Listing your Ottawa Home - Things Buyers Will Notice #17
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Children
Not that children are lined up to be viewed but that all the paraphernalia that is synonymous with children is open for viewing.
Recently my Buyers and I were looking at a home that was immaculate in every nook and cranny. Based on the two children’s bedrooms, it was apparent that there was a pre-schooler and a baby living in the house. Both rooms were wonderfully decorated - not too many items, not too many toys strewn about and no smelly baby things. What was more wondrous was the family room. There were no toys in sight. Just when we thought the people did not have fun, we found the toys stacked neatly in the cupboard under the stairs. The house had been cleaned and staged for an Open House. Still!!!
There were baby proof items such as the spinning door knob covers and the kitchen cupboard door latches in the house. All other items related to children (such as that ever present net with $500 of bath toys hung over the tub) were boxed and put away. It was amazing.
My Buyers were not planning to have children. In other houses we had seen, the toys and heaps of children’s laundry were ever present. Not in this place. It was immediately possible for the Buyers to see themselves living in the home and to see that, with only painting the two children’s rooms, this house could become their haven.
We made an offer to buy the home.
Photo credit: Shelf System for Toys @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendycopley/2354794207/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Selling or Buying in Ottawa - How to avoid unwanted advice.
Ask for advice only if you want to hear other people’s opinions.
- Not everyone is an expert but everyone has bought or sold or is contemplating buying or selling a house. They all have something to say. Valuable? You will have to determine the value.
- Listen to your real estate sales representative. Listen to the building inspector. Listen to the mortgage lender and to the insurance company. Listen to your mother and dad, if they are coughing up the cash. Try not to listen to the barista at Starbucks or the guys at your lunch table.
- Listen to those people you respect and who you consider to have some expertise. For everyone else, be polite but ignore them.
- At the very end of the day, it is you who will be living in the house and paying for it. If you can hear your heart and head use that information to help you with your decision.
Trust yourself.
Photo credit: Advice @ Flickr http://flickr.com/photos/wurzle/659315/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Phone 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing your Ottawa Home - Things Buyers Will Notice - #16
THINGS FOR SALE IN THE HOUSE
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
Several years ago I was a buyer looking for a new home. At one location, the huge basement had been converted into an artist’s studio. It was a home in Alta Vista, a rambling bungelow with a basement the same size as the ground floor. After touring the first floor (a disappointment as no renovations had been made to keep the home current), we 
descended to the basement. Not only was there studio space but each and every wall was hung with paintings with price tags attached. There must have been six or seven rooms with paintings on the walls. I can only assume that 1) the owner was running a full time gallery from the basement; or 2) having the house for sale meant visitors so the owner hung the pictures with prices to market the paintings to visiting home buyers. In any case, it was confusing, distracting and almost all of our time in the house was spent evaluating the painter’s skills. (The photo is from the 2008 Ottawa annual Art in the Park event. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the work of local artists and not in their homes.)
Years later, I was hosting an Open House. Strategically situated by the front door was a price list of all of the furniture available for sale in the home. One piece was spectacular and, almost without fail, visitors were drawn to look at, touch and discuss this piece of furniture. I am sure that, like the paintings, buyers were unable to focus purely on the house.
If you are selling your home and need to sell some of the contents, make sure that you separate the one sale from the other. Buyers can be easily distracted. It is easier to make decisions on items under a couple of hundred dollars than a home for several hundred thousand dollars.
Photo credit: Arts in the Park 2008 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ming2046/2562180598/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Ontario ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing Your Ottawa House - Things Buyers May Notice - #15
THE SMELL OF PAINT AND VERATHANE
As I go out with Buyers looking at houses and host Open Houses on Sundays, there are things buyers seem to repeatedly notice. This series looks at the good and the not-so-good things that buyers have noticed.
