So you’ve decided you want to stop paying rent and buy your first home. You’re not alone. With interest rates at their lowest in decades, many people have discovered that mortgage payments can be significantly lower or at least comparable to the rent they are currently paying.

Making the decision to become a homeowner is the easy part since buying a home is a great investment in your future. For many people, it’s no problem to keep up the monthly mortgage payments and other costs associated with home ownership. But what usually holds first time buyers back is the initial down payment required to obtain a mortgage.

How much can you afford?

The first thing you need to determine is how much house can you realistically afford? It’s a good idea to talk to a REALTOR® for help in this area. A REALTOR® is skilled at helping people make their dreams of home ownership come true. He or she knows how to assist you in assessing your needs and wants and can then match them with homes in your price range. As well, he or she will help you understand property financing, taxes, insurance and the process you will go through as a first time buyer to complete a real estate transaction.

Your REALTOR® can also offer advice on ways to save your down payment faster. He or she will likely suggest you take advantage of government programs such as an RRSP loan or the Ontario Home Ownership Savings Plan (OHOSP). Another option your REALTOR® can help you explore is a high ratio mortgage. A high ratio mortgage requires a smaller down payment than a conventional mortgage because it is insured by the CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). Talk to your REALTOR® for details on how these programs work.

Once you know your price range and have a down payment plan in the works, your REALTOR® will work with you to find the “home of your dreams.” For most people, their first home is more modest than the true home of their dreams, but it is a start and will be much more affordable.

When you have found the right home, your REALTOR® will be there to negotiate on your behalf to get the best purchase price possible. He or she will make sure your interests are covered in the purchase and sale agreement and will help with all the details required to complete the transaction.

A REALTORS® knowledge, expertise and negotiating skills will ensure your first time home buying experience is a dream come true and not a nightmare.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

When buying a home, the neighbourhood you select will not only play a pivotal role in your family’s life, but in the resale value of the property.

One person’s ideal neighbourhood however may vary greatly from another’s. But, regardless, there are some needs and wants that generally do not change. The distance from your new home to schools, churches and shopping, for example, will not only affect how you and your family settle into your new home, it will also draw or turn off a perspective buyer.

A good first step is to enlist the services of a REALTOR® who works in the area you are thinking of moving. REALTORS® are very familiar with the communities in which they work and can answer many of the questions you will develop during your search.

Check the lifestyle

A home is a part of a larger community. And some are more desirable than others. Some communities are geared more to young families, others to older adults and still others to singles or an eclectic mix of residents.

Never buy in an unfamiliar community or neighbourhood unless you have spent some time there both during the week and on weekends, day and night. Drive and walk around. Talk to store owners and people you meet on the street. Ask what they think of the neighbourhood.

If there are vacant tracts of land where you plan to buy, check with local authorities to see what the proposed land use might be. The last thing most homeowners want is the development of a mall or a high-rise office building across the road from their newly-purchased property.

Don’t let particular things in a home that appeal to you override its location and potential subsequent resale value. When analyzing a potential property, ask yourself if you can imagine living — not just in this home — but in this neighbourhood for quite a long time.

Remember that someday you may have to sell your home to someone else and things that may not be important to you — such as distance to schools, shopping, doctors and work — may be important to other buyers.

Location, location

In addition to finding the right neighbourhood, consider the immediate homes around the particular property you want to buy. Are they well maintained and worth the same or more than the home you are considering?

Is the location a quiet area or a major traffic thoroughfare? What kind of privacy does the backyard provide? Does it get the morning or afternoon sun? If there is no house behind you, who owns the property and how will it be developed?

Homes located further away from the centre of an urban area are generally cheaper. Are you prepared to invest the time and money it takes to commute and how long of a commute are you prepared to commit to? Is there public transit and good access to major highways nearby?

If you have kids in school, what kinds of schools and services are available? Will your kids have to be bused to their school? If a school is close by, will they have to cross any major intersections?

Being close to a school, on the other hand, may have some drawbacks — few owners want the noise and disturbance of being located right next door.

Finding malls, grocery and specialty stores in urban, residential areas is rarely a problem. But in neighbourhoods further away from urban areas, you may need to drive to the nearest convenience store. And getting to the local grocery store, pharmacy and other support services may require an even longer trek.

It’s great to be located near parks and recreational facilities, but few homeowners appreciate the high cast of tennis court lights beaming into their back yard. If the home you are considering backs onto such property, drive around the area and see how often the baseball diamonds, soccer fields, swimming pools and skating rinks are being used and when.

More serious concerns are having such things as gas stations, airports, railway tracks, commercial developments, major highways and cemeteries very close by.

Finally, if your heart is set on finding that one-of-a-kind 150-year old Georgian home, you’re not going to find it in a newer development. If you want large bedrooms and bathrooms, narrowing your search to an older part of town where homes are generally smaller, may prove disappointing.

Before making any decisions, think of your lifestyle and how a particular location would enhance or detract from it.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

New homeowners often find there’s more to keeping up a house than cutting the grass and clearing snow from the driveway.

Tools

To start with, a new homeowner needs to have on hand a ‘basic tool kit’. A number of basic tools are a must C a metal hammer, screwdrivers with a variety of heads, a small saw, electric drill, adjustable wrench, pliers and measuring stick. Sandpaper and an assortment of screws and nails are also very handy. These tools will help with simple repairs such as securing loose tiles, adjusting a door, installing a lock, etc.

Meters

Once you’re equipped to perform the most basic repairs, take a look around. Do you know where your gas/electricity and water meter are located? Usually these are found outside the home by a side or back wall. This makes it easy for the meter reader who can take the readings without bothering you. Sometimes these meters, especially the water meters in older homes, are located indoors — usually in the basement.

As new homeowners, it’s a good idea to check your meters on a weekly or monthly basis. This will help you gain an understanding of seasonal increases and decreases in consumption and enable you to take measures to become more energy/water efficient.

Plumbing

Another area where a little knowledge can go a long way is in the plumbing system. House plumbing is divided into two separate parts. One is the fresh-water system that provides cold and hot water from the various fixtures throughout the house; the other is the drainage system that carries waste out of the house.

The fresh-water system can be completely shut down by closing the main valve, which is usually located in the basement near where the underground water line enters the house. Most lines that branch out from the main line also have individual shut-off valves so water can be turned off to one area without disturbing the flow in another. Most plumbing jobs require at least the partial shut-off of your home’s water supply.

Meanwhile, the drainage system connects all the plumbing fixtures to a main sewer line that carries waste out of the house to a sewer or septic tank. The main sewer line extends above the roof of the house to allow gases to escape. The opening of this pipe, above the roof, is called a vent and must never be covered or allowed to become clogged with debris.

Electrical

Knowledge of your home’s electrical system is also valuable in case you have to turn off all power in case of an emergency, such as a fire. You should know the location of the main electric switch in the house and how to use it. You should also know the location of the fuse box or circuit breaker and how to reset a breaker or replace a fuse in case one blows.

The main switch, along with the circuit breaker panel or fuse box, are located near the electric meter at a point close to where the power lines come into the house. They may be in the basement, utility room, or even the kitchen. The older the home, the more likely it will have a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker panel. Always replace fuses with ones of the same capacity.

Heating

Another important aspect of your new home is its heating system. The more familiar you are with it, the less likely you might find yourself cold on a winter’s day. Heating systems are usually fueled by oil, gas, electricity or wood.

Gas-fired and oil-fired heating systems have burners and should be inspected regularly, usually once a year before the start of the heating season. Gas burners have pilot lights. You should learn to re-light the pilot light on your gas burner in case it ever goes out. You should also know the location of the gas shut-off valve so you can turn off the gas in case the burner doesn’t light or you smell gas escaping.

Heating systems operate in a variety of ways. The better you understand your system, the safer and more efficient you can make it.

Hazards

Fire in a home is a major hazard that all new homeowners should be aware of. Early detection is the key to protecting your family and keeping damage to a minimum. Ensure your home has smoke detectors installed in hallways and bedroom areas. Smoke detectors sound an alarm when smoke is in nearby air, even if there is no intense heat. Ideally, you should have a smoke alarm in each bedroom.

If you have a gas-fired heating system or a fireplace in your home, it’s also a good idea to install carbon monoxide detectors in the bedroom areas. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless toxic gas that, at high levels, can cause flu-like symptoms and even death.

While carbon monoxide detectors are not a substitute for proper care and maintenance of your home, they provide a good second line of defense by sounding an alarm when carbon monoxide reaches an unsafe level.

When we purchase a home, most of us want to turn it into a safe and secure haven for our families. The more we know about the home we have purchased, the more efficient and effective we can be.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

The one thing about participating in the real estate market that confounds most consumers is the terminology and jargon that must be learned. But, as with any business, in order to be successful as a buyer or seller, it is necessary to become familiar with certain concepts and words.

The real estate business is somewhat unique in that it is not confined to one particular set of dealings. Instead, it encompasses a number of professions: financial, legal, governmental, building trades, and of course, real estate itself.

So, from A for amortization to Z for zoning regulations, here is a quick run-through of some the important real estate terminology you’ll encounter:

Amortization: The number of years it will take to pay off the entire amount of a mortgage. In Ontario, most mortgages are amortized over 25 years.

Appraisal: An estimate of a property’s market value. This is used by lenders to determine the amount of your mortgage.

Assessment: The value of a property set by the local municipality. The assessment is used to calculate your property tax.

Assumable Mortgage: A mortgage held on a property by a seller that can be taken over by the buyer. The buyer then assumes responsibility for making payments. An assumable mortgage can make a property more attractive to potential buyers.

Blended Mortgage Payments: Equal or regular mortgage payments consisting of both a principal and an interest component.

Broker: A real estate professional licensed in Ontario to facilitate the sale, lease or exchange of a property.

Bridge Financing: Money borrowed against a homeowner’s equity in a property (usually for a short term) to help finance the purchase of another property or to make improvements to a property being sold.

Buy-down: A situation where the seller reduces the interest rate on a mortgage by paying the difference between the reduced rate and market rate directly to the lender. Or, the difference can be paid to the purchaser in one lump sum or monthly instalments. A buy-down can make a property more attractive to potential buyers.

Closed Mortgage: A mortgage that cannot be prepaid, renegotiated or refinanced during its term without significant penalties.

Conventional Mortgage: A first mortgage issued for up to 75 per cent of the property’s appraised value or purchase price, whichever is lower.

Debt Service Ratio: The percentage of a borrower’s gross income that can be used for housing costs (including mortgage payments and taxes). This is used to determine the amount of monthly mortgage payment the borrower can afford.

Easement: A legal right to use or cross (right of way) another person’s land for limited purpose. A utility’s right to run wires or lay pipe across a property is a common example.

Encroachment: An intrusion onto an adjoining property. A neighbour’s fence, shed or overhanging roof line that partially or fully intrudes onto your property are examples.

First Mortgage: The first security registered on a property. Additional mortgages secured against the property are termed ‘secondary’.

High-Ratio Mortgage: A mortgage for more than 75 per cent of a property’s appraised value or purchase price.

Listing Agreement: The contract between the listing broker and an owner, authorizing the REALTOR® to facilitate the sale or lease of a property.

Mortgage: A contract between a borrower and a lender where the borrower pledges a property as security to guarantee repayment of the mortgage debt.

Mortgage Term: The length of time a lender will loan mortgage funds to a borrower. Most terms run from six months to five years, after which the borrower will either pay off the balance or renegotiate the mortgage for another term. Payments are calculated using the interest rate offered for the term, the amount of the mortgage, and the amortization period.

Multiple Listing Service (MLS): A comprehensive system for relaying information to REALTORS® about properties for sale.

Open Mortgage: A mortgage that can be prepaid or renegotiated at any time and in any amount without penalty.

Partially Open Mortgage: A mortgage that allows the borrower to pre-pay a specific portion of the mortgage principal at certain times with or without penalty.

REALTOR®: A trademarked name describing real estate professionals who are members of a local real estate board and the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Transfer Taxes: Payment to the provincial government for transferring property from the seller to the buyer.

Vendor Take-Back Mortgage: A situation where sellers use their equity in a property to provide some or all of the mortgage financing in order to sell the property.

Zoning Regulations: Strict guidelines set and enforced by municipal governments regulating how a property may or may not be used.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

It’s an exciting time. Your offer has been accepted. You can’t wait to move into your new home. But don’t start celebrating yet. There is one final stage involved in purchasing a home — closing the deal.

Closing is the point at which ownership and usually possession of the property is transferred from the seller to you. It takes place after the parties involved agree that all legal and financial obligations have been met. Your lawyer and your REALTOR® will do much of the work, but here’s a checklist that will show you what to expect as the process unfolds:

• Make sure a copy of the signed Agreement of Purchase andSale is sent to your lawyer right away. Your REALTOR® will usually do this for you. Your lawyer needs to see any conditions that exist, and the date you and the seller have agreed to close. The lawyer will ask you how you (and others involved in the purchase) want to be registered on the title to the property.

• Immediately begin satisfying any of the conditions of the agreement that require your action. These have definite dates attached to them and if you miss one you may have to arrange an extension or possibly risk losing the entire deal. As each condition is met, the REALTOR® will fill out a waiver form for signatures. Note that most lawyers won’t be doing many of the tasks they need to do for closing until the conditions are waived.

• Upon your direction and after the conditions have been met, your lawyer will begin searching title to the property. This is an exercise of going back through government records to ensure a clear title that is transferable. Electronic registration and title insurance have significantly changed the way titles on properties are transferred.

• If you decide to have the home inspected, your offer should contain a condition that the property passes inspection.

• If no current land survey exists on the property, arrange for one soon. Your lender may require it, and you’ll want it for your own peace of mind, anyway.

• Contact your lending institution to begin the process of finalizing mortgage documents. Ask if your lawyer can draw up the documents; this will usually save money.

• Your lawyer will contact the seller’s lawyer with any questions or issues regarding title and costs.

• Your lawyer will check with local utilities (hydro, gas, water) to ensure there are no outstanding claims and to get final meter readings on the day of closing. You should contact the utilities and telephone and cable companies well in advance to arrange for services in your name.

