Edmonton Real Estate Blog

This fall, your furnace is one of the most important features of your home that should be checked for functionality and efficiency. We gathered a few simple ‘must-do’ work that you should consider taking actions on, in order to have a warm and cozy fall season just like last year. Don’t wait for disaster to strike, act now before it’s too late.

ANNUAL MAINTENANCE: To keep the furnace in great running condition, you should always schedule an annual tune-up by a licensed technician. It’s best to do this in early fall to give you ample time to schedule any repairs that needs to be accomplished.
In order to avoid any emergency furnace repairs, maintenance work should be done regularly. Your technician should check for cracks or damage on the heat exchanger and that all safety systems are in place in order to make sure the furnace is running efficiently.

CHECK SAFETY: If you would consider doing the maintenance on your own, safety would always be the number one priority. To avoid getting electrocuted, always remember to turn off the power if you if you will be performing more than just changing the filter.

Gas leaks are one of the most serious safety issues, if you detect any gas-like odor, immediately call the fire department. You should not attempt in fixing the furnace on your own in this scenario, you will be putting not just your life, but everybody inside the house in danger.

MAKE IT EFFICIENT: Here at Team Leading Edge, we have always emphasized the need for home efficiency. We try to include little tips and tricks whenever we could and this furnace maintenance is now exemption. As we have mentioned in our previous post 5 Ways To Minimize Home Energy Consumption, installing a programmable thermostat can ensure to help you achieve optimum energy efficiency. Since gas furnaces takes up a big chunk of the electric bill during the fall and winter season, a programmable thermostat will come in handy by adjusting the heat automatically in scheduled intervals.

Investing your time in these little ‘must-do’s’ will provide great ROI in the form of home efficiency and safety. Carpe Diem!

Your house is one of the biggest investments you would ever have in your lifetime so it is but right to protect this valuable investment in the best way possible. Here at Team Leading Edge, we care not only in assisting you find a home in Edmonton but also in helping you protect against the loss of it.

Home insurance is the best form of protection against any unforeseen tragic events towards your home, here are 5 of the most important things to remember when getting home insurance.

1. AMOUNT OF COVERAGE: Any disastrous event towards the home can be well compensated by choosing the right coverage. The amount of coverage an insurance policy would get is most of the time decided by the home insurance provider, they usually require homeowners to purchase a policy that would be equal to the amount of mortgage.

   Like life insurance policies, the bigger the amount of coverage, the higher your premium would be.

   

2. VALUABLE ITEMS = EXTRA INSURANCE: There is a certain limit to your home’s insurance coverage. If you keep pricey items such as expensive paintings and jewelries, it is advisable that you purchase additional amount of coverage for this special items.

   

3. ADD SECURITY SYSTEMS: An alarm system provides two beneficial things; it would protect your family and might contribute in lowering the premium you have to pay for the insurance coverage.

   Provided that you could prove that an alarm system is regularly tracked, certain insurance providers will give you a hefty discount since they will consider you as a low-risk client.

   

4. CLAIM PROCESS: Don’t just sign on the dotted line, one of the most important things that you should keep in mind is to understand the process of claiming your coverage. Take note to double check if the contract specifies that you will get your compensation in portions or in lump-sum.

   Bottom line, understand the insurance contract and if you have doubts or questions, clarify it immediately with the insurance agent/broker until you are satisfied. If something seems off, move on to the next insurance provider.

   

5. ANNUAL CHECK-UP OF INSURANCE POLICY: As you add more features and home improvements over time that kind activity tends to create more value to your home. It is prudent to check your insurance policy every year in order to analyze if you have sufficient coverage. Schedule an annual meeting with your insurance provider to go through any revisions of your policy.

Remember, there are some things in life that are beyond your control, so being thoroughly prepared for unforeseen events is the best possible way to counter its negative impact.

Team Leading Edge can assist you in choosing the right home insurance provider in Edmonton. Call the team now at (780) 634-8151 to get you started.

From the first day that you decide to sell your house to the last day when you hand over the keys, it is a cooperative effort between you and your Realtor to get your home sold fast and for the most money possible. Yes, you also play a big part in selling your home. Here are some helpful tips to make the transition from owner to seller a much easier process:

1. Mental Transition: You need to start here if you want to sell your home. Stop thinking of it as your place of zen, where you lay your head at night, etc, and start thinking of it as something that is going to put a lot of money into your pocket.

