New Year Home Resolutions

2021 is only a moment away, and it may be a great time to consider your New Year’s resolutions.  Besides setting personal resolutions and of course just being ready to turn the page on the most difficult and strange year we have ever encountered, a resolution or two about your home may also help you set the stage for 2021.

You could simply go with the same, run of the mill hopes that everyone else repeats year after year, such as a weight loss goal, career advancement or the purchase of a new car. Though these are no small accomplishments and certainly worth acknowledgment after achieving, you could incorporate some special goals into the works this upcoming year.

Having New Year’s resolutions in mind for your Niagara home can free up space, get your home ready for the market or even just declutter and make your life feel less crowded.  As your premier agent for Bosley Real Estate, here are some tips and points that will make any home resolution easier.  Here are some New Year’s resolutions for Niagara Homes.

If you have been thinking about listing your home for some time, then these New Year resolutions are for you.  A quick New Year’s renovation can make your home more appealing while at the same time increasing its overall market value as well as creating more interest from any prospective home buyer.  The two types of renovations that you should consider if you are looking for an increased sale price as well as making your home more appealing to buyers are a bathroom or kitchen renovation.

Kitchen Renovation

Prospective home buyers are attracted to kitchens that are functional, well designed, featuring modern appliances and upgraded attractions. If your kitchen is outdated, this is the perfect year to complete a renovation and reap the benefits of that investment.  When looking at a kitchen renovation you will need to set some boundaries as well as a budget, as any type of renovation can quickly become out of control and cost far, far more than originally thought.

With a budget in mind, here are my suggestions of what makes a kitchen a key selling feature in your home.

If you are looking for quick, somewhat easy ways to remodel your kitchen that will bring back the greatest return on your investment, then you may want to consider the following:

  • Swap out your kitchen’s hardware. Replace your cabinets and drawer hardware with trendy new hardware such as matte black.  Remember that when you are replacing the hardware, be sure to replace the faucet in your sink as well if it doesn’t match.  The last thing that you want is a tacky looking do it yourself remodel that looks only half finished.
  • One of the most effective ways to transform any living space is to upgrade or change the lighting. Lighting is the first thing that people see when looking at a room so keep that in mind.  Talk to some experts and see what the top sellers are to help you find the lighting fixture that is right for your kitchen.
  • If you have been mulling over the idea of painting your home, a room in your home or anything else in your home, then think about adding a fresh coat of paint to your cupboards, cabinets, and island if you have one. Be sure to remove the cabinet door and all hardware before starting so that you get an even coat of pain and don’t miss any spots. If your cabinets are looking a little rough, then give them a good sanding before painting.  You will be surprised at how a nice coat of paint will add a new look to your old cabinets.

Here’s the Deal:

When choosing a colour, think of neutral yet warm colours to make your kitchen space more inviting.

Of course, if you are looking at doing a full kitchen renovation then work with your contractor to see what is possible in your kitchen and how you can replace your refrigerator, stove, oven, hood, sink and even counters for a new, more modern feel. Although this type of renovation will obviously be more costly and time-consuming, it will also help modernize your kitchen and make it far more appealing to any potential home buyer.

Remember:

Regardless of the type of kitchen renovation you choose, they are worth it when it comes to adding value to your home.

Bathroom Renovation

As previously mentioned, bathrooms are some of those spaces that can either attract or deter shoppers. Surely, you have seen the television shows; the couple loves the house, it is exactly what they are looking for… until they open the bathroom door to find terrible wallpaper and an old, stained bathtub.

Give your home a facelift by replacing your existing bathroom with an updated version that is both functional and beautiful.

Similarly, to a kitchen renovation the best place to start when renovating your bathroom is to set a budget and stick to that budget.  When renovating a bathroom here are my suggestions on what will make it attractive to any potential home buyer.

  • Keep the tub. Depending upon how many bathrooms you have in your home, a general rule is to keep at least one tub in your home.
  • Keep your remodel or renovation classy, try not to get too carried away with the trendy styles that are available as you do not want your bathroom renovation to be out of touch with the rest of your home. In keeping with the colour theme, remember that neutral colours are always best. Soft blues or greens will give your bathroom a larger appearance as well as a calming and peaceful feeling.
  • Saving water is not only a functional renovation it can also save you, or a prospective buyer, money in the future. Think about switching over to a water saving faucet, showerhead, and a high efficiency toilet.  With these additions, you can save over 4,000 gallons of water annually.  This type of renovation will not only be an attraction for buyers it will also be a green addition to your home.

Here’s the Deal:

Look for rebates and take advantage of any savings when choosing to upgrade to more water efficient fixtures.

Other Home Renovations

Lighting

An inexpensive yet effective way to add new life this New year is to replace or change some or all the light fixtures in your home.  Lighting is the first thing that any homebuyer sees and believe it or not, lighting can drastically change the appearance of any type of room. Keep in mind that when you are updating your lighting you want to make each room lighter and brighter.

A bright, well-lit room gives the appearance of not only being larger, but it also appears airier and more welcoming than does a poorly lit or dim room.  Look at your local light store to see what the best-sellers are and work from there.

Flooring

Flooring is not meant to last forever, and if yours has seen many years of wear and tear, it might be time to replace them. There is a multitude of attractive flooring options being put into homes today. You cannot go wrong with hardwood and, if you already have hardwood flooring throughout your home, yours might simply need to be refinished.

