What’s a House and What’s a Home?

Last week, we purchased a stick-on wall banner from a dollar store that simply states “A House is Made of Walls & Beams, A Home is Built of Love & Dreams” and it made me think, that is something that means a lot to the clients. A home is a place to relax and you want to go see homes that are delicately furnished and plain but still have whimsy. Unless, you know, you like to live under a rock. Anyways, “A Home is Built of Love & Dreams” is a very good quote to live by.

When selling your home, you want others to feel the comfort and relaxation that you had in that home. These buyers are looking for a renewal in life, for a short daring adventure for a lovely home. Whether you’re selling a mansion or just a small piece of land, you should try to keep the property healthy and comfortable; a soft place to land.

If a house is empty, it’s just a house. It has no personality, no interest…it essentially has nothing going for it. But, you choose a professional such as myself who offers home staging services; we can get creative with your décor after moving out all of your important furniture. Don’t get rid of your old things that you’ve hidden away just yet! They’ll be useful in this project. People can get a better idea for size and for ability to arrange their furniture when you leave an old couch with a cover on it, a small table, and a fake bed made of an air mattress, setting milk crate under it, and an old bed sheet set. It’s true when they say a little goes a long way.

Some professionals say not to leave any personal pictures anywhere. It’s a very good suggestion, but instead of personal photos, find landscape photos, print them off the internet, and put them in the frames. In fact, take pictures of your area! That way, they’ll know what’s right around the corner, like parks or a cute boutique. And every time you buy a new frame, keep the production photo, just in case you sell again. Cards are okay to put out, too.

The difference between a house and a home, in my opinion, is a house can be bought; traded or sold. A home is a place where the welcome always feels warm. Memories completely trump an empty space but a buyer won’t know that unless you hint at the good times you’ve shared and the happy beginnings they will have in the home you once had.

-Sarah

Rainy Days and Real Estate

We all know that a nice looking car can seem so much more appealing when water runs down the side of it and washes all the dirt off. Question is; how can rain benefit the real estate business? Houses that have siding instead of brick tend to look a lot cleaner in the rain. Make sure, however, to always clean the siding when selling your home. No one wants to move into a place that always looks dirty. Rainy days also hit a home with a certain natural light. Your home needs to look good in both the sun and in the rain.

If you’re interested in gardening, take advantage of that on the warmer, sunnier days! Small flowers and trees along with statues can make a house look so much more inviting. Rain gives gardens plenty of water which makes plant life look much livelier. As for statues, like cherubs and engraved pathway stones, they become cleaner and stand out more on a gloomy day. Just like today!

Not to mention, the interior must also look good in the rain. You want a feeling of softness and warmth, not an empty, harsh lighted head ache. Try getting a light dimmer or put some lamps in a few rooms to give more variety for a buyer to look at. On rainy days let the lamps be the winner, not the overhead fixture. This goes for both light and dark rooms. Darker rooms need a yellower light to tone it up but in a lighter room setting, they look good in anything, just make sure it looks inviting. The lighting inside should not overly clash with the sun outside, whether it’s rain or shine. Let the lights blend and the house might as well sell itself!

So, if you’ve got a couple of buyers coming in for showings or you’re out looking at homes, both you and them should be able to stop by a place that looks happy in the rain and enjoy your once gloomy day!

"Lazy" Houses on the Market

When to Know Your House is “Lazy”

Let’s face it, it’s a new century and as we come up to the end of 2012, we might all start to rethink about our choice of living space. Some questions to ask are:

Do I feel happy to come home?

Is my commute too far?

Can I afford to move?

Am I too old to be on my own?

Can I afford to keep this house now?

If you start feel excited about the idea of moving, it might be time to. These questions can help answer this gloominess that you’ve felt for so long in your home. First you have to start by searching for a new home, or a few to get an idea of where you want to go in your search. Then, you call a realtor (like myself) and start talking about all the options. You will eventually get through an easy process of finding the perfect place, when suddenly; you think “I have to sell my place now, too!” Over time, some houses don’t stay as appealing asthey were at first which means the house is “lazy”. Feelings of surprise andconcern arise when the flow of other buyers stop wanting to look at your place. Have you considered small renovations? A small action, such as painting can mean a lot to the market value and appeal. In the time that you have lived atthis home, you’ve essentially come to be a part of it. The décor and rooms have caught the fever of your personality and that can be hard to pass on to someone else. You have to make the space neutral, a place to spark ideas and to stir up an other’s imagination. Let’s face it; it is no longer your place. Being a smart seller doesn’t mean that updating your home will be cheap, but it will benefit everyone. And if you are in fact too elderly for these DIY jobs,explain this to your realtor and they will get the house on the right track. Ask and you will receive!

That’s also what I’m here for. My creativity and motivation will get us both far. Visit my Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook pages for some ideas and give me a call assoon as you can. There is always an answer for any buyer or seller. Have a great day to all!

-Sarah

Realtor.ca

Look what I found in my mail today! It is an ad promoting the launch of Realtor.ca’s iPad app and reminding iPhone users that there’s an app for them too! Check out realtor.ca, find a home and call me. Let’s get going on your dream home hunt with the help of Realtor.ca.

“Q: Knock, knock! Who’s there?

A: The new REALTOR.ca iPad app which is now available FREE to download from the iTunes App Store!

The new iPad app will provide users with the same functionality and detail they get the REALTOR.ca iPhone app, while taking advantage of the larger screen size and unique user experience of the iPad.”

Seems simple, does it not? Everyone needs comfortability and ease in their lives, especially when finding a home. That’s where I come in. You can go on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook to find me, I’m literally just clicks away from you! The letter continues on to say…

“The iPad’s built-in GPS, allows users to get up-to-date property information, photos and driving directions for properties “Near Me”. Users can also find “New Listings” and if it's a weekend, they can find “Open Houses” based on their GPS location. Properties can be viewed on the map, in list format and either landscape or portrait! Other new features include an expanded search filter for power users.

Just like the REALTOR.ca iPhone app, users can:

Search by location, by MLS number, or through the property search where they can specify the property type, features (number of bedrooms and bathrooms) and the price range for properties anywhere in Canada.”

We can find these homes together easily on my site also. Just go to the LISTINGS tab above us and we can get started.

“Create a custom “Property Tour” whereby users select the properties they would like to see, pick a starting point and allow the app to plot the most efficient route.

View their list of “Favourites” and “Recently Viewed” properties.

Contact their agent through the “My Agent” feature, or the listing agent, for more information about a specific property. Agents can also be added to the device’s contacts list.

The REALTOR.ca iPad app makes it easier for users to connect with REALTORS® to view, buy or sell a property.

Should you have any questions, please contact

helpdesk@crea.ca.”

So, what are we waiting for? Get the app downloaded and when we get together, we can start looking for your ideal home. Call or click as soon as you can!



Sarah Lunn