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/

Zingers #71 - But I spent good money on that…

What?  As opposed to drug money?  Get real.  If your house is packed to the rafters with your clutter and you cannot have people come visit then forget about selling your home.  Wait until the good money from your sale surpasses the “good money” spent on your clutter. 

Thousands on clutter, hundreds of thousands on your house.   You decide. 

Comparable Properties Sales Information - Ottawa

How do REALTORS® and people selling privately determine the value of a property?  The key element is to research the market and find comparable properties. 

Making comparisons is a blend of good research and market knowledge.  Some basic guidelines to finding comparisons are:

Be honest with yourself about your ability to get good comparisons.  You may find the “Free Market Evaluation” that most REALTOR® provide is a start.  Talk to people in the business.  If you think a salesperson is going too low, you might want to get the opinion of two or more REALTORS®.  Be wary of an estimate that seems too high - even though you would celebrate selling your home for that price.  You might not have the time to have your house on the market for 6 months or longer waiting for some naive person to pay the price. 

On a regular basis, I post information about current selling prices in neighbourhoods and also the sales history.  Look under the “Comparable Properties Sales Statistics’ category if you are interested in more information.

 Photo credit:  old garage @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/lafattina/3870226487/

Cell Phone and Wireless Communication Devices - Starting Tomorrow

Bill 118, which amends the Highway Traffic Act to prohibit driving with display screens and other devices in motor vehicles, will go into effect on October 26, 2009. However, there will be a three-month education period before enforcement begins on February 1, 2010. After that date, fines of up to $500 will be levied against offenders.

 

The new law applies to both wireless communication devices (cell phones, Blackberrys, etc.) and portable entertainment devices (such as iPods, or handheld video games)

 

As of October 26: 

Black Squirrels - Not so much a novelty when you live in Ottawa

 When we first moved to Ottawa, we were fascinated by the  black squirrels.  We initially moved to Old Ottawa South.  The first time I saw one of the squirrels (and there are millions), I mistook it for a small kitten running across the road.  Not so much. 

We moved to the Glebe.  In the first winter, we felt sorry for the squirrels and started feeding them nuts and seeds.  My guess is that the neighbours thought we were loco.  Who in their right mind wants more squirrels in the yard?  Well, people from the west who have never seen these little brats.  From time to time squirrels find a way into the attic of houses.  They will locate tulip bulbs and make a snack run ito your flower bed.  Sometimes in the spring, tulips will grow in new areas of the yard.  Why?  Because the squirrels have been carrying the bulbs around and dropping them when they are full or the bulbs too heavy. 

One time, when walking through Patterson Park, a squirrel missed a leap between two very tall trees and fell to the ground.  I was sure that was his end.  Hoover and Tulipe, being alert terriers, were ecstatic about the opportunity to go after the squirrel.  With an amazing 9 lives or more, the squirrel got up, shook itself and then raced back up one of the trees. 

When you move to Ottawa, don’t be surprised at the squirrels and never, never feed them.

 Photo credit:  Black Squirrel @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/2908075386/

Zingers #70 - Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall

 …but not when you are selling.  Pack up your collection of empty wine and beer bottles and make a little money returning them.  If you do not have the time, leave the bottles in your blue box and someone may come by on garbage day and take them.

Bottle up your sale.

 

Ottawa Real Estate Availability Today - Blackburn Hamlet

If you are looking for a home in Blackburn Hamlet MLS® areas 2301, 2302, and 2303 the following property types and price ranges are available* as of this morning:

*These statistics are derived from the Multiple L isting Service® and do not include those properties available through other sources such as private sales and transfers.

If you are interested in more information or want to know what becomes available on a daily basis in this area, please contact me at vzinger@royallepage.ca .

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/

Zingers #69 - Waste not, want not

Just before you leave home each day, empty your wastepaper and kitchen garbage.  It is a small thing that some buyers may notice – consciously or not.  Kitchen garbage tends to smell after a very short time.  Other garbage just looks messy and maybe a bit unsanitary.

Don’t waste selling your home.

Ottawa Real Estate Availability Today - Elmvale Acres

If you are looking for a home in Elmvale Acres MLS® areas 3701, 3702 and 3703, the following property types and price ranges are available* as of this morning:

*These statistics are derived from the Multiple Listing Service® and do not include those properties available through other sources such as private sales and transfers.

If you are interested in more information or want to know what becomes available on a daily basis in this area, please contact me at vzinger@royallepage.ca .

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