Is Wanting a Change a Good Reason to Sell?

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People decide to sell their homes for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a job relocation. For others, it’s the need to upsize or downsize. There are numerous other motivations too. However, one of the toughest for many homeowners
to deal with is the idea of selling simply because they want a change.
 
Why is that so difficult to understand?
 
It may be that homeowners feel “a change” isn’t a good enough reason to make such a significant decision. It may even seem impulsive or selfish to sell your home and find another one for no other reason than your desire to move.
However, desiring a change in surroundings is actually a very good reason to sell. In fact, it may be one of the best.
 
Why? Your home is the foundation of your daily lifestyle. It’s where you live, relax, spend time with your family, entertain guests, celebrate special occasions, and more. It makes sense to maximize the enjoyment of those experiences as much as possible. If that means finding a new home, then it’s likely going to be worth the move.
 
*Morris Marketing*

Savvy Negotiation Helps Win the Deal

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Purchasing a home is not the same as buying a product off the shelf. You don’t simply pay the price on the tag and know it’s yours. You can’t just see a home for sale and say, “I’ll take it!”, especially if the market is competitive. You need to make an enticing offer.
 
That offer, of course, would include the price you propose to pay. That price may or may not be the “price tag” or the asking price. In order for your offer to be successful, it needs other ingredients too. For example, winning offers often include evidence that appropriate financing has been arranged. This gives the seller confidence that you can afford the home and that the deal won’t fall through due to an issue with the mortgage.
 
Also, you may need to put conditions on your offer, such as making it conditional on selling your current home. You’ll need to be careful here. Adding a condition or two may be necessary to protect your best interests, but may also dissuade the seller from accepting your offer.
 
Negotiation is perhaps the most important part of the buying process. Even if there are no competing offers, there will likely be back-and-forth discussions about price, conditions, closing dates, and more. Savvy negotiating is critical, not only to ensure you get the home, but also that you get it for the lowest price and best terms possible.
 
Real estate negotiation is not for the timid. It requires indepth knowledge of the local market, hard-won negotiating skills, and experience. If you’re selling your home, buying a new home, or both, keep in mind the important role that negotiation has in getting you what you want.
 
*Morris Marketing*

What’s Nearby Matters when Buying a Home

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Imagine you’ve purchased a home in a nice neighbourhood. Then, once you’ve moved, you discover that your kids’ school is not only far away, but also difficult to get to because of heavy commuter traffic. That’s an irritation that is not likely to go away until your kids have grown! How do you avoid a situation like that?
 
When shopping for a new home, make a list of places and features you’d like to have nearby. Then, factor those in when selecting neighbourhoods to target.
 
For example, you might want your commute to work to be a relatively easy drive or transit ride. You might also want a park or playground to be within reasonable walking distance.
 
If you have a hobby, such as golf, you might hope for a driving range or golf course to be within a half-hour drive. In any home search, you may need to compromise.
 
You may not find all of your wish list available in any one neighbourhood. But, the most important places and features you hope to have should definitely be in your profile of the ideal home.
 
*Morris Marketing*

Solar Energy Provides Powerful Options

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As technology becomes more advanced, solar panels using photovoltaic cells to absorb sunlight and create electricity are becoming more affordable, portable and efficient. They are readily available in various sizes to serve a range of needs.
 
Smaller self-powered units are now very common – think of wireless patio lights with solar panels on their tops. But other types are also gaining wider use.
 
For example, you can buy flexible solar panels small enough to roll up and carry on a backpack, and then roll out to capture sunlight for powering a computer or smartphone while camping, hiking or boating.
 
On a larger scale, any rooftop, balcony or yard with reasonably consistent exposure to direct sunlight, might be a potential site for a solar panel that provides free energy for home use. Such installations, of course, would require further investigation, as the upfront costs can be quite high.
To begin, check your current electricity bill to see how much you consume in order to determine the size of panels you would need. Next, speak to an expert to find out if your exposure gets enough sunlight to generate sufficient electricity to be worthwhile. Finally, find manufacturers and installers and look for government agencies that may provide discounts, rebates or credits for the electricity you generate.
 
*Morris Marketing*

Knowing The Best People

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Have you ever experienced the frustration of trying to find the best plumber to fix a leaking faucet, the right renovator for a kitchen upgrade, or the ideal moving company to handle your items with care?

It’s surprising how difficult such a search can be. Even with Google and other search engine options, finding a reliable service provider can be challenging.

Well, I may be able to help.

