Two of the biggest stressors for DIYers are projects that cost too much or take too long. Unfortunately, there’s no sure way to guarantee that one or the other (or both) won’t happen. But there is a lot you can do to minimize the probability.

When budgeting, a big mistake DIYers make is not considering the little things. For example, you might budget for drywall panels but neglect to include the cost of nails, tape and plaster. It's easy to overlook these small items thinking they won't add up to much of an expense. But often they do. In fact, for many renovation projects, the little things account for up to 20% of the cost.

Another expense that is often overlooked is taxes. When you find a bathtub you like for $399, be sure to budget for what you'll actually pay out-of-pocket. Also, don't forget possible delivery expenses.

A budgeting tip many experts recommend is to price everything you need and then add 10%. That gives you a buffer.

Regarding scheduling, consider whether or not you've done this type of project before. If you're laying hardwood floors for the first time, there's a learning curve. You'll likely take two or three times longer than you would if you were more experienced.

Even if you have experience with the type of project you’re undertaking, it's human nature to underestimate how long it will take. So, if you feel confident you can install that sink in an hour, give yourself two.

A lot of this, of course, is common sense. But if you take a common sense — rather than an optimistic — approach to budgeting and scheduling, you'll stand a much better chance of your DIY project going smoothly.

Imagine you're looking for a new home. You have a list of all the features you want, just like you would have a grocery shopping list. However, when you explore the homes currently on the market, none meets all your criteria.

What do you do? You have a few good options.

First, you can take a second look at your list. Does your new home need every single feature on it? Are there one or two features you can do without? For example, can you settle for a smaller kitchen assuming the property has everything else you want?

Often, buying a home that's close to perfect is perfect enough.

Second, consider what features you might be able to add to a home later, by way of a renovation or other improvement. If a property doesn't have a finished basement, for example, you might be able to get that done down the road. Indeed, there are probably many features you can add later to an otherwise desirable property.

Finally, consider the current level of activity in the local real estate market. Is it likely that a lot of new homes will be coming on the market soon? If so, your perfect home may come up on the market within the next few weeks.

Maybe even tomorrow!

In that situation, make sure you arrange to get immediate alerts for newly listed homes that meet your criteria. You'll want to jump on each new opportunity before other buyers learn of the listing.

The good news is, in most cases you should be able to find and buy a great home, with most — if not all — of the features you want.

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.

 • Color markers for labeling boxes. (Tip: Color 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 make your move less stressful and, hopefully, damage-free!

The Saskatoon residential housing market finished off on a positive note with yet another strong month of sales in December.

In the city of Saskatoon, there were 203 sales in 2019, up 24.5 percent from 2018 where 163 sales were recorded. Sales volume also increased by 8.3 percent from $55.2 million in 2018 to $67.8 million despite a slight decrease in the average home price of 1.4 percent from $338,471 to $333,857.

The region also saw increases over last year with 49 sales up from 43 – an increase of 14 percent. Sales volume rose 10.4 percent over last year from $13.6 million to $15 million, while the average price fell 3.2 percent to $295,743 from $307,764.

While sales increased, the number of listings in the city decreased 2.9 percent from 311 last December to 302 in 2019, bringing the sale to listings ratio to 67 – an indicator of a market slightly favouring sellers. Active listings have also been steadily declining year over year with 1,713 active listings at the end of December, down 5.5 percent from 1,813 listings a year ago and 4.6 percent fewer than the five year average.

The area surrounding Saskatoon, which includes Warman, Martensville and Dalmeny, saw a significant increase in listings, up 37.4 percent with 136 last month over the 99 at the same time in 2018. The region is seeing an opposite effect from the city in the sale to listings ratio, which at 36, tends to suggest a trend towards a buyers’ market.

“It’s great to end the year with strong sales in all regions,” says Jason Yochim, CEO of the Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association (SRA). “We are still well below 5 – and 10 – year averages in sales, listings and dollar volume, but things are looking positive and we hope to see trends continue in that direction.”

As the year comes to a close, the numbers seen in December reflect the overall trend for 2019. Saskatoon listings in 2019 totaled 7,745, down 2.64 percent from 7,955 in 2018, while the region saw very little change from 2,945 last year to 2939 at December 31, 2019.

Sales were up in the city in 2019 from 3,325 to 3,604 – an increase of 8.3 percent. The region saw a slight decrease of 3.75 percent from 986 to 949.

