Edmonton Real Estate Blog

Home improvements are one of the major money boosters in the home selling process. A few tweaks here and there could have the potential to increase the value of your Edmonton home.

Time and again, we have reminded all our clients to prioritize home maintenance and make those necessary improvements, in order to sell the home fast. Some activities are FREE while others would cost a pretty penny-nonetheless, it’s an investment.

Today, we’re going to reverse the procedure. Instead of writing about the things TO-DO, we’ve decided to show the other side, the “dark side” of home improvements. Here’s an infographic from Angie’s list showing you what’s NOT TO-DO.

Oh, by the way, remember to check out our Edmonton MLS listings to access all the newly improved homes for sale in the great city of Edmonton!

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Do you know how great investors are distinguished against average people?

They are the ones who grab an opportunity fast whenever it presents itself.
Okay, wait, let me rephrase that. They’re the ones who POUNCE to every bit of opportunity that life presents!
That’s much better.

To elaborate further, great investors are the kind of people who make their own luck. They don’t wish for luck. One of the best books I’ve ever read is “The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason”. There were four quotes mentioned in that book relating to luck that I would like to share with you. First, “Good luck waits to come to that man who accepts opportunity”, second, “To attract good luck to oneself, it is necessary to take advantage of opportunities” third, “Good luck can be enticed by accepting opportunity” and lastly, “Men of action are favored by the Goddess of Good Luck”.

Although the book was written ages ago, the quotes still apply to this day and as I see it, it will persist for as long as there are human existence that strive to achieve a greater sense of being. I’m striving to achieve a good life and if you do as well, then its best that you too take the quotes to heart as it may guide you in your own journey.

A great opportunity is in front of you right now. Take the Canora Experience. This 4 bedroom half duplex bungalow is currently in the market. Given the economic rise of Alberta this year, this kind of real estate property would come ever so rare.

At $274, 900, this 969 sq ft piece of opportunity can and should be your next home or investment. Analyze the data, crunch the numbers, do your due diligence, I assure you all of it would point to same conclusion. To put it simple terms; this will bring the best bang for your buck.

Check out the photos below and see for yourself how this opportunity could change your life.

View the complete details of the property here.

Opportunity awaits! Act now before its too late.

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.

After a hardcore Monday work, time for you to catch some breath and recoup before blazing again through the rest of the week. If you have already subscribed to our blog (great for you!), you might have already noticed that we here at Team Leading Edge always mix up our articles and this time we wanted to feature something funny. I figured nothing is funnier than seeing a home that have failed in some engineering or architectural way-or basically a photo that sums up loss of common sense. I don’t want to be mean but being in the real estate industry myself, I have seen a fair share of failed home designs and it always cracks me up. Too bad I wasn’t able to take photos of the failed home designs that I saw when I was doing site visits!

Now lucky for you I have done the leg work and filtered the worst, funny and crazy home designs around. Check out the list below to see Failed Home Designs.

Remember to view our list of amazing homes for sale in Edmonton through our MLS real estate listing after. You would not be disappointed.

1. WRONG ERECTION. I don’t know if the owners are one of those “fertility” believers but, really, this is just wrong.But, Austin Powers like it.
   

   Time to get your mojo

2. SUICIDE DOOR. They took it literally. Judging from this photo, I can safely assume that if the 3^rd floor is for rent, they would have extremely low tenancy rate due to this fatal flaws in the floor design.  
3. LEANING COUSIN OF PISA. Get it? No? Shame on you.
4. DRA-WHERE? A big facepalm right here. Complete waste of storage space.
5. BACKDOOR. In some weird way, this isn’t really that much of a failure. Looking at the positive side, if you ever really really needed to use the toilet when you arrive home, you wouldn’t need to go inside the house, you can dash straight at the backdoor!
6. [             ]. I will just leave this one for you to think of a caption.
7. WRONG SIDE. Seriously. You had one job!
8. ECO-FRIENDLY GARAGE. They didn’t want to cut down the tree for environmental purposes. Should’ve moved the garage though. See amazing garage designs here. 

   

9. MAKE ROOM FOR THE FRIDGE. Yup! Squeeze it right there. Perfect!
   

   I know how Patrick feels

10. SOME MEN WOULD RELATE.
11. OKAY, THESE TWO DESERVE THE LAST SPOT.
    Plumber was just making sure that if there would be a leak, he already had it covered.Bro, just no.
    
    Here’s hoping you won’t do the same mistakes seen here or your work may just end up in our future list! That’s about it, don’t forget to subscribe.

    See beautiful homes with great working designs for sale in Edmonton here.

I love cars, Lexus LFA type of cars to be exact. The only game on my iPhone is Asphalt 8, a kickass car racing game. Cars today aren’t just simple mechanical tools used to travel from point A to point B, no, they have evolved to become an extension of one’s self. The brand, color and interior all provides subtle clues into who or what the owner is. As for me, I’m always in awe with the aesthetics of it, the status-symbol and the toys-for-the-big-boys bragging rights that it brings to the table.

This is love.

With that in mind, I wanted to know what the best garage designs look like and what I found brought tears into my eye-yes, I stared so long on the computer screen that my eyes got watery-probably you would too. Be warned, some of the images might be disturbing, as one user pointed out “some of these cars spend the night in a better room than I do!”. Couldn’t agree more [Insert sobbing emoticon here].

Okay, enough with the introduction and let’s get down to business. Below is a gallery I made of what I believe is the most epic, amazing, outrageously expensive and very creative garage designs. Also, don’t forget to check out our list of amazing Edmonton houses for sale (with garages, of course) in our supreme Edmonton MLS real estate listing. Enjoy!

Here’s the mother lode of amazing garages I hand picked from luxury4play.com:

Elegant garage from Houzz.com:

Condo living to the max! This sky garage is the future:

I don’t know about you but it may take sometime for me to afford one of these garage designs but hey, if there’s a will (or wheel for that matter) there’s a way, right?! Share with us your own garage design in the comment section below.

6 September-Today on our For Sale list we feature this 4+1 bedroom home in Rundle Heights, Edmonton. The house includes hardwood flooring in the living room, dining room, and bedrooms, newer stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, and renovated bathrooms just to name a few.  The spacious master bedroom also features a walk-in closet and half bath. Enjoy the album below and remember to call Team Leading Edge at 780-634-8151 to view your next home!

Call Team Leading Edge now 780-634-8151

View details here

Sneak Preview of new listing coming up next week in Rutherford.

• 3 bdr. 2 storey home with hardwood floors.

• Just under 2,000 sq.ft. above grade.

• Upgrades include central air conditioning.

Asking Price: $519,900Call us today before it goes on MLS

780-634-8151

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.

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!

Electricity in the home is so commonplace that it’s easy to forget how dangerous it can be. According to the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, an electrical shock can knock you unconscious, cause a serious burn, or even stop your heartbeat.

Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to reduce the risk.

• Install safety plugs in outlets that young children can reach.

• Never plug in anything with a frayed or otherwise damaged power cord.

• Never use a plugged-in computer, hair dryer, or other electrically-powered item near a filled sink or bathtub. This includes phones with power cords.

• Never touch anything electrical with wet hands or while standing in water. (Water is a remarkably efficient conductor of electricity.)

• Always turn off the appropriate breaker before doing any electrical work, such as installing a new light fixture.

• When replacing a broken light bulb, turn off the breaker first. Although the glass is broken, the filament may still be conducting electricity.

Finally, unless you’re an expert or an electrician, never do any major electrical work on your own. Hire a professional.