home selling tips: Pretend You’re A Buyer - 05/30/16 10:07 PM
An effective technique to help you sell your property quickly and for the best price is to put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer. Don’t just visualize this. Actually do it!
Drive to your property and imagine that you’re seeing it for the first time. What’s your impression? Is the landscaping attractive? Are the walkways clear? Is the front door welcoming?
Now walk up to the front door, open it, and step inside. Does the foyer seem neat and uncluttered? Is there anything unsightly from that vantage point?
Take a walk through your home, starting in rooms that a potential buyer would … (1 comments)

home selling tips: Sell Your Home Faster With An Outdoor Makeover - 05/16/16 06:34 AM
When you put your home on the market, it’s important that you make the indoor living space as attractive as possible to potential buyers. The foyer should look spacious and inviting. The bedrooms, neat and uncluttered. The basement, clean and well lit.
All good advice.
But don’t forget the outdoor living space. That too has a significant impact on how quickly your home sells and for how much. You want to make the area around your property, from the front walkway to the backyard deck, as attractive as possible.
How do you do that? Here are some tips for sprucing up your outdoor living … (0 comments)

home selling tips: The #1 Ingredient Needed To Sell Your Home Quickly - 05/06/16 11:47 PM
There’s a long list of ingredients needed to sell your home quickly. Obviously, you want to make your home as clean and uncluttered as possible. You should also make sure any outstanding repairs are done. And, of course, all the little things you can do to make your home “show” well are important, too.
But the number one ingredient needed to sell your home quickly is the right price tag. If you set the price of your home just right, buyers will come to see it, and there’s a good chance you’ll get some good offers. If you price your home too … (1 comments)

home selling tips: Should You Worry About Market Fluctuations? - 04/16/16 02:03 AM
You turn on the television and watch a news story about housing prices going down. Then you receive a flyer in the mail about a property around the corner that sold for a decent price. Next you read a newspaper article about the housing market on the upswing again.
It’s a little like being on a roller-coaster ride!
Unfortunately the ride isn’t much fun if you’re thinking of buying or selling a home. In fact, it can be very confusing and frustrating. You just don’t know if “now” is the right time to make a move.
In reality, the housing market has been fluctuating … (1 comments)

home selling tips: 5 Secrets To Selecting Interior Lighting - 04/05/16 07:00 AM
Lighting is, perhaps, the most important element in decorating. The right lamp, chandelier or ceiling fixture can instantly make a room more attractive and inviting. The wrong lighting, unfortunately, can have the opposite effect.
Here are five secrets to making the right choice:
How much lighting is required in a room? To calculate, simply multiply the square footage by 1.5. Therefore, a 12′ x 16′ living room would require 288 watts of lighting (12 x 16 x 1.5 = 288). How big a chandelier do you need? Simply add the dimensions of the room together. So a 12′ x 16′ area could … (2 comments)

home selling tips: Increasing Foyer Appeal - 03/25/16 09:40 AM
You’ve heard of curb appeal. It refers to the good impression buyers tend to get when they first see your house “from the curb”. The greater the curb appeal, the more enticing your house will seem.
But there’s another type of appeal you may not be aware of: Foyer appeal. That’s the impression buyers get when they first walk in the door.
Think of what happens when someone visits your house for the first time. Chances are, they stand in the foyer for a few moments, look around, and take in the view of your house from that perspective.
That’s why, if you’re preparing … (1 comments)

home selling tips: Lighting Matters When Selling Your House - 03/13/16 11:42 PM
Remember the last time you were in a furniture store or other major home retailer? Remember the fully decorated displays of furniture, appliances and other products? Some of those may have even been organized as model rooms.
What did most of those displays have in common?
Chances are, they were well lit.
In fact, in the retail industry, there are professionals who specialize exclusively in display lighting. It plays such an important role in showcasing and selling home products successfully that the stores are willing to absorb the expense.
And the same holds true for your house.
If you want to show your house well, and … (1 comments)

home selling tips: Don’t Over Improve Your House Before You Sell - 03/08/16 09:50 PM
If you're considering selling your house, you might be tempted to sink some money into home improvements. After all, gleaming new hardwood floors or a stunning wrap-around deck will make your property sell a lot faster, and for more money. And you'll more than recover your investment with the higher selling price. Right?
Maybe not. While those types of upgrades will certainly make your house more attractive to potential buyers - and may nudge the selling price up a little – you may not recoup all of your costs.
That's why major home improvements should be done for your own personal enjoyment, not … (3 comments)

home selling tips: Stay or move? How to decide - 03/04/16 10:45 PM
Do you sometimes review the real estate ads in your local paper? Do you drive by an open house sign and feel the urge to stop and check it out? Those are common indications that, at least on some level, you’re thinking about the possibility of making a move.
But how do you decide if you should actually move?
The first step is to consider whether there are any practical reasons to consider buying a new home. What’s pushing you in that direction?
Is your current home too small for your needs? Is the commute to work, for you or your spouse, too … (2 comments)

home selling tips: Understanding Market Value - 03/03/16 07:42 PM
If you were going to sell your car, what would you do? Well, you would probably check to find out how similar vehicles to yours are priced. Then you would set your advertised price within that range.
What you would be doing, perhaps without knowing it, is determining the “market value” of your car.
Market value is simply what buyers today are willing to pay for a particular product.
When you decide to put your house up for sale, one of the first things you and your REALTOR® will do is determine the market value of your property. That’s important to know because if … (2 comments)

