What’s a WIC? Ottawa Real Estate Abbreviations Explained
If you’re searching for a home, you’re probably already knee-deep in abbreviations and real estate lingo and wondering what it all means. We don’t do this on purpose to confuse you, promise! REALTORS® work with strict character limits when writing listing descriptions, and if you have a lot to say about a property – well, you have to start abbreviating. We’ve put together a handy cheat sheet for some of the most commonly used abbreviations we see in Ottawa real estate!
.5 bath – A half bath is usually a powder room; that is, a small bathroom with just a toilet and sink.
Acc – Access (as in, access to backyard, water, etc.)
Apt – Apartment
Apx – Approximate
B/I – Built-in
Bldg – Building
FP – Fireplace
FR – Family Room
Gr – Garage
HWT – Hot Water Tank
I/G – In-ground, such as a pool
LL – Lower level, can refer to either a basement (underground) or a semi-basement (partially above-ground) level.
Mbr – Master bedroom
MLS – Multiple Listing Service
O/Looks – Overlooks
Pvt – Private, like a yard or deck
S/S – Stainless steel, usually referring to appliances
TBA – To Be Announced or Arranged. You may see this in reference to possession dates, indicating that the possession date is negotiable.
W-W – Wall-to-wall, as in carpet
WIC – Walk-in closet
W/O – Walk-out
What’s the weirdest real estate abbreviation you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments and we’ll post about it!
What is the ‘FD’ abbreviation under the CONDITIONAL/SOLD/OTHER INFORMATION section?
Thanks for your comment, Steve! That stands for “Final Date”; that is, the deadline that the buyer has for fulfilling or waiving their conditions of purchase. Many Agreements of Purchase and Sale are conditional upon certain things happening, or the buyer or seller performing certain actions. A good example is financing! A buyer may submit an offer on a home, dated and signed today, but give themselves until next Friday at 5:00pm to obtain a mortgage commitment from their bank. The Final Date, or FD, in this case, would be next Friday at 5. Hope that helps!