Edmonton Real Estate Blog

Have a Woman Look Over Your Home Renovation Plans!

How Much Value Does Landscaping Add To A Home?

The value of landscaping is truly in the eye of the beholder - one person's paradise may be another person's wasteland. A beautifully landscaped yard loaded with perrenials and vegetables may appeal to someonewith a green thumb, but won't appeal to those who don't enjoy or have time for gardening. Of course the opposite can apply - a no maintenance back yard generally doesn't appeal to young families (since their kids can't play on rocks) but could be perfect for an older couple or frequent travellers.

How much should you spend on landscaping?

The answer to that question depends on your situation. If you're planning on staying in your home for a long time, then the landscaping is for your enjoyment and the amount you spend is up to you. If you're trying to sell your home, landscaping does not give returns as high as painting, or renovating kitchens and bathrooms. Having neat and clean landscaping is what is most important - unkempt yards tell buyers that the home is not well cared for. In the current market, where there are hundreds of new homes on the market with no landscaping, having grass and a deck or patio is a major advantage.

Henderson and Butt Appraisal Consultants puts together an excellent Renovating Guide each year that explains the return on investment you can expect for different types of renovations. Their guide shows the return on investment for various landscaping options varies from 30-60%. In other words, according to Henderson and Butt if you spend $20,000 landscaping your property, you immediately add $6,000-$12,000 in value. Keep in mind this is just a guide... you also have to consider how the landscaping affects your salability. Some buyers won't even consider homes with no landscaping.

Where Should You Start?

If you are landscaping for your own enjoyment then you probably want to go further than grass, a fence and a deck. One thing is for certain, having a plan is very important. DIY landscaping jobs can be very easy to spot, so getting some guidance can help you out immensely. Companies like Earthworm Design will send a landscape architect to your home to draw up a plan with you. Once you have a plan you have the option of doing the work yourself, hiring a professional, or a combination of the two - they can even help you decide what to do yourself and what you should contract out. If you want to spread the projects out over a few years, they can also give you advise as to the order to do things in.

Take a walk around some neighborhoods right now.  Some people just have the midas touch when it comes to landscaping (or maybe they had help!). You walk drive by and think “wow” they’ve done a nice job - nice flowers, stones arrangements and theme.  You can also get an idea of what not to do, which is often just as important.

How much of a difference really nice landscaping make? While it may not be the primary reason someone will buy your home it can certainly make the difference between you or your neighbour selling first.

Flipping No No's in Edmonton

If you are on one of those enterprenurial types who buys properties that need some work and then sells them after the work is done, then you'll be interested in the following information.  This information comes from years of experience, and a few hard knocks of our own.  So if your interested in your Edmonton area flip not being a flop, then read on. Your goal may be to build wealth quickly by buying and selling properties, but the reality is that flipping properties is a tough business. Here are the top 12 mistakes "flippers" make:

• Fudging Financing. Lying on a mortgage application is a mortgage fraud.  So no matter how tempting the flip give your mortgage broker accurate information.  Mortgage fraud can result in jail time, and is being aggressively enforced.
• Overpaying. No matter how promising the property, the bottom line is trump.
• Lacking cash. Desperation makes investors do crazy things. When you act in haste, you're more likely to make poor decisions.
• Quitting your day job. A steady source of cash staves off desperation.
• Hiring unlicensed contractors. Not only do they present an insurance risk, but worse yet, often they don’t get the job done.
• Workers compensation coverage.  I know this doesn't sound like a cheap way to get things done but if one of your workers gets hurt on your reno, you'll wish they had coverage especially when your card box that you're living in is leaking because they took you to the cleaners.
• Buying sight unseen. You can bet it will be uglier than the seller said it was.
• Buying property far, far away. Even the tiniest repair can mushroom into a crisis. Some times even small items need to be attended to very quickly.
• Buying too many properties too fast. Too much money, too little time means the bank will own the properties sooner rather than later.
• Underestimating remodeling costs. There’s no such thing as a cheap and easy fix especially on high end remodels.
• Having a poor exit strategy. Running out of cash and living on credit cards doesn’t work.
• Selling Yourself. I know you're a do it yourself'er now.  But as I sit here I am actually laughing at this one.  You may as well pull your own teeth and be your own financial adviser now too. Oh and by the way a good relationship with the right Realtor can always make you money and give you an informed opinion on values and renos.

