

Timing matters on the Island. Moving in a snowstorm is no fun, and some buyers prefer not to move while kids are in school. Think about when you would ideally like to be settled and work backward from there.

Keep one person coordinating

Running two transactions at once means two sets of conditions, deadlines and lawyers' requirements. It helps to have one person keeping an eye on both timelines. When I represent a client on both sides, I keep a simple shared calendar with every key date, so nothing slips through the cracks.

A quick checklist

• Get a realistic value for your current home
• Talk to your lender about your options
• Decide which risk you are most comfortable with
• Prep your home before you start shopping seriously
• Plan closing dates that leave a small buffer
• Line up movers early, especially for summer

Let's make a plan together

Every family's situation is a little different. To see how I guide clients through listing and selling, visit my page on how to sell your home in PEI, and for the purchase side, how I work with buyers. Once you'd like to map out your own timeline, contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty.

When the snowbanks finally shrink and the red mud season arrives, it is time to see how your house came through the winter. Island winters bring freeze and thaw, wind off the water and plenty of moisture, so a spring walk-around is one of the best habits a homeowner can build. Here is the list I use myself and share with clients, whether they plan to stay for years or sell this season.

Start outside: the roof and gutters

You don't need to climb a ladder to learn a lot. From the ground, with binoculars if you have them, look for:

• Missing, lifted or curled shingles, especially on the windward side
• Damaged flashing around the chimney and vents
• Gutters that sag, pulled away from the fascia, or are packed with debris
• Downspouts that are disconnected or dump water right against the foundation

If you saw ice dams over the winter, pay extra attention to the ceiling and walls inside directly below those spots.

Check the ground around your foundation

Water is the enemy of a basement. As the frost leaves the ground, walk the perimeter and check that soil slopes away from the house. Snow piles from the winter can leave low spots. Top them up with soil so meltwater and spring rain drain away.

Look at the foundation itself for new cracks or crumbling. Hairline cracks are common, but anything new, wide or letting water in deserves a professional opinion.

Head to the basement

Spring is when moisture problems show themselves. Look and sniff for:

• Damp spots or white, chalky deposits on concrete walls
• A musty smell
• Water stains near windows or where pipes enter

If you have a sump pump, test it by pouring a bucket of water into the pit and making sure it kicks on and discharges well away from the house.

Heating and cooling systems

After working hard all winter, your heating system deserves a little care.

• Oil furnaces and boilers are usually serviced once a year. If you have not booked yours, spring is a fine time, before service companies get busy in the fall.
• Heat pumps need clean filters and a clear outdoor unit. Remove any debris, leaves or packed snow that built up around the base.
• Wood stoves benefit from a chimney cleaning at the end of the burning season, rather than waiting until fall.

Windows, doors and siding

Run your hand around window and door frames on a breezy day. If you feel a draft you didn't notice in January, check the caulking and weatherstripping. Look at siding for loose pieces after winter winds, and at wood trim for peeling paint or soft spots that may need attention before summer.

Decks, steps and railings

Frost can heave deck posts and loosen steps. Push on railings, check that stairs are level, and look for boards that are cracked or soft. Fix anything wobbly before the barbecue season brings company over.

Well and septic, for rural homes

Spring melt is a good reminder to look at what's below the surface. Make sure surface water is not pooling around the well casing, and that the well cap is secure. For septic systems, notice any soggy ground or odours over the field. If it has been a while since the tank was pumped, book it. My home inspection checklist includes a fuller list of well and septic signs worth knowing.

Inside, a quick safety round

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries
• Check the dryer vent for lint build-up
• Look under sinks for slow drips
• Check your attic, if accessible, for signs of moisture or animals that moved in for the winter

Keep notes and receipts

Whatever you find, write it down and keep the receipts for any work you have done. A simple folder of maintenance records is useful for insurance, and it is gold if you ever sell. Buyers love seeing that a home has been looked after.

Thinking of selling this year?

