If you’re thinking of selling, you’re probably planning to do a few minor improvements to make your property more appealing to buyers. That’s a smart idea.

So, what are the best small improvements to make? Here are a few ideas:

• Cabinet hardware. Upgrading the hardware on kitchen and bathroom cupboard doors and drawers can have a surprising impact on the look of those rooms. The best part is, this improvement is about as DIY-friendly as it gets!

• Cover plates. If you have older light and electrical switches, replacing the cover plates with something more stylish can make a difference. It’s probably the simplest way to give a room a more modern look.

• Countertops. Replacing kitchen or bathroom countertops isn’t cheap. However, it’s substantially less expensive than a full-on kitchen or bathroom renovation. And, new countertops make those rooms look refreshed.

• Kitchen sink and faucet. If your current sink is old and stained, replacing it is a fairly simple improvement that will have a big impact. Also consider updating the faucet to further enhance the look of the space. There are hundreds of styles available.

• Carpeting. Of all the types of flooring, carpets are the easiest and most affordable to replace. New carpets also create a clean and upgraded look. If you have old carpeting on the main floor or stairs, consider replacing it when selling.

• Lights and fixtures. If you have old light fixtures in your home, especially in key areas such as the foyer and kitchen, your lighting may be dim. New fixtures will not only make those spaces more modern-looking and appealing, but the lighting will probably also be better too.

Finally, don’t forget one of the simplest and most effective improvements of them all: painting. A freshly painted room almost always looks more attractive to buyers.

Imagine you’re shopping for a car. You find one that’s a suitable model, a recent year, and hasn’t been driven a lot. The price is right, too.

But, there’s a caveat.

The paint is worn off in several places. The driver’s seat upholstery is torn and requires repair. And, the tires needed to be replaced… a long time ago.

Would you still buy it? You might. However, unless you enjoy fixing up cars, you’d probably hesitate to make the purchase.

After all, in addition to seeing the car itself, you’re noticing the work that needs to be done to fix it.

The same holds true when selling your home. 

 The more “move-in” ready you make the property the more likely buyers are to become interested in buying it. Like when viewing a car, you want buyers to focus on all your home’s wonderful features, not on the repairs and updates that need to be done.

That being said, how important is it that your home be “move-in ready” when you sell?

That depends, in large part, on the market. If it’s currently a seller’s market in the neighbourhood — lots of buyers but comparatively few properties for sale — getting your home move-in ready is less important. There is already high demand for your property. (However, getting all repairs done and staging your property effectively will still provide a significant advantage.)

In a buyer’s market, where there are more homes for sale than buyers, you’re in a competitive situation. So, anything you can do to give your listing an advantage is worth the effort. That includes making it as “move-in” ready as possible

If you need to sell your home in the next month or two, you might be worried. After all, aren’t spring and summer the ideal seasons to list your property? If you list in November or December, you might have difficulties attracting buyers and getting the best price for your home. Right?

Not necessarily.

While it’s true that spring and summer are traditionally busy periods in the real estate market, properties do sell every month of the year.

So, if you’re thinking of selling, you’ll need to know two things:

• What comparable homes are selling for at this time of year.

• How long homes are taking to sell, on average.

There might be a local seller’s market this month. That would mean there are more buyers looking for homes like yours than there are sellers. If that’s the case, your property will likely sell fairly quickly; perhaps you’ll even get multiple offers.

But, even if there’s a buyer’s market at this moment, that doesn’t mean your property won’t sell. It just means your home will need to be staged and marketed effectively to attract the right buyers and pique their interest in making an offer.

Regardless of the market, chances are, there are buyers out there looking for a home like yours. They just need to find out about it, become interested in viewing it, and be wowed when they see it.

So, don’t be too concerned about the month. If you’re ready to sell, there’s a way to make it happen.

Call me for more details.

The Saskatchewan real estate market continues to be strong and outperform last year’s market. Across the province, sales were up 38.4% from last October (and up 20.4% year-to-date, going from 987 to 1,366), new listings were up 1.0% (but down 6.6% year-to-date), going from 2,002 to 2,023, and the median sale price was up 7.8% (up 3.6% year-to-date), going from $255,000 to $275,000. Inventories were also down in 16 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks.

Consumer confidence is high in Saskatchewan despite falling economic resilience across the country due to the emergence of a second wave of COVID-19. “The protocols that we put in place back in April to keep REALTORS® and their clients safe,” said SRA CEO Jason Yochim, “has helped ease people’s anxiety when it comes to buying and selling real estate.”

Combined with the government’s early efforts to minimize the spread of COVID and to safely re-open the economy as quickly as possible, the SRA’s actions have been critical in helping keep consumer confidence high. “We saw that COVID didn’t stop people from participating in the real estate market,” said Yochim, “but they also need to feel safe.”

