Civic Hospital Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings
As of this morning, there are 10 listings in the Civic Hospital area ( MLS® area 4504). These include 4 rentals, 4 condos and 2 residential units. The price range for the condo units is from $298,000 to $319,900. The average price is $303,975.
In the past 90 days, 9 units sold (1 condo and 8 residential). The sold price ffor these 8 residential units ranged from $353,900 to $767,000 with and average of $516,112. The Days on the Market ranged from 1 to 78 with an average of 31 days.
These statistics do not include homes sold or transferred privately.
Feather your nest
When you are selling your home, Buyers need to find every room as perfect as you, the Seller, can make it. Sometimes a room just needs a little punch of colour and/or texture to make it attractive. Paint is the cheapest way to get the biggest impact – but work is involved. The next way is through accessories.
Buy some toss cushions. Target / Winners/ Homesense / TJ Maxx stores have great pillow selections. Watch for the sales as some can be dirt cheap. These will freshen up the living, family and bedrooms. Here are a couple of hints:
- If your dog sleeps on the sofa, you might want to put out the pillows only when there is a scheduled showing of your home.
- If you have a Sectional or sofa that came with matching toss cushions, change them up. Maybe keep one or two but get others in contrasting patterns, colours and textures.
- Remember that a touch of red in a room grounds it so the cushion may be the best way to bring in red and then add a red gerbera daisy in a vase – voila. Feng Shui.
- Don’t forget the patio and sunroom. Those big chairs cry out for some cushions. Look for sun protected fabric and, if outdoors, something that repels water.
- Finally, I just learned a new trick for those people with limited space – keep the pillow fill from only one set of cushions (those down pillows cost a kazillion dollars so make sure those are the ones you save) and save the zippered / buttoned / fold-over exterior in the colours and styles you like. Make sure that all the covers fit the fill interior you plan to save. Give the fresh pillow fills away. Sewers can have fun making different pillow covers for the seasons.
When it comes to staging and decorating……
Lay down your weary head.
Just fence me in.
 Unlike the Lone Ranger, free to roam with Silver across everyone’s property, your city yard is improved with a good fence. It will keep the dog in the yard and your kids out of the neighbours’ yards. Make sure your fence is in good shape before putting your house on the market. If you don’t have a fence, you might want to look into putting up a fence before putting up a For Sale sign.
Good fences make good neighbours and a good sale. Photo credit: Good fences |
The Palace of Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors
Unless you are living at the palace, having a wall of mirrors in your home ages the decor. Do you have mirror glued to the wall? A passé decorator choice was mottled mirrors. Now they just look like a Buyer’s nightmare.
Buyers will look at a wall of mirrors or a bathroom with glued on mirrors and see big bucks and danger to remove them. If you have the time and patience, you can remove the mirrored yourself before putting the house on the market. You are going to need some supplies (tarp, tape, goggles, gloves and a metal ruler/crow bar) and time. Check the Internet for detailed instructions.
Once removed, patch the wall. There will be some damage no matter how careful you are. Take you time. There is going to be a nice return on your investment.
Mirror Mirror off the Wall, Make my house the fairest of them all.
Photo credit: IMG_9162
Bells Corner Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings
As of this morning, 5 residential units are for sale in Bells Corner/Lynwood Village/Arbeatha Park (MLS® areas 7803-7805). The homes are all detached with 4 bungalows and 1 split. The prices range from $334,900 to $424,900. The average price is $375,720.
In the past 90 days, 6 homes sold at an average sold price of $316,400 with the Days on the Market ranging from 6 – 67 with the average being 29 days.
These statistics do not include condos, multiple family dwellings and private sales.
What types of hardwood flooring are best for pets?
This post is a reblog from ActiveRain.
What types of Hardwood Flooring are best for pets – Westchester NY and Stamford CT
I get this question often from my customers – which type of hardwood should I use for pet? It’s a hard question to answer because truthfully all hardwood will dent and scratch over time – it’s just a matter of how much and how much you can see it. But I do not think this is a reason to avoid getting hardwood for your home. Tons of consumers have hardwood and pets and they can easily co-exist together.
Usually, this question is less of an issue for cats and more of a concern with dogs, especially active dogs. And, while there are things you can do w/ your pets (e.g. clip or file nails), I’m going to focus on hardwoods that can take a better beating and/or not show it as much.
1. First, by all means stay away from the softer woods:
- American Cherry
- American Walnut
- Pine
These woods are softer and will dent very easily – even without a pet or without kids. They look beautiful, but they are not practical. And, ironically, they often cost more (because fewer people buy them). Note: American Cherry and Walnut are different than Brazilian Cherry and Walnut. American = soft; Brazilian = hard.
