You never want to smell smoke in your home and realize there’s a fire. That’s why it is important to be diligent about fire safety. Experts recommend that homeowners be especially careful with the following common household items:

• Portable heaters. Never leave one in a room unattended. Make sure paper and other combustible materials are well away from these units.

• Electronics chargers. We all want our computers, tablets and smartphones to charge quickly. The price we pay for that convenience is chargers that pull in a lot of power, making them very hot. Keep them away from combustible material, as well as other wiring.

• Smoking materials. Be careful with cigarettes, pipes, cigars and other such items. Bedding and upholstery, which burn slowly and dangerously, are the source of 75% of smoking-related fires.

• Candles. Never leave candles unattended for any reason. If you must leave the room, extinguish them.

• Flammable liquids. These can include paints, thinners and some brands of cleaning products. Read labels carefully and follow the safety instructions.

To paraphrase a famous expression: An ounce of prevention is worth not having to deal with a house fire.

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 need to prepare the current home for sale.

If you’ve lived in your house for a few years, or even just a few months, you know how quickly things can pile up. The garage gets filled with stored items. Things needing minor repairs get put on hold.

That’s why it’s a good idea, every so often, to inspect your property and ask yourself, “If I had to put my home on the market this month, what would I need to do?” Then plan to get those things done. That way, if you suddenly find yourself wanting to sell your home quickly and for the best price, you’ll be ready.

Imagine there’s a neighbourhood you’d love to live in someday, but, every time you drive through, you rarely, if ever, see a For Sale sign. It’s as if homes get gobbled up by buyers the moment they get listed.

It’s true, properties do tend to sell quickly in desirable, in-demand neighbourhoods. Does that mean you’re destined to either hope for a lucky break or miss out on ever living there? Fortunately, no. There are practical things you can do to increase your chances of getting into that neighbourhood.

Your first step is to find out the kind of new home you can afford. You want to get your financial ducks in a row so when a listing does come up in the area, you’re able to respond quickly. Find out the average price range of homes in the neighbourhood. Then, if necessary, talk to your lender or mortgage broker.

The second step is to get your current property ready for sale. You don’t necessary need to list it now, but you want to be in a position to do so quickly, if necessary. You may need to clean up and declutter, get repairs done, and spruce up your home in other ways.

The third step is to talk to me. You see, listings in popular neighbourhoods often move fast. By the time you see them advertised on the internet, they may be gone. I can closely monitor listings in that area for you, so the moment one comes up that meets your criteria, you can be alerted. This greatly increases your chances of getting that home.

So if there is a dream neighbourhood you’d love to get into, give me a call.

If you want to transform a room into something that’s functional, beautiful and perfectly matched to your taste, then you might want to hire an interior designer. It’s an interior designer’s job to come up with imaginative ideas that will wow you.

It’s a myth that interior designers just deal with paint colours, décor and furnishings. In fact, according to the Interior Designers Institute, these professionals have the training needed to handle all aspects of a renovation or remodeling project, including selecting and managing contractors. They can direct a project from beginning to end.

If you want to renovate your basement into a stunning home theatre and gathering place, an interior designer can:

• Draw out several concepts for you to choose from,
• Purchase the best building materials,
• Hire the contractors, and
• Manage the project.

He or she can even pick out classic movie pictures for the walls! There are many professional associations that have “Find an Interior Designer” links on their websites. In Canada, it’s the Interior Designers of Canada (www.idcanada.org). 

Some people don’t give hallways much thought when painting and decorating. Instead, they focus on rooms.

The fact is, a great looking hallway can have the same, if not more, impact than the most eye-catching family room or bedroom, especially when you need to go through the hallway to get there!

Here are some painting tips that can bring a dull hallway to life:

• Paint the hallway the reverse of the rooms around it. If the rooms are dark, use light colours in the hall. If the rooms feature simple colours, consider being more dramatic in your choice of hallway paint.
• In a longer hallway, using two shades of the same colour on perpendicular walls can make the space seem less tunnel-like. (The darker shade goes on the shorter walls.)
• Darker colours can work well if the space is well-lit and there are few, if any, shadows cast.
• If you decide to paint the halls white, select an off-white or eggshell white. Avoid stark white as it will reflect light in a way that’s unpleasant.

One more tip: Pictures can go a long way in making a hallway look inviting, regardless of the wall colour.
Good luck with the painting!

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.

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.

Preparation. You need to ensure your home is clean and uncluttered. It’s also important that you take care of any needed repairs, even minor ones like wall dents.

Listing price. You need to select a listing price at or near the fair market value of your property.

Promotion. How will buyers find out about your property? An effective promotion plan is critical.

