Toronto Real Estate Report

Leslieville Townhome for you?

One of the hottest neighbourhoods in the City is Leslieville.  As Toronto Life describes it , it's not the "next big thing", its arrived!  Check out this article: Toronto Life

A vibrant part of the city that makes for some highly desirable real estate.  According to Wikipedia -

"Leslieville began as a small village in the 1850s, which grew up around the Toronto Nurseries owned by George Leslie and sons, after whom the community is named. Most of Leslieville's residents were gardeners or were employed at one of the brick-making factories in the area." Want to read more about the area click on this link Wikipedia

Are you looking for a home in Leslieville?  Check out the great new condominium townhome for sale at 32 Curzon St., Unit 1.  It's been beautifully renovated with a new kitchen, new bathroom, pot lights and freshly painted from top to bottom.

Check out the listing details: 32 Curzon St. Unit 1

A great place to live. 

Listing Pictures

How the other half lives.  We get a rare glimpse into some pretty strange decor as we inspect homes and review listings.  A blogger has created a site that takes a look at some of the stranger, and sometimes very ugly homes for sale.  She posts the pictures and adds her comical remarks, take a look: LovelyListing

So I searched the online database to see what I could find.  It didn't take long.....

 A living room stuffed with furniture, and hey, what's on TV?

Nice bedroom, no need to get it camera ready......

WOW, interesting colour choice.  I guess you didn't splurge on the staging consutlation?  May have suggested a more neutral shade to attract a buyer.

Bad pictures are bad marketing.  A professional online presence is essential to getting your home sold.  We know that the majority of buyers search the internet first when looking for a home.  Keep this in mind when preparing your home for sale, get professional advice and consider a staging consultation to make sure you shine online and then the buyers will take the next step and book an appointment to see your home.

A picture paints a thousand words.

Resources for your Home

As I marched along on the stairmaster at the gym I noticed Canda AM was running a segment on home renovations.  So I plugged in my headphones and found out that this week they are doing a series on adding value to your home.

I watched the segment that featured a website that is a complete resource for everything you need for your home Casaguru  Their tagline is "Connecting homeowners with house experts" 

This is how the website describes their service:

casaGURU is THE source for 20+ types of properly trained, licensed and insured local house professionals - from professional organizers and contractors to mortgage brokers and realtors. We screen every house professional and ONLY list house experts or as we call them "casa gurus" because we believe every homeowner deserves a house expert!

For a complete overview of all the shows this week go to the CTV website listed here, and click on the "Added Value" section.Canada AM

Home Decorating on a budget

One of the professional hazards I am subject to on a regular basis is beautiful homes.  Almost every day I'm in and out of lots of houses, many which are beautifully decorated, fabulously renovated and the eny of all.  Then I come home and start planning on how I can change, decorate, renovate, add, subtract, the list goes on and on.

Fortunately I have access to a large number of trades and professional services, so quotes and estimates are easily acquired. But I have 2 kids in University, which is costly, so we take on a few projects a year and continue to enjoy our home.  A recent kitchen renovation that I wrote about was a huge undertaking and puts a smile on my face everytime I look at it.

A recent article in the Toronto Star featured an interior decorator who makes the design part more affordable.  You tell her about the room you would like to decorate, fill out a lifestyle questionnaire, provide room measurements & a budget and four to six weeks later a box arrives with the room of your dreams.

The box contains a picture of what the room should look like, paint & fabric samples, a shopping guide and details on how to put the whole thing together.

Read the full article: Online Design

Or check out her website and get all the details: Laura Stein

Are you working on a home design project?  Send me some before and after pictures if you would like to share?  

Toilet Dollars

The City of Toronto has a "Residential Toilet Replacement Program".  You can receive a rebate for between $60 or $75 for replacing your water guzzling old toilet with a new water efficient one.

To be eligible for the cash back offer, you must:

1. Choose from the "City-selected" list of eligible toilets, not all toilets measure up.
2. Install the new one and propertly dispose of the old one
3. Provide the original bill of sale
4. Complete the rebate offer form with your water account number and mail it in.

For completed details, click on the link: Flush with Savings

This program saves you money on the cost of the new toilet and will reduce your water bill.  The classic Win-Win situation.

Thanks Toronto.

Hiring a Contractor

Having been through a recent renovation I understand how important it is to have a good contractor.  We have all heard horror stories about shady contractors that take your money and run.

To add insult to injury, if the contractor doesn't pay the trades that worked on your home, they can slap a lien on the title of your home, and don't even have to tell you about it.  Years can go by, you go to the bank to renegotiate your mortgage and then can discover the lien, which will have to be cleared.  You could end up having to pay the trade, even though you paid the contractor.

For complete details read this article from MoneySense A Contractors Ransom

If the contractor asks you for a lot of money upfront, be very cautious.  According to Mike Holmes you shouldn't pay more than 10 - 15% upfront.  Additional payments should be only made when certain aspects of the job are complete.  You may agree to a schedule that indicates a certain percentage payable when the framing is done, then more when the electrical and plumbing is complete.  It keeps them motivated to keep the job moving and protects you from being "taken to the cleaners" when all you wanted was your home renovated. 

The Kitchen Renovation

It's time.  Our kitchen is disintegrating before our eyes.  It's a cheap pre-fab product that is splitting and peeling apart slowly.  It's difficult to show beautiful homes and condos all day, and come home to my "ugly, broken down" kitchen, woe is me.  So I have decided to do something about it.