A buyer and I were visiting a number of homes one afternoon in the spring. One home was empty and we were able to get in with very little advanced notice. Well!!! After the owner moved out, he or she painted the walls and refinished the floors. This could have been a good thing but…. We were unable to stay in the home for more than 5 minutes becuase the fumes were overpowering. When I mentioned this to the listing agent, he indicated that he thought all of the fumes would have disappaited by the time of the visit. Ha. I have no idea how long ago the paint and verathane were applied but it was not a home ready to see and buy.
If you are going to improve your home before selling, please ensure that all the off gases / fumes / smells are gone before letting people in to view.
Don’t try to sell a toxic smell site.
Photo credit: IMG_0189 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/11988206@N05/2607022211/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Am I obsessed with Ottawa doorways?
I talked about painting your front door and then I gave you what are my top three things to do, after painting the door. Now, I find that I have so much more to say about the stuff that we seem to love putting in and around our doorway.
New doorknocker. Do you need a doorknocker? I know that you can get some fun knockers (see the Doorbell Factory) but… If you have one already, okay. If not, think about how much clutter do you want on and around your front door. What happens if it is Christmas time and you have hung a wreath on the front door and it covers half of the knocker and looks like one more bit of clutter that you have added? Repeat: simple, simple, simple.
Door Knob -Polish the doorknob. If it is old and the metal is wearing thin, you might want to buy a new door knob. You will want to keep the style of the other “door jewels” and the same metal. It would really look odd to have a mail box, kick-plate, door knocker, doorbell, welcome sign, etc all in different metals in different styles, 
all making your eyes bleed from too much to see.
New Kick-plate and Welcome Mat - If you must - then remember to polish or replace the kick-plate and ensure that the Welcome Mat is clean and no debris has accumulated under and around the mat. In this picture, there are three kickplates attached to the door. This door, in addition to shedding a few pounds of plate, would be greatly enhanced with a lick of paint. BTW - have we all stopped sweeping the front doorway?
Finally, two more things that are useless or a waste of your money.
A Welcome Sign - Yikes, I will say no more.
Anything with your name on it - on the mailbox, on the mat, on the door or anywhere where the new owner will have to have it removed. The house is no longer about you but about the buyer seeing him/herself living at the house.
Don’t be a door fool. Clean and Simple is the Rule.
Photo credit: Gtown at Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/69168456/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Ottawa House Hunting - The Ottawa Real Estate Board MLS Internet
The public increased their visits to the OREB Internet Site during the month of May 2008, compared to May 2007. The statistics indicate, that increasingly, people are shopping for their dream home and checking out on house prices via the internet. This tool supports the search. I encourage you to visit http://orebweb2.oreb.ca/index.shtml
| Month of May 2008 | Month of May 2007 |
Members of the Public Visiting OREB 221,594 184,784
Searches on property details 1,944,290 1,462,473
Searches done on Open House details 40,957 32,342
These statistics are provided by the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB).
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Three More Things to do to Your Ottawa Front Door Before Listing
Continuing on an earlier blog about painting your front door, I would like to add three more things for you consider doing to the front door before listing.
For your front doorway - if you add a couple of these things you will make a significant impact. Remember, buyers will step into your home through the front door and this and your front yard are where you are making the first impression. Some of these little improvements will cost less than $50.00 but will make an impact of $100s.
I like this picture. You can see the house numbers, the mailbox is new (even if the old one is still stuck in the corner), there are flowers and the glass looks clean. The stairs are wide and debris free. If this house were for sale, the entrance would welcome in a buyer who would have positive feelings before entering.
New doorbell. Start by making sure that the bell works. I ring the doorbell at each house that I visit with my clients. I am not testing if the doorbell works (I just don’t want to walk into a house with the owner coming out of the shower). If the bell doesn’t work, we will know this and start judging your home, before we have stepped over the threshold. Now that it works, you can pump of the house appeal with a funky new bell the ringer and the sound. I know you love your pug but a pug doorbell may not be to everyone’s taste, nor will the false barking or the Battle Hymn of the Republic. If you go to Preston Hardware or other stores with special hardware you can spend hours deciding on how to jewel up your door. I found the Doorbell Factory website that allows you the fun of shopping from your computer. While based in Texas, it appears that the company will ship to Canada. There are lots of wonderful bells available. Just remember, you will be leaving it behind and it will have to appeal to a group of buyers that you have never met. Be careful.
