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The testimonial below seems to say that YES! Even in this fast paced, tech driven, Twitter blasting, youtube watching world, great service, experience and extensive knowledge really do matter; at least when it comes to selling real estate. Write us. We’ll tell you more about how we can get you great results! homesbyhartman@realtyagent.com
For a second time we found ourselves in the care of Mindi & Irwin Hartman to sell a home for us. It was without hesitation that we called upon them for a second time, this time to sell my mother’s home.
From previous experience I knew what I could expect from Mindi & Irwin in selling a home. I was not disappointed; in fact my expectations were exceeded!
It starts from the very beginning with a friendly call, personal visits, and detailed market analysis and in my case investigation into future land development plans. I knew I could rely on Mindi & Irwin for this superior service but it was the “above & beyond” expert advice and assistance that places them at the top in comparison to other realtors in the area. On my behalf and my great relief, Mindi & Irwin arranged house cleaning, painting and furnace servicing while I was away and greeted each contractor. I appreciated how they recommended local businesses/contractors and at an affordable price. It didn’t stop there… Mindi & Irwin went out of their way to help stage the home and provided guidance into items that may need attention around the home. They offered expert advice and direction and took the time to discuss staging and market pricing decisions. With that said, we had an offer in during the first 24 hours, above asking price and with a quick closing date as we preferred! Once the house was sold they continued to provide assistance in providing suggestions for junk removal as well as selling and donating items. All of which was extremely helpful.
Should we find ourselves in the market to sell or buy a home again we will not hesitate to call upon the Hartman team!
Thanks for making this sale happen!
The upward trend in real estate continued as prices continues to rise. These increases are great for the industry as they are moderate yet continue to show strength in the Ottawa real estate market.
For those interested in the Barrhaven market in particular, the average sale price in October of 2017 was $374,543 as compared to $362,626 in 2016 and $356,061 in 2015. This is consistent throughout this year.
For more inform on your neighbourhood, give us a call or send us an email. We’ll be happy to share this valuable info with you.
Selling your home is an exciting and bustling time. It’s a lot like fishing. You bait the hook and wait for buyers to come and bite. We get the home ready, our REALTOR® lists our home and then we wait! The piece of this process that many don’t touch on is how to maintain our show-ready home. Here are some ways to keep the a show home ready for any visits.
Start Packing
Before you paint, fix up, or repair anything, the first thing you should do so your home is show-ready is the simplify. What do you absolutely need to survive for the next month? Once your essentials needs are determined, begin to pack away all of the unimportant items. This decluttered will help you keep your home is showing shape. Remember, buyers do not want to see how you live but want to imagine themselves living in what for now is your home.
New habits
Developing new lifestyle habits will keep you on top of the little chores that have a tendency to pile up. Start the day by making the beds, putting all dirty laundry in hampers, taking out the garbage and touching up the kitchen and bathrooms. When an interested buyer comes to call, it will serve you well to complete several small tasks ahead of time. The more that you do as you go about your day, the less you will have to scramble at the last second.
A place for small things
Go to your local discount store and purchase canvas bin or a wicker basket for rooms in the home that tend to get clutters such as play rooms, family rooms and children’s bedrooms. These will be invaluable as your “last second” spaces to toss any disorganised clutter into when a buyer is visiting. Toys, accessories, mail, or the like will have a spot to quickly hide-away. Keep it coordinated with the room’s decor so it appears that it’s always been there.
Meal Time
For many of us, especially those who work from home or have small children, meal times always prove to mess up a lovely staged kitchen. Don’t be afraid of disposable cutlery and dishware during the showing process. This will cut down on dishes and give you more time to touch up other spaces before a showing. It’s a small financial investment that can grow the value of your home by having it in tip top shape.
If you know there is a showing taking place later on in the evening, let’s for example say 6:30 to 7:30 pm. don’t cook foods with strong odours. Fish, broccoli, fragrant spices such as chilli and curry can leave an odour i nthe home that some might find unpleasant. While cooking any foods, keep the hood fan running and if weather permits, open a few windows.
Quick Tip
During busy periods for showings such as weekends, try treating yourselves to dinner out especially is there is a showing booked.
A showing checklist
Draft a checklist of last minute items to do before you head out. Put all the toilet lids down, close the shower curtains and read this shower guide to implement some improvements in advance, shine the faucets and sinks, hide away evidence of pets if possible, run the vacuum, turn on any scent devices (such as an oil diffuser or plug-in scents but be careful to not over do it), and make sure your home is bright with artificial and natural lighting. You may get a call for more showings while you are already out, so take along anything you may need for the next few hours.
With these tips in mind, the showing process should produce better results, less stress and a more pleasant listing and selling experience.
You can always contact us for more information on how to get your home ready and what we can do for you!
homesbyhartman@realtyagent.com or 613-825-9710
It’s really too bad. Door-to-door sales have gotten a very bad rap and unfortunately, deserve it! In the old days the works that could happen with door-to-door sales was that you could buy a hair brush you didn’t need or a vacuum you really didn’t want.
But today, you could find yourself involved in an overpriced, long term and damaging contract. Water heaters, water softeners, Provincial Heating & Cooling units are all large, expensive and important parts of our homes and buying these items should NEVER be made under high pressure or with short time limits on a “Great Offer”.
Once again these types of long term contacts are in the news. This time it’s water softeners but the rules you should follow are still the same.
- If you are in need of a new hot water tank, furnace of other major appliance, shop around. Prices can vary for the same product or there may be one brand of appliance that is better suited to your needs. You may be only staying in your home for a few more years so why spend thousands of dollars on the Cadillac of furnaces when you can own a very good and reliable one for less.
- Go with trusted name brands and well know service providers. There are hundreds of well know firms in the city that provide excellent sales and service. Ask friends, family, real estate professionals and others for recommendations.
- If you do like what you see from a door-to-door representative, talk about the cooling off period you may be entitled to by provincial law. ( https://www.ontario.ca/page/your-rights-when-signing-or-cancelling-contract ) If there is no cooling off period don’t buy! It’s that simple.
- READ, READ, READ THE CONTRACT BEFORE SIGNING. I’m sorry to say but most consumers don’t read the contract. All that fine print; well guess what? A lot of that fine print is done that way on purpose and also contains important information. A recent client of ours was looking to purchase a new furnace. The timing was right and a door-to-door sales person came to visit selling furnaces and hot water tank rentals. Within a short period of time a contract was signed and a new furnace and hot water tank were on a long term 10 year rental. When we first met with this client as they were now ready to sell their home, we questioned them on all aspects of their house and when we found out there furnace was a rental, red flags went up. Upon further investigation we learned that it would cost thousands of dollars to get out of the contract. Since the contract was only 2 years old, the client would have to buy out the balance. A $3,000 furnace ending up costing them over $5,000 and they had to come up with that money quickly in order to secure the sale of their home.
So, buyer be ware and wary. If you need a major appliance or any service, get referrals. Speak to friends and family about their experiences with various trades or sales people. Don’t rely on the internet. There’s just too much “bull” out there.
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