• Meanwhile, your lawyer is busy making sure that property taxes on your new home are up-to-date, local zoning and building restrictions have been met and there are no liens on personal property, such as appliances, to be sold with your house. You want your lawyer to make sure that what you’ve agreed to buy is what you’ll get — nothing more or less.

• Well before closing; contact your insurance agent to arrange homeowner’s insurance coverage to become effective on the date of closing. Your agent can give you a “binder” letter, certifying coverage is in place. If you’re moving from your current owned (rather than rented) home to another, your agent will handle the homeowner’s insurance transfer for you.

• Your lawyer will review and verify the draft deed, statement of adjustments and other closing information provided by the seller’s lawyer, and will deal with any problems as they arise.

• A day or two before closing, you’ll meet with your lawyer to go over and sign the closing documents. Bring the certified cheque(s) to cover costs involved. Your lawyer will let you know the amounts in advance.

The big day arrives. You don’t need to be present, usually. The lawyers for both parties exchange documents, keys and cheques and then register the deed and mortgage. Soon thereafter you’ll be given the keys to your new home.

Now the celebration begins.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Getting the maximum exposure possible is a key part of any home sale. That’s why it pays to sell your home with the help of a REALTOR® through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). MLS provides details of your home to all real estate professionals in the area and markets the property to a broad range of potential buyers.

To further maximize exposure, your REALTOR® may recommend you hold one or two types of open houses as soon as the property goes on the market. The first will be an open house for REALTORS® only. If your home is attractive and well-priced, many of the REALTORS® at the open house will make arrangements to bring clients to see your home immediately.

Your REALTOR® may also recommend one or more open houses for the general public. Although this type of open house tends to attract a lot of “browsers,” if your home is clean, attractive, well-priced and in good repair, it could turn a “browser” into a buyer. Some purchasers want to get the “feel” of several neighborhoods before they begin working with a REALTOR®. Open houses will attract these potential buyers.

Most open houses for the public are held on a weekend afternoon when potential buyers often have more time to drive through neighborhoods. You will have to work out dates with your REALTOR® that fit your schedule. If you have pets, the REALTOR® may suggest you remove them from the home during the open house, since their presence could be distracting.

Your REALTOR® will likely recommend you and your family be away from the home during the open house as well. If you remain home, prospective buyers may feel compelled to rush their visit to avoid disturbing you. You want them to feel relaxed and to take the time to really see the features of your property.

Potential buyers may also feel uncomfortable commenting on your home in your presence. This hampers your REALTORS® ability to sell the home since buyer feedback is essential in making any deal.

Your REALTOR® will suggest ways to prepare your home for an open house to make it a secure, enjoyable experience for everyone. Do ensure that the REALTOR® asks for the name, address and telephone number of everyone who attends. Your REALTOR® should also try to walk through the home with each visitor.

Here are some general tips to help you prepare for the big day:

• Attend to any potential hazards – electrical wires crossing open areas, sharp table or counter top corners, slippery stairs and walkways, fragile items that can be easily damaged.

• Lock away or remove valuables such as jewelry, cameras, compact discs, coins and currency.

• Avoid cooking food with strong odors such as fish. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee, home-made bread and cookies can be very welcoming.

• In poor weather, provide a place for overshoes, boots, umbrellas and coats.

• A warm fire on a cold day will make your home feel inviting and cozy. But be sure your REALTOR® is prepared to look after the fireplace while you’re not home.

A tiny hand-print on a wall or the slightest door squeak can be quite distracting to some potential buyers. Use this handy check list to assess what needs to be cleaned, repaired or changed before opening your home to potential buyers:

Kitchen and bathrooms

Clean all surfaces, including floors.

Organize countertops.

Ensure all sinks and faucets work properly.

Other rooms

Vacuum and dust all areas thoroughly.

Collect and remove all clutter, including excess furniture.

Neatly store books, toys and clothes in closets and on shelves.

Clean all mirrors.

Open drapes and pull up blinds on windows.

Floor coverings

(Includes carpeting, tile, linoleum, hardwood, etc.)

Remove all dirt and stains.

Repair any damaged areas.

If there is hardwood under old carpeting, remove the carpeting and restore the hardwood–a much desired feature in homes today.

Walls, ceilings, baseboards

Clean any fingerprints or stains.

Repair any holes, cracks, chipped paint, ripped wallpaper, water damage.

If necessary, repaint in neutral or complimentary colors.

Doors

Fix squeaks and any other problems.

Ensure the handles secure and work properly.

Clean any stains.

Windows

Clean and repair any cracks.

Ensure they open easily.

Lighting

Check to see there is sufficient light.

• Attend to any broken switches, exposed wiring.

Pet areas

These should be clean, organized and odor free.

Outside the home

Ensure all gates open easily

Clean all exterior surfaces, including decks, pools, walkways and driveways and make them tidy.

Depending on the time of year, lawns should be mowed, walkways and driveway cleared of snow, leaves removed, trees pruned, gardens weeded, hedges trimmed.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

There’s little doubt that Canadians are on the move. Whether moving from an apartment to a home, apartment to apartment or home to home, moving is no simple matter. With careful planning, however, your transition can be facilitated in an organized and efficient manner, allowing you the peace of mind you need to settle into your home. The following moving tips are provided by the Ontario Real Estate Association.

Advance Planning

Planning should begin at least two months in advance. Confirm with your REALTOR® your closing date before scheduling your moving date. If you are renting, confirm your move-in date. Make a list of all records that must be transferred to a new location, such as children’s school records, and financial and medical records.

Whether moving two blocks or 2,000 miles, decide what must go with you. This may be a good time for a serious cleaning of the closets or the basement where you’ve been storing your “valuables.” It can be expensive and time consuming to move things you really don’t need, or worse, to find that there’s no place to put them in your new home.

If you are disposing of a large number of items, consider holding a garage or moving sale to offset some of your moving expenses. If you’re donating items to charitable organizations, ask for a receipt for tax purposes.

New Address

Send change of address cards to magazine publishers and organizations who you are affiliated. Most magazines request 4 to 6 weeks notice. Provide change of address notice on credit card bills and leave forwarding instructions with the post office. Let your friends and neighbours know your new address. This also is a good time to request help you may need with packing and moving. If you are moving yourself, schedule a moving party providing pizza and beverages for anyone who can help.

Take inventory of borrowed or lent items. Return what is not yours and retrieve your items. Mailing that hedge trimmer across the miles to its owner will be expensive as well as a nightmare to package. Dispose of flammable liquids, such as gasoline or oil. Is there gasoline in your lawn mower?

Two weeks before you move, contact local utility companies to advise of a date to disconnect service. Arrange for utility service in your new home. Clear up outstanding accounts, particularly if you are leaving the area. Plan carefully for the transfer of checking and savings accounts. Open an account in advance in your new community so you have access to money, but make sure your old account stays open until all checks have cleared.

If you are driving any distance, service you car before you move. Car problems in an unfamiliar community can be troublesome. This is also a good time to make appointments with doctors and dentists arranging for a final check-up and discussion of potential problems of which to advise a new doctor.

Packing up

Begin packing early, particularly those items seldom used. If you have a hired a moving company, request boxes and packing paper. A local grocery store is a good source for boxes and packing paper. Ask for boxes in advance. Smaller stores may receive shipments only once a week and will only give away boxes if you are there at a specified time to pick them up. Collect both large and small boxes, keeping in mind that filling a large box with books or records will make moving them difficult at best.

Have plenty of packing supplies handy. Save old newspapers for packing material. For delicate items, you may want to purchase special packing boxes to materials to ensure safe moving.

Be creative in your packing particularly with odd-sized or fragile items. For example, move mattresses with old sheets on them as a protection from dirt. An antique floor lamp rolled up in a rug, or a crystal decanter packed in the middle of bath towels adds increased protection.

Of course, creative packing can lead to confusion when unpacking. Make sure all boxes are clearly labeled with their contents. Mark boxes “fragile” which have breakable items. For those items too precious to risk damaging move by hand.

Make a list of items to pack separately; items needed on the road (maps, prescription medicines, toys for children); items needed to settle in (cleaning supplies, light bulbs, tools); and those items you will need within the first few days of arrival (food and utensils for the first meals). Pack a suitcase which you could live out of if it should become necessary. Keep important papers such as medical records and insurance policies in one place where they can be retrieved quickly if needed.

Moving Day

When the moving day has finally arrived, makes sure someone is home to meet the mover and point out items to be loaded onto the truck. If your are handling your own move, organize loading to maximize space in the truck and to ensure that the heavy box of books does not get loaded on top of the china box.

Before leaving, make a final check of all rooms, closet shelves and other spots where items may have been overlooked. Have an empty box handy for those “found items,” or items which didn’t seem to fit in anywhere else. Turn off all lights and close and lock all windows and doors. Leave your keys with the REALTOR®, Landlord or new owner.

Make sure you are there to meet the movers to avoid possible additional charges. During warm weather, have cold beverages available for movers–professionals or volunteers. Finally, don’t try to unpack everything at once. Unpacking carefully and in an organized manner, keeping in mind which boxes can be stored as they are, will save time in the long run.

The Ontario Real Estate Association suggests that by following these tips, your move into a new home or apartment will be a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Homeowners face a double quandary when faced with the prospect of selling their homes: how does one make sure the decision to sell is the right one; and once the choice is made, when is the right time to sell?

Traditionally, there have been four major reasons why and when people sell their homes: financial and market conditions, employment changes, family matters and lifestyle changes. In today’s economy, one additional issue has emerged which has great bearing: low interest rates.

All these will not only affect your fundamental decision to sell, but will greatly impact your options regarding when to sell.

Financial and market conditions

Almost every aspect of real estate involves market conditions and financial issues–for the seller they are of the utmost importance. After all, it’s the seller who is putting property, equity and sometimes, years of hard work on the line.

With so much at stake, it’s imperative that sellers contact a real estate professional. Only REALTORS® have the hands-on experience and intimate knowledge of the real estate industry needed to get the best possible price for your property.

We’ve all heard of “buyer’s” and “seller’s” markets. These terms refer to the proportion of people wanting to buy versus the number of homes on the market. If the number of homes for sale outstrips potential buyers, then it’s a buyer’s market. If there are not enough homes to satisfy demand, then it’s a seller’s market.

If you’re selling for financial gain, you’ll obviously want to do so in a seller’s market. But, if you plan to purchase another home after sale, there isn’t as big a difference as you would first think.

In a seller’s market, you may sell your home more quickly and for a better price, but you’ll be facing the opposite challenges when purchasing. In a buyer’s market, you may have to wait longer to get a fair price, but you’ll have more selection and pricing options when looking for your new property.

Right now, interest rates are near their lowest in decades. This has lead to unprecedented opportunities for those wishing to buy. Often, mortgage payments will be less than rent on an apartment or townhome. Therefore, a large number of consumers are considering ownership, many for the first time. For sellers, this holds the potential for a huge boom.

“Seasonality” is a term that REALTORS® use to gauge when home sales are expected to climb. Although this is only one factor to be considered when selling, in Ontario, springtime tends to be a time of higher activity. Buyers with children especially prefer to look in the spring in order to settle in a new home before school begins in the fall.

Employment changes

Employment changes can affect a decision to sell. There’s the obvious matter of relocation if a new job or promotion takes you to a different city. In this case, selling most often becomes a necessity unless the homeowner wishes to retain a property for investment or other purposes.

Moving to a smaller urban centre may also allow you to purchase either a similar home for less money or a bigger one for the same outlay. Even if a new job does not require you to move a great distance, you should use the opportunity to assess your home ownership needs and move up if you can.

The reality is that with interest rates as attractive as they are, it’s more possible than ever to make a major move without lowering your family’s standard of living.

Family issues

The family issue homeowners cite more than any other when deciding to sell is children. Most often, people want a bigger home to accommodate a newborn, or may find their family has simply outgrown the home.

If this is the case, you’re in a perfect position relative to today’s marketplace. First and foremost, you can afford to put in enough time to sell at the right price and then find a home that suits your requirements. Contacting your REALTOR® well in advance of the date you wish to move will virtually guarantee you’ll find a good home at a good price.

Lifestyle changes

The two most common lifestyle changes that motivate sellers are retirement. For those planning to retire, truly enjoying your latter years may involve a “cashing in” of assets. Again, it’s a wise to look far enough ahead in order to use the market to your advantage and sell at a good price. Changes in lifestyle can include things such as buying a condominium to ease the workload involved with maintenance and upkeep; city dwellers who want to live in a more rural environment, or even those who want to set up a home business.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

When you are ready to sell your house you’ll want to enlist the help of a REALTOR®. He or she will provide the professional advice and service you need to make the selling process go smoothly.

Showing you ways to make your home as marketable as possible is just one of the many ways your REALTOR® can help. Here are a few tips from the experts:

Clean everything in and out of sight

With clipboard in hand, take a tour of your home. Take note of every opportunity to remove clutter and dirt. Rooms, closets and cupboards will appear larger and more inviting when you get rid of unnecessary stuff and tidy up what’s left. Remove bulky or unused furniture and rearrange the rest to make the best use of space.

Most of us are pack rats, so apply the following test to every questionable item: Have I used this in the past six months, or will I need to use it soon? If the answer is no, throw it away, store it elsewhere or sell it in a yard sale.

Be equally aggressive in disposing of dirt. Pay particular attention to the two most important rooms in a buyer’s mind: bathrooms and kitchens. And once you’ve removed all the dirt: keep everything clean, every day. You never know when the person who will ultimately buy your home will visit.

Repair as much as you can

During your home tour identify the things that are broken, cracked, stuck or just plain don’t work anymore. These can include: leaky faucets, holes in window screens, stuck or broken windows, lights that don’t work, doors that squeak or don’t close properly, missing or broken cupboard handles, cracks in the walls and ceilings, and dozens of other “little things” you’ve been meaning to do for years. Now is the time.

Certain items, such as roof or basement leaks, must be repaired, along with any water damage. Electrical or heating system problems must be fixed. Some repairs, however, may not be necessary. Will that hairline crack in the driveway really make or break the sale? How about a chipped floor tile in the entryway? Some buyers will have their own ideas about how to deal with these problems. You may find it easier to adjust your selling price to reflect the cost of these repairs, rather than pay for them yourself.