2. Take your shoes off. A lot of customers blame their pets for scratches, but often the we are the worst culprit. While high heels are often not wonderful for hardwood floor, the biggest culprit is not the shoes themselves, but rather what gets caught in the shoes. It’s those pebbles and dirt that get caught in our shoes that cause most of the scratches. Or, sometimes w/ high heels that have been word a while, the rubber wears off and their is a nail at the bottom. So before blaming your lovelu pets, look at your own habits. For my customers that take their shoes off, their hardwood floors are in way better condition and it’s a much longer time before they need to be refinished.
3. Consider handscraped or distressed hardwoods. This is a stylized look that some customers love and some hate. It tends to be in style in the South, certain areas in the west, and more rustic homes in the Northeast. This look is not for everyone. But, here’s why it’s good for pets…it shows the scratches and dents less because that’s how the wood is designed - it dent looks like it fits right in. Likewise, hardwood that has more knots and character marks will hide the dent and scratches more.
4. All things being equal, harder hardwoods are better. This is tricky because not all things are equal – see the next point. But, Hickory is great choice (1820 on the Janka scale). There are many other hardwoods that are harder…see the janka scale of hardness…but you can’t jut look at hardness by itself.
5. Woods with stronger graining are better for hiding the scratches. Oak is a great example of this, especially red oakwhich has stronger graining than white oak. While Red Oak is only 1290 on the janka hardness scale(which is still hard and is hard enough), it does an excellent job of hiding the dents and scratches due to the strong graining. In fact, it usually hides them better than Brazilian Cherry (2,350) and Brazilian Walnut (3684) which have less and smoother graining.
6. Less glossy finishes. Satin finishes are usually best. The glossier the finish, the more it will show the scratches from the light reflecting off of it.
7. Usually, lighter colors are better for pets. First, darker colors seem to show the scratches more. I’m not sure why, but they just do. Second, oak is the most common type of hardwood and oak is naturally light. So, if you have a scratch that penetrates the stain color, it will show less on lighter colors since what is revealed beneath is simiar in color.
8. Solid hardwood or high quality engineered hardwood that can be refinished. It’s always good to have an insurance plan so that you can refinish the hardwood floors when you need to.
9. Bamboo is “iffy” with pets – can vary greatly – some are good; most are not. Bamboo’s resilience can vary widely pending the type and the brand, and what follows are some generalizations. a) stay away from stained bamboo – these scratch very easily and bamboo does not accept stains as well as oak does, b) carmelized bamboo is weaker than natural as the process of heating it weakens the grass, c) strand bamboo can be very strong – so if you have pets and want bamboo, this is a GREAT option – more expensive, but will hold up better, d) buying bamboo from big box stores and/or cheap bamboo results in a lot of dents, e) even though natural bamboo is technically stronger than oak, it shows dents more easily (and carmelized bamboo is usually softer than oak). See my page on bamboo flooring for more info and for pictures.
10. Use felt pads underneath furniture and area rugs/entrance mats. This is especially important for chairs that are used a lot. Oh, and stay away from chairs with wheels – often thing get caught in the wheels and cause scratches. If you do have chairs with wheels, put an area rug underneath. And, make sure you have area rugs/entrance mats at all your main entries. You can even have one outside, too. These are the areas that get worn down the fastest due to rain, snow, salt, dirt, so protecting these areas will go a long way towards preserving your floors.
I hope this is helpful. Sorry it’s long, but there are a lot of things to consider with hardwood and this is not an easy question to answer. Above is meant to address denting/scratching. If you are concerned about pets peeing on the hardwood, that is a whole different issue…basically no hardwoods will stand up well to that, so clean up the mess quickly is the best advice I can give you on that. Also, if you have pet stains already in the hardwood, when you refinish the floors, try to replace those boards as that blackness from the water/urine, will not sand out. If you replace them and refinish, your floor will look good as new. Alternatively, if you can’t replace them/can’t afford it, then use a dark color to hide the dark marks.
Debbie Gartner, President and Owner
Floor Coverings International in Westchester NY/ Stamford CT
Pass the salt, please
Winter is just starting. For most of Canada, the northern US and poor poor Colorado, this means treacherous walking and driving season. Ice will form on the sidewalks and front stairs and along the railings and banisters. If you are selling your home, I know you don’t want prospective Buyers to harm themselves on your property. Just a couple of tips may help.
- Start by shoveling the snow. I know this just makes common sense but as an agent I cannot tell you the number of homes I have visited where the snow is deep on the sidewalk and getting to the front door is work. If you are leaving your home vacant or on vacation, get someone to shovel the sidewalks. Nothing says “Steal from me.” like a snow covered sidewalk with no footprints.