Spring maintenance is also smart pre-listing prep. Small repairs done now can mean fewer items flagged on a buyer's inspection later. For more on getting a home market-ready, see my tips on selling your home fast in PEI.

If you are curious where your home's value sits after the winter, I can put together a free estimate through my PEI home evaluation page. Reach out to Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, whenever you'd like to talk about your plans for the season.

Every spring I hear from people who have found the perfect piece of land, maybe a field near Kinkora with a view of rolling farmland or a lot tucked off a quiet road near Long River, and they want to know how to go from bare ground to a finished home. The answer starts long before the excavator shows up. Here is how the permit side of building works on the Island, in plain language.

Two permits, not one

In almost every case, you need both a Development Permit and a Building Permit before construction can start.

• Development Permit. This one deals with land use and how the building sits on the lot. It is issued under the provincial Planning Act. Setbacks, servicing and placement all come into play here.
• Building Permit. This confirms the structure is designed and built to code. It is issued under the provincial Building Codes Act.

The Province adopted Tier 1 of the 2020 National Model Codes effective March 31, 2024, including the 2020 National Building Code of Canada and the 2020 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings. Your builder or designer should be working to those standards.

Who issues the permits depends on where the lot is

This is where location really matters.

• If the land is outside a municipality, or inside a municipality that has no official plan and land-use bylaws, you apply to the Province's Land Division for both permits.
• If the municipality has an official plan and bylaws, it issues the Development Permit. You still apply to the Province for the Building Permit.
• Charlottetown, Stratford and Summerside issue both their own Development and Building Permits.

The Province has a Municipal Boundaries Map you can use to check whether a community has an official plan. When I show land, this is one of the first things I look up, because it tells us who you will be dealing with.

Questions to answer before you buy the lot

The smartest time to think about permits is before you own the land. A few things I encourage buyers to check:

• Is it an approved building lot? If a parcel still needs to be subdivided, or its use needs to change, there is a separate subdivision or change of use application that comes first.
• How will water and sewage work? Most rural lots need a private well and septic system. The Province's development permit package includes setback information for sewage disposal systems, and a site assessment by a qualified professional is part of planning a septic. If you are on a well, my guide to well water testing on PEI explains what to test once you have water.
• Is there road access and a civic address? A lot on a private lane can raise questions about access and winter maintenance.
• Are there wetlands, watercourses or coastal setbacks? These can shrink the area you can actually build on.
• Are you a non-resident? Larger parcels and shore frontage can bring the Lands Protection Act into play. You can read more in my plain-language summary of the Lands Protection Act.

Many of these can be written into your offer as conditions, so you are not locked in until you are comfortable.

What goes into the applications

The provincial Building Permit application asks for a set of plans: foundation, elevations, floor plans, cross-sections and a site plan, with truss or framing details required before the framing inspection. It also asks for property details such as the property tax number and civic address. Incomplete applications are returned, so it pays to have your builder help assemble the package.

Provincial applications can be submitted at Land Division offices in Charlottetown, O'Leary, Summerside and Montague. The Province also offers one-on-one meetings with staff, virtually or in person, to help with submissions. If you are building in Prince County, the Summerside office is handy.

Don't start early

The Province is clear on this: construction can only begin after you have received your Development and Building Permits. That includes site work done in preparation for construction. It can be tempting to get a head start when the weather is good, but starting without permits can create costly problems.

Once you have applied, you can check the status of a provincial application online using your PID and the date your fee was paid.

A realistic timeline mindset

I won't guess at processing times, because they change with the season and the volume of applications. What I can say is that PEI's building season is short enough that planning in winter for a spring or summer start is a good habit. Lining up your designer, builder and septic professional early gives you the best chance of breaking ground when you want to.

Ready to look at land?

If you are dreaming of building, start by browsing PEI land and building lots, then let's talk about which parcels fit your plans. Contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, so we can work through the permit questions together before you buy.

