Caroline Sawatzky's Home Trends

Negotiating Your Future

604.551.0909 • carolines@telus.net www.carolinesproperties.ca

Wolstencroft Realty INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED, BROKER #110-19925 Willowbrook Dr Langley BC V2Y 1A7

EMBRACING WINTER Winter, especially in Canada, gets a bad rap. It’s cold, there’s snow, it’s dark, driving is perilous at times, you have to wear extra layers, etc., etc. but researchers say if you focus on the benefits of winter and enjoy activities that can only be done in the season, you might find yourself enjoying the season and feeling better overall this year. So, when you feel yourself lamenting over doing something winter-related that you don’t enjoy (like shovelling snow), try to reframe your thoughts and think of an activity you can only do because of that particular thing. For instance, if there’s no snow, you can’t snowshoe, ski, toboggan, make snow angels or build a snowman. Then, once you’re done shovelling snow, go ahead and do one of those activities to make a positive experience. Other winter specific activities you can indulge in include sitting by a roaring fireplace, drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate or apple cider, wearing cozy pyjamas and slippers, cooking and baking rich meals and desserts, enjoying time indoors curled up with a good book, etc. In the summer you might feel like you’re wasting a sunny day by doing something mundane like watching a movie marathon, decluttering your home office or repairing that leaky faucet, but since it’s dark before you know it in the winter, take advantage and stay inside and cross items off your never ending to do list. In the end, winter in Canada is inevitable and if you embrace it and try to focus on the positives of the season, you’ll find it goes by faster and might have you looking forward to when the days get cooler and shorter again next year.

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OUTDOOR MAINTENANCE WHILE YOUR HOME IS LISTED

Selling in winter requires you to take a few extra steps to prepare the outside of your home for potential buyers. Start by looking at your home by standing on the curb or street. First, you want to remove all obstacles and dangers winter may create for guests on the path to your front door. Take care to clear snow and other debris from the driveways and walkways. Apply sand or salt to icy patches and add grip strips to slippery stairs. Remove any icicles that may be hanging over the entrance and consider installing solar-powered lights to line the walkway. Once the path is safe, you can address any landscaping issues. Clean up any pet droppings or yellow snow and remove piles of leaves and branches that you may not have gotten around to composting in the autumn. Use outdoor rugs and mats to welcome buyers to your home and once they enter your home, ensure you have a welcome mat and space for everyone to leave their soiled winter shoes while they tour the place. If you're selling a condo, you shouldn't have to worry about shovelling the walkways and such, but do consider your unit itself and how it appears from the street. Clear snow off of the balcony, ensure exterior light fixtures work and hang a decorative wreath on your door.

604-551-0909 • carolines@telus.net • www.carolinesproperties.ca

SMART THERMOSTATS With the cost of living on a seemingly never-ending increase these days, saving a few dollars where you can is imperative. One way to save on heating bills (on average about 8%) is to use a smart thermostat that connects to wi-fi that you can program to turn your heating on and off at certain times during the day. If someone were to arrive home at an unusual time, most smart thermostats will allow you to override the schedule with the press of a few buttons on an app, which is really convenient for parents when a child goes home ill, or someone has to stay at home and wait for a maintenance person to arrive, etc. Furthermore, some models have motion sensors or tracking capabilities and can determine when no one is home (or returns home unexpectedly) and adjust the temperature accordingly without you having to set a schedule or remember to change a setting on an app. Another neat feature of some smart thermostats is the ability to have multiple sensors throughout the home. This is great if, for example, your main thermostat is near the kitchen and it always registers the air temperature as warm enough, but leaves the bedrooms on the other end of the home freezing. You can set up a remote sensor near the bedrooms that can take an average temperature and the thermostat will then adjust the furnace settings more appropriately. Experts suggest that when you're home your thermostat should be set between 20˚C and 22˚C for optimal comfort. When you're sleeping or away from home for a short period of time, you can drop the temperature down a few degrees to somewhere between 16˚C and 18˚C. If you leave on vacation for a few days and your home will be empty, you can drop the temperature quite a bit, but not to below 10˚C degrees to keep the pipes from freezing.

604-551-0909 • carolines@telus.net • www.carolinesproperties.ca

DEALING WITH OUTDATED PHONE JACKS Is your older home set up with multiple phone jacks throughout the rooms? If you don't have a landline telephone anymore, the wall mounted phone jacks might just be something you ignore, but they may also be the bane of your decor existence. The best way to deal with them is to remove the faceplate, electrical box and associated wiring and patch the hole. However, if this isn't something you feel comfortable attempting yourself and hiring a professional is out of your budget, there are a few other ways to address the unsightly ports. First, you can replace the phone jack with a basic plate found at most home improvement stores. At least this way there isn't a hole in the wall. To address it in a more creative manner, you can cover the jack with wall art, a calendar, a message board or the like. Since jacks are often found in kitchens and are counter height, this makes sense. Another unique option is to purchase a wall socket safe and turn the seemingly boring phone jack into a purposeful and hidden compartment to store small, yet important, items.

604-551-0909 • carolines@telus.net • www.carolinesproperties.ca

Fraser Valley home sales returning to seasonal norms in November after October surge

BENCHMARK PRICE Single Family Dwelling $1,482,600

BENCHMARK PRICE Townhouse $835,100

ACTIVE LISTINGS 8,125

SOLD LISTINGS 1,136

BC, December 3, 2024 – The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board recorded 1,136 sales in November. Overall inventory, remains at a 10-year seasonal high and 30 per cent above November 2023 levels. “Buying and selling activity is typically quiet at this time of year,” said Jeff Chadha, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “But it’s worth noting that November 2024 sales are higher than they’ve been compared to the past two Novembers — a sign that overall activity is picking up in the Fraser Valley and with it, growing buyer confidence.” New listings chipped away at overall inventory in November, with active listings declining eight per cent to 8,125. “With seasonality expected to slow sales activity towards year-end, we are optimistic that the new mortgage lending guidelines, which come into effect on December 15, will slowly start to work their way into the market,” said Baldev Gill, CEO of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “Longer amortization periods and lower minimum down payments should help more buyers who want to get into the market in 2025.” Across the Fraser Valley in November, the average number of days to sell a single-family detached home was 43, while for a condo it was 36. Townhomes took, on average, 33 days to sell. Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board | Market values stated are of the benchmark of Fraser Valley and surrounding region. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to date evaluation of your home.

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604-551-0909 • carolines@telus.net • www.carolinesproperties.ca