After the long hard winter we’ve had, most of us can’t wait to open all the windows in our Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and Edmonton area homes and acreages to let in that great spring air and clean out the mustiness of winter.  But before you rush off to the store to stock up on the latest expensive chemical cleaners that promise to make your home cleaner and fresher than last year’s products, consider going green this spring, just in time for Earth Day on April 22.

Long before commercial cleaning products were available, people cleaned their homes with a few simple but effective ingredients.  These products are readily available, much less toxic to people and the environment, and easy on the wallet too!  A little caution though:  These products may be (mostly) “natural” but that doesn’t mean you can go nuts with them!  Vinegar and lemon juice, for example, being acidic, will not be kind to marble; use plain water instead.

A couple of dirty little secrets about cleaning that the makers of chemical cleaning products don’t want you to know:

1. There is no magic formula or product that will make things clean.  Most cleaning comes from friction; that is, the application of good old elbow grease.
2. If you clean as you go, wiping up spills as they occur, washing off grime before it has a chance to build up, you can leave those expensive and toxic chemical cleaners on the store shelves.

Here is what you’ll need to clean green:

Baking Soda

White Vinegar

Salt

Borax

Lemon Juice

Club soda

Olive oil

Toothpaste

Rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol

Castile Soap [a plant-based soap, containing olive, palm and/or coconut oils; available from natural foods stores.  Look for Dr. Bronner’s brand.]

Microfiber cleaning cloths, sponges, lint-free rags

Glass and mirrors:

• Slightly dampened microfiber cloths work better than the blue stuff!
• Or, mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle.  Wipe with clean, lint-free rag.  (Some eco-cleaners suggest using newspaper for wiping but our experience says this just makes a mess!)
• Or, spray windows with club soda; wipe with clean, lint-free rag.

All-purpose cleaning:

• Mix vinegar with salt; scrub with sponge
• Or, pour some baking soda and vinegar on a damp sponge to clean and deodorize kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
• Plain full-strength vinegar is a great defense against mildew and its odors.  Works well on grease too.
• Another recipe:  Combine ½ cup of pure soap, such as Castile, with one gallon of hot water and ¼  cup of lemon juice
• Or try this:  Combine 1 tbsp Borax, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 cup hot water in a spray bottle to clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces.

Furniture polish:

Combine ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar and 2 tsp lemon juice in a spray bottle.  Spray liberally on wood surfaces and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Sinks and bathtubs, including tile:

• Combine equal amounts of salt and baking soda; scrub with sponge.
• Rust and other stains on porcelain can be handled by rubbing with a mixture of lemon juice and salt.
• Spray vinegar full strength on soap scum and crusted scale from hard water.  Let soak and scrub off.

Faucets: 

• Clean with toothpaste and an old toothbrush.  Rinse and wipe dry.
• Or, spray with full-strength vinegar to remove soap scum and hard water stains.

Drain cleaning:

Pour ¼ cup baking soda down the drain, followed by ½ cup vinegar.  Cover immediately, or close drain, and let sit 15 minutes.  Flush with hot water.

Toilet bowl cleaner:

• Pour 1 cup vinegar into the toilet bowl; let stand for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle baking soda onto toilet brush and scour.  Flush.
• To keep the bowl fresh, pour 1 cup of vinegar (or 1 cup of Borax) into the toilet bowl once or twice a month and let stand overnight.

Floors of all types:

Add ½ cup vinegar to a gallon of hot water.  Dirty floors may need to be scrubbed with a brush; most will only need to be mopped or wiped with a rag dampened in the mixture.  If cleaning hardwood or laminate floors, make sure your mop or rag is only slightly damp, as these types of floors don’t love excess moisture.

Hardwood floor cleaner:

Mix ½ cup lemon juice, ½ cup rubbing alcohol and ½ cup olive oil into a gallon of warm water; wipe with slightly dampened mop or rag.  This mixture also works great on wood furniture and kitchen cabinets.

Laminate floor cleaner:

Combine 1 cup vinegar, ½ cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp. mild dishwashing liquid and 1 gallon hot water; wipe with slightly dampened mop or rag.