When you write an offer on a home, one of the most important parts is not the price. It is the conditions. They are the "only if" clauses that give you time to check things out before you are fully committed. Buyers who are new to PEI, or new to buying, often have questions about them, so here is a plain-language look at how conditions usually work.

This is general information, not legal advice. Every offer is different, and your lawyer is the right person for questions about the contract itself.

What a condition does

A condition says the deal goes ahead only if something specific happens by a certain date. For example, "subject to the buyer obtaining satisfactory financing within seven days." Until each condition is met or waived, the offer is accepted but not firm.

Once all conditions are satisfied, the buyer signs a waiver or notice of fulfilment, and the deal becomes firm. If a condition is not met in time, the agreement typically ends according to its terms.

The most common conditions on PEI

Financing. This gives you time to get final mortgage approval from your lender based on the actual property. Even if you are pre-approved, the lender still needs to approve this specific home.

Home inspection. A professional inspector looks at the structure, roof, systems and more. My PEI home inspection checklist covers what to watch for.

Well water testing. For rural homes on a private well, a water quality test is a common condition. I explain how to fit it into your offer in my guide to well water testing.

Septic. Some buyers add a condition to have the septic system inspected or pumped and checked.

Insurance. You need to be able to insure the home before your lender funds the mortgage. Homes with oil tanks or wood stoves sometimes need extra inspections or paperwork, so an insurance condition can be wise.

Review of documents. This might include a survey, condo documents, or a review by your lawyer.

Sale of the buyer's home. If you need to sell your current home before you can buy, this condition makes your purchase depend on that sale. It is useful, but sellers often see it as weaker, so it needs careful handling.

How long should conditions last?

There is no single answer. It depends on how quickly you can book inspectors, how busy lenders are, and the season. Water test results, for example, need lab time. I always check availability with inspectors and labs before we pick dates, so the timeline is realistic rather than hopeful.

Too long, and the seller may favour a different offer. Too short, and you risk running out of time. Getting this balance right is a big part of my job.

What happens if something comes up

Inspections often find something. That doesn't automatically mean walking away. Depending on what is found and what the offer says, a buyer may:

• Go ahead as planned, because the issue is minor
• Ask the seller to fix something before closing
• Ask for a price adjustment
• Decide not to proceed, if the condition allows it

We talk through the findings together, and I'll give you my honest view of what is typical and what is a real concern.

Conditions in a competitive market

When several buyers want the same home, some feel pressure to drop conditions to make their offer stand out. I understand the temptation, but I always want buyers to know exactly what risk they are taking on. Sometimes a pre-offer inspection, if the seller allows it, or a shorter condition period is a safer way to compete than having no conditions at all.

Deposits and conditions

Your offer usually comes with a deposit, which is held in trust. What happens to that deposit if a condition is not met depends on the wording of the agreement. Make sure you understand it before you sign. This is one of those spots where a quick question to your lawyer is well worth it.

For sellers

If you are selling, conditions affect your plans too. An accepted offer is not the same as a firm one. Until conditions are removed, it is wise not to make big commitments based on the sale.

Want help writing a strong, safe offer?

Every offer I write is built around the property and the buyer's situation. For more on how I guide buyers from first showing to closing, see my PEI home buying process. To get started on yours, contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty.

If you have looked at land or rural homes on the Island, you have probably seen "PID" in a listing or heard me mention it. It is one of the most useful pieces of information about any property on PEI, and once you know how to use it, you can learn a lot before you ever walk the land. Here is a simple explainer.

PID stands for Property Identification number

On Prince Edward Island, parcels of land are identified by a Property Identification number, or PID. Think of it as the parcel's ID card. Street addresses can change and civic numbers are sometimes missing on vacant land, but the PID is how the Province keeps track of each parcel.

You will see PIDs used across all kinds of provincial processes. Building and development permit applications ask for property details, and the Province's online permit status tool asks you to enter the PID to check where an application stands.

Where to find a PID

• On a property tax statement. If you own the property, your PID is on your tax bill.
• In a listing. Many listings for land and rural homes include the PID. If one doesn't, just ask me and I will get it.
• By phone. The Province's Property and Taxation Records office can help if you are stuck.

