I have had the pleasure of meeting a local author Carla Johnson in the past year.  She happened to see me and my car with my company logo on it while I was driving around town. Since I am in the home staging business and she is a real estate photographer she decided to give me a call.

Well, Carla is a bubbly, energetic and positive person and we hit it off right from the start. Before I knew it she was developing another book – BUT not in real estate or photography but a cook book.

Now this is no ordinary book. Cooking With Sin is exactly what the title says – cooking with alcohol.  Who wouldn’t love that.

Carla did not stop there. She added another layer of interest to this book. She decided not to write a plain old boring book, which judging by the title it is anything but plain or boring, she decided to make sure the recipes had a story to them. I mean, after all, food and conversation go hand in hand.

Carla recently did an interview with Rogers TV where you can hear all about this amazing book Cooking With Sin.  You really should go check it out.

Great job Carla!

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Home buyers are very picky when choosing their new home and they can be with the abundance of homes for sale on the market.  This means that they will be passing judgment.  Are they looking for errors/needed repairs or are they looking for perfection?

Homeowners want the best their money can buy.  And you can bet if they find anything wrong with your home they will knock a couple of $1000 off the asking price just because it isn’t perfect. At a blink of an eye they can discard your home from their list and move on.

Let’s take a look at all the tests your home needs to pass before the final score. Read the rest of this entry »

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I was watching the premiere of The Bachelor on CityTv last night and I have to say the women were stunning.  It got me thinking, how do they ensure that Brad Womack, The Bachelor, will keep them around for another night when there are 30 women for him to choose from.   Especially on the first night when he has very limited time to spend one on one with any of them.

I was amazed at the creativity that some of the women had to make that critical first impression. There was one that wore sparkling ruby shoes like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, one lowered the window just enough to summons him over to open the door for her and another who ran to him as soon as she stepped out of the limo and jumped into his arms.  And there were many more.

What is interesting is that if you go back to the very first episode the women stepped out of the limo, walked over to the Bachelor and introduced themselves.  That was it!

Now that we have seen a few episodes, the women have learned that they have to do something original and different to get noticed.  It doesn’t always mean that they stay for another night, but they do have a better chance than the women who are quietly hoping that the little time they have with him on that all important first night is enough to carry them through.  There are just too many beautiful women, too many options.

This is no different when you are selling your home.   The competition is fierce.  It used to be that when you were ready to sell, you called an agent and the sign went on the lawn.   Buyers were willing to put in the effort to improve their new home and they were staying longer.

Times have changed and now it is  important that sellers change as well to meet the expectations of the buyer. Home buyers do not have the time or patience to have to think about what the home may look like if it had furniture in it or if the walls had a better colour on them.   They have too many choices to even bother.   They move on to the next house.   They want a move in ready home, one that they could make changes to if they wanted to.

It doesn’t have to take a lot to get your home in tip top shape for buyers. Make sure it looks good overall, clean, spacious with all repairs done.   It also isn’t about spending a lot of money, but it is about the details.  You can be creative in making a lasting impression.

If you need to sell your home think about The Bachelor show and how on the first night so many women really put themselves out there to get noticed. You do not have a lot of time to capture your buyers attention so make it count!!

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I was reading an article from the Port Jefferson Patch that caught my attention.  It said that “for the serious home seller, December is becoming more popular“.  In the past, the winter months, specifically around the holiday season, listing a home for sale has been a turn off for most home sellers.  It can be viewed as a hassle and it is thought that not as many buyers will come to take a look at their home.

In reality though, if people are out looking for homes at this time of year, they really need to find one so they are in effect more serious about their home shopping.   The article points out that “when selling your home, it’s the quality of the buyer you need for a successful sale, not the quantity“.  I agree with this comment and if you set up your home to WOW viewers you will have a better chance of getting your home sold.

This is a different perspective to our common train of thought.  The positive aspect of selling at this time of year is that you have less competition.  If a buyer is looking for a home and they have 5 to choose from instead of 10 or even 15 you have a better chance of selling in these difficult months.  If you also put your best foot forward and properly prepare your home to sell, by utilizing a home stager you increase the likelihood of your home being chosen.  I think of the phrase “pick me, pick me” and the best of the bunch will be picked.  It is in your favour that there is less to pick from.

There are always circumstances that force people to move and we can’t put off moving just because it is winter or the holidays.  I think there is a misperception that moving during the holidays will be difficult. Sure there is the cold weather and snow to deal with, but you can make it work.

Here are a few positive reasons to buy and sell during the winter or the holidays:

• more moving companies available and for you to choose from and possibly a discount for moving during the slower months

• you can look at moving in December as a new start, a new year and a new house

• there are less homes on the market so less competition that you are up against

• the quality of the buyer is higher – they are more serious

• if you have kids they have a 2 week break in their schedule and it is a break that allows them to adjust to a new school

Moving is a pain, no matter what time of year you do it.  It is a disruption in your life, but it is all in your perception.  Selling your home in the slower months can be a beneficial and positive experience.  Take a look at all the reasons that selling in the winter is a bad idea or a negative and turn them into positives – use them to your advantage.  When you look at the bigger picture and you keep focused on the outcome everything will work out.

I hope this gives you a different perspective on what is thought to be a bad time of year to list your home.

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Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. and although I’m Canadian it just moves me when I hear stories of people coming together, communities.

When I lived in the U.S. for a year I felt alone and away from my family.  For my Canadian family and friends, they had already celebrated Thanskgiving so it wasn’t a day that really crossed their mind as different.  For us, everyone around us was celebrating and we felt out of place.

