Dock License requirements

There are important things to know about the dock license requirements for your waterfront property.  

Owning a home on Lake Okanagan has many perks, one of which is private moorage for your boat.  If you own a waterfront home or are thinking of buying waterfront property, there are dock license requirements that must be met.  

Dock Photo-Quincy Vrecko Waterfront Real Estate

When purchasing a waterfront home, the current dock license is not transferrable.   As a result, you must apply to have the license assigned once you take possession. Have your professional real estate agent ensure that dock meets necessary dock license requirements before buying a waterfront home.  Furthermore, each waterfront community has different requirements.

If there is no dock and you would like to build a dock, there are some of the dock license requirements you need to be aware of before building.  

Private mooring facilities are governed by the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.  There are legal dock license requirements and approval process you must follow. The dock must be in compliance with by-laws and local zoning.  

While the common term is a dock license, there are actually no licenses issued anymore.  The term used now is either General Permission or Special Permission.  (but for the sake of this article we will continue using the wording dock license)

General Permission

If your dock meets the conditions and requirements outlined in the General Permission, you may be relinquished from having to submit an application.  

Here you can Download the General Permission guidelines to see if you dock license requirements.

Specific Permission

You will need specific permission in the following situations:

  • Where general permissions are prohibited
  • Stand-alone boat lift or permanent boat way
  • Group moorage

Applying for a lease

Leases are typically a 20-year term. The annual leasing fee is $200.00 if the area is under 2 000 square meters.  A higher fee will apply if the area is larger than 2 000 square meters.

Dock license requirements stipulate that all docks:Waterfont-Quincy Vrecko Kelowna Luxury Real Estate

  • Can not obstruct public access along the foreshore
  • Only one dock is permitted for each property
  • Must be in compliance with building regulations
  • Must provide proof of insurance by the waterfront property owner

Additionally, all docks must not:

  • Include covered structures
  • Be used for non-moorage purposes
  • Include solid core structures
  • Result in harm to the natural habitat

Regional Considerations for dock license requirements

Areas along the Okanagan shoreline are categorized into color-coded zones.  These are based on environmental sensitivity, from highest to lowest. These zones will determine what your dock license requirements and what type of dock you can build.  

Habitat color zones-Quincy Vrecko Kelowna Luxury Real Estate

Black zone – Critical Habitat Value

Red Zone-High Value

Yellow-Moderate Habitat Value

No Colour-Low or Unknown Habitat Value

There is no new construction in Black Zones, only repairs to grandfathered docks.  

 

In addition to the color zones, your dock license application will be assessed based on the risk level of negative impact on the environment.  To find out what zone your waterfront property falls under visit the interactive government map. https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/imap4m/

If you are a waterfront property owner looking to build a dock, or to modify your existing dock, contact the local Natural Resouce front counter at https://portal.nrs.gov.bc.ca/web/client/-/vern-1 .  Here you can learn how you can meet the dock license requirements before your start.

Hire a Waterfront Specialist-Quincy Vrecko

quincy vrecko waterfront real estate agentFinally, if you are looking to buy a waterfront property in the Okanagan, work with a professional real estate agent.  Above all, find a waterfront specialist that understands the complexity of a waterfront home purchase.  Quincy Vrecko specializes in Waterfront homes in the Okanagan. Quincy can ensure the waterfront property you are purchase meets all dock license requirements so you can move in and enjoy your new home.

 

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Options Before Doing a Price Reduction on Your Listing

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If you have your home listed for sale in Kelowna or the surrounding area and have not sold yet, you have probably thought of a price reduction.  

A price reduction is not always the answer.  Before doing a price reduction, consider these options:

Change up Marketing

Executive Home 641 Almandine CourtHigh-quality photos are incredibly important when listing your home for sale in Kelowna and the area. You get a split second to capture the attention of home buyers.  If they don’t like what they see, your house listing could be passed by in an instant. If your MLS listing is not attracting potential buyers it could be as simple as changing the photos.  The feature photo should be the best photo of the house. You want to stop that buyer on your listing. Invest in great photography to avoid having to do a price reduction in the future.

