KYM TARR Kelowna BC

When selling or purchasing a new home, many people do not think ahead to get a pest inspection! It rarely comes up until there is a huge ugly problem staring us in the face. If you are preparing to sell, below are some great tips for preventing household pests, pest infestations and the potentially dangerous health and property threats they pose.

Interior

• Seal all cracks and holes on the inside of the home including entry points for pipes.
• Keep baths and showers well ventilated and dry.
• Seal outlets, switch plates and baseboards, as some insects will travel through these.
• Keep all foods properly stored, including pet foods. Use plastic containers or plastic bags.
• Maintain good housekeeping.
• Dispose of vacuum bags regularly.
• Replace air handling filters regularly.

Exterior

• Keep doors closed or properly screened.
• Repair torn screening.
• Seal all cracks and holes around the outside of the home including entry points for utilities and pipes.
• Keep tree branches and shrubbery well trimmed and away from the house.
• Keep attics and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
• Store garbage in sealed containers and dispose of it regularly.
• Repair fascia and soffits, if rotted, as some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood.
• Replace weather-stripping around doors and windows.
• Store fire wood at least 20 feet away from the house and five inches off the ground.

Homeowners who choose not to tackle these activities may wish to hire a professional pest control firm. Many firms are beginning to offer pest proofing in an addition to their other services.

I was reading the newspaper from home this morning (UK) and on the bottom of page 15 was a little tiny article about what UK home buyers dont like to see when hunting for the perfect property.

Here is the list:

Scruffy houses next door

Smell of dogs

Dirty Bathrooms

Weird Odours

Net Curtains

Solar Panels

Trampoline in the yard

Mirrored closet doors

Botched DIY jobs

Cracked or peeling paint

Overgrown yards

What blew me away was the claim that 10% of people would refuse to make an offer on a home if the beds were unmade!

Only goes to show that FIRST IMPRESSIONS are so important! Buying a home is the biggest purchase people are ever likely to make, so in the buyers eyes it needs to be PERFECT!

Run for the Cure is taking place October 2, 2011 at City Park in Kelowna. Prep This House is a proud supporter of Breast Cancer awareness! My mum is currently fighting her lengthy battle with breast cancer, and Barb , the co -owner of Prep This House has lost an aunt to this dreadful disease.

Our company colours were actually inspired by our deep awareness of breast cancer and the effect it has had on each of our lives personally.

So we have decided as a Breast Cancer supporter we are going run or walk for this Run for the Cure event! Would you like to join us and Run for the Cure in your own city!

I am running for my Mother!

There are a number of reasons that get an individual looking for their first home or upgrade to a larger one. Since time is a precious thing for everyone these days, and we don’t want to waste that valuable commodity looking at properties that are not contenders. We all start off with a list of “must haves” that are used to pre determine what homes we will even consider.

One of the “must haves” is a Price. If a home is not in a potential buyers price range it is automatically eliminated. Second “must have” is a desirable Location, close to schools, shops, restaurants, night life.. Whatever is deemed feasible for our current lifestyle. The third is of course is Presentation. Is the property well maintained, landscaped, move in ready?

It is sometimes said that people can spend more time picking out a new dress or the latest I phone, then they do their largest investment “their home”. Why is that? Because people buy feelings! The home they purchase will be where they raise their kids and lovingly watch them grow. It is where the guys will watch the Super Bowl or entertain in the back yard. When you buy a house you aren't buying a space to eat and sleep. You're moving into your private "safe haven." A place you can call "home" for years.

In his fantastic book "The E Myth - Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do about It", Michael E. Gerber provides all kinds of useful information. However, when I read his book, there was one thing that stood out more than anything else. A small sentence buried on page 154: "People Buy Feelings." This is an extremely important point: People do not buy a product or service necessarily for the thing it is, but for how it makes them feel!

So how does your property measure up? What feelings does your property create in a home buyer? With 97% of active home buyers surfing the “net” looking for homes on their “must have” list, does your home or the photos look anything like what we found HERE... It is unbelievable that owners and agents alike would be okay with presenting a home in this fashion. The only feeling these create... “Is get me outta here fast”!!

Some say that you should eliminate emotion from the home buying equation. What do you think? I think it can be moderated, ( this is where a guy’s logic would come in) so that you seriously consider all the facts, and then decide which properties really do meet your needs. Emotion is one feeling that can never be ignored. So rather than ignoring it put it to good use!

Prep this House is very pleased to announce that we have become the Official Home Stagers for Remax Kelowna. We are so excited to be partnered with an amazing group of agents who are as passionate about selling homes as we are about Staging them!

Many thanks to Cliff Shillington and Deborah Moore for the helping hand! Great Team = Great Results!!!