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Every year, hundreds of thousands of homes of every style, shape and size are bought and sold across this country. In spite of all the differences, many of them have one very important thing in common: a RE/MAX Professional who is the driving force behind the transaction. RE/MAX agents buy and sell more homes in your area than anybody.

When you choose RE/MAX you are choosing the combined experience we have gained from every deal we’ve completed. This experience and expertise ensures that you get the best possible price.

RE/MAX has done extensive research with homeowners, to better understand what makes them tick. This enables us to help you in many ways. First, knowing your preferences is invaluable when it comes to finding that perfect home. Open concept or traditional? Lofty or intimate?

As a home owner, you are likely to re-sell at some point and should consider the benefits of the neighbourhood. Remember, choices you make regarding improvements or renovations can drastically influence your home’s market value.

LANDSCAPING

IT ALL STARTS AT THE CURB Everyone knows the value of a first impression. But RE/MAX has learned that landscaping the front and backyard of your home will give you a 7% better return on your renovating dollar over the average return on other popular renos you might consider.

Increasing your curb appeal can be as simple as adding containers of brightly coloured flowers. Another idea would be to add a low maintenance garden for blocks of colour and texture. Also, consider a simple water fixture in the back yard to add ambiance.

KITCHEN

THE KITCHEN IS THE HUB

Ever wonder why “kitchen parties” naturally occur every time you have guests?

Well, it’s because the kitchen is the hub of every home. It’s where we get nourishment, refreshment, gather and regroup after a busy day. It is a room with real value for every family. At RE/MAX we’ve learned that kitchen upgrades can really deliver, with a 44% higher return on investment over the average return on other popular renos you might consider.

Whether you’re working with a contemporary kitchen or more of a country feel, stainless steel appliances continue to hold a lot of interest. In cabinetry, look at fine-grained maple, stained or natural, over the traditional heavy oak look of the past. Laminates and marble are great choices for countertops, but granite continues to be the most popular surface of all. Check out the latest fixtures in today’s new, brushed nickel finishes.

FIREPLACE

REKINDLE YOUR PASSION FOR LIVING

Nothing beats the feeling of curling up around a fire on a cold winter’s night. Not to mention the comforting feeling of hearth and home that a fireplace adds to a room.

The RE/MAX Return on Reno Index will tell you that installing or upgrading the fireplace in your home will generate 11% greater return on investment than the average return on other popular renos you might consider.

Gas fireplaces have made huge advances in popularity thanks to recent increases in efficiency as well as advances in design. A gas fireplace delivers the best of both worlds – all the comfort without the mess and maintenance.

BATHROOMS

DISAPPEAR IN YOUR PERSONAL SPA

Today’s stress-filled world leaves us all crying out for rest and relaxation. RE/MAX knows that making your bathroom the best it can be will generate a 56% better return on investment than the average renovation.

The goal should be to create a spa-like environment in your bathroom by installing a soaker tub with relaxing jets, or perhaps a new steam shower stall.

GREAT IDEAS UNDERFOOT

Great looking floors are a strong feature of any home. It often makes all the difference. With RE/MAX, we’ll show you how this upgrade can generate a 22% better return on investment than the average.

Start by ripping out that dated wall-to-wall carpet. Then, sand your existing floors down and refinish them, or choose one of the many easy-to-install and affordable laminates now available. A darker stain gives an elegant, yet up to date look. Use area rugs to accent and ground the space.

TOP 10 TIPS TO SUCCESSFUL HOME STAGING!

Preparing your house for selling can be a daunting and overwhelming task whether you have lived in your home a few years or many. The longer you have lived in your home the more things you will have acquired. The intent of this Top 10 Tips for Successful Home Staging is to help you save TIME, MONEY and ENERGY.

In preparing your house for selling you need to take a step back and have the mind set that this is no longer your home but your investment for your future. You want your home to have broad buyer appeal to your target market. Following these 10 Tips for Successful Home Staging will help you sell your house sooner and possibly for more money than if you did not prepare it for selling! Remember most people want to move into their new home without having to make updates to it.

1. Curb Appeal 

Stand back and view your home as if you were seeing it for the first time. This is the ‘first impression’ stage. Depending on the season you may want to have pots of colourful and attractive flowers to greet buyers; a clean and inviting door mat; new and shiny door handles and/or knockers; a freshly painted door.

