Author Archive
Prospective buyers would like to see a perfect home from top to bottom and inside and out. To improve the likelihood of an easy, fast and profitable home sale, we suggest that you attend to the following items. In this article you will find Tips For Successful Home Viewings.
Outside the house
1. Sweep the front walkway and shovel snow in the winter.
2. Remove newspapers, bikes and toys.
3. Park extra cars away from the property.
4. Trim back the shrubs.
5. Apply fresh, clean paint on your home, wooden fence, and outbuildings.
6. Clean windows and definately the window coverings.
7. Maintain sealants around windows and doors.
8. Make sure roof and gutters are clean and in good condition.
9. Mow the lawn frequently and plant flowers.
10. Keep pet areas clean.
11. Take down out-of-season decorations.
Inside the home
1. The kitchen and bathroom should look and smell clean.
2. Vacuum rugs and carpets (and have them professionally cleaned, if necessary).
3. Place fresh flowers in the main rooms.
4. Put away dishes, unless setting a formal display for decoration.
5. Make all beds and put away clothing.
6. Open drapes and turn on lights for a brighter feel.
7. Tidy closets.
8. Turn off televisions and play soft music on the radio/stereo.
9. Keep pets out of the way and pet areas clean and odor-free.
10. Secure jewelry, cash, prescription medication and other valuables.
11. Consider removing unnecessary furniture and appliances from counter tops to create a greater sense of space.
12. Consider baking cookies or lighting scented candles to create a homey atmosphere.
Get your free copy of Preparing To Downsize
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
Seniors downsize for many reasons and part of the process is dealing with minimizing your volume of possessions. Clutter can present hazards like tripping and falls. Keeping your home clutter free is being proactive against accidents in your senior years.
Don’t wait until you are challenged with a crisis or health issues to declutter your possessions. If you need to quickly move the process of decluttering can be overwhelming and a daunting.
1. Don’t burden your family with clearing out your home
Doing a declutter of your home now will ensure that your family wont be burdened with cleaning out the home should you become ill or incapacitated. The process can be challenging and stressful if family members are left guessing about disposal when downsizing for you. Finally take time to discuss with family members about your wishes to pass items along now or later.
2. Give yourself a lot of time for decluttering if planning a move
Start decluttering well before planning a move. If done at your own pace you may find it less emotional a process. Declutter a little bit at a time pacing yourself if you tire easily. Take breaks as decluttering can be taxing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Start with small tasks first versus tackling an area that is highly cluttered.
3. Give yourself some time to reminisce
It took years to accumulate all the contents of your home and it is unlikely that you can sort thru everything in just a few days. As you sort thru your things reflect on the memories. If you do not have room for the item maybe a photograph is the answer. Also, write down a story to preserve the memory of the item and its history or its significance.
4. Create a plan by creating a schedule.
If you are relying on the help of others a schedule will be easier for everyone involved. If you are decluttering on a whim, it may be difficult to call on others for assistance. A schedule will also help you commit to getting the job completed on time.
5. Hire a professional to help guide you thru the process
If you are unable to ask for assistance from family and friends, you can always hire a professional to help guide you thru the process or do it for you. There are many certified relocation specialists and downsizing specialists working in the Halifax regional area. Call me if you would like a referral to help you with your decluttering and organizational needs
6. Donate Online or to an organization
Also, you can donate items to a charity or online in the Facebook marketplace or Kijiji. Do use caution when arranging for a stranger picking up items at your home. Most organizations will arrange a time for pickup or drop-off.
Get your free copy of Preparing To Downsize
7. Know the size of the rooms you will have in your new home
Downsizing and decluttering can have a positive effect on your life. You choose which belongings you will keep and what goes. In addition, display your most important belongings in your new home and enjoy living lighter with less stuff dominating your space.
Above all try to be practical and realistic in your approach to this lifestyle change. This helps when trying to organize what items will fit in each room. If you are moving from a 4-bedroom house to a 2 bedroom condo you will have a lot of items you can’t possibly take with you.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
People sell their home for several reasons. Sometimes its because of a relocation, a downsize or an upsize depending on housing needs. Sellers remorse is that sick feeling you might have when you believe you’ve made a mistake when selling your home.
It’s not uncommon for a seller to experience some remorse when walking out the front door for the last time. Especially If you have spent years in the home and have many great memories. These helpful tips will help to avoid seller’s remorse.
1. Know your homes current market value
A CMA or comparative market analysis is a report that will analyze sales of comparable homes in your area. This report will help you set a realistic expectation of your homes value when selling.
Not ready to sell your home but want to stay informed about how your neighbourhood is performing in the marketplace? You can receive free market updates here. It’s a free service and you can cancel at any time.
2. Focus on your motivation for selling
The selling process can be stressful at various stages to downright disappointing. It can come in the form of bad feedback after a showing or a lowball offer in a hot market. However, this kind of stress may have you questioning why you placed your home for sale in the first place however, gently remind yourself of the pros and cons of staying in your home.
