For some consumers, the most daunting aspect of the buying or selling process is the move itself.

Moving is not only labour-intensive, but it can also unleash a range of emotions at a difficult time. If the catalyst for the move is a family death, divorce or other major lifestyle change, a bad moving experience can rub salt in the wound, aggravating an already challenging situation.

Many resources are available to determine whether a mover is reputable. The Canadian Association of Movers (CAM), the Better Business Bureau, and any of the major national van lines (such as Allied, Atlas, Mayflower, North American or United) are all good sources. Also check out the Consumer Beware page through the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services for movers to avoid. [Read more...]

Things that make a house sell faster and for more money:

• Excellent Marketing Plan–  reach and invite the most people.
• Staging–  people imagine themselves living in your home.
• Beautiful Professional Photos– attracts people to come and see your house in the first place!
• Favourable Market Conditions–something you have little control over. [Read more...]

When we first moved into our house and looked into the backyard and saw the small cement pad with car parts strewn across it, we laughed and thought, “What the heck can we do with that?”

We had an idea that we wanted a lush , little quiet oasis and started to form a plan of what we wanted.

I thought a low maintenance garden was a good idea, since we wouldn’t have access or room for a lawnmower.   I went to the garden centre to get inspired and found a beautiful coral bark Japanese Maple tree and I fell in love.  From there, I got inspired to do a pseudo Japanese themed zen garden with pea pebbles and black slate tiles for ground cover with perennial bamboo and tall grasses for privacy. [Read more...]

Houses are so expensive in Toronto these days that many buyers are turning to more affordable homes that require some work. In neighbourhoods like Brockton Village, Little Italy and Roncesvalles many older, cheaper homes have dated kitchens, bathrooms and flooring…which can be expensive to update, or discourage you from buying a house in the first place.

My advice: Get your foot in the door first, fix up the immediate essentials like electrical and plumbing, then the cosmetic things can be done over time once you’ve saved up. [Read more...]

Help your community, support local artists and possibly win  beautiful one of a kind artwork! Coming up next month: Artworks, inspired by the idea of “shelter”, are auctioned and raffled off  with all of the proceeds going to one of the many deserving homeless programs in Toronto. (PARC and Edmond Place) Have a look at the featured artists on the website below. (One of which is a friend and beautiful scarf maker, Meghan Price, from String Theory)

This year’s event takes place on April 13th at St John’s Parish Hall on Cowan Ave in Parkdale.

Design Hope Toronto is a volunteer initiative that raises funds and awareness for local organizations dedicated to helping the homeless.

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Here’s a mortgage product that might give you the competitive edge. Searching for your perfect home can be a frustrating experience– you work hard to find it, but too often lose out in multiple bids; or worse, you see  several properties that almost meet everything you’re looking for but there is something still missing, not right, incomplete. I’ve had this situation occur over and over again this season while helping buyers looking for homes in Brockton Village and other neighbourhoods in the West End.

“The house has the right bones, is in the neighborhood we’re looking for, but the kitchen is dated, the floors need to be refinished and that oil furnace will need replacing”.

CMHC’s Purchase Plus Improvements is a relatively unknown little gem.

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This February has proved to be a busy season with many bidding wars. Did you know that houses sell for more on average in February than in the Spring? Yep, it’s true.

When evaluating a house’s worth it’s important to look at the most recent comparable properties that sold nearby. You also look at a variety of factors including: parking, size of lot and house, quality of finishes, number of storeys, location, proximity to ttc, to name a few. These  stats below are great for comparing average prices in neighbourhoods as well as getting a grasp for what people are willing to pay to live here, from the lowest to the highest. If you’re a buyer,  do you need help figuring out where you can afford to buy?  If you’re a seller and you want to know your home’s worth, contact me and I’d be glad to chat with you and give you a free analysis. ———————>

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Thinking of buying a home this year and not sure if you can afford it? I remember when I first started looking; it was pretty overwhelming trying to figure out what I should do first and what was available out there. The first year feels especially expensive so I thought I’d put together a list of programs to read up on that might help cut costs.

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