2. Declutter 

Start your pre-pack as soon as possible. You need to decide what you are going to keep, give away, sell or throw away/recycle. Many clients will rent storage lockers or have pods delivered so they can start to clear out what is not going to make the house look good.

3. Clean

You would think this one is common sense but let me assure you, I wish it was so! A clean home translates into ‘They must have really cared for their home.” Use environmentally friendly cleaners where you can, for hard cleaning areas tsp is a good product. Bathrooms and kitchens must be sparkling clean at the very least.

4. Depersonalize

We know you love your family photos and your personal treasures and for living they are perfect. For selling pack them up carefully so you can showcase them in your new home. For selling you want buyers to focus on the best features of your home and not your personal things or collections.

5. A neutral colour scheme is the way to go for selling.

Choose only 3 colours or less to paint your house for selling. If you have an open floor plan then paint the main floor all the same colour. Bedrooms look good in light sage greens or warm blues like the new aqua.

6. Highlight your home’s best architectural features

Place your furniture in each room so that you have very obvious focal points that show off the home’s best selling features. For example, if you have a beautiful fireplace then place the furniture in a parallel grouping so that the eye is drawn to the fireplace.

7. Decide on the function in each room

If you were using your guest bedroom as your den for living, for selling turn it back into a bedroom with bedroom furniture in it. If you do not have the right furniture for each room consider renting it. There are more and more rental furnishing companies opening up every day. If you don’t want to rent then borrow.

8. Lighting your home to its best advantage

Spend money on new light fixtures in brushed nickel or stainless steel. Brass is out so don’t fight it. There are many low-cost lighting stores to select from so no excuses for having dated light fixtures.

9. Window treatments that sell your home 

The most popular on the market are the 2” faux woods in a white tone to go with your trim. Decorative side panels will do the trick if you need to add warmth and colour.

10. Flooring needs special attention and is a good investment for updating the look of your home 

Tile or linoleum is great for entranceways, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms; a good quality laminate or hardwood is perfect for living rooms and family rooms; bedrooms are attractive in a neutral carpet.

By planning and budgeting you can get yourself to the “OPEN HOUSE READY” stage.

Remember that the vast majority of prospective buyers have already looked at your listing on the internet. Will they like what they see?

Happy Selling!

Self-Moving

• The two essential ingredients of a successful move are manpower and hauling capacity.
• Calculate whether moving yourself actually makes economic sense. Add up all moving costs including boxes, packing material, gas, meals, truck rental and insurance. Compare it against a quote from a professional moving company.
• Four questions to ask yourself:
  1. Do I have time to pack and move all my goods?
  2. Am I physically capable of moving heavy pieces?
  3. Do I know enough people who can and are willing to help me move?
  4. Can I drive a rental truck? If not, who can?
• If you do rent a truck, it’s better to rent a larger one than you think you’ll need. Otherwise, you will have to make more than one trip.

Choosing a Professional Mover

• Ask family and friends for recommendations.
• If in doubt, check with the Better Business Bureau.
• Determine the size, distance and timing of your move.
• Choose between a “self service” move (you pack and unpack) or a “full service” move (the moving company packs and unpacks).
• Obtain a written cost estimate.
• Review insurance coverage. There are three types:
  1. Standard coverage.
  2. Assessed value coverage.
  3. Full replacement coverage.
  4. Can I drive a rental truck? If not, who can?

Important Checklist Items

• Notify this list of businesses about your move:
• Electric power company.
• Water company.
• Natural gas supplier.
• Local telephone company.
• Long distance telephone company.
• Television company.
• Stock Broker.
• Investment Adviser.
• Insurer.
• Credit card companies.
• Banks.
• Magazine subscriptions and book clubs.
• Religious organizations.
• Sports club.
• Arrange the timing of the shut-off and start-up of utilities so that you will be sure not to be without electricity, water, gas or phone service. Give yourself one or two days on both ends to compensate for potential delays.
• Send out address change notices to friends and family.
• Common things people forget to do:
• Get copies of medical, dental, immunization, school and veterinarian records.
• Advising subscriptions.
• Pick up dry cleaning.
• New address (keep handy at all times).
• Cleaning supplies for cleaning after movers have loaded everything.
• Garage door opener (remember to leave it behind).
• Keys (gather up all house keys and leave for new home owner).

