Spring home maintenance, stress free kitchen and Paint your front door!

Your Spring maintenance checklist Maintaining your home is crucial in preserving its value. By taking small actions throughout the year, you can save money by catching problems early, or even prevent them, before significant damage takes place. As soon as the snow thaws it's the best time to do the rounds, both inside and outside your home, to make sure everything is working the way it should.

Create a stress-free kitchen No matter its size, most people feel like there is never enough space in their kitchen. While ample space is key for a great kitchen, organizing it properly can save time too. After all, it is the most used room of a home. Here are some helpful tips to create a functional and stress-free kitchen. Give each cabinet a purpose. The first step is to group items and give each group a designated space. Not only will this allow you to find every item easily, you are less likely to use the space for items that don't belong there. Limit bottom cabinets to cleaning supplies, large pots or appliances and items that are rarely used. Put items you need the most in easy to grab spots. Measuring spoons, oven mitts and your go-to saucepan should be quickly accessible for stress-free, day-to-day use. Also, by keeping items close to where they are most used, you will find everything is exactly where you need it. Increase visibility in your fridge and pantry. Clear containers and additional shelving will allow you to quickly locate items in your fridge. As for your pantry, consider using clear stackable bins, adjusting your shelves and work in levels. Adding a little light will go a long way! Think outside the kitchen. Fancy dishes, large appliances that haven't been used in months and unread cookbooks are great examples of items that do not need to be stored in your kitchen. Finding new homes for less-used items outside the kitchen is one of our favourite space-saving ideas.

Go for it! Paint your front door A vibrant red, bright turquoise, regal blue or even mustard yellow. Bold colour choices can make your home stand out. With warm sunny days around the corner, it's the perfect time to plan an exterior paint project. Here is some advice to get you started. Don't only look for an exterior paint, make sure the paint you choose is right for the door's material (wood, metal). Be sure to remember if you choose an oil-base or latex paint, as you can't switch back and forth, for the inevitable future touch-ups. Tape your colour swatch to the door and see how the colour looks at different times during the day. Pick a warm, dry day and get started early! Before painting, you will need to remove your door and the hardware from its surface. Thoroughly clean the door so dirt does not get trapped in the paint. Don't forget to use a primer coat. It's the best way to get the most out of your new colour. Your local Realtor® If you are looking to either Buy or Sell in Selwyn or Peterborough contact me immediately at 705-927-6236 Brad Sinclair, Sales Representative Royal LePage Frank Real Estate Brokerage Solving Problems and Making Things Happen in Real Estate since 2007 www.bradsinclair.ca www.royallepagerealestate.com www.gowaterfront.ca

You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth. (Well most can’t anyway)

So you are selling your home?

Every seller wants the same thing: to sell their house for the most money possible, as quickly as possible. This is exactly what your real estate agent wants too. That said, there are usually two things keeping this from happening: price and condition.

Price and condition are always the deciding factors for buyers, and they also affect the amount they may offer. Luckily for you, these are also the only two things you have control over!

So let’s take a look at the top five mistakes you may be making if your home hasn’t sold yet.

Mistake #1: Thinking your house is special. The best on the street.

As a homeowner, you are proud of your home. You might even think it’s superior to all others in your neighborhood. This might be because of the time and money you spent remodeling it. Perhaps you hand-picked every slat of Brazilian Hardwood and personally laid it, or chose a ridiculously expensive gold leaf wallpaper that you just had to have. You may assume if you spend a lot of money on bells and whistles, that MUST make it worth more, right? Wrong.

Buyers are looking at your home, trying to envision it as their home. They’re easily distracted by your loud, hot pink bedroom walls and won’t consider that it was a custom color made to match the loud pink zebra comforter and matching curtains. They’re also mentally calculating how much money they need to spend to refinish those hardwood floors, repaint and have that wallpaper removed.

You must understand your house isn’t special to anyone but you, so it’s always best to cater to buyers by showing them your home’s cleanest, most neutral face. You need to clean your home until it shines, ditch the clutter, paint, make needed repairs, and keep up with your landscaping.

You need to trust your real estate agent on where to price your home. And remember one important thing: Just because you spent $50,000 on a kitchen remodel doesn’t mean you’re getting every penny back (despite what your shoebox full of receipts might be telling you).