Total sales volume for 2019 in the city saw a 7.8 percent increase from $1.1 billion in 2018 to $1.2 billion. The region outside of Saskatoon, however, saw 2019’s $280 million down 7.5 percent from $303 million in 2018.  ~ January 2020 SRA News Release 

When buyers come to see your home, the first thing they notice is how your property looks from the curb. That first impression is powerful and lingering. If buyers don't like what they see, it can influence how they judge the rest of your property, regardless of how great it looks on the inside.

You definitely want to do whatever you can to boost curb appeal. Here are six affordable ideas to consider:

1. Driveway sealing. This makes the pavement look darker and less faded. It also helps cover up some of the cracks. Sealing won't give you the "brand new" look of repaving, but it's close — and significantly less expensive.

2. Exterior window washing. Washing the front windows makes them look clean and bright. In fact, the effect can be stunning. There are window washing products that connect to your hose to make this job easier. Check your home improvement retailer.

3. Maintaining shrubs, hedges and flower beds. Trimming the hedges, shrubs and other evergreens can make a big difference in how your property looks from the street. It's like giving them all a haircut! Flowering plants can also brighten up the look.

4. Front door painting. From the curb, a buyer's eye is naturally drawn to your front door. If your entry system looks old and worn, consider a fresh coat of paint. It can make the entrance look almost new.

5. Garage door painting. This is a bigger project that can take a day or two, but the effort might be worth it. For many homes, the garage door is the biggest item in the curb appeal panorama. Making it look better will have a big impact.

6. Removing unsightly items. Look at your home from the street. Are there items in your field of vision that take away from the curb appeal? For example, are there garbage cans and other items stowed along the side of the property and visible from the road? If so, move them.

If you're selling your home, making the best first impression is crucial. You don't want buyers to drive by simply because they don't like what they see from the outside. Use these tips to boost your home's curb appeal.

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.

The Saskatoon housing market continued its 2019 trend toward balance last month, as REALTORS® listed fewer but sold more homes than in the previous November, reported the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR) Wednesday December 4th.

City listings fell 16 per cent to 451 from 534, as sales jumped 20 per cent to 243 from 203. Although the average price was down three per cent, to $333,295 from $343,361, dollar volume rose 16 per cent to $81 million, up from $69.7 million.

Including the surrounding region, new listings were down 12 per cent to 694 from 791, while sales rose eight per cent to 317 from 294 for a dollar volume of $102.3 million, up one per cent from $101.7 million.

In the region alone, including communities such as Warman, Martensville and Dalmeny, new listings fell 11 per cent to 159 from 179, and sales were down nine per cent to 58 from 64. However, the average sales price rose four per cent to $314,650, up from $301,490, for a dollar volume drop of five per cent to $18.2 million.

“It’s encouraging to see strength in sales and a slight decline in listings coming to the market, to keep it balanced,” said Jason Yochim, CEO of the Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association (SRA.) All Saskatchewan REALTORS® associations will amalgamate under the SRA banner in January, 2020.

Year-to-date numbers reflect similar trends. So far this year, and with only one month to go, Saskatoon agents have listed 7,443 homes to the MLS®, down three per cent from 2018’s 7,646, and sold 3,401, up seven per cent from 3,167. Sales are also up from 2017’s 3,286.

The average sales price of $331,457 is statistically the same as last year’s, bringing the dollar volume up seven per cent to $1.1 billion, up from just over $1 billion.

In the region, 900 homes have sold so far in 2019, down five per cent from last year’s 943, and listings have fallen three per cent to 2,789 from 2,874. Dollar volume is down eight per cent to $265.5 million from $289.8 million. The average price dropped four per cent to $295,141 from $307,352.

At the end of the month, Saskatoon had 1,534 homes on the market, down 11 per cent from 1,716 at the same time last year, while the region had 947 homes, down eight per cent from 1,032.

“It’s healthy for the market to see the number of active listings continue to shrink slightly,” said Yochim. “Two years ago, we were tipping over 2,100 at the high-water mark, so 1,500 is certainly good.”

If you have a home that is overdue for a renovation, you might be worried that it will be difficult to sell as a "fixer-upper". In fact, you might delay listing your property for that reason.

The good news is, you don’t need to fix up everything in your home to prepare it for sale. You can be selective and choose only those projects that are most likely to help your home show well and sell quickly. Here are some projects to consider:

• Repairs. Few things stand out more during a viewing than something in obvious need of repair. That includes minor issues, like a dripping bathroom faucet, as well as major concerns, such as the central air conditioning unit not working. Get these repairs done.

• Painting. Painting is one of the easiest and most affordable DIY projects you can do. Yet the impact it can have on your home is stunning. Some rooms are completely transformed by a fresh coat of paint.  

