Buying a Home

There really is no place like home, especially this time of year, but if you’re looking for a new place to hang your stockings, please don’t hesitate to give me a jingle!

‘Tis the season to stage your home with a subtle festive flare!

Decorating your home for the holidays is a fun, festive tradition but if your home’s on the market, it’s important that buyers are still able to imagine themselves living there.

Here are a few staging tips to help make sure your home doesn’t appear too cramped or cluttered during this festive time of year:

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Leave the huge inflatable Santa in the garage this year. A simple strand of lights and a tasteful wreath on the front door is all you need to enhance your curb appeal.

Grand Entrance
Entranceways are usually quite cramped and dark, especially in the winter, so remove any unnecessary items and ensure you have adequate lighting.

Dim Down the Decor
Keep decorations to a minimum as they’ll make your home appear cluttered and don’t ever place decorations over any unique, architectural features.

Trim the Tree
A huge tree full of ornaments can make a room feel cramped so consider something smaller with soft white lights and a few tasteful decorations.

Pillow Talk
Pillows are an easy way to set the tone so add some holiday cheer by strategically placing a few Christmas-themed pillows to evoke a warm and inviting theme.

Warm & Cozy
If the weather outside is frightful, turn your thermostat up so that buyers will be warm and cozy. If you have a fireplace, make sure to light it up for the ultimate effect!

Wrap It Up
Put away the wrapping paper, tape and ribbons before showings. Don’t just stuff them in your closet though as buyers usually peek in cupboards to see how spacious they are.

Holiday Cheer
Seasonal treats such as hot apple cider and holiday cookies will delight the senses and give your home a welcoming feel. It may also encourage buyers to stick around a little longer!

Sound of Music
Put on some soft, seasonal music in the background to help set a relaxing tone that will make buyers want to linger so they can imagine having their next Christmas in your home!

Although there are fewer buyers during this busy time of year, they’re usually much more serious and very motivated. There also aren’t as many listings to compete with, which gives you an edge!

Your home will show beautifully during the holiday season if you use a few tasteful decorations to help highlight its best features. Just be sure to not go overboard so that buyers aren’t overwhelmed or distracted.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out for detailed stats that are specific to your neighbourhood, or even if you’re just curious about what the place down the road sold for – it’d be great to hear from you!

Bank of Canada decides to hold policy rate at 5% in October.

In a scheduled announcement on October 25, 2023, the Bank of Canada decided to maintain its target for the overnight lending rate at 5%.

The Bank cited growing evidence of a slowdown in economic activity due to past interest rate increases, which were also helping to relieve inflation.

The Bank noted reduced consumption and resale housing activity as contributing factors to weaker economic activity, but that labour market conditions were still tight.

In its Monetary Policy Report, the Bank also highlighted forest fires and the federal public sector strike as weighing on the economy earlier this year.

The Bank said it expects economic growth to remain subdued until late 2024, with the Canadian economy set to grow only 0.9% in 2024 compared with 1.2% this year before picking up to 2.5% in 2025.

Given the fluctuations in recent months, the Bank has made note of the volatility in inflation while also citing diverging trends in components of the CPI.

While some goods and food inflation has come down, costs relating to shelter are still growing at strong rates and the Bank’s own measure of core inflation is not showing signs of slowing.

Although inflation is still expected to return to the Bank’s 2% target in 2025, near-term inflation will be anticipated to run higher due to recent increases in energy prices and other components of core inflation.

The Bank was relieved to see that higher interest rates are having their intended effect on spending and price growth but remains concerned about inflation progressing back to its target range at a slower pace. Although the policy rate was held at 5%, it is still prepared to hike rates further if necessary.

The Bank of Canada’s next scheduled interest rate announcement will be on December 6, 2023. The next Monetary Policy Report will be published on January 24, 2024.

The Grey Bruce real estate market’s constantly changing so if you’re wondering what your home’s currently worth, just reach out for a free, no-obligation home evaluation!