Keeping your lawn, flowerbeds and shrubs looking great enhances the “curb appeal” of your property. However, it can also be a lot of work! Here are some do-it-yourself tips for making these tasks easier and less time-consuming:

-  Add mulch around trees and shrubs. That way, you won’t have to cut grass in those areas, plus you’ll avoid the need to use shears or a trimmer to do the job properly.

-  Adjust lawnmower blades to the optimal height for short, well-groomed grass. That way, you won’t have to mow as often.

-  Use tools that don’t require you to bend over or work on your knees. That will greatly reduce fatigue. (Example: Stand-up grass shears.)

-  Consider applying mulch in flower beds. That will reduce weeds. It will also help retain moisture, so you won’t have to water as often.

-  Avoid high-maintenance plants that require strict watering and tending regiments. No-fuss plants are ideal. (Talk to your local gardening center.)

-  Consider using a soaker hose. It has holes all along the tubing that gently release water. Simply snake the hose through flowerbeds and shrubs or around trees, turn on the water and the hose does the rest.

Want more tips for making your property look great, especially if you’re thinking of selling? Call today.

If you're like most people, you hope that you’ll receive your online orders within a few days. Sure, a purchase might occasionally arrive later than expected. That's just the reality of online shopping.

But, what if you need an item delivered quickly, without risk of delay?

Here are a few suggestions:

- Check if the product is in stock. That's usually indicated on the web page, but you can also phone to confirm. In-stock items usually ship quickly.

- Avoid special orders. Those always take longer to ship.

- If possible, find out if the product is coming from overseas. The longer the supply chain, the higher the likelihood of delays.

- Find out if in-store pickup is available. Retailers ship to their stores faster than they do to their customer's homes.

- Avoid ordering from a "bricks and mortar" store that doesn't sell very much online. If online ordering and delivery is merely a sideline for them, delays will likely be common.

- If possible, order from companies that promise a specific date or date range for delivery. For example, "Arrives by May 5."

Getting online orders delivered on time is especially important for items you need when preparing your home for sale. If that's the case for you, call today for more ideas.

These days, just about everyone relies on the internet for work, school, entertainment, shopping, networking, you name it. So, speed and connectivity have become big issues.

Ideally, you want a fast, reliable connection — consistently.

If you have a router and connect with WIFI, here are some ways to boost the signal:

- Occasionally unplug your router, wait ten seconds, and then power up again. Routers get clogged with settings, protocols, code, you name it. Resetting the router is like cleaning the pipes.

- Connect your computer directly to the router with an ethernet cord. This hard-wiring will often double or even triple internet speed. The downside is, you’re restricted by the length of the cord.

- Check that you have the best router for your internet plan. Some newer high-speed plans require better routers, but you may not have been told that when you upgraded.

- Experiment with the placement of your router. The ideal spot is often on the main floor near the centre of your home. If possible, place it in an open space away from walls and other obstructions.

- Consider using Mesh WIFI. These are little “satellite” WIFI stations that you can place throughout your home. Your main router then connects to these, creating a much stronger WIFI signal in areas that were formerly weak.

Another way to improve your home WIFI is to contact your internet service provider. They’re the experts in their system and can advise you on how to create a better signal throughout your home.

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 or bare spots. The insulation should be even across the space.

• Get smart with your thermostat. Most thermostats these days are programmable. Program yours to reduce the heat at night and when you're away in the winter. In the summer, be easy on the A/C during the day and save the cooling for nighttime.

• Unused rooms? Close the vents to reduce heat or A/C. You might be surprised by how much that will lower your energy bill. (Think about rooms, such as a rec room, that you only use on weekends.)

• Harness the sun. It's free energy! Whenever possible, keep curtains open during cooler seasons to take advantage of this heat source, even on cloudy days. Do the opposite during hot summer days.

Try some of these ideas over the next couple of months. Then, look at the impact they’ve had on your energy costs.

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 neighbourhood 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 down the kind of home you'd love to live in next. For example, you may want a detached home, with 3-bedrooms in a family-oriented neighbourhood. Also jot down the specific features and characteristics of the property and neighbourhood such as a goodsized backyard, family-size kitchen, and an easy commute to work. That will help you see the real possibilities.

Next, find out whether getting into a home like this is doable for you right now. Avoid making assumptions. Get the facts. Find out what you can expect to get for your current property, and what you'll need to spend for the new home.