Tips for appliances:

• Run an empty dishwasher with a cup of white vinegar to remove food residue, limescale, built up detergent and grease.
• Equal parts water and white vinegar boiled in a kettle or run through a coffee maker will remove limescale build-up.  Run another cycle using plain water to remove any trace of the vinegar.
• Burned on food, whether on pots and pans or on the floor of an oven, can be removed with baking soda.  Make a paste of baking soda and water, spread it liberally over the area to be cleaned, let sit for at least 30 minutes.  Scour and rinse.  Or, try mixing 1 part cinnamon with 6 parts salt; pour on oven spill as soon as it occurs.  Wipe clean when oven is cool.
• Oven cleaning:  Mix together 2 tsp. Borax, 4 tbsp. white vinegar, 2 cups water and 2 tbsp. castile soap in a spray bottle.  Spray all over the oven walls and floor.  Cover the wet surface with baking soda.  Follow with a second layer of your homemade cleaner.  Let sit overnight and wipe clean in the morning.
• Spills on glass stove-tops can be scoured off using baking soda and a slightly dampened sponge or non-scratching plastic scouring pad.
• Clean your microwave by combining 2 tbsp baking soda or lemon juice or vinegar with a cup of water in a bowl.  Microwave for 5 minutes or until mixture boils and condensation builds up onside the microwave.  Wipe down.
• Freshen the inside of your refrigerator by wiping it down with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and warm water.

Comments or questions about this article?  Please phone me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca or contact me here.

When it’s time to buy a house or acreage in Alberta, whether in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or elsewhere, do you choose a pre-owned home, or do you work with a builder to create a brand new model, modified to your custom specifications?  Whichever way you go, a great resource for all buyers, not just those thinking about building a home, is the Alberta New Home Warranty Program .

If you are looking to build a new home, this website can guide you through the entire process.   Click on sections entitled:

• Choose the Right Builder
• Understanding the Building Process (with emphasis on the building inspection)
• Your Warranty Coverage (explains the various consumer protections for new home buyers) and
• Finding Solutions & Settling Issues.

While the primary focus of this website is on brand new homes, all buyers can benefit from several of the publications:

• Clicking on Single Family Guidebook takes you to a publication entitled Your Purchase to Possession Guidebook.   This guidebook is loaded with details and answers every question a new home purchaser might have.
•  If your new home is a condo, click on The Way Home Condominium Guide for a road map to the purchase process from first notion, through construction, possession, and after you move in.
• The Care and Maintenance Guidebook provides a very comprehensive tour of the physical structure of a residence and what you can do to keep your home looking like new.
• For information on every aspect of the acceptable standards for “bricks and mortar” of home construction, click on the Workmanship & Material Reference Guide – great for new home buyers, but also an excellent resource for home renovators.

Questions or comments about this article, or about any aspect of purchasing a home?  I’d be happy to help.  Contact me here, phone me at 780-910-9669, or email me at barry@barryt.ca

In my business, as I travel around Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Parkland County and the Edmonton area, I see a lot of homes.  Very few of those homes, if they are currently being lived in, resemble “show homes”.  That’s because, let’s face it, living is messy.  Evidence of everyday life is everywhere, from wet towels flung over the shower in the master ensuite to children’s artwork clipped to the fridge with magnets given away by local businesses to untidy piles of unread mail atop the dining room table to empty bottles waiting to be taken to the recycle centre, along with the smells of this morning’s breakfast bacon and a cat litter box overdue for cleaning….  You get the picture!

***Given the competitiveness of today’s real estate market, it’s not enough to hang the towels neatly on a towel rack and spray the air with room deodorizer.  The fact that professional home stagers even exist suggests that having your home sell quickly and for a good price requires much more these days.***

Homebuying.about.com has this to say about Home Staging:

“Home staging is about illusions. It’s how David Copperfield would sell a house. It’s beyond decorating and cleaning. It’s about perfecting the art of creating moods. Staging makes your house look bigger, brighter, cleaner, warmer, more loving and, best of all, it makes home buyers want to buy it.

 “Contrary to what you might think, it’s about more than preparing the house for sale. Staging is what you do after you’ve cleaned, de-cluttered, painted, made minor repairs; it’s all about dressing the house for sale.

 “It’s about adding the small details: the lipstick, mascara and, for simplicity, a stunning, single strand of Tahitian pearls.”

So, how do we get from the lived-in look I described in my first paragraph to the artistry of a staged home? 

