Saugeen Shores Real Estate Buzz

Well, it has been a little bit of a strange start to the Spring real estate season. The 3 weeks leading up to last week were quite slow which is out of the ordinary. This is usually the time when potential Buyers start to get itchy feet and want to make a move. Whether it is the first time home buyer or the person who wants to move up a bit, Spring and the nice weather seem to bring it out. Now, having said this, this past week has seen a bit of a turn around. In speaking with a couple of mortgage brokers, I find that they too have seen a little more activity. Perhaps it was just the cooler weather that the Spring started with or perhaps it was just a little hesitation because of what is happening south of the border; whatever it was, it seems to have taken a little bit of a turn and the Buyers are now back out looking for their piece of real estate. With the way that Port Elgin is growing and a new subdivison being planned for Southampton, things seem to be, once again, heading in a positive direction.

Just a little gripe that I have–This is the time of the year that we see many different Realtors having Open Houses at their respective listings.  Now, these are held so that prosepective Buyers can come through and take a look at their leisure.  We always expect the looky-loos and that is OK; whether it is the next door neighbour or the town’s busy body, that is the chance that we take.  Now, I understand that you may bring the children along with you and that is OK but please do not let them tear around and touch everything in site.  Now, having said that, it is not just the children that sometimes feel the urge to handle things, the adults are sometimes worse.  The purpose of the Open House is to look at the house and the property; the personal property is out-of-bounds.  That is my gripe!!

Now, I am sure at this point in time, everyone has heard about ’staging’. This is sometimes done when it is time to sell a home. A person is hired by the homeseller to come in and, using the homeowner’s personal things, stage the home so that is shows it’s best. Now, I realize that to many people, this seems like an easy thing and many homeowners are able to do it on their own. However, there are some that do require some assistance! The question, is who do you hire? It is true that there are many very good stagers out there; these are usually people who have some sort of design in their background and have also gone on to take additional courses to help further their knowledge. On the other hand there are also various short course that people can take and then, upon course graduation, call themselves ‘homestagers’. It is my thought that if you are selling your home and you are wrestling with the best way to ’show’ it, consult your realtor and, if they are unable to help you out, they will be able to put you on to someone who can. This way, you should be getting someone who is reliable!

However, before you start on that route, please go over the list below, these are some things that are easily done and can change the look and feel of your home without getting into the ’staging’ process.

1. First impressions mean the most. Make sure that the entance area is tidy and free of all clutter. It needs to be pleasing to the eye and it needs to be welcoming.

2. I don not know how many times this has to be mentioned but the clutter needs to go. Have a sale, give it away or take it to a storage unit but remove it before any showings take place.

3 Less furniture creates more space to the Buyer

4. Make sure each room has a purpose. If you have one too many bedrooms, turn one into an office, a den or a craft room. Offer the Buyer the different potential that the rooms may have.

5. Let the sunlight shine in. If possible do away with curtains and blinds, but if necessary, make them light ones.

6. Warm indoor lighting is very appealing. When the home is being shown, make sure that accent lights are turned on and that you have the property bulb in them so that they give a welcoming feeling.

7. Wallpaper is really not high on most Buyer’s lists; you may want to contemplate taking it down and painting a nice neutral color.

8. Plants and flowers soften things and adds life to the home.