Free and paid ways to look a property up

The Province offers a few different tools.

PEI Information Mapping. This free online map lets you search by property number and view basic details about a parcel. No registration needed. It is a handy way to see the shape of a lot, its neighbours and its general location.

Civic Address Locator. If the property has a civic address, this tool can find it, and it can also search by Property ID.

GeoLinc Plus. This is the Province's paid subscription service for more detailed tax and property information, such as assessment, tax and registry details and map reports. Lawyers, surveyors and real estate professionals use it regularly. Most buyers don't need their own subscription; your REALTOR® or lawyer can pull what you need.

What a PID lookup can tell you

With a PID, you or your professionals can usually learn:

• The shape and approximate size of the parcel on a map
• Where it sits relative to roads, water and neighbouring lots
• Assessment and tax information
• Registry details your lawyer will review

What a PID lookup can't tell you

Online maps are a great start, but they are not a survey. Lines on a mapping tool are approximate. If exact boundaries matter, and they often do on rural and waterfront land, you need a survey by a licensed land surveyor. A PID lookup also won't tell you about soil suitability for a septic system, water quality, or whether a lot is approved for building. Those take their own checks.

How I use PIDs with buyers

When a buyer is serious about a piece of land or a rural home, I pull the PID early. It lets us:

• Confirm the parcel matches what is described in the listing
• Spot oddities, like a driveway that crosses a neighbour's parcel
• Look at nearby parcels to understand the setting
• Prepare the right questions for the seller, lawyer and surveyor

For non-resident buyers looking at larger parcels or shore frontage, the parcel details also feed into questions under the Lands Protection Act. My Lands Protection Act explainer covers the basics.

A quick tip for browsing

When you are casually exploring, a map search of current listings is a great way to get a feel for an area. Once something catches your eye, the PID is how you dig deeper.

PIDs when you sell

If you are selling land or a rural home, having your PID ready makes the listing process smoother. It helps me confirm the parcel you are selling, check the lot shape and acreage, and answer buyer questions quickly. If you own more than one parcel side by side, such as a house lot and an adjoining field, each may have its own PID. Make sure everyone is clear on exactly which parcels are included in the sale.

Looking at land?

Whether you want a building lot near Kensington, acreage in Prince County or a spot near the shore, I can help you research it properly. Browse PEI land and lots, then contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, and I will pull the details on any property you are considering.

A lot of homeowners tell me they put off asking what their house is worth because they worried it would feel like a sales pitch, or that they would need to scrub every corner first. Neither is true. A home evaluation visit is a relaxed conversation and a walk through your home. Here is what actually happens when I come by, so you know what to expect.

Before I arrive

Most evaluations start with a short request through my home evaluation page or a quick phone call. I will ask a few basic questions: your address, the type of home, roughly when you are thinking of moving, and whether there have been any major updates. That lets me pull recent sales in your area before the visit, so our time together is useful.

You don't need to stage anything. Just make sure I can get into the main rooms, the basement and, if possible, the attic hatch and the mechanical room.

The walk-through

I usually like the homeowner to lead the tour. You know the house better than anyone, and the things you mention along the way often turn out to matter. As we walk, I am looking at:

• Layout and flow. How the rooms connect, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and how the space would work for different kinds of buyers.
• Condition and updates. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows and roof all play a part. Dates matter, so if you know when the roof or windows were done, that's helpful.
• Systems. Heating type and age, electrical panel, plumbing and, for rural homes, the well and septic.
• The lot. Size, privacy, parking, outbuildings, views and any water frontage.

The questions I'll ask

A good evaluation is a two-way conversation. I'll usually ask:

• What do you love most about living here?
• What would you change if you were staying?
• What have you updated, and do you have receipts or permits?
• Are there any known issues, like past water in the basement?
• What is your timing, and what are you hoping to do next?

