4 Staple Tips to Help Sell Your Home During the Fall

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.10.2022

Fall is the time for new beginnings. Utilize these tips to help sell your home during this season, and hopefully give others and yourself a potential new beginning. These tips are affordable and/or require a little work that you can do yourself. Read below to see how you can best show your home during these Fall days:

1. Clean Up & Landscape

Make sure to clean up your yard, front and back. Rake up all leaves when they fall, clean up that dead garden, and wash your walkways and driveways. You want to give the best first impression when potential buyers come to view your home.

2. Lighten Up

Fall means shorter days, with evening light disappearing more and more each night. So, it’s important to brighten up your house. Not only will it help buyers see all your home’s great features, but it’ll make it look inviting from the street:

· Clean your windows and screens on both sides before listing

· Make sure all blinds, and window coverings are open as wide as they can go

· Show your home earlier in the day if possible

· Utilize Outdoor landscape lighting, patio lighting or solar pathway lighting

3. Spooky Décor

If you’re selling your home close to Halloween season, you might want to go easy on the spooky décor. If you want to decorate, use pumpkins or décor that can be easily stored away during showings. Just be sure the festive spirit doesn’t dampen the buying spirit of those viewing your home.

4. Utilize Scent

Our sense of smell is one of the biggest triggers of memories and nostalgia, and what would be fall without a little reminiscing? A nice smell gives people the feeling of cleanliness, coziness, and warmth that you want in a potential home. If you can’t get on board with the popular pumpkin spice, try opting for a blend of essential oils, like cinnamon and orange.

5 Ways to Fall-errize Your House in September

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.09.2022

As the season begins to change, it's time to prep your home for falling leaves, cooler weather, and sadly…winter storms. Tackling a few fall home maintenance tasks now can help ward off issues later in the season, so you can enjoy everything you love about the fall worry-free. You'll save money in the long run by preventing costly (and potentially dangerous) damage to your home. Follow this fall maintenance checklist for reminders on how to prepare your home for this upcoming season.

1. Clean your gutters.

Your roof's drainage system annually diverts thousands of gallons of water from your house's exterior and foundation walls, so it's vital to keep this system flowing smoothly. Clogged gutters can lead to damaged exterior surfaces and water in your basement.

2. Seal up air leaks.

Gaps in caulk and weatherstripping let cold air into your warm home. Sealing up a drafty house can save up to 20% on your heating bills. Inspect windows and doors to find any gaps that need to be sealed.

3. Protect faucets from freezing temperatures

If you live in an area with freezing weather, take steps to ensure that outside faucets and in-ground irrigation systems don't freeze and burst. First, close any shut-off valves serving outside faucets, then open the outside faucet to drain the line. (There may be a small cap on the faucet you can loosen to facilitate this draining.) Refer to the manufacturers guide on how to properly drain your system.

4. Freshen your furnace filter

Furnace filters trap dust that would otherwise be distributed throughout your home. Clogged filters make it harder to keep your home at a comfortable temperature and increasing your utility bills. Monthly cleaning is all it takes to keep these filters free of debris. Disposable filters can be vacuumed once before replacement. Foam filters can also be vacuumed, but they don't need to be replaced unless they are damaged.

5. Clean your carpets

Fall is an ideal time to clean your carpets. The humid days of summer have passed, but the below-freezing days of winter have yet to arrive. It's the best time to open windows for ventilation, which should speed the drying process

5 Camping Trip Tips While Still Trying To Sell Your House

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.07.2022

Any serious camper knows that having the right gear is essential for a successful trip. From tents and sleeping bags to stoves and lanterns, there is a lot to keep track of and organize. Unfortunately, all that gear can quickly become a cluttered mess that could derail your efforts to sell your house! With summertime in full swing, utilize these tips to ensure that packing (and unpacking) for your trip is as easy as can be:

1. Clean Your Gear

Before storing away any camping gear in your home or garage, make sure to clean it. That includes your tent, sleeping bags, boots, kitchenware, etc. After that, ensure everything is dry before stuffing them into their respective containers. This will ensure that mildew does not grow and wreck any of your camping gear.

2. Storage Bins

Not only do plastic bins provide a convenient and compact way of storing your camping gear, but you can also take the entire plastic box with you on your camping trip. For example, if one box is filled with all your kitchen supplies, from your cutlery and dish soap to your pots and pans, you can simply grab that plastic pin and throw it in your trunk, knowing you have all your kitchen accessories covered. Make sure to label them to know what is in each container!