You see, when it comes to the local “home” industry, I’m fairly well-connected. In fact, I know many of the best companies and professionals. If you’re struggling to find a good contractor, cleaning service, plumber, electrician, moving company, etc., give me a call. I can probably recommend someone.

After all, you’re a valued client, and I want to do whatever I can to help you enjoy your condo. It’s just one of the many ways I help valued clients like you – during and after a transaction. Contact me anytime.

All the best!

Estimating Your Selling Costs

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When the time comes to sell your house, you’ll want to determine roughly how much you can expect to net after the sale. To figure that out, you’ll not only need to know how much your house will likely sell for, but also the selling costs you are likely to incur in the process.

The costs of selling vary depending on a number of factors. Here’s a general rundown of what to consider:

• Repairs.

You will want your house to look its best to buyers. That may require you to get any needed repairs done before listing. You don’t want a buyer to see a dent in the wall or a dripping faucet.

• Renovations.

It might make sense to get a few improvements done to make the house more attractive. For example, replacing old and worn kitchen countertops.

• Legal fees.

Selling a house requires a lot of legal paperwork. You’ll need a good real estate lawyer to take care of that for you.

• Commissions.

This is usually calculated as a percentage of the sale price.

• Moving costs.

Once you sell, you’ll obviously need to move! So, factoring in this expense is a smart idea.

Although this may seem like a long list, selling costs are actually fairly easy to estimate. Once you have that number, it’s a simple calculation to determine how much money you’ll have available to put towards your next dream home.

That’s information worth knowing!

*Morris Marketing*

How to Zero in on the Perfect Home to Buy

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Have you ever shopped for a gift and had no idea what to buy? You may have gone from store to store hoping for inspiration, only to discover you wasted hours.
 
Obviously, if you had a clear idea of what you wanted to find, you’d find it faster. The same holds true when looking for a home. The clearer you are about the kind of home you want, the more likely you are to find it – and get it!
 
The best way to get clarity is to start big and then go small. That simply means you start by identifying the biggest thing – the area in which you want to live. What are the characteristics of the ideal neighbourhood for you? Make a list.
 
Next, go from biggest down one notch and think about the type of home you want. Size? Features? Finally, think about the inside of your next dream home. Consider the number of bedrooms, size of the kitchen or living room, and any special features you might want.
 
Have fun imagining the next perfect home for you. You may discover it’s available on the market now – or maybe it will be soon.
 
*Morris Marketing*

Getting an Early Start

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You’ve probably heard the expression, “The early-bird gets the worm.” Applied to real estate, it simply means that the sooner you start working on your plans to sell your house, the more likely you are to be successful.

Say, for example, you’re thinking of selling this summer. You might think it’s too soon to start making plans, but it’s not. Starting the planning and preparation process well in advance will give you an advantage when you are ready to put your house on the market.

It will also make the process of selling your house a lot less stressful, because – to use another popular analogy – you’ll have “all your ducks in a row.”

So, if you’re planning on selling your house this year, or even just thinking about it, give me a call. I’ll explain what you need to do today to ensure your house is ready to sell quickly and for a good price.

All the best!

Benefits of Microfibre Cloth

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Synthetic microfibre textiles have become a popular choice for residential and industrial cleaning. What makes them a preferred choice over common cloth or paper towel?
 
Technically speaking, their fibres are so fine, they can be woven into strands that can better penetrate miniscule cracks and creases. Many times less than the width of a human hair, microfibres can be spun with tiny branches or filaments that can capture microbial bacteria, and absorb liquid up to seven or eight times their weight.
 
In addition, microfibres can create static electricity to capture dust particles that would otherwise be stirred up into the air during dusting. Aside from their technical attributes, the availability of cloths in a range of colours provides a simple benefit. Users can designate individual colours to specific tasks, thereby reducing the risk of cross-contamination across floors, countertops, sinks and toilets.
 
*Morris Marketing*

Five Useful Household Tips

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1. Try rubbing a piece of raw walnut on a light but visible scrape on the surface of a wood furnishing to provide a temporary natural lustre.
 
2. Keep track of your chosen colours by writing the paint source and code on the handle of the stir stick before tossing empty paint cans.
 
3. Clean a scorched pan by filling with boiling water to the mid-point, mixing in a few teaspoons of baking soda and allowing to cool before scrubbing.
 
4. Measure servings of cookie dough easily by coating your spoon with a layer of milk to prevent the raw dough from sticking.
 
5. Remove coffee stains from most synthetic upholstery and carpeting by repeatedly sponging the area with a clean white cloth soaked in a mixture of mild dish detergent and water, then dabbing with a clean white cloth rinsed in cold water.
 
*Morris Marketing*