Depersonalize your home

Your house reflects you. It is decorated with your taste and your sense of style. Unfortunately, that heart-shaped table lamp your grandmother left you may distract potential buyers from seeing the home itself. Grit your teeth and store all personal items (framed family photos, trophies, etc.) out of the way.

If you have brightly coloured accent walls or heavily patterned wallpaper, consider repainting or wallpapering these areas with light, neutral colours that enhance a room’s size and make it more flexible to receive any kind of furniture. Remove area rugs, light fixtures and other items that buyers might find too difficult to imagine in “their home”, even if you were not intending to include these in the sale.

Beautify the house and yard

Peeling, dry paint is relatively easy to fix or replace and can make all the difference in your home’s appearance. If your carpet or other floor covering is in really bad shape, consider replacing it. The same holds true for badly tattered window coverings such as drapes and blinds.

Outside the house, weed the flower beds, remove dead tree branches, keep your lawn well-mowed and edged, trim the hedges, rake the leaves, sweep the sidewalks, fix and paint the deck or fence, plant a few flowers and do anything else you can think of to enhance your home’s curb appeal.

It may sound like a lot of effort, but these tips, and the assistance of a REALTOR®, will help you sell your current home quickly so you can move on to your next dream house.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

More than Just a Sign on the Lawn

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the near future, you may think that all that’s required is a “for sale” sign strategically placed on your front lawn — but any real estate professional will tell you there’s much more to it than that.

While a sign on your lawn is of paramount importance to the sale of your home, a well-thought-out marketing plan is also essential. Your REALTOR®, of course, is another vital component in the process, and one of the first things he/she will discuss with you is a marketing strategy designed to give your home maximum exposure.

Keep in mind that effective marketing of your home requires a lot of communication between you and your REALTOR® and there are several things you can do to make sure your home gets the best possible exposure.

Be Candid with Your REALTOR®

First of all, disclose everything you can about your property and the neighbourhood in general. This information will help your REALTOR® a great deal and he/she can choose how and when this information can be related to prospective purchasers. For example, there may be something about your home or the area you live in that you may take for granted, but that characteristic could be a major selling point for your home — such as its close proximity to local schools and recreation facilities.

It’s also wise to be candid about any potential drawbacks as well, so both you and your REALTOR® can be realistic in arriving at a suitable list price. Where possible, your REALTOR® is likely to have some suggestions as to how these problems can be improved upon.

As well, your REALTOR® may notice some serious flaws in you home or even some basic elements that are missing. They may not bother you, but could work to your detriment when it comes to selling your home. As a result, your REALTOR® is likely to make helpful, reasonable recommendations that will enable you both market your home successfully. It’s important to keep an open mind and follow his/her advice.

Operating Costs

It’s also a good idea to have information on hand that will give the REALTOR® an idea of the costs of running your home — annual heating bills, along with documentation of any recent major repairs or upgrades — such as a new roof or new wiring or plumbing. These can be very effective marketing tools.

Open House

Your REALTOR® will also tell you that an open house can be another effective marketing tool. While some homeowners are adverse to this idea, it’s one you should discuss with your REALTOR® if you really want your home to receive maximum exposure to interested buyers. During an open house or prearranged showings, it’s a good idea to make sure that you and any other members of your family (including pets) are absent. Many buyers are intimidated by the presence of homeowners and tend to rush through a home as a result.

Clean and Clutter-Free

Before any showing or open house, it’s imperative to make sure your home is clean and uncluttered — both inside and out. Get rid of junk (don’t forget the garage) and any unpleasant odours from smoke, cooking or pets. A neat exterior is inviting and a clean and neat interior just makes good, plain marketing sense.

Consider having your home painted. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to show it in its best light.

Financing and Closing

Financing is another area where you may be able to help market your home more effectively. You can make your home more attractive to some purchasers by taking back a mortgage. It’s an excellent marketing tool, especially if you’re trading down to a less expensive home.

Flexibility on the closing date is another important factor in the successful marketing of a home. Real problems can arise when vendors and purchasers can’t agree on a closing date. Again, it’s important to work with your REALTOR® and listen to suggestions. Some deals are lost simply because the vendor and purchaser can’t agree on a closing date.

Stay Informed

Your REALTOR® should keep you informed by following up after each showing and providing you with a weekly update on how the marketing of your home is progressing. By the same token, if you have any questions or ideas, don’t hesitate to share these with your REALTOR®.

You’ll find that a team effort, combined with a realistic approach will help you market your home much more effectively.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Real estate sections of public libraries abound with books on selling you home privately. In addition to pointers on sprucing up your home for maximum sale ability, they provide homeowners with tips on the “psychology of showing a house.” Yet, most homeowners choose to sell through a REALTOR®.

Selecting a REALTOR®

Finding the right real estate representative takes some time and care. A good place to start is in your neighbourhood. Check “For Sale” signs to see which brokers are doing business in your area. Ask them about their track record, their knowledge of selling prices in the area and why you should list with them.

A REALTOR® will give you a detailed comparative analysis of features and prices of houses selling or sold nearby. This helps determine a realistic price.

It’s important that you feel comfortable with your REALTOR®. This person will probably become part of your life for a couple of months popping in with clients or organizing open houses.

Developing a plan of action

Once you’ve decided on a REALTOR®, you’ll want to know what his or her marketing plan will include. How often will there be open houses? Will he or she be listing your property on a Multiple Listing Service? How does he or she plan to advertise the house?

You’ll also need to decide whether to list exclusive with one firm or go with the MLS? Generally, the more people that see your house, the likelier it is to sell quickly at the price you want.

Many sellers are anxious to sell their homes quickly. These sellers usually choose the MLS system over an exclusive listing because the property gets greater exposure.

Professional real estate salespeople know how to separate the “lookers” for the “buyers”. They can determine a qualified buyer. A couple’s income, lifestyle and the date they must purchase helps establish their housing requirements.

Whether or not your home shows well to prospective buyers can make a difference in terms of how long it stays on the market, and what it sells for. REALTORS® can also give clients tips on how to improve their home to create a good first impression. Fresh paint, new wallpaper and flowers are all elements in the sales effort. Sometimes, rearranging the furniture and taking out extra pieces is all that is needed.

Real estate professionals are experienced in arranging financing and closing deals. A REALTOR® can assist in negotiating a better offer act as a mediator between buyer and seller and draw up a legally binding contract.

A professionally trained REALTOR® may be able to sell your home quicker at a better price than you could get privately because he or she has greater access to potential clients. Furthermore, you’ll be able to go through the transition period with less worry and inconvenience.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

When consumers choose a REALTOR® to help them buy or sell a property, they are placing their trust in someone who is knowledgeable and who will protect their interests. A REALTORS® role is to provide clients with sound, effective, timely advice and professional service.

More than ever, in today’s fast-paced, high-tech world, REALTORS® are being challenged to continually improve their professional standards by keeping informed of developments and trends in real estate. Buying and selling a property today is a complex undertaking that involves large sums of money, stringent legal requirements and a tremendous depth of knowledge and experience. Along with accountability and high moral conduct, education has become a cornerstone of the real estate profession.

Real estate licensing changes

Realizing the need for real estate education that emphasizes consumer protection and the development of increased skills and knowledge, a new integrated learning system for real estate licensing education was recently introduced in Ontario. The new system, spear-headed by the Ontario Real Estate Association, recognizes the need to standardize learning across all provinces and incorporates innovative techniques, new program designs and diverse delivery systems.

Already serving as a model for other provinces, Ontario’s new system includes a Real Estate Encyclopedia and CD Rom (which integrate all textbooks and materials into one easy-to-use resource), course changes and a new curriculum. The system places an emphasis is on multi-media communication and hands-on learning.

Keeping standards high

Public expectations of the real estate profession today are higher than ever. Ontario’s new approach to real estate licensing education and emphasis on ongoing educational development by real estate practitioners continue to uphold the profession’s commitment to fair dealing and high integrity.

The individual receiving his or her real estate licence today has been through an intensive process of interactive learning, self study and examination. People are going into real estate today with ever-increasing levels of education. A recent U.S. study showed that 30 per cent of people entering the real estate profession had a college degree and 20 per cent had a graduate degree.

The purchase or sale of property is a business transaction of tremendous complexity. There are distinct advantages to having a REALTOR® who is well-educated, knowledgeable, experienced and sincere. A REALTOR® also has access to an array of services, including the Multiple Listing Service, which can provide you with instant, thorough and accurate information on properties that might interest you or issues that concern you.

If you are selling, a REALTOR® will not only fairly assess your property, but listen to you and develop a marketing plan that best meets your needs. He or she will give you tips on how to improve the marketability of your home and make a first good impression to potential buyers.

If you are buying, a REALTOR® will act as an intermediary and help you deal at arms length with potential vendors. He or she will assess what you can realistically afford, target appropriate neighborhoods, provide facts on the costs of running a home and what to look for when considering a particular property.

A REALTOR® can also provide you with a list of lenders, lawyers, mortgage brokers and other professionals whose expertise you may require to complete a real estate transaction. In addition, he or she can help you evaluate all the mortgage options available today to help you obtain financing at the most attractive prevailing rates and terms.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

When you dream of your dream home, what do you see? Each of us has a vision of what it will be, but getting as close to that vision as possible is a practical, step-by-step process that begins with finding a REALTOR®. A REALTOR® is your best ally throughout the home buying process. He or she can provide expert advice and help you determine how much you can afford, what kind of home you can buy in that price range, and where it may be located.

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase: location, location, location. That’s because it’s the most important factor in making any real estate purchase. To find the right location you must think of where you want to live both in broader terms and in more detail. First of all what type of area do you want to live in?

Urban: Urban communities offer the broadest range of housing types, but generally at higher prices than similar-sized homes in non-urban locations.

Suburban: The suburbs are typically made up of newer neighbourhoods, schools and shopping centres. Prices may or may not be lower than those of the central city, but you often get more square footage, larger rooms and bigger lots.

Smaller towns and cities: A slower-paced lifestyle and lower taxes and housing prices are often big draws to Ontario’s smaller communities. There are fewer types of homes available and the number for sale could be limited.

Rural: A stream flowing over a few acres sounds appealing and your housing budget will often buy you more in a rural setting than any alternative above.

Features: Once you’ve considered the broader location options above, it’s time to think about the features you need and want in a home. Prepare a shopping list. How many bedrooms and bathrooms? One or two-car garage? Large backyard or small? List the features you are looking for as needs or wants.

Comparing homes and locations: Now you want to match the type of home you’d like with the location. Start reading the real estate ads in local newspapers and REALTOR®-produced publications. These ads will give you an idea of the communities that best match your criteria for home and location. Drive through the communities that are likely candidates.

Check out the types of homes available, how well the neighbourhoods are maintained, the availability of schools and shopping, recreational and religious facilities. Be aware of drawbacks: highway noise, train tracks, airports and large industrial centres. Drive through the neighbourhoods at different times of the day.

Attend open houses in the areas you are exploring. You’ll begin to understand which best suit your needs and which are in your price range.

Open houses also provide an excellent chance to meet the REALTORS® hosting the events. Chances are that you’ll select a REALTOR® from among those you meet at these open houses.

You’ll find the services of a REALTOR® invaluable in helping you locate the home that’s right for you.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

More than Just a Sign on the Lawn

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the near future, you may think that all that’s required is a “for sale” sign strategically placed on your front lawn — but any real estate professional will tell you there’s much more to it than that.

While a sign on your lawn is of paramount importance to the sale of your home, a well-thought-out marketing plan is also essential. Your REALTOR®, of course, is another vital component in the process, and one of the first things he/she will discuss with you is a marketing strategy designed to give your home maximum exposure.

Keep in mind that effective marketing of your home requires a lot of communication between you and your REALTOR® and there are several things you can do to make sure your home gets the best possible exposure.

Be Candid with Your REALTOR®

First of all, disclose everything you can about your property and the neighbourhood in general. This information will help your REALTOR® a great deal and he/she can choose how and when this information can be related to prospective purchasers. For example, there may be something about your home or the area you live in that you may take for granted, but that characteristic could be a major selling point for your home — such as its close proximity to local schools and recreation facilities.

It’s also wise to be candid about any potential drawbacks as well, so both you and your REALTOR® can be realistic in arriving at a suitable list price. Where possible, your REALTOR® is likely to have some suggestions as to how these problems can be improved upon.

As well, your REALTOR® may notice some serious flaws in you home or even some basic elements that are missing. They may not bother you, but could work to your detriment when it comes to selling your home. As a result, your REALTOR® is likely to make helpful, reasonable recommendations that will enable you both market your home successfully. It’s important to keep an open mind and follow his/her advice.

Operating Costs

It’s also a good idea to have information on hand that will give the REALTOR® an idea of the costs of running your home — annual heating bills, along with documentation of any recent major repairs or upgrades — such as a new roof or new wiring or plumbing. These can be very effective marketing tools.

Open House

Your REALTOR® will also tell you that an open house can be another effective marketing tool. While some homeowners are adverse to this idea, it’s one you should discuss with your REALTOR® if you really want your home to receive maximum exposure to interested buyers. During an open house or prearranged showings, it’s a good idea to make sure that you and any other members of your family (including pets) are absent. Many buyers are intimidated by the presence of homeowners and tend to rush through a home as a result.

Clean and Clutter-Free

Before any showing or open house, it’s imperative to make sure your home is clean and uncluttered — both inside and out. Get rid of junk (don’t forget the garage) and any unpleasant odours from smoke, cooking or pets. A neat exterior is inviting and a clean and neat interior just makes good, plain marketing sense.

Consider having your home painted. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to show it in its best light.

Financing and Closing

Financing is another area where you may be able to help market your home more effectively. You can make your home more attractive to some purchasers by taking back a mortgage. It’s an excellent marketing tool, especially if you’re trading down to a less expensive home.

Flexibility on the closing date is another important factor in the successful marketing of a home. Real problems can arise when vendors and purchasers can’t agree on a closing date. Again, it’s important to work with your REALTOR® and listen to suggestions. Some deals are lost simply because the vendor and purchaser can’t agree on a closing date.

