Ajax Pickering Real Estate Blog

The addition of an area rug helps to pull furnishings together, offers visual impact and adds comfort and warmth to a room. It is important to realize that the size and placement really does matter so your rug will provide the most impact.

In a standard living room / family room, a rug should be proportional to a room size with an equal amount of floor exposed on all sides regardless of obstacles such as fireplaces, radiators or furniture pieces. If this is not possible, then the rug should be placed so that it reaches under all or most of the major furniture pieces in the centre of the room to unify the seating arrangement. It is not essential however that the back legs of a sofa or chair are resting on the carpet. If more than two feet of carpet extend behind a sofa or chair, then a table should be added to fill the space.

In a dining area, the rug should extend 18-24 inches past the edge of the table so the chairs can rest on the carpet even when they are pulled away from he table.

In a living room / dining room situation where two rugs are being used, assure that there is space between the two and follow the guidelines already mentioned for the various areas.

In a bedroom, allow about 2 feet of bare floor at the edges similar to the living room space. If the bed is not centred however, the carpet could seem awkward and misplaced, so consideration might be given to using smaller rugs on either side of the bed and perhaps at the end, instead of one large rug.

HINT: to give an area rug maximum impact, customize it by having it bound with decorative edging to co-ordinate with the room colour and furnishings. This can be expensive, so shop around. Cotton, jute, suede and leather are just a few of the many original options available. One of today’s hottest trends is the addition of an extra wide binding.

REMEMBER: Empty houses should be staged to provide the opportunity for the potential buyer to view a property in its ideal state. Sellers are strongly encouraged to regard this as a necessary expense if they hope to successfully negotiate a good asking price for their property. The approximate cost for successfully furnishing / accessorizing / staging a 3 bedroom home is $3,000-$3,500 depending on the size of the home.

Hope these tips have been of some benefit to you in offering suggestions for preparing a home for sale.

Please take the time to check out our website at www.homesteps.ca. You will find several photos taken of homes staged for clients have been exceptionally pleased with the service we have provided for them. Please give us a call and let us help you sell your house.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960

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No one prefers chips these days. The world is going crazy after any carpet. There are carpet tiles now, in addition to the rugs living rooms and studies of the middle ages are so famous for. You can also have an exclusive all outdoor carpet too.

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Curb appeal — that mix of architecture, landscape and colour that grabs the eye of passersby — makes a big difference in how people react to a house

Pedro Arrais, Special to Times Colonist

When it comes to choosing a home, first impressions count. The decision whether to look inside a house is usually based on a quick drive-by assessment. If a house has curb appeal, say real estate agents, buyers are more likely to want a look inside the house.

Curb appeal, like personal taste, is not easily defined. In general, it is a blend of architecture, design elements, colour, landscaping and other features that make a house attractive at first glance. Curb appeal can mean the difference between a house selling in a few weeks or sitting for months.

Heather Wilde, a real estate agent with 30 years experience, sums up what curb appeal means to her: “When I see an attractive house I think, ‘Ah, there is somebody I would like to know!’ I want to get inside to get to know them better,” says Wilde.

Her advice on creating curb appeal? “Put on a little lipstick and shine your shoes,” says Wilde.

Christina Stevens, 31, and her partner Sylvain Perron, 36, had been looking for a house seriously for a month before they drove by a house on Pelican Drive in the Royal Bay development in Colwood.

According to Stevens, the house was still under construction and the landscaping had yet to be installed. Still she remembers thinking, “That’s the house I want to see.” Without even a For Sale sign outside, she was confident it was the house for them.

“I just knew,” says Stevens, “that if the inside was as nice as the outside, that was the house for us.”

So what do the experts say will add to a property’s curb appeal?

ARCHITECTURE

A house’s initial design serves as the base to all the other elements, says Steve Akers, an architect with Stuart Howard Architects Inc.. Akers says the heritage or Arts and Crafts style popular these days has a timeless appeal because it has been around for the last 100 years. He suggests homeowners choose the best materials — such as siding and trim boards — that they can afford.