If you discover that moving to your next dream home is something you can swing this year, your hesitancy will likely vanish!

I can help you get the information you need to make the best decision. Call me.

A total of 808 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this June, 9.2 per cent more than the 740 properties sold in June 2019 and 76.8 per cent more than the previous month of May 2020. Sales of condominiums were down 3.2 per cent from June 2019 with 209 units sold. Sales of single family homes were up 16.8 per cent from June 2019 with 460 sold.

“This June we saw competing factors from all different sides of the real estate equation,” says Victoria Real Estate Board President Sandi-Jo Ayers. “If all we do is look at numbers, we see a fairly normal June, in the midst of a very not normal world. The impact of COVID-19 on our entire economy continues. And while some buyers and sellers are slow to emerge from isolation, others have been highly active since the start of Phase 2 of BC’s Restart Plan. Because of the pandemic, an eviction order that prohibited a landlord from ending a tenancy was introduced. The order may have kept some homes from going to market. The portion of this order that prevented a seller from providing vacant possession of a tenanted home was lifted late this month, which may bring some listings to market that had been stalled. Due to the pandemic alone, we have multiple factors influencing the inventory and sales in our market.”

There were 2,698 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of June 2020, 11.3 percent fewer properties than the total available at the end of June 2019 but a 6.1 per cent increase from the 2,544 active listings for sale at the end of May 2020.

“Additionally, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced changes that start July 1 which will reduce the borrowing power of some buyers who insure through CMHC,” adds Ayers. “This may have pushed some demand forward - although there are alternate suppliers of mortgage insurance. Ongoing low inventory levels also mean that we are seeing a fair number of multiple offers. The condo market is slightly softer in terms of sales numbers. This may be in part due to the recent strata insurance issues which caused concern for owners and sellers. The government promised this month to begin to address the insurance issue, so there may be some relief on the horizon. These are not normal days for local real estate, nor is this month a signal of a return to normal, regardless of the numbers. That said, buyers and sellers are successfully navigating our market with the help of local REALTORS®, who know how to implement health and safety protocols and understand the complexities of our current market. As always, I recommend you consult your Realtor to understand what is happening in the moment.”

Vancouver, BC – April 15, 2020. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 6,717 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in March 2020, an increase of 17.2 per cent from March 2019. The average MLS® residential price in BC was $789,548, a 15.1 per cent increase from $685,892 recorded the previous year. Total sales dollar volume in March was $5.3 billion, a 35 per cent increase over 2019.

“Provincial housing markets started the month very strong before the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to activity,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “Activity will slow considerably in April as households and the real estate sector implement measures necessary to mitigate the spread of this virus.”

“While we don’t know when this unprecedented period will end, markets will be boosted by pent-up demand and historically low interest rates when it does,” added Ogmundson. “The ultimate strength of the recovery will depend on how long the economy remains effectively shut down, as well as the efficacy of federal and provincial measures to bridge households through the financial difficulties brought on by the pandemic.”

Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was up 37.1 per cent to $12.9 billion, compared with the same period in 2019. Residential unit sales increased 21.7 per cent to 16,866 units, while the average MLS® residential price was up 12.6 per cent to $763,031.

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For more information, please contact:

Brendon Ogmundson

Chief Economist

Direct: 604.742.2796

Mobile: 604.505.6793

Email: bogmundson@bcrea.bc.ca

There's a reason why there are "kitchen and bath" stores, and even design magazines devoted to these rooms. A well-staged kitchen and bathroom can make the entire home look better. So, it's no surprise that professional home stagers pay particular attention to these spaces.

What do these pros have to say about bathrooms?

Professional stagers advise that you start by taking a picture of the room. Looking at that picture will give you a better sense of how others see your bathroom and reveal what needs to be changed.

Then, de-personalize it. When you’re showing your home to buyers, you want the bathroom to resemble a guest bathroom. So, no shaving kits, toothbrushes, sticky notes to self on the mirror, etc.

Stagers also recommend that anything worn be replaced.  This will likely include the shower curtain and mats, which tend to wear and stain quickly.

Hang fresh new towels on the rack. (If you’re buying new towels for this purpose, choose white.) Put an unused bar of soap or hand cleaner next to the sink. Make it look like a freshly stocked hotel bathroom.

If required, paint the walls. Off-white colours, including beiges and light greys, work well.

As you can see, it doesn't take much to stage your bathroom and make it look its best for buyers.

