Real Estate Market

Demand for detached homes continues to be strong across Greater Vancouver, with particularly high sales volumes occurring in Richmond and Vancouver Westside. For the past two months, the number of properties listed for sale and those sold on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver outpaced the 10-year average in both categories. From a historical perspective, February’s 3,097 homes sales outpace the 2,742 home-sale average recorded in the region over the last ten years.

We saw an increase in demand across our region last month as more buyers entered the market in advance of the spring season. The intensity of this activity varied between communities. The Real Estate Boards statistics tell us that single detached homes in Richmond and the west side of Vancouver remain the most sought after properties in Greater Vancouver.

Between November 2010 and February 2011, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price of a detached home in Richmond increased $190,739 to $1,099,679; in Vancouver West, detached home prices increased $222,185 to $1,850,072. In comparison, detached home prices across the region increased $51,762 between November 2010 and February 2011 to $848,645.

To effectively analyse real estate statistics for the purpose of buying or selling a home, it’s critical to focus on your neighbourhood of choice because, like we see today, conditions and prices can fluctuate significantly within the same city or municipality.

Home improvements increase your home enjoyment, but they also affect your home’s value – interior and exterior painting yields a 50 to 100% return on investment at resale*.  These tips will help you plan for your painting improvement needs with a focus on resale value:

• Function – Determine which rooms are in need of refreshing and choose colours that create a smooth transition between adjoining areas if using more than one colour
• Colour – Select classic, neutral tones that match any décor and add small accents of bolder colour to outside trim or interior decorative accessories
• Try – Use colour swatches or apply paint samples to test various shades on a patch of wall and notice how natural and artificial light affect the colour’s appearance
• Base – Consider the popularity of water based paint for a quick, almost odourless dry and a more environmentally friendly alternative to oil based paint
• Finish – Understand easy-to-clean glossier paints are best in moist, high traffic rooms, while flatter paints help hide small imperfections and are best in dry, low traffic rooms
• Learn – Consult a paint expert in choosing the best base and finish type for your job as a number of factors like surface and temperature will affect a paint’s performance
• Buy – Determine the volume of paint required along with brushes, rollers, tape and accessories, choosing premium grade materials to ensure long-lasting, quality results
• Prepare – Understand what your specific surface needs – patching, scraping, sanding, mildew removal, and/or washing – and ready the surface as required
• Prime – Ensure your primer, if required, is compatible with your paint finish and apply it once edges are masked with tape and the floor and furniture are covered
• Paint – Apply the necessary number of coats in the required time intervals at the minimum required temperature for best results 

If you’re not painting yourself, call Dillon at Pure Painters (www.PurePainters.com) on 778 238 1915.  His crew painted my house and did a fantastic job for a great price.  You can check out their website for more information, and they even have a very cool Estimator Tool on the home page where you can enter the information on the job you want, and it will give you a very good estimate of how much the job will cost, including paint and labour, and how long it will take to complete - check it out!

*Appraisal Institute of Canada, Home Renovation Survey

Your home is your haven, and your bedroom is your retreat.  At the end of a busy day, you want to be able to forget about the outside world and focus on getting a good night’s sleep.  Does your bedroom beckon you with a restful and relaxing ambiance?  If not, here are some simple ways to create a bedroom that is comfortable, peaceful, and perfect for catching quality zzz’s. 

1. Clean and de-clutter

Clean your bedroom to help clear your mind.  Tidy away clothes, papers, dishes and anything else that is not conducive to relaxation.  Get into the habit of hanging clothes in the closet or putting them in the laundry basket rather than heaping them on the nearest chair.  Now all you have to do is vacuum, dust or polish, and you’ve made a great start.

2. Decorate for relaxation

Keep the colours in your bedroom neutral using soft, light tones.  If you prefer a little more colour, you can contrast the walls with deeper, dramatic shades in your accessories, such as pillows and throws.  Add some greenery – a healthy plant can act as an air filter and absorb potential toxins from furniture or carpets.

3. Create a breeze

Consider installing a ceiling fan in your bedroom.  Ceiling fans can add an attractive decorative touch while providing a soothing breeze and ventilation.  Ceiling fans are also great for muffling external noises, so you can drift away to sleep uninterrupted.

4. Lose the lights

Exposure to even moderate levels of light at night can throw off the body's internal clock.  Consider room darkening shades or curtains to help keep the light out while you rest.  When adding light is necessary, use soft white lights or candles to help create serenity.

5. Play some soft sounds

Classical music can set a tranquil mood.  A CD of natural sounds (waves or rain), or even a small water fountain in your room can provide a calming effect and quiet an active mind.  Some people find a white noise machine to be comforting as well.

6. Keep distractions out

Keep the computer, T.V., and PDA out of the bedroom.  Stimulating the mind before trying to get a good night’s sleep is counter-productive.  Electronic devices can be very distracting.  It’s important to make a mental separation between your bedroom and the outside world so you can concentrate on sleeping.

7. Set up snug bedding

There’s nothing more inviting at the end of a day than falling into a comfortable bed with a good quality mattress, clean sheets and plump pillows.  Cool cotton sheets are lovely to slip into in the summer, while flannel provides winter warmth and jersey knits offer a happy medium, cozy without being too heavy, suitable for the spring and fall.

Now all you have to do is keep the temperature just right. Most people sleep best in a slightly cooler room.  Adjust the windows and/or thermometer to find the optimal temperature for you.  Sleep tight!