Dealing with offers. Ideally, you’ll get several. But the best offer is not necessarily the highest one. An offer can fall through for many reasons, so dealing effectively with offers is, perhaps, the most important part of the home selling process.

The transaction. Once the sale is made, you want to know that you have the right professionals in place – your lawyer, mover, etc. – to make sure all the after-sale details are taken care of properly.

Want more ideas for making sure the home selling process goes smoothly for you? Call today.

There’s a famous saying in the real estate business: “Location, location, location”. It simply means that where your home is located — the neighbourhood — is just as important to potential buyers as the features of the property itself.

Sellers often make the mistake of creating a long list of home features while ignoring neighbourhood features. They tout the spacious kitchen, and the newly renovated bathrooms, but say little about the area.

So, when you’re ready to sell your home, sit down and create two lists: home features and neighbourhood features. Buyers want to know both.

On the neighbourhood features list, include:
• Location of schools and daycare centres.
• Major retailers and shopping centres.
• Proximity to major commuting routes.
• Theaters, festivals and other entertainment.
• Rinks, gyms and other sporting facilities.
• Green space, walking trails, ponds.

When buyers have their eyes on two properties which are comparable in features, the neighbourhood is often the deciding factor.

There has been a lot of emphasis lately on the importance of going green. That simply means being environmentally-responsible. You likely already recycle, use energy-efficient lights, and turn down your thermostat when no one is home.

Yet, most of us don’t think about the garden or flower bed when we think green. We should. Here are a few practical things you can do to tend to outdoor plants — without negatively impacting the environment.

• Pull weeds instead of using a weed killer.
• Avoid strong pesticides. (Products that target only one or two types of insects tend to be less harsh.)
• Don’t use flower bed ornaments (i.e. gnomes) that might bleed colour dye into the soil. (Ask your garden centre before you buy.)
• Be careful not to leave hand spades, trowels, and other garden tools lying around, especially over winter. They can rust, which contaminates the soil.

These tips may seem minor, but if you want to be environmentally- conscious, every little bit helps!

Imagine buying a product from a store, taking it home, and then discovering there’s a problem with it. Disappointing, yes, but not a catastrophe. You can simply take it back for repair or exchange.

But, what if it’s moving day, and you discover there’s a problem with your new home? Whoa. A house isn’t so easily returned! What are the most common problems encountered on moving day?

• A delay in getting the keys.
• The seller not having completely moved out.
• An item expected to be included with the property is missing. (For example, the window blinds.)
• Something needs repair that was not disclosed by the seller, nor did it come up during inspection. (For example, the dishwasher not working.)
• Damage to the property caused by the seller. (For example, a heavy item dropped during the move and cracking a floor tile.)

Fortunately, these are rare events. In most cases, you can expect no serious issues when you move into your new home.

But, if something is wrong, you have options. So, call your REALTOR® immediately. In all likelihood, he will be able to quickly resolve the issue.

If it’s a serious matter, such as missing items, you may need to get your real estate lawyer involved to arrange for the return of the item(s) or compensation.

So don’t worry. Let the professionals handle it. You can just enjoy your new home!

The more you know about the best way to reach a goal, the more likely you are to get the result you want. So, whether you’re hunting for a new job, assembling a backyard BBQ, or training for a 10km run, you’ll want to use a proven process to help you get there.

That certainly holds true when shopping for a new home. There is a proven process to getting the home you want, in the neighbourhood you want, at a price you can afford. Here are the highlights:

Get ready. There’s a lot you must do before you pack your energy snacks in the car and go looking at homes. If you own your current home, you must prepare that property for sale. You should also get financing for a new home pre-approved, so you know exactly how much you can afford.

Go shopping. Your next step is to view the right homes currently available on the market. It’s a good idea to make a wish list of property and neighbourhood features you’re looking for in a new home. You may not be able to get everything you want, but you can probably come pretty close.

Make an offer. When you see a home you like, the first thing you’ll need to do is make an offer. This can be tricky, especially if there are other interested buyers.

Get an inspection. Get the home checked out by a qualified home inspector. A property may have issues, such as a foundation leak, that are not obvious during a viewing.

Prepare for the move. Once you’ve made the purchase, you need to arrange for moving and deal with other details, such as utilities, telephone, mail forwarding and so forth.

Want a smooth home buying process? Call today

Over the summer, the demand for water to maintain lawns and gardens can stress supply and reservoir systems, and increase costs for taxpayers and users. Bearing in mind watering restrictions that may apply in your municipality, consider the following ways to minimize your overall water consumption during extended periods without rainfall.