Your honest answers help me give you an honest number. They also help us plan, because the best strategy for someone moving in three months is different from someone thinking about next spring.

How the value is worked out

The heart of an evaluation is a comparative market analysis. I look at homes similar to yours that have recently sold nearby, as well as homes currently on the market and ones that didn't sell. Then I adjust for differences: one more bathroom, a bigger lot, an older furnace, a finished basement.

In Prince County, "nearby" can mean very different things. A comparable for a home in Summerside will usually be another Summerside home. For a country property near Kensington, we may need to look a little wider to find truly similar sales. Local knowledge matters here, because two homes ten minutes apart can appeal to completely different buyers.

What you receive

After the visit, I put together a price range with the comparable sales I used, so you can see the reasoning, not just a number. I'll also share notes on what could help your home show well, and what is probably not worth spending money on.

An evaluation is not the same as an appraisal. A lender's appraisal is a formal report by a licensed appraiser, usually ordered during a purchase or refinance. An evaluation from your REALTOR® is a market-based opinion meant to help you plan.

No pressure, no obligation

Some people get an evaluation and list the next month. Others tuck it away and call me a year later. Both are perfectly fine. Knowing where you stand helps with all kinds of decisions: refinancing, planning a renovation, sorting out an estate or simply satisfying your curiosity.

A few ways to prepare (optional)

• Jot down major updates and their dates
• Find your property tax bill and any recent utility costs
• Gather any survey, well or septic paperwork you have
• Make a short list of questions you want answered

Curious what your home is worth?

When you are ready for the next step, my PEI home selling services page explains the full process from pricing to closing. Or simply contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, to book a relaxed, no-obligation evaluation visit.

On the Island, the home you have been waiting for may only come up once in a while, especially in a smaller community like Kensington or along a particular stretch of the North Shore. When it does, being among the first to know can make all the difference. That is what listing alerts are for. Here is how to set them up on my website and how to tune them so they actually help.

What listing alerts do

When you sign up through my new listing alerts page, you can save the searches you care about and get email notifications when matching homes are listed. Alerts can also let you know about price changes and other updates on homes you are watching. Instead of checking every day, the right listings come to you.

Step one: start broad, then narrow

A common mistake is making a search so specific that nothing ever matches. I suggest starting a little wider than you think:

• Set your price range slightly above and below your target
• Pick an area rather than a single street
• Choose a minimum number of bedrooms instead of an exact number

Watch what comes in for a couple of weeks. Then tighten the search once you see what is realistic.

Step two: use more than one saved search

Your wish list probably has a few versions. For example:

• A three-bedroom home in town
• A country property with some acreage within a short drive
• A cottage near the water, if the numbers work

Separate saved searches keep your inbox organized and make it easy to compare options.

Step three: draw your area on the map

Community names don't always match how people think about an area. A home you'd call "near Kensington" might be listed under a nearby community name. Using a map search lets you draw the area you actually want, which can catch listings that a name search would miss.

Step four: think about features that really matter

Some details are worth filtering for, and some are better left open. Good filters to consider:

• Property type: house, cottage, duplex, land
• Lot size, if you want space
• Waterfront or water view
• Garage

Features like a finished basement or updated kitchen are better judged by looking at the photos, since listing details can vary.

Step five: act quickly, but wisely

When an alert lands and a home looks promising:

1. Look at the photos and the map location
2. Note any questions, like heating type or water source
3. Call or message me to book a showing

Being ready with a mortgage pre-approval means you can move with confidence if it turns out to be the one.

Adjust with the seasons

Listing activity on PEI tends to pick up in spring, and there are often fewer new listings in the depths of winter. Revisit your saved searches every month or two. If your budget, timing or must-haves change, update your searches so the alerts stay useful.

Don't forget: alerts are a starting point

An email can tell you a home exists. It can't tell you how the neighbourhood feels, whether the road is busy, or if the basement smells damp. That is where a local REALTOR® comes in. I can often tell you a little more about a property or an area than a listing can, and I am always happy to drive by a home before you make a trip.

