Preparing your home for winter showings

There is no doubt about it! Even if the weather is relatively pleasant, your
home won’t show as well in the winter as it would in the summer, especially
from the outside. Fortunately, there are many ways to make your home look
more attractive and appealing to buyers during the winter season.
First, before showing your home to a potential buyer, clear your front
walkway. Make sure fence doors and gates open freely. Also, clear off the
backyard deck or patio area. You want buyers to be able to explore around
your property without any obstructions.

In short, do everything you can to make the experience of walking up to
your front door and around your property as pleasant as possible.
Second, clear away any boots, shoes and other outerwear from the front
foyer. You want buyers to focus on your beautiful home, not a cluttered
entranceway. Also, have mats on both the outside and inside of your main
entranceway. This will give buyers – as well as you and your family – a
chance to wipe their boots and shoes.
Next, adjust your thermostat. You want your home to feel warm, cozy and
comfortable for potential buyers.
Finally, remember that in the winter, homes show much better during the
day. In the evening, it may be too dark to fully appreciate your property. So
work with your REALTOR® to schedule viewings during the day whenever
possible. If you can, also have pictures of your property available that
showcase what it looks like in the summer. That takes planning. So if you're
even just casually thinking of the possibility of selling your home, take some
good "summer" pictures.
Want more advice on how to sell your home in the winter? Contact me
at 416-554-7253.

Some outdoor lighting tips that improve home security

Home safety is more than locked doors and alarms

When it comes to home security, most homeowners think about door locks
and alarms. These are, of course, very important. However, there is also a
lot you can do around your property to prevent the possibility of a break-in.
One important part of home security is outdoor lighting. Your home doesn't
need to be lit up like a baseball diamond at night, but your exterior lighting
should illuminate your yard enough to be a deterrent to burglars.
Some burglars hide around the property and wait for someone to arrive and
open the door so they can use that opportunity to force their way into your
home.
Security experts suggest that you walk around your property and look for
areas where someone could hide, such as behind tall shrubbery like a cedar
hedge or behind a tool shed. Make sure these areas are well lit.
Pay particular attention to lighting around exterior doors, especially the back
door.
Home security experts also recommend that exterior lighting be installed
with a timed dimmer. The lights can then be set to cast a bright light in the
early evening, and then a dimmer light throughout the rest of the night.
Lights installed with motion detectors can also be effective in certain areas.
The sensors will cause the light to turn on or brighten when someone comes
onto that part of your property. Generally, thieves will flee as soon as they
see a light turn on.
Do you hide a spare key under the front door mat or in a flower pot? No
matter how clever you think you are, experienced thieves know all the
common hiding places. So, if you need to have a spare key available, put it
in a small combination lock box and hide the box. That way, if a burglar
finds the box, he still won't be able to open it and access the key.