This article was inspired in part by NAR's 10 mistakes flippers make.  Sounds like something dolphins say to each other, like don't swim with the Tuna.

Your fall home-maintenance checklist

It's time once again to get ready for winter
By Paul Bianchina
Inman News

Fall is already in the air, which means that another chilly winter can't be too far behind. So before the cold weather arrives and you snuggle up indoors again, here's your annual checklist of things to do to get your home ready for the change of season.

INSIDE YOUR HOME

Check smoke detectors: Please don't neglect that smoke detector any longer! Take some time right now to check the operation of detectors and to change the batteries. If you have an older house with a limited number of smoke detectors, you really need to install some additional ones. Battery-powered smoke detectors are inexpensive and very easy to install, so add one to each bedroom and make sure there is one centrally located on each level of the home as well.

Install a carbon monoxide detector:A fire is not the only danger you can face inside your home. As houses get closed up for winter, the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning from malfunctioning gas appliances increases substantially. If you have a furnace, fireplace, water heater or other appliance that is fueled by propane or natural gas, now is the ideal time to install a carbon monoxide detector. They're available inexpensively from many home centers and retailers of heating system supplies, they're an easy do-it-yourself installation, and they can truly be a lifesaver!

Clean furnace ducts: A surprising amount of dirt can accumulate inside your home's furnace ducts, which can decrease your furnace's efficiency and add unnecessary dust to the indoor air. Now is the time to have a professional duct cleaning service come out and take care of this for you.

Change your furnace filters: Now is also the time to change your furnace filter and you might consider spending a few extra dollars and install one with a higher efficiency rating then the standard inexpensive filters have. While you're changing the filter, consult the owner's manual for the furnace to see if any annual fix-ups of belts, pulleys and other components are necessary - follow all of the manufacturer safety instructions for shutting the power and fuel to the furnace before servicing.

Clean and inspect the fireplace: Last winter your hardworking fireplace was building up a layer of soot and creosote and you've no doubt forgotten all about that during the summer. Before you light the first log, clean the fireplace chimney or wood stove flue using brushes approved for the size and type of flue you have, or consider hiring a chimney sweep to take care of this task for you - most do a great job at a very reasonable price. Clean out the firebox, making sure you place the ashes in a fireproof container with a tight lid for proper disposal. If you have an airtight wood stove or fireplace insert, check the door-seal gasket, and clean the glass on the door.

OUTSIDE THE HOUSE

Check weather-stripping: When you have gaps around doors, windows or other areas that penetrate the exterior of your home, you waste expensive heated air from inside as well as allow annoying drafts to keep you from feeling comfortable. Fall is the time to check the weather-stripping around doors and windows, and replace any that are worn. Everything you need can be found at home centers and retailers who specialize in doors and windows. Now is also a good time to close up a few more air leaks by checking the condition of caulking around exterior door and window frames and other penetrations.

Check and clean gutters: Time to break out the ladder and clean your gutters of leaf and pine needle debris and check that the opening between the gutter and the downspout is unobstructed. Check the entire system for loose joints or other structural problems, and use a gutter sealant to seal any connections where leaks may be occurring. For any repairs or cleaning you don't want to undertake yourself, you can also consider the services of a professional gutter company.

Adjust exterior grade: Fall is also a great time to take a long look at the grade around your home, and make sure that everything slopes away from your foundation to avoid costly problems with ground water. Add, remove or adjust soil grades as necessary for good drainage.

Drain sprinkler systems:In colder areas, now is the time to be thinking about having your sprinkler and irrigation systems blown out. You can rent a compressor and do this yourself or contact a landscape or irrigation system installer and them handle this for you. This is also the time to shut off outdoor faucets and install freeze-proof faucet covers as needed.