- Don’t shovel to the very edge of a snow bank. Sometimes the only grip is on that little bit of snow you left of the edges.
- Make sure that you salt your walkways and stairs before showings. If you want, use kitty litter as an alternative to sidewalk salt. Some people say lawn fertilizer will work and then have an added benefit in the spring. Find a product that works for your area’s weather conditions.
- Sand is a way to add grip to the sidewalk. I know you are worried about all the sand coming into your home but leave a sign inside the door asking people to take off their shoes and boots. Get familiar with Mr. Vacuum. He may become one of your best selling buddies.
Imagine a real buyer trying to sign an offer with his arms in casts from slipping and falling on your property. Okay, just imagine him wanting it submit and offer after that horrific accident. Imagine your insurance company canceling your insurance from the number of claims. Makes shoveling and salting look attractive, doesn’t it?
When it comes to winter and selling, throw some salt over your left shoulder and onto the sidewalk.
Photo credit: Austin shoveling snow
Let your sale burn brightly
Fireplaces and wood stoves are certainly selling features. Prove to Buyers that you have been taking care of your fireplace. If it is a gas fireplace, take off the glass doors (carefully) and clean them on the inside. These doors often get a greasy film on them and can cloud the appearance of the fire. If it is a wood fireplace, bring in a chimney sweep to clean out the flu. The sweep should also be checking for any problems. We all know of chimney fires and of squirrel and bird nests blocking the flu.
If you have a wood stove, ensure that it has been inspected by a WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) certified inspector and that you have these papers available for Buyers to see. Most insurance companies will want to have this inspection done before insuring a house with a wood stove. Your Buyer will be happy that….
Ensure that where there is smoke – there is fire - where it should be.
Photo credit: Wood Stove
7 Tips to Secure Homes during the Holidays
This post is a re-blog from Charles D’Alessandro http://activerain.com/blogsview/2017193/7-tips-to-secure-homes-during-the-holidays and so worth reading as we get closer to having the house full of new gadgets and toys.
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Unfortunately, the winter holidays are peak times for thieves and burglars. Not only are burglaries of homes at their highest during the darkest months of the year, there’s also the added temptation of unoccupied homes full of expensive gifts.
A recent survey found that 39% of homeowners leave presents under the tree long before Christmas Day, with only 7% of respondents waiting until Christmas Day itself to put the presents on display in their homes. If gifts are in full view of passers-by who can see them through the windows, they could provide an incentive for thieves to target the house.
Take greater security measures during the holidays to keep yourself and your property safe.
1. Don’t hide presents in obvious locations such as closets, under the bed or in the garage. Instead, hide gifts in an attic. The average burglar doesn’t have time to climb into your attic.
2. Keep window shades drawn. If your gifts are easily visible from the street, burglars will be tempted to smash the window and grab the wrapped packages.
3. Don’t discard whole boxes in your trash. This gives thieves easy clues about what they can steal from your home. Instead, break the boxes up into small pieces and place them in your recycling bin or at the bottom of a sealed garbage bag.
4. Create a lived in look and feel. Before leaving your home, turn on lights and a radio or television.
5. Ask a neighbor or close friend to pick up your mail and newspapers if you go out of town for the holidays.
6. Lock up. Make sure all doors and windows are locked. Consider replacing your locks if they’re worn. Use deadbolts in entry doors.
7. Keep the garage, gates, driveway, and sides of your home well lit. Motion sensor lights work well for this.
If you’re looking for a home already equipped with an alarm system or other security features, I can help you find one. Call me at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me atcharles@fillmoresbest.com
Tour around the world
Are all of your travel souvenirs out on display? Have you got a big world map with push pins at each location you have visited? People buy amazing things to remind themselves of their travels. A whole wall of African and Indonesian masks makes a great reminder of every exotic trip you have taken. Maybe you kept your travel collection to little hand made boxes from every country and they are stacked 5 deep and fill the china cupboard. I have also been in a home with every wall hung with, albeit beautiful, rugs - every wall in every room including a little one in the kitchen – not on the floors but on the walls. Probably a fortune in hand made all wool rugs but….. it was a suburban two story in the middle of the city not a Bedouin home in the middle of the desert.
Before putting your house on the market, take your souveniers and box them in anticipation of your next home. Some souvenirs and wall hangings are rude, some are scary and some are so interesting that they will distract Buyers (who will want to purchase you stuff before they think of buying your house).
Don’t mask the features of your home.
Photo credit: Fuzzy Travel photo map
Welcome
My name is Valerie Zinger. I am a Home Organizer. I look forward to helping you simplify your home and your life.
Phone: 613-859-7759 Click here to contact Valerie by Email at:
ValerieZinger@gmail.com-
