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.

You've heard of the term "curb appeal". It refers to the initial impression buyers get when they first see your property from the street. If the impression is a good one, it sets the right tone for the rest of the home viewing.

How do you boost curb appeal? Here are some proven ideas that you can get done in an hour or so:

• Wash both the inside and outside of the front windows. You'll be amazed at the difference that can make.

• Sweep the walkway leading up to the front entrance. Add a new welcome mat. Also, wash down the front door.

• If possible, remove cars from the driveway. Let buyers imagine their own cars parked there!

• Mow the lawn. Lightly trim the hedges. Weed flower beds.

• Remove anything from inside window sills that may look unsightly from the outside. Try putting a couple of flowering plants there instead.

• Place any trash bins out-of-sight. For example, put them in the garage or neatly at the side of the house.

• If the entrance door hardware is old and worn, change it. New hardware can make a bigger difference than you might think.

• Make sure the outdoor lights are working, especially if you're showing your home in the evening.

• Add some flowering plants to flower beds, or buy a couple of portable potted plants and place them strategically.

• Clean your mailbox. If it’s rusted, replace it.

• If you have a power washer, give the walkway and driveway a quick blast. Just be sure it will be dry before the buyers arrive.

These one-hour improvements may seem minor, but anything that helps buyers form a more positive first impression of your home is worth the effort.

The first month of autumn had spring in its step as Saskatoon’s residential housing market saw increases in listings, sales and the average price, according to statistics from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR).

Sales rose 14 per cent to 305, up from last September’s 267 and 260 the year before, while the average price was up 10 per cent to $351,741 from $319,534.

Those factors contributed to a 26 per cent jump in the dollar volume of sales, which came in at $107.3 million — well up from $85.3 million last September and $89.5 million in 2017.

More homeowners decided to put their properties on the market, as well, listing 717 homes, up 11 per cent from 647 last year.

“The market is really balanced right now,” said Trevor Schmidt, interim CEO of SRAR. “With the sales to listing ratio being at 43 per cent, it indicates both sellers and buyers are able to come together and get deals done. It’s a good situation for both seller and buyer.

“If you go back six months, the market has been trending toward balance.”

Year-to-date, sales in the city are up seven per cent to 2,855 from 2,677, while listings have fallen two per cent to 6,393 from 6,520. The average price of $332,762 is practically unchanged from last year’s $332,757.

In the region surrounding Saskatoon, including the cities of Warman and Martensville, sales were down 11 per cent to 76 from 85 in September while listings rose 14 per cent to 227 from 199. The average selling price, however, was up three per cent to $302,502. Dollar volume came in at $22.9 million, down eight per cent from last year’s $25 million.

Regional year-to-date sales are down five per cent to 755 from 797, and listings are down one per cent to 2,422 from 2,454. The average price so far this year is down three per cent to $295,187 from $303,636, and dollar volume has fallen eight per cent to $222.8 million from $242 million.

At the end of September, active residential listings in the city were down two per cent to 1,896 from last year’s 1,944. Listings in the region were also down two per cent to 1,143 from 1,161.  ~ October 2019 SRAR News Release 

As you probably know, it's easy to lower the costs of a renovation. Just hire an inexpensive, fly-by-night contractor — and hope for the best!

Chances are, you won't want to take that risk. So how do you ensure you get quality work while keeping your budget in check?

Here are some tips:

• Get estimates from at least three contractors. Often prices can vary widely, even amongst contractors with similar reputations and experience.

• Narrow the project focus. If you're getting a bathroom renovated, for example, decide whether you need the contractor to paint the new walls. Can you do that yourself?

• Shop around for the building materials. Yes, contractors often have access to wholesale prices. Still, you might be able to find a bathtub and vanity at a lower cost or at least avoid any markup the contractor may charge.

•Negotiate. Sometimes a contractor is willing to lower the price for concessions, such as quick payments or more time to complete the job.

• Schedule the renovation during a low-demand season. For example, deck contractors charge more in the spring than the fall. It's supply and demand. More people want their decks done in the spring.

Keep in mind that spending a little more for a skilled and reputable contractor can save you money in the long run. The renovation will have fewer, if any, "issues" (that may require an expensive fix) and will last longer.

If it’s been a while since you last moved, you might be wondering how much you'll need to spend on your next home. That's an important question to answer, even if you're just at the "thinking about it" stage and haven't decided whether or not you'll look for a new property.

After all, knowing your budget might influence your decision.

How should you determine your budget?

The first step is to calculate the maximum you can spend. This involves adding the money you'll get from the sale of your current property after repaying your outstanding mortgage, to any other funds you have available to invest plus the maximum amount of mortgage you qualify to receive.