Already registered?

If you have an account, take a minute to review your saved searches. Are they still pointing at the right price range and area? Small tweaks can make a big difference.

Tips for sellers watching the market

Alerts are not just for buyers. If you are thinking about listing, a saved search for homes similar to yours shows what is coming up, how they are priced, and how long they stay on the market. It is a low-key way to get a feel for your competition before we sit down to talk about pricing and timing.

Let's find the right fit

Set up your alerts today, and if you want help building the right searches, I'm glad to do it with you. Contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, and let's make sure you never miss the right listing.

Every year a property tax bill lands in Island mailboxes, and every year I get a few calls from clients who want to know what the numbers mean. Some are new to the province. Others have owned the same house in Summerside or Kensington for decades and simply never had anyone walk them through it. If that sounds like you, this post is for you.

I am not an assessor or an accountant, so think of this as a friendly orientation. For your own account, the Province's Taxation and Property Records office is the final word.

Two numbers on one bill: market value and taxable value

The first thing that confuses people is that the bill can show two different assessment figures. The market value assessment is the Province's estimate of what the property is worth, based on things like recent sales activity in your area. The taxable value assessment is the figure your tax is actually calculated on.

For most property, those two numbers are the same. The difference shows up on owner-occupied homes, which brings us to the part most Islanders care about.

The owner-occupied cap, explained simply

PEI has an owner-occupied residential assessment program. If you own your home and live in it, the taxable value assessment can only rise each year by the change in the Consumer Price Index or 5 percent, whichever is lower. It also can never go above the market value assessment.

In practice, that means a long-time owner can have a taxable value well below what the house would fetch today. It is a real cushion in a market where values have climbed. Improvements you make, such as an addition, can still raise the taxable value, so a big renovation can show up on a later bill.

The rules on renting changed for the 2025 tax year. Under the current definition, an owner-occupied home must not be rented, in whole or in part, for stays of less than 30 days. A longer-term arrangement, like renting a spare room on a twelve-month lease while you still live there, can keep the property in the program as long as the other criteria are met. Short-term rentals are a different story, so check before you list a room online.

What happens to the cap when a home sells

This is the piece I make sure every buyer understands. The cap belongs to the owner's situation, not to the house forever. The seller's taxable value may look modest on the listing, but a new owner should budget based on the market value assessment and the current rates, not on the previous owner's bill. When we look at a home together, I like to pull the assessment details early so the monthly budget is realistic from day one.

The provincial rate and the resident tax credit

The Province levies tax per $100 of taxable value. The current provincial rate is $1.70 for non-commercial property and $1.50 for commercial property.

Eligible Island residents can then receive a provincial tax credit on non-commercial property. From January 1, 2026 onward, that credit is $0.70 per $100 of taxable value. To qualify, a sole owner must live in PEI for 183 consecutive days or more in the tax year. With co-owners, at least half of the owners must meet that residency test.

That credit is one reason someone relocating here should pay attention to timing and residency. It is also worth knowing if you are thinking about keeping an Island property while living elsewhere for part of the year.

Other charges that can appear on the same bill

PEI collects property taxes centrally, so your single bill may include more than the provincial portion. Depending on where the property sits, you can also see:

• Municipal property tax, if the home is inside a municipality
• A fire district charge, for many rural properties
• Island Waste Management Corporation charges for garbage, compost and recycling collection

Each municipality and fire district sets its own rate in March each year. That is why two similar homes, one in town and one a short drive out the road, can carry quite different bills.

Where to find your PID and assessment details

Your property tax statement shows your Property Identification number, usually called the PID. You will need it for almost any conversation with the Province about your property, including permit applications. If you can't find it, the Province's Property and Taxation Records line can help.

How this fits into buying a home

Property tax is one line in a bigger budget. When you are comparing houses across PEI, I suggest adding the expected tax to your mortgage estimate. Our mortgage calculator is a good place to start. At closing, your lawyer will also adjust the year's taxes between buyer and seller, which is covered in my guide to PEI closing costs.