Let’s start with de-cluttering.  If the very word makes you shudder, you are not alone!  But we all know it’s a worthy activity for many reasons, even more so if the home we’re living in is about to be put on the market.

In a perfect world, de-cluttering is something we do as part of our regular routine, along with sanitizing the bathrooms and vacuuming the carpets.  For example, mail gets opened over the shredder and the trash can, with just the essentials kept for future needs (stored somewhere handy and inconspicuous).  Daily newspaper goes into the recycle bin after being read.  And so on.  But clutter has an insidious way of building up to overwhelming proportions.  Yesterday’s perfectly acceptable possessions – take VHS videotapes, for example – are, all of a sudden, today’s clutter, no longer needed, wanted or useful.  How did that happen?!

And, more to the point, what do we do about it?  Where to start?   It may help to read books and magazine articles on de-cluttering and getting organized, or to visit some of the thousands of websites that tell you why and how to do it (see a few below), or even to hire a professional organizer, but at its simplest and yet most difficult, de-cluttering is about making hard decisions.  It’s about focusing on the life lived in the space, rather than the stuff in the space.  

We are the only ones who can decide what items are trash (throw them away!), what things we no longer need or want but still have value (sell them or give them away!), and which few items we really love and need and use on a regular basis (keep them!).

Ideally, we end up with just the things that contribute to the life we want to live in small enough numbers that our home appears tidy and spacious, yet still reflects the life of the occupants.  Then, maybe, our home is ready to be staged for selling.

De-cluttering Websites:

15 Great Decluttering Tips

100 Reasons to Get Rid Of It (from Martha Stewart)

Declutter, declutter, declutter!

Declutter Forever: Home Organize It!

Decluttering for Home and Head

Fly.lady.net:  How to Declutter [this is an excellent website for all kinds of home management tasks]

Green Interior Decluttering Process

Living Gently Quarterly: Spring Decluttering

Pitch, pile or file?

The Super Easy Approach to Decluttering Your Home

Tips for Decluttering Your Home When Downsizing

Why Declutter? 

Ready to put your newly de-cluttered home on the market?  Contact me here, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or phone me at 780-910-9669.

You’ve just moved into your new home, whether in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or elsewhere, and you plan to enjoy and use your new property for many years.  The last thing on your mind at this time is the expense and aggravation of unexpected repairs.

Did you know that each element in your home has a predictable life span, an approximate time limit to a trouble-free operation?  If you know what this life expectancy is, you are in a better position to plan for the inevitable maintenance that comes with home ownership.

If the roof on your home has asphalt standard shingles, you can expect to have to replace that roof in 12 to 15 years after the home was constructed.   An asphalt premium shingle roof has more than double this life span:  15 to 30 years.  Wood shingles last only 10 to 20 years, while a slate tile roof, although much more expensive to install, is expected to last between 40 and 80 years.

What about home heating and cooling?  Most homes in Alberta have forced air furnaces for heating; 10 to 25 years is their life expectancy.  Central air conditioning will need to be repaired or replaced after 10 to 15 years, while window air conditioning may operate without problems for up to 20 years.

You might be surprised to learn that a hot water heater as young as 5 years may need to be replaced.  After 15 years, it might be a good idea to replace it simply as a precaution since that is the end of its normal expected life span.  Galvanized water pipes are expected to last between 20 and 25 years.  If you live on an acreage with a well and septic system, expect to replace your well pump after 10 years and your septic/sewer pump between 5 and 10 years.

Budget for home appliance replacement also.  Expect 5 to 12 years of use for both an automatic dishwasher and a garbage disposal.  The range in your kitchen will generally run trouble-free for 15 to 20 years.  In the laundry room, 5 to 15 years for a washing machine and 10 to 25 years for a dryer are standard.

The above information comes courtesy of Pillar to Post Home Inspections.  Click on this link from their Living with My Home website for a detailed chart showing the life expectancies of other home components, as well as approximate repair and replacement costs.

Comments or questions about this article?  Phone me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

If you are asking the question, then the answer should probably be, yes.  No one should ever advise you not to get a home inspected.   If you do decide to go ahead, make sure the home inspector has experience, training and a broad understanding of home construction and all the bits and pieces that make a house whole.   This advice holds true whether you are looking to buy a Spruce Grove or Stony Plain home, a Parkland County acreage, or property in the Edmonton region or elsewhere.

