SELLING YOUR HOME IN THE SUMMER? HIGHLIGHT OUTDOOR FEATURES AND SELL FOR MORE

Some of the big advantages when selling your home in the summer are a) it is a busy season, so many homebuyers will be looking for a home, and b) you can make use of your outdoors more than during any other time of the year.
Prepping the outside of a home increases significantly the value of your home, 10%-20% according to real estate experts. With the nice weather outside, many homebuyers will be paying more attention to the outdoor amenities a home comes with. Features like an outdoor chill area, a nice lawn or a charming backyard can all contribute to a more successful sale, so let’s take a look at a few ideas that could help you land a perfect offer.

A manicured lawn
One of the first things to do is to make sure your lawn is mowed and trimmed properly. A tidy and neat lawn indicate that the home is cared for and well-maintained. It is one of the first things homebuyers notice when they show up for a visit.

A nice flower garden
Flower gardens are one of the most classic but also one of the most beautiful front yard features you can go for. The sight of flowers simply never gets boring! However, to avoid high-maintenance flowers, go with native plants that grow well in your area. For a more versatile look, put a few colourful potted plants on the porch.
 
A lounge area with a BBQ
One of the favourite summer activities is barbecuing with family and friends and many GTA homebuyers are outdoorsy people who put great emphasis on the outdoor amenities of a home. Setting up a BBQ area in the backyard with a cozy lounge corner on the patio is probably the best investment you can make to increase your home’s selling potential. If you live in a condo, though, you can add an electric or gas grill to the balcony. Condo buyers are usually hoping for maximum utilization of balcony space, so they will be most probably thrilled to see a BBQ corner there.
 
 A mini playground
If you have a house with a backyard, your target buyers are most likely to be young families. So, to cater to your target audience, you can set up a kids’ corner in the backyard with a swing or two, a backyard slide or a playset to woo the many parents who often screen listings that fit their kids’ needs.  Dedicated areas reserved just for the little ones will instantly draw the desired attention.
 
The right lighting
Besides making us feel safer at night, exterior lighting also gives a special charm to the whole outside setting. With plenty of choices nowadays available for the front and backyard, you will be able to pick from the many styles and shapes, ranging from ground LED lighting to romantic lantern light fixtures.
 
The exterior of the home has become almost as important as the interior, and summer is the perfect season to make use of and invest in outdoor amenities to attract the most homebuyers. For more tips on home showing, click here.
For more information on GTA properties, listings and the GTA real estate market, make sure to contact us here.  

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When it comes to new subdivisions, we give up the mature neighbourhood feel we get in places where trees stretch out and form a green canopy over the street. We exchange this for the convenience of a newly built home in the suburbs with our choice of lot and floor plan, no repairs, and the thrill of being part of a growing community.


However, we frequently overlook the fact that even the most established neighbourhoods today were once brand new. Therefore, we must start like all the older generations and plant trees for our new homes!



So, What Can We Do?

The first step in creating or rebuilding a green canopy is to plant trees where possible on individual lots. It does take time, but not nearly as much time as you might think.


Aside from planting trees, landscaping your yard will help it look more established and comfortable. This will give your garden form and structure, as well as frame the front of your house, and they'll add beauty now and, in the years, to follow. There is an old saying, “the person who plants a tree knowing they will not see its maturity, understands the meaning of life."



Important Tip:

Plant in the fall. Most garden centres cut prices in the fall. You can either save money or get a much more mature tree for the same money. Really a win/win/win. For you, your neighbours, and the planet.


So, let's start planting trees in our newer neighbourhoods! This will not only help the environment, but it will also reward you when it is time to sell!



Contact The Martin Group today for more information, or to find you the right home with beautiful and plentiful trees.

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The third-best sales record in TRREB's history was recorded in August 2021. Though the market has seen its normal summer lull, the need for owning homes is evident. Simultaneously, the availability of housing is on the decline. Competition among home buyers has been increasing in this tight market, resulting in double-digit yearly price hikes.

 


COMPARISON OF RESIDENTIAL STATS FOR AUG 2021 AND 2020 - 

ALL TRREB LISTINGS

 

 

Stats retrieved from TRREB

 

 

As shown in the graph above, according to TRREB's MLS System, Toronto real estate agents in the Greater Toronto Area saw a 19.9% drop in home sales in August 2021 compared to the previous year's record of 10,738, and new listings filed in the system were down 43 percent compared to the previous year's record of 18,599. Despite the decline, the average selling price continues to rise with a 12.6% increase.

