When it comes to buying or selling a house, the most logical thing to do is to find a realtor.

Why? To put it simply, realtors or real estate agents are experts in the real estate market. They are trained, skilled, and have the experience when it comes to the entire home buying and selling process, from home research to negotiating with sellers and buyers, to closing a good deal.

And you don’t even have to pay them for doing all that. That’s how realtors are especially important for a buyer or a seller. You may be thinking you are paying higher because of their “commissions” but that’s not true. They are there to save you time, stress, frustrations, and yes—money! If you’re curious about that, you might want to take a look at these simple, straightforward proofs your realtor is actually saving you money:

- Realtors know their market. And with that, they know what you should be paying for a home. They know if you are getting your money’s worth based on a certain location and house conditions. Give them your budget and they will definitely know if the houses for sale in Auburn Bay or the average house price in Calgary suits you.

- They can score great deals. Let them do the home research and you’ll be surprised at how knowledgeable they are when it comes to house hunting. They will know the quality of the schools in the area you are considering, and whether it’s a place to easily shop and work in, and they can even get you the crime rates and demographics of the place.

Throw them a question about interest rates, or even home listings that are not yet public, and they can readily give you an answer. If you’re one who is eyeing a home somewhere, say you might be interested in the luxury homes in Calgary, chances are they are updated in Calgary real estate news and you’ll end up being one of the first buyers to getting a “good” deal on the home. That’s how they can find you great deals.

- Negotiation is their game. Many times, a realtor may be able to get you a lower price for a home, and you get to save thousands of dollars. Appraisals, biddings, waiving of fees, name it, realtors are experts when it comes to getting you score a good deal and saving some cash without compromising the standards for your dream home.

Appraisals, biddings, waiving of fees, name it. Realtors are experts when it comes to getting you score a good deal and will do their best to cut some cost and save you some cash without compromising the standards for your dream home.

If you think hiring a realtor will cost you loads, you better think twice. Everyone knows how tedious the entire home buying process is, and you’ll know the difference when you let a real estate agent help you get through all of it. The secret is to find a realtor that you can comfortably work with, who is patient in answering your unending queries, and who will walk you through each step of your home buying process until you find the home that you’ve been praying for.

When it comes time to sell your home, there are a number of low-cost ways to increase the visual appeal of your home and make it stand out above the other listings in Calgary.

Choosing to sell or buy a property is a huge choice in and of itself, but when it comes to selling and staying competitive among other listings, you should consider how you may improve the beauty of your home.

I spent some time consulting with other Remax Calgary agents, and we came up with a list of fast modifications that we all think will assist Canadian residents boost the appeal of their listings.

Multimedia material such as video and 3d tours are increasingly being prioritized in MLS listings. Calgary is a very modern and stylish city, so if you're worried about how your home will stand out among other listings, we've got some terrific suggestions.

Even in the midst of the pandemic, we're seeing higher-than-ever numbers of new MLS listings in the Calgary area, and we've seen many incidents of fast upgrades boosting a home's asking price by more than a few percent.

Dress up your front entrance.

A welcome environment is always created by a good front entrance. Your home's first impression is created by its door. Hang planters or place pots; a thoughtful selection of artificial plants can aid those of us who don't have a green thumb or are concerned about how they will fare at the end of the season. Decorating the front of your home is less expensive and offers your home a more appealing appearance. Wreaths and other seasonal flourishes can also help, but make sure they're suited for the season given Calgary's fickle environment.

Replacement knobs and handles, as well as a fresh coat of paint on the door surrounds, may be required in older character homes. In terms of hardware, contrasting old with modern produces a lively, sophisticated design.

Refresh your House Number

When was the last time you took a close look at the look of your house number? Number plates on your door that appear to be older might detract from a home's first image, especially if they are cracked, chipped, or faded. There are numerous options for personalising your house number plates. Take a trip around some of Calgary's hippest districts, such as Marda Loop, Garrison Woods, or South Calgary, to see some very unique house numbers.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to make these things stand out, and places like Ikea and Amazon sell inexpensive outdoor LED solutions and decorations.

Check up on your windows

Spend some time looking through some of Calgary's MLS listings in a comparable price range and neighbourhood to see where your eye is directed naturally; brilliant lighting and large architecturally attractive windows are huge focal points in a property.

Depending on the condition of your windows, you may choose to deliberately replace one or two windows in your house to provide a crucial spot on the interior an airier, refreshed, and ventilated sensation, but don't forget about the basics.

Make sure your windows are clean, check at some of the budget-friendly drapery choices available at stores like Ikea or Structube, and consider using flowers to decorate focal windows.

What about lighting?

To fully transform the vibe of a space, you don't always need to completely overhaul your home's lighting. Consider which rooms can benefit from some high-efficiency LED bulbs, and keep in mind the colour temperature and brightness that these fixtures demand.

Adding one or two bright character lights to the main living area can be a cost-effective approach to revitalise a space. There are also inexpensive lighting accents available, such as battery-powered LED strips that may be quickly put beneath your kitchen cupboards and instantly elevate and expand any kitchen.