Get your free copy of Preparing To Downsize
Stay focused on your reason for selling. Maybe you wanted a bigger home or one closer to work or family. Maybe the house is too big and you want to move closer to the city and amenities as you age. Staying focused will help with stress and prevent sellers remorse.
3. Make solid plans for after you sell
In a sellers market you may receive top dollar for your home but feel defeated if you do not have anywhere to go after closing. In a sellers market there is a shortage of inventory and it may take longer than you expect to find your next home. This could mean more than one move so ensure you have a solid plan for moving day and where you will live after the sale. Maybe securing a rental property to ensure you have a home for the interim.
4. Listen to your Realtor®
It’s a familiar story, you’ve sold your home and you were happy with the price and closing date but everyone has an opinion and they are not shy about sharing it. Your in-laws or friends think you could have made more money, but in all honesty listen to the expert. Your Realtor® has access to data that outsiders don’t have at their fingertips. Agents can backup their actions with data.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
Have you been dreaming about downsizing into a rightsized home but first, you must sell your current home? A rightsized home for you may mean a home with fewer bedrooms or less yard to maintain. But first, there are a few things you need to know to get your home in the best possible condition.
We know how important first impressions can be and your home is no exception as it will have to appeal to homebuyers.
The home selling process may seem daunting, but we are here to help you prepare your home for the market and help you find a new home that meets your criteria. There is so much to do in the selling process such as pricing, home preparation, gathering paperwork it can become overwhelming. Here is where our checklist comes in handy.
1. Round up your paperwork
Gather your utility bills for the past year or two as buyers will want to know the average cost of electricity, heating, water bills, taxes, etc. Buyers will ask for this information when they present an offer on your home. It’s also a good idea to gather up any appliance manuals and warranties that you can give the new buyers.
2. Repairs and updating
It is not necessary to renovate your home in order to sell it in today’s market. To get the best price possible it is important to present your home in its best condition. This means repairs to leaky faucets, chipped or peeling paint, and old worn flooring. Quick fixes to update your home might include a fresh coat of neutral paint throughout the home.
Upgrading appliances can help modernize a kitchen along with new hardware on the cupboards. If something is broken, fix it now rather than after a home inspection when the buyers will likely be wanting a reduction in the house price due to necessary repairs.
Your home should leave an impression on the buyers that your home has been loved and cared for throughout your ownership.
3. Declutter, depersonalize and stage
The purpose behind decluttering is so that your home appears spacious and clean. Depersonalizing the home allows the buyers to imagine themselves living in the space without the distraction of family photos, knick-knacks, and collectibles.
Staging the home is really the icing on the cake beautifying the home’s best features. Stagers add or arrange furniture, advise on color schemes, and prepare your home so it is appealing to today’s buyers’ tastes.
Get your free copy of Preparing To Downsize
A decluttered, depersonalized, and staged home takes the best photos and videos for the real estate market. Many buyers will bypass viewing a property based on the online photos. If a home is photographed with a cluttered countertop and dirty dishes it gives the impression that the seller does not care about the condition of the house.
4. Curb appeal matters
Let’s face it curb appeal matters. As the buyer drives up the street the first thing they see is the exterior of your home. If you have junk in your yard, overgrown gardens, peeling paint on the house and fence you are not going to make a great impression.
Remember to fix cracks in your driveway, keep the lawn and gardens in tip-top shape. Ensure your house’s exterior is clean and painted if needed. If your exterior lighting is rusted replace it and the same goes for that mailbox and door hardware.
5. Pre-Listing Home Inspection
There are so many benefits to both the seller and the buyer when a home is inspected before going on the market. It aids the seller in pricing the home especially if the house requires a lot of work or repairs. If the seller is not in a position to make the repairs, they can price their house accordingly and provide quotes for repairs.
It also prepares the seller about the condition of their home upfront so there will not be any harsh surprises creep up when the buyer conducts their inspection. If a house requires substantial repairs the buyer may opt-out of the deal. Common reasons home deals fall on inspection surround issues like the roof, water damage, or electrical issues.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
Our homes are supposed to provide a place of rest and renewal away from the world and all its dangers and stresses. Unfortunately, hazards exist in our homes that can make us sick. It is especially important to your health to identify any problems in the home and fix them. If your symptoms appear to get better when you are away from your home, you may want to ask yourself, is my home making me sick?
Symptoms most reported by those affected from a sick home vary from person to person. One person may get a sore throat with exposure to mold, and another may get a headache, for example. It really depends on the severity of the issue in the house and each person’s reactions to exposure.
Get your free copy of Preparing To Downsize
Common symptoms are respiratory issues, cognitive issues, agitation, or depression. Other physical symptoms include stomach issues, rashes, sore throats, muscle aches, and fatigue. Certain activities in the home, like vacuuming, can trigger or worsen symptoms.
