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22 - Real Estate: The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 18, 2006 First impressions can leave lasting impressions when trying to sell your home Fixing the little things could mean a lot when prospective buyers are viewing your home TLC pays! That is the lesson that many homesellers can use to their advantage. Homes that do not need repairs often sell first and sometimes for a higher price. Remember though, first impres sions can be lasting impressions. When prospective purchasers view a property for sale, they are often try ing to imagine what it would look like furnished with personal belong ings. At the same time, they will also cast a very critical eye searching for MrMBtR ' or RF/MI* CLUB PRESIDENTS S aks '/>.am m , <A7>7( £ T % £ l^ e la c a tia n S p e c ia lis t EXECUTIVE CLUB MEMBER Of RF/M BC a n g ie @ o a k v ille h o m e s o n lin e .c o m w w w .o a k v ille h o m e s o n iin e .c o m MEMOIR iw/m 100% ciuis 'Aiming to be your personal realtor...for life DREAM KITCHEN In prestigious Glen Abbey thhis stunning renovated 4 bedroom home offers a great layout. Large principal room s with hardwood floors, finished basement, gorgeous kitchen with granite counters. You'll love the m odern neutral decor. The pie shaped lot offers a great backyard with many mature trees for privacy, a large deck with built-in seating and fantastic sw im m ing pool. $459,900. RF^BK aiodowne REALTY CORP. REALTOR O P EN H O U S E JiA T/S U N 2 -4 2172 HIGHCLIFFE W A Y! * M agnificant Bungalow! ` Decor to the NINES! ` Gleaming HDWD & Crown M oulding! * Espresso Cabinetry in U/G KITCHEN! * Professionally Finished Basement! * Quiet Crescent! faucet. Yes, flush the toilet, too. This is exactly what some homebuyers will do when they view your home. Their keen eyes will spot every scratch, crack, stain, creaking door, and An ounce o f prevention..?. The best way to avoid this situa patch of peeling paint, so tion is to prevent it from happening wherever possible, touch up imperfections. in the first place! Next, group your list of Putting off repairs until tomorrow invariably means that fixtures, appli required repairs into types ances and other household features -- for example, painting, will deteriorate over time and cost plastering, joinery, plumb ing jobs, etc. -- and create more to rectify in the end. Therefore, it is in your own inter a to-do list that you can est to practice ongoing maintenance spread out over a manage in your own home, which can help able period of time. Divide the tasks you to save money in the long run by keeping costs low and help to main between the ones you have tain the value of your property when the skill to accomplish on your own and the ones you you sell it. The first step is to take a thorough will need professional help and critical look at your home both with. For those who are indoors and outdoors. Pretend you are a prospective handy and want to fix homebuyer and make a list of every repairs on their own, try assembling all the required item that requires attention. Open every door and cupboard tools for one type of job at and turn on every light switch and the same time rather than attempt to perform many different tasks at once. This technique will help $799 900 EXCLUSIVE LISTING! y . *0 ve r 4 3 0 0 sqft of Finished Living Space! you save both time and *2 Storey Great Room Open to 1 2ft Office! * Professionally Finished Basement with money on materials. Bedroom, Gym, Rec/Games Room! *Backyard Pool Oasis w ith Fountain & It's important to incor p p fjjp p p : " Cedar/Tempered Glass Deck & Bergeraque porate time and money for 'Upgrades are endless...call to view! $389,900 PORT CREDIT GEM ! !