A good home inspector will spend between 2 to 4 hours (depending on the house size) inspecting the home.  He or she should have equipment such as a moisture detector, carbon monoxide detector, ladders, magnifying glasses, mirrors and other specialized equipment in order to check all areas of the home and in cracks and crannies when needed.  A thorough home inspection should give you a good overview of the general condition of the plumbing, electrical, roofing, insulation, windows, grading, drainage, the foundation where exposed, furnace, hot water tank, and general construction and condition of the home.  It is advised that you be there for most of the inspection or at least the latter half of the inspection.  That way you can see firsthand any deficiencies (minor or major) noted by the inspector.  You can also ask the inspector to look more closely at any areas that are of concern to you.

At the end of the inspection the home inspector should provide you with a report outlining his observations. He or she should also give you an overall view of the condition of the home (i.e. sub-standard, normal, above average), and recommend maintenance that should be done over time.

A house put under a magnifying glass like this will create a list of observations.  That list can sometimes seem overwhelming.  Don’t be surprised when your home inspector refers to a 25-year-old furnace as being “fully depreciated”. That doesn’t mean the furnace has to be replaced tomorrow.  If it is operating safely, it could last, with proper maintenance,   another 5 or more years.  But a 25-year-old furnace is only about 60% efficient (60% of the fuel used by the furnace is used to produce heat and the other 40% goes up the chimney). Most people nowadays replace furnaces in order to have a more efficient furnace.  The building code now requires that all new furnaces be high efficiency (90 plus percent). The home inspection needs to be put into perspective.  It should reflect, within reason, what you viewed and bargained for when you negotiated your purchase.

Although a home inspection can be used to try to re-negotiate the original purchase contract or to try to get the seller to do repairs or upgrading, this is usually the exception to the rule, reserved for bigger ticket items that a buyer would not have expected from the original viewing of the home.  Things that fall into this category could include safety issues (for example, a cracked heat exchanger on a furnace), a structural issue that you were not aware of, or such a very large list of minor deficiencies that it now represents a major expense, with the exception of a home that was known to require a lot of work, such as a “handyman special”.  There is no one answer that fits all situations, so it is always best to discuss any concerns you have with your REALTOR®.

See also “How to Pass Your Home Inspection” on BarryT.ca.

Comments or questions are always welcome!  Contact me here, phone me at 780-910-9669 or email me at barry@barryt.ca.

The single most valuable item most of us will ever own is our home, whether in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, the Edmonton area, or elsewhere.  It makes sense – and money, when it comes time to sell our property – to keep it up to date and in good repair.

Every home repair and maintenance job could be hired out to a professional tradesman.  Most of us don’t have the expertise or tools to tackle a job like replacing eavestroughs or reshingling the roof or repairing the springs on an automatic garage door opener.

But the average homeowner doesn’t always have to go to the trouble and expense of locating and employing a professional.  A little instruction and practice make many home improvement and repair jobs fairly easy and even fun to do.  One word of caution however:  If you do decide to do the job yourself, the finished product must look as though it was done by a pro!

Where do you go to get the information and help you need so you can do it yourself?

• Check out your local public library.  The do it yourself marketplace has exploded in recent years with a huge array of books, magazines and videos devoted to home improvement.  The library is a good place to find the best and most recent of these, and all for the low price of a library card.
• Visit a large bookstore like Chapters for even more information.  Flip through current issues of magazines such as
  • Canadian Home Workshop
  • Canadian Homes and Cottages
  • Canadian House and Home
  • Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement Magazine
  • The Family Handyman
  • Remodeling Magazine
  • Renovation Style Magazine (from Better Homes & Gardens)
  • and many others
• See what cable television has to offer on networks like
  • Home and Garden Television and HGTV Canada
  • DIY Canada
  • Arts and Entertainment (A&E)
  • The Learning Channel (TLC)
• Attend home shows like the Edmonton Home and Garden Show,  the Edmonton Renovation Show or the Home and Renovation Show where you can connect in person with home improvement experts, as well as local contractors and tradespeople.
• Stores like Home Depot (Home Improver Club) routinely offer workshops on topics such as installing bathroom faucets, planting a garden, replacing countertops and the like.
• And of course there’s the internet, with thousands of websites and forums devoted to every home improvement topic imaginable.  Here are a few we like:
  • Ask the Builder
  • Bob Vila
  • Canadian Tire How To
  • Do It Yourself
  • Fix It Club
  • Handyman Club
  • HIP: Home Improvement Projects
  • Home Improvement
  • Home Renovation Guide
  • Home Renovations at About.com
  • Home Repair at About.com
  • Home Thinking
  • Home Time.com
  • Home Tips
  • My Home Improvement
  • Old House Web
  • Shell Busey’s Home Improvement Library
  • Start Remodeling
  • This Old House