Stay Informed

Your REALTOR® should keep you informed by following up after each showing and providing you with a weekly update on how the marketing of your home is progressing. By the same token, if you have any questions or ideas, don’t hesitate to share these with your REALTOR®.

You’ll find that a team effort, combined with a realistic approach will help you market your home much more effectively.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Buying or selling a home is no simple business transaction. It takes a team of experts and professionals you can trust to achieve your goals and protect your interests.

Bringing in the right experts at the right time will ensure your purchase or sale goes smoothly and you don’t pay a big personal and financial price. The experts you need may vary, but usually include the services of a REALTOR®, a lender, a lawyer, a home inspector and an insurance agent.

Selecting your team

Whether you’re selling or buying, the first individual to get on your team should be a REALTOR®. In Ontario, a REALTOR® is a licensed real estate professional who is a member of a local real estate board as well as the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA). This individual has successfully completed an intensive course of study and has skills, knowledge and experience that most buyers and sellers don’t have.

Having a REALTOR® act on your behalf has many distinct advantages. The key benefit is that he or she can negotiate on your behalf, advise you on how to proceed with your purchase or sale and when to bring in the other experts and professionals you’ll need.

The REALTOR® you select should be someone that knows the neighbourhood you live in or want to live in, has a good track record and will handle your sale or purchase as if it were their own.

One of the most important decisions you must make as a seller is deciding the asking price of your home. A REALTOR® can help you analyse your home and compare it with similar properties for sale or recently sold in your area. A REALTOR® will also develop a marketing plan for your home that may include open houses, advertising and listing options. As well, a REALTOR® will provide you with tips on small improvements you can make to help your home “show” better to prospective buyers.

Few people buy a home for cash. Most usually combine savings with money borrowed from a lender through a financial arrangement called a mortgage. Your search for a lender should begin with your search for a home.

Your REALTOR® can assist you in evaluating the many mortgage options and getting financing at the best available interest rates and terms. When deciding which financial institution or lender to deal with, begin with your own bank, credit union on trust company — they already know who you are. But shop around and compare what different lenders have to offer.

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, it’s important to have a lawyer to represent your interests. That’s why you should have one on stand by before you put your home on the market or begin your search for a new home. Real estate documents, such as the agreement of purchase and sale, are complex and should be reviewed by a lawyer who specializes in real estate transactions.

As a seller, it’s wise to have a lawyer review an offer to purchase before signing anything. As a buyer, when an agreement is reached with a seller, a lawyer will help ensure you receive valid title to the property and that it is clear of any registered claims. Your lawyer will also calculate the amount of land transfer tax you will be required to pay as well as any adjustments to compensate the seller for prepaid bills.

If you are a buyer, you can avoid a lot of expensive surprises by bringing in a home inspector as a condition of your offer to purchase. The older the home you plan to purchase – even if it has been substantially upgraded – the more potential there is for problems. Being aware of any structural defects can help you decide whether you want to buy the property at all, or for the price you are considering.

For purchasers, another key member of the real estate team is the insurance broker. Creditors and mortgage lenders, almost without exception, require insurance on the home you buy before any purchase can be finalized. Start by approaching the same broker you use for other insurance policies – often, you are able to negotiate a better rate. But still shop around and ensure you get the coverage you need for what you want.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Real estate sections of public libraries abound with books on selling you home privately. In addition to pointers on sprucing up your home for maximum sale ability, they provide homeowners with tips on the “psychology of showing a house.” Yet, most homeowners choose to sell through a REALTOR®.

Selecting a REALTOR®

Finding the right real estate representative takes some time and care. A good place to start is in your neighbourhood. Check “For Sale” signs to see which brokers are doing business in your area. Ask them about their track record, their knowledge of selling prices in the area and why you should list with them.

A REALTOR® will give you a detailed comparative analysis of features and prices of houses selling or sold nearby. This helps determine a realistic price.

It’s important that you feel comfortable with your REALTOR®. This person will probably become part of your life for a couple of months popping in with clients or organizing open houses.

Developing a plan of action

Once you’ve decided on a REALTOR®, you’ll want to know what his or her marketing plan will include. How often will there be open houses? Will he or she be listing your property on a Multiple Listing Service? How does he or she plan to advertise the house?

You’ll also need to decide whether to list exclusive with one firm or go with the MLS? Generally, the more people that see your house, the likelier it is to sell quickly at the price you want.

Many sellers are anxious to sell their homes quickly. These sellers usually choose the MLS system over an exclusive listing because the property gets greater exposure.

Professional real estate salespeople know how to separate the “lookers” for the “buyers”. They can determine a qualified buyer. A couple’s income, lifestyle and the date they must purchase helps establish their housing requirements.

Whether or not your home shows well to prospective buyers can make a difference in terms of how long it stays on the market, and what it sells for. REALTORS® can also give clients tips on how to improve their home to create a good first impression. Fresh paint, new wallpaper and flowers are all elements in the sales effort. Sometimes, rearranging the furniture and taking out extra pieces is all that is needed.

Real estate professionals are experienced in arranging financing and closing deals. A REALTOR® can assist in negotiating a better offer act as a mediator between buyer and seller and draw up a legally binding contract.

A professionally trained REALTOR® may be able to sell your home quicker at a better price than you could get privately because he or she has greater access to potential clients. Furthermore, you’ll be able to go through the transition period with less worry and inconvenience.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Buying or selling a home in today’s market requires a lot of work and a lot of knowledge about sales and real estate. It’s one of the largest purchases or biggest business transactions many of us will ever make. It doesn’t pay to depend on blind luck.

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, there are distinct advantages to using a REALTOR®. A REALTOR®, is a licensed real estate professional who is a member of a local real estate board, as well as the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and, in Ontario, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA).

This individual has the experience and qualifications needed to successfully conduct a purchase or sale. In Ontario, you can expect strict adherence to provincial law and a code of ethics. This ensures you receive the highest level of service, honesty and integrity.

If you are a buyer

In today’s busy, complex world, purchasing a home can be a lot more time-consuming and complicated than other business transactions. First-time buyers, especially, quickly discover that theres a lot more to buying real estate, than deciding what vacation to take or what car or suit to buy.

Using a REALTOR® from the start can provide you with the sound , effective advice and professional services you need to get the best deal possible. Once a REALTOR® has a clear understanding of what you want and what you can afford, their knowledge can save you a lot of time looking at homes that aren’t right for you.

A REALTOR® can pre-screen properties so that you should only have to visit a handful of homes to make an informed and wise selection.

Much of the early search with a REALTOR® can be done through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and preliminary discussions. As you visit and react to each home you see, the REALTOR® will have an increasingly better idea of what you want and don’t want.

A REALTOR® will also be able to advise you on the various options available for financing a home and tell you when to bring in other experts such as a lender, home inspector, lawyer and insurance agent.

If you are a seller

Sometimes a seller will be tempted to sell their home on their own, believing it will save them the cost of the real estate commission. But, selling a home is a very complex procedures, involving large sums of money, stringent legal requirements and the real potential for very costly mistakes.

Just as most of us lack the knowledge to do a major repair on the family car, most sellers lack the depth of knowledge, experience and amount of time needed to sell a home on our own. A REALTOR® not only has the qualifications and expertise, but is committed to spending the time it takes to get the best deal possible.

Selecting a REALTOR®

Before you make a REALTOR® part of your team, it pays to shop around and sharpen up those interviewing skills. The REALTOR® you select should be someone who knows the neighborhood you live in or want to live in; who can provide you with sound, effective advice; and who has broad and current knowledge of today’s real estate market.

Begin by identifying several candidates and interviewing at least two or three before making a final decision. If you were pleased with the services provided by the REALTOR® who helped you make a previous sale or purchase, he or she may be your best choice.

Jot down the names and telephone numbers printed on “For Sale” signs you notice around the neighbourhood, in local real estate ads or publications. Also, ask friends, family and business associates to recommend some names.

Interviewing REALTORS®

The REALTOR® you select should be someone who shows genuine interest, knows the current real estate market and has a good track record in the sale and purchase of properties you’re interested in. This individual should make you feel comfortable and that they have your best interest in mind.

Be sure to get a resume and references and to ask questions such as:

• How long have you and the firm been in business? How many homes have you sold in the last six months? How close were the sale prices to the asking prices? What price range of homes do you generally handle?

• Do you provide multiple listing of your property through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)? (This service provides access to a much broader base of potential buyers.)

• If selling: How will you market my property? Will the marketing plan include an open house for other REALTORS® and regular open houses for prospective buyers, advertising and flyers? How did you establish the suggested selling price for this home? Was my home compared to those sold recently in the neighborhood and to those currently on sale? What tips and hints can you offer to make my home show better.

• What will using your service cost me?

If the REALTOR® looks enthusiastic about selling your home or helping you buy one, and appears confident in their ability, consider hiring them. But first check their references or talk to people who have recently sold or purchased property through them. Most people who have had a positive experience will be quick to express it.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Arranging your mortgage doesn’t have to be a baffling experience.

Buying a home today is an extremely attractive proposition. Interest rates are at their lowest in decades and the housing market is full of homes to suit just about any budget or family requirement. Still, you’ll inevitably have to deal with financing and this will mean taking on a mortgage.

Sorting through the numerous mortgage options available to today’s home buyers can be intimidating for everyone from first-time purchasers to long-time owners. The rules seem to change constantly and there’s a smorgasbord of terminologies to learn.

Fear not–the basics are fairly simple and there are a host of real estate professionals more than willing to help, with your REALTOR® and bank’s mortgage specialist at the top of the list.

Nonetheless, you’ll want to at least familiarize yourself with the mortgage process, how to arrange one and the different financing strategies involved.

First, it’s necessary to know exactly which kinds of institutions will lend you money. Banks and trust companies lead the pack, but credit unions and private lenders also offer funds.

There’s also an option to consult a mortgage broker. Brokers have access to a wide variety of lending sources, including domestic banks and trust companies, but they can also employ other alternatives such as pension funds, real estate syndicates and foreign banks.

You may also find yourself in a situation where you can ‘assume’ an existing mortgage held by the seller. Advantages of assuming a mortgage are that you can speed the buying process due to reduced paperwork and save money in lower legal fees and closing costs. A disadvantage is that the current lending rate may be less than that of the assumed mortgage.

Now that you have an idea who will lend you money, you’ll need to know the different kinds of mortgages that are offered. The most common by far is the ‘conventional mortgage.’ Lenders will loan you up to 75 per cent of the appraised value or purchase price of the property (whichever is lower), and you must come up with the remaining 25 per cent yourself. Many people save specifically for this purpose, but in some cases, alternate or ‘secondary’ financing maybe available.

A ‘high-ratio’ mortgage is one alternative if you don’t have the 25 per cent down payment. These are available for up to 95 per cent of the appraised value or purchase price of the property (whichever is lower) to a maximum set by government regulation. The proviso is that high-ratio mortgages must be insured, and the cost, from one to three percent of the mortgage amount, falls to you.

‘Variable-rate’ mortgages are usually offered for both conventional and high-ratio mortgages. Typically, your monthly payments remain fixed for the term, while the interest rate fluctuates with economic conditions. This means that if interest rates climb, you’ll be paying more per month in interest. If rates drop, you’ll then be paying more off your principal. Conversely, ‘fixed rate’ mortgages maintain the same rate of interest over the entire negotiated term.

There are some other concepts to become familiar with that will impact your mortgage and financial well-being.

Amortization refers to the time period in which the mortgage is assumed to be paid. A common amortization period is 25 years. This means interest and principal payments are set as if you were paying the amount borrowed over a 25 year payment schedule. Obviously, the shorter the amortization period, the less interest you will pay.

Prepayment privileges are very important for borrowers to consider. These arrangements allow you to pay money against the principal, reducing the total amount of interest you’ll ultimately pay.

Open mortgages generally denote those that allow prepayment with few restrictions, while closed mortgages carry no prepayment options.

Don’t be daunted by the many concepts and terms regarding mortgages. Arranging one isn’t that difficult–all it takes is a little brushing up on your part and the experience and advice of a good REALTOR® or mortgage professional.

For more information on buying or selling a home, contact the Ontario Real Estate Association at 1-800-563-HOME for a free copy of the How to Buy Your Home or How to Sell Your Home book.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

With today’s low interest rates, deciding to buy a home is one of the best decisions anyone can make. Financing such a big purchase, however, often means combining savings with money borrowed through a financial arrangement, commonly referred to as a mortgage.

Mortgages allow you to pay back the principal, or amount borrowed, plus interest, in regular installments. The taxes on your home can also be added to the mortgage payments. Most mortgages are amortized over 25 years – that’s the length of time it takes for you to pay the debt off in full.

For most home buyers, paying off the mortgage is a long-term commitment. That’s why it’s important to begin looking at options before buying, or before renegotiating your existing mortgage. When home buying, your REALTOR® can help you calculate how much mortgage you can afford and provide advice on the many options available.

But even if you find yourself locked into a long-term mortgage you can afford, there may still be ways to pay it down and be mortgage-free sooner.

Pre-payment options

Most financial institutions now offer generous pre-payment options. Although many limit how often you can use an option, it is well checking into them and comparing what one lender offers over another. Many lenders now permit an annual lump sum payment on your mortgage with the amount going directly to reducing your principal. A lump sum payment of $2,000 a year on an $80,000 mortgage, for example, can significantly cut years off your mortgage.

Other pre-payment privileges include doubling up payments whenever you have extra cash. Some lenders allow additional payments against the mortgage balance up to the equivalent of a full monthly payment on every payment date or several times throughout the year. Accelerating payments by paying every two weeks instead of monthly, for example, can also result in substantial savings over the life of a mortgage.

While taking advantage of pre-payment privileges can save you thousands of dollars in interest costs over the life of your mortgage, it also pays to consider all your options. You may be reducing the principal, but you are not reducing your existing payment obligations. You still must make your regular payments.

Pre-payment critics also say that if your interest rate is reasonably low, you may be able to put the extra money to better use. When you pre-pay $2,000 a year, you reduce your principal, but you get no tax benefit. Put the same amount of money into a registered retirement plan and you get a tax break. If you invest this amount in a mutual fund at 10 per cent and your mortgage rate is seven per cent, you’re making three per cent more on your investment.

