Sounding Off

One thing that is very hard for prospective homeowners to get a handle on when shopping for a new home is what the sound level is going to be like after they move in. Especially in semis and attached housing. No pun intended, but it can be very disturbing to move in and find out you can hear quite a bit of what is happening next door. What I've found can be even worse though, is what your pets can hear and react to. So the next time you're out there looking at houses, think of more than just your tolerance to noise. I've got a dog that is much less tolerant than I am to bumps and stuff next door, and he's got a big bark. What to do though at an open house? Any ideas besides the "ask the agent" one?

Staging and A House in My Neighbourhood

I went into an open house yesterday in my 'hood and got a big shock. Here is a relatively beautiful home that I think is caught in the uncertainty of the market in Toronto right now. It's a detached home that should have been snapped up on it's first weekend, but I think it was slightly overpriced (but only slightly). While before, this would not have had a serious adverse affect, as the market was so hot, it has caused it (even after a reduction of 50K) to sit on the market. Having walked through, I could not understand why it is still available, but on reflection, I think it may be because it looks staged now. The owners have moved out, and unfortunately, the home feels a bit plastic, even though they lived there for 12 years. I think it's the furniture. Now, I don't know, perhaps it is their furniture, but if it is, the home lacks that "lived in" feel that makes a buyer want to take off their shoes and put their feet up on the coffee table; the feeling that says "this is a home and I feel comfortable here".

Now I'm not saying staging is not a good thing and that some homes really need it to assist with selling, I just think that perhaps sometimes it goes a bit far, and strips the soul out of a home, and turns it into a "property". It's an important distinction, as I feel all of the design shows and "Buy Me" and it's clones on HGTV have made us all think that every house needs to show like a show-home or else it won't show to it's best ability. But, after all that work is done, does it actually show to it's best ability, or do certain houses just end up looking like they are trying (and not really succeeding) to look like a model show home. The fact is, if you have lived in your home for 15 years, it's NOT a new home, so in some aspect of the staging, that really should be reflected. Not in a negative way of course, but to not give a nod makes it seem that something is being hidden, or worse, that the seller is trying to put one over on the potential buyer, causing subconcious negativity towards the property. And that negativity is the very thing a seller does not want to plant in the buyer's brain.

So what do you think of staging in the houses you've seen?

Home Efficiency and Realtors

Just a short post on what the real estate industry is doing to promote home energy efficiency. Check out this site, www.nagab.org and see what part realtors are taking to combat climate change. It looks interesting, question is, will it make a difference in the long run to people buying homes in markets across the country or just in those places where awareness of green home technologies is higher and places where alternate forms of energy conservation will work. What do you think?

Buzz-Buzz...The First Post!

Welcome! If you've found your way here, it means you want the Buzz. So what actually is the GTA Home Buzz? Well, it's a place to find out about what's new and happening with housing of all kinds primarily in Toronto and around the GTA. It may be my own personal ramblings one day, a series of links for great info the next, and if we're all lucky, maybe Colin and Justin, or Mike Holmes, or even the Donald will do a guest blog spot from time to time.

I'm going to start things off by asking what you would pay for a piece of the sky where the view is constantly changing? And no, 360 at the top of the CN Tower is not for sale. What I'm talking about is Italian David Fisher's cutting edge design for his condo towers that are on tap to be built in Dubai and Moscow. You didn't hear it on this site first, but he's had interest from Toronto developers....For info about the possibility of a rotating tower in Toronto click here, and buzz me back with your thoughts on whether you think the Toronto market can support this kind of project.

Now getting a bit closer to home, your home that is, check out this very useful link over at HGTV on the Top 15 Home Updates that you could (and in some cases should) do to your home if you are thinking about maximizing your return on resale. It's really quite good, as it goes by project, has an average cost and return associated with it, as well as best and worst returns in certain cities. What's your most ambitious reno that you're undertaking this year? And do you think it will be worth it!