The confidence that people have shown has been great for the Saskatchewan real estate market. Median sales prices were up in 11 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks (with Prince Albert and Swift Current seeing the largest drops while Estevan and Weyburn saw the greatest gains), while the number of sales were up in 15 of 19 markets (with Weyburn and Melfort seeing the largest drop while Regina and Saskatoon had significant gains). Increases in sales and prices combined with falling inventories suggests that these markets continue to be resilient.

Overall, the real estate market in October continues the trends that we have seen since the provincial economy reopened. Although the market is slowing compared with the performance that we saw over the summer, this October was stronger than it was last year.

Although COVID numbers are beginning to increase across the country and in the province, the SRA continues to work on measures to help minimize the spread of the virus while allowing people to buy and sell real estate safely. With the province mandating masks in public spaces in Prince Albert, Regina, and Saskatoon and capping public gatherings at 10 people, the SRA is going one step further and requiring all of its members across Saskatchewan to wear masks at all times while meeting with clients as of Friday November 6^th.

Sales in Saskatoon were up 40.5%, going from 306 in October 2019 to 430 in October 2020, and up 42.6% in the overall region, going from 411 to 586. In Saskatoon, sales were 32.5% above the 5-year average (and 30.5% above the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 29.8% above the 5-year average (and 26.6% above the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 14.9% over last year, increasing from 3,168 to 3,641, while YTD sales in the larger region rose 20.1%, going from 4,258 to 5,114.

Sales volume was up 56.4% in the city, going from $96.7M to $151.2M in 2020 (38.9% above the 5-year average, and 33.5% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $1,260.3M, an increase of 20.1% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 26.2%, going from $1,338.0M to $1,688.0M (38.1% above the 5-year average and 34.0% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume increased 26.2% in the region, rising from $1,338.0M in 2019 to $1,688.0M in 2020.

In Saskatoon, the number of new listings in October 2020 rose 4.0%, going from 599 to 623 (5.1% below the 5-year average and 6.9% below the 10-year average), while in the region, new listings fell 2.5% from 857 last year to 836 this year (9.8% below the 5-year average and 11.7% below the 10-year average). YTD new listings in the city fell 3.5%, going from 6,992 to 6,744, while in the larger region, the number of new listings to date fell 6.2%, going from 10,245 to 9,610. Active listings fell 20.6% in Saskatoon (down from 1,729 to 1,372) and fell 25.6% in the region (down from 3,145 to 2,341).

Inventory in Saskatoon stood at 3.2 months (which is 43.5% below the level last year and 43.5% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 69.0%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers. Inventory in the larger region stood at 4.0 months (which is 47.8% below the level last year and 43.4% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 70.1%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 42 days in October—down 20.8% from 53 days last year (but below the 5-year average of 51 days and below the 10-year average of 46 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market longer than homes in the city at 50 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 63 days last year (and 16.4% below the 5-year average).

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $302,500 to $330,000 (an increase of 9.1%) and were approximately 2.5% above the 5-year and 0.9% above the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is up 0.3% from $322,700 to $323,600. Year-to-date, the median home price in Saskatoon was $331,065 which is 3.7% above the $319,300 price from the same time last year. Median home prices in the region went from $287,500 to $320,000 (an increase of 11.3%) and were approximately 4.8% above the 5-year and 3.4% above the 10-year average median price. Year-to-date, the median home price in the region was $314,252 which is 4.7% above the $300,110 price from the same time last year.

~Novemeber 2020 SRA News Release

Looking for sound market advice?  As REALTOR® and Nationally Accredited Buyer Representative - ABR®, Seller Representative Specialist - SRS® and Real Estate Negotiation Expert - RENE, I can provide you with this advice. Call today.

When you’re selling your home, you want it to look its best to buyers. Unfortunately, buyers are likely to notice any cracks or stains on your floor.

Luckily, there are many do-it-yourself solutions to help make your floors look significantly better.

Let’s start with stains.

If you have carpeting, there are a number of spot cleaning products on the market. But before you try one of those, consider this simple remedy. Sprinkle a little baking soda on the stain and then add just enough drops of white vinegar to make it bubble. Wait two minutes. Then, dab carefully with a paper towel and vacuum the residual. This method often works.

For hard floors, gentle rubbing with warm water will take care of most stains. If you have hardwood floors, don’t let the area remain wet. Dry it completely.

Ceramic tile floors often have old, discoloured grout that is an eyesore. Of course, there are products available to clean grout. But try using an old toothbrush and water before investing in those products. Scrub the grout gently. Then mop the entire area.

If you have minor damage to a section of hardwood floor or floor tiles — for example, a chip or crack — the best solution is replacement. Unfortunately, this isn’t a DIY-friendly job, so unless you’ve done it successfully before, consider hiring a contractor.

If the crack is minor and you don’t want to replace the piece, there are sealing products available, which will camouflage the crack — to some extent — and prevent it from getting worse.