Lower your amortization period

The average mortgage must be paid off in 25 years. By selecting a shorter amortization period you can cut years off your mortgage. The shorter the period, the larger the payments, but the more you save on interest and the long-term cost of the loan. Shortening the amortization period is a great idea when interest rates are low and you can afford the larger monthly payments.

Re-finance your mortgage

This is only a good idea if you have a fixed, long-term mortgage and rates have fallen more than two per cent. But the cost of refinancing a loan to get a better rate can be very high. To have your closed mortgage discharged, you will usually have to pay either a three-month interest penalty or an “interest differential”, which can cost considerably more.

You can reduce the penalty, which is based on the outstanding principal, by exercising a prepayment privilege and reducing the principal first. This can be done using your own money or by arranging with another lender to borrow enough to discharge your mortgage and pay the discharge penalty. Whatever you decide, seek expert advice before re-financing, or you may end up paying more than if you stayed the course.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Despite the low cost of carrying a mortgage these days, you should keep in mind “closing costs” in addition to your down payment for that dream home.

These various charges can add up, and for the most part they are all legally required payments in buying a property. Here is a list of most of your major “closing costs.”

Legal fees: Since a lawyer is an essential part of your home-buying team, the work provided involves fees. Most legal fees include searching the title of the property, arranging a property survey if necessary and handling other disbursements as required.

Mortgage insurance and application fee: For any high ratio mortgage, which is any mortgage in which 75 or more per cent of the house’s purchase price is covered by the mortgage, the lender requires mortgage insurance.

Mortgage broker’s fee: A mortgage broker may charge a fee to set up a mortgage for you. In some cases the fee may be included with the legal fees if your lawyer arranges the mortgage, or included in the lender’s fees if you deal directly with a lender such as a bank.

Property insurance: This insurance covers the replacement value of your home and its contents. Most mortgage lenders will require proof that you have this insurance before processing a mortgage.

Home Inspection: A professional home inspector knows what to look for and can confirm or add to the information you’ve gleaned from the REALTOR® or your inspection. Basic inspections on most houses are usually in the $150 to $300 range.
Land transfer tax: Anyone buying property inOntario must pay a land transfer tax. It usually runs between 0.5 to two per cent of the home’s purchase price, depending on that price.

GST: GST is payable to some degree on the purchase price on all new homes, although partial rebates are available on the purchase of most homes. A resale residential home is usually exempt from GST. Various other closing fees, however, do involve payment of GST.

Extra charges: You may also be required to pay the costs of such things as heating oil in the tank, or other costs incurred by the seller, but included with the house, prior to the closing day.

Hook-ups: There may be hook-up charges required for appliances and services such as telephone, TV cable, hydro and other utilities.

Moving costs: Don’t forget the basic costs involved in moving from your old place into your new home, particularly if you use a professional moving company.

A REALTOR® can explain further details on closing costs. Just remember to add them to your financial plan when saving to buy a home.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

So, you’ve decided to take the big leap and purchase your first home. Most of us have a “dream home” tucked away at the back of our minds — complete with six bedrooms, two fireplaces and a panoramic view. Before setting off to view properties you likely can’t afford, step back and take a reality check.

Your “dream home” can easily become a nightmare when most of your money goes to pay the mortgage and there’s little left over for anything else. Overextending yourself financially is the quickest way to destroy the excitement of home ownership and add stress to your life.

Smart home-buying means knowing what you can afford and being practical about it. Most first-time buyers, in particular, lack the funds needed to buy a home without assistance from a bank or financial institution. Buying a home means combining savings with money borrowed through a special arrangement called a mortgage.

To keep mortgage payments within their means, most first-time buyers purchase what is commonly known as a “starter home.” A starter home is just that — a way of getting started in long-term real estate investment.

To match the home you buy to your pocketbook you have to realistically assess your needs, determine what you can afford and, usually, lower your expectations. Begin by enlisting the services of a real estate representative. This individual will help you target your home ownership dreams and provide valuable information on mortgage options, interest rates and incentives, such as government programs, for first-time buyers.

In the meantime, here are some ways to determine how much you can afford.

Set a maximum price range

To determine your “affordability” price range, you must calculate two amounts: the amount of cash you can afford to put towards the purchase (down payment) and the maximum amount of loan (mortgage) you can comfortably carry. Typically, household expenses should not exceed 35 per cent of your gross income.

Put down as much as you can

The key to getting started for most first-time buyers is the initial down payment. This is the part of the purchase price you have to put down as cash. You may be able to buy a home for as little as five per cent down. But remember that the larger the down payment, the easier it will be to manage the other expenses (mortgage, utilities and property taxes).

An ideal down payment is 25 per cent of the purchase price. Keep some cash in reserve though for unexpected expenses related to a home purchase and typical expenses such as land transfer tax, legal fees and moving expenses.

Know how much to borrow

To establish your maximum mortgage limit, a financial institution will determine the monthly payment you can afford by calculating your debt-service ratio. List all your loans (car, personal loans, monthly credit card balances). The sum of these and your mortgage payment, including principal, interest and taxes, should not exceed about 40 per cent of your gross income. The mortgage payment and taxes should not exceed about 30 per cent of your gross income.

Understand interest rates

The size of the mortgage you can arrange, based on payments you can afford, depends on interest rates. The lower the rates, the larger the possible mortgage and the more affordable home-buying will be.

However, there are other variables to consider: How open is the mortgage? Is it portable? Would prepayment be allowed? Discuss your mortgage options with your REALTOR®, banker or financial advisor. Decide what’s best for you, establish a limit and stick to it.

Look at other sources of funds

If you have been contributing regularly to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), you may have to look no further for your down payment. The federal government’s RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan allows eligible taxpayers to withdraw up to $20,000 per person ($40,000 per couple) tax free from their plan to buy a qualifying home. However, you have to pay back every year at least 1/15th of the amount taken out until it is all paid back, or there will be a tax penalty.

The Ontario Home Ownership Savings Plan (OHOSP) is a provincial program which provides tax credits on annual contributions to an Ontario resident earning less than $40,000 a year (or less than $80,000 per couple) who has never owned a home. While there is no limit to the amount you may deposit in an OHOSP, you can only receive tax credits on annual contributions of $2,000 ($4,000 per couple) or less. Depending on your annual income and the money you invest, you can earn up to $500 individually or $1,000 a couple in tax credits a year. The plan must be closed and a home purchased by the end of the seventh year.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CHMC) five per cent down mortgage program is available to both first-time buyers and those who have already owned a home. This benefits buyers who can afford the monthly payments, but would have trouble saving for a larger down payment. Under the program, CMHC may insure the mortgage on your home (against default in payments) for up to 95 per cent of the lending value. An insurance premium of about 3.75 per cent of the mortgage loan is charged. This amount can be added to the mortgage or paid on a monthly basis.

Other sources of funds you can tap into for a down payment include savings and investments and loans or gifts from your family or relatives. If you’re already a homeowner and moving up, you can use money that you get from the sale of your present home.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Owning your own home has a lot of payoffs, especially these days when mortgage rates are still among the lowest in 30 years. There are also many housing options available in a wide range of prices.

Simply put, you can carry a home of your own for no more than what you would pay in rent. And, unlike renting, your payments go toward increasing the equity in your home.

So, what’s stopping you? For most people who have never owned a home before, it’s the initial down payment and the ability to keep up with the monthly financial obligations (mortgage payment, insurance, utilities, maintenance).

The effort to save for and buy a home may require you to make significant changes in your way of life. For most people, it means changing their spending and lifestyle habits to support the additional costs of saving for, paying for, and maintaining a home.

One of the best ways of saving for a down payment is to take advantage of government programs available to first-time home buyers. A real estate professional can help you understand how these programs work and ensure that you get the maximum benefit possible.

RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan

Contribute to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) regularly and to the maximum allowed. The federal government’s RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan enables eligible taxpayers to withdraw up to $20,000 tax free from their plan to buy or build a qualifying home. The amount of money withdrawn must be repaid within 15 years.

If you buy the qualifying home together with your spouse or other individuals, each person can withdraw up to $20,000 tax free. A government form must be completed for each withdrawal.

Generally, an RRSP holder can participate in the Home Buyers’ Plan only once in a lifetime. The pamphlet, Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) – For 1998 Participants, is available from Revenue Canada and will help you determine if you are considered a first-time home buyer.

A qualifying home is a housing unit located in Canada. Those participating in 1998 have to buy or build a home before Oct. 1, 1999. You must also agree to occupy the home as your principle residence no later than one year after buying or building it. Once you occupy the home, there is no minimum period of time that you have to live there.

CMHC five per cent down

While Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) five per cent down option program doesn’t help you save for the down payment, it sure eases the way to home ownership.

With as little as five per cent down, all home owners now have access to CMHC mortgage insurance. This means CMHC may insure the mortgage on your home (against default in payments) for up to 95 per cent of the lending value of the home. This helps make home ownership a reality for many Canadians who can afford monthly mortgage payments but would have trouble saving for a larger down payment.

Previously available only to first-time home buyers, the program was expanded earlier this year to include all home buyers. Eligible borrowers include anyone who buys a home in Canada and occupies it as a principle residence. The mortgage insurance premium in 1998 is about 3.75 per cent of the mortgage loan and can be added to the mortgage or paid on a monthly basis.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. But when it comes to houses, the exterior can be just as important as the interior if selling or buying.

When selling, it is the outside, or the home’s curb appeal that often determines whether the inside is ever seen. How a house ‘shows’ from the street can tell a potential buyer a lot about what it may be like inside. Even if the inside is the sparkling, charming, structurally sound dream home they’ve been searching for, a buyer is not going to forget a cracked driveway, fallen shutters, overgrown grass and flower beds.

That’s why most REALTORS® recommend a house not be seen for the first time at night. If you have no choice but to view homes at night, always be sure to drive past them during the daytime before making any final decisions.

For sellers, there are many ways to enhance the exterior of a home to achieve the curb appeal necessary to attract prospective buyers. Start by taking a close, objective look at your home from the curb. Be sure to view it from different angles. Ask friends and neighbors for their unbiased opinions. What are the appealing features? What’s not so appealing? What can you do to improve its appearance?

Are the shrubs untrimmed? Are there broken doors and windows, loose screens and railings? Does the exterior trim, or entire surface, need a paint job?

The interior may be clean, without a leaky faucet, cracked floor or loose door hinge in sight. But if the exterior roof, gutter, walls, driveway, garage and yard look dirty and untidy, chances are you’re not going to get a lot of potential buyers knocking at the door.

Creating curb appeal is making your home inviting from the outside — where first impressions begin. This doesn’t mean spending a great deal of money remodeling and renovating. Adding a new front verandah might add a lot of curb appeal, but so will a couple of wicker chairs and potted flowers by the front door – at a lot less cost.

Here are some more tips for making the outside of your home attractive and inviting:

Clean up the yard

Mow the lawn, trim the hedges, weed the flower beds, get rid of dead trees and shrubs; get rid of any broken lawn furniture; shovel the walk and driveway in winter; rake the yard in the fall.

Repair any problems

If the roof is damaged, repair it. Also repair any doors and windows that have loose hinges or other damage; fix storm doors and window screens; caulk window exteriors; clean and repair sidings and other structural flaws.

Eliminate clutter

If you have yard and construction debris piled up along the side of the house, or elsewhere, get rid of it. The exterior of your home should be as uncluttered in appearance as the interior. This includes cleaning out the garage – a major breeder of clutter. Be ruthless. If you haven’t used something in a year, give it to charity or recycle it.

Give siding a fresh new look

Cleaning the exterior surface is all your home may need for a fresh new face. Before rushing to paint siding, try washing it. For painted wood siding and aluminum siding, use a solution of one cup strong detergent and one quart chlorine bleach in three gallons of water. Be sure to wear rubber gloves, goggles and other protective garments. Work from the bottom up and rinse thoroughly.

To spruce up vinyl siding, hose it down, sponge it with a mild liquid detergent and rinse.

Use paint to brighten, re-proportion exterior

A paint job can do wonders for the exterior of a home. A low house can look more graceful and tall from the curb by emphasizing its vertical features. Paint elements such as doors, shutters and corner trim in a color that contrasts with the siding material or color. On a high home, emphasize horizontal by using a contrasting paint color on window sills and fascia boards. You can also make a tall house look lower by painting it a dark color, provided that the roof is dark too. Conversely, a light color will make a home look larger.

Co-ordinate the exterior ‘look’

The more co-ordinated your house looks from the outside, the more appealing it will be. Co-ordinate the ‘look’ of your home by painting the garage, tool shed, playhouse and other outdoor structures with the same color schemes as the house. If your house is a mixture of conflicting textures – vertical siding, shingles and brick, for instance – try painting them all the same color, or in two related shades of the same color, to create a harmonious look. Dark tones work best when working with conflicting textures.

Use flower power

Well-placed flowers, trees and shrubs can really make the outside of a home look inviting. Not only does attractive landscaping invite buyers, it can increase the value of a home. Even without major landscaping, flowers can make a yard look colorful and pleasant. Plant them in garden beds, hang them from railings and porch ceilings, add flower boxes to window sills. There is no limit to the power of flowers.

At night, highlight garden features with spotlights and floodlights. Well-lit paths and entrances promote safety, discourage burglars and are an added feature to any home. A pretty wreath on the door and a welcome mat will finish things off.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

To most of us, electricity is simply flicking a switch or turning a dial to light up a room, cook supper or get instant entertainment. We take it for granted — that is, until there’s a power failure and we have to scramble to find flashlights, candles and matches in the dark.

Making your home safe and comfortable takes a deeper understanding. Let’s start by remembering that the electricity we receive in our homes is part of a powerful, intricate system made up of power lines and generators. It generally enters our homes through power lines to a main switch at 120 to 240 volts. The main switch is clearly marked with an “on” and “off” position and controls all the power in the house.

All lighting or general use circuits in a home are protected by either “circuit breakers” in newer homes or fuses in older ones. You should always disconnect the power by moving the main switch to the “off” position when changing fuses or doing electrical work around the house. Never open the door of the main switch — if you sense something is wrong, call your electricity supplier.

