Seriously Muskoka Real Estate Blog | Heather Scott | Page #3

Ask any real estate agent how the market is and you’re almost sure to get the same answer: “Great!”

Even if the market is great, it still may not be a great time for you to sell. Many real estate agents will tell you that NOW is the right time to sell your home when in reality, they can’t know that without knowing the specifics of your situation. Before going down a long and stressful journey, let’s first decide if selling your home right now is a mistake.

What’s true about relationships is also true about selling your home: When it’s time to make a big decision, go with your gut feeling. But like anyone who has ever put off a breakup, it’s amazing how easy it is to talk yourself out of what you really want to do. You’ll say you’ll get around to…

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You never get a second chance to make a good first impression, and that counts for your home, too! Buyers might be less likely to check out the rest of a house if the outside is unappealing—even if the interior is stunning.

 

If you’re looking to sell your house, a few inexpensive changes to your home’s exterior could help make the process smoother. From being able to sell faster to add greater value to the asking price.  

1. Add a fresh coat of paint

Depending on what your budget is, painting can give you a lot of bang for your buck. When painting don’t forget picket fences around your yard, trimming around the eaves of the roof, and replacing old gutters and downspouts may catapult the appeal of the exterior of your home.

2. Updating…

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Home sales (and values) have been on a strong uptick nationwide thanks to low interest rates, freer lending standards and a drop in the foreclosure rate. Sellers everywhere are breathing a giant, collective sigh of relief! But for all of the buyer activity, it seems like most houses sit on one end of two extremes: they either get snatched up the moment they hit the market (with multiple offers and an above-asking sale price) or seem to languish on the market without an offer in sight.

All sellers aspire to be on the multiple-offer end of the spectrum. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make that happen. Here are five tips to move your listing in to the multiple offers zone.

 

1. Price it aggressively. 

Homes that get multiple offers…

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Whether you are planning to put down a full 20 percent or pulling together the cash for a 3.5 percent down payment for an FHA loan, your down payment might be the biggest single cash expenditure you ever make. Some scrimp and save for years, while others can ready the cash with less difficulty, but no buyer in the history of home buying has ever said they have too much down payment money.

Here's an insider secret: many buyers have a treasure trove of down payment resources at their disposal, hidden in plain sight. Here's a map to this hidden treasure – a handful of frequently-overlooked sources of down payment funds.

 

1. Your budget's biggest line items. 

Home buying is one of those push-meet-shove-type situations. If you're serious about…

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Every year, designers around the world look forward to the reveal of Pantone’s new Colour of the Year. Similarly, interior designers await the rollout of new colour palettes from major paint companies.

These rollouts require colour stylists to carefully analyze global and societal trends from the runway, varying lifestyles, and demographics.

Consumer Reports recently predicted the hottest interior paint colours of 2019, and we picked our favourites here.

We also included how and where to incorporate these colours into your home.

 


 

Benjamin Moore: Metropolitan AF-690

Why it's hot: neutral tones create a calming ambiance.

Where to use: living room, sleek kitchen, sophisticated bedroom.

Where to buy: select paint…

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When dreaming of your perfect kitchen, it can be hard to decide what changes need to happen in order to make it the perfect space for you. The kitchen is the most visited space in the house, so you want to make sure you are prepared before embarking on this remodeling journey.

There are many changes you can make when the time comes so we created a list to help you get started. Here are 7 easy upgrades to consider to bring your dream kitchen to fruition.

Renovating Cabinets

Rather than installing completely new cabinets, painting tarnished or scuffed cabinetry is a cost-effective way to brighten the room. Make sure to scrub the cabinets before you sand and prime, then paint. Although it's cost-effective, taking the added time to do the proper…

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It's not easy to choose the perfect neighborhood for you or your family. Let's face it, your neighborhood is just as important as your house. If you are not happy with your neighborhood it will eventually lead to you not being satisfied with your home. Do your research to determine what a neighborhood has to offer you. The greatest areas for families with children is not always the best place for a single person or empty nesters. This article will explain the things that you should be looking at in a neighborhood during the buying process.

Location

Location is everything. Imagine living in an amazing area, but you work over 50 miles away. This will not leave you with much time to enjoy everything that your neighbourhood has to offer considering you…

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You might have heard that saying about the number of fish there are in the sea – the sea of prospective dates and mates. The same goes for homes on the market.

Even when the market heats up as it's doing now, it's not uncommon for a buyer to visit 10, 20 or even more homes before finding the property they want to make their home.

These numbers can be daunting, but even the most particular buyers, even buyers who are frustrated by how many homes don't seem like the right fit, can take heart in this one truth of dating that also applies to house hunting: You only need to find ONE.

So the next question is this: how do you know which fish is the one you should take home – I mean, make your home? To help, here are six signs that a given home you're…

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Did you know that we spend more than 300 hours per year in our kitchens*?

When you’re looking for a new home (or just dreaming about one), the kitchen can be the room that makes the biggest impact. If a kitchen has outdated appliances, a weird layout, or is noticeably cramped, you definitely notice it.

Whether you like throwing big dinner parties or the only appliances you use are the microwave and the toaster, it's important to feel comfortable in your kitchen. But they can be costly to redo, which is why so many homeowners put this off for the next owner.

That’s not the case with these homes!

To save you time, we hand-selected homes for sale right now with beautiful kitchens.

As you can see, a kitchen with all the right features can…

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"Our Cottage Sold in 2 Days After Being on the Market for Months"

Here's the situation

Megan and her family had owned their cottage for a couple of years. They bought a different property and realized they weren't going to need the cottage anymore, so they decided it was time to sell it. 

They listed it for sale with a different agent in August. He had an old fashioned approach to real estate and basically just stuck a for sale sign in their front yard with little to no social presence and zero scheduled showings. Megan grew frustrated because she knew if her home had the right exposure, allowing people to see and experience photos of her home, then people would fall in love with it just as she had. October rolled around and their beloved cottage…

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