3. Shelving

One way to keep your camping gear organized is to install shelving in your garage or storage shed. Shelving provides a place to store everything from coolers and duffel bags to fishing poles and hiking boots. In addition, shelving can help to protect your gear from being damaged by moisture or pests.

4. Utilize Your Gear

Take advantage of the space your gear provides. Instead of storing away empty items like backpacks, ice chests, and bear canisters, pack them with smaller items. Can you store your water bottles in your hiking backpack? And then can you put that backpack in your ice chest or bear canister? Consolidating your gear will help you save on storage space.

5. Get Rid of Duplicate Gear

To reduce clutter, get rid of any gear that you do not use or need. If it is broken properly dispose or recycle the item. If the gear is still in decent shape, consider selling or donating it. This will not only declutter your space, but it will also make organizing and packing a lot easier.

6 Fun and Affordable Ways to Update Your Outdoor Space

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.06.2022

Summer is right around the corner so you will want to prepare your outdoor space to enjoy the warm weather! There are a number of ways to instantly upgrade your deck, patio, or backyard for $250 or less. Some require a little creativity. But none of the following suggestions demands specialized tools or skills that the average homeowner doesn’t already have:

1. Portable Fire Pit – Fires add ambiance and a focal point and are perfect for gathering around at night. They also keep pesky bugs away.

2. Customized Lighting – You can hang string lights from trees, along fences, or along the wall of your home, setting the stage for romance or parties. Mason jar and lantern lights can be set on tables, pillars, and posts, and around trees and garden areas for instant ambiance. Lights can be found on Amazon at an affordable price.

3. Party Bar Cart – A fun investment that brings the party to your outdoor space. Stock it with beverages, snacks, ice, and cups to ensure you do not have to go in and out of the house.

4. Revitalize Your Deck – As decks age, they tend to fade in colour. Give the surface a nice wash and scrub to remove any dirt or grime, then add a new layer of stain to bring it back to life.

5. Garden and Greenery – Planting flowers and other greenery around the yard brings life to any area. Make sure to only use appropriate plants that are suitable to the environment so they can thrive.

6. Mirrors – A well placed mirror can make any outdoor area seem bigger and brighter. Faced towards gardens or other greenery will make your outdoor space and home more vibrant.

These are only a few suggestions on how to create an amazing outdoor area for you to enjoy this summer. The goal is to be creative and not break the bank. With a little bit of exploring and searching, you will find the perfect ways to make your deck, patio, or backyard a place you will want to spend all the hot summer days in.

Spring Cleaning 101

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 02.05.2022

After a long winter, spring has finally sprung! But before you open the windows to let in that fresh spring air, you must clean them first. This month we are talking about spring cleaning! If you are planning on selling your home, spring cleaning is an important task you should take. Setting aside time each year to deep clean your home is important to keep your home healthy, organized, and happy. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

Through spring cleaning, you can remove dust, mold, and mildew before it becomes a major problem. Giving your entire home a run through is important so start with tasks that apply to all rooms like:

· Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures

· Clean windowsills and window tracks

· Vacuum curtains and window blinds

· Wipe down baseboards and shoe molding and dust corners for cobwebs

· Test batteries in all your smoke detectors

· Disinfect doorknobs, cabinet handles and light switches

· Kitchen Spring Cleaning Checklist

· Clean all large appliances, small appliances, and surfaces in your kitchen

Once you have finished the general task, tackle each room separately. Approaching your house room by room is the most effective way to deep clean it. Create cleaning checklists for each room to help you get organized and to remind you of the areas that need extra attention. Feel free to skip the areas that have been cleaned recently and focus on the parts of your home that were neglected over the winter.

Last, use this opportunity to declutter. Overtime we tend to accumulate a lot of stuff that just sits in our homes. While cleaning, keep track of what you can throw away, recycle, sell, or donate. Decluttering will help your home feel cleaner and relaxed.

