I hope you've had a good start to the summer. If the Calgary Stampede is something you enjoy, I trust you had opportunity to get in time at the grounds, say a few yahoos and perhaps indulge in some mini-donuts!
I'm happy to share I have an exciting new listing for a great home in Legacy, a newer community in south-east Calgary. The 3-bedroom home is a former showhome and has never been lived in - you could be its very first resident! It has a multitude of upgrades, stunning finishings and an impressive layout that's ideal for entertaining. While the community is a newer one, there are well-established amenities including shops and restaurants, parks, bike trails and playgrounds, all within walking distance.
In this newsletter issue I also share 5 benefits to living in a newer community, updated market statistics and things to consider when purchasing a vacation property - something I know many of us think about during summer holidays!
As much as summer is just getting started, the lucrative fall selling season is not far off! If you are thinking about listing soon, give me a call and we will make sure you have everything you need to put your home on the market when you are ready!
Community Featuređź’ˇ
Bel-Aire
Bel-Aire is a residential neighbourhood in the southwest quadrant of Calgary. It is located east of the Elbow River and west of Elbow Drive. It is just north of the neighbourhood of Mayfair. The Calgary Country Club golf course makes up its northern boundary. Bel-Aire was annexed to the City of Calgary in 1954 and was established as a neighbourhood in 1960. One of Calgary's wealthiest communities, homes in Bel-Aire are valued at over $1miilion to at least $12 million dollars. With just over 400 residents, this community is a quiet area that sees very little outside traffic.
Staging Your Home to Sell
There are a lot of things to consider when you are getting ready to list your home. You want to make sure you are putting a spotlight on all the amazing things you love about your home, and make it appeal to the right type of buyer (and as many of those as possible!). And while you don't want to hide any issues or imperfections (which every home has), you need to make sure it's not the focus for the people viewing your home.
Here are 5 tips for staging your home for sale:
Make a great first impression: Have the outside of your home looking it's absolute best. Tidy the garden, polish the mailbox, and make sure everything is as clean and organized as possible. Ask a friend or neighbour to come over and tell you the things they notice first about your home's exterior, and then make adjustments as needed.Reduce the clutter: Do an inventory of each room to determine where you could reduce the amount of furniture and personal items. This helps make your home feel bigger - and also makes it easier for would be buyers to navigate during a tour. It also puts the focus on beautiful design features like your gorgeous fireplace or elegant fixtures.
Show off your home's functionality: While well-thought out finishings like flooring, paint and fixtures matter, so does the functionality of your home. Because after all, buyers care about things like storage, having a space for homework or working from home, where the coats and boots will go in the winter etc. These are the day to day things that can make or break someone's enjoyment of their home!
Make things shine - especially the kitchen and bathrooms: These rooms are probably the hardest working spaces in any home - and nothing turned off buyers more than a dirty bathroom or kitchen. Even though logic says things can be deep cleaned after purchase, the idea of other people's dirt and grime in these rooms can be off-putting enough to deter some buyers.
Have each room tell a story: What do you want potential buyers to know about each space in your home? Is the primary bedroom a relaxing retreat to recharge? Is the family room a cozy space to spend time together and make memories? Is the kitchen made for entertaining? Make sure how the room is arranged for viewing demonstrates these characteristics using appropriate staging tools like linens, decor accents and lighting. This is a great example how using a professional home stager can be advantageous. They can work with you to help create the right feeling you want viewers to have, either using some of your own items or bringing in rentals to tell the right story of a space.With just a little effort, you will make your already wonderful home seem even more appealing to homebuyers, potentially increasing the number of offers you receive, a quicker sale and other benefits.
No water? No problem.
Drought resistant plants for your yard
With water restrictions and a potentially dry summer ahead of us, many are wondering what the best options are for their outdoor spaces in terms of plants and shrubs. With Alberta's climate being predictably unpredictable, it isn't always easy to know what plants will thrive. And it's important they thrive! Plants, trees and shrubs can have a cooling effect in your outdoor spaces, and can also help retain the soil's moisture. Here are some examples of trees and shrubs which survive in hot dry areas of the garden::- Â Â Cherry Prinsepia
- Golden Flowering Currant
- Genista
- Hackberry
- Honeysuckle
- Juniper
- Shrubby potentilla
- Sea Buckthorn
- Sumac - Gro-Low ground cover
- Ash
- Buffaloberry
- Pine
- Pincherry
Many perennials (which grow back every year) are heat and drought-tolerant. They will still need to be watered in extremely hot weather but not as often as other less drought-resistant plants, which need regular watering throughout the growing season. Many can add a beautiful splash of colour to your gardens too!
 Examples of drought-resistant perennials include:
- Potentilla - Red, orange or yellow blooms shrub also available in heights suitable for ground cover.
- Yarrow - Yellow, red, pink, lavender and white flowers midsummer through fall.
- Stonecrop - Pink, red, orange and yellow flowers from spring through till frost.
- Snow-in-the-summer - A mass of white flowers blooming from late spring until early summer has woolly, silver foliage.
- Sea Holly - Blue spiky lacy flower heads, blooms all summer.
- Daylily - Variety of colours. Mature plant produces 50 or more blooms for a month or longer.
- Hens and Chicks - Pink, yellow or white flowers, with over 300 varieties and over a 100 species to choose from.
- Blanketflower - Red, orange, yellow, blooms all summer.
