I feel like the first week of this state of emergency went by in a blur, I was totally engrossed in the theories being batted about on social media and addictively watching the news. I quickly learned that we were in this for the long haul and that I needed to put a plan in place to adapt to this new normal. Everyone deals with crisis differently, but I figured out that if I wanted to be at all productive during this time, I had to limit my time on social media and wean myself off the news, limiting my exposure to only credible news organizations who deliver the facts without the fear mongering. I certainly haven’t been perfect and still catch myself scrolling through Facebook at times, but I am trying to focus on getting some of our behind-the-scenes work done that we never seem to have time to do, get some exercise in everyday and keep my kids educated and entertained. No small task, there is A LOT of baking going on at our house!

We are doing everything in our power to do our part to flatten the curve, as I’m sure you are as well. Real estate is a bit of a grey area at the moment, it has been deemed an essential service, but the governing bodies have been clear that this is not business as usual. They have said that only necessary transactions should take place and face-to-face meetings and open houses should be discontinued. If a showing is necessary, strict physical distancing and sanitary measures should be enforced. Many brokerages are requiring disclosures be signed before a showing and all offers should include clauses to protect both buyers and sellers from situations or delays that could arise as a result of the pandemic.

However, if you are considering selling once this is over, there are a lot of things you can do now to get your house ready for the time when we can get back to normal life.

Paint

It’s cheap and can make a huge difference in your space. If your kids are a bit older, you can even recruit them to help out, it will keep them engaged and added bonus, it’s a great life skill. Ideally you have some paint and supplies around to avoid going out to the hardware stores, but if not, some of the small local hardware stores are quiet and could use your business. Also try and tackle any small repairs that you come across in the process. When we do a pre-listing home consultation, 9 times out of 10 we will suggest at least some painting, so this is a great task to check off your to-do list if you have some time on your hands. We would suggest sticking with neutral colours and carrying the same colour palette throughout the open spaces. If you would like to set up a video chat to get our input, we would be happy to connect with you!

patio furniture

It’s April, the sun is shining and the weather forecast is looking favourable. A little vitamin D is always a good idea, so take advantage of this weather by unwrapping the patio furniture and giving it a good scrub down. Clean the furniture with soap and water and wipe down the glass surfaces - this also a great job for kids and even the little ones can join in. Take advantage of the low daytime hydro rates by taking the cushion covers off and putting them through the wash. Shop online for some new throw pillows to give your patio a pop of colour. Another added bonus is that when you are done, you and your family can put it to good use for barbecues, reading or take your WFH outside!

gardens & Outdoor space

You may not be able to plant, but you can certainly rake and clean out the garden beds, mow the lawn and get your yard ready for planting. You can also do any outdoor touch-ups that may be necessary. My goal for next week is to clean and paint my front porch which took a beating over the winter. It’s also a great time to power wash the deck and clean out the shed or garage.

declutter

Even more than painting, decluttering is probably the number one suggestion that we have for homeowners. Take this time to organize and declutter your space, go room by room and you can use our previous blog on downsizing as a guide to get you started. Throw out what is garbage and put any donations in bags and put them in the trunk of your car to be dropped off once the donation centres reopen. We are also in the midst of putting together a room-by-room guide to decluttering so stay tuned!

shop online

If you can afford to, support retailers (particularly local businesses) by shopping on-line for items that will give your house that WOW factor when it goes on the market. Bedding, throw pillows, decor items, vases and wall hangings are all great inexpensive items that can pack a lot of punch.

clean

This is a bit of an ongoing task, but is another great one to get the kids involved in. Clean everything. Be methodical and go room by room. Again take advantage of the lower hydro rates and clean all the bedding, the curtains, rugs & couch cushions. Do a deep clean of the bathrooms and kitchen, and don’t forget the oven, fridge and pantry. Not only will your house sparkle but it is also a great preventative measure for combating the coronavirus.

grout & caulking

I could have put this under cleaning but I think it deserves its own category. This is a crappy job that goes to the bottom of everyone’s list, but it does make a big difference. Here is a link to a effective way to clean the grout lines between tiles. This also a good time to remove old caulking from the bathroom and replace it with a nice clean, white line.

take up a hobby

This isn’t necessarily related to getting your house ready to go on the market, but it can be. If possible, and if you have the time, take up a new hobby or dust off an old one. If you’ve always wanted to learn to sew, try and make some new cushions for your couch, or it can be something completely unrelated, try your hand at a new language or pick up a musical instrument. This is an unprecedented and stressful time and I think that by finding even the smallest amount of joy during this time, it will help to carry us through, and maybe make us better into the future.

Stay safe everyone and please know that we are here for you. If you need assistance or if you would like to ask a question or talk through your options, please reach out, we are always available to chat!

These are difficult times. The messaging coming from every level of government is, stay home. We feel very strongly that staying home is our best chance of flattening the curve and reducing the impact this pandemic is going to have on our collective health, the economy, our health care system and the real estate market.

At this time our advice to clients is that, unless you are in a position where you have to buy or sell, now is not the time to do so. It is almost impossible for showings to be conducted while social distancing measures are enforced and, on top of that, as a client viewing a home you have no idea who has been in that home before you, the level of sanitization or the health/travel history of the homeowner. As sellers, you are introducing strangers into your home, into the space that you share with your family, and you are also unaware of their health or travel history.

We do not make this recommendation lightly, this is our livelihood, but we feel that the health and safety of the public and realtors themselves should be the top priority. We also feel that, at this time, you will not maximize the return on your investment, and the longer it takes to flatten the curve, the more impact it will have on the real estate market in the future.

We understand that there are circumstances in which buying or selling a property is necessary, but there are a number of measures that we would recommend:

limit the number of people allowed into the home at once and the number of showings allowed in a day
no double bookings
the home must be cleaned and sanitized after every showing, particularly lockboxes, keys, light switches and door knobs
make keyless entry available if possible
virtual tours should be made available and prospective buyers encouraged to use them
have as much information as possible available online - home inspections, photos, virtual tours, videos, floor plans etc.
no open houses
have hand sanitizer available and have agents acknowledge that both they and their clients will use it before and after their showing
have all visitors acknowledge that they are in good health and have not traveled outside the country in the last 14 days
everyone should practice social distancing and keep at least a 6’ distance between them
have a sign posted requesting visitors not to touch any surfaces
paperwork should be signed electronically and offers submitted via email
all communication should be done virtually or electronically
speak to a real estate lawyer before buying or selling, and have them review any clauses specific to COVID-19 you may want to add

Again, if you are able to hold off on listing your home we encourage you to do so, but if it is a necessity, please be sure to implement the recommendations above to ensure the health and safety of you, your family and everyone visiting your home.

This is a continually evolving situation so these recommendations could, and most likely will, change over time. We are here for you, so if you would like to speak over the phone or virtually about the market, your concerns or our recommendations, please reach out and we would be happy to set up a time to do so.

Stay safe everyone and please do everything in your power to help flatten the curve. As we like to say, we absolutely will get through this, but it takes a village.

***Since posting this blog, the province of Ontario has deemed Real Estate an essential service, however, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) has made it very clear that this does not mean business as usual. OREA requested this designation to allow transactions to close during this time, and to allow necessary transactions to continue, such as when someone has already bought or sold a property and needs to buy or sell another property to ensure the successful closing of the first transaction, thereby preventing a domino effect. OREA has made it clear that all members are to immediately discontinue face to face meetings (showings, open houses etc.) and all client interaction is to be done virtually.