Calgary is reopening and it’s time for gatherings! Request an honest critique on your home's décor from friends and family.

While your realtor may have some fast suggestions for improving the appearance of a place (paint touchups and plants are always helpful! ), we recommend collecting some feedback from your friends and family.

If we plan to list in the near or distant future, our preferred method is to set a budget for a few quick renovations or touch-ups, as well as to identify some priorities and address them accordingly. Calgary’s home buyers will notice and appreciate this extra effort!

Patrick Hospes and his team would be delighted to walk you around your home and advise you on what a potential buyer might like to see (or not see!) Many of these adjustments are simpler than you might believe; contact us right away!

There are many different types of weeds that can spoil a lush, green lawn: dandelions, quack grass, white clover, crabgrass, wood sorrel, bindweed, broad-leaf plantain, cinquefoil and creeping charley to name a few. But regardless of which types of weeds you may encounter, getting rid of them can be challenging, and now more than ever, it’s time to find a hands-on, chemical free, sustainable approach to lawn care.

The traditional way to eradicate weeds is to use a two-prong approach of applying fertilizer and herbicide at different times of the year. A regular application of fertilizer produces strong, healthy grass plants that have a better chance of fighting off weeds. And herbicides have been proven to be effective at killing existing weeds and deterring the growth of new weeds.

Don’t discount the efficacy of getting down on your hands and knees and using weeding tool to dig up weeds, especially before they go to seed. And it’s best to hand-pull weeds when they’re still young and their roots haven’t had a chance to grow down deep into the soil. Yanking out older, more established weeds requires digging out the entire root system. Otherwise, they’ll just grow back.

Before treating or amending a lawn, it’s always best to start by testing the condition of the soil. Do-it-yourself soil test kits are sold at garden shops, home centers and hardware stores. For more comprehensive testing, contact your County Cooperative Extension office.

If the test reveals that your soil is slightly acidic, raise the pH level by adding pulverized lime. To lower the pH of moderately alkaline soils, add organic material, such as peat moss. For soil with extremely high pH, amend it with sulfur or iron sulfate.

It’s difficult to give specific lawn-care recommendations because so much depends upon the type of grass you have and in which region of the country you live. However, here’s an annual maintenance schedule that’s appropriate for most parts of the country. Follow this advice and you’ll end up with a greener lawn and many fewer weeds.

March-April

If crabgrass is present, use a walk-behind drop spreader to apply an organic pre-emergence crabgrass preventative agent. However, don’t apply it until the grass is green and has been mowed at least twice. This is also a good time to apply lawn fertilizer.

If you find clumps of crabgrass, that’s an indication of where the crabgrass seeds have settled. Treat these clumps with a post-emergence crab grass agent, applied two or three times over a seven-day stretch. Note that post-emergence agents are most effective in the spring, not in late-summer or fall when the seed heads have already formed.

May-June

Apply a sustainable, organic lawn fertilizer in mid-summer, if you didn’t do so in the spring. Treat dandelions and other broadleaf weeds, such as plantain and chickweed, with a dual-function “weed and feed” herbicide or broad-leaf weed killer.

You can also spot-kill individual weeds and weed clumps by using a pump-up sprayer to spray herbicide directly onto the weeds. For optimum results, apply the herbicide when the air temperature is between 65 and 85ºF, and there’s no rain in the forecast for 24 to 48 hours. And note that many broad-leaf weed killers come in concentrated formulas, which you can mix to the proper proportions; concentrates are also much less expensive than pre-mixed, ready-to-use products.

July-August

Inspect lawn for insect pests. If necessary, apply a grub-control agent.

September-October

Apply a fall fertilizer to strengthen the lawn and repair summer damage. Grass leaves grow much more slowly as the weather cools, but the grass roots and rhizomes continue to grow strong. (Rhizomes are the horizontal plant stems that lie just beneath the soil’s surface.)

Treat bare spots with an all-in-one Lawn Repair Mixture that contains grass seed, mulch, and a quick-start fertilizer.

Spread a layer of bark mulch over areas where grass doesn’t grow, but weeds do, such as around shrubs and beneath trees.

Going the sustainable route doesn’t mean you have to give up on a healthy lawn, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you must give up the rest of your life tending for your lawn.

Take care to use any chemical or even organic compound sparingly. In Calgary, it’s generally possible to go a few years between any serious lawn maintenance. Your lawn can go 2-3 years without aeration, chemicals or other compounds.

Researching the type of grass that does well in our climate, (Kentucky Bluegrass, Poa pratensis are the choice of pros in Calgary) is a key element to sustainability in landscaping and yard care. The right choice of grass means less chemicals, maintenance and re-sodding.

Setting your mower to a higher length also helps encourage growth, maintain thatch levels and strengthen the overall health of your lawn.

Know how much to water! You might remember a decade or so ago the city ran a campaign saying that you only need to fill the hollow side of a frisbee with water (So about 1.5-2cm of water) to adequately water your lawn, and now more than ever we must do our part to ensure that we are only using the water we need to keep our lawns healthy.

Looking for other budget friendly or sustainable options to prep your home for a future listing? Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wowcalgary.ca