Mail box. Look at your mailbox. Even if your mail is delivered to the central box, you likely have a mailbox by your door for flyers and newspapers. If the box is rusting, lid does not close, newspaper holder is bent and the box looks cheap, please replace it. Again, this is part of the first impression of your house. While we are on the topic of mail, if you hate flyers and have pasted a sign on your door or mailbox discouraging people from leaving flyers, remove it now. I want your house to look welcoming and a negative message from you, in print, right at the door is not a good idea. You want us to think that you and, by extension, your house are loving, welcoming and warm.
House Numbers. It is so important that we can find your house. Are your house numbers visible? Are they large enough to see from the street. Please do not leave rusty little numbers hidden under the mailbox. For a few dollars, you can buy and install some nice big house numbers that are appealing and the buyer can see.
Make a good first impression.
Photo credit Front door @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideonstrauss/2480910923/in/photostream/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email valeriezinger@royallepage.ca
The Door to Your Ottawa House Listing
Paint your door. What? Paint wood? Most men will think that you will be struck dead from painting a wood door (or any wood in the house for that matter) but…
Consider painting your front door. When I was in Ireland I fell in love with the doors painted in high gloss primary colours. What a treat!!!! You are going to / living in the house with the yellow (or red, or green or blue) door. From a long line of row houses, it will be apparent which one is yours by the colour of the door. In Ottawa, where row houses are so popular, where builders have built every house on the block or neighbourhood, you might want a way to distinguish your home from others. Get together with your neighbours and think of painting each door a different colour. Imagine the impact! Think of what fun it would be to take your door to a new level of interest with bright red or yellow or green. Here is a collage of pictures of what this could look like…… Okay, there are not that many houses with eyebrow windows over the door in Canada but in Ireland and maybe on your street ….
All right, maybe the primary colours are not going to work but… you can step away from the white metal door or bland wood door and into a world of some colour. The people at the paint shops can give you help in choosing colours. Remember - If you are going to paint your door, be ready for the comments from your neighbours and do as professional a job with the primer and paint as you can. Have some fun. After all, it is just a door to your house and not the entrance to the Louvre. Okay, one caveat, if you are living in a house with an historical designation you may not be able to apply your creativity to colour choices but then, you already know that.
Photo credit: Irish Doors @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbos/172238979/
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Listing - Fourth Avenue, The Glebe - $849,000
Thanks to Luigi Aiello of the Royal LePage Gale office, my name was on a listing for this large semi-detached house in the Glebe. Unfortunately, our listing expired before the home was sold.
Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca
Ottawa House Hunting - What is moving in the Glebe
For the period January 1 through May 31, 2008, the following listings and sales were recorded on the Ottawa Real Estate Board multiple listings:
| Residential Properties – Detached (69), Row (5), Semi(18) |
| 92 Listings Available |
| 54 Sold |
| 3 Conditionally Sold |
| 35 Active |
| For the 54 properties sold: |
| The average number of days on the market was 35 with a range from 2 to 226 days |
| The average price paid was $579,525 with a range from $275,00 to $1,075,000 |
| The average Sell Price to List Price ratio was 98% |
| Condominium Properties - Apartments (22) |
| 22 Listing Available |
| 8 Sold |
| 0 Conditionally Sold |
| 14 Active |
| For the 8 properties sold: |
| The average number of days on the market was 41 with a range from 9 to 88 days |
| The average price paid was $535,363 with a range from $306,000 to $695,000 |
| The average Sell Price to List Price ratio was 98% |
| Multiple Family Dwellings - 3 |
| 3 Listing Available |
| 3 Active |
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Welcome
My name is Valerie Zinger. I am a Realtor in Ottawa. I look forward to listing your property or helping you find your home.
Phone: 613-723-5300 Click here to contact Valerie by Email at:
vzinger@royallepage.ca -