If you have a flooring crack or stain you’re concerned about, try these tips. Also, check out your local home improvement centre for more ideas.

In the business world, a phrase that’s often used is ROI or Return On Investment. It refers to the regular gain (or loss) you’re getting from a particular asset relative to its cost.

When it comes to your home, the gain may be more than financial. It may include the benefit of the lifestyle it gives you. For example, a spacious backyard deck pays off in countless pleasant Saturdays with friends and family. A home’s location near convenient commuting routes means less stress getting to and from work.

Lifestyle factors are important, not only when considering where you’re living now, but also when considering where you think you’d like to live in the future.

That’s why it’s a good idea to do a Lifestyle Assessment regularly. The exercise is simple. Make a list of all the lifestyle characteristics you want in a home, as well as a neighbourhood. Think about how much room you need, the kind of neighbourhood you want to live in, your hobbies and interests, what’s important to have nearby (such as schools), and so forth.

The next step is to prioritize. Move items on your list around so that the most important lifestyle factors are at the top.

Finally, review the list and check off those lifestyle factors your home is currently providing.

If you’re able to check off most (ideally, all) of the items at the top of your list, you’re in pretty good shape. Your current home is probably giving you the lifestyle you want.

But if some important lifestyle factors are unchecked, it might be worth considering whether buying a new home will give you a better “Lifestyle ROI”.

If, after doing this exercise, you’re curious about how to get into your ideal home, call me.

The Saskatchewan real estate market continues to be quite strong, outperforming the market last year. Across the province, year-over-year sales were up almost 52% from last September (and up over 18.5% year-to-date), new listings were up 10% year-over-year (but down just over 7% year-to-date), and the median sale price was up over 2% (up 0.4% year-to-date). Inventories were also down in 18 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks.

Although the province continued to see a small uptick in COVID cases in September, this hasn’t deterred people from buying and selling real estate. “While it’s been suggested that the market would suffer due to COVID,” said SRA CEO Jason Yochim, “this really hasn’t happened in Saskatchewan.” Despite a smaller number of new and active listings year-to-date, other numbers are generally better compared with last year. “The fact that sales and prices are up while inventories are down suggests the market has more than recovered and is doing better than last year—despite the pandemic,” said Yochim.

Median sales prices were up in 12 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks (with Melfort and Weyburn seeing the strongest declines while Swift Current and Yorkton saw the greatest increases), while the number of sales were up (or flat) in 17 of 19 markets.

We’ve seen relatively strong performance throughout the summer this year, and this strength has carried over into September. With provincial and civic elections looming this month and a general sense of activity, October could also see another strong performance despite the market beginning to cool.

“Even though we expect activity to fall off compared with the highs of summer,” said Yochim, “people still seem motivated and interested in real estate.” The safety precautions that the SRA put in place back in April to help reassure the public that real estate is safe has certainly helped to channel pent-up demand and allowed the province to reduce the economic impact of COVID.

Sales in Saskatoon were up 41.0%, going from 305 in September 2019 to 430 in September 2020, and up 54.4% in the overall region, going from 423 to 653. In Saskatoon, sales were 28.4% above the 5-year average (and 23.7% above the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 41.7% above the 5-year average (and 34.2% above the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 12.3% over last year, increasing from 2,862 to 3,215, while YTD sales in the larger region rose 17.9%, going from 3,847 to 4,535.

Sales volume was up 43.0% in the city, going from $107.7M to $154.0M in 2020 (39.3% above the 5-year average, and 31.3% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $1,110.4M, an increase of 16.6% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 22.8%, going from $1,213.9M to $1,490.6M (47.8% above the 5-year average and 42.0% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume increased 22.8% in the region, rising from $1,213.9M in 2019 to $1,490.6M in 2020.

In Saskatoon, the number of new listings in September 2020 rose 13.4%, going from 717 to 813 (3.4% above the 5-year average and 4.0% above the 10-year average), while in the region, new listings rose 6.7% from 1,000 last year to 1,067 this year (3.6% below the 5-year average and 1.3% above the 10-year average). YTD new listings in the city fell 4.2%, going from 6,393 to 6,123, while in the larger region, the number of new listings to date fell 6.5%, going from 9,388 to 8,777. Active listings fell 18.0% in Saskatoon (down from 1,906 to 1,563) and fell 22.1% in the region (down from 3,452 to 2,690).

Inventory in Saskatoon stood at 3.6 months (which is 41.8% below the level last year and 38.8% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 52.9%, suggesting balanced market conditions. Inventory in the larger region stood at 4.1 months (which is 49.5% below the level last year and 46.2% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 61.2%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 40 days in September—down 27.3% from 55 days last year (but below the 5-year average of 52 days and below the 10-year average of 46 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market longer than homes in the city at 51 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 66 days last year (and 16.7% below the 5-year average).