2. Remove all personal items: During showings, you want people coming through the house thinking of where their pictures will go and not feel like they’re walking though someone else’s memories.

3. Clutter-be-gone: Throw away the things you haven’t seen or used in ages – meaning, if you haven’t needed it in the past two years, chances are you’re not going to. If you are serious about selling your house, you will be serious about moving out of it. Start going through your belongings and get rid of everything that you don’t use which will help de-clutter your spaces and make your move an easier one.

4. Don’t forget to clean/organize the small spaces: Expect that when people are walking through the house, they are going to look through the closets and kitchen cabinets. Pride of ownership will be apparent to prospective buyers when they see that even the nooks and crannies have been tended to.

5. DO sweat the small stuff: Burnt out light bulbs, drippy faucets, a squeaky door, etc, are minor things that you can do yourself to get the house ready for those all important showings. The less a prospective buyer has to do, the better, as a multitude of small things can add up to one big “no”.

6. From the windows to the walls: Put yourself in the buyers shoes – if you walked into a house and saw a greasy counter top, dirty bathroom sink, bugs on the window sills, etc, what would you think? Wash or clean anything with a flat surface and dust everything else. Be proud and show off the house in the best light possible!

7. Create Rubber-necks: As important as it is to keep the interior maintained, the exterior is the first thing people will see when coming to the house. Cut the grass, collect the mail, clean up cobwebs around your porch light, etc, and you can ensure that the people walking up or driving by will continue on without the idea that the inside of the house may look as bad as the outside.

These tips can make the difference between listing your home and selling it, specially in Edmonton.
For more helpful tips and information, visit us online at FindMyHouse.ca.
Brought to you by Team Leading Edge and Re/Max Elite

Selling a home is no easy task that is why there are Realtors such as our team, but don’t think of it as a deterrent. The point that you are reading this article suggest that you would like to do something on your end to make the selling process as fast and efficient as possible, which is great! Below are 5 incredibly easy ways for you to help your Realtor market your home and create more value for your priced possession. Follow it and you’re going to be smiling your way to the bank.

Ceramic Wall Tiles

1. CHOOSE NATURAL: Materials such as granite, ceramic tiles and even hardwood create more value than synthetic materials such as acrylics. When renovating kitchen floors, chose wood over linoleum as it will look classier to home buyers than the latter.
   Laminated products offer additional value for wall-to-wall renos. Keep the carpets well maintained as it is one of the very first things home buyers see. You wouldn’t want potential buyers to think they’ll spend tons of money just to replace the carpet, wouldn’t you?
2. KEEP THE PAINT FRESH: Keeping a fresh coat of paint in the master bedroom, kitchen and other parts of the house will go a long way. It is the most cost effective way to add that buzz to your home.Stay clean and neutral with taupe, brown and off-white colors. Neutral shades is key as bright colors would tend to do more harm in the selling process than good. Lastly, stay off dark colors as it tends to create an effect which makes a room smaller than it really is.
3. BE ENERGY EFFICIENT: Nothing beats having low electrical bills. You experience it yourself every time the bill comes. An energy efficient house is a very marketable piece of real estate especially now that almost everybody is budget conscious. There are low cost solar panels and rain catchment systems now out in the market that you could take advantage off. You may even ask your local utility company to show how to truly maximize home energy efficiency. Majority of the energy providers do it for free.
4. STORAGE GALORE: The more storage you have in your home, the better. Home buyers nowadays prefer a generous amount of attic and closet space. Having space is very important, especially if the potential buyer/s have a lot of equipment’s, i.e. snow blower, bicycles, lawn mower. In this kind of scenario, an over sized garage would really come in handy. His and hers walk-in closet in the master suite would be synonymous to additional dollars in your pocket.

   

5. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MAINTENANCE: Hold off the lavish home upgrades and focus on the basics first. Fixing the small things such as leaks, leaky windows, insulating the attic, inspecting the septic system and weeding the flower beds go very long way towards creating value. These small repairs could cost you a hundred dollars but it may create additional zeros to your selling price.