Carpet is still a popular option for shoppers, especially in leisure rooms. If you have a colour of tile that is outdated, contact a local professional for a quote to retile the floor—this is an investment that is worth making and will greatly increase the sellability of your home.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Nothing changes the look of a room, home, or the outside of your home like a fresh coat of paint. Of all the quick changes and renovations that you can do, painting is by far the easiest and most inexpensive way to change the look of your home. Like flooring, the first coat of paint that was put on your walls when the rooms were completed was not meant to last the entire time that the home stands.

Walls should be repainted more often than most think and, if it has been a while since your last coat of fresh paint, it might be time to choose some new colours.  Although there is no hard or fast rule when it comes to choosing paint colours for your home neutral colours and greys are your best bet.  What you want to avoid are any bold statement colours if you are thinking about listing your home.

A great place to start is at your favourite paint store.  Go in and talk to them about what your plan is, what type of room you have and go from there.  You can take a wide range of sample paints home put them on your wall and decide from there.

Once you have finished all your New Year home renovations, contact a representative from Bosley Real Estate and see how we can help you with the listing and how we can best represent you and showcase your home.  Getting a head start is always a great first step when listing a home and I have a feeling that 2021 is going to be a great year.

If you are not looking to list your home and put it on the Niagara on the Lake real estate market, a great New Year’s resolution for you and your home is a thorough cleaning and an overall declutter.  By decluttering your home, you will feel less cramped and confined and believe it or not, you will also feel more motivated in your day-to-day life as well as be able to move about your home far easier.

As your premier agent for Niagara on the Lake real estate, here is an overview of how you can declutter your home.

Clean Out Your Desk

With the spread of COVID, more and more people have been working from home for quite some time.  I don’t know if you are like me, but I find that my home workspace gets cluttered quite quickly.  This mess can lead to precious time being lost when trying to locate that important document or just a general feeling of being cramped.  Use this opportunity to declutter and reorganize your workspace, office or den.

When you approach that home office cleanup, start with the desk and work outward. Take everything out of every drawer and arrange it all in piles. Then go through each pile and remove the things you do not need. For example, do you really need that office suite software from 1996? The chances are you probably will never use it again.

Be thorough and ruthless.  Consider if you need every paper and recycle as much as possible.  Keep only one copy of everything and take the extra time to file the paperwork and other important documents with proper identification – by date, by type, titles etc.

Before you put everything back in, dust and wipe down the desk. Then make sure each item you are keeping has its own spot. Continue with your organizational system so everything you might need is right within reach.

Do the same thing with each shelf and filing cabinet in your office space. Clean it off, go through the mess and remove everything you do not need. That textbook from when you were in college is probably outdated, anyway so unless you need a paperweight, get rid of it. Wipe down the shelves and replace your must-haves in a neat and organized fashion.

Data Wipe

After cleaning up your office, you may be surprised by how little paper and actual documents you still have.  With more and more filing being stored online, another great way to efficiently organize your workspace is to clean up your computer.

Get a portable hard drive with a few terabytes of storage and back up your files. Then go through your computer with an iron fist and wipe it clean. Delete any file that you have not accessed in six months and remove extra copies.  Try to have as little on your computer as possible so that it remains fast and is not bogged down. Clean every icon off your desktop that you can and consider your computer a physical filing system.

Your House

Treat each room in your house the same way as your office. Start with the floor—anything on the floor needs to be picked up and should have a home.  If you cannot find a home for it, then it is time to either make room by removing something else or time to reconsider if you have a space for it in your newly organized home.

Next move to each shelf, table, or flat surface. Once you have made a decision about where all of your items will go, consider holding a yard or garage sale to help find those additional items a new home.  If a garage sale just seems too far away as it is winter, then consider donating them to a charity of your choice.  Of course, throw out or recycle any really used or broken home items.

After you finish the floor and shelves, it is time to get into your closets and drawers. Be thorough and honest with yourself and separate sentimental value from need and usefulness. Take the time to consider the functionality of each piece of clothing and if you are really going to wear it ever again.  Sometimes you just must move on.  Although this may seem like a daunting and never-ending task and may be painful at the outset, you will thank yourself later.

Taking the time on reorganizing and decluttering your home can be a great way to start 2021 and makes for an excellent New Year’s resolution.  If you have a family, this can be a great bonding experience and also a great way to delegate tasks and break down the often-daunting task. If you have any ideas or advice about de-cluttering your work and home leave a comment below and let us know!

Regardless of what your intentions are for 2021 whether it be listing your home on Niagara on the Lake’s real estate market or just reorganizing and decluttering your home, we at Bosley Real Estate are here to help.

If you have any great ideas about decluttering your home or would like to chime in on New Year renovations, please feel free to comment below.  If you are interested in viewing some of the new and exciting real estate opportunities that abound here in Niagara on the Lake or would like to get a head start on listing your home in the New year, please contact me today.

What we can all hope for is that 2021 will be a year of change and hopefully a year of normalcy after the turbulent and often unpredictable year of 2020.  Whatever your resolutions, we wish you a happy New Year and all the best in 2021.

Happy New Year from Bosley Real Estate!