So you’re thinking that this might be the year you make a move. Or, it could be next year. You’re not sure, but the thought is in your mind. Even though you’re not quite ready to get down to the business of buying or selling, right now is the right time to talk to a realtor.
Finding the right person to work with for your real estate transaction is important. A good realtor will be with you not just through the actual process of buying or selling a home, but for the years leading up to the transaction and the years that follow. A good real estate professional will remain as part of your circle of people you can turn to at anytime when you have questions or need a referral for something that needs to be done at your home.
If you’re considering buying a home, even if you’re not really ready to buy, let’s start the conversation. We can discuss what you’re looking for (upsize, downsize, new neighbourhood) and talk about any questions or concerns you have. It’s never too early to take a look at what it’s going to cost to get the home you want and let’s face it, you may have to think about doing a little saving in order to get that home, so the sooner you start the talk about it, the sooner you can be on the road to making it a reality.
If you’re thinking about selling your home, again, the sooner you start the conversation the better. Even if you’re not really thinking about selling for a year or so, it’s a good idea to meet with your realtor for a walk through the house and a discussion about any repairs or upgrades that could significantly affect how much you will be able to get from the sale. Leaving it to the last minute can be stressful, so let’s talk about it now.
I’m always happy to chat with you if you have any questions, so please feel free to contact me anytime.
To my clients who listed their homes with me in 2018 and to those who have chosen to list with me in 2019, I thank you for putting your confidence in me to get your home sold. I dedicate myself to the sales process and really enjoy the challenge of finding the buyer who will buy your home and make it their castle.
I read a post on social media this morning that I found really upsetting. A couple of young people looking for an apartment in Toronto answered an ad on Craigslist. They went and looked at the apartment. The “landlord” who showed them the place showed something that was supposedly “proof of ownership” and played the part well. The young people liked the place, filled out some sort of rental agreement form and handed over first and last month’s rent to the tune of $4000.
It’s 1985! Or 1975. Old wallpaper, old kitchen cabinets, old lighting, old carpet, wood paneling, lots of knick knacks …. the works. It’s clean but cluttered and kind of reminiscent of home decor from my childhood. Very Brady Bunch.
It’s funny how we adapt our personal style. We change our hair and our fashion but when it comes to our home we often get comfortable. Too comfortable perhaps. Actually, there’s nothing wrong with any style you enjoy living with, but if you’re planning to sell your home, a more modern looking home will sell more quickly and for far more money than a home that is really dated. When a buyer moves in to your home it may very well end up looking dated again, but when they’re shopping they’re looking for the modern picture they see in the decorating magazines. It’s easy to feel insulted at the thought that people will be turning up their noses at the home you’ve lived in and loved for years, but shopping for a home is like dating. You’re more likely to want to date the person who takes good care of themself.
know that the really strong accent wall colours can be very beautiful, but keep in mind that you want your home to appeal to a wide variety of people. Oh, and just say no to sponge painting and faux finishes. (Ugh, I remember sponge painting a wall once — and loving it! Hey, it was the 80’s!) Remember, styles change. If you love sponge painted walls it could come back, but for now, let it go!
how much work it is to remove the wallpaper. In the grand scheme of things outdated wallpaper is not really a huge deal, but it can cost you thousands when a buyer is making an offer.
perspective they can really stand out as being old and worn, which leads a buyer to ask themselves, “what else in the house is old and not in good repair”. Second, a new light fixture that gives off lots of light makes a room appear bigger and brighter. There are some older fixtures that are truly beautiful. Just make sure they are clean and dust-free. Let them shine!
It’s a weekend ritual for many. Going to Open Houses. It’s fun, right? Looking around other people’s homes, getting decorating ideas, seeing if your home needs to be brought up to date.
Before a buyer even walks up to the front door they will form a strong impression about the condition of the home from what they see from the curb. This home was in desperate need of the lawn being cut with tall grass and weeds growing around the For Sale sign. The small garden around the front porch contained a couple of evergreen trees that had obviously been neglected for years and a wide variety of weeds where perhaps flowers once bloomed. Lonely, empty, rusted plant hangers were mounted on posts that badly needed a coat of paint. The front door and garage door both looked tired with cracked and faded paint and the windows were all dirty. Before ever setting foot inside the house I had already formed an opinion. This house hasn’t been cared for in who knows how long and if it appears this neglected on the outside what must the inside look like? Many wouldn’t even bother going inside, but I did.
If a house that’s for sale is nothing else it should be clean. Sparkling clean. There’s nothing less appealing than the idea of moving into someone else’s dirt. This house was vacant, so there wasn’t any furniture to show off dust and there certainly wasn’t any clutter but it was dirty. Every light fixture had a visible layer of dust and dirt. The blades of the ceiling fans were likewise coated with dirt. The bathrooms and the kitchen also needed a really good wipe-down and the blinds on all of the windows were filthy. Not only did it look dirty but you could smell that it wasn’t clean. There was even a cutting board sitting on the counter. I moved the cutting board aside and saw that underneath there was some kind of residual from an old sticker or something stuck to the counter. I scraped at the edge with a credit card and it easily scraped off. If the seller would have taken a few minutes the spot could have easily been cleaned, but instead they opted for the lazy solution of just sticking a cutting board over it. Not cool. Over the years when I’ve been a buyer I have walked away from several homes thinking to myself, “if this is how it looks when they’re showing it I don’t want to see the condition it will be in on closing day.” If you’re going to be listing your home or an investment property, clean it! Either do it yourself or hire professionals to give it a deep cleaning so that it looks and smells clean and ready for a new owner.
This point goes hand-in-hand with the idea of cleaning. The listing for the home I was looking at described the house as being freshly painted, and it was. Unfortunately, whoever did the painting obviously did it in a hurry and carelessly, with paint getting on most of the light switch and outlet covers and even some of the door handles. Perhaps the painters just figured those were being replaced anyway seeing as they were all old and worn looking. Replacing things like light and outlet covers is a very inexpensive fix. If cost is an issue you can actually buy large economy boxes of switch-plate covers where the cost adds up to just cents per outlet. As for the actual outlet, use tape when painting and if you do get some paint on the outlet, wipe it away while the paint is still wet. If you’ve hired someone to do your painting and they’ve done a messy, careless paint job, you need to take that up with them. You’re paying for the job to be done right! If you need to hire a painter and don’t know who will do a good job, ask a friend, or ask your realtor. We always have a list of good, reliable people we can recommend.
The last item I’m going to address on my list of small stuff is lighting. I’m always amazed when I go to look at a house and see that the house was built 10, 15, 20, even 30 years ago and still has the original lighting that was obviously installed by the builder. In each home I’ve ever owned I have immediately done two things immediately upon taking possession. 1- make sure the paint is freshly done, and 2- upgrade the lighting. Everything looks better with good lighting. Your paint, your art, your furniture, even yourself – good light makes all the difference. Granted, light fixtures can be expensive but they don’t have to be. If spending thousands at the lighting store is not in your budget, be creative. Visit the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or check out Kijiji, or neighbourhood yard sales. You’d be amazed at the things you can find there. For example I once bought a long, dining room crystal chandelier for $100. It was worth at least $3000.
age, physical condition, gender or experience, yoga is for everyone and we should never measure our ability by what is happening on the mat next door. The training was amazing and I would recommend it whether teaching yoga is your goal or not. The personal journey of discovery is really the best thing about the training.
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