Offer an incentive

In a balanced market or buyer’s market, a home buyer can be more specific in their expectations.  Especially when there is more inventory of house listings to choose from. There was a time when home buyers would look past having to make small improvements themselves. They now do not want to incur more costs once they move in.  

So instead of doing a price reduction, you can repair yourself or offer a credit to the home buyer to cover the cost of any small work needed to be done.  This way, you keep the price the same and the incentive could overcome the home buyer’s objection.

Target marketing

Is your house listing featured in the right places to attract the right home buyer for your home?  Long gone are the days of simply putting a home on the MLS and expecting it to sell. Target marketing is more important than ever.  The more exposure your home gets, the more home buyers you will be able to attract. So to do a price reduction before being fully exposed to all potential home buyers could be jumping the gun.  

target marketing-Quincy Vrecko Kelowna Real Estate

There are important factors to consider before looking at doing a price reduction.  

  • Do you have the right real estate professional working for you?
  • Did you get the right advice when pricing your house for sale?
  • Are you aware of the current market conditions?  (average days to sell)
  • Are you being kept informed about the marketing of your listing?
  • Does your house listing have a specialized marketing plan to attract the right home buyer?

 

The team at Quincy Vrecko and Associates understands that every home is different.  A family home in Lower Mission will need different marketing than a modern townhouse in South Pandosy, or a waterfront home in West Kelowna.  The team has a guarantee to set up each client for success and avoid having to do a price reduction. The team will price their homes according to market conditions, create a tailored marketing plan for the course of the listing, and keep each seller informed.  Check out the QVA Guarantee and call for your consultation today.

 

Spring Cleaning-getting your house ready to list

Finally, spring has arrived in Kelowna.  Snow is gone and trees are starting to bud.  It is time to think of spring cleaning and getting your house ready to list.  

While we are a little behind weather wise, it won’t take long for the grass to green up and the flowers to bloom.  If you are planning on listing your home in Kelowna this spring, here are some great tips to get your house ready to list.  

Exterior

Over the winter, the exterior of the home can get neglected and this will show when the snow melts.  To get the exterior looking get and your house ready to list, hire or rent a power washer. Give the exterior of the home a good hose down including, doors, windows, patios, and trim.  Also, while you are out there, clean out those gutters!

However, if you don’t have time, there are some great companies like Men in Kilts that can do it for you.  Therefore, you can focus on the rest of the spring cleaning needed to get your house ready to list.

Once it’s all clean, get out the paint and stain to do any touch-ups needed to make the home look new again.  

Landscaping

It will still be a few weeks before the yard will green up and flowers to bloom.  So this is a great time to get the yard cleaned up to get the house ready to list when the time comes.  

garden prep-Quincy Vrecko Kelowna Real EstateHere are some easy ways to get the yard looking great and ready to spring:

Aerate the lawn

Clean out flower beds

Prune trees and shrubs

Rake up any leftover leaves

Put down new mulch in garden beds

Open up the pool if you have one

Interior

On a beautiful Kelowna spring day, open those windows and let in the fresh spring air.  Take the time to go through each room of the house and pack away any evidence of winter.  This is also a good time to wipe down all those surfaces that have collected dust. This is an important step in getting your house ready to list.  

You won’t be needing those heavy jackets and sweaters for a while, so pack away any seasonal gear.  Next time you will need those, you will be in your new home.

Sold by Quincy Vrecko and Assoicates Kelowna Real Estate

House Ready to List?  What’s Next?

Now that you’ve got your house ready to list, you need to find the best real estate agent to represent you.  The team at Quincy Vrecko and Associates is your only choice. They will help you with ideas to get the house ready to list.  Ideas such as staging, any necessary improvements to maximize your price and help your home sell quickly.

Because no 2 homes are alike, Quincy Vrecko and Associates creates a tailored marketing plan for each property to attract the right buyer.  View a list of reasons why you should list with this award-winning team that is focused on results.