This past few months, I’ve been contemplating on whether or not to convert the spare bedroom into my very own home office. It seem I’m always either too busy or too lazy to do it (sometimes both). I finally came around today and decided to do it already. Just like any young ordinary men in their 20’s, I have little or no clue as to the design of a home office. I knew I needed to throw in tables and chairs but wondering as to what kind exactly? This burning question led me to ask the almighty Google for answers-and I was not disappointed.

With my work function managing the online marketing campaign of the team, my job entails that I work 90% of the time in front of the computer, this could get a bit tiring and dull when done in a not-so-engaging environment a.k.a the living room. The only time my work environment change is when I go to my favorite coffee shop. Well, now it will all change because I would finally have my own little nook of an office!

With this excitement I chose to share with you the best of things I found on Google. Unsurprisingly enough, majority of the great ideas came from Pinterest where there’s a truck load of different designs ranging from the beautiful to the weird. Luckily for you I filtered it out to what I subjectively see as awesome and simply doable ones. I arranged it from simple to elegant.

1. The small but workable: We start off with this light hearted design. The simple materials used such as vintage table and chair (with a very cool pattern) makes it seem doable. The moss green wall background blends perfectly with the setup. The little add-ons too makes it more creative.
The only con that I see is that there isn’t a lot of table space or cabinets to put materials in.

Photo courtesy of McKelden Creative

2. The maximized: One thing that immediately stand out when I saw this design is the print on the floor, it creates the illusion that the room is bigger than what it really is. The deciding factor that landed this on the number 2 spot is its great use of dead space-the table barely fits! A few file holders, some motivational photos on the wall (the dollar) and plant furniture make it affordable.
The only downside that I see in this photo is the overhead light fixture, being 5’9’’ I see myself bumping my head into it 95% of the time when I stand up-it’s clever, I have to give them that.

Photo courtesy of Pink Ronnie

3. The ideal kind: As the title says, this is one of the most ideal designs in the list. Overhanging cabinets for storage, front window for natural lighting, multiple drawers for more storage and the hand painted leather desktop just makes it so sleek!

Photo courtesy of Alan Design Studio via houzz.com

4. Storage Galore: I always tried to be organized… keyword = tried. With this design, I might just be able to succeed in the endeavor. Plenty of overhead storage, side by side drawers and a generous desktop real estate all provide an environment of success, especially in my side of the business. The diamond-shaped cross laces also looks aesthetically good and utterly functional-you can pin pictures in it! I can populate it with notes in a week! Though small, the flower creates serenity, it would specially be useful in relaxing the eyes after starring long hours at the computer screen. Based on a Time Magazine article (http://time.com/3257927/you-asked-can-computers-ruin-eyes/) starring for long hours at the computer screen could ruin your eye sight so it is best to have something to look at elsewhere every few hours.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Hackradt

5. The 1%: I added this last one just for fun. I was looking for a Don Draper kind of office design but unfortunately Don Draper doesn’t work at home so this would do. This is the design I would most probably have in my late 30’s. It’s classic, elegant and most of all functional. Everything is within reach and the ladder shelves are just ingenious. The taker in this photo is the front view of what I assume is a beautiful landscape. Huge windows provide natural lighting which complements the nature-inspired theme of the room. See, even the dog like it. There are a lot of people who are working at home now but only a very few would most probably have this kind of home office design.

Photo courtesy of Rey

Here’s a bonus. Wouldn’t it look good on any kind of office? It’s functional too, aesthetically and metabolically.

Photo courtesy of Chris Carmody

So there you have it, a dose of inspiration for what would I hope to be a successful project. I wish you luck in your next home office!

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*About the author: Jake Nasol Loria is the Internet & Social Media Marketing Director of Team Leading Edge.

It’s a common issue — your room doesn’t feel terrible, just flat or not quite pulled together, and you’re not sure how to fix it. If this sounds familiar, your room is probably due for a refresh. Rather than replacing everything (too costly), focus on polishing up what you have and making smart choices about spending on new things. Check out this five-step solution of removing, refurbishing, painting, shifting and shopping your way to an improved room.