Of course, just because you may qualify for a large mortgage doesn't mean you want those bigger payments. So, the second step is to think about your needs. What features are a must in your next home? For example, you might want four bedrooms and anything less would be a deal-breaker.

Make a "must-have list". That list can by used to find a baseline of properties on the market — and then find their average asking price. This will give you an idea of what it would cost to find a home that meets your must-have list.

The third step is to go beyond needs and consider the features you want. These might not be deal-breakers, but you'd sure love to have them in your next home. They could be a large deck, a location in a desirable neighbourhood, a big country kitchen, etc.

Ask yourself how much you would be willing to pay for those desirable features. $20,000? $50,000?

Once you've gone through these steps, you'll have the information you need to match your needs and wants to what's available on the market — and you’ll know how much you might expect to pay for your next home.

Imagine your coffee maker switching on by itself, staying on for hours, overheating and becoming a fire hazard. That's not science fiction. As more and more appliances incorporate WIFI, the opportunities for hackers to play havoc with your home gadgets increase.

How do you prevent that from happening? Here are some safety tips:

• If your gadget uses a password to access the settings, change that password frequently. Ideally, change it once every 3 months.

• Some gadgets, such as alarm systems, come with their own connection to the internet. Learn how to turn that connection off if it becomes necessary to do so.

• Don't leave an internet-connected appliance or other gadget on constantly unless it’s necessary. For example, you don't need your home speaker system connected to your digital music providers all the time.

• Baby monitors with video are a common target for hackers. Use a password unique to that device and change it often. Never leave the monitor on when not in use.

• Never share passwords with anyone unless it is absolutely necessary. Most home WIFI systems have a "guest" feature with a separate password and limited access. Use it.

In this age of internet connectivity — from coffee makers to stereos and even washing machines — it's smart to play it safe. Know what's connected and protect yourself.

Hot weather and summer holidays brought a slight cooling to Saskatoon and region’s housing market, as sales and total dollar volume fell by 9.8 and 9.4 per cent respectively from last July.

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS) sales totaled 481, down from 533, while listings rose a marginal 0.4 per cent to 1,140. Dollar volume fell to $154.7 million from last year’s $170.7 million, reported the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR).

“Typically, people think summer will always be busy, but spring is the busiest market,” said SRAR CEO Jason Yochim. “It tapers off a bit in summer. Winter weather can be brutal, and people take advantage of summer when it’s here.”

Still, year-to-date numbers remain up over 2018. Sales rose 4.4 per cent to 2,968 from 2,843, while dollar volume is up 2.8 per cent to $964.7 million from $938.7 million. Listings so far this year are down 2.2 per cent, to 7,724 from 7,900; and well down from 2017’s 8,692.

In the city of Saskatoon, July sales were exactly on par with last year’s 390 transactions and well up from 310 in 2017. Dollar volume fell 1.7 per cent to $129.4 million, while listings rose 5.5 per cent to 748 from 709.

Year-to-date, and largely due to a strong spring market, the city’s dollar volume is up six per cent to $739 million from $696.4 million last year. Sales increased seven per cent to 2,228 from 2,081 and listings fell three per cent to 4,952 from 5,116.

Active listings in Saskatoon are down 5.7 per cent to 1,932 from 2,048 last year, while the region’s listings are down 0.7 per cent to 1,213 from 1,221.

In July, the city’s sales-to-listings ratio reached 52 per cent, which is considered a balanced market.

“Inventory levels are still declining, and that’s a good sign,” Yochim said. “The slight decline over the last three years helps us maintain a balanced market.” The city’s average price slipped 1.7 per cent to $331,780 in July. Year-to-date the price has fallen one per cent to $331,649.

Media Release: August 2019 Jason Yochim, Chief Executive Officer, Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® “It’s good to see in the city that while the average price dropped in 2017 and 2018, we’re very close to those values, so it’s levelled a bit,” Yochim said. “Overall, it’s positive; it’s stable. We’ve seen some good growth in Saskatoon in the last quarter. Our sales numbers year-to-date are the highest in three years.”

The surrounding region saw less-robust interest from buyers. July sales dropped nearly 40 per cent to 69 sales from last year’s 114, and dollar volume fell 35 per cent to $21.5 million from $33 million. Listings were down 3.3 per cent to 291 from 301.

However, the region’s average sales price rose 7.5 per cent to $311,998 in July, up from last year’s $290,322. To date, the price is down 5.2 per cent to $294,389.  ~ August 2019 SRAR News Release