Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

 

Are you thinking about selling your house?  You want to make sure your house looks great before it's viewed.  People are going to envision it as their house so you want to leave them with a great first impression.  Here are a few things you should do before you start showing your house:

• Depersonalize the house by putting away family photos and other personal items.

 

• Organize all your closets and put your shoes/boots away neatly.  Clean out your garage and get rid of any junk.

• Make necessary renovations such as putting in new floors, replacing the windows or painting the walls.

• Replace your appliances or make your current ones spotless so everything looks new.

 

• Curb appeal is important so tidy up the front yard and the backyard.  If you have children pick up all the toys and put them away.  Cut the grass and trim the bushes.  Make sure the lights outside work and replace them if necessary.

 

• Make all the beds and open all the drapes for natural light.  Clean the bathrooms and put out new mats and fresh towels.

• Ensure the house has a nice smell.  Avoid smells such as cigarette smoke as this can chase away potential buyers.

Get Ready for the Spring Market!

According to statistics the best time to sell your house is from April to July. 

Year	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Spring Avg	Non-Spring Avg	Spring Bump %	Average Price	Price Increase %
2008	356	363	350	310	345	208	66%	344,902	-
2009	314	332	417	351	353	224	58%	358,345	4%
2010	380	394	309	288	343	244	41%	385,828	8%
2011	345	366	349	312	343	240	43%	413,134	7%
2012	354	364	311	293	331	226	46%	453,382	10%

As per the table above May is the month with the most activity.  People attempt to sell their house in May so they can enjoy the summer and get settled before the Fall, especially if they have children going to school.  As you can see average sale prices have been increasing over the last four years, so if you want to list your home and sell it quickly now is the time.

Advantages of Owning a Condo

 

Not sure whether to own a condo or a house?  It's great owning the place you live in, but there are advantages to owning a condo.

• Owning a condo is more affordable than owning a house.  Also, the monthly mortgage payments are usually less or the same cost as renting an apartment, but eventually you own it.

• When you own a condo there's no exterior maintenance.  You don't have to mow the lawn, shovel the sidewalk in the snow, repair the roof or clean the pool as somebody else takes care of that.

• Many condos come with a variety of amenities such as a gym, a swimming, a sauna and more.

• You have the freedom to renovate within the space you own without permission.  You can change the flooring or remove walls, it's up to you.

• Owning a condo comes with a social advantage.  You share amenities with the other condo owners which helps you interact more with them.

• Condos are usually located in an urban location, however, they can found anywhere.

 

• Owning a condo comes with extra security.  Visitors usually have to get access from the main entrance and then your private entrance .  Also, neighbours will notice if they see somebody that looks out of place.

Condos usually attract young couples without children and senior citizens, but they can also benefit  many families.

Moving During the Holidays

 

Moving during the holidays can be stressful, especially if you have young children.  Here are a few tips to make your move easier:

• Give yourself enough time to get organized.  Schedule a moving company, pack a little bit every day and remember to label all your boxes.  Confirm who will be helping you move if you need a helping hand and make plans for somebody to care for your little ones while you're moving.

• You can also hire a professional moving company that will take care of everything for you and all you have to do is take care of the bill.  This way you can enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

• Once you move into your new house you might feel overwhelmed as there's boxes everywhere and lots to unpack.  Instead of stressing about that celebrate Christmas with loved ones.  Visiting family and friends can make moving during the holidays more enjoyable.

• If you moved farther away from family and friends keep in touch by emailing, talking on the phone or by Skype.  This can help you feel more connected with loved ones during the holidays.

Winterizing Your Home

                                                                                            

• Make sure your interior and exterior walls are properly insulated.  Add extra insulation where necessary.

• Check areas in the house where cold air can seep in and hot air can leak out as this can increase energy costs.  Install caulking and weather-stripping where needed.

• Use a programmable thermostat so you can change the temperature in your house whenever you want.  

• Check your furnace and water heater to make sure they're working efficiently.

• Make sure the gutters are clean with no leaves or debris to prevent ice dams that can cause water damage to your roof and walls.

• Turn off the water to your outside garden hose and drain the lines as this will prevent the water from freezing.

Selling a Home During Christmas

The holiday season is a busy time of year.  People are shopping and visiting family and there's not that many people looking to buy a home, but all you need is one buyer.  Here are some tips to remember if you're planning on listing your home:

 

• Make the outside of your home look inviting.  Make sure the walkway is dry and there's no snow or ice.  Decorate the outside of the house with some Christmas decorations to make it stand out.

• It's a good idea to have a nice smell in the house for when people stop by.  Maybe you could bake some ginger bread cookies.

• Christmas is a special time of year so why not give the house a nice touch.  Put up the Christmas tree and set up Christmas decorations.  

It's Christmas time but that does not mean the real estate market is totally dead.  There's going to be somebody looking to buy a home.

Beware of Real Estate Fraud

There are three types of real estate fraud that home buyers should be aware of:

Title fraud-when somebody changes the title of the property to their name so they can sell  or refinance it.

Mortgage fraud-when somebody intentionally leaves out information or lies on a mortgage application to obtain a loan.

Value fraud-when a home buyer is given the impression that the property is worth a lot more than it really is through intentional misrepresentation.

 

Home buyers can prevent themselves from being a victim of real estate fraud by:

• Working with a real estate professional with good credentials

• Believing if a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is

• Never disclosing personal financial information over the phone, through mail or email unless they have met in person and know who they're dealing with

• Never paying for real estate transactions in advance

Victims of real estate fraud can suffer a large financial loss, so use common sense and do your homework.