home selling tips: 5 Things Home Buyers Don’t Want To See - 02/28/16 12:02 AM
When preparing a property for sale, homeowners often focus on the things that will impress buyers, such as clean and uncluttered spaces, well lit rooms, staged furniture designed to maximize appeal, and so forth.
But it’s equally important to pay attention to those things you don’t want buyers to see... those little turn-offs that, although seemingly minor, can distract buyers and cause them to lose interest in your property.
For example, you don’t want buyers to see these things:
Pets. Although many people love pets, some don’t. Others are allergic to them. Dogs, in particular, can take a keen interest in new visitors, jumping … (2 comments)

home selling tips: Getting A Handle On The Home Selling Process - 02/27/16 04:31 AM
You probably know there’s more to selling a home than putting up a FOR SALE sign. But if you don’t understand the process in detail, you might feel intimidated and stressed when it comes time to put your property on the market.
Fortunately, the home selling process isn’t that difficult to understand. There are basically six steps.
Step one is selecting the right REALTOR®. You need a knowledgeable, trusted expert who can guide you through the process, take care of all the details, and help sell your home quickly and for the best price.
Step two is preparation. You need to ensure your home … (1 comments)

home selling tips: What is Your Priority - Time or Money? - 02/23/16 09:15 PM
There are people who will spend any time to save a bit of money and there are people who will spend any money to save a bit of time. Who are you?
Our life is just too short to become a professional in everything. You could be OK in many fields, you could be truly brilliant in just a few.
The question is, when you need something done, something that you don't do everyday and that you don't really love doing, would you spend time and effort to master the skill or would you pay to get it done?
Would you cut your own … (3 comments)

home selling tips: The Benefits of a Pre-Sale Inspection - 02/19/16 09:55 PM
Your home probably has dozens of great features that are going to help it stand out and sell faster. Perhaps it has a cozy sunken living room? Or an equipped and smartly decorated kitchen that Rachel Ray would envy? Or a location in a desirable neighbourhood?
All these things will help.
But there’s another selling feature you should consider adding: a pre-sale inspection.
A professional home inspection is usually done on behalf of the buyer before the deal to purchase a property is finalized. In fact, you can expect any offers to purchase your home to be “conditional upon satisfactory home inspection.” However, there … (0 comments)

home selling tips: Want To Sell Your Home Faster? - 02/17/16 05:27 AM
Let Potential Buyers Feel at Home!
You may think that being a host or tour guide for potential buyers who are viewing your home is a good idea. After all, who knows more about the wonderful features of your property than you do?
The problem is, buyers don’t feel the same way.
They much prefer to see your home with only a REALTOR® present. This helps them feel less like an intruder and more comfortable giving your property their full consideration.
Call Marina 416-843-1515 today!
 
… (0 comments)

home selling tips: Is Your Home Market Ready? - 02/13/16 08:09 PM
Putting your home on the market may be the last thing you have on your mind.
But as you know, life happens. Things change. You might unexpectedly find yourself in the position of wanting or having to quickly sell your home.
It happens more often than you might think. In fact, according to studies into why people sell their homes, more than a third are due to relatively quick and unexpected changes. Something happens – a job relocation, a lifestyle change – and the homeowner finds him or herself making a move.
In these situations, the biggest source of stress is caused by the … (1 comments)

home selling tips: Reducing The Stress Of Selling - 02/11/16 08:54 PM
Selling a house can be a stressful process for the entire family. You need to keep the place clean and looking its best. You need to stay away during viewings. You may even need to look for a new home at the same time.
Although you won’t be able to eliminate all the anxiety, good advanced planning will certainly help reduce it.
First, talk to a REALTOR® well before you decide to put the property on the market. A good REALTOR® can help you determine whether any repairs, improvements, or minor touch-ups should be done, so that your home will sell faster and … (1 comments)

home selling tips: No Offense Meant, Home Seller, but some Buyers are Taller then You!!! - 02/10/16 09:46 PM
I am tall. Well, not super tall, just a bit taller then average. The problem is that I can also see higher then average. And I have quite a few buyer clients who are way taller then me and obviously they can see even higher. For some reason many home sellers expect their potential home buyers to be the size of a 5-year old. What makes me think so?
 
Well, of course, the way some home sellers clean and prepare their house for sale. Often enough the house is spotless and sparkly all the way up to about 6 feet. 6 … (50 comments)

home selling tips: Your Property Is The Product - 01/26/16 07:52 PM
They say, “Home is where the heart is.” How true! That’s why, when selling your property, it’s important to realize that your home – your heart — is moving to another place. Your current property is now a product that you want to sell quickly, and for the best price possible.
Making that mental transition, however, isn’t easy. After all, you probably have at least one fond memory associated with every room in your house! Here’s a tip: Pack up the personal items, such as pictures and trophies. Rearrange the furniture. Make it look like someone else’s home.
When you let go of … (0 comments)

home selling tips: Home Renovations That Pay Off - 01/15/16 04:53 AM
There are two main reasons why homeowners invest in a home renovation or major redecorating project: They want to enjoy the results of the new kitchen, bathroom, flooring or other improvement they’ve made; and/or, they hope that the money they spend will come back to them – at least in part – when they sell their home.
So which projects are most likely to increase the resale value of a home? A story by Joanne Cleaver, featured on MoneyWatch.com last year, identified five renovation projects that give you the most bang for your renovation buck.
Floors. Old, scuffed or dated flooring tends to … (1 comments)