Jack of all Trays
If you have a counter in the bathroom or kitchen that has a lot of little containers, collect them and put them on a tray. Your eye sees many little things such as tissues, cotton ball container and a soap pump as three things BUT if they are on a tray, they look like one item and less cluttered to the eye.
The photo was taken in my kitchen. I put the paper towel holder, the kleenex container (see the black item on the left), salt and pepper grinders, the dogs’ treat bowl and one or two little bags of treats all in that little tray. It has freed up counter space and looks organized. In addition to this tray, I also have three on the kitchen table – one for the condiments and serviettes and one for my husband and me (we put all those little things in them that just seem to float around the house like the mail, receipts, reading glasses, etc.
Collect and organize your clutter.
Hamburgers Served at My Last Open House
I wanted to make something fun for my Open House last Sunday. I normally have a small bowl of lifesaver mints (individually wrapped) and some packets of Red Zinger tea. Just a bit boring. I found a recipe for cookie hamburgers. Basically, a box of Nilla cookies, a can of icing, red and green food colouring, big shreds of coconut and some little chocolate chocolate-chip cookies. What took me the most time – finding the right little ‘hamburger” cookies.
Hand to the good book (Paula Deen’s cookbook where the basic ingredient of EVERY recipe is butter or cream or both), I have never bought a can of icing in my life. Can’t say I would do it again but this was for fun and for others so….
This photo is close to how my hamburgers looked – I omitted the sesame seeds and didn’t make the mustard icing – just used the plain vanilla to make it look like mayo.
I ended up with 40 cookies. I then individually wrapped each cookie in parchment paper. I live with someone who will not eat food made by unknown sources (except of course in restaurants). An aside – he will not nibble at Price Club nor will he buy all those terrific jams, jellies, candies, etc at the big craft sales.
I digress: The hamburgers were a hit. I think it helped when I said that they were actually cookies – they looked like the real thing – AND that I had made them. At least the visitors had met the ‘cook’. Of course you got the cookie on the way out. I did not want bits of coconut scattered about the house with a trail of crumbs where the visitors walked.
It helps to have some fun while you work. Hamburgers at an Open House was fun to do.
Photo credit: burgers
If you are blessed with deep window wells ………. Add Flowers
Most construction in North America does not lend itself to deep window wells. Now, if your home was 300 years old or more, then the walls would be thick and the window wells deep. If you have your home for sale, think of adding flowers, hanging, flower boxes or on your exterior window sills.
Being the horrible wretch that I am, I had to add the signature and the location.
Hope you like this collage.
Barney and Barbie – Together at Last
Sometimes you cannot eradicate Barbie pink and Barney purple when putting your house on the market. The turmoil with the children may be too great. I listed a home that had two little girls. Yes, Barney and Barbie were cohabiting in that house. OMG. It would have made a home stager happy to get his or her hands on Barney’s cave and Barbie’s house. It was difficult to look at those rooms (no photos were included in the listing) BUT we posted a little sign outside the rooms saying that they would be painted before the new owners’ took possession.
If this happened again, I would also add the paint chip of the colour that the room would be painted. While we had no problems with the sale (and in fact the new owners didn’t want the rooms painted!!!!) why toy (LOL) with a possible disagreement.
Wave adieu to Barney and Barbie with your paint brush.
Photo credit: Purple like Barney
Itsy bitsy spider
Almost every house in Ottawa has resident spiders. It seems our winter weather draws them indoors. Now, I have been in homes in almost every province and in a number of states and guess what – spider webs. Maybe like cockroaches, these bugs will last centuries.
Your job, before putting your house on the market and then before people come to view your house, it to take a broom and wipe down all the cob webs. Favourite spider places are corners and in and around light fixtures. Sure, they are invisible, until you turn on the lights and then – YIKES!!!
Make sure you do your best to catch and release the spiders to the great outdoors.
Now go outside and look for spider webs by the front and back doors and near the outdoor lights.
This photo is one that I took on my front verandah. That spider was waiting for lunch and I was wanting to sit and read on the verandah. Imagine the skill it took to weave that web!
Arachnophobia could cause “your-house-aphobia”.
Photo credit: Oh, what tangled webs we weave.
As the curtain falls
It is spring moving into summer. Now is the time to make your home full of light with a clean airy feeling.
You want to get the final applause on your home. It is time to sell, sell, sell. Spring – peak market time.