Did we miss anything?  Do you know of a source of good information or website that we should include in this article?

Comments or questions are always welcome!  Phone me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here. 

Learn Which Home Renovations Give You the Best Return

It’s time to sell, and you want to get as much value from your Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or Edmonton area home as possible. What home improvements will make that happen?

Most people buying a home want to move into a property that looks new. If you’ve been thinking of selling your home, you’ve probably heard the following advice. Before you put your home on the real estate market, make all necessary minor repairs. Fix that dripping faucet, oil that creaky kitchen cupboard hinge, tack down that loose carpet edge. Give your home a thorough cleaning inside and out. Wash the floors and walls (including the insides of all cupboards and closets), get the carpets cleaned, shine all the windows and mirrors, and, above all, get rid of clutter so that your home looks as spacious and welcoming as possible.

But these are mostly cosmetic touches, much like a woman’s eye shadow and lipstick when she goes out for the evening. What if your property needs the real estate equivalent of Botox injections or, worse, open heart surgery to bring it back to its brand new appearance and structure? If you invest the money to do major repairs, such as reshingling the roof, or to do major updates, like remodeling that ugly old bathroom, will you get your money back through a higher selling price?

The truth is – maybe, but more likely not. Renovating just before you sell is a risky proposition. Any improvements you make to your property may make it more attractive to buyers which may result in a faster sale – or even determine whether it sells at all. You may get a higher selling price than you would have before the renovations. But it turns out that most renovations will not increase the value of the property by 100% of the retail cost of professionally done renovations, with a couple of exceptions.

Ergil & Jackson Appraisals Ltd. (formerly Henderson & Butt) in their Home Renovation Guide include an extensive list of renovations together with the approximate cost, and the possible returns on investment in both percentages and dollar amounts. Their calculations are based on a hypothetical 1200 square foot bungalow located in the city of Edmonton and hiring out the work.

According to this guide, most renovation projects, small or large, will net you a return of only 50 to 75% of your investment.

New cedar shake shingles for your roof? Expect to lay out between $10,400 and $18,200. The return? Anywhere from 50 to 70%, or $5,200 to $12,740. Depending on the condition of the roof, it might be better to simply disclose to prospective buyers that the roof needs repair.

You’ve probably heard that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. A bathroom remodel, using standard quality new fixtures, flooring and ceramic tile, might set you back between $10,000 and $16,000. But you’ll get that back when you sell, won’t you? Not according to the guide, which says this type of renovation will bring you a return of just 60 to 80%, or between $6,000 and $12,800. Doesn’t seem worth it, does it?

And it gets worse, with some renovations giving you as low as a 0 to 10% return (adding a skylight, installing an alarm system, putting in a garburator or air conditioning). Some renovations, such as adding a sauna or an outdoor hot tub or swimming pool, might even make your property harder to sell!

So which renovations are the best compromise between making your home look its best and giving you a high return on your investment? Improvements that give you a return of at least 70% include:

•  Exterior siding of artificial masonry brick: 70 to 100%
• New roof shingles (asphalt, rubber or metal): 70 to 90%
• Average quality kitchen remodel: 70 to 85%
• New furnace: 75 to 90%
• In-suite laundry added to condominium: 95 to 100%
• Electrical service upgrade: at least 90%
• Garage: 70 to 100%

Saving the best for last:
There is one renovation that will give you your money back, and then some. Good old-fashioned paint, one of the easiest and cheapest renovation projects, especially if you do it yourself, could give you back up to 110% of your investment. Watch for painting instructions and tips in future blog entries.

