Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #25 – Bathtub Mould and Mildew

I have been going out house shopping with a Buyer who has a professional cleaning background.  In each house the Buyer pulled back the shower curtain or opened the shower doors and checked for mould and mildew around the tub or shower stall.  While the Buyer was fully prepared to scrub the new house from top to bottom after getting possession, the evidence of mould and mildew was more than the Buyer was prepared to have.   The Buyer recommended using bleach to get rid of the spores. 

I found instructions on eHow giving a step by step process to get rid of the mould.  My Buyer suggested testing a bit of bleach on the tub or shower stall.  Some acrylic material turns a bit yellow when exposed to bleach.  If this happens, try using Comet (in the green can), made into a bit of paste.  Leave it on and then using a brush, scrub the Comet off after an hour or so.   

While a previously owned house is not new, Sellers should work very hard to get the house as clean and presentable as possible.  A Buyer wants a clean house as a minimum requirement.  

 Photo credit:  Shower curtain @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimpenfish/30700126/

Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice # 24 – Painted Cupboard Doors

I have recently been in homes where the kitchen cupboards have been painted.  What is interesting is that the good paint work done on a home selling for about $850,000 seemed a quick fix for old cupboards that should have been replaced by the owner before selling.  For close to a million dollars, one would expect a really nice kitchen and that would include good quality cupboards.  Would it have cost the owner a lot? Well, the house eventually sold but it took over a year and my guess is that the kitchen cupboards were part of the reason for the lack of an earlier sale.  

On the other hand, I was recently in a home that was selling for about $250,000.  The kitchen cupboards had been painted (and not as interesting as the picture in this article).  The nice clean white offset the other clean features in the kitchen.  For a house in this price bracket the painted cupboards, well done, were not an issue.

If you are thinking of painting your cupboards, first determine if replacing them is a better option given the asking price you want for your house.  If you decide to paint, investigate have the doors sprayed  professionally in a paint factory where dust and paint brush strokes will not be an issue. 

Don’t paint yourself into a corner for a reduced house price.

 

Photo credit:  Painted Wooden Cupboard @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/davepegz/3536688334/

Three Things Not to Have on Your Ottawa Kitchen Counter

When buying a house, most people spend a lot of time looking at the kitchen.  A kitchen is likely the most expensive interior remodeling that can be done.  While you are living in the house and selling it, it may be a challenge to keep the kitchen looking presentable.  However, there are some things that are best put away and not on display. 

 

  1. Dirty dishes and food crumbs
  2. Thawing food 
  3. Medical supplies

Most Buyers have at least a little germ phobia.  Dishes, crumbs, food and medical supplies say bugs, food poisoning and disease.  All of these are negative perceptions.  Clean up, thaw things in the fridge and relocate your medical centre.  You will want high marks for your kitchen to translate into high value for your home.

Photo credit:  frozen turkey @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ritika/266576619/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #23- The Ubiquitous Bathroom Light Fixture

A new Buyer and I have been looking at entry level row homes and condo apartments.  Almost without fail, and despite the fact that the places have been built by different developers, the bathroom lights are the same.  There are very slight variations – three bulbs or five depending upon the space.  It has become so common that we have a running joke. 

Q>  What do you do with your first bonus cheque? 

A> Buy new bathroom lights.  

If you are going to paint the bathroom before selling, take down these fixtures and patch the wall behind the light then install a new, more modern fixture.  You the Seller, will be surprised at how inexpensive but modern some light fixtures can be. 

Separate your home from the herd with a new bathroom light. 

Photo credit:  downstairs bathroom @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickerbulb/137089610/

Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #22 – In Your Bedroom Closets

As I go out with Buyers and host Open Houses, there are things that Buyers will notice in homes.  This series looks at the good and not-so-good things that Buyers notice.

“Clothes”  Closet

Every buyer looking at a house opens the closet doors.  Sometimes I wondered if home sellers understand that this will be done.  A few weeks ago, I was with my Buyer in a newer home.  When we opened the closet doors, there was the woman of the house’s bras hanging on a hook.  Okay, maybe we are all getting used to seeing other people’s underwear but….  I mean, if you are going to expose your bras,  leave those really expensive lacy ones out for the men and women buyers to see.  Do sellers know how curious buyers are?  While we quickly shut the door and had a little laugh, I am not so sure that everyone else would have felt like they were invading some one’s privacy.  While your house is for sale, you might want to put away your underwear, both clean and dirty. 

There are levels of exposure.  In most places, the underwear is not left strewn on the floors and beds, chairs and dressers.  However, I have been in homes where there were renters and, from all appearances, the renters were not going to help the landlord sell the house by keeping their unmentionables to themselves.

There is a time and place to air your dirty linen but it is not when your house is for sale.

 

Photo credit:  El Rastro. Flea market. Oviedo. Asturias. Spain. Bras @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomasfano/2935305360/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #21 – Skylights

As I go out with Buyers and host Open Houses, there are things that Buyers will notice in homes.  This series looks at the good and not-so-good things that Buyers notice.

Skylights

 Last year I was showing a home to my Buyer.  It was a multi-storied townhouse with a skylight at the top of the stairwell.  It was wonderful to have some light streaming into the stairwell.  I know my Buyer was very impressed.  What she did not notice was the stains on the walls all around the skylight.  I know it was far up and a little difficult to see but this was very important.  I asked her to take a look and to understand that a home inspection with someone on a very tall ladder would be needed to determine the source of the stains.  It could have been that the stains were simply a result of moisture from inside the house accumulating (which is very common with houses in winter when we are sealed tight to keep the heat inside) and that some good paint, opening the windows from time to time and a watchful eye for fog on the glass would be needed.  On the other hand, the stains could have resulted from leaks around the window – where the flashings did not hold up, installation was less than perfect or the roof was aging and the seal around the window was in need of repair. Although we loved the light, the idea of four flights of stairs connecting the rooms was less than ideal for the Buyer and we moved on before putting in an offer and finding out more about that skylight.

