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Tips for cost effective kitchen renovation
If you’re thinking of selling your home in the near future, investing in a few well-conceived improvements could pay you bigdividends in terms of improving your resale value The big question is: where to spend your money? Whether you’re selling in the near future or at some later date, your first consideration should be the value you place on the improvements while you’re continuing to live in the home. After taking that into consideration, there are several guidelines that can help you achieve the best return on your investment. The kitchen is normally the focal point of any house. It’s the high point of virtually every potential buyer’s walkthrough – male and female alike. As such, improvements to this area are almost always a worthwhile investment.
As a general rule, the more visible an improvement is, the better your chances for a good return on your investment. For example, mentioning you have a new water heater or plumbing upgrade won’t have the powerful visual impact of a new kitchen counter top or tile backsplash — even though they may cost the same. Refacing your existing kitchen cabinets is a lower cost option than replacing all your cabinetry. If you’re thinking of a major kitchen renovation, focus your energy – and your budget – on creating new work surfaces and improving function or traffic flow, rather than simply focusing on adding more floor space.
For the more budget conscious, a fresh coat of paint is one of the least expensive improvements that can create a favourable first, and lasting impression on buyers. In fact, dollar for dollar, a fresh coat of paint often delivers one of the best returns on your investment. So, why stop with the walls? Painting your kitchen cabinets and simply replacing your handles with updated hardware can revitalize the entire look of your kitchen and strengthen its visual appeal.
Remember when choosing your colours that light colours can make a room appear larger, and neutral shades will be most appealing to the greatest number of potential buyers. Another optical effect that will help create the illusion of more space is to install new flooring or backsplash tiles on the diagonal to draw the eye up and away on the longest line possible.
A new tap, and possibly even a new kitchen sink are also very affordable options to give your kitchen a quick and affordable ‘facelift’.
Lighting is also a very affordable way to improve the look and the function of your kitchen space. For a very minimal investment, the new halogen light fixtures can illuminate your workspace while adding ambiance to your kitchen. Small under the cabinet halogen pot lights take up little space, and can add a modern flair.
If you’re not sure what’s worth doing or where to start, why not contact Carol and Steve? We can tell you what improvements will show well to prospective buyers in the future.
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Tips for home buying couples
According to a 2012 survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate of 1,000 men and women, they both rely on how they feel and how their lifestyle fits into a home when looking for a place to live. The survey found 28 percent of women and 25 percent of men put more emphasis on their feelings about a home than they do on the layout, square footage, or even price. But despite the differences between men and women, there’s at least one thing they agree on when it comes to buying a home — the majority of women (62 percent) and men (61 percent) know within the first visit if the home is right for them.
For couples entering the home-buying process, here are some tips for harmonious house-hunting:
- Each person should come up with a list of a few things that are most important to them. Then, they should come together as a couple to decide on a list of the top three to five things that are important for their home together.
- When looking for a home, communication is key. Consider designating a point person for different aspects of the home-buying process, so that information is not delayed or communicated to just one part of the couple.
- Don’t get too many people involved; typically more people means more stress and what is most important is that the couple is happy with the decisions being made.
- Don’t forget to have fun! Remember that this home will be the place to build memories and a life together.
Following these simple, common-sense guidelines can help couples keep the home-buying process fun. For more helpful advice on the home buying process, contact Carol and Steve.
Yard Sale Tips
So, I’m having a yard sale this weekend. There a huge yard sale in the Souris Area known as the Eastern Kings Giant Yard Sale.
If you’re selling your house, yard sales are a great way to de-clutter! And if you need someone to sell your house, you can CONTACT US
I’ve read several articles on Yard Sale tips – some of which I follow, some of which I don’t.
Here are some of my own:
ADVERTISE: In this day and age, you can use social media to spread the word about your yard sale. Create a Facebook event and invite friends and/or put a link to the event in your status. You can also use radio/newspaper ads to make sure the yard sale lovers know where you are and what you’re selling. With my upcoming sale, there are yard sales all around me for this huge community event so all I really need is some good signage directing shoppers to my location. Place signs (with lettering people can actually READ) in places easily seen by those looking for sales.