Top 5 Things To Avoid When Preparing To Sell Your House

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.11.2021

1. Selling Without A REALTOR® - The instant gratitication of bypassing REALTOR® fees may be appealing, however it can be misleading in the big picture. The benefits of a skilled REALTOR® to the sale of your home typically includes selling at a higher price, more time available for yourself, and less stress. Often times homeowners will attempt to sell on their own, only to hire a REALTOR® due to frustration or failed deals, which means they spend even more money!
2. Extensive Renovations - While some renovations or upgrades are great for resale, some are completely unnesseccary in the sense that the money put in will not directly add to the resale value. Yet another reason why it is so important to use a REALTOR®, you can save money before your house even hits the market.
3. Forgetting To Clean - Clean is a subjective term so ensure that you clean the home even more than you usually would to satiate even the most discriminating buyer. Clean it with disinfectant, tidy it so everything is put in its place, and purge as much as possible so the space appears larger. One of the most efffective buyer turn-offs during a showing is a home that looks and smells like it is not clean.
4. Forgetting Staging - Furniture placement to sell is sometimes different than furniture placement to live in. You can consult your REALTOR®, a professional staging company, or a Feng Shui professional for more tips on this. It is a direct factor in showing quality and showing quality is a direct factor in the amount buyers will offer.
5. Keeping Up Family Photos - Depersonalizing your home is crucial so buyers can picture themselves in the home. Often times putting up more mirrors may allow for this visualization even more so. Along with taking down family photos, home owners should also take down any heavy religious or cultural decor, as this also play a considerable psychological factor during showings.

 

5 Safety Measures to Selling Your House During a Pandemic

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.10.2021

1. Mask Requirement – As the mask mandates have been fluctuating since the pandemic began, those guidelines are followed by the real estate industry as well. Even if the provincial mandate is removed for masks, a homeowner can still request that masks are required in their home.
2. Hand Sanitizer – While many home buyers already keep hand sanitizer readily available, sellers are welcome to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at the front door for use during showings.
3. Leave Lights On – Homes look their best when they are well-lit. Therefore, to make sure your home looks its best and reduce unnecessary touching, leave the lights on before you leave for your scheduled showing time. Open those window coverings too!
4. Leave Doors Open – Again, to minimize unnecessary touching - leave bedroom, bathroom, and closet doors open. Between the hand sanitizer and minimal touching measures, you should have added peace of mind.
5. Minimal Attendees – Prior to the pandemic, it was not uncommon for home buyers to bring mom, dad, and the kids for additional perspectives. Given the intricacies of the pandemic, it is now recommended that only the most crucial attendees and signing authorities are in attendance during showings.

For more tips on preparing your home to sell, call Tanya LaRose at 306-380-7325. Stay safe out there!

Why Saskatoon? 5 Reasons Saskatoon Real Estate is an Excellent Investment – In A Nutshell. (Part 1)

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.09.2021

1. POST-SECONDARY – Saskatoon attracts students from all over Canada and further. From the University of Saskatchewan to the Saskatchewan Polytechnic to the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, many post-secondary options are available which produces a high demand for student housing. Multi-unit developments, suited homes, and homes with multiple bedrooms are in constant motion in on the Saskatchewan MLS® making it easy for investors to capitalize on this demographic.
2. CURRENT ATTRACTIONS – Did you know some of the artifacts found at the Wanuskewin Heritage Park are older than the pyramids? Saskatoon truly has some gems that are unique all on their own. Search the list created by the team at Tourism Saskatoon and you will be impressed: https://www.tourismsaskatoon.com/things-to-do/
3. UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS – Between a state-of-the-art library and a $12.9 million downtown festival venue, Saskatoon is coming out of its shell in a big way. It is no surprise that Saskatoon’s average population increase has been consistent at 2% annually. Read more about some planning here: https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon-city-councillors-to-mull-12-9-million-downtown-festival-site-1.5304032
4. FESTIVAL CITY – Let the good times roll as Saskatoonians thrive on festivals and celebrations that take the city by storm almost every month of the year in Saskatoon. The most concentrated number of festivals take place during the summer including RibFest, Food Truck Wars, YXE Beer Wars, Fringe Festival, Jazz Festival, Taste of Saskatchewan and so much more! Look at the list, although many are continuously added on a regular basis, and choose your favourite: https://www.todocanada.ca/festivals-in-saskatoon/
5. REAL ESTATE REBATES – The City of Saskatoon offers numerous rebates to home-owners and home builders. Many of them are incentives for continued growth, and geared toward the new development sector, however if that is an option for you as an investor, the value tied into these rebates are worth taking advantage of. The details of these programs can be viewed here: https://www.saskatoon.ca/business-development/land-development/rebate-program

 

The 9 Step Plan: Maximize Your Profit Through Smart Renovations When You Sell Your Home

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.07.2021

 

