New Publication – Neighbourhoods in Ottawa

I have put together the write-ups I did in 2008 on neighbourhood descriptions.  This is available under “My Publications” (on the top red banner).  The neighbourhoods include: 

 

The Golden Triangle

Blackburn Hamlet

Alta Vista

Ottawa South

Britannia

Sandy Hill

Civic Hospital

Hintonburg

If you have any questions about these or other communities, please let me know. 

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

Zingers #37 – Break the bank

There is loyalty and then there is economic savvy.  Shop for a mortgage.  Your bank may give you the best deal but you will want to know it.  Visit mortgage brokerss to see if they can find you something better.  What may shock you is that they sometimes get a better deal for you at your own bank!!

 Do more than check your piggy bank when financing your house.

The Glebe, Ottawa – Sales in 2008

In 2008, the Glebe continued to be a very popular area for sales.

Residential Sales: 114 units as follows:

Condominium Sales – 17 units

These are statistics from MLS® listings and do not reflect private sales and transfers.

 

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

Closet Angst – Three Organizing Tips

If you have seen the movie Sex in the City then you know that every woman dreams of having a big clothes closet.  When you are selling you house, there are some ways to appeal to the women buyers by maximizing what space you do have. 

1.  Declutter – take out everything that you have not worn for the past 12 months, box it, label it and pack it away.  You want your closet to look like there is space for clothes.   Keep the closet for clothes only.  Do not store your wedding gown, your comforter, your puzzles or your kids’ toys in the clothes closet.    

2.  Hangers – throw away every single wire hanger you own.  Not only do they ruin your clothes but they bend and twist and look cheap.  If you have money and enough space, buy wooden hangers for everything.  If you cannot do that, buy the best quality white plastic hangers that you can afford.  Hang all your clothes on the hangers and, if you are like me, have all your hanger hooks facing in the same direction.

3.  Buy and install or have a company install organizers.  At minimum, you will want at least half the closet to have two rods, one very high and the lower one high enough off the floor so that you can hang your skirts/ folded pants and/or jackets.   This will double the hanging space.  The other half of the closet can have one high rod with enough space below for shoes and boots.  The more space and money you have to invest in the closet the more elaborate you can get.

A well organized, clean and spacious closet helps sell a house.  Really.  Next time you go house hunting see if you don’t scope out the closets. 

Size matters.

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

Zingers #36 – I’ve got a bone to pick with you

Buyers cannot see the infastructure or “bones” of your house.  Please leave a list of upgrades and improvements we might not notice – new windows, increased insulation, new roof, etc.  If you have bought the best, let the buyer and building inspector know.

 Make no bones about your house improvements.

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

 

Sometimes it is not about real estate (8)

What kind of flower should you never give on Valentine’s Day?

 

 

 

 

 

Cauliflower.

Photo credit:  Cauliflower tree @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/annikasandin/359043585/

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

 

Zingers #35 – Birds of a Feather

There is no way to make your house appeal to every potential buyer.  However, there are a lot of people with ornithophobia – a fear of birds.  If you have a cage or two of birds, you might want to put a cover on the cages when visits are scheduled. 

Alfred Hitchcock may not be one of your buyers.

Tile Counter Tops – Time to Replace Before Selling (Might Be)

Of course we all know that granite is popular.  It is so popular that it is now popular to be against granite counter tops.  Solid granite, no matter the thickness, is expensive to install.  Some people think that installing granite tiles is just as good and most people will equate it with a sheet of granite.  Sadly, not so.  It might be granite but there are grout lines. 

I personally dislike tile counter tops – ceramic being the most popular – because of the grout issue.  The tiles look wonderful but all I see is raw poultry liquids being absorbed into the grout and having no way to sanitize the counter without bleach, bleach and more bleach.  My grout issue is most likely a phobia carried over from the days when, according to my mother, any raw or undercooked meat instantly killed you because of the  salmonella bacteria.  Imagine the Christmas turkey at my mother’s house.  Dust flew from the knife when the turkey was being carved because it was so dry. 

Okay, turkey and grout aside, the other disadvantages identified on The Kitchen Blog include tiles being fragile and the difficulty in chopping or kneading on the uneven surface.  Still, a brand new tiled counter does look nice.  Remember to replace any chipped or broken tiles before selling.

So, if you are selling, clean your tile counter like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency food inspector is coming to visit.  If you cannot get it clean, either re grout or replace the counter tops.

Don’t be chicken.  Be proud of the house you are selling. 

Photo credit:  Crying for bleach @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/preciouskhyatt/2146600693/

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

 

Next Page →