Looking for more staging tips? Call today.

As you can probably guess, when you're preparing to move, you'll need boxes and tape — and, perhaps some bubble-wrap or old newspapers to use as protective wrapping for delicate items.

But that may not be all you need. Take a look at this list and see if you'll want any of these on hand while you’re packing or on moving day.

• Colour markers for labelling boxes. (Tip: Colour coding boxes by room will make unpacking much easier.)

• Stretch wrap to protect larger items that can't fit into a box.

• Small plastic bags to store dis-assembled parts, such as sofa legs, cabinet hardware, etc. (You don't want to lose them!)

• Moving blankets to protect floors.

• A dolly or hand truck to move heavy items. (You can rent these.)

• Mattress moving bag. This helps prevent stains and tears during your move. You can also buy specialty bags for sofas and tables.

• Reusable foam furniture sliders, to protect floors when furniture needs to be pushed into place.

• Foam corner protectors. This prevents furniture with sharp corners from banging and damaging other items during a move.

Planning ahead and having the right packing materials on hand will makeyour move less stressful and, hopefully, damage-free!

There are many storage options for your household items. For example, receipts and other paper records can be stored in a file box. Seasonal items, such as winter clothing, can be put in the basement. You can even rent a local storage unit to help with decluttering.

But what about stuff that exists electronically?

These days, many important records -- vacation pictures, tax receipts, home videos, school documents, etc. -- are in the form of PDFs, JPEGs, and other electronic formats. Having those reside entirely on your computer is risky. What if your computer crashes?

Someone smart once said, "A computer file isn't a file until it's in two places." So, the solution is to store your important electronic documents in a second place.

Here are the most common options:

• Portable storage. These are data storage devices that fit in the palm of your hand. For most homes, 1T (terabyte) of memory is plenty.

• Cloud storage. Box, DropBox, and iCloud are the biggest players here. The advantage of storing your documents "in the cloud" is that, unlike portable storage, you can't damage or lose it.

• Large backup units. These larger units continuously backup your files so you don't even have to think about it.

Whatever option you choose, the important thing is to have a duplicate or backup of your important files, so you never have to worry about losing them.

Ideally, when you sell your home, you want the process to go smoothly and relatively stress-free. While things may happen that are outside your control, there is a lot you can do to ensure that the selling experience is a good one.

Consider these four steps to reduce worry and stress when listing your home:

Step 1: Learn the selling process.
Find out what to expect when the FOR SALE sign goes up. How will viewings be scheduled? Will an Open House be needed? What happens when there is an offer? The more you know, the less mysterious—and, therefore, less stressful—the experience will be.

Step 2: Schedule wisely.
Use a calendar to block out times for viewings and other selling-related activities. Be sure to schedule plenty of time to clean and declutter your home before a viewing or Open House. Try not to have a tight schedule during the sales period.

Step 3: Anticipate issues.
The more problems you can foresee, the better you'll be prepared to deal with them as they arise. For example, if you know you're going to have a busy week at work, start making plans now to deal with viewings and related matters during those days.

Step 4: Make decisions.
Things can move quickly in the real estate market. There might be a few days when there are no enquiries at all, and then suddenly two offers will come in. Be prepared to make some quick decisions. Fortunately, with sound advice from me as your real estate agent, making those decisions will be a lot easier.

So, follow these simple steps. They'll help make your sale less worrisome and even enjoyable!

Want to make your bathroom look fantastic without having to do a major renovation?

There are a lot of projects you can do yourself. In fact, there are some improvements you can get done in less than a day that will transform the look and feel of your bathroom. Check out these ideas:

Update the sink. 

If you have some basic plumbing knowledge, this is a project you should be able to do on your own. A new sink can make the entire vanity look like new.

Buy new decor.

New shower curtains, towels, window coverings, mats, etc. can transform the look of a bathroom.

Install new hardware.

Replacing cabinet hardware may not seem like much of a change. However, it can have a surprisingly big impact. Shiny new hardware is like jewelry. It stands out.

Replace the vanity mirror.

Even if there are no scratches, an older mirror is like an old pair of glasses. It can become foggy. No amount of cleaning will make it any clearer. When ordering a replacement mirror, be sure that your measurements are exact.

Paint.

There's no doubt about it. A fresh coat of paint makes any room look better.

These bathroom improvement projects can make a huge impact on the look of your bathroom. And, they can all be done affordably and in just a day or two.