The panel box or fuse box from the main switch is the one that splits the power into circuits that go into all the rooms in your home. If you overload a circuit, say by plugging too many things in, the fuse may blow or the circuit breaker may trip, stopping the flow of power to that particular area.

In the basement

If you’re looking for the breaker panels or fuse boxes in a home, you’ll usually find them in the basement. They require little if any maintenance. Fuse boxes require the right type and size of fuses. Overloading circuits could cause power loss, or even lead to a fire.

If you detect rust in the fuse box, or if a fuse repeatedly blows for no apparent reason, if there is overheating, discoloration of fuses or flickering lights, contact an electrician to solve the problem.

Fuse changing

•Use a flashlight if the area where the fuse box is located is dark.

• Never change a fuse while standing on a wet floor.

• Unplug appliances on the overloaded circuit and turn off the main switch.

• Install the proper size fuse–most lighting and general use circuits are fused at 15 amps.

• Keep the fuse box or breaker panel cover closed to protect children and prevent dirt from accumulating.

Look after your cords

• Pull the plug when removing from electrical outlet. Pulling on the cord will wear it out and may create a shock hazard.

• Keep cords away from heat and water, which can damage the insulation and create a shock hazard.

• Never run electrical cords under rugs, through doorways or anywhere subject to excessive wear. This may lead to a fire hazard.

• Never break off the third prong on a plug so it can fit into a two-prong outlet. This will create a shock hazard.

• Regularly inspect all cords and plugs. To avoid fire, short circuits or shocks, discard all cords and plugs that are worn or damaged.

• Plugging several cords into an outlet, or using an extension cord as permanent wiring, indicates that your home wiring is outdated for your needs and that you should have more outlets wired in.

• Prevent pets from chewing electric cords by rubbing the cords with a bar of strong laundry soap.

Use electrical appliances carefully

• Before buying, make sure it has a certification mark or seal ensuring electrical safety when the appliance is used properly.

• Follow all the manufacturers instructions.

• Never use any electric appliances around water. Even if your hands are wet, or you’re standing on a wet floor, you cold get a shock or other injury. For example, be careful when using hair blowers and radios in the bath area.

• Don’t pry toast from a plugged-in toaster with a knife or a fork. If you want to avoid a shock, unplug the toaster first.

• Never touch plugged-in appliances when your hands are wet. Always unplug them before cleaning.

• If an appliance sparks, overheats or stalls, pull the plug and have it checked by a service person.

Other safety tips

• Never touch power lines yourself or with any equipment. Take extra care when working near them. Before doing any digging, call your local hydro company to locate underground power lines. Cutting through one is dangerous and could black out an entire area.

• When planting trees around your home, make sure they won’t grow up into power lines. Don’t attempt to prune or fell any trees near power lines yourself. Call your local hydro company. A tree falling into a power line can be very dangerous.

• Power tools should have a three-prong plug or double insulation. Keep them in good condition and never use power tools on wet grass or other wet surfaces. If you need an extension cord, use a proper, three-prong, grounded cord.
Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

It’s hard for an avid gardener to put down their spade come winter. That’s why so many choose to garden year-round.

Whether it is wintering expensive outdoor annuals inside your home, investing in a small greenhouse or growing miniature indoor gardens on window ledges and in special containers, there are many ways to keep gardening all year.

Growing plants and flowers, both indoors and outdoors adds an element of beauty to your yard and home that can be very satisfying. It’s also profitable. Well-placed trees, shrubs, flowering plants and an attractive lawn can increase the value of your property by as much as 10 per cent.

A greenhouse or solarium, or miniature indoor gardens that allow you to garden year-round, also add beauty and value to your home. A greenhouse, in fact, can be therapeutic. Not only can you watch flowers bloom and harvest vegetables and herbs 365 days of the year, you can work the soil and tend to it regardless of weather conditions.

So, if you don’t want to give up the spade this fall, begin to consider the following options now:

Bringing your fancy annuals indoors

In addition to the inexpensive annuals, such as impatiens and petunias, most of us plant to add colour to our gardens every spring, consider investing as well in more expensive, but interesting and hardier annuals.

It’s well worth the extra investment because most of these more expensive annuals will winter quite well inside your home, adding colour and brightness to those dull, dreary winter days.

Plants that perform well over the winter include hibiscus, lantana, Mexican heather, passion flower, lithodora, the Mandevilla hydrid, geraniums and others available in spring at most garden centres.

After enjoying their beauty all summer long, cut them back before the first frost in fall, pot and place them in a bright spot indoors until the following spring when you can slowly re-introduce them to the outdoors. Don’t forget to include some herbs, such as rosemary, which stay well indoors over the winter too. Don’t expect the plant tags to tell you these plants can thrive for more than one summer, though.

Invest in a greenhouse

A greenhouse can be the key to year-round gardening for many avid gardeners. There are many greenhouse models on the market today, in varying sizes and prices, to choose from. You can build your own, buy prefabricated kits which must be assembled, or have one custom built for your home.

Greenhouse gardening requires plenty of sunlight. So, choose the location carefully and consider the possibility of future expansion when deciding on the size. Greenhouses require fans, heaters, vents, sprinklers and shelving units. A variety of glazing materials are used to promote thermal efficiency, including glass, acrylic, film and polycarbonate. These materials can increase the rate of plant growth by as much as 50 per cent.

A greenhouse can be an avid gardener’s dream come true. You can grow exotic plants and vegetables, experiment with new gardening techniques, and experience the warmth of a summer garden on the coldest of winter days.

Creating an indoor garden

Greening your home with indoor plants is fun and a bargain compared to filling up and brightening spaces using furniture and other decorative techniques. You can hang them from the ceiling, set them on tables and other furniture pieces, perch them on window sills, prop them in empty corners — the possibilities are limitless.

Don’t settle for just simple houseplants, There are many varieties of plants to choose from, including dwarf trees that can easily raise a crop of grapefruits, lemons or oranges right in your living room — but you should expect a three to five year wait for the first fruit to develop.

If you don’t have a big home or big ideas about indoor gardening, miniature houseplants can be very cheerful and great decorators. Because they occupy less space, you can also grow more of them and in greater variety. Dwarf geraniums, for example, will bloom over and over again. Small pots of colorful cacti will do well on a narrow window sill.

Windows can be the best places to decorate with a living garden, as long as the plants are not haphazardly arranged. It should be an artistic composition, an arrangement of plants and containers that create an attractive, refreshing and charming effect.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

If your annual spring cleaning ritual has produced a mountain of unused and unwanted items, you may want to think twice before you simply toss them out. How about a yard sale to turn some of that “junk” into someone else’s “treasure?”

Each weekend in spring and summer you’ll find yard sales popping up in neighbourhoods everywhere. And, where there are yard sales, there are yard sale “junkies.” For many people, scouring yard sales for a bargain on a Saturday morning is an art. Why not take advantage of that fact to make some cash off your cast-offs and have fun while you’re at it.

The Ontario Real Estate Association and your local REALTOR® offer the following tips to host a successful yard sale:

First, settle on a date and time for your sale. Weekends are virtually universal for yard sales, and most run from 8 or 9 a.m. until 4 or 5 p.m. You’ll also need to set a rain date, usually the next day if your sale is on a Saturday, or the following weekend if your date is Sunday.

Most sellers advertise by posting signs on lamp posts and hydro poles. This is a more effective way of letting people know you’re open for business than you might suspect. Veteran buyers (see below for more) will scout a neighbourhood during the week looking for telltale flyers. Many of your customers will use this method.

Have someone present at all times. Theft is unlikely, but many sellers have learned the hard way that it does happen. Placing valuable items closer to your sales desk is a good idea.

Running out of change is also a problem that plagues many sales. As most of your transactions will involve small amounts, it never hurts to have $50 or more in small bills and loonies and twoonies at hand. Buyers will often stop at a bank machine before they come, so expect to get a lot of tens and twenties early in the day.

Think like a yard sale buyer The ability to deliver the kind of goods and service that buyers want is perhaps the most important factor in the success of your sale. There are a number of items that are always in high demand: art, antiques (even distressed pieces), furniture, appliances, electronic equipment, tools, and lately, computer games and accessories. If you have goods in any of these categories, mention them in your flyer or ad.

Surprisingly, many veteran yard salers are not interested in old clothing. Unless you’ve got something special to offer, you can expect to turn much of your old wardrobe over to charity.

As to pricing your goods, nothing turns away a potential buyer more than a price that is too high. You can always expect haggling, but most won’t even bother if you price an old lamp at $20, when similar items can be had for $5. The best plan of action is to attend a few sales the week before, and find out the going prices.

How you physically place your goods can also make a big difference. Don’t clutter up your yard, and make sure your items are separated by category. This is a great opportunity to be creative. For example, there is a mini-boom in memorabilia from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Believe it or not, the old Lava Lamp you consider trash, might be exactly what someone else is looking for.

Another good tip that will help make a sale is to offer free coffee to your visitors. A friendly face and a free cup of java can do wonders. Or if you want to get the kids involved, have them set up an old-fashioned lemonade stand and charge five cents a cup.

Depending on the type of items you’re selling, you can expect to make as little as $20 or as much as a couple of hundred.

Finally, the success of a yard sale is measured by the amount of additional space you have in your house after the yard sale is over, and the amount of money you make. Now you may be tempted to run out and purchase more items that will likely end up in your next yard sale. But, why not celebrate your success by spending the money on dinner at a nice restaurant for the family and whoever helped at the sale.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Sometimes, all it takes is a few simple fix-ups to improve the look of your home and make it more marketable. Even if you don’t plan to sell in the near future, a change of face can make your home more comfortable and appealing.

If your kitchen, bathroom and other rooms in your home look weary and tired but you can’t afford to tear everything out and start over again, here are a few cost-effective solutions to consider:

Re-surface cabinets and counter tops

This is the way to go if you’re happy with the layout of your kitchen, for example, and want to avoid a major renovation. Re-surfacing counters and cabinets will give you a whole new look for a lot less money.

Visit home improvement showrooms and see what products and styles are available. You can also ask a design consultant to come to your home and recommend different options. Sometimes, just painting the cabinets and changing the hardware can transform the look of a kitchen or bathroom overnight.

Update your floors

With today’s many flooring options, there’s no need to put up with worn carpets and tile floors. You can choose from install-it-yourself linoleum sheet and tiles to trickier hardwood applications. In addition to visual appeal, consider comfort, life span, cost and maintenance when considering re-doing your floors.

Sometimes, something as simple as adding a throw rug under a table or beneath chairs will add the warmth and colour you’re looking for. Just ensure they are easy to clean and don’t require a lot of upkeep.

Use light to brighten, set mood

Lighting creates atmosphere and mood in a room. Adding or changing existing ceiling fixtures, wall washers and pot lights can change the function of almost any room. For maximum flexibility, nothing works better than a floor or table lamp.

There are a huge number of options available when it comes to choosing the right lighting for any room. Is your kitchen really drab, or just too dark? Maybe all it needs is new track lighting that puts the spotlight where you want it. Under-cabinet task lighting makes work easier and safer and brightens those dark counter areas.

Whether used to highlight decor, set a mood, light work areas, or provide safety and security, new lighting is an easy and inexpensive way to make your home come alive.

Re-upholster your furnishings

Sometimes it takes more than a paint job and new floors or carpets to spruce up a room, especially if the fabric on your furniture looks tired and worn. If you are happy with the design of your furniture but crave new fabric colours and textures, re-upholstering can be less expensive than buying, for example, a whole new living or dining room set. Re-upholstering takes skill. Before attempting to re-upholster a furniture piece yourself, consider hiring a person who specializes in this craft.

While re-upholstering allows you to extend the life of an existing furniture piece, it isn’t cheap. So, first determine exactly which furniture pieces you want to keep. You may just want to re-upholster a favourite chair or you may want to change the colouring of all the furniture in your living room. Be sure to carefully match the colour, texture and design of the new fabrics with your carpet or wall colours.

Change your window treatment

When you are considering changing window coverings, there is no shortage of selection. Blinds, shutters, sheers, shades, valances and just plain naked windows are only a few of your options.

The window treatment is often the most eye-catching aspect of a room. That’s because windows serve as a visual link with the outside world. They are also the primary source of natural light in your home. Begin by deciding how important privacy is to you and whether you want your windows to admit air and light into the home.

If your windows reveal a pleasant view and privacy is not an issue, you may want to use minimal coverings that can be easily pulled back. Also, consider location. If your windows face north, you should aim to let in as much light as possible. If they face south or west, you may want to cut back on the amount of light.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Even on the dullest winter day, colour fills our lives. Look around and you’ll see a thousand shades of greens and browns, violets, greys, golds and blues. Colour is also part of our language. Few of us will dispute that it affects our moods and how we feel — red with anger, green with envy, yellow with fear.

For these reasons, colour is also the decorator’s most powerful tool. No other design element has the quick impact or dramatic effect of colour. If you want to add appeal and value to your home, there is no faster and often cheaper way than by using colour.

Whether it’s a quick, relatively inexpensive pick-me-up paint job, new window coverings, complimentary wallpaper borders, new carpets, floors or other interior/exterior home improvements, colour can transform any room, cupboard or furniture item.

Before getting started, consider what you want to achieve. Do you want to make a room or window look larger or smaller, a ceiling higher or lower? Do you want the atmosphere to be lively or restful? Businesses, especially restaurants, often use colours such as bright, warm orange to enhance appetites. Manufacturers often use red to draw attention to packaging. Hospitals use restful colours like blue green to soothe people.

Selecting colours

Just as colours in clothing move in and out of fashion, so do colours in interior decoration. The past decade saw a swing back to bright, dark colours, including very popular greens and reds that reminded us of rich spices. It’s anyone’s guess what the next trend will be, but the neutral classics will always remain.

Choosing colour combinations for your home isn’t that easy. It requires commitment. Whatever you do, you may have to live with it for a while. Also, if you have plans to sell your home, you want to consider colours that will also appeal to prospective buyers. When people view a home, they like to imagine how their own belongings will look in it. Purple walls or furnishings in your home may make it difficult.

Colours also look different in combination with other colours and in different types of lighting. A red may appear cold under a fluorescent light, but much warmer in a room with lots of natural light. A deep blue may look bright and intense in a well-lit area, but cold and gloomy in a dark room. Beige may seem dull and boring, but add a little yellow, green or orange and it comes alive.