Mistake #2: Thinking you’re a salesperson.

As a seller you may think you’re being helpful by sticking around during showings to help agents and potential buyers see how special your home is. You might think the buyer’s agent can’t possibly know how to showcase your home as well as you can, or have any clue what the really important things are to point out.

So you stick around, you smile super big and you’re super nice to everyone. You point out the hardwood floors, custom wallpaper and things that you love about the house, because you are a better salesperson than some real estate agent who has never lived there, right? Wrong!

Actually, you’re not coming off as super nice, but annoying (at best) and more than likely cocky or creepy (hey, just telling it like it is). While gushing over all the things you love, those may be the very things the buyer hates.

The best thing to do is leave the house and give the buyers some space. Buyers want privacy. They don’t want to be cornered into awkward small talk with the homeowner or feel rushed when making the most expensive purchase of their life.

Mistake #3: Thinking they will come back.

Imagine you had a long day at work. It’s a hot, muggy day. Your car’s air-conditioning is acting up, making you stick to your seats on your longer-than-usual commute home. Your kids are bickering and everyone is starving. Then your phone rings. It’s your real estate agent calling with a last-minute showing request… in ten minutes. This is NOT what you need right now, but you want to sell your house.

You have two choices. Option A: plead for the showing to be rescheduled, because you mistakenly assume the buyers and their agent will gladly rearrange their schedule around yours and come back.

Or, Option B, remind yourself that you want your home sold, and these buyers may only have the next hour or so to see as many homes as possible before making a decision because they’re relocating from out of state (or whatever their unique situation may be).

Never, ever, go with Option A.

No matter how you feel or what kind of day you’re having, you need to be accommodating. Sometimes you just have to bend over backwards. Buyers hold all the power because they’re the ones with the money and ability to make your dream of selling come true.

So as you load up your hungry, fussy kids, you smile and wave as you back out of the driveway and head to the nearest drive-through. You’ve made the right decision! You realize you must suck it up and make your house available… even when you really don’t want to, because buyers will rarely come back at a better time.

Mistake #4: Not being willing to negotiate.

So you got an offer on your home, and you accepted it! Congrats! Regardless of how long your home had been on the market or what the final terms are, this is exciting because it means all the showings are over and you’re roughly 30 to 60 days away from closing.

After the home inspection, the buyers ask for some repairs to be made, or possibly reduce the price.

Most buyers will ask for those things; it’s nothing to get bent out of shape over.

This is where you, the seller, need to be willing to meet in the middle and show the buyer that you’re serious about selling. Otherwise you risk your deal falling apart and being stuck with the house which you’ll eventually shell out more money to fix anyway.

Sure, you can always re-list your home, but it may sit on the market for 30, 60, 90 days or more. Meanwhile you’ll have to deal with more showings, keeping the house spic & span, and losing sleep due to the anxiety of the unknown.

Please remember that this pending sale on your home has contingencies, and it could fall apart for a number of reasons. The appraisal is one contingency; the home inspection is another. Both of them may require you to be flexible and willing to negotiate. If you aren’t and the deal falls apart, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

Also, your first offer is usually your best offer, and oftentimes your only offer. Once you secure an interested buyer, you need to trust your agent and work with them and your buyers to get the home sold and not waste time on bickering over a $100 light fixture.

Mistake #5: Pets.

Last but not least, not everyone is a pet lover. Many people are allergic to cats or dogs, or have sensitive noses that can smell urine and stinky litter boxes on the other side of the house.

When you’re selling your house and you have pets, you really need to make the home look and smell as if no pets ever stepped foot in it. Your cat’s favorite spot on the couch that’s coated with 4 inches of matted fur needs to get scraped off (with a lint roller a few hundred times if need be). The food bowls, cat trees, pet toys, pet beds, scratching posts, cat condos, etc. need to be out of sight too. So do the fur babies themselves.

Before you leave, make sure your backyard is free of landmines. You may as well put Whiskers’ litter box in a garbage bag and store it in the garage or closet or someplace out of sight and smell.

When a buyer leaves, they’ll remember their first impression, so you want it to be a good one. Pet odor can be a deal breaker, even if everything else about your home is perfect.

