February 22, 2010

Guest Blog: HRG’s Sue gets Hooked on Homes

Hello Readers,

It’s been an exciting start, for the whole Home Renovation Guide team, here at our new offices with the Zookeepers. Now that I’ll be exposed to a multitude of new listings, I’m slightly worried that I’ll develop a home buying bug. Working at Home Renovation Guide these past years, I’ve looked at gorgeous renovations and am pretty sure that it’s instilled a constant desire for redecorating my home. But, who doesn’t love a good before and after makeover?
It will be interesting too to examine the connection between buying and remodelling from more of a real estate perspective now that we’re with Zoocasa.

I’ve looked at renovating as a step towards building your dream home but not so much as a resale tool or as a compromise to buying a less than perfect house. I’ve written tons of articles about how to start your home renovation and the key things to keep in mind is usually either ROI or resale value. I’ve heard over and over again that you should consider the rest of the neighborhood when it comes to that big project and of course to choose classic designs and neutral colour schemes, which can suit many personalities. This is also a good rule to follow when prepping one’s home for sale. I’d say that the most useful strategy to take when it comes to creating a home that is appealing to the maximum number of prospective buyers is to get a home stager.

You might have heard about the usual tricks like renting swank furniture to spruce up the space or have cookies baking in the oven when for showings in but there are many staging rules that can also help beautify your home. Getting rid of clutter and a fresh coat of paint works wonders in both cases. In fact I’ve heard of stories where the homeowner takes their house off the market because they loved their restyled home staged look so much. If you are interested in other décor ideas or tips for home improvement be sure to check out Home Renovation Guide’s article library. For any room in the house and the outside too, we have articles that cover basically anything you can think of.

Stay tuned to the Zoocasa blog as I’ll be sure to pass on some more reno and decor tips here again!

Susan Hu, Editor
Home Renovation Guide & Home Interior Guide