If you are buying a house with a skylight, ask your inspector to take a good look at it.

 Photo credit:  skylight @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/miheco/380660346/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

What the Ottawa Home Inspector Saw -Lack of Insulation

You can say all you want about winter but one good thing about having snow on the roof of a house and icicles is that they are indicators of whether or not there is adequate insulation in the attic.  If all the houses on the street have snow on the roof and one does not (and it has a similar pitch) then there is a likelihood that heat is escaping through the roof and melting the snow.  As the snow melts, it forms the icicles at the edge of the roof.  While fascinating, 1) do not stand or park your car underneath these as they could impale you and your car and 2) as they melt, skating rinks of ice form underneath that are sneaky accidents waiting to happen.   Notice in the picture that the dormer window does not have snow on top.  This is an indication of poor insulation.  Dorm windows are particularly difficult to insulate. 

The home inspector will take the lack of snow (sometimes in only spots) and the icicles possibilities of heat loss and will look in the attic to determine what type and what depth of insulation has been used.  Buyers are shocked at some of the insulation types.  Old newspapers were sometimes used in very old homes.  From time to time, buyers will find old Eaton’s catalogues.  What?  We think of the pink bats of fibreglass but vermiculite and sprayed in cellulose are just two more types.  As a Buyer, you want a decent amount of insulation to prevent heat loss and keep your heating bills in the winter and air conditioning in the summer in a reasonable price range.   

 Embrace winter for what it can tell you about your house.

Photo Credit:  Weather Watch – Ottawa 0308 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/2311107448/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #20 – Beds

As I go out with Buyers and host Open Houses, there are things that Buyers will notice in homes.  This series looks at the good and not-so-good things that Buyers notice.

BEDS

Everyone knows that the Buyer is not buying the furniture and decorations.  Sellers will often argue that there is no payback in “staging” their home.  The hope and feeling is that Buyers can look beyond the owners’ decorations and personal items.  In fact, there is a payback.  Look at the picture of how a hotel bed is made.  What does a bed that looks like that, with crisp linens and fluffy pillows, say? 

To a buyer, who is spending time imaging themselves living in your home, a bed like this will have the Buyer saying:

…All of this just from a bed.  So, as an owner, you are right that the people are not buying your furniture but they are interpreting the value of your home from how you set it up.  The bed is only one area where your attention to detail will pay off.

Don’t let your house become a market sleeper. 

Photo credit:  Caesars Palace Hotel Bed @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/zesmerelda/1429950406/

Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #19 – Wallpaper Borders

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.

Wallpaper Borders

 There are many rooms in Ottawa with wallpaper borders.  These were very popular in the 70s and 80s but have lost their charm over the decades.  The one exception may be in a baby’s room when you know that the border is only temporary. 

Buyers see borders and think that there will be many many hours of intensive labour needed to remove the border, patch the damage and repaint the room(s).  If you are wanting to decrease the time it will take to sell your house, remove the border(s), repair the walls and freshen the paint.

One of my favourite TV shows is called Designed to Sell  (okay, I am awake at 6:00AM in order to see the show but…..).  In a recent episode the kitchen wallpaper border was a “must remove”.  The designer said there are four “S’s” to border removal:  Score – Soak – Sit – Scrape.  Score the paper with the small scoring tool, soak the paper with a spray bottle of hot water mixed with laundry softener – sit and wait a few minutes until the soaking has taken place and then – scrape off the paper.  Sometimes the thick paper is vinyl coated.  It will tear off easily leaving the backing on the wall.  If this happens, it is a blessing.  The paper backing is often very easy to scrape off once it is soaked.   Sounds like work?  Yes it is but it will instantly bring your house a couple of decades forward.

To paraphrase the name of my favourite charity…  Have  

La Maison sans Frontiere

Photo credit:  wallpaper removal….in progress @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tapps/2723330247/

What the Ottawa Home Inspector Saw – Foundation Crack

At a recent inspection, the home inspector found loose parging on a spot on the outside wall of the foundation.  The parging came away from the wall with a touch and behind it was a visible crack in the concrete foundation.  The next step was to check inside the house to see if the crack was through the concrete, the size and length of the crack and if any repairs had been made.  There was no declaration on the Seller Property Information Statement that a foundation crack existed so this was a surprise discovery.

When we got to the basement, we had to unload a shelving unit and pull it away from the wall.  There behind the unit was a visible crack that had been filled.  The house inspector suggested that we, the buyers and I, check with the owner, through his REALTOR®, to see if there was any knowledge of the crack, and experience of water in the basement near the crack and if it had been professionally repaired.  If professionally repaired, was the warranty still in existence and was the warranty transferable.  The inspector then suggested that, if we were not satisfied with the information, to call one or all of three suggested concrete foundation companies and get a verbal estimate.  In doing so, we found out that repairs are generally $750 to $1,000 plus GST and include a 10 year warranty against water leakage.  

According the building inspector and the companies, foundation cracks are very common, repairs are called for as prevention and that the warranties are almost always provided.  It was reassuring to the prospective buyers to get this information.

Some foundations are not all they are cracked up to be. 

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Ontario ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca

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