There was a family who invited us over to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.  I was surprised and so touched that this family, who didn’t know us that well opened their homes to us on such a special day.  They knew we were not from their country and therefore did not have family close by.  It will be a day I will never forget.

So on this day, take pause and think about all that you are thankful for in your life.  I am not talking about the big things, I’m talking about all the little things, all the things that get missed because they seem too small to even mention.

Although my son has special needs and I can sit here and talk about all we struggle with, there is so much in my life that I appreciate and which makes me smile.

My hope is that I can make a difference to anyone out there who needs a reason to smile.  You matter and you make a difference in life. You may not see it right now, but focus on the positive, the little things and you will see it.

Being in the negative, seeing only the negative will keep you there.  Negativity is everywhere, but so is the positive.  We need to make a choice which one will capture our attention and that is what really makes the difference.

This is what I can do – what can you do?

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I was watching Renovation Realities today, which is pretty unusual for me (to be watching television at all). I have never seen the show before and all I can say is WOW!

The guy on the show wanted a “man space” in his home so he decided he was going to take over the garage. I thought it was a great idea – until I heard he has never tackled a home improvement project before AND he doesn’t own any power tools. He called a friend to help and away they went (and the friend had no experience either – yikes!).

I was shaking my head in disbelief the whole time. The homeowner decided he wanted a window on one side of the garage. He purchased one, had two friends hold it up on the wall and he eyeballed where he wanted it. Then out came the power tool to cut open the wall.

They had no idea how to finish it once it was in so they called a friend. While explaining the next step the friend was talking about the stud and the homeowner had no idea what he was talking about and said – please speak english.

The other blunder I chuckled over was when they tried to staple the pink insulation to the wall. They were frustrated that it was too thick for the staple to go in. As far as I know insulation needs to placed gently between the wall studs in order for it to do the job it is meant to do.

Finally, they ran out of steam and did not complete the job. I think this is quite common when renovating.

So why am I commenting on this show? Well, with any home improvement project you do it is important to know your skill level. Know when you can do it yourself and when to call in the pros. I am all for saving money when making improvements to your home, but not at the expense of a lower quality job.

If you have no intentions of selling your home in the near future you end up regretting that you tackled the job on your own in the first place. You also don’t increase the value of your home. If you are selling, you either need to bring the workmanship up to a higher quality level or take an even bigger hit in a price reduction.

If you have had a similar do it yourself disaster or have seen the aftermath of one that someone else did, please leave a comment about your story.

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On my last post I talked about some of the common painting challenges. I was watching Colour Confidential the other night and saw Jane Lockhart decorate a room BLACK. It was absolutely stunning. You can check out the before picture at Colour Confidential along with many more beautiful rooms.

You may think that dark colours make a room look smaller. In fact, it is the high contrast in a room that makes it feel this way. Now, even if your teenager asks for a black room, you don’t need to go into a cold sweat about how you are going to tackle this one.

For this couple Jane gave them a master bedroom that was romantic, made it possible to keep the room dark for sleeping and was elegant. She used turquoise as an accent colour for the bedding and also used white in just the right proportions to add visual interest to the space.

So, if you are afraid to use black, don’t be. When it is used correctly it can have dramatic results.

I would love if you would share any of your experiences painting with black. Leave a comment in the box below.

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I watched the new show called The Nate Berkus Show and what a fabulous show . It is all about decorating your home. So many homeowners have difficulty making decorating and design decisions in their home and they don’t want to spend money on hiring a decorator. Here are a few common questions regarding painting.

Painting a Room Black – Black can be very dramatic in a space as long as you have enough natural light. It adds drama to the room and can be very interesting.

Painting Wood Floors – You can save so much money doing this. Talk to the experts about the process and don’t be afraid just because no one else is doing it. You can even do a design like a border which adds interest.

White rooms make a room look larger – If everything in the room is white including the ceiling there is no where for the eye to start and stop. It doesn’t necessarily make it look larger. Colour in a room adds interest, personality and life, so don’t be afraid of it.

Painting Hardware – You can paint it however, since hardware gets so much use it will also take a lot of abuse. So you have to ask yourself the question are you willing to live with the scratches or the constant upkeep that will be required?

Painting Brick – I love the look of a painted fireplace. It can really update your room. As always, as long as you do it properly by doing the prep work it can really revive your old fireplace. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that it is practically irreversible. Once the brush hits the brick there is no going back. As long as you are okay with this then go for it.

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Whether you are buying or selling your home it can be exciting yet a challenging time. My hope is that I can help you navigate some of the decisions you need to make.  There are so many options that most people do not consider and I want to bring to light some of these options.

When selling your home I feel it is so important to prepare it to go on the market.  Taking the time and effort to ensure your home is the best it can be will give you a better chance of a faster sale and a higher price.  Home staging is fast becoming the greatest marketing strategy for selling your home.

For some you may want to consider dealing with a real estate investor.  These individuals are very creative with their offers and for the most part their goal is to create a win-win situation. They will listen to what you want and try to accommodate your goals.

If you are wanting to buy a home and you don’t have enough of a down payment there is also rent to own programs.  It allows you to live in a home that you can call your own all while putting money towards the down payment so that when the time comes you can get a mortgage.

There are also homes that you can move into with a lower monthly rental fee on the condition that you will do the necessary repairs on the home.  Once the repairs are complete the home can be yours at a discount. You are able to work for the equity in the home.

And one of my favourite tidbits that not many people are aware of is using what is in your RRSP’s to finance someones mortgage.   Essentially you are the bank and therefore you earn a higher rate of return than if you had it in a managed account.

I am so excited about real estate and the opportunities that it can hold for you, no matter your situation. I believe there is a solution to everyone’s real estate problem.  It s just a matter of finding the right solution for YOU!

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