Rosetta O'Kane

Fall into Seasonal Appeal

Autumn brings with it a distinctive charm, one that can extend itself beautifully when presenting your home for sale. Here are four ways for homeowners who are gearing up to sell before the end of the year to maximize the marketing opportunities unique to this season.

Customize your curb appeal. While you'll want to avoid a cluttered look, a seasonal wreath on the front door, colourful flowers and fall foliage in pots by the front entrance interspersed with some pumpkins or gourds, and an autumn-themed front door mat will elevate the look of your property to both welcoming and festive.

Highlight energy efficiency. The cool breezes will soon be blowing in, so it's time to highlight energy-saving features such as double-pane windows, efficient heating systems, and insulation upgrades.

Stage for the season. Embrace seasonal charm with cozy blankets and throws, place a bowl of shiny apples on the kitchen counter, and light a crackling fire in the fireplace (if applicable) to not only capture the charm of the current season, but also to set the stage for the next buyer to envision themselves snuggling into the home as the cold weather blows in.

Follow the light. With the days getting shorter, ensure all your lights are in working order both inside and outside your home, ready to cast a warm and welcoming glow.

With the right pricing and the right approach, selling your home in the fall can be a highly rewarding experience. By leveraging the seasonal charm, emphasizing comfort and efficiency, and utilizing effective marketing strategies, you can showcase your home and attract the most motivated buyers!

It's Better to Give

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to get together with family, enjoy a delicious meal, and celebrate the changing seasons. As you reorganize your home for fall, it's also an ideal time for household purging. Instead of discarding excess — but still perfectly good — contents, consider selling and/or donating to organizations in need. Here are some suggestions.

Items to Sell

Cell phones. Got an old cell phone lying in a drawer? List it for sale; someone may welcome the opportunity to upgrade!

Video games and equipment. Chances are that just as you or your kids are outgrowing certain entertainment, someone else is just discovering it.

Children's gear. Speaking of outgrowing things, families often recognize it's simply not worth buying a lot of children's items new, so they save money by looking for gently used clothing, toys, strollers, and bikes.

Kitchen appliances. It often doesn't take long for the latest, shiniest kitchen aids to turn into kitchen counter clutter. Once the initial allure wears off, consider re-selling small appliances if you're not using them.

Exercise equipment. Our initial exercise intentions are always solid, but if the only movement around your treadmill now is you tripping over it, it needs to go.

Items to Donate

Bedding and towels. How many sets of sheets do you really need? For most people, two sets are sufficient. Also assess your towels and remove the ones that are worn, stained, or frayed. While excess linens still in good shape can be donated, old sheets and towels can be repurposed into household cleaning and car washing rags. Note that animal shelters and vets will often appreciate the donation of clean old towels, too.

Kitchen utensils. Organize your utensil drawer by donating duplicates.

Hotel-sized toiletries. Those tiny toiletries provided by hotels often find their way home with us, only to clutter up our bathroom cabinets. Gather unopened products together and donate them to your local homeless shelter.

By shedding items you no longer use, you can not only breathe a little easier in your own home, you can extend the spirit of Thanksgiving well beyond your home!

It's Sock Season

The cool fall weather has arrived, and with it, the season for even the most stubborn bare feet to surrender to the need for socks. But why is it we often end up with only one lonely sock when we're sure we threw a full pair into the washer and dryer?

There are logical explanations for where socks go to hide — under the washing machine agitator, in-between the washing machine's inner and outer tub, between or behind the washer and dryer, in the dryer lint trap, or stuck between the dryer door and drum. Or sometimes they're simply clinging to another article of clothing by static electricity.

While you can reduce the chance of socks going missing by putting them all in a dedicated laundry bag for sock security, if you do find yourself with some orphan socks, reinvent them in these handy ways.

Remove and discard the foot part and use the tubes as cup holders to shield hands from hot paper cups.

Draft-proof doors and windows by filling long socks with uncooked rice or dried beans to block gaps.

Put them on a different kind of foot — slip them over the feet of heavy furniture to allow you to move furniture easier, while protecting your floors from scratches.

Provide cheap entertainment for your dog. Many dogs love the crunchy sound that empty water bottles make when they bite into them, so simply slip an empty plastic bottle into a tube sock, tie the end, and let Fido go to town on the bottle without having to worry about them swallowing any plastic!

3 Benefits of Working with a Buyer's Agent

Have you ever walked into an open house and thought, "This is the one!"? If so, you may have initiated a serious conversation with the real estate sales representative right there and then. But does it make sense to work directly with that listing agent, as opposed to having your buyer's agent represent you? Here are 3 reasons to let your buyer's agent handle the conversation.

Your buyer's agent represents you and puts your best interests first, keeping you safe, informed, and protected throughout all the negotiations. They understand what you're looking for in both the property and the area. While you may be starry-eyed at a property, they will be digging deeper to find out about the neighbourhood, any potential issues with the property, and if the price is right for the area and for your budget.

The listing agent's primary concern is to sell the home, and their priority is to represent the best interests of the seller. In some cases, while they would obviously be familiar with the home itself, they may not have researched the area with the same view a buyer's agent would have before showing you the home.

You, as the buyer, won't save money by buying directly from the listing agent. Remember that the seller pays the commission, and the commissions would already have been negotiated prior to the home being put on the market.

Working with a buyer's agent ensures you have personal, dedicated, professional representation by your side throughout your entire home buying journey.