Check out Ergil & Jackson’s other suggestions and advice.

***A word of caution about renovations in general: Remember that, whether you hire someone or do it yourself, the finished product must always look as though a professional did the work. If you are thinking about renovating before you sell, talk to your realtor about the kind of return you can expect for all your hard work.

For more tips on selling your home, visit the Sellers Guide section of my website.

Comments or questions are always welcome! Email me at barry@barryt.ca, call me at 780-910-9669 or contact me here.

So it’s time to sell your Spruce Grove home or Stony Plain real estate in Parkland County.

You should do well considering the unprecedented property appreciation in the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County area over the last few years.

When getting ready to sell, there are things you need to think about. When in a buyer’s market, you need to be the best priced and best home for the money on the market. Your home needs to show well which means clutter free and well kept.

Most home buyers are already over committed and may not be looking for a home that needs major repairs or improvements upon moving (not counting having the money available to do repairs, especially first time home buyers). Take a look at your home as if you were in the market to buy. The following are a few ideas and hints to help you maximize the amount of money you can get for your home.

How does your home look from the street?

That is where prospective buyers will be when they first look at your home and form that all important first impression. Try some of the following:

• remove clutter from your yard;
• consider buying some potted plants to make your yard more eye appealing. Mow your lawn regularly. Pick up after your pets;
• clean your windows and siding;
• ensure your eaves are clear and in good repair;
• do any necessary painting, staining and sealing;
• do your outside lights work, replace any burnt out bulbs;
• do you have wood trim around your house, paint or stain if required;

Now let’s go indoors.

You want a buyer to see a neat, clean, well lit interior. Get clutter out of sight (you never want a house to feel smaller than it is). Ensure carpets are clean and floors are scrubbed and polished and that walls and baseboards show clean and bright. Make sure lights work and are free of cobwebs. You want your home to look spacious, bright and fresh.

• check stairs for loose boards, ripped carpeting, missing or loose handrails;
• ensure doors open and shut properly;
• make sure closets look spacious and organized;
• keep furniture to a minimum so that rooms do not appear smaller than they are.

Take a sniff. Are there any unpleasant odors in your home? If so track them down and eliminate them.

If you have a lot of family memorabilia, consider thinning it out or start packing it.  Remember, you are moving. You want prospective buyers to see themselves living in your home. That mental picture becomes more difficult for them if your house resembles a shrine to you and your family.

Kitchens and Bathrooms

Two of the most important rooms in the home are kitchens and bathrooms.

• clean all appliances, including your oven. Clean or replace your greasy stove hood filters.
• clean your cabinets inside and out, as well as your backsplash. Repair leaking faucets.
• remove items stored on countertops. Remove excess items stored under your sink.
• remove anything stored on top of your refrigerator;
• remove artwork and magnets from your refrigerator;
• in bathrooms, scrub sinks, tubs and toilets;
• clean mirrors, light switch plates;

Basement

Your basement should be clean and not cluttered. If your basement is damp or musty consider a dehumidifier. Check the grading around your house. If the grade slopes toward the house you may want to look at adding a clay based fill to encourage water to drain away from the house. Check your downspouts and ensure they are moving water well away from your home. Most water problems in a basement are due to poor drainage. Change the filter to your furnace. If you have cats ensure the litter box is clean before all showings.

Garage

Make sure you attend to the garage as well. It should also be clutter free. Get rid of old car parts, discarded bicycles, empty paint cans and the hundreds of useless items that accumulate in garages.

Show Time

Now it is time to show your home. You will need a plan of action that assigns duties to each family member so that your house can be quickly ready for showing.

1. open all drapes, blinds and turn on lights to make the house bright;
2. air out the house to get rid of any odors from cooking, pets, etc;
3. pick up clutter and empty garbage;
4. make everything as clean as possible;
5. set your thermostat at a comfortable level;
6. try to remove pets from the house;
7. leave when your house is being shown;
8. display photos of house in summer if your house is being shown in winter months;
9. leave out heating and electric bills;

We all have busy lives and don’t normally live as the above would suggest. But when selling, the above suggestions have proven successful in helping sell homes quicker and for more money. You may not be able to accomplish all of the above suggestions, but if you do, you will realize thousands of dollars more for your effort.

Property to sell?  I’d love to help.  Call me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.