The ancient Chinese practice of Feug Shui has become popular in the West in recent years.  Many homeowners seek out the wisdom of its teachings, in order to create balance and harmony in their homes.

Feng Shui is about taking control of how our enviroment affects us, by using different objects, arrangements of these objects, and color, that make the difference for receiving positive energy.

Qi (pronounced chee), is another word for life energy.  Homes are divided into 9 sections where this Qi flows.  Start by mentally standing at your front door and then visualizing a 3 by 3 grid laying over the whole house.

The top layer of the grid from upper left to upper right is as follows:  Wealth and Prosperity, Fame and Recognition, Marriage and Relationships.

The middle layer of the grid from left to right is:  Health and Family, Life Force, Children and Creativity.

Finally, the lower level of the grid from bottom left to bottom right is: Knowledge and Self-Cultivation, Life Purpose and Career, People and Travel.

If you feel your life is lacking in one of these areas, or needs some help, then be sure to pay careful attention to these particular zones.

If your bathroom is in your wealth corner, for example, then be sure you are not "flushing away" opportunity.  To balance this effect, you can introduce eight stalks of bamboo, to foster wealth and abundance, and always keep the toilet seat closed!

Your kitchen is an intregal part of your home.  Consider what colors you use, since they have strong affects on Qi.  In kitchens, you should refrain from using red, black, or greens as your dominant color.  Instead, choose shades of yellow, which is said to aid digestion.  Kitchens are the source of our literal nourishment as people, so it's doubly important that this room be well balanced.  Does your stove face you toward a wall?  Consider hanging a mirror behind the stove, so that you can see behind you.

Finally, to bring in extra life to this important room, introduce bowls of fresh fruit or some flowering house plants.

Another important room is the bedroom.  This is not a room to house a TV or exercise equipment, instead make it a relaxing and inviting space.  Choose appropriate lighting for this space, such as lights on a dimmer, or candles, and pick soothing earthy colors as beige or taupe.

Feng Shui is a complicated study that includes many more intricacies, than what were discussed here.  If you are interested in creating more balance in your home, be sure to extend your study by checking out books and informative websites.  Your home will thank you.

It's a tool used by house flippers all across the nation.  Stagers know its power, and real estate agents push its importance.  What is this not so well kept secret of real estate?  A kitchen can sell a home.

A kitchen is the heart of a home.  Kitchens are where we spend much of our time and most of that is with our families.  It is the room where we nourish our bodies and our spirits.

Kitchens are integral to entertaining and in today's age of open floor plans, they are a focal piece of many family rooms.  It's because of this, that kitchens play such an important role in the buying and selling process.

This one room is the showpiece of the house.  You'll see it every day and your guests will see it during most visits.  This means buyers want homes with up to date kitchens.

Kitchens, however, can be one of the most expensive rooms to revovate.  These projects can also be the most labour and time intensive of all home renovations.  It's just not a new layer of paint.

Instead, you find a complicated array of flooring, tiling, cabinest, and counters.  This means buyers may want a home with an up to date kitchen, but they aren't willing to tackle this problem themselves.  Most buyers want a kitchen that is ready to use, the day they move in.

What do buyers look for in up to date kitchens?  A lot of this depends on what price range your home is in.

The main thing to remember as a seller, is to not price yourself out of your market.  If homes in your neighbourhood are selling 400,000, with tidy, but not luxury kitchens, then this is no time to upgrade to granite, travertine and marble, at the price tag of $40,000 plus.  You simply won't find a buyer.

Scope out the competition.  Use open houses in your area or MLS listings to find out what your competitions' kitchens look like.

Do area homes have new solid wood cabinets and granit counters in todays designer colors?  You'll be wise to consider making the same move.  Are they including new stainless steel appliances and add ons like dishwashers, wine coolers and trash compactors?

Are you in a higher end neighbourhood?  It's time to think  high end.  Your older home may have a highly functional kitchen, but a buyer will take one look at your formica counters and white appliances and become lost in the stress of how much money and time it would take to remodel.  If you don't want to put in the time yourself, to make upgrades, then you'll have to make concessions in the price.

Don't become overwhelmed though.  Sometimes a kitchen update can mean doing just a few minor changes.  Change the paint color to a warm, neutral tone.  Get rid of any clutter.  Update your appliances, paint your cabinets, change the pulls, or get a high end looking counter for a fraction of the cost (faux granite or lower end granite).

The bottom line is a kitchen can sell a home.  Do a little research and find out what your kitchen needs to make it competitive with area listings.

If you are wondering what you can do, I can also have a look at your kitchen and give you some pointers on how to spruce it up.

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Many of you will be considering placing your home on the market in the months to come.   The Spring market is typically a busy one, as buyers want to get settled into their new homes before the start of summer, and sellers want to showcase their properties as best they can, by waiting until flowers, shrubs etc. are in bloom.