The amount of colour also affects how you see it. An all-red interior is too stimulating for most homes. Red is best used as an accent to add drama and intrigue. But beware of high-contrast situations. Used in large areas of white or green, for example, red can also be trying to the eyes.

Colours affect our emotions and perceptions. Red has been known to send the heart-rate up. Orange and peach are associated with comfort and security. Purple, through its association with religion, is often associated with mourning. Research suggests that blue not only has a calming affect on people, but may actually lower blood pressure. It is associated with purity and cleanliness and is at the top of the popularity chart for most adults. Green is considered the most peaceful colour.

Some decorating tricks

• Warm colours like reds, pinks, yellows and oranges will generally make a room feel warmer, smaller and friendlier.

• Cool colours like greens and blues create a cooling, calming affect. They seem to push back the walls of a room and make small spaces appear bigger.

• Light, cool colours can make a small room look larger and brighter.

• Dark, warm colours can turn a large, cold room into something more inviting.

• Neutral shades make a room more flexible for any type of furniture.

• Raise a ceiling by painting it a lighter colour than the walls; lower it by painting it a darker colour, or by adding a darker border where the wall meets the ceiling.

• Shorten a long hallway by painting the end walls a darker, warmer colour.

• Use colour on furnishings to add brightness and drama. Pastel furnishings look smaller in a room, while deep, bright furnishings look bigger.

• Camouflage eyesores, such as old radiators, by painting them the same colour as the walls.

• Try to have a natural, complimentary flow of colour from one room to another.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Window coverings play a leading role in the interior of home. They can help set atmosphere and can be both attractive and functional. Windows now come in a variety of new shapes and sizes, which has put increased demand on window covering manufacturers to create new products.

Many new and custom-built homes have windows that are rounded, or that stretch from floor to ceiling. For owners of older homes, installing new windows is often high on their “must do” list, and each window often requires a different application. Whatever the window shape, there are probably more window covering choices in terms of pattern, colour scheme, and design than ever before.

Drapery Options

Today, families look at their homes as a place to retreat. Some people have called it “cocooning.” This is reflected in the recent trend towards the traditional look, with the heavier fabrics and fuller drapes of days gone by. Drapes, with an interesting pattern and strong colour, are often combined with simple sheers or matching, lighter-weight balloon curtains.

Drapes are popular when matched with a covered valance or when they flow into a gentle or full swag. Drapes can make a strong fashion statement when they are accented by colour-coordinated or differently designed hooks and rods, or tied back in unusual ways.

Tassels are being revived again. Made of cord or rope and especially popular during Victorian days, tassel tie backs are practical with heavier fabrics. It’s a look that is well suited to older homes with high ceilings because it creates an elegant graceful appearance.

Drapes in a print of pattern that pick up the primary colour, with a matching covered valance, will set the tone for the room especially if the same fabric is used to cover a lamp shade or used as a wallpaper border.

A combination of drapes tied back into a full swag with interior shutters is another popular look. This combination is particularly appealing on a bay window, with the drapes used as a side panel. Balloons (a fabric which gathers at the top of the window and swells out) can be used as a valance or alone to cover the entire window creating a warm and elegant feeling in the room.

Other Window Coverings

Balloons, blinds and verticals that have lead in popularity for the past five years are being replaced and upgraded. You can give verticals a new look by teaming them with an interesting valance or by adding drapes to blinds and blinds to balloons.

Another attractive option that can be used with any décor is the “shirred” curtain, a panel that is gathered on a rod both at the top and the bottom. Often used on door windows, it has become a popular and pretty way of covering the bottom half of a window.

Just as window-covering options are unlimited, so are the costs particularly when it comes to custom drapery. The major expense is not in the labor, design, or consulting fees, but in the fabric, especially if it is imported.

With so many window coverings to choose from, you may want to consider consulting an interior decorator to determine the best fit for your décor.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Today more and more homeowners are directing their energy and creativity towards redecorating the bathroom. Be it the family bath, or the master ensuite, the primary focus is on increased luxury comfort and convenience. Many homeowners are looking for new ideas to make their existing bathrooms larger.

Get the most from your space

Redecorating a small bathroom is a common design problem. If you can’t expand the room, either by building an addition or by incorporating space from a nearby bedroom or closet, here are some ideas to help you get the most out of the space you have.

There are many ways to give a bathroom a facelift. You can make it visually larger by decorating with light colours. Large prints and bold stripes tend to overpower a small room. Stick to small prints whether you are painting or wallpapering. Limit your accessories. Remember, less can be more!

Try to create a sense of continuity. Bathrooms are chopped up enough by fixtures, so paint and wallpaper walls and ceiling the same colour.

When choosing a wallpaper make sure it is a good vinyl, that isn’t prepasted. Wallpaper paste is water based and if the shower isn’t ventilated properly, the vapour may cause the wallpaper to lift from the wall. When you paste by hand, use an oil-based glue.

Update your fixtures

Whether you are bold, colorful, soft or subtle, there are fixtures available that will reflect your persona and express your style. Everything from hand painted porcelain fixtures complete with matching gold plated faucets, to a variety of natural fixtures including granite, marble, onyx and teakwood are available. Leading manufacturers now work in harmony to create colour coordinated bath products.

If your colour fixtures are outdated, and new ones are out of the question, consider having them refinished. White is always a classic and an excellent choice.

Shower curtains can also make a room visually larger. Choose a clear shower curtain with a solid colour fabric curtain. And mirrors are another good trick to visually expand your space. A long mirror with plenty of lights increases the visual space and prevents having to jostle for mirror space when two people are using the bathroom.

Storage solutions

If you are planning to change your fixtures, you may want to consider replacing your vanity and sink with a pedestal sink. This will give you more floor space, but you will lose some storage space. Storage space problems can be solved in a variety of ways. Wall-mounted cabinets are a great way to hide bathroom clutter, without taking up valuable floor space. Units can be installed above the toilet, above the mirror or in the deck space below a raised bathtub. If you purchase a low profile toilet, there will be even more room for wall-mounted storage above. Choose cabinets that are no more than six inches deep so they don’t get in the way.

Extending your counter-top over the back of the toilet is known as a “banjo top” counter. Be sure there is enough clearance space to raise the tank top should it require service. Open shelving between the toilet and vanity creates handy storage space, looks less bulky than closed storage space, and eliminates the need for clearance for a cupboard door.

A plastic coated wire mounted on a pegboard above a low profile toilet is another way to create storage space and works well as a decorative element.

If you don’t have room for a shower stall, try installing a rounded shower base in the corner of a small bathroom, leaving no corners to jut out into valuable floor space. A folding door eliminates the need for clearance space between the pedestal basin and door. If your bathroom is too narrow for a standard vanity, ask your designer or contractor to build a bank of cabinets half as deep. Install a bump out sink because a regular drop in bowl won’t fit in this type of cabinet. Since lower cabinets will be shallow, you won’t have to reach as far for supplies.

Both light and ventilation are important in a bathroom. Light expands the space and prevents shadows. Ventilation keeps air circulating. A combination fan forced heater/ventilator/ceiling light allows all three work separately or together. This eliminates the need to buy three different fixtures.

Whatever your decorating style, there are a host of new patterns, colours and designs available that will reflect your particular tastes and serve to make your bathroom more functional.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

For most people the ideal closet is the size of a room with ample space to hang clothing, lots of shelves to tuck and stash away things — a place where you can walk around and assess all your personal belongings.

In reality, most people’s closets fall well short of this ideal. And few of us stop to consider the full potential of the closets we do have — tiny as they may be. To understand their true potential, take a good objective look inside the closets you already have — and the empty spaces that could be turned into closets or cupboards.

Closets are not the sort of thing most of us like to face. By their very nature, they invite us to avoid them. As long as the living space looks good, what’s inside the closets doesn’t really matter. It is said that both home and self improvement often start with your closets. The more effective and organized your closets are, the more effective and organized you feel.

The main things to consider when organizing your closets are budget, space and lifestyle. Even the tiniest closet can be maximized, and not necessarily at a high price.

Also, the contents of a closet don’t necessarily have to fit the contents of a room. A hall broom closet can be turned into a pantry; a kitchen nook can be turned into a place to hang a wardrobe.

And you don’t have to just hang things in closets. You can add shelf units, baskets, bins, or whatever fits, to store things in. Consider an air plane, a boat or a mobile home, where space is at a premium. Storage spaces are found above, below and to all sides of furnishings.

Here are a few more ideas to consider:

• Make your closets serve a variety of purposes. Try adding a shelving unit to a clothes closet where you can store pantry goods and other items.

• Always try to incorporate a variety of shelving units in a closet. These give you space to store small items such as shoes, scarves, handbags and even books.

• The ceiling space in closets is seldom used. Consider adding a shelve or a compartment to store bulkier items such as luggage or blankets.

• Before re-organizing a closet, take everything out. Set aside anything you haven’t worn or used in a year. Consider donating these items to charity. Those you no longer use but want to keep should be stored separately in the attic or some place out of the way. Clearing out a closet is the first step in creating more space.

• Invest in a shoe rack that can be incorporated into your closet. Whether it sits on the floor or hangs from the door or is part of a shelve unit, a rack will not only keep your shoes together it will give the whole closet a more organized appearance.

• Plan to store your out-of-season clothes out of the way in boxes or elsewhere. Use the closet only to keep those items you wear regularly during a season.

• If you dislike the smell of mothballs but want to ensure your closets smell nice and don’t attract moths, try hanging a sachet of dried rosemary flowers or a mixture of cinnamon and cloves. There are many fresh-smelling deodorizers and perfumed papers to choose from on the market as well.

• If closet space is still tight and there are few open spaces in your home that can be turned into closets, try adding an armoire or wardrobe. This was the furniture piece used for storing clothes back when there weren’t built-in closets. It’s still a popular and practical item in many homes today.

• Try turning an entire wall in a room into a storage area. There are many systems available that can be easily installed. You can close them up by adding doors, or keep them open and airy.

• Kitchens are where you can be most creative in finding extra storage space. To get the best use of kitchen closet space, store as much as possible outside the closets. That means hanging anything that can hang from the ceilings and the walls. Custom-design closets and cupboards for the specific goods each will hold. This may include drawers for knives, shelves for different size cans, jars, etc.

• Adding a shelving rack to the inside of a closet door can make even the shallowest closet seem deeper.

• In a child’s room, don’t limit yourself to the space inside the closet. Use lots of bins, stacking baskets and shelving units throughout the room to store and toss things in.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Just like you take a car for regular tune ups to ensure it continues to run smoothly, your home also needs some special attention. There’s a lot more to keeping up a house than cutting the grass and clearing snow from the driveway. Ensuring your home “looks” good and is in proper working order, not only makes it more attractive and comfortable, but it can also increase the market value of the property.

Homeowners who plan to move within a few years are often reluctant to invest time and money on improvement projects that may not pay them back. But unless these improvements are very specialized, any project you choose – from fixing leaky faucets to installing new energy efficient windows – will start to pay you back in energy savings and comfort long before you sell.

The wisest improvements you can make to any home are those that keep it running smoothly and bring it up to the standards of other homes in the immediate area. And these don’t need to break your budget.

Easy maintenance, repairs

Start with simple repairs that don’t cost a lot and you can do yourself: securing loose tiles, adjusting a door, installing a lock, repairing a leaky faucet or pipe, and so on.

It’s also a good idea to locate and read your gas, electricity and water meters on a weekly or monthly basis. This will help you gain an understanding of seasonal increases and decreases in consumption and enable you to take measures to become more energy and water efficient. The savings could be substantial.

You should have your furnace inspected and serviced annually to ensure there are no problems and change or clean the filter regularly. Also, inspect the smoke and carbon dioxide detectors around your home. You want to be certain that these will work in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Bigger upgrades

While replacing leaky faucets can drastically improve a bathroom’s appearance and cut down on water usage, sometimes it takes a lot more than that to bring an old bathroom, for example, to an acceptable standard.

A bathroom tune up can pay big dividends. The first items to replace should be the fixtures — the sink, faucets, vanity, bathtub, shower, and toilet. This is where you will add value and save money by opting for a water-efficient fixtures and energy-saving devices.

The floors, walls and accessories are not an essential part of a bathroom tune-up, but you can save time and money when you do the complete overhaul at once, rather than one piece at a time.

If the decor in your home is bothering you, don’t decide right away to rip everything out. All it may take to make your home look more attractive and in better repair are small improvements such as: refacing cabinets and counter tops, changing the colour scheme, repainting, hanging new wall coverings and installing new lighting.

Other good major home improvements include replacing old carpets and flooring with new, more durable products; adding a garage or a carport if your home does not have one; installing central air conditioning; repairing or adding a fireplace; upgrading your basement space; replacing old windows with new energy-efficient ones; adding terraces, wooden decks and fences that add privacy; and investing in landscaping that adds value and is easy to maintain.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Spring is in the air and the busy gardening season is just around the corner. Not only can gardening be personally satisfying, but well-placed trees, shrubs, flowering plants and an attractive lawn can increase the value of your property.

While the earlier you start, the better off you’ll be, don’t be too eager to get things rolling. The ever-changing weather in many Ontario communities can trick even the most experienced gardeners.

One of the key elements in growing luscious vegetables and gorgeous flowers are well-cultivated garden beds, dug several times over in early spring and enriched with nutrients. Success also depends on when you do the digging. Soil should not be worked until the time is right — that’s when all frost is out of the ground and the soil is not at all waterlogged.

To see if the soil is dry enough to work, squeeze a handful into a ball and drop it from shoulder height. If it shatters, the soil is dry enough. If the soil is too dry to form a ball, moisten it before digging. This is also the time to enrich the soil with old leaves, grass clippings, straw, compost, or other forms of organic materials. Garden centres sell alternatives such as peat moss and composted manure. All of these help to retain moisture and retard weed growth, eliminating the need to use chemical fertilizers.

Digging and turning over the first 15 to 20 centimetres of soil in an established garden bed should be fairly easy. The soil should be prepared a few weeks before you plan to start planting so you can remove any weeds that germinate during that time.

