Thinking about selling your house? Taking a bit of extra time to consider the following suggestions can definitely help make a better first impression and help your home stand out from the others. Here’s the top 10 home staging suggestions, as recommended by professional home stagers: 1. Keep it clean Look at your home as though you’re seeing it for the first time. Is every room neat, spotlessly clean, dusted and uncluttered? Steam clean carpets and wax floors. Wash walls, heating and A/C vents and light fixtures. Pay special attention to your bathroom and kitchen – make sure that tile grout is mildew free and baseboards scrubbed. Clean the refrigerator and stove as well as the washer and dryer (inside and out). And, don’t forget about the windows! Make sure that all windowpanes, ledges and blinds are spick and span. 2. Lose the clutter Have a yard sale or take old furniture, clothing and knick-knacks to Goodwill. Organize shelves, put away items and purge your home of unnecessary items. Make sure that your kitchen and bathroom counters are free of small appliances and personal effects. 3. De-personalize your home Make your home “anonymous,” so that buyers can envision it as their potential home. Put away any family photos, sports trophies, collectibles, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. This will also help to remove clutter and create more space. 4. Freshen-up Adding a fresh coat of paint and laying new carpet will clean and brighten up your home. Choose neutral colors and make it consistent throughout the home. If you choose to wallpaper, make sure that the paper is properly applied, your color choice is neutral and patterns are kept to a minimum. 5. First impressions count Like a first date or job interview, the first impression of your home is the most important. …
Does the quality of photographs matter when trying to sell your home?
I find it interesting that so many Realtors don’t place a priority on the promotional materials used to feature the homes they are trying to sell. Especially considering that most home buyers are now being introduced to the home for the first time online – you’d think that quality photographs would be essential. When poor photographs are used to feature a property, many negative aspects can be perceived such as the home appearing much smaller and crowded than it really is (by using the wrong lenses), and much darker (by not knowing how to take proper exposures). Below are photographs of one of my listings – a side by side comparison of SOME photographs I’m using to market my current listing, vs a previous time this same house was marketed on the MLS with another Realtor. If you were selling your home, which would you prefer? When hiring a Realtor to market your home, make sure they are hiring a professional photographer to capture your home in the most favourable way. Your home will stand out much better, and this is especially important when trying to sell your home in a very competitive market such as the one we’re dealing with right now in South Surrey / White Rock, BC.
2676 163A, Morgan Heights (South Surrey / White Rock): Executive Luxury Living!
MORGAN HEIGHTS in South Surrey / White Rock – The quality stands out everywhere. The detail in the finish is what shows the most. Custom design plan has great traffic flow. Over 3700 sq.ft. 5 bathrooms, 7 bedroom, basement totally finished. Detail given to all designer plumbing and electrical fixtures, hardwood and tile flooring, doors, crown mouldings, granite counter tops, fireplaces, including floor to ceiling stone fireplace in great room. Note the high 9′ ceiling basement is designed to give you maximum flexibility. Check this one out.
43-15454 32 AV, South Surrey / White Rock: NUVO – Morgan Creek Duplex Townhouse End Unit!!
NUVO Townhouse, end unit! DOUBLE SIDE BY SIDE GARAGE!!! Near Morgan Creek (South Surrey / White Rock), this deluxe 2 storey with basement boasts 1769 sq.ft, 9′ ceilings, 4 bathroom, & 3 bedrooms with master bedroom on the main level. Quality finishing top to bottom, including granite counters, stainless steel appliances including gas stove. Completely finished lower level is designed for HOME BASED BUSINESS (zoning permitted), with seperate entry & its own 3 piece bathroom! Highly sought after neighbourhood close to shopping, golf course, and minutes to downtown White Rock.
Mink – the best coffee in South Surrey / White Rock
Coffee is one of the things that I’m very passionate about. I love it so much that I even roast my own beans at home to get things just the way I like it. When I go out for coffee, it’s important to me that I get a cup worth paying for – in South Surrey / White Rock, the best place that I have found is MINK CHOCOLATES. Probably my favorite thing about Mink’s coffee is the fact that they have a CLOVER machine. Don’t know what a CLOVER is? CLICK HERE to find out! Mink is the ONLY coffee shop in South Surrey / White Rock that has a CLOVER coffee maker. At the request of the owner, Faith Gibson, I stopped in today with my camera to snap some shots of the cafe in Morgan Crossings. If you have not tried Mink out, treat yourself and head over there right now!
April, 2012: White Rock / South Surrey Real Estate Market Update
FRASER VALLEY HOUSING MARKET REMAINS STEADY; WHILE SELECTION CONTINUES TO IMPROVE (Surrey, BC) – There were 1,435 property sales processed on the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, reflecting a 5 per cent decrease compared to the 1,516 sales in April of last year, and a slight increase over the 1,412 sales in March. In April, the Board added 7 per cent more new listings compared to one year ago, 3,134 in contrast to 2,918 in April 2011, pushing the number of properties for sale in the Fraser Valley to 10,312, the highest level since July 2010. Scott Olson, President of the Board, says “To put it in perspective, in the last decade, April 2012 ranked second lowest for sales during that month, while new listings came in at the third highest, meaning it’s a good time to be shopping for a home in the Fraser Valley because selection has only been this extensive twice. “When you combine modest sales with normal, seasonal increases in listings it helps keep house prices in check, which is what we’re seeing. Benchmark prices for all property types remain essentially unchanged from March and for townhomes and apartments, they’re on par with what they were one year ago.” The benchmark price or value of a ‘typical’ Fraser Valley detached home as determined by the MLS® Home Price Index (MLS®HPI), increased 5.3 per cent in one year. It went from $547,800 in April 2011 to $576,600 last month. In April, the MLS®HPI benchmark price of a Fraser Valley townhouse was $318,400, an increase of 1.9 per cent compared to $312,600 in 2011. The benchmark price of an apartment increased by 0.8 per cent year-over-year; going from $204,100 in April of last year to $205,800 in April 2012. Olson adds, “There …