 

This year's low number of new postings is really troubling. It implies that there is an undersupply of housing, and this will worsen when immigration to Canada increases. With the approaching federal election in mind, the federal parties have all put a focus on housing availability and affordability. 

 

If we take a further look into The Halton Region, more specifically Burlington and Oakville, you will see that there has also been a tremendous decrease in the number of sales and new listings.

  

 

 

YEAR-OVER-YEAR DATA FOR HALTON REGION, BURLINGTON AND OAKVILLE

 

 

 

Stats retrieved from TRREB

 

 

On average, a property in Halton Region costs $1,070,911, up by 3.8 percent according to the most recent MLS data. While the number of sales dropped by 27.5 percent, there was also a 41.7 percent reduction in new listings.

 

In all three locations, it's clear that now is a great time to sell your home. As a buyer, however, it appears to be considerably more difficult due to a slowdown in new listings and an increase in home values.

 

 

Let's take a closer look at how particular property types compare in Burlington and Oakville.

 



COMPARISON OF MARKET STATS FOR AUG 2021 AND 2020: 

OAKVILLE AND BURLINGTON

 

 

 

Stats retrieved from TRREB

 


The average price for all property types in Burlington and Oakville has risen. Prices increased by 3.8 percent in the Halton Region alone for all property types. The average price for detached homes in all of the Halton Region increased by 20.8 percent as a result of their popularity. The increasing popularity of detached and semi-detached homes in Oakville and Burlington was reflected in their 21.5% and 19% growth, respectively.

 

Although the number of sales and listings have declined in Oakville and Burlington, these cities remain popular in the GTA, where home demand continues to rise.

 

Click here to look at property listings in Burlington and Oakville!

 

The Martin Group is the go-to brokerage firm if you have any queries regarding the GTA or Halton Region real estate market, whether you're a property buyer or seller. We're here to help with everything you may need.

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It’s that time of year again, schools in session! The kids are all getting pumped up in hopes of a better school year than the previous year. As we all know, the pandemic wreaked havoc on children's ability to obtain a proper education, resulting in school closures that forced them to study everything online rather than in person. So what is the 2021/2022 school year going to look like in Oakville and Burlington?

 


The Reopening Plan for the Halton School Board

The Halton District School Board states that students and staff will be back in secure and productive learning environments by September 2021. They pledge to maintain an inclusive, safe, and discrimination-free environment.

 

The Reopening School Guide for September 2021 covers five areas: health and family, operations, instruction, wellness and technology. It is essential to understand that things may change. 

 


Health and family

  • Student Self-Assessment and Screening
  • Personal Hygiene
  • Physical Distance
  • Masks, including cloth masks and face coverings
  • Enhanced Care Cleaning Procedures
  • Environment and Air Flow Fountains for Drinking
  • Student Learning Communities
  • Potential student with COVID-19 prior to entering school
  • Potential student with COVID-19 at School
  • Personal protective equipment used by staff members

 

Operations

They've put out a daily operational plan for a school's involvement in ensuring the safe reopening.

 

  • Family responsibilities
  • Student belongings
  • The school’s outdoor play structures facilitate entrance and exit points
  • School hours and student access
  • Lunch and food items
  • Academic Calendar
  • Before and after-school programs, early childhood educational programs
  • On-the-spot crisis resolution

 

Instruction

The School Board will implement the Ministry of Education's new approach by creating a few days dedicated to face-to-face education in methods that are both engaging and student-centered.

 


Wellness

Staff members will need to focus on helping kids become reacquainted with one another and rebuild a solid pattern of support as they return to school after being away for some time. Guidance counsellors, social workers, and other school-based support staff will provide all the assistance that students need.

 


Technology

We will provide students' support through a program geared for those studying through Distance Learning.

 


The details mentioned are the Halton District School Board's intention to reopen. Their website provides access to further data, and you can also contact your children's schools for more information. 

 

We've all been swept into a new educational and cultural reality with the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Working together, we can minimize the problems faced by our kids as school begins again.


 

 

Top Schools in Burlington and Oakville

Some of the best high-ranked public and Catholic schools are outlined below for elementary and secondary students.



 

 

Are you looking for a home in Burlington or Oakville, click here to view our active listings!

 

 

Contact Glenn Martin today if you have any inquiries about real estate or the schools in the local area.

 

 

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