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noon to boot! You‘d like nothing better than to pour yourself a coffee and stretch out with the Sunday paper. But reality is, you are selling your home and, regrettably, your real estate agent has scheduled an Open House. ~So instead of coffee and the paper, you switch into full gear. You stow the valuables and you line up the shoes into neat little rows in the closet. And, oh my gawd...the oven‘s a disâ€" aster from last week‘s scalloped potaâ€" toes! Quick, get the Easyâ€"Off! Worst of all, you‘ve got to be out of the house by 12:30 since your agent made it clear your presence during the Open House wouldn‘t be appreciated. All this would be tolerable if an Open House offered the genuine prospect that your property would be sold. But experts say that the real winâ€" ner at an open house usually is not the seller. Rather, it‘s the seller‘s agent, I t‘s a glorious fall day. Sunday afterâ€" Residential Marketing Review Junice Johnston who uses the event to drum up new business. 3 Although many real estate experts swear by the concept of Open Houses, there are many who are beginning to believe they are a waste of time in the 90‘s. Many realtors have told me that peoâ€" ple who go around to open houses are touring, getting decorating ideas. Or they are curiosity seekers looking at houses priced higher than they can afford. Some are thinking about selling their own homes and are checking into pricing in the neighbourhood. Open houses: a game of odds There appears to be a stronger resisâ€" tance from many sellers to having strangers come through their home. They feel more secure in showing a property by appointment. There is merit to this theory since, generally speaking, the potential buyer has been preâ€"qualified by their agent as finanâ€" cially capable of purchasing their home. There is one special type of Open House that remains very popular, both with real estate professionals and cusâ€" tomers alike. That is an Open House specifically for the real esate industry. During a Brokers‘ Open House, the listing agent shows the property to a number of agents from various real estate firms. Often, refreshments are served as a courtesy. When the event is over, the idea is word of the property will spread through the real estate comâ€" munity, thereby increasing the chance of a sale to a qualified buyer. If the home you have for sale has not By Amanda Kirkland Greater Toronto Home Builders‘ Association Fe, in the new home building business, _Â¥ often hear the refrain "they don‘t build them like they used to." It‘s true... they build them better! The refrain reflects a widely held notion that assumes today‘s workers are less.committed to quality. This is simply not the case â€" today‘s workers are just as comâ€" mitted to quality and they have the advantage of being better trained. A new home is one of the smartest purchases you can ever make. If you‘re like most people, you spend the majority of your leisure time at home â€" raising a family, working in a garden or entertaining friends. But beyond the basic pleasure of security that a home provides, it can also enhance the quality of your life immeasurably. New homes typically increase in value, provide considerable tax advanâ€" tages and â€" most important â€" are designed to offer your comâ€" fort and convenience. Seven reaâ€" sons to buy new: * the newest building code amendments focus on accessibiliâ€" ty, energy conservation and enviâ€" ronmental regulation. + new homes are being built with modern building materials â€" materials that seem to improve year by year â€" and they use curâ€" rent construction techniques. * new homes have "modern" floor plans and amenities which are often not found in older homes (e.g.: powder room, ample closet space, mud room, main floor laundry rooms, home/office etc.). * buyers can select the fixtures and finishes they want â€" from carpets to paint, kitchen cupâ€" boards and layout. * because everything in the house is new, most new homes will not need any significant maintenance for more than 15 years due to lowâ€"maintenance materials such as vinyl clad winâ€" dows, aluminum soffits, brick construction, etc. * today‘s new homes are far ~ look" â€" fencing and lighting past. Midâ€"efficiency furnaces are standard, insulation levels were substantially increased in 1990, and fullâ€"height basement insulaâ€" tion was introduced in 1993 in conjunction with foundation, leakâ€"proofing measures which will ensure warm, dry conditions below grade. The minimum ceilâ€" ing height in basements was also raised in 1993, a decided advanâ€" tage when finishing a den, home office, recreation room or nanny suite. * doubleâ€"glazed windows, tighter construction, and more energyâ€"efficient mechanical sysâ€" tems and appliances are just a few of the features that will save you money in heating and cooling bills. * all builders of new homes in Ontario are licensed by the Ontario New Home Warranty Program, an independent agency. * every new home comes with a comprehensive warranty includâ€" ing: deposit protection (up to $20,000); oneâ€"year coverage on workmanship and materials; twoâ€" year "Powerâ€"Train" protection (electrical, plumbing, heating); sevenâ€"year Major Structural Defect protection. * all new homes built today require hardâ€"wired smoke detecors, i.e., wiredâ€"intoâ€"theâ€" homes electrical system. * this means you never have to worry about installing smoke detectors or checking batteries â€" the safety of you and your family is being constantly protected. * builders strive to achieve a "community feeling" through careful attention to detail throughâ€" out the entire project. * whenever possible, homes are built to blend in with the existing landscape for a natural, attractive environment. * community landscaping enhances the "neighborhood detail, scenic walkways and neighborhood parks and playâ€" grounds are all designed to invite residents to extend their lives beyond their own home and backâ€" yard. * further, a wellâ€"planned comâ€" munity assures homeowners that the quality of lifestyle, as well as individual property values will be OF _ HEADON FOREST been shown through a brokers‘ Open House, it is smart to encourage your agent to conduct one and to advertise it thoroughly. The best time to hold such an event is on a day when many other such events are held, because agents see an economy of scale in visiting many properties the same day. The fact remains, Open Houses, of all types tend to offer some indirect benefit to the seller, including exposure to people who may know someone who is a serious candidate to buy the home. The more people the place is shown to, the greater the chance that it will come to the attention of someone who will want to buy it. It‘s like everything else in this life....a game of odds. Janice Johnston is President o Adcom Advertising and Design which specializes in residential marketing. Adcom is located at 440 Reynolds St. in Oakville. OF HEADON _ FOREST . LAMBTON HOMES HELPS YOU WITH YOUR_ DOWN PAYMENT® 766‘} you can LIVE FREE (exciudes utilities) at Lambton Gardens until Final Registration! HOURS ‘ Mon. to Wed. 1 pm to 6 pm _ Sat., Sun. Holidays Noon to 5 pm 335â€"2032 ** (Time limited offer â€" only a few units) "OM18 NOLdWVHLHON Closed Friday + Thurs. by appt. UPPER MIDDLE RD. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, September 30, 1994 NEW HOMES