HomeownershipLifestyle May 20, 2022

Top Secret Homemade Clean Hacks

As we get older, we all have in common how much more time we spend in our days and weeks cleaning. Seriously, how does everything get so dirty so fast?! Or perhaps, maybe, you find yourself mesmerized by #CleanTok? Regardless of whether you are sprucing up the place to get ready to sell or just enjoy a clean space, there’s no shortage of products to help get the job done.

However, it’s way more fun spending your time and hard-earned money decorating our homes instead of constantly cleaning them. So, what if I told you there was a way to keep your home sparkling with materials you already have at home?

 

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel appliances are trendy in homes right now. It’s pretty when it’s clean, not so pretty when it’s not. The good news is that using Windex or any other glass cleaner will shine it back up in seconds. Ran out of Windex? No problem. Spray some vinegar, wipe with a damp cloth of hot water, buff dry and voila!

Clogged, smelly sinks

While you’re shining up your appliances, you might as well keep that vinegar handy. Kill odours by pouring some vinegar down the sink.

Ugly Coffee Rings

As much as you insist on coasters, you can still be left with a dreaded ring on your poor coffee table. Instead of hiding them with books, Magic Erasers are great for getting rid of marks on a majority of surfaces if you have one handy. Or, try hot water and mild dish soap. It might take a little bit of elbow grease to scrub it off, being aware that scrubbing can wear down paint over time.

Airborne Grease

There are plenty of wonderful kitchen degreasers on the market to get the job done. However, if you want to create your solution, combine a few drops of dish soap with some hot water and spray onto the area. Allow it a few minutes to sit and break down the grease before wiping it away.

Caked on Microwave Gunk

Eliminate the scrubbing and leave your microwave smelling fresh by putting 5-10 drops of lemon juice (lime juice or vinegar will also work just fine) in a bowl of water. Microwave on high for 3 minutes, letting the bowl sit for an additional 3 minutes to steam before opening. Then remove and wipe all the gunk right off. If you’re sensitive to scents, heat just the bowl of water, following all the same steps!

 

It’s amazing what a little vinegar or dish soap can do! Did any of these tips surprise you? Looking for more advice on selling your home? Haven’t found your Saskatoon dream home yet? We can help!

BuyingHomeownershipLifestyle April 29, 2022

Your Tried & True Guide To Prioritizing Your Home Renovations

Whether you’ve bought a fixer-upper you’re eager to DIY your way to your dream home in your top choice Saskatoon neighbourhood, your home needs an update, or you’re looking to sell in the near future, you might question where to start. An additional worry might be that how do you stop once you start? Giving your home a facelift can also be contagious, influencing you to feel like tackling them all at once. Instead of making costly mistakes or risking choice paralysis, simply follow our guidelines to get the most value from your home renovations.

Where To Start

Once you have assessed all the areas of your home in need of some TLC, the best advice one could possibly give is to first address the spaces you will get the most use out of and the ones with the highest potential for the best return on your investment. Identifying these critical areas of interest can help you budget effectively in your home remodeling journey.

Kitchens and bathrooms can have a hefty price tag, but they are the high-ticket items that sell a property. These are also the spaces used most often, and thus, addressing them sooner rather than later can help improve your lifestyle. Additionally, it is usually easiest to get the more significant, messier projects out of the way first. These are often done before you move in to avoid feeling too displaced and disrupting your routine. If you are selling, you can happily communicate all of this additional value to future buyers!

Any lower priority updates can then be done over time and in a more cost-friendly fashion. Also worth mentioning is that although we may be excited to give some rooms a splash of new paint, structural improvements should always come before surface and cosmetic enhancements. 

Seasonality & Life Stage

If you have children, your home renovation needs will look different from the empty nester or retiree. While they might be okay with working their life around construction, those with children will need to consider how the project will affect how the family functions and what safety issues might arise. The different types of homeowners may also want to do similar projects for other reasons. A young family may decide to open up the kitchen and living spaces for better-lit spaces and improved sightlines to keep an eye on the kids. Alternatively, other homeowners’ goals may be more along the lines of opening the area to better entertain guests. It’s all about making the improvements that best suit your needs!

Weather is also a key player in the decision-making process. For example, exterior updates such as building a patio or painting cannot be done in the winter but switching out interior light fixtures can. The summer tends to be busier and promises more favourable weather conditions for renovations than the dead of the Canadian prairie winters. Wondering what you can tackle yourself right now? Check out our Spring Home Maintenance Checklist!

Saving You Precious Time & Hard Earned Money

Assuming funds allow, lumping multiple projects together can be the most cost-effective, especially when it comes to contractor labour hours and the inconvenience to your home life. For example, kitchen and bathrooms are often best done together as similar contractors are involved. If updates in plumbing are needed, it is easier to do it all at once. Sometimes, some decisions made at different times may not work cohesively, whether functionally or aesthetically. Thus, planning and budgeting accordingly are of the utmost importance.

It’s also easy to get drawn into the little things, so hiring a professional to care for the moving parts for specific projects can prove beneficial, allowing you to keep an eye on the bigger picture.

 

Whether you’re looking to buy your dream home or sprucing up your current home to sell and are not confident about where to start, you can count on our combined years of expertise and connections to guide you through!

SellingSellingSelling April 22, 2022

Selling a Home With All 5 Senses

When selling your house, most people think about how it looks; you want your home to look as beautiful as the memories you made there. However, appealing to buyers’ other four senses can help make them feel fully present in your home. Our five senses play an important role in processing the world around us and triggering our emotional responses. You can create a positive emotional reaction in potential buyers by appealing to all five senses and helping them imagine living in your home. 