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $329,900 to $345,000 (an increase of 4.6%) and were approximately 4.6% above the 5-year and 6.0% above the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is up 1.0% from $319,400 to $322,700. Year-to-date, the median home price in Saskatoon was $331,183 which is 3.1% above the $321,167 price from the same time last year. Median home prices in the region went from $310,000 to $330,000 (an increase of 6.5%) and were approximately 6.5% above the 5-year and 7.0% above the 10-year average median price. Year-to-date, the median home price in the region was $313,614 which is 4.0% above the $301,511 price from the same time last year.  

~September 2020 SRA News Release

Looking for sound market advice?  As REALTOR® and Nationally Accredited Buyer Representative - ABR®, Seller Representative Specialist - SRS® and Real Estate Negotiation Expert - RENE, I can provide you with this advice. Call today.

 The Saskatchewan real estate market continues to be quite strong, outperforming the market last year. Across the province, year-over-year sales were up almost 52% from last September (and up over 18.5% year-to-date), new listings were up 10% year-over-year (but down just over 7% year-to-date), and the median sale price was up over 2% (up 0.4% year-to-date). Inventories were also down in 18 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks.

Although the province continued to see a small uptick in COVID cases in September, this hasn’t deterred people from buying and selling real estate. “While it’s been suggested that the market would suffer due to COVID,” said SRA CEO Jason Yochim, “this really hasn’t happened in Saskatchewan.” Despite a smaller number of new and active listings year-to-date, other numbers are generally better compared with last year. “The fact that sales and prices are up while inventories are down suggests the market has more than recovered and is doing better than last year—despite the pandemic,” said Yochim.

Median sales prices were up in 12 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks (with Melfort and Weyburn seeing the strongest declines while Swift Current and Yorkton saw the greatest increases), while the number of sales were up (or flat) in 17 of 19 markets.

We’ve seen relatively strong performance throughout the summer this year, and this strength has carried over into September. With provincial and civic elections looming this month and a general sense of activity, October could also see another strong performance despite the market beginning to cool.

“Even though we expect activity to fall off compared with the highs of summer,” said Yochim, “people still seem motivated and interested in real estate.” The safety precautions that the SRA put in place back in April to help reassure the public that real estate is safe has certainly helped to channel pent-up demand and allowed the province to reduce the economic impact of COVID.

Saskatoon

Sales in Saskatoon were up 41.0%, going from 305 in September 2019 to 430 in September 2020, and up 54.4% in the overall region, going from 423 to 653. In Saskatoon, sales were 28.4% above the 5-year average (and 23.7% above the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 41.7% above the 5-year average (and 34.2% above the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 12.3% over last year, increasing from 2,862 to 3,215, while YTD sales in the larger region rose 17.9%, going from 3,847 to 4,535.

Sales volume was up 43.0% in the city, going from $107.7M to $154.0M in 2020 (39.3% above the 5-year average, and 31.3% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $1,110.4M, an increase of 16.6% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 22.8%, going from $1,213.9M to $1,490.6M (47.8% above the 5-year average and 42.0% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume increased 22.8% in the region, rising from $1,213.9M in 2019 to $1,490.6M in 2020.

In Saskatoon, the number of new listings in September 2020 rose 13.4%, going from 717 to 813 (3.4% above the 5-year average and 4.0% above the 10-year average), while in the region, new listings rose 6.7% from 1,000 last year to 1,067 this year (3.6% below the 5-year average and 1.3% above the 10-year average). YTD new listings in the city fell 4.2%, going from 6,393 to 6,123, while in the larger region, the number of new listings to date fell 6.5%, going from 9,388 to 8,777. Active listings fell 18.0% in Saskatoon (down from 1,906 to 1,563) and fell 22.1% in the region (down from 3,452 to 2,690).

Inventory in Saskatoon stood at 3.6 months (which is 41.8% below the level last year and 38.8% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 52.9%, suggesting balanced market conditions. Inventory in the larger region stood at 4.1 months (which is 49.5% below the level last year and 46.2% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 61.2%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 40 days in September—down 27.3% from 55 days last year (but below the 5-year average of 52 days and below the 10-year average of 46 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market longer than homes in the city at 51 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 66 days last year (and 16.7% below the 5-year average).

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $329,900 to $345,000 (an increase of 4.6%) and were approximately 4.6% above the 5-year and 6.0% above the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is up 1.0% from $319,400 to $322,700. Year-to-date, the median home price in Saskatoon was $331,183 which is 3.1% above the $321,167 price from the same time last year. Median home prices in the region went from $310,000 to $330,000 (an increase of 6.5%) and were approximately 6.5% above the 5-year and 7.0% above the 10-year average median price. Year-to-date, the median home price in the region was $313,614 which is 4.0% above the $301,511 price from the same time last year.