Take down heavy floral drapes and replace with sheers that will let in the light. Update the window treatments at a reasonable price with ready made sheers, roman blinds or bamboo rollers.
If you are going to spend a bit of money to help sell your home, look for attractive rods and finials. It is a small detail that Buyers notice.
Be ready to take a final bow.
Photo credit: Curtains
Decisions, decisions
If you were a rich man,
You could build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen,
Right in the middle of the town.
A fine tin roof with real wooden floors below.
There would be one long staircase just going up, And one even longer coming down,
And one more leading nowhere, just for show.
But until you are rich, keep your house decisions simple and saleable.
Don’t fiddle around with your future.
Attending My First House Auction
Attending My First House Auction (edit/delete) There is always a first time for everything. Yesterday, I attended my first house auction. Now, I could be tempted to buy things but buying a house at an auction wasn’t on my or any of my clients’ list. A colleague asked me if I wanted to see the fun of an auction so off I went. Here is what happened:
-
The auction started at 10:00 AM on a Saturday
- The auctioneer was William Joynt from Smith Falls, Ontario (along with his crew)
- Anyone wishing to bid on the house or the household effects had to sign in and get a number
- You could pay for things with cash or recognized credit cards but payment had to be made right away
- You could take things with you or, if not able to lug home the furniture, the auctioneer and estate manager was willing to make arrangements for pick-up later in the day or week.
- Unlike some rural auctions where the land goes first, in this case all of the household effects were sold first.
- Do you know that some things are not worth even a dollar? When no one would bit, the auctioneer added another box of things.
- Very few things went for over a few dollars except some of the furniture and a couple of antique glass items.
- The house was going up for bid after 12 noon so about that time a few men showed up that looked like Realtors or property developers.
- The man sitting next to me on the retaining wall had given an early CMA on the property. We started to chat and he missed getting the listing by a few days. Sigh for him.
- I told him that I thought the reserved bid would be around $400,000 but that the place could go as high as $600,000. It was my own wag (wild a– guess).
- There was very little bidding as the auctioneer started at an extremely high price. He kept going down until he got to around $600,000. I believe there were one or two bids. The successful bidder got the home and land (corner lot 100′ X 90′) for under $650,000.
- This was not a sale through a real estate brokerage. No commission was going to be paid to agents with buyers. I bet, if I drive by that location in 18 months, there will be three or four townhomes built on the property and each will be selling for around $800,000. Why? The house was in a VERY desirable neighbourhood and the home sitting on the property was very old and in very bad shape. The sale was for the land and the highest and best use is multiple units.
What fun!!! You don’t have to buy to live vicariously.
Now, for the next auction, I might just sign in and get a paddle or number.
Email as a House Marketing Tool
On Sunday, in Chapter 12of the saga of House Seller Mark, I mentioned an email that Sellers could send out to friends and relatives letting them know that the house was for sale and their help selling it would be appreciated. I received an email from an AR member asking if I could send her a sample. I was happy to do this. So, for those who wondered what that email would look like here is a really rough draft that would be tailored for the individual Seller’s network, home, community, etc.
A couple of tips on this email:
- Key – The email includes a call to action
- Key – Keep it short (no one reads long emails anymore)
- Key – Give a link to the MLS or add a colourful and factual feature sheet as an attachment
- Key – Make sure the Sellers indicate that you are the person to contact.
- Key – Try to include something personal in the email and, if possible, a line for the recipient like: Now that we are leaving, will you finally share your secret for growing chrysanthemums.
I hope this sample email helps Sellers with marketing their home.
Oops – my proofreading skills are bad. I missed the word “this” in the last line of the email. I apologize.
Wired Up for a Sale
The challenge of flat screen televisions, especially those hung on walls and above the fireplace is what to do with all the cables. You will have the electric cord, the cable cord and maybe the DVD player cord. Okay, maybe there is the satellite cord with a PVR. It is not a pretty sight. Those cords dangle down from the TV cross the wall and snake over to the machines and outlets.
Depending on your budget, the solutions include wireless cable, covering the cords by running them through a channel mounted on the wall, drilling into the wall and running the cords behind the wall or, if on brick, digging out a bit or mortar and wedging the cables in between the bricks (I don’t like this option). You may need a combination of these. All of them cost a bit of money and or effort but will improve the appearance of the wall mounted TV enormously.
De-tangle a home sale with a well installed television.
Photo credit: Mimi’s TV
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: 613-859-7759 Click here to contact Valerie by Email at:
OrganiZinger@gmail.com-