First, check your hose or irrigation equipment for leaks, and position sprinklers so that you’re not wasting water on hard surfaces such as driveways and patios.

To apply water more directly to the soil and reduce evaporation, use a soaker hose placed on the ground at the base of plants. Whenever possible, water slowly to avoid run-off, ideally in early morning – before the heat of the summer sun can cause evaporation.

For conservation, direct rainwater from your roof gutters and downspouts to one or more rain barrels, but be sure to use insect screening to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

What do you want from an open house? Obviously, you want to attract a lot of potential buyers — and have at least a few of them become seriously interested in your property.

So how do you make your open house as successful as possible?

Get minor repairs done. A dripping faucet, a squeaky fence door, or a scuff on the wall may seem minor to you, but these problems can stand out like a sore thumb to a potential buyer.

Brighten things up. Make sure all areas of your home are well lit. Natural light has the most appealing effect. Open all the curtains.

Put away personal items. Trophies, pictures, mementos — all remind potential home buyers that they’re strangers in someone else’s home. Make each room look as impersonal yet inviting as possible. Stage your rooms as though they were in an attractive furniture store display.

Sniff around. There are probably smells around your home that you’ve become used to, or even like, such as lingering perfume scents in the bathroom or remnant odours from cooking an exotic meal. Try to make your home as scent-free as possible.

Make sure everything works. Check for burnt out light bulbs, running toilets, and derailed closet doors.

A final tip: Unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t be at the open house yourself. Your presence can be intimidating to potential home buyers, no matter how cordial and helpful you try to be.

Need more tips on selling your home quickly and for the best price? Call today. 

When you list your home for sale, you want as many buyers as possible to find out about it. So consider how many friends, neighbours and work colleagues you have. Then think about how many people they know.

The number is likely in the hundreds. One of those people could be looking for a property just like yours.
That’s why getting your friends to spread the word about your listing is so effective.

How do you do that?

One strategy is to have a moving party. This gives you an opportunity to ask your friends, as a group, to tell others about your listing.

You can also encourage your friends to bring a guest who is currently in the market for a new home.

Another good idea is to put a profile of your listing on Facebook. This is the fastest and most convenient way for your Facebook friends to point others to your listing.

Do you have friends who work at larger organizations like banks and factories? They probably have access to an employee lunch room with a bulletin board. You can spread the word by asking them to put up an information sheet on your listing.

Try one or more of these ideas. Combined with my marketing plan for you, they can help get more qualified buyers to your doorstep.

Want more tips on promoting your listing? Call today.

When preparing your home for sale, you want to make sure every room looks its best. But, pay particularly close attention to the kitchen. Many buyers will spend a lot of time determining whether or not it meets their needs. In fact, some buyers will even form an impression about the entire property based primarily on how they feel about the kitchen!

How do you make it look its best?

Start by making sure your kitchen appears as roomy as possible. Put away all countertop appliances, even the toaster and the coffee machine, so that the counter space is completely clear.

Check that your cabinets and pantry shelves aren’t stuffed with dishes, foodstuff and other items. While that’s normal in most family homes, it doesn’t promote the image of plentiful storage space. Clear out as much as you can. Make sure anything you leave behind, is stored neatly.

Got a junk drawer? We all do. Empty the contents into a box and stow it away.

Of course, you want to ensure that the kitchen is clean and shiny. The area in and around the sink is critical. There are some excellent specialty cleaners available that will remove even the most stubborn stains in a stainless steel sink. (Never use steel wool or other abrasive cleaners. They leave unsightly scratches.)

If you have a window over the sink – a great selling feature – make sure it’s especially clean. You can be sure that buyers will linger for a few moments to look through it.

And, finally, don’t forget the space under the sink. Make sure that the space is as clean – and empty – as possible.

Want more ideas on preparing your home for sale? Call today.

When you suffer damage to, (or the loss of), your home or its contents, you expect your insurance company to help you out. And, most do a good job of doing just that.

Still, it’s a good idea to review your policy with your insurance advisor and find out what’s covered and what isn’t. You don’t want to discover that your policy will not cover the cost of repairing the damage caused by a flood in your laundry room.

Pay particular attention to coverage in the case of water damage. Some insurance policies don’t cover floods and sewer backup unless an additional rider is purchased.

Also, check liability limits. Ask your advisor to recommend an appropriate level. Finally, make sure you know exactly how much your home is insured for. Are you covered for the full replacement cost? Are you comfortable with that coverage or the actual cash value?

Having the right insurance gives you peace-of-mind and is an important part of enjoying your home.
Keep in mind that experts advise you to review your insurance with your advisor. Ask lots of questions. Make sure you understand your coverage fully.