1. Remove

Before you add anything new (including paint), your first step should be to take away anything that is detracting from your room. Remove any furniture that’s dated or really far gone, decorative items that have lost their appeal and items that belong in other rooms and are cluttering up this one. Now is also the time to remove dust bunnies from under the couch and grime from the windows. Pare back and make what’s left as decent looking as possible.

2. Refurbish

Once you have edited the pieces in your room, it’s time to look at what’s left anew. It can help to invite a design-savvy friend over to help at this stage, but even taking photos of the space and looking at them yourself somewhere else (at a café, over a cup of coffee) can give you perspective. The goal in this step is to find at least one piece with good bones to refurbish.

A few refurbishing ideas:

• Have a chair or bench reupholstered.
• Paint a mirror frame.
• Shorten the legs of a desk to turn it into a coffee table.
• Add casters to a table.
• Paint the legs of a chair or table.
• Paint the drawer fronts of a chest.
• Change out cabinet knobs.
• Add decorative trim to an ottoman, a lampshade or curtains.

Refurbishing can also mean having something made, like slipcovers, to cover your current furniture and make it feel like new. When you are having slipcovers made, consider increasing the length slightly to cover the feet of your sofa or chair — sometimes this subtle shift can make a big difference in how a room feels.

3. Paint

Even if you just painted last year, you can bet there are already a few spots worth touching up. Fill small nail holes and dings before covering them with a dab of leftover paint.

If it has been a while since the last time you painted, giving your room a fresh coat of color could be just what the house doctor ordered. The trend now is leaning away from colored accent walls in favor of rich color throughout the room. You could even try painting the trim and ceiling to match for a luxurious look in a small space.

Another fun painting project that can make a huge difference in a room is to give paint-grade built-ins a nice, rich hue. You still really can’t go wrong with a warm gray; it looks sophisticated and inviting, and works with any style.

4. Shift

After you paint is a natural time to try a new furniture arrangement, because you will be moving your furniture around anyway; use it as an opportunity to think outside the box. Try shifting the focal point of your room away from the TV to a fireplace or a window with a view.

If you have always had your couch pushed against the wall, try pulling it closer to the center of the room, or add a sofa table with lamps behind it. Move your bed to a different wall, swap the position of your chairs, move houseplants to different positions — challenge yourself to arrange things in a completely new way. And if you don’t like the new location of a piece, you can always change it back.

Right after repainting is also a great time to try something new on the walls. With all of your artwork and photos down, try shuffling them into different groupings on the floor and see if something sparks your imagination. Look around for a few found objects you could add to your gallery wall, like postcards or beaded necklaces; or dig out the childhood albums and make a family photo wall.

5. Shop

It’s important to hold off on shopping until you have gone through the first four steps. By this point you should have a good feel for what your room could use — so buy something new, but make it count! Go for something high impact, like a statement light fixture, bold artwork or a patterned coverlet for the bed.

Source: Houzz.com

When Listing your home, are you leaving money on the table? Do you know where you are losing equity that should be kept?

Factors that leave money on the table are undone repairs, decorated personal choice paint colors, outdated flooring and fixtures, or unappealing curb appeal that needs work.

When you were a buyer, do you remember how you approached other people’s outdated homes or ones that were in disrepair? You walked away, unless you got a SUPER low price.

So now that the tables have turned, the buyers are using their critical eye to determine if they agree with your price based on the amount of work they feel your home requires to make it move in ready.

The buyer will deduct a higher price than it actually would cost to do these repairs or updates. They do this because of the unknown factor and also the stress and time it will take to fix your homes issues.  You basically will pay them for their time and labor to do something that you could have done, or contracted and controlled the costs on.

So, you leave money on the table.

By doing your own updates and controlling costs through management of your contractors, you can KEEP money in your pocket. Your costs to update or paint, will be far less when you are in control. This will initially be an expense but in the long run your asking price will be at market value and  your price will not likely be reduced, plus the carrying costs will be much less due to having a move in ready sale able home.

Don’t leave money on the table!

Keep in mind that as a home owner you should be investing 1-3% of your market value every year to do updates on the home. This will ensure that when you go to sell, you are more likely able to list for market value and not have to do major updates to become a GOOD listing.

