Tub of trouble

You are looking at a home to buy and there is a wonderful tub in the bathroom.  You see yourself with candles, soft music and bubbles.  Now you need to know if you fit in the tub.  DO NOT try out the tub with your shoes on.  Would you do this at home?  Don’t leave  behind scratches, marks and ruined acrylic.

You may be marking your own territory.

 

Zinger 117

Have you ever wondered what professionals are saying about – FUZZY BATH MATS AND TANK COVERS?

Well, now you can find out.  Yesterday I posted on ActiveRain about why Sellers should never have fuzzy bath mats and toilet tank covers.  I received over 80 comments from the 740 readers (plus over 25 of my responses) on this post.  Now it is time to share with my website readers…….  Here is the post:

Don’t flush away a sale

Get rid of those fluffy toilet tank covers and any floor mats or carpeting. 

There I have said it. 

What?  If you, the Seller,  have them and your house is not on the market, okay enjoy.  But…..  They have two huge negative factors going for them: 

1.  The Granny Factor – You know, Grandma had the tank cover, the toilet seat cover and a floor mat all in the same colour.  She also had a Barbie doll stuck in a roll of toilet paper with a crochet skirt.  Do you want people to think your house is so outdated that you have not moved away from the 50s.  A half century later and Barbie lives. 

2.  The Yuk Factor – when it is your house and your body bits in the carpet, who cares.  When you have your house for sale, get rid of any type of floor carpet.  It just turns Buyers off. 

There are some easy and cheap fixes for your house and the bathroom is likely the least expensive room to update with the biggest impact.  I found the photos below on Flickr that nicely illustrate the point.  I might have removed the throw mat.  Enjoy.

Photo credit:  Bathroom Metamorphosis @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexik/422735652/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Here is who commented: 

Wow, it’s funny to find a discussion based on my bathroom :) I am the owner of the above home; I’m glad it helped you illustrate your point Valerie! I lived in that house for 5 years and gradually did the work you see above. Disgusting toilet covers aren’t the only thing that should be destroyed though, don’t forget to replace all the cheap brass 80′s fixtures and door knobs. Swapping out ivory outlets/switches for pure white also makes a subtle but big difference.

All in all, renovating that house cost about $10k (the largest expense was Pergo flooring.) But in a neighborhood of un-remodeled homes, I was able to recoup that on the sale 5-fold.

(Also, Ellen, pulling down the wall paper was a royal pain in the ass!)     Alexi

 

Comments received as of 8:00 AM this morning.  I encourage you to go to the  site  and read through everyone’s comments.  Funny and instructive ~ just they way I like them 

Sandy Hill Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings

I am getting ready to do a listing in Sandy Hill.  It is such an eclectic neighbourhood attracting students, professors and public servants who want to be able to walk to school and work.  It is a fun place with lots of activities and people on the streets. 

 As of this morning, 7 residential units are for sale in Sandy Hill ( MLS® areas 4003 and 4004).   I row unit, 1 semi and 5 detached homes.   The price range for these units is from $359.000 to $890,000. The average price is $642,685.

In the past 90 days, 12 homes sold at an average sold price of $546,693 with the DOM ranging from 3 – 100 with the average being 33 days.

The houses for sale date from the late 1800s to “under construction”. 

Sandy Hill is a place for condos.  There are currently 22 units for sale ranging in price from $285,000 to $784,000.  Some are still under construction and will be ready in 2011.  In the past 90 days, 10 units sold for and average of $383,450 and were on the market from 0 to 138 days (average of 40 DOM).

These statistics do not include private sale or multiple family dwellings.

It is the fall. Time to clean up your yard.

 

If you are thinking of putting your house on the market in the next few weeks, now is the time to get out and really “do a number” on the outside of the house.  It is warm and there is no snow.  Everything is visible and you can tackle the biggest jobs now.  If you need to, hire a contractor or a handyman to help you through the process.  If you are waiting until the snow fall so that the mess will be hidden, forget it.  At some point during your sale, the snow will melt and all will be revealed.   Make sure that Buyers can enter your home safely and that their firs impression will be good.  Remember, you have about 120 seconds to get a favourable review so…..

Start with the exterior and work to the interior.

Photo credit:  A dirty old house in the dirty old snow @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/rutlo/3150351923/

Fear of heights

If your are selling, stand down the street from the house and look at the shingles.  If they are blistered, cracked, broken or missing, it is time to correct the damage and replace the shingles before water gets into the house.  If you can see the damage then so can the Buyer and his home inspector.

Scale the heights for your sale.

 

Zinger 116

Greely Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings

As of this morning, 109 residential units are for sale in Greely ( MLS® area 1601).   49 bungalows, 6 high ranch, 3 mobile homes, 3 split level, one 1.5 storey and the rest are two storey.   The price range for these units is from $69,000 to $2,100,000. The average price is $548,893.

 In the past 90 days, 26 homes sold at an average sold price of $517,489 with the DOM ranging from 0 – 155 with the average being 45 days.

The houses for sale date from 1900 to “under construction”.  The community has grown rapidly in this decade.  63 of the 109 currently on the market were built from Year 2000 onward.  This is a great community for finding large bungalows and large lots.  The area water is well and septic. 

These statistics do not include private sale or condos.

Wait a minute. My neighbour’s house sold for more.

We are in a strange period of the housing market.  This spring, houses were being whipped off the market in a day with a bidding war and the sold price was higher than the list price.  Now it is the fall and listings are starting to linger for days and sometimes weeks.

What your neighbour’s house sold for is no longer the only comparable you need in order to understand what may happen when your house sells.  Get the sales information for the past 90 days and in a wider area than just down the block.  It is good to see what the list versus the sold price is and take that into account.  There are still bidding wars when a  house price is too good to be true.

I will always recommend going for current market value and depend on informed Buyers and Sellers to get to the “real” value.

Curry take away

I love curry and the smell makes me hungry but I wonder about people who cook strong smelling food just before having an Open House.  As much as you can, avoid cooking with curry, boiling cabbage or popping microwave popcorn.  There are some food smells that the majority of  Buyers will not like.

Let your house pop without getting corny.

Zinger 115

Look What I Found – The Experimental Farm, Ottawa

The Farm is situated smack in the middle of the city, inside the Green Belt.  It is one of the Federal Government Department of Agriculture’s functioning research stations.  It is also a wonderful place for runners, walkers, cyclists, flower aficionados, picnickers and children.  The employees and the Friends of the Farm work non-stop to make the Farm a welcoming place for all.  I love visiting the Ornamental Gardens on a regular basis.  The planting scheme has perennials blooming throughout the growing season.  Photographers visit the gardens getting perfect shots of the different plants and trees. 

There is something to see or do for everyone at The Farm.

Blackburn Hamlet Housing Market Today – MLS® Listings

As of this morning, 6 residential units are for sale in Blackburn Hamlet ( MLS® areas 2301 – 2303). Five are detached and 1 is a row unit. The price range for these units is from $302,000 to $534,900. The average price is $377,916.

 In the past 90 days, 12 homes (4 row and 8 detached) sold at an average sold price of $330,900 with the DOM ranging from 0 – 80 with the average being 17 days.

These statistics do not private sale or condos.

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