1. Consult A Professional – Prior to tackling home renovations to increase your homes saleability, you will want to have your trusted REALTOR® come for a walk-through to advise you on your current home value and which upgrades might increase that home value. Ask them about a selling timeline as well. If you need recommendations on trades people, any good REALTOR® will have a rolodex of recommendations for you as well.
2. Review Your Mortgage – Are you allowed to sell free and clear, or do you have a substantial payout penalty? Is your current rate better than any other available rate? Is it a possibility to add some of your renovation capital to your mortgage? Your trusted mortgage broker can advise you accordingly.
3. Start A Home Renovation Binder – Your binder will keep your mind and bank account organized. Include your TO-DO list, minimum/maximum budget, deadlines, contractor information, warranty information, receipts, etc.. You can set this binder out during showings when your house is listed so the buyers know exactly what has been done to the home recently.
4. Create A Budget – Your budget will include minimum and maximum amounts to allow for fluctuating products and services. You can even review second-hand product sources like kijiji.ca or the Market Place on www.facebook.com for added cost cutting. However, cutting corners on products is not recommended, otherwise the cheap quality will dimmish the renovation impact.
5. Interview Trades People – Check their reviews, look for warranties, ask for a formal quote, and find out if they guarantee their work by a certain deadline. Remember that sometimes big companies do not always do great work and sometimes small businesses just starting out will really shine by delivering excellent work. The key word is “sometimes” so be sure to pay your due diligence by interviewing accordingly.
6. Monitor A Timeline – Plan to be complete at least two weeks ahead of your deadline. Human error and unexpected obstacles will undoubtedly leave you with a few touch-ups to circle back to. You will also need a few extra days to declutter and stage your home décor.
7. Pull Permits – While you do not have to call the city and inform them of every stroke of paint, there is a list of home renovation items that must be permitted, and it is up to you to consult your city, town, or RM regarding those.
8. Clean The Mess – Home renovations can be downright filthy! We are talking everything from a thick layer of dust from drywalling to multiple scrap pieces from demolition to foggy windows from landscaping. Cleaning this yourself may be very time consuming so you may have to budget for a professional. Do not forgot to get your ducts cleaned and change your furnace filter.
9. Sweat Equity – The best home equity is sweat equity. Pull up those sleaves and paint those walls, replace those burnt-out light bulbs, and plant some flowers for curb appeal. However, you will want to trust a professional when it comes to many trades like electricians, plumbers, and carpenters.
10. Trade Service – What skills and services do you have? If you are a plumber, maybe you can trade services with an electrician friend. Review your own rolodex of family and friends to see if there is an option to trade services and maximize your end goal profit margin.

The ABC’s On How To Ensure Your Home Sells Quickly!

Tanya LaRose 0 comments 01.06.2021

1. Appropriate Pricing - Market value in 2021 has taken on a life of its own which makes it more important than ever to contact a professional to find out your homes market value. You will also be advised on appropriate sales and marketing strategies to coincide with the final chosen price.
2. Be Flexible With Showings - In a seller's market, you will want to prepare to vacate your home quite often for the first 1-7 days. It is important to accomodate showings requests so that your home gets the maximum amount of exposure. Remember to open all the drapes, turn on all the lights, and put away any unmentionables!
3. Clean Throughout - While homes are selling quickly already, you will  want to ensure your home is clean inside and outside. Just like a dirty car will sell, but you will get a higher price if it is clean. You will need to thoroughly clean it before moving to your next home as well so might as well get ahead of the game.
4. Declutter - Any space will appear larger with less items inside of it. Square footage sells, especially in a pandemic! Consider donating any gently used household items to single mothers in the area by contacting https://www.crystalsgift.ca/.
5. Equip Your REALTOR® - Provide them with all pertinent facts about your home, they are on your side and will protect you in case of any unforeseen issues that a home inspection might find. You are the expert on your home while your REALTOR® is the expert on selling it and they cannot sell it properly if you withhold information from them.
6. Furnishings Matter - If it does not flow with the style of your home or the current decor, you will want to consider putting that old couch that has your napping outline into storage. It is also not recommended that you use old furnture to "stage" you home. If you would like your home staged, you should hire a professional staging company as there are many layers to effectively staging a home to sell.
7. Get Those Walls Patched - If you are particularily handy, or you have a friend who is a bit of a handyperson, you will want to take the time to patch any dented drywall or touch up paint. The two reasons for this is that most contractors are very busy during the spring and smaller improvement items cost minimal in comparison to how much they improve showing value.
8. Hit The Market - Typically the busiest season for real estate is in the sping, followed by the fall. You will want to be cognizant of this to capitalize on an increased number of buyers but also know that in a seller's market, when demand exceeds supply, any time of the year will bode well for your sale as long as the local and global economy continues to support those circumstances.