HAVE CHANGE: Make sure you have lots of loonies, toonies, and quarters. About an hour after you start the sale, you’ll have piles and piles of both but it’s still smart to start off with some. People also like to have something to carry their treasures away with. Plastic bags are a bit of a rarity these days, but any you can find will be useful.
ORGANIZE: Put your articles in easy to shop categories. Separate men’s/ladies/kids clothes so people can easily look through the ones that interest them. Display books so titles can be read without having to dig through them one by one. Try to have as many items as possible out of bins and on tables because often people don’t want to take the time to sort through items thrown together in a pile.
PRICING: I have held yard sales where everything is priced as well as sales where nothing is priced. To be honest, I find it makes no difference. Some people think customers won’t ask prices if there aren’t any tags and instead will decide not to offer on anything. Others say it’s best to set the prices as you go. As a yard sale shopper, not having prices on the items doesn’t bother me unless there are a ton of people around and I have to wait forever to ask a price. This rarely happens. If people are interested enough in something at your yard sale, they will take the time to ask a price. I don’t bother pricing any more because it is extremely time consuming and I’m not convinced it makes a difference.
**Footnote: DON’T be greedy!! Don’t price your items at crazy prices that people aren’t going to pay. If you are telling yourself you will make more money by charging more, you will soon find yourself packing up most of your items after the sale ends. Instead, give lots of deals and get rid of as much stuff as you can. You’re freeing yourself of your “stuff”, giving people deals and helping the environment by promoting recycling!
SMILE: Be friendly to your customers! Smile and say hello to everyone that stops by to look at your goods. Even if you have grumpy people, smile anyway! People are more apt to purchase items from a friendly seller than someone who doesn’t even look up from their phone to acknowledge their presence! Have fun with the day and get to know your neighbours or even strangers who come along. I always keep a basket of toys to offer small kids who may be tagging along. Freebies are always a nice touch.
**Footnote: Don’t oversell your stuff. There’s nothing more annoying than an aggressive yard saler. I’ve seen them and take no time in hightailing it out of there and on to the next site.
TAG TEAM: I always try to do yard sales with someone else so I can slip away for a coffee or bathroom break when necessary. What a great opportunity to visit with family or friends while making money! My teenager will be with me this weekend as well as my sister whom I don’t get to see nearly as often as I would like. Even when we aren’t raking in the dough, we’ll have fun catching up on all our news.
HAVE FUN!: Yard sales are so much fun. You get all kinds of people as customers and since this is PEI, you’ll almost always stumble across someone you haven’t seen in years! It’s fun to watch people find treasures in the things you no longer find useful.
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Victoria Day – Picnic Day: May 21st
From Wikipedia:
Victoria Day (in French: Fête de la Reine) is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria‘s birthday. The date is also, simultaneously, that on which the current reigning Canadian sovereign‘s official birthday is recognized. It is sometimes informally considered as marking the beginning of the summer season in Canada.
To my family in Souris, (a small town in Eastern PEI), Victoria Day has always been “Picnic Day”. When I was a little girl, my Mom would take me and my siblings on a picnic on this holiday. We would pack a lunch, round up all the neighbourhood kids and trek off to the woods for a picnic and lots of fun games. The tradition continued right up to high school where we would gather in groups with our picnic lunches packed (chips, bars and pop of course!). We would scope out a good spot where we would sit and wait for that inevitable raid from the boys. They would rarely keep our goodies – but instead would return with it in hopes we might share with them.
After I had my first child, picnic day returned. By this time, I had moved to Charlottetown and was shocked to discover I was the only one who knew anything about “Picnic Day”. It was a foreign concept to most everyone else I knew! Luckily my older sister had kids my age, so we often came together on this day to head to the Dream Park in Cornwall where our kids would play together first, then sit and picnic. We even met a few other Souris folk there who were doing the same thing!
As another Victoria Day approaches, my boys and I are planning ahead as to where we will hold our picnic this year. There are so many beautiful places on PEI, it’s hard to choose! No matter where we end up, it makes my heart smile that we continue the tradition that someone from our home town started so many years ago.