By monitoring the soil in your garden beds regularly, you’ll be able to dig just as soon as it’s ready. While keeping an eye on soil conditions, there are other garden chores to be done. But it’s best to wait until the time is right for these as well.

Winter mulch

Be sure the worst frosts have passed before you start to remove old leaves and other materials spread around plants as mulch over the winter. Some experienced gardeners will wait until the tulips show 10 centimetres of growth before removing any mulch.

Since perennials such as tulips and crocuses will be popping up, be gentle when you rake old leaves and clear all leftover debris from fall. Raking too hard or too soon may also destroy the winter homes of good insects, leaving them out in the cold.

Pruning

Early spring is also one of the best times to prune fruit trees and many other deciduous trees and hedges. It’s less trauma for them and less leaf raking for you. Proper pruning not only keeps hedges and trees in shape, it also encourages new growth and crop production of fruit-bearing varieties. Coniferous trees and shrubs, however, are best pruned in the fall.

Many trees will also benefit from a fertilizer applied in the form of a tree spike in early spring. These are nailed into the soil at the outer limits around the tree. They’re available at garden centres with information on how to apply them.

Lawn care

Early spring is also the time to aerate your lawn if you haven’t done so in a few years. The best and easiest way to do this is by renting a gas-powered aerator for half a day and quickly punching plugs out of the soil with it. At greater expense, you can also have a lawn care company come and do it for you.

Aeration removes thousands of soil plugs from your lawn and deposits them on the surface to help break down the thatch layer. The holes allow air, water and fertilizer to penetrate and encourage new and deeper root growth. The soil expands into the holes to make it less compact. All these benefits combine to produce a thicker, greener, healthier lawn.

In early spring, your lawn also needs a good fertilizer, preferably a slow-release one with a high nitrogen content. Be sure to give your lawn a good raking first to get rid of winter’s accumulation of leaves and other debris.

Planting

If you’re new at gardening, think big but start small. Limit the size of your flower beds and garden to an area you can easily handle. Consider your yard as a cluster of “outdoor” rooms, some for enjoying the sun, others for growing vegetables and others for appreciating the beauty of flowers, shrubs, trees and foliage plants.

If you want continual color or growth from spring through fall, flower and vegetable beds need a lot of thought and planning. You may have to plant more than one kind of annual or vegetable in a particular location to accomplish this. Try to concentrate your garden vegetables in square or rectangular pieces of ground, rather than long rows. This will reduce the amount of time spent weeding and watering.

You’ll also have to consider other factors such as sun, shade, heat, reflected light, drainage, winds and soil conditions.

Plan ahead

Garden centres and nurseries get crowded in spring. Be prepared before you get there. Draw up a plan or at least visualize what you want to see in your yard, taking into account all the factors noted above. This will help you determine, well in advance, the types and quantities of plants and shrubs needed to get your yard in gear.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Whether it is aircraft overhead, traffic on the street, a neighbour practicing the saxophone, or your own kids at play, often our homes are not as quiet and peaceful as we would like them to be.

That’s why taking some measures to soundproof your home has lots of pay-offs. Not only will you reduce noise and add value to your property, but you will be helping to reduce the stress that excessive noise can cause.

If you’re tired of excessive noise, start by determining which areas of your home are most in need of soundproofing. Noise can be annoying when it comes into the house through windows, the basement and attic. Noise from inside your home can also be annoying to your neighbours, as well as others in your home.

But whether you are trying to keep noise from getting into your home or preventing it from getting out, if it’s anything but a simple problem it may be wise to seek the help of a soundproofing expert.

First, use this handy check list to determine what your problem areas are:

Windows

Windows are the most common way for noise to get in or out. Single glass panes and wood window frames are the least resistant to noise. Double pane glass can reduce noise by about 20 per cent, while vinyl frames can reduce it by as much as 50 per cent.

If replacing the window with a double pane glass or vinyl frames is too expensive an option, consider using a “removable” plug to block the sound coming through the window. A plug will also block light, but it will make little difference if it’s your bedroom window and the noise is keeping you awake at night.

And let’s not forget the added benefits — the extra insulation of a plug will keep you warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

A plug can easily be made by measuring the window frame and seeing how much depth there is to the window sill. This will determine the size and thickness of the soundproofing material you can use. Check home building stores for soundproofing materials available.

Usually, one thickness of a two inch mat will do. While sound proofing mat is relatively stiff, you may need to attach it to a lightweight wood or fiber board using contact cement. A plug should fit a window very tightly without any cracks. For easy handling, attach some handles to it.

Attic

Many attics, especially in older homes, lack insulation. Adding insulation can not only help cut down on your heating bills, but it can help to soundproof your home. Materials used to insulate your home also help reduce noise.

Extra layers of asphalt roofing can also increase your home’s noise tolerance, especially to aircraft. If you live near an airport, try stapling extra asphalt sheeting on the roof rafters inside the attic. This is a cheap and effective way to reduce noise.

Entrances

In well-built homes you’ll notice that doors in a hallway don’t line up across from each other. This is to prevent sound from travelling across and through the open doors. Staggering entrances is one way of minimizing noise. Another, of course, is keeping doors closed.

Helpful hints

At least 25 per cent of a room should have some absorbent material, like carpeting or furniture, to reduce reverberation from footsteps.

Rooms located right over living areas should have some form of carpeting for soundproofing. Special carpet padding and floorings are available for use in soundproofing, but these tend to be more expensive. Often, a thick rubber padding and carpet are all you need.

One way of soundproofing walls is to add another layer of drywall. Double drywall on walls facing a noisy street can substantially reduce noise in many homes.

Never soundproof a garage when you can soundproof a basement. The cement foundation of a home absorbs noise. However, you’ll still need to soundproof the basement ceiling.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

One of the easiest, most cost-efficient ways of enhancing your home is with paint. With the advances made in paint over the past decade, there’s not much you can’t do with it indoors and outdoors.

Gone are the days of the all-purpose can of paint. Today, there are paints available for specific materials and surfaces. Whether your floor is wood or concrete, there is a paint designed for use on it. There are even paints for metals, such as the smoke pipe of a stove, that heat up to extremely high temperatures.

Some paints are made for specific uses on appliances, cabinets, tile walls and floors, bathtubs and sinks. You can even produce a terrazzo look on floors or a textured effect on walls with the right kind of paint.

Before you begin any project, visit a paint dealer and discuss the kind of material you plan to paint, its condition and the result you want to see. There are so many paints on the market, you want to make sure you get just the right one. A paint that’s good for interior woodwork, for instance, is not necessarily good for wood floors or outside wood trim. A paint intended for concrete walls won’t necessarily hold up on a concrete floor. So, be specific.

To apply any paint all you need to do is follow the instructions on the paint can. These are usually very detailed. But, be sure to read them before you leave the store in case you have any questions. Also ask about any materials or tools that may be required for a particular type of paint.

Many paints are flammable and harmful if taken internally or inhaled. So, be sure to read the warning labels which are usually illustrated quite clearly on the container. Always keep any area where you are painting well-ventilated.

While a fresh coat of paint can easily transform any dull room, cupboard or furniture item, you can’t expect all flaws to be magically concealed. Painting requires good surface preparation and some elbow grease before you can splash on new colors.

Start by filling in all holes and cracks with an appropriate filler. When the filler is dry, use a fine sandpaper and sand all surfaces lightly. Then wipe all surfaces to ensure they are dust-free.

Here are a few tips for different paint jobs:

Bathrooms and kitchens

Because of high moisture, use an enamel rather than a flat paint for walls as well as woodwork.

An enamel is easier to clean and less likely to be harmed by moisture. Epoxy paints will hold on sinks, bathtubs, ceramic tiles and other areas that are extremely smooth and exposed to water. These paints must be handled carefully and require good ventilation.

Basement

A latex masonry paint is good for concrete basement walls. Many paints are designed to damp proof or water-proof basement walls. Their effectiveness depends on how well they are applied. However, it’s virtually impossible to waterproof a basement from the inside by simply applying waterproof paint on the walls.

Use heat-resistant enamels on any surface that gets hot, such as metal pipes. Concrete basement floors must be cleaned before painting. Use a cleaner recommended by the paint manufacturer.

Outdoors

Any paint you use should be designed to withstand the weather. The surfaces — whether aluminum, iron, steel, brick, concrete, wood, wicker, etc. — must be prepared in advance as recommended by the paint manufacturer. Before starting any project, be sure to consult your local paint store representative for ideas and advice.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

In ancient times, windows were as common as doors in dwellings. But they were merely holes in a wall used to control the amount of light and air that entered a home. Appearance and style were not a consideration.

We’ve come a long way since then. Today, windows in most homes combine science and technologies that increase energy efficiency and actually reduce heating and air conditioning costs.

Modern windows not only beautify the appearance of a home, they bring sunlight in during winter, while preventing the warmth created from escaping outdoors. Windows also insulate a home from heat during the summer and keep cooled air from escaping.

When deciding whether to repair or replace your existing windows, begin by considering their age and condition. Poorly designed, constructed and placed windows can cost money through heat loss.

Increasing efficiency

If your home is more than 30 years old and still has the original windows, chances are your windows are not keeping you as warm or as cool as well-placed and installed newer models. But, there are measures you can take to increase their efficiency:

• Tighten the seal around the windows with weatherstripping. There are many different types of weather-stripping available for use on wood, metal, aluminum and vinyl. One of the easiest to apply is caulking cord which comes in a roll. All you do is press the cord into place to make a tight seal.

• Every window not made of insulated glass should have a storm window. If your home has storm windows, ensure they are in good condition and install them properly before the cold season begins. When those icy winter winds start blowing, both you and your pocketbook will notice.

• If your home doesn’t have storm windows, or they are in poor condition, you can get as good or better protection using heavy-gauge clear plastic sheeting. Seal it tightly over your existing windows and you have an inexpensive and effective alternative.

Replacing windows

Replacing existing windows with more energy efficient models doesn’t have to be done all at once. Begin by replacing the ones causing the most heat loss, such as the large picture windows in your living and dining rooms. Replacing windows in stages over a period of years costs less up front and still increases energy efficiency.

With the variety of windows on the market today, however, it pays to shop around. Before making a decision, consider the principle types of windows available:

The common window types are: double-hung, casement, stationary, awning and horizontal sliding. They may be made of wood, aluminum or vinyl or a combination of these materials. Almost all feature insulated glass and easy-to-clean designs that provide tight seals and eliminate draftiness.

Whether you plan to install the new windows yourself or have them installed professionally, be sure to visit a number of suppliers and study the various products and options on the market. You want to select windows that augment the appearance of your home, increase energy efficiency and give you the most value for your money.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

A heating system converts fuel into heat which then flows through a house. The efficiency of a heating system depends on the amount of fuel consumed to meet heating needs. Using less fuel means your system has increased its energy efficiency.

Check your heating system first

One way to maximize output using the least amount of fuel is to reduce air leakage. Before deciding to replace or upgrade your present heating system you will have to consider how much of your present system can be saved. Can the boiler or furnace be salvaged by tuning or retrofitting? Are the heating ducts or water distribution pipes in good condition? Heating system work can be very inexpensive or quite costly depending on how much efficiency you want to buy.

Oil and gas fired furnaces require a constant supply of air to operate, because fire needs oxygen to burn. Air is also needed to exhaust the products of combustion up the chimney. Sometimes a furnace may become starved for air because household air is being rapidly expelled from the house through other routes such as a roaring fireplace, an upper-level window left open, a clothesdryer or exhaust fan left operating continuously.

An air-starved furnace can cause carbon monoxide to buildup in quantities that can be dangerous.

Warning signs of inadequate ventilation are stuffy atmosphere, lingering odors from in complete combustion, back drafts and smoking fireplaces.

Additional ventilation can sometimes be required in houses with heating systems that require little or no indoor air, electrically heated homes, homes with chimney-free condensing furnaces, or houses with a fuel burning furnace enclosed in a room with air for combustion from the outside. Furthermore, super energy-efficient houses usually require special ventilation.

Improve heating efficiency

If you decide to change your system, you’ll have to consider what type of fuel you want to use. Cost and availability of fuel is usually the deciding factor. If you’re keeping your present system, here are a few ways you can improve its operation.

• Turning down the thermostat is a good way to save heat. There are several brands of programmable thermostats on the market today that will regulate your home’s temperature.

• Hot air ducts are notorious wasters of heat and money. If your basement feels too warm, too much heat is probably seeping out of your ducts. You can seal all joints and seams in the ducting with vinyl duct tape. Some ducts registers empty into the basement and these should be sealed or closed if they are not needed.

• Ducts that run through unheated basements or attics should always be insulated. Fiberglass batting or commercial duct wrap can be used.

• Make sure both return air grills and supply registrars are kept free from any obstruction, including drapes and furniture. With forced air-systems, the furnace filters should be changed regularly.

• With hot water systems, the exposed accessible heating pipes should be insulated with flexible foil- faced fiberglass at least 19mm thick. A rigid, foil-faced insulating board between the wall and the radiator will reflect much more heat into the room.

• Some old hot water systems rely on gravity to circulate the water, and adding a circulating pump to the system can lead to potential fuel savings of as much as 30 percent.

• If there is an aquastat on the boiler, (a water temperature control) the water temperature can be reduced to about 49 Celsius of 120 Fahrenheit during warmer parts of the heating season. This reduced setting will prevent overheating your house in the spring and fall.

• A more expensive option is to install an automatic aquastat to reduce water temperature as the outdoor temperature rises. (If your boiler is made of stainless steel, or if your main boiler also heats your domestic hot water, you shouldn’t reduce the water.

• “Downsizing” your oil furnace can reduce fuel bills by seven to 10 per cent. Downsizing means reducing the firing rate by changing the burner nozzle to a smaller size.

• Retention head burners that can save as much as 20 to 25 per cent of your fuel can also be added to some furnace units. Retention head burners mix the air and oil spray very quickly which permits the combustion of oil with less air. Less air entering the burner means that less heat escapes out the chimney.

If you think you might be having problems with household air supply, contact a registered heating contractor for advice. If the problem turns out to be inadequate air supply, the contractor will be able to find ways to bring in outside air. There are specific requirements for this which depend on the type of system you have.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association