Phone: 416 602 7514
Fax: 647 439 0869
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FINANCING CANADIAN DREAMS FROM COAST TO COAST
|
|
|
Here are 10 Tips to Increase the Value of Your Home...
Whether you are preparing your home for sale this weekend or looking at selling your house further down the track, here are 10 surefire ways to improve the value of your house.
1. Keep it clean
This is the very first thing home buyers see yet an area that is often neglected. Ensure the lawn is mowed and cleaned of garbage & leaves. Trim shrubs & hedges and keep hoses, sprinklers and other gardening / landscape tools out of sight. Buy new welcome mats and a new letter box if the old ones have passed their used-by date. For the more adventurous, consider a professional landscaping solution.
2. Improve The Exterior
Your home's exterior needs to create a strong first impression.
The 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report showed that yet again, replacing or rendering the exterior cladding of a house had the highest return on investment, handily beating the return from popular renovations such as kitchen & bathroom makeovers and second story additions. While fiber cement rendering had the highest return overall, it is not for the faint-hearted, with most agents recommending a dedicated tradesperson and deep pockets. The average cladding renovation is at $33,000 (Dec 2008).
For those on a budget, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders. If you decide on a new color,recommend selecting an inoffensive neutral color such as off-white or beige.
3. Get Rid of Pets (and Other Bad Smells)
No, don't put pet up for adoption just yet, but do think of the prospective buyer that is assailed by a combination of bad pet odors and pet allergies. The same goes for the lingering smell of cigarette smoke and pungent food - you may be used to living with the smell but it is an instant turn-off for a buyer. Thoroughly clean carpets and upholstery, consider sending your pets to live with a family or friend and give up the spices and smoking for the duration of the inspection period. There are many natural and chemical remedies to remove household odors. If all else fails, hire a professional.
4. The Kitchen Renovation
A spacious and stylish kitchen can sometimes sell the house by itself. Improving the 'marketing appeal' of your kitchen can be a complex & expensive project involving a kitchen renovation specialist, plumber, carpenter, electrician and interior designer etc. or as simple as a cosmetic makeover resulting from new wallpaper, a shiny new kitchen sink, brand new cookware and brighter lighting.
$21,929: The average cost of renovating a kitchen in the quarter ending December 2008.
5. The Bathroom Renovation
The room where much of our creative thinking takes place deserves only the best. Adding a spa or Jacuzzi, re-tiling the floor, upgrading the toilet or bathtub can all improve the ambiance and value of the humble bathroom.
Bathroom trends are notoriously seasonal and a major renovation should include a consultation with a bathroom design professional who can advise you on the latest trends and timeless designs. Replacing the shower head & shower curtain and ensuring all mould and stains are removed are inexpensive ways to improve the sale ability of your house. $20,681: The average cost of renovating a bathroom in the quarter ending December 2006
6. Create Space
During an inspection, a home buyer attempts to visualize their own family living in your house. Help them out by creating as much space as possible during their inspection. A good rule of thumb is 'half-empty' - create a half-empty, minimalist setting for each room. For example, remove half your furniture and belongings from the lounge room, take out half your clothes from the wardrobes, half-empty your storage cabinets & take one car out of the two door lock-up garage. A clean and spacious house will almost certainly be more appealing than a cluttered, claustrophobic house with more floor space.
7. Get Rid Of The Personal Touch
Unless you are an interior designer, agents recommend personal and unique items are moved out of the house during an inspection. The bearskin rug displayed in front of the fireplace may be a family heirloom to you but an offensive item to an
animal-loving buyer. It's better to take the emotion out of any prospective buyer by removing personal items.
8. The Roof, The Roof, The Roof Is On Fire
Please don't let the roof burn. Power wash the roof and get rid of any foliage cluttering up the gutters. Replace any broken roof tiles. Remember, your roof is probably a third of your visible exterior and therefore one of the first things that a buyer will look at. A faulty roof can be expensive to repair but not nearly as costly as the value deducted from your final sale price. A good rule of thumb for valuating defects found by the prospective buyer: deduct twice the repair cost from the final sale price!
9. Lights!
Great lighting can create the perfect ambiance and really open your house. Up the wattage of all your house lights (to their maximum wattage). Replace old light switches and outlets - it gives the impression of newer electrical wiring. Schedule your inspection dates accordingly, try not to have buyers arriving at 4pm during winter (unless your house overlooks a beautiful sunset)! Also take into account your probable buyers - older folk are more sensitive to glare (consider pearl bulbs) while younger buyers are more likely
to prefer bright and direct lightning.
10. Aesthetic Appeal
Many improvements may not significantly increase the value of your home but will almost certainly help you sell faster. For major renovations you need to carefully consider the cost of the improvement versus its likely return. During a housing slowdown, it may be more cost-effective to stick with interior cosmetics: let the new homeowner undertake the big projects.
|
|
|
|
|
RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE PRODUCTS
|
|
|
- 0% Down Payment Residential Mortgage
- Mortgages for Rental/Income/Second Property, Cottage, Interest only
- Mortgages for Self Employed, Commercial
- Mortgage for Students, Low Income
- Debt Consolidation
- Mortgage for New To Canada, Visiting, First Time Home Buyers
- Mortgage Refinancing, 2nd, 3rd, Mortgages
- Car Loan, Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC), Equity Loans
- Bank Turn Down your Mortgage application, Bankruptcy, Challenging Credit Rating
|
|
|
|
|
COMMERCIAL MORTGAGES AND CONSTRUCTION LOANS
|
|
|
- Whether you are an individual starting/expanding small business or a construction company planning a major land development project call our brokers for a tailored commercial solution that meet your financial needs.
- We're great alternative-mortgage source for many small businesses and entrepreneurs who often don't qualify under the rigorous requirements of traditional commercial lenders.
- Small commercial loans and mortgages ($100,000 to $1,200,000) - simplified underwriting process (stated income/stated asset)up to 30 year terms, unrestricted equity take-out and fast commercial mortgage application turnaround.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ontario Lic # M08009037 FSCO
Financial Services Commission of Ontario
regulates Ontario Mortgage Brokers
|
CAAMP Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals / Mortgage Brokers
|
IMBA Independent Mortgage Brokers of Ontario / Toronto Mortgage Broker
|
|
* Toronto Mortgages Brokers * Toronto, Ontario, Canada, www.theswissmortgage.com Mortgages Brokers in Toronto * www.theswissmortgage.com * MortgagesBrokers.Com Inc All Broker Rights Reserved. * |
|