A few questions worth asking before you write an offer:

• Is the home inside a municipality, a fire district, or both?
• What is the current market value assessment, separate from the seller's taxable value?
• Will you qualify for the resident tax credit in your first year?
• Are there any special charges tied to the street or community?

Have questions about a specific property?

If you are weighing a home in Prince County or along the North Shore and want help understanding what the yearly tax picture could look like, reach out. Contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, and I will help you gather the details before you commit.

The first real storm of the season has a way of sorting out who planned ahead. In town, a plow passes and you shovel the end of the driveway. Out in the country, between Kensington and the North Shore or anywhere along a long laneway, winter asks a little more of you. After many winters on the Island, here is the practical approach I share with clients who have just bought a rural home.

Know who clears what

The road in front of your house and your driveway are two different jobs. Public roads are cleared by the province or the municipality, depending on where you live. Your driveway, and often a private lane shared with neighbours, is your responsibility.

If your property is on a private or shared lane, find out how snow clearing has been handled in the past. Sometimes neighbours split a contractor. Sometimes one person with a tractor does it all and appreciates a contribution. It is a good conversation to have before the first storm, not during it.

Line up a contractor early

Local snow removal operators tend to fill their routes in the fall. If you plan to hire someone, ask around in October or early November. Neighbours, the local general store and community social media groups are usually the best sources.

When you talk to a contractor, ask:

• Is it a seasonal contract or pay per visit?
• At what snow depth do they come out?
• Do they clear before a set time in the morning?
• Will they push back the banks later in the season so you have room for the next storm?
• Are they insured?

Mark your driveway before the ground freezes

This is the simplest tip and the one people forget most. Put driveway markers along both edges of your laneway, and around anything you don't want a plow blade to find: the septic cover, garden beds, a culvert, a well cap, decorative stones. Fibreglass stakes with a reflective top work well and are easy to find at hardware stores. Get them in while you can still push them into the ground.

Plan where the snow will go

On a windy, open lot, snow does not stay where it falls. It drifts. Watch where drifts form in the first few storms and plan around them. Pile snow on the downwind side so it doesn't blow back across the driveway, and keep piles away from the house so meltwater drains away from your foundation in spring.

Keep the essentials clear

Beyond the driveway, there are a few spots that should never stay buried:

• Fuel and heating access. If you heat with oil or propane, your delivery driver needs a clear path to the fill pipe or tank.
• Exhaust and air intake vents. High-efficiency furnaces and some heating appliances vent through the wall. Snow over those vents can be dangerous, so check them after every storm.
• Heat pump outdoor units. Keep snow and ice clear around the base and top so the unit can breathe and drain.
• The civic number sign. Emergency responders need to find you, and in a storm that sign at the end of the lane matters.
• Mailbox access. Your carrier will appreciate it.

Have a backup plan

Even with a contractor, there will be mornings when you are waiting. A good shovel, a roof rake if you have a low-pitched roof, a bag of traction grit and a charged phone go a long way. If you rely on a well, remember that a power outage also means no water, so keep some on hand.

If you are thinking about a snowblower, size it for your driveway. A short in-town drive and a 200-foot country lane are very different jobs.

What buyers should ask before they buy

When I show rural homes, especially in the off-season, I encourage buyers to ask how winter access works. My guide to buying a home on PEI in winter covers what to look for during a winter showing. For year-round living, a few extra questions help:

• How long is the driveway, and is it gravel or paved?
• Is the lane private or shared?
• Who did the seller use for snow clearing?
• Where does the driveway tend to drift?

Communities like Long River and the countryside around Kensington offer beautiful space, and a little winter planning makes that space easy to enjoy all year.

Thinking about country living?

If you are browsing homes across PEI and want to understand what living there is like in January as well as July, I would be glad to help. Contact Jodi Bernard, CENTURY 21 Northumberland Realty, and let's talk about the properties on your list.