To summarize…

Your home isn’t particularly special to anyone but you, so keep it clean and showing beautifully and as neutral as possible at all times. Don’t try to be the real estate agent (i.e., be sure to leave the house during showings), and take the pets with you! Don’t assume that buyers will bend over backwards to see your house—you need to do the bending, and you need to be flexible with negotiations too.

If you follow this advice, you shouldn’t have a hard time selling quickly and you’ll avoid the unnecessary stress that many sellers endure because they become their own worst enemy by sabotaging their own sale.

Your local Realtor®

If you are looking to either Buy or Sell in Selwyn or Peterborough contact me immediately at 705-927-6236

Brad Sinclair, Sales Representative

Royal LePage Frank Real Estate Brokerage

Solving Problems and Making Things Happen in Real Estate since 2007

www.bradsinclair.ca

www.royallepagerealestate.com

www.gowaterfront.ca

Our Experience at Corcoran's Boxing Club and Fitness Centre/ Walk and Talk~RECO and fines

The Ennismore Optimist Club and the Corcoran's (Elysia and Jay) teamed up to hold a boxing class for kids at the Corcoran's Boxing Club and Fitness Centre. Lucas, my son, wanted to try this boxing thing out. It was an easy decision for Susan and I as parents to let him try out this sport. Boxing would help Lucas with his fitness, coordination and confidence. I also known the Corcoran family basically all my life and they are a wonderful family from Ennismore.

I knew what building and location on Chemong Rd the Boxing Club was but not sure where to enter. At this point there is no signs. If you go there you will see a set of stairs leading down. There is where you enter.

The workout areas are clean and bright. There are change rooms for men and women. Full facilities. The Club has two large rooms. One room houses the boxing ring and heavy bags. The second room is more like a studio with more workout equipment, mirror walls and lined floors.

We have had two training sessions so far in this program. Lucas is taking the program very serious. Jay and Elysia has captured his attention. Jay leads the program with very clear, concise instructions. The class is truly starting from the very basics.

So far the kids have been instructed on foot work, stance, the jab and the power punch. Jay has been teaching looking small and self defense. All amazing stuff. Lucas is in the picture above in red. As you can see he is working on his jab.

The club is committed to providing a safe and positive environment for all their members. You can feel the positive vibe entering this facility. If you would like to find out more about Corcoran's Boxing Club and Fitness Centre click here.

February 21/2019 Walk and Talk
-Some huge consequences
-RECO our regulating body

Click Here to watch the Walk and Talk Video

Realtors in Ontario work under the real estate and business brokers act which is the legislation regulating the individual brokers and businesses registered to trade in real estate in Ontario.

RECO, The real estate council of Ontario is the corporation that regulates the trade of real estate on behalf of the Ontario government. RECO also administers and enforces the real estate and business brokers act.

One issue that we have been experiencing in the Peterborough area with out-of-town realtors, realtors have been giving buyers lockbox codes of listings for buyers to check out properties on their own. This saves the out-of-town realtor driving to Peterborough to show the property. This is an infraction against the code of ethics. There has been a case recently where a realtor, while acting for a buyer, booked a property showing. The listing brokerage provided the realtor with an appointment and a lockbox code. The buyer agent forwarded the lockbox code to her buyer client and advise them to visit a property in her absence. This agent was caught. She was charged and convicted of facilitating an unauthorized access to a property by providing the lockbox code to her buyer client then the buyer attending the property without the realtor. For her violation of the code of ethics this agent received a fine of $8500.

Realtors must follow the code of ethics or there is some steep fines. The public is well protected from unscrupulous behavior from realtors. For more information on protection check out www.reco.on.ca. While you’re there check out the charges and the fines of unscrupulous behavior from realtors. There is some huge penalties for doing the public wrong.

 

Written for you by:

Your local Realtor®

If you are looking to either Buy or Sell in Selwyn or Peterborough contact me immediately at 705-927-6236

Brad Sinclair, Sales Representative

Royal LePage Frank Real Estate Brokerage

Solving Problems and Making Things Happen in Real Estate since 2007

www.bradsinclair.ca

www.royallepagerealestate.com

www.gowaterfront.ca