%$»· - 1 'I W B I m imperfections or trouble spots in the home. And each flaw can add up to a loss for you, the seller. Flaws make your home less appealing and it is common for prospective buyers to expect sellers to reduce the selling price so that they can use the money they saved to repair out of order or damaged items or fixtures. While it may cost you only $20 to fill a crack in the wall and repaint it, it may save you several times that amount if a prospective buyer is not compelled to ask you to drop your asking price in consideration. DAN COOPER Real Estate The Bottom line maintenance into your household expense budget. ( If you have no plans to sell in the near future, ongoing maintenance is still the best method to ensure stability of your home's value. And, when the day comes to put your home on the market, you will definitely stand a bet ter chance of reaping the rewards of your efforts! Dan Cooper is an awardwinning associate broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. Dan can be reached at (905) 338-3737, direct line at (905) 849-3360, or through his web site at www.dancooper.com. Every effort has been made to ensure the accura cy of this article; however, the information is general in nature. Please seek professional advice relevant to your spe cific situation. Dan has written a com prehensive guide for those looking for a home in Oakville. Called "Your Guide to Oakville Real Estate," it includes area profiles and maps. Call Dan for your free copy. 1 O P EN H O U S E R $ 4 8 9 ,90 0 2201 STRATUS DRIVE! ·. *2 Rentals in Place or w ill vacate! ' *2 Kitchens and separate Entrances! itV o u r H o u ^ e for Top Dollar -- ^ m E | 1 v T Z r 'V " \ B E f c s ir i 4 "Spacious KITCHEN with Appliances! "Second Entrance thru MUD ROOM, * W ith 2nd Staircase to Lower Level! * Home is in GREAT CONDITION! ` Easy Access to QEW! I | ( *1 5 min Drive to TORONTO! BACKS ONTO RAVINE & STREAM! ` Sun-drenched Walk-Out Basement! * M agnificant 2-Storey GREAT ROOM! ` Granite Kitchen with Chef's Desk! ` Main Floor Den! *2 Ensuite! ` Walk to New Schools, Parks, Trails! 5369,900 port CREDIT CUTIE! "Sell Your House In Less Than 60 Days Guaranteed!" Call 905-849-3303 For A FREE 16-Page Report On Everythin? You Need To Know To Sell Your House For Top Dollar In Less Than 60 Days Guaranteed... 1 ` Excellent Home in Desirable Area! L la S U I^ ^ ` Remodelled w ith Great Decor! ^ K H p J *Nice Size Lot! 6 9 'X llO ' ` Close to the Lake and Toronto! * Easy Access to QEW & GO! $539,900 VACANT! NEVER LIVED IN! ` QUALITY KANEFF BUILT! . ` Exclusive Enclave near Park! ` BRAND NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS! ` GRANITE COUNTERTOPS in Kitchen! - ` Backs towards Greenspace! I ` Try an offer! NEW LISTINGS COMING!!! $350,000 TO $425,000!!! Call fo r details and be the first ones in !!! | I , 1| S T i f ^ Z t n x & ik .,.. J|| _ HP Mm $ 339,900 LIFESTYLE BUILDING! ` 2 Bedroom plus Den! M u p P C N h o m e s .c a £ fjgf O t f t J n T Z IT ? f f * v · · _ \ « W ! ®% -HARDWOOD t h r ^ u t ! ` STUNNING Granite Kitchen! "| ` Fireplace with Lovely Mantle! *2 Parking Spots! 1 Locker! W C U I M Of V V W I H U B ................................. SALES REPRESENTATIA REPRESENTATIVES SALES T > n \Y /T 7 T > Z7 T T 7 A J THE POW ER OF TEAM W ORK % T 2 % c)iaUom%< |;^ J | | f f i Oakville - If you're going to be selling your house in the next 3 to 6 months, this is the informa tion you need now to give you an unfair advantage over the com petition. You get everything you need to know in this FREE 16-page Report. Learn the proven secrets to selling your house in less than 60 days guaranteed. Find out how tor Avoid the embarassing mis takes that cause your house to sit on the market month after month and finally sell for thousands less than it's worth. Sell your house in as little as 24 hours --without even putting it on the market! Make your house show like a model with the inexpensive shortcuts of top interior decora tors! B Make and extra $500 to $1000 more when you sell your house by using a surprising 25 cent upgrade! Don't lose out on getting the house you really want because your house is sitting on the mar ket unsold. Take action now to make sure you have the edge when you put your house on the market and sell your house for top dollar in less than 60 days guaranteed! 905338.3737 l .l^ j 3 liii. C a ll U S f o r y o u r f r e e m a r k e t e v a l u a t i o n to d a y tv iv w .m ttn d e n h o m e s .c a Call 905-849-3303 For Your FREE 16-Page Report Today. Dan C ooper, A sso cia te B roker, R oyal LeP age R eal E state S ervices Ltd., 338 -3 73 7