About Simcoe County, ON

When it comes to selling Barrie townhomes, there are a few things you can do to prepare your unit to make it more appealing to prospective buyers. Here are some tips to help you (and your Realtor) prepare your Barrie townhome for a successful sale.

Price – This is a major point that will affect the sale of your townhome. If your townhome is priced competitively according to the local market, your days on the market should be relatively short. Your real estate professional is your industry resource, and they know the local market best, so it’s a good idea to follow their advice about where to price your townhome.

Effective Lighting – Good use of lighting will help make a dark or small room seem larger, and help open up the space. Using light strategically throughout your townhome for photos and showings will not only ensure the unit is well-lit, but that it’s showcased it at its most appealing.

Bust the Clutter – Knickknacks, pictures, magazines, and other items you like and live with may be scattered throughout your townhome, but by reducing or removing the clutter entirely it will help prospective buyers see more of the home and not your stuff. Tuck extraneous ‘extras’ into drawers, or get your packing started early with items you don’t need that may help de-clutter your townhome’s appearance.

Garage – removing clutter from your garage and organizing it properly will enhance the appeal of your unit. People want to know that they have “space” to move in and that they have room for their belongings.

Furniture – If you think you’ve got too much, put some into storage. You may want to reorganize your furniture so that larger items are situated around the outside walls to add space, and guests see the focal point from the room’s entry.

Odours – Plug-in air fresheners and scented candles can add pleasant smells and atmosphere to your townhome. When you’re living in your home while it’s on the market, try odour-neutralizing products to reduce any cooking odours that may linger.

Pets – Send Fluffy to a day spa or take her out while your townhome is being shown, and move any pet dishes, beds, and toys. Additionally, pets can have a distinct odour that can be challenging to remove. Pet stores have specialty products designed to deal with pet odours that will help.

Wall Accessories – When items are proportionate to the room and wall’s size, it further helps to open up the space. Adding mirrors will not only help with this, but will also reflect light to brighten the room.

Organize Closets and Storage – Storage and closets are important to all buyers, and they’re sure to be a place that will be looked at. Organize this space as well as you can, clear out some of your clothes if necessary (again, get a head-start on your packing) to create a neat, uncluttered presentation.

You don’t have to completely reorganize your life to sell your townhome, but incorporating some or all of these tips will help make the process quicker and easier for you. The Barrie Condo Team will work with you to help you prepare your Barrie townhome for sale, including open houses, photos and showings, and can recommend services such as professional cleaners and stagers if needed.

I know it will not be a surprise to you to learn that real estate sales in Collingwood, Blue Mountain and area last month presented a far rosier picture than we saw one year ago.

Sales in the Georgian Triangle in January, 2010 were up 56% over the same period last year when we were in the depth of the recession. There were 81 sales reported for January 2010 and 455 new listings representing a decline a just 2% over 12 months ago.

Sales in units have not yet returned to 2008 levels however, the 12 month average sale price continues to climb. Of particular interest is the number of condominium sales last month which showed a sharp rise compared to the previous two years. These sales occurred across our area in all price ranges and follow the pattern of buyers moving to condominium living being reported in larger urban centres.

The following information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board. The first number is for January 2010 with January 2009 and 2008 results in brackets:

Total Number of Sales in all areas reported: 81 (52, 111)
Total # of Listings in all areas reported: 455 (462, 454 )
# Active Listings as of January 31: 1695

Single Family Residential Only
(Data is limited to Collingwood, Clearview, Grey Highlands, Meaford, Blue Mountains and Wasaga Beach areas only):

# Single Family Residential Sales: 44 (25, 69 )
Average Sale Price: $293,377 ($290,483, $312,779 )
Sales-to-Listings Ratio: 20% (12%, 33% )

# Condo Sales: 23, (8, 19 )
# Farms Sold: 0
# Vacant Land Sold: 5
# Commercial Sold: 2

Market conditions are much improved over last year and all bets are on this trend continuing through the traditional spring market months as people act to avoid the HST coming into effect on July 1, 2010.

People who are moving to the Georgian Triangle area often ask about school information for the area.

There are a wide range of choices in the public, separate and private sectors. The first consideration is which County you will reside in. Homes located in Grey County (including Blue Mountain, Meaford and Grey Highlands) fall under the Blue Water or Bruce-Grey District while properties in Simcoe County (including Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Stayner and Creemore) fall into the Simcoe District.

Below is a list of options with links to each school website. As of September, 2010, full-day Kindergarten will also now be offered at Admiral Public School, Clearview Meadows and St. Mary's.

For those interested in school ratings, two links are provided at the end of this list. Regardless of what they say, I can tell you that families in each of these schools are fiercely proud and will tell you that theirs is the best!

Simcoe County

School Boards:
Public: Simcoe County District School Board

Catholic: Simcoe - Muskoka Catholic District School Board

Extended French Programs offered at the following schools:
Admiral Collingwood
Collingwood Collegiate Institute

Schools in Collingwood:

Admiral Collingwood Elementary School K - 8
Cameron Street Public School K - 8
Connaught Public School K - 8
Mountainview Public School K - 8
St. Mary's Catholic School K - 8

Collingwood Collegiate Institute (CCI) Gr. 9 - 12
Jean Vanier Catholic High School Gr. 9 - 12

Georgian College

Nottawa: Nottawa Elementary School K - 8

Duntroon: Duntroon Central Public School JK - 8

Creemore: Nottawasaga & Creemore Public School JK - 8

Stayner:

Clearview Meadows Elementary School K - 8
Byng Public School K - 8

Stayner Collegiate Institute (SCI) Gr. 9 - 12

Wasaga Beach

Birchview Dunes Elementary School K - 8
Worsley Elementary School
St. Noel Chabanel Catholic School JK - 8

Grey County

School Boards
Public: Bluewater District School Board

Catholic: Bruce - Grey Catholic District School Board

Extended French Programs offered at the following schools:
Meaford Community School
St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School
Georgian Bay Secondary School

Schools in Thornbury: Beaver Valley Community School JK - 8

Meaford:
St. Vincent-Euphrasia Elementary School JK-5
Meaford Community School JK - 8

Georgian Bay Secondary School Gr. 9 - 12

Maxwell: Osprey Central School / JK - 8

Flesherton: Grey Highlands Secondary School Gr. 9 - 12

Private Schools:

Clearview Montessori School Pre-school through Gr. 6
National Ski Academy
Pretty River Academy Pre-school to Gr. 12
Silvercrest Christian School / JK - 8
Rocklyn Academy Special Needs, Female, Secondary

Check School Ratings and Reports:

Fraser Institute School Performance Reports (Ontario)
Search EQAO School Reports and Test Results

Final Weekend! Condo owners can claim the credit for renovations to their own unit – similar to what would be done in a detached home, for example – as well as their share of any renovations to common areas paid for by the condo corporation. Read more: http://ow.ly/OYWx

Source: YourHome.ca - Originally Tweeted by: twitter.com@JenSpeedy Dec 9th, 2009

Source URL: http://ow.ly/OYWx