Today’s buyers are way too educated to pay market value for a house that need 10k or 40k or more worth of work. Gone are the days when a buyer bought a house and saved up to fix it over the years. Today people want what they see on TV and they will get it. It’s either going to be your house, or your competitors. You can decide.

Source: simply irresistible interiors inc. newsletter

If you are THINKING about buying a home or rental property… NOW is the time. I don’t need a crystal ball to know what’s brewing. Just take a look around and read the news articles.  If you don’t trust the columists/reporters just visit the Alberta Treasury Board and Finance website. A heading for their article is “ Alberta’s economy enters 2014 firing on all cylinder.” What does this all boil down to? Well, the components to create a perfect storm are aligning and the end result will be a new boom in Alberta!  Here are the components we are experiencing:

1)      The dollar is devalued… This means oil is produced in Alberta and paid with Canadian dollars. When sold in the higher U.S. dollars, this is a hike in profit for the oil producers.

2)      Job growth and full employment. Developers out east are viewing Alberta as favorable place to set up shop. We have projects that are delayed simply due to lack of qualified workers. So, not only will Alberta attract people from outside of province, but also out of country.

3)      Net migration into Alberta last year is 43,000 according to Robert Kalcic, Senior Economist with BMO Capital Market. This year that number will big higher.

4)      Low volume of homes sales. Many, we see now have multiple offers.

5)      Close to all time historic low interests

So, let’s add all of that up: low volume of homes, high demand = higher prices or higher rents…The Perfect Storm. So, if you missed the boat, or were too young during the last boom you may want to act now. Dorothy, hold onto your slippers we’re in for a ride!

Give me a call to discuss your financing options. Chita Rattanarasy. 780.932.2225.

Inspecting your home on a regular basis and following good maintenance practices is the best way to protect the investment you have in your home. Spring is here, and an important season regarding home maintenance. We may get more spring storms but I can promise eventually all the snow will melt.  So here you go, some tips to maintain your home through the spring prepare your home for summer.

• Check your eaves troughs and downspouts for loose joints and secure attachment to your home, clear any obstructions and ensure water is flowing away from your foundation.
• Check your sump pump. It will work very hard during the spring thaw. Is it operating properly? Clear any obstructions from the discharge pipe and make sure it allows water to drain away from the foundation.
• Examine your foundation wall for signs of cracks, leaks or moisture and repair as necessary.
• Assess all painted wood surfaces (window and door frames, wood siding, accent trim, decks and fences) make a plan to paint surfaces as required in the summer when the temperature is warmer during the over night period.
• Inspect all railings and stairs for safety.
• Using binoculars inspect the roof for missing or curled shingles, damaged air vents and anything that seems unusual, consult a roofer if you observe damage.
• Check all the places air enters or exhausts from the home. Are the grates clean, do the exhaust vents have functioning flappers. Check the dryer vent for lint. Vacuum all your bathroom exhaust fan grates and since you have the vacuum out do the same for your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Test your smoke detectors with smoke (light a candle and blow it out close to your smoke detector)
• In mid April it is time to clean your humidifiers and put them away for the season.  If your humidifier is attached to the furnace shut it off for the summer. If you use a de-humidifier in the summer, clean it, set it up and test it.
• Clean or replace your furnace filter.
• If your house is equipped with air conditioning, uncover the compressor unit, inspect the insulation on the lines and clean debris from the condenser. Check the breaker and turn it on, consider having your air conditioner serviced (recommended every 2-3 years). Do not test the unit until the outside temperature exceeds 15 degrees Celsius.
• Have fireplace and wood stove chimney’s cleaned, I also recommend a WETT inspection.
• Turn off pilot lights on anything you may not use for the summer, like a garage furnace.
• Check all your window screens and hardware. Replace storm window with screens if you have an older home, clean all the window tracks for smooth operation this summer.
• Open your outside hose bib once all danger of frost is gone, inspect it for leaks.
• Maintain your landscape. Check for any grading issues and correct as needed. Cut back tree branches that are close to or overhanging the house and overhead electric service.
• Finally get the BBQ cleaned up, BBQ season is just around the corner!