While the curb appeal of your home is very important, (as this is the first view of a home a potential buyer will see, and will base their decision as to whether they want to go further), what buyers see on the inside is also important. 

I will be blogging about ways to get your home in tip top condition, so that yours will stand out from the others in your neighbourhood.  That means more money in your pocket, with less time on the market. 

We will start off with the 1st question a seller will likely ask, and that is "How Does My Home Compare to Others on the Market"?

Real estate agents use comparable sales, which are properties which have recently sold in the area, to see what the market bears for a listing price. What makes a home a good comparable?  There are several things to consider when justifying the list price.  The same neighbourhood, school district, similar street, and, of course, similar home features and size.

Ideally, using a home from the same subdivision that is of similar size, both in square footage of house and lot is ideal.  Even better if that home sold recently.  The state of the real estate market will dictate how far back a comparable can be used.

The expertise of a highly knowledgeable real estate agent can save you many hours of research and headaches.  Most people don't really know how to compare real estate properties, which is why they hire an agent.  Good agents take the work out of selling your home and give you solid reason to understand why the agent is pricing the home at a particular price.

Location, upgrades, amenities, time of year listed, all affect the listing price and how your home compares to another.

Taking a closer look at each of these shows exactly what people in your area might be looking for when it comes to buing a home.  For instance, a higher price on a home that has a pool can indicate that this is a family neighbourhood, and buers put an increased value on amenities that create family/social fun.  Your home may not have a pool, but it might have another type of amenity, such as a tennis court, gym or putting green.

Agents look at both what is similar, and what makes your home stand out.  They search for the best characteristics to showcase and, when comparing your home to others that have sold, they look to see how yours stacks up from a buyer's perspective.

Agents can add value to a home that might not have, say, for instance, the pool.  Instead, your home might have an extra bedroom or den, complete with floor-to-ceiling, high quality bookcases.

Reviewing the comparables can provide a lot of insight about sales in your neighbourhood. Physically viewing the properties can be even more eye-opening.  Agents who routinely work in the neighbourhood may have an excellent grasp of which homes will sell fastest.  It's not a lucky guess.

They've been inside these homes and have seen the notable upgrades or the tragic flaws of a home.  They also know which homes were foreclosed, had grow ops, or have been rented out.  If a comparable is used from one of these types of sales, your agent will take careful consideration to evaluate the distinct differences that may increase the value, and ultimately, the listing price of your home.

Sellers were more active than buyers in January, as prices stabilized and sales dropped, according to a monthly report released Monday by the Real Estate board of B.C.

"We're seeing trends emerge in our market that favour buyers, such as increased selection and more stability in pricing, compared to this time last year," REBGV president Rosario Setticasi said.

According to the report, sales reached 1,577 in January 2012, a 4.9% decrease, compared to the 1,658 sales in December 2011, a 13.3% drop from the 1,819 sales in January 2011, and an 18% decline from the 1,923 home sales in January 2010.

January sales were also the second lowest January total in the region since 2002, although just 146 sales below the 10 year average, according to the report.

The benchmark price (the price of a typical property) for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver, was $660,600 in January, up 5.7% from January 2011, and down 0.1% from December 2011.

If you are considering buying, it might be a good time to get serious about it.  We will be heading into our Spring market in the next month or so, and you might save yourself some considerable money, making a purchase while there is still good inventory levels, and prices are relatively stable.  Drop me a line at 604-308-7884

If you are thinking of doing some renovations in the year to come, here is some information that you might find helpful, when you are trying to decide where to start.

The top renovation projects in 2011 were:

1.   Kitchens                                48%

2.   Bathrooms                            46%

3.   Landscaping                        39%

4.   Basements                           38%

5.   Exteriors (roof, windows)   36%

6.   Bedrooms                             25%

7.   Family Rooms                      21%

8.   Dining Rooms                      11%

9.   Additions on the home           7%

10. In ground pools                       2%

It is important to understand that not all renovations will deliver the same return on a homeowner's investment.

According to the AIC (Appraisal Institute of Canada), the renovation projects that resulted in the greatest return on investment (ROI) were as follows:

1.   Kitchen and Bathrooms                   ROI = 75-100%

2.   Interior Painting                                 ROI = 50-100%

2.   Finished Basements                       ROI = 50-75%

4.   In ground pool and skylights          ROI = 0-25%

Clearly, an interior paint job, based on the cost of such a renovation, is going to give you the best return on investment, especially if you are able to tackle this project yourself!   Although every woman loves a nice new kitchen...and face it guys...it is the woman who buys the house (unless you are a chef), it is a good idea for a seller to think seriously about overhauling an old and tired kitchen.  This doesn't always have to cost an arm and a leg to do.  Check out some DIY books, as there are many things you can do to make your kitchen "fresh", without breaking the bank.

I can also help you with some suggestions.  Drop me a line, if you are thinking of selling your home in the near future.

604-308-7884.