Spring is the best time to sell. Or is it

You may be thinking of listing your home soon, for a variety of reasons. Some fun and exciting reasons. Some sad, even scary reasons. There's a good chance you are likely thinking of waiting until spring because someone somewhere at sometime said that is the best time to list. That may not be the case.

There are a number of reasons many “experts” claim that spring is the best time to list: "people prefer to move in good weather", "more people are out shopping", "selling prices are statistically higher".... most of these reasons are highly subjective and often inaccurate when broken down to the individual home.

Having worked in the Edmonton housing industry for 13 years I can state from my own experience that some of my busiest months…

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Helping Your Child Adjust to a New Home and School

Helping Your Child Adjust to a New Home and School

Moving to a new home and new school can be upsetting for some children. Helping them to prepare for the move will make the adjustment less stressful.

~ Get them excited about moving. Show them pictures of their new room, and give them ideas of where things can go. If you are painting, let them help choose the colour, and give them some freedom to decorate.

~ Be prepared that the first night sleeping in a new place might end up becoming a sleepless night. Reassure your child that it takes time to get used to a new home.

~ Take a tour of the school. Helping them to become familiar with what the school looks like and how to get to their classroom, the lunch room, etc., will ease any stress…

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Home Energy Saving Tips that Won't Leave You Shivering or Sweating

If you want to reduce your home energy costs, the easiest way is to turn the thermostat up or down. In fact, you probably won't notice a difference of 2 degrees either way... and the savings can be substantial.

However, if you want to lower your bill even further each month, here are some additional tips that are relatively easy to implement.

•        Plug or fix the drafts. Even in newer homes, air filtration can occur at windows and doors. So, check around your home for drafts. Windy or cold days are the best days to check. Then, get any drafts you find repaired or, at least, temporarily plugged. 

•        Check the attic. Heat rises and can escape through the attic. So, once a year, check the attic insulation for thin…

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Need to Sell Quickly? Here's What to Do

There are many reasons why you might suddenly need to sell your home. It could be an unexpected work relocation, a change in family circumstances, or simply a desire to move. 

Whatever the reason, selling quickly requires some fast action on your part. But that doesn't mean you need to get into panic mode. You can list and sell your property, quickly while still enjoying the process!

The first thing you need to do is figure out how to make your home show its best. In addition to cleaning and de-cluttering, that might include getting any needed repairs done, sprucing up the place by painting and perhaps even doing some minor improvements.

How much you need to "stage" your property depends on many factors, including what conditions are…

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Fire Safety Checks You Should Do At Least Once a Year

Chances are, you know that you should change the batteries in your smoke detectors at least once a year — even if you suspect the batteries are still good.

But that isn't the only fire safety check you should do annually. Here are some other recommended tips to help keep you and your family safe.

• Clean your stove burners and oven regularly. Hard grease build-up can become combustible.
• Check your cupboard for cleaning products, paints and other liquids that are flammable. Read each label carefully. Use and store each product only as recommended.
• If you keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen — and you should — confirm that it is still good. Extinguishers are like food. They have expiry dates!
• Go over your fire escape plan with…

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Is the Psychology of Change Holding You Back?

Why is making a big change in life often so difficult?

According to psychologists, maintaining the "status quo" is one of the most powerful motivations we have. If things are "okay", even making a change for the better can be difficult. Our brains resist.

You may have experienced this if you’ve thought about selling your current property and finding your next dream home. Your house may be "good enough" for you now and the neighborhood might be "okay" too. So, even if your dream is to get into a better home that's more suited to your family and lifestyle, you may be hesitant.

That's just the way the psychology works.

One way to get around this psychology is to get your dream out of your head and on to paper. Write…

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The 3 Most Important thing to consider When Buying a Home

They say the three most important considerations when buying real estate is location, location, location. But what does that mean? How do you break that down? I mean, it sounds cool but how does anyone apply it in a useful way to navigate the biggest purchase of their life? Recently I took the time to break it down and map it out in a useful way to the average buyer. I drew on the years of experience I had helping people buy homes in the new home industry where, as a sales professional I had little control over the physical location. I was in one community sometimes having inventory on only one street. I also spoke with people in my own circle about how they found their perfect home. What mattered to them and how did that fit the paradigm of…

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Tips for Saving for your New Home

Buying a new home takes some planning and some strategic saving; but, with a little forethought coupled with action, you can make home buying a reality.

Be aware that you will need at least a 20% down payment of the purchase price of the house to avoid having to use Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for default insurance. However, using default insurance through CMHC allows you to place a down payment of only 5% of the purchase price of the home. Keep in mind that you will pay more on your mortgage by obtaining default insurance. Below are some tips to help you save money for a down payment on a house:

Take a look at your monthly expenses. Determine what you can realistically afford to put away per month. Once you have determined…

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How to Get Front-of-the-Line Access to Desirable Homes for Sale

As you've probably noticed, credit card companies regularly offer bonuses to get you to apply for their cards. For example, one such card company offers opportunities to buy tickets to concerts and other events ahead of everyone else. It's their "front of the line" service.

When you’re searching for a new home, wouldn't it be great if you could get to the front of the line on desirable properties – before other buyers get the chance?

Well, in a way, you can.

The first thing you need to do is create a profile for the specific type of home you're looking to buy. That profile will need to include the basics, such as type of home (e.g. detached), size and rooms (e.g. 2000-2,500 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 baths), and your target…

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Knowing When It’s Time to Renovate or to Move

Knowing When It’s Time to Renovate or to Move

Sometimes, it’s hard to determine if you should take the time to renovate your home, or just pack up and move. Both options have their own pros and cons, and it’s hard to determine what the best option is. Below are a few things to consider when making your decision between renovating and moving.

What types of changes or upgrades would you like to make? Make a list of the types of changes you want to see in your home. Make sure to include everything that you would like to renovate. At this point, don’t think about cost, but what it is you would like.

List the pros and cons of renovating and moving. What will work for you and your life situation? Can your current home be renovated to meet your needs?…

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