1. Improve the air quality
Ensure to improve the air quality in your home by bringing in fresh air through open windows as much as possible. Use fans in bathrooms and kitchens to pull out the indoor air. Use only non-toxic cleaners and forbid smoking in the house.
2. Bedrooms
Bedding and sheets must be washed often, as they may contain bacteria like E. coli or salmonella, which can cause infections and spread illness. Pillows and mattresses need to be cleaned as well. Our skin sheds and dust mites feed on that skin. Mites can cause severe allergic reactions for some people.
3. Carpet
While wall-to-wall carpeting adds warmth and comfort to your decor, they are dirt magnets. Breathing issues can occur from allergies because of the dust, mites, and pet danger trapped in the carpet. Hardwood flooring with area rugs is a better solution with fewer irritants. Be sure to vacuum with a HEPA filter vacuum and have them cleaned regularly by a professional.
4. Mold
Mold can be found in high moisture areas of your home, like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Not all mold is visible and can be underneath carpeting or behind drywall. Mold has a musky scent and can cause itchy eyes and a runny nose. All molds irritate the respiratory system, but mold can cause huge health problems for those with a compromised immune system. Remove mold from every surface of your home.
5. Radon
Radon is a dangerous, colorless, and odorless gas. It can cause cancer to those exposed. It can enter a home through outdoor vents, cracks in walls, or flooring. Have your home professionally tested to determine if your home needs professional treatment for a radon leak in your home.
6. Air Conditioning and Heating systems
Air conditioners can be a source of mold and mildew spores, and need the filters and vents cleaned frequently. Furnaces, fireplaces, and space heaters also emit particles that can cause irritation to the respiratory systems. Be sure to change your furnace filters when required.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
Asbestos is mined around the world and developed into a wide range of products. Asbestos is a natural silicate mineral that has great insulating properties. It consists of millions of fibres that are bound together to make lightweight materials, and are almost indestructible.
Asbestos was used in home construction materials from early 1930 to the 1980s. It was used because of its resistance to heat and fire. You cannot ascertain if a material has asbestos, so you need to send samples to a lab for testing. It’s advisable to hire a trained asbestos professional to test, assess and advise on how to deal with the abatement of asbestos.
It’s important to look for asbestos and remove it from your home. It poses a serious health hazard. If asbestos is damaged or deteriorates, it releases fibres that can cause serious health issues when inhaled. Cancer research has found conclusively exposure can cause Mesothelioma, Lung cancer, Ovarian cancer linked to asbestos exposure.
1. Flooring tiles 9×9
Lift carpet to reveal the flooring underneath to see if there are asbestos tiles. Today’s tiles are 12×12 and the asbestos tiles are 9×9. Not every homeowner will remove asbestos material due to the cost, but instead will encapsulate the tiles between layers of wood subflooring.
This method is fine, as long as nothing is disturbed. If you lift a floor vent, you might be able to see the layers of subflooring and tiles or vinyl flooring.
2. Vinyl sheet flooring
Vinyl sheet flooring has asbestos fibres because they added strength and fire resistance. If there is black tar on the vinyl, it almost certainly contains asbestos.
3. Plaster ceilings
Plaster ceilings in homes built prior to 1986 can have asbestos materials. It is important not to disturb or remove any part of the ceiling before it is tested for asbestos. Textured ceiling finishes like popcorn ceilings have asbestos. Scraping the popcorn ceiling can release microscopic asbestos fibers. Hire a professional for removal.
4. Asbestos on Insulation products
Older homes could still have leftover asbestos on pipes and should be removed by a professional. In the past, homes were heated by a boiler system, with an asbestos heat shield because of its fire resistance.
5. Vermiculite – Attics and crawl spaces
Commonly used in attics and crawl spaces for insulation, some vermiculite does contain asbestos fibers. It is very dangerous and expensive to remove. Have your vermiculite tested before removal.
6. Drywall
Be cautious drilling holes in old drywall. Older homes have drywall containing asbestos. If you drill a hole in the board, you can release fibers into the air. Even with minor repairs or replacements, you should bring in a professional safely removed. Do not risk exposure to yourself and family members.
In summary, if possible, avoid any contact with asbestos materials. If you are planning on renovating your older home it’s advisable to have an inspection done to assess asbestos presence. If asbestos is present in your home, create a plan to have it professionally abated.
Do not disturb, scrape or handle any material containing asbestos. Leave it to the professionals. Do not sweep or vacuum areas containing debris and dust from asbestos. This will cause the fibers to become airborne. And lastly, never throw out materials containing asbestos into the trash or waste disposal.
If you believe you have been exposed to asbestos, contact your family physician. Although there are no tests to show you have been exposed to asbestos, there are tests to detect diseases related to asbestos exposure. Commonly asbestos-related diseases are diagnosed at least 15 years after exposure.
Get your free copy of Preparing To Downsize
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here