Our kitchen is open concept, and a big focal point of our home.  We enjoy entertaining and my husband loves to cook.  I know from a real estate perspective it will increase the value of our home, but the enjoyment we will receive from walking into a beautiful kitchen each day, the dinner parties and the family gatherings around the granite island, that's the real value.

As with everything, it started in my imagination, granite counters, custom cabinets, new flooring, new lighting, it's a big project.  There are so many decisions to make, but with an experienced contractor and the "kitchen designer guy" we have started the process.

I didn't realize exactly how many decisions you have to make.  First, the type and colour of cabinets, then the actual detail in the cabinet door, the shape of the molding at the top of the counters, the granite colour and the finished edge to the granite, what type of back-splash, flooring, the sink, the faucet, the door handles, it's a bit overwhelming.

Then there is also the question about whether we can actually increase the size of the kitchen, as the kitchen was built in a frame, about 1 1/2 feet from the actual exterior wall.  We cut a hole in the drywall and it seems that it is just dead space that could be utilized.  There is also a drop ceiling which makes the room feel smaller, so we need to poke a hole in the ceiling to see if it was framed like this for a reason, or was just bad planning.

I recognize that this is the value of a custom kitchen and working with professionals that know what they're doing.  They look at the whole project and see how it can be maximized for the highest and best use.  Yes, it's more costly, but I think the long term value of good quality, sound planning and sage advice will far outweigh the cheaper alternatives.

This week we go to the granite supplier to pick out the actual piece we want, poke the hole in the ceiling and make some more decisions.

A trip to the attic

There I was, in my skirt and nylons, perched on top of a ladder, peering into the attic space.  The house is vacant and I’m terrified that a bat might fly at me or I will find some other strange vermin that likes to hide in the attic.  I had my safety mask and gloves on, flashlight in hand, looking for VERMICULITE insulation. 

 

A home inspection had confirmed the presence of this substance in the attic insulation.  This product comes from several different sources, one which contains asbestos.  Therefore my Crime Scene Investigation was to determine if the offending asbestos was present.  I scooped up 3 bags of insulation and headed off to the laboratory in Mississauga to have it tested.

 

Turns out I had brought them bags full of cellulose insulation, not vermiculite. Back to the attic I go.  Fortunately for me, another home inspector was at the home, and he was able to identify the product and scooped up a bag for me.  I noted he used his bare hands and no safety mask!

 

Back to the lab, paid $200 for rush results and success! Turns out this vermiculite does not contain asbestos.  The comments read: "This sample is consistent in analysis and visual apprearance with vermiculite produced in South Africa which is known to no contain naturally occurring asbestos fibres."

 

To find out more about this type of insulation and where to have it tested, check out the webiste: Pinchen Environmental

 

 

House Quiz

What type of home suits your personality best?  Is it an 800 sf condo with a south facing balcony and great amenities or is it a sweet bungalow with a backyard and a finished basement?  Deciding on the type of home that is right for you is all about your lifestyle.  Do you prefer low maintenance and easy access to transit, shops and restaurants or are you willing to commute into the city as you prefer a large home with a pool in the backyard and a main floor family room?

When working with buyers I always discuss their lifestyle preferences to help determine the best fit for them.  The old adage has always been "location, location, location" which reflects the highest return on your real estate investment will come from homes that are in desirable locations and as such are in demand. 

However the changing demographic of today's home buyer is driving the need to find not only the right location, but a home that fits the personal lifestyle choices of the individual or family. Whether you want to walk the kids to school or ride your bike down to Bay Street, the location and the type of home you choose will need to meet your specific requirements.

There is an interesting website by a California real estate brokerage that provides a "Housenality Quiz".  The 2 part quiz taps into the psychological and emotional triggers that influence people's decisions in buying a home. It helps to identify the emotional and value driven needs and priorities that are now taking the lead in selecting the right home.

Check it out, by clicking on the tab "Your Housenality" on the main menu: Azevedo-Assoc.com

Do Good Fences make Good Neighbours?

The need for a fence in our backyards is essential for defining the property line, providing privacy, keeping people from infringing on each others space and of course to keep the dogs and children from escaping.  The proverb "Good Fences Make Good Neighbours" is well known and repeated in many cultures. It expresses a truth based on common sense and personal experience.  A few other examples are:

• "There must be a fence between good neighbours"
  (Norwegian)
• "Build a fence even between intimate friends"
  (Japanese)
• "Love your neighbour, but do not throw down the dividing wall" (Indian [Hindi])

Well all love can be lost when there is a fence dispute between neighbours! Bob Aaron, a real estate lawyer, recently wrote a column about the $100,000 fence dispute.  The issue involved about 2 1/2 feet of property, a fence that had been in place for more than 10 years and enormous legal fees.  Be very careful if you plan to remove or relocate a fence, squatters rights may reign supreme and you could be in trouble.  To read the full article click on the link: Toronto Star Article

Do you have a dispute with your neighour over a fence? Neighbouring property owners may disagree about the need to build a fence, what type of fence to build or whether an existing fence needs to be reconstructed.

The City has an impartial arbitration process authorized by the Line Fences Act to help resolve line fence disputes. The initial cost is $1100 to submit the application and have the "fence-viewer" come over 3 times to look at the fence. The Line Fences Act is Provincial legislation administered by the City. For more information, check out the City of Toronto website: Line Fence Act