“Finishes done poorly affect the visual appeal of a house,” says Akers.

He also suggests that, if you have the height above the front door, adding a transom — a window over a door — adds visual appeal.

A transom window over the front door will also improve the quality of light inside the house.

STYLE

“The style needs to flow,” says design consultant Mary Kehler. “It needs to flow in with the surroundings instead of standing out,” she says.

Kehler suggests that a house needs a sense of balance, both in the architectural style and with the landscape. Kehler is fond of blending rock faces into the house if she can because it creates a natural ambience. “The house can be too sterile without it,” she says.

LIGHTING

“Don’t make your home look like a landing strip,” warns Elaine Richardson of Illuminations Lighting Solutions. She is referring to houses with too many dim lights trying unsuccessfully to illuminate a pathway.

“A few well-placed lights are much more effective,” she says. According to Richardson, a simple way to give any house a “quiet wow” is the installation of a four-to-five inch pot light to highlight the front door.

“The idea is to highlight beauty without being garish,” says Richardson.

LANDSCAPING

Duane Ensing of Landscape Solutions in advises owners to incorporate “exterior architecture” elements into their new home.

“In the transition from landscape to home, it helps to create visual appeal by varying heights and introducing screening for the plants to be displayed against,” says Ensing.

If there is money in the budget, he advises that homeowners consider water features and rock in the garden. It is also important to take into account how big the plants you choose will become when they are mature.

PAINT

“Colour causes an emotional response,” says designer Robyn Bryson. She suggests that the colour of a house does not need to “shout” to be noticed.

“You can make a statement about grace and elegance with restraint and simplicity,” she says.

Kehler advises using contrasting colours to highlight exterior doors.

GARAGE DOOR/ENTRYWAY

Unless their house is situated in Oak Bay with a rear lane, most homeowners have to contend with a garage door facing the roadway.

Builder Gordon English of Jenco Construction says the best way to soften the appearance of the garage door is by painting it the same colour as the walls. Another strategy is to build a front verandah past the garage.

“The eye is drawn to the closest thing from the curb,” says English, “so the house becomes the focal point, not the garage door.”

He also advocates a curved walkway with steps to create some drama and interest.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960

Joanne Hatherly, CanWest News Service

Despite what dear old Mom said, a lot of Canadians do judge a book by its cover, at least if the book is a house.

A recent study of Canadians shopping for a house found that first impressions, that is, a house’s curb appeal, matter more than price, lot size and square-footage.

Nationally, 46% of respondents said their yard catches their attention before anything else. The survey also found that 40% say that a deck or patio is the most important backyard feature to consider in a prospective home.

The study points to the importance of first impressions when it comes to selling a home.

“Curb appeal involves making small improvements to the inside and outside of the home that won’t cost a fortune, but can dramatically impact the look of your home,” says John DeFranco, Home Depot Canada’s merchandising director.

Here are a few tips from Home Depot on how to pretty up your house:

- Add potted plants around the doorway and porch. Place shrubs along the driveway and keep grass neatly cut to showcase your home.

- Repaint the garage door, front door and window shutters. Clean the windows.

- Renew hardwood by refinishing and staining it to make it look brand new. Consider replacing worn floors altogether.

- Update lighting fixtures and apply a new coat of paint to the house interior to erase the wear of everyday living.

- If you’re going to invest in renovations, consider starting with the kitchen, the most important room to prospective buyers. If that is beyond the reach of your budget, consider replacing the appliances and counters, then simply refacing the cabinets and hardware.

Leger Marketing surveyed 1,500 Canadian women between the ages of 18 and 49 years for this survey, which was commissioned by Home Depot Canada. The data was weighted against Statistics Canada to ensure a sample representative of the Canadian adult population. The maximum margin of error for a sample of 1,500 respondents is plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960