If you are interested, you can attend a HUGE picnic in Souris where there will be live entertainment! They offered FREE picnics to those who registered earlier this month. You can still bring your own lunch and a blanket so you can enjoy the event with friends and family. Find more information here:
http://www.sourispei.com/events.html
Even if you don’t celebrate Picnic Day, I hope you’ll still have a fun filled long weekend. If you’re looking for some adult fun, you can always attend this event: IBCA EVENT
You can also check our our website to learn more about PEI Real estate!
New Year’s resolutions for your home
Well, it’s that time of year again. Many of us start off the New Year making resolutions for ourselves. This year, let’s try something different. Let’s make some resolutions for our home.
Here are a few to get you started:
Take a look at your mortgage: This year, you should visit a mortgage broker or your banker and take a look at your mortgage. If it’s up for renewal soon, you can discuss whether or not you may qualify for a better rate or think about moving your mortgage to a different lender if it’s worth your while. It’s a good idea to be prepared and arm yourself with knowledge about the interest rates and the various offers out there. If you’d like some names of mortgage brokers or banks, you can Contact Us.
Make any necessary repairs on your home: This is important for several reasons. The repairs you make can very well save you some money on heating or maintenance costs in your home. They can also increase your pride in ownership. If everything is in working order in and around your home, it not only looks better, it decreases any anxiety you may have had worrying about the problem. If you are planning to sell your home, these repairs will need to be done before you list, so you may as well get it done now and save yourself the time and effort later. Also, if you need some advice on selling your home or if you’re looking for a qualified agent, you can Contact Us – and we’ll be happy to meet with you!
Make your home energy efficient: There are so many things you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your home. These range from small things like turning off lights when not in use to purchasing energy efficient appliances. We love to help people learn more about saving money on their heating and electric bill. We’ve even blogged about it here, here, here, and here!
Review your insurance coverage: There have been some changes in insurance policies over the past while so we encourage people to get in touch with your insurance agent to review your policy. You should pay special attention to insurance surrounding your oil tank as we as real estate agents find it hard to stay up to date on all the details involved. If you are selling your home in the near future, this is very important. You may need to replace your oil tank before you sell your home.
These are only a few suggested resolutions. We’re sure you have many more, so we invite you to post them here and we can share them with everyone!
We wish everyone a fabulous 2012 and look forward to serving you and your friends/family in whatever way we can.
Carol and Steve
Energy Conservation: Bedrooms/Home office
Bedrooms/home office areas often have small appliances that are used infrequently. These include televisions, computers, printers, re-chargers, shredders, clock radios, and so on.
You can change what kind of light bulbs you use in these rooms.
Heavier drapes are a good option to minimize drafts on windows.
Rather than using an air conditioner, you can opt for a ceiling fan.
Hardwood floors are more eco-friendly since some synthetic material carpets have off-gases that can have an impact on your home’s air quality. Natural fiber carpet is better than synthetic material carpet.
Power bars are useful as you can turn them off when the appliances are not in use. This reduces phantom loads, or the energy used by appliances simply by being plugged in.
An LCD television uses less energy than plasma.
A notebook or laptop computer uses less energy than a desktop.
When purchasing or replacing office equipment, make sure you purchase ENERGY STAR rated equipment.
Energy Conservation: Washroom
You can make small changes to your washroom and they can add up to savings in both water and energy. You can literally flush money down the drain by taking long showers and flushing your toilet frequently.
Early model toilets can use up to 16L to flush. This is an unnecessary waste of water. Today’s water-efficient models use 6L of water to flush. If you are purchasing a toilet you should be able to find the tank size printed on the toilet, behind the seat or in the toilet bowl.
Low flush showerheads can save approximately 50% of water used while showering without sacrificing water pressure.
Turn down the temperature on your water heater
Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth
Use towels more than once before putting in to the laundry
Energy Conservation: Kitchen
All appliances sold these days should have an Ener Guide rating that comes clearly posted. If they are ENERGY STAR rated, they will also have a sticker.
If you use the microwave to cook instead of the oven, cooking times will be less. This will also lower your energy use.
Only open the refrigerator or freezer if you know what you are looking for.
Warm the oven for only as long as necessary to get it to the temperature you need.
When rinsing dishes, fill the sink with water and rinse that way instead of letting the water run.
Only run the dishwasher when it’s full
Install low flow faucets to reduce water consumption.
Use energy efficient light bulbs.
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