To Stage or Not to Stage that is the question?

When I am listing a home for sale, my clients often ask me what they can do to show their home to its best potential. There are several golden rules to getting the best look for your home.

No 1. Keep it clean and odor free. Many potential buyers are put off by animal smells, especially dog smells. Many people, myself included, love dogs. But being met at the doorway of your potential new home by the smell of "wet hound" is not the most promising beginning. If you have lived there a while with your dog, you may not even notice an odour. So the best plan is to engage a good friend, with a good nose, and one who is not afraid to tell the truth. If they detect a scent, then clean, clean, clean. Freshen up the carpets and the upholstery. Get Fido checked into the Dog Grooming palour for a little freshening of his own. It will pay off in the long run.

No. 2. NO clutter. Yes it may well be your treasured tea pot or doll house collection, but remember, you are showing your house to sell. Not showing off your collections. Put them away. Leave surfaces clear and clutter free.

No. 3. Fresh paint and decoration. It really is worth investing a little time and money in bringing your walls and baseboards back to pristine. Keep the colours light and neutral, don't let your passion for purple get the better of you. Do not think of it any longer as your home, it is a showpiece designed to get you the best price.

No. 4. Employ a professional stager. There are many very talented stagers out there whose job is solely to show your house at it's very best. It is also useful if you are busy and don't have time to spend on decorating and decluttering yourself.
Ask your Real Estate Agent, he/she will know who to recommend, and you will be truly amazed at the results. See below.
























I think you will agree that it does not look like the same house. A fresh eye and a flair for design and layout can make all the difference.

So the next time you list your home, invest in a Stager. You'll be glad you did.

Meanwhile Happy House Hunting...........................

How to get the most from your home - Part 2 - The inside scoop

So lets go and look inside your dream home. When it comes to the interior of the house, try to find something that has had the "big ticket" items renovated. I am talking about the roof, the windows and the furnace. You really don't want to be moving in December only to find that the roof leaks, the windows are draughty and the furnace is broken. Brrrrrrrrrrr. These things can cost big dollars to replace.

It great if you can find a house that also has the kitchen and bathrooms renovated, but this is not so important. If you do have to do these renovations then you will get your money back, and then some, when it comes time to sell.

Look for a home that is "decoratively challeged" as I like to call it. By this, I mean something that looks tired. Where the decor is faded and the fixtures and fittings are dated. If the three year old child has created a lovely picasso impression on the hallway walls all the better! it is so inexpensive to decorate, or install new carpet. Paint, flooring, moulding and light fixtures will always give you the biggest return for your money

By the same token, don't worry if the back yard looks a mess. A little landscaping can go a long way. If the house is structually sound then the rest is really just cosmetics. Beware though. Do not cut corners. If you want the top resale value for your home, then invest in it and always use an expert. Yes, we all know that Uncle George is a dab hand with a paint brush, and once did a lovely job in Auntie Dora's bathroom, just make sure its going to look professional. Or better, use a reliable decorator,and painter to get the best results. It will save you a lot of grief and money in the long run, and will be accomplished with a lot less stress, and mishaps than Uncle George could manage.

It is the old adage that you get what you pay for, it is worth paying for a professional to give your home that finishing touch. When it comes time to sell your home it will stand out from the crowd and you will reap the benefits of your investments.

Join me again soon for more hints and advice about the world of Real Estate

Until then - Happy House Hunting.....................................

How to get the most for your home - Part 1 Buying right!

For most of us, the most important purchase we will ever make is our home. So it pays to invest a little time and research in buying the right home, in the right neighbourhood, and even in the right position on the street. All these factors can make a huge difference and also have an enormous impact on the resale value once you are ready to move on.

So lets take a minute to have a look at these points and explore the critical indicators in buying the perfect home, in the best neighbourhood with the absolute top resale value. The phrase location, location, location, was not thought up by accident believe me.

The right neighbourhood is absolutely critical. If you have lived in the area for a long time then you probably know where to and where not to buy. However, if you are moving from out of the area or even from out of the Country then you will, understandably be in the dark when it comes to these things. Of course, you can do your own research. Drive around the neighborhoods, not only in daylight but also after dark. Does it look/feel safe? Trust your instincts, if you don't feel comfortable then don't go there. The local police are also a good source of information and will be able to give you crime rate statistics which will be a major help in making such a big decision. However, your best bet is to just use the experts. Find an experienced Real Estate agent who knows the area well. He/She will be a wealth of useful information and be able to keep you away from the "dodgy" bits, as one of my clients recently called them. Every Town & City has it's most desirable areas, the Agent will know these. Look there first.

Avoid corner lots. Yes they may be slighter larger and they may face onto two streets, but realistically all this actually means is that there is more lawn to mow, and more snow to shovel. In my experience, corner lots are the least popular and alot harder to resell. They tend to be busy with traffic and pedestrians and often afford less privacy. Look for something with privacy off the beaten track, you will be pleased in the long run that you did.

What does the house back onto? You really don't want to be right behind a Plaza with a 24 hour supermarket for instance, or a nightclub. Always be aware of what is at the end of the yard. The best outcome is a park, conservation area or a ravine. Living behind a cemetery would also be very peaceful, unless of course you are superstitious, then probably not. You will always be looking out for things that go bump in the night. Not conducive to a good nights sleep.

Don't go for the biggest most expensive house either. Yes, your house will be grander than everyone Else's, and it will most definitely increase the value of your neighbours homes, but it will do absolutely nothing for yours, and also make it way harder to sell when the time comes. Choose something smaller. It is better to have a smaller house in the best neighbourhood, where people are lining up to live, than the "Castle" at the end of the road that no one can afford.

If you follow all these points, then you will have a lovely home in a fantastic neighbourhood, and worth a small resale fortune.

Check in next time to learn what to look for in the interior of your dream home.

Happy House Hunting..................................................................