• Kitchens & Bathrooms. Buyers love to see great looking kitchens and bathrooms. In fact, there are even magazines devoted just to those rooms! You don't necessarily need to do a major renovation of these spaces, but a makeover can be a good idea. Consider replacing sinks, countertops, and/or cabinet hardware.

• Floors. If the floors in any of your rooms have become worn and unsightly, look at options for refreshing them. Consider replacing carpeting, refinishing hardwood, and/or getting tiles professionally cleaned and polished.

• Outdoors. Sometimes you can compensate (a little) for a less-than-ideal interior by sprucing up the outdoor space. Explore ways to improve your deck or patio, walkways, and landscaping.

Even if your home is older, you can make it more attractive to buyers with any one of these projects.

Want more ideas for finding eager buyers for your home? Call today.

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.

As the weather cooled in October, residential sales in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and the Battlefords warmed over last year, the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR) reported today.

In the city of Saskatoon, sales rose seven per cent to 306, up from last October’s 285, helping to drive the dollar volume up five per cent to $97.5 million from $92.6 million. Listings also rose marginally to 599, up one per cent from 591. The average selling price fell two per cent to $318,450, down from $325,016.

Trevor Schmidt, interim CEO of SRAR, noted that the average five-year median sales price — $333,154 has not changed much over the past several years.

“This year, we’re tracking at the same level as the five-year average,” he said. “The market is neither high nor low; it has stabilized.”

Another indication of stability in the Saskatoon market is the average length of time it takes to sell a home. Both in October and year-to-date, that average was 54 days.

“The five-year average is 55,” noted Schmidt. “Things have been quite stable considering what’s happened with the economy.”

“It shows the importance of using a REALTOR® to price properties according to what’s happening in the market, which helps foster a quicker sale.”

Year-to-date, 6,992 homes have been listed to the Multiple Listing Service® System (MLS®), down two per cent from 7,111 in 2018. Of those, 3,160 have sold, up seven per cent from 2,962, at an average price of $331,349 — statistically stable with last year’s $332,012. The dollar volume broke through the billion-dollar mark to $1.05 billion, up six per cent from $983.4 million last year.

In Saskatoon and area, which includes such communities as Dalmeny, Warman and Martensville, sales rose five per cent to 414, up from 393, in October. Year-to-date sales are up three per cent to 4,213 from 4,072, and also up from 4,099 in 2017.

Unit listings in the city and region fell two per cent to 889 from 904 last month, and also dropped two per cent year-to-date, ending October at 10,710, down from 10,895 in 2018. While the dollar volume was down two per cent in October, to $129.2 million from $132.4 million, the year-to-date volume is up two per cent to $1.365 billion from $1.342 billion.

The region alone saw a six per cent drop in listings, to 208 from 222, in October, and a seven per cent hike in sales to 88, up from 82 last year. Dollar volume in the region fell 13 per cent to $24.7 million from $28.5 million. The average selling price came in at $281,534, down 19 per cent from $348,038. Active listings ended October down four per cent to 3,442 in Saskatoon and area, from 3,584 in 2018 and also down from 3,725 at this time in 2017. In the city, 1,712 listings were available, down five per cent from 1,808, and 1,020 homes were on the market in the region, down seven per cent from last year’s 1,095.  ~ November 2019 SRAR News Release 

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!

Outdoor lighting has come a long way from the days of patio lanterns and strings of lightbulbs. These days, there's an exhaustive array of options available to illuminate your outdoor space, and make it more appealing and comfortable, particularly in the evenings.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Solar garden lights. These lights are on stakes that can be easily inserted throughout the garden. Powered by the sun, they generate enough energy to cast a soft, pleasant glow along walkways or in flower beds in the evenings.

• Deck post lights. These are easy to install because they're designed to sit on top of a standard 4x4 wood deck post. Most are solar powered.  

• Street-style lamps. As the name implies, these look similar to oldfashioned street lamps. Installation is a little more complex, but still DIY-friendly. They're eye-catching and have a dramatic impact on the look of your outdoor space.

• Portable lantern lights. These are outdoor lights that are portable and often made to look like a decorative fixture for a coffee table or side table. They can be placed anywhere.

• LED walkway lights. These are small lights that fit neatly and almost invisibly under stairs and around walkways. Walkway lights not only look good but also improve safety. Most are battery powered.

• Planter lights. This is one of the most interesting options. Each one is both a flower pot and a light in one! The pot itself is translucent which allows the light inside to shine through.

Design experts say you should treat your outdoor space as you would any room in your home. Lighting it up for evening comfort and enjoyment is a good place to start.