Long Distance Move Checklist

1. Open new bank accounts.
   Transfer funds and anything you have in your safety deposit box.
2. Health Care.
   Take the time to choose new health professionals. Research the Internet for doctors, dentists, specialists and hospitals. Ask new friends and working colleagues for recommendations.
3. Prescriptions.
   Be sure to get a couple of months’ worth of prescriptions from your doctor before moving.
4. Medical Records.
   Get copies of doctor’s records and case records and have them forwarded to your new doctor.
5. Insurance.
   Check all of your insurance policies to ensure that coverage will continue in your new area. If not, ask your insurance agent for a recommendation.
6. Memberships.
   Formally resign or transfer memberships from any local organizations or associations.
7. School Records.
   Ask the school to make a copy for you to take with you.
8. Borrowed Items.
   Return library books, rental videos or other items you may have borrowed from friends or neighbours.
9. Trip to new home.
   Pack a first aid box and a food and beverage “care package” for the trip to your new home.

Moving With Kids

• Provide children with as much information as possible about the move and allow them to participate in decision-making discussions.
• Familiarize the children with the new area using maps, photographs and related Internet sites. Talk about the positive aspects of their new home, school and neighbourhood. Encourage questions and invite children to talk about their worries.
• For young children, make the move an adventure. Encourage them to pack their own things, leaving favourite toys until the end.
• Resist the temptation to send children away during the move unless they are very young. Participating will help them adjust more easily to their new surroundings.
• For older children who are leaving friends, sports teams and their school, emphasize how easy it is to keep in touch through e-mail and the telephone.
• After the move, participate with the kids in local religious events, Scouts or Girl Guides and community sport teams.
• No matter how well you have prepared your children, expect them to be a little upset. The emotional impact is greater for older children than for younger children. Watch for signs of depression.

PACKING CHECKLIST

Packing Materials

• Sturdy boxes.
• Packing tape.
• Bubble wrap.
• Styrofoam packing peanuts.
• Use newspaper, old blankets, pillows and clothing to serve as a buffer between breakable objects.

Packing Techniques

• Pack one room at a time, labeling each box with a description of its contents and its destination (e.g. kitchen, bathroom). Mark the room destination on the top and at least one side of every carton. Be as specific as you can to make unpacking easier. Follow this up at your destination home by taping an identifying tag on each room, e.g. Bedroom-1 or Bedroom-2.
• Put heavy items in small boxes to make them easier to carry.
• Don’t apply tape directly to polished or painted wood finishes. Removing the tape could ruin the surface.
• Double-box fragile items and add plenty of cushioning.
• Do not pack up valuables such as jewelry, money or important legal documents. Take them with you in your car.

Priority Items

• Make sure the items you need most are loaded LAST.
• Pack essential items that you will need for the first 24 hours in your new home and take them in your car. For each person: a change of clothes, a towel, prescriptions, toothbrush and other personal items. For everyone: food, plastic eating utensils, toilet paper, soap, local phone book, aspirins, pen/pencil and paper, snacks, beverages, coffee and trash bags.

ON MOVING DAY

Moving Checklist

• Have a notepad or clipboard handy to jot down reminders.
• Have everything packed and ready to go by the time your helpers arrive.
• Make sure the movers have clear directions to your new home and that someone will be there to greet them.
• Make sure the moving van has a convenient place to park. Mark off the parking area with cones or other suitable objects. Make sure the moving truck doesn’t block a neighbour’s driveway.
• When loading and unloading, make sure the movers don’t walk over your neighbour’s lawn.
• Try not to move too early or too late in the day.
• Confine your pet or arrange for a friend or family member to care for your pet during the move. Another alternative is to take your pet to the groomer for the day.
• Food and refreshments for your family and the movers.
• Leave your old house as clean as you would like to find your new house. Clean as much as you can before moving day, and then make a final check after everything is out.
• Stay around until the movers are finished loading. You will be asked to sign a bill of lading and to check an inventory sheet. Read the documents carefully before signing.
• Remember the last walk-through of all rooms.
• If the movers have done a good job for you, it is customary to tip them around $20 each, depending on the difficulty of the move.

Unpacking

• It will be less stressful if you know that you don’t have to unpack everything in one day or even in one week.
• If you have prepared well, furniture and boxes can be unloaded directly into the correct rooms.
• Focus on one room at a time, beginning with the kitchen, followed by the bathroom.