 

Selling a House with Sight

This is the obvious one. Make sure to create a neutral clutter-free environment that buyers can imagine as their own. Neutral colours with an accent can help create a stylish and clean setting that is perfect for letting the imagination run wild. Try to tidy up as much as possible and keep the space appealing to your guests. If you have features in your home that make it feel more cozy, such as a fireplace, don’t be afraid to turn it on to make people feel comfortable. 

 

Selling a House with Sound

Find some relaxing or comforting music to play in the background during the house tour. Keep the music to a minimum, so it doesn’t overpower the conversation. For genres of music, you could match it to the season, such as Christmas music during the holidays, or pick sounds suitable for any season, such as lo-fi or jazz. 

If you have natural sound features, create a space where guests can enjoy them. For example, water fountains or other elements can add a relaxing atmosphere to your house. Wind chimes are another great way to welcome guests into the space and make them feel in touch with your home. 

 

Selling a House with Smell

While some people recommend using strongly scented products for cleaning, some research says that buyers prefer neutral or lightly scented spaces when touring your home. Therefore, it’s probably a good idea to skip on the scented candles or air fresheners, as buyers may feel you are trying to hide something. 

Instead, use light or unscented cleaning products and find ways to add more natural scents to your house. For example, baking before guests arrive can add that homey smell to your space. Another trick, if you’re short on time, is to put some vanilla or lemon on the stove. This can give the same welcoming atmosphere while not being too overpowering. 

 

Selling a House with Taste

While I wouldn’t recommend that you provide anything too labour-intensive, it may be nice to have some snacks or water for your guests. Consider buying in bulk and having a dedicated bowl of small candies for each walk-through to make it easy. Or, if you did that baking we mentioned earlier, consider putting some out for guests! This simple gesture will leave a lasting impression on your potential buyers. 

 

Selling a House with Touch

Make sure to display a variety of fabrics and textures around your house. This also adds to the visual appeal of your space. You should also vacuum the carpets and well and wash your floors. Not only is this a great practice for general cleaning and home maintenance, it also keeps unwanted graininess away and adds extra bounce and comfort underfoot. Put out the fluffiest blankets on your bed and add some throw pillows to add depth and variety. 

By engaging all five of a buyers’ senses, you can ensure that your house sticks out in their Saskatoon home search and maximizes its appeal for every tour. If you’re looking for additional help or support, you can contact us, and we would be happy to help you sell your home!

Selling March 18, 2022

Presenting Offers 101

You’ve found your dream property, congratulations!  Now what?  The next step in your journey to becoming a homeowner is your agent will put together a presentation of an offer, proposing a deal to the listing agent and their client.  Together, you and your agent will decide the terms and conditions of what you wish to offer and determine a fair price for the property.  The proposal also most notably includes the Agreement of Purchase and Sale—the official offer to the Seller.  It’s a considerable amount of paperwork that needs signing, but once you have those keys in hand and settle into your sweet new digs, it will all be worth it!

Irrevocable Period

This is the period when your offer is valid, as well as the time the Seller is allocated to consider your proposal.  After the deadline, if the Seller has not accepted or made a counteroffer, the offer is voided, and you are no longer committed to it. 

Offer Registration

Once signed, the Buyer’s agent will ‘register’ the offer with the Listing Brokerage to notify that they have a signed offer from a Buyer.  Registering offers help make it easier to track offers, especially if there is more than one on a single property. 

Single Buyer Offer

Most commonly, a single buyer is offering to purchase the property at one time.  Typically, the single Buyer offer process will take place within the span of a single afternoon or evening with the Seller, listing agent and buying agent in attendance of the negotiations.  Many offers are also presented with the Buyer close to hand in a nearby coffee shop or restaurant, if not also in person, for the quickest and most efficient negotiation process.  However, with the current life and times, more and more offers are being presented electronically.  Regardless of who is in attendance, both the listing and buying agent’s goal is to get their clients the best possible price, gauging each other’s flexibility in terms and conditions. 

Once assessing the Buyer’s offer, the Seller and their client can do one of three things: accepting the offer as is, rejecting it, or signing the offer back with initials and signatures to changes in price, closing date or any other particular terms.  If the Buyer is not willing to negotiate up to those changes, negotiations will cease, and the Buyer will have to go look elsewhere. 

Multiple Buyer Offers

Alternatively to single Buyer, multiple Buyers can present their offers simultaneously, creating a bidding war.  Multiple offers on a single property predominantly happen when the property is priced at market value or relatively underpriced.  Underpricing can be done deliberately or by accident but is rarely recommended as it can be quite risky for the Seller.  However, a listing can receive multiple offers by luck or skilled marketing.

In this case, the listing agent will communicate with each Buyer’s agent, gathering the pros and cons of each offer to discuss privately with their client.  Once again, one of three things can happen: accept one of the offers outright, reject all offers if they fall below expectations or decide to work with one Buyer if they can change a few things. 

With either presentation style, critical discussions should include closing dates, as well as the size and soonest availability of deposit in the form of a bank draft for maximized confidence in the offer.  Additionally, it is often also more secure of a decision to accept a firm offer over a conditional, even if the conditional offer is higher.  After all, chances could be that the Buyer is caught up in the moment and gets Buyer’s remorse a few days later. 

 

Of course, your best course of action is having a knowledgeable local REALTOR® by your side.  No matter if you are looking to buy or sell, contact us today for a trusted guiding hand in the process, drawing on all our combined years of experience.