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Ontario property market

Toronto Real Estate Spring Madness

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Spring is one of the hottest times of year for selling and buying property in Toronto – and anywhere else in Canada, for that matter. The real estate market wakes up as buyers and sellers come out of hibernation and are raring to go with their projects. It would seem that most people are anxious to find or sell a home before the summer months. Across the country the pattern is the same with a spike in certain cities like Montreal as July 1st is the date when all leases are renewed and renters who don’t want to sign for another year need to find a house before that date.
 
In Ontario spring leading up to early summer is a terrific time for finding a new place or for selling your old one. However, because there are so many properties listed at this time of year, it is imperative that you find a way to make your home stand out from the crowd. There are several factors that go into making your home the one everyone wants. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you put yours up on the market.
 
1) The Right Realtor
Find the right realtor! A realtor specialized in your neighbourhood will know where to look for clients, how to market to people in your area and will have the contacts needed to find potential buyers.
 
2) Get it Ready
Make sure your home is ready to show – that means cleaning up thoroughly. Hire a cleaning service if you need to but get it done! Make any minor repairs, repaint if it’s looking tired and stage your home if necessary. Don’t forget about the outside – curb appeal is a huge factor in getting your home sold. A property that is attractive from the outside is more likely to stick in a buyer’s mind long after the visit is over.
 
3) Price it Competitively
Pricing your home at the right price point will go a long way towards attracting the right kind of buyers. Price it too high and you are likely to scare away potential buyers. A good realtor will help you to make this kind of decision – but don’t let yourself get bullied into pricing too low either. You need to find a range in which you feel comfortable.
 
As long as you follow the simple above guidelines, you can successfully take part in the annual rite of spring-time realty madness and come out a winner.

National Home Show

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The National Home Show is currently underway at the Enercare Centre Exhibition Place in Toronto. The yearly gathering of home-related vendors, suppliers, experts and professionals really is your one-stop-shop for anything realty related. The conference has grown tremendously over the years and is now widely recognized as the reference for home buyers, sellers and improvers in Toronto.
 
Every year the show brings together a who’s who of the home and garden world with ideas for home make-overs, renovations, design, style, trends and innovations. At this year’s show you can tour the hottest craze in real estate – a tiny house. You can also check out the latest in kids space design and find out what what’s new in smart home technology. Don’t forget that with spring around the corner, it’s certainly not too early to get some floral inspiration at the garden marketplace – the ideal spot for getting everything you need for your garden.
 
The National Home Show is the place to be if you have any plans to renovate, extend, redesign, buy or sell your property as it gathers every professional you could need under one roof. Not only does it have all the suppliers and vendors you could want in one place, it also offers conferences and talks from well-known industry professionals and home-and-garden television personalities.
 
The show has been open since March 11 and runs until this Sunday, March 20, so you still have time to visit. What’s more, if you register for tickets online, you can get $3 off your entrance.
 
Remember – this is the big one and it only happens once a year, so don’t miss out!

Personal Calendars

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Personal calendars are among the best tools a Toronto realtor can have in their bag of marketing materials. A calendar designed with your name and logo on each page is a daily (and monthly) reminder of your brand and what you have to offer.
 
The best personal calendars can incorporate a bit of everything your company does – from selling houses, representing buyers, giving back to charity or being involved in community organizations. The ways in which you can fill up a monthly calendar are endless and can be a true reflection of what you offer your clients. Some realtors use the space to promote products or offer discounts to local businesses for cross promotion.
 
Whether you choose to go with a large monthly calendar, a small desk-top version or a one pager – what you put around the calendar, the images and the branding can all contribute to your marketing strategy.
 
Formats
The large monthly calendar is the best vehicle for displaying large, luxury properties. You can put together a year-long list of gorgeous homes that you have sold to inspire all those to whom you hand out your calendar. It is also a great way of showcasing your charity work or other community involvement.
 
The small desk calendar is probably the most practical form of calendar to produce as it is something that most people require either in their home or office for quick, easy reference. While not as versatile as the large format, with the right placement of your brand and contact information, it can deliver all of the impact that you need.
 
The one-page calendar is another very convenient model to produce as many realtors or businesses use both sides completely. Since most of these one-pages are used to stick on refrigerators in the kitchen for quick reference, one side usually includes the calendar and the other side can either be a full page reference to your brand or it can contain handy kitchen measurements – which means that people would hang on to it for longer than just the one year.
 
Producing a calendar doesn’t have to just be for your business – it can also be for your friends and family and producing a family calendar is a great way to stay in touch and to offer a more personal and touching present to your loved ones.
 
Regardless of the format or reason that you choose to produce a calendar, Imaginahome Inc can help you get exactly what you want at the price that suits your wallet best. Give them a call today to see how they can assist.

Greeting Cards

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When done right greeting cards can brighten up a day, bring a smile to a face and keep your business at the forefront of a customer’s mind. Custom greeting cards are one of the best ways a Toronto realtor can keep in touch with their clients. However, getting the cards done right is important. Sending a generic greeting card can have the opposite effect on a customer as it sends a signal that your business isn’t established enough to have a solid brand look.
 
The power of brand
Growing your brand is very important and establishing your brand is one of the most important aspects of a successful business. Once you have a brand, it is important that all of your marketing efforts and materials reflect your brand promise, vision and mission. Therefore, custom greeting cards must take into consideration your brand identity and communicate this to your customers.
 
Versatility
Greeting cards are one of those very versatile marketing tools that can be used in for nearly any communication application. Whether you want to just say “hi” to remind your customers of your business, to send birthday or any other milestone wishes, to mark an anniversary or special event – sending a greeting card is one of the best ways to communicate your message. The added beauty of the greeting card design means that you can tailor your message and images to suit your needs.
 
Getting it right
The only way to get the kind of greeting cards for your business that will enhance your services and appeal to your personal clients, is to work with a marketing firm specialized in the custom greeting card creations. Imaginahome Inc. has been creating customer greeting cards for many years have have perfected the art of customizing marketing materials to reflect a business’ brand perfectly.
 
Creating a bank of customized greeting cards that you can draw on through the year for your marketing needs is a great way of ensuring you have the tools you need at your disposal throughout the year. Imaginahome Inc would be happy to help you create your custom designed greeting cards. Contact us today to see what we can offer you.

Custom Designed Real Estate Marketing Materials

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Custom designed homes deserve to be showcased properly – and giving them custom designed marketing materials is only fitting. In a hot real estate market like Toronto’s, a property needs all of the support it can get to stand out from the rest of the field. While traditional real estate marketing methods such as the sign in front of the house and newspaper listings are still widely used, it is now necessary to tailor your marketing goals to suit the home you are selling.
 
Online
Online listings are derigeur and one of the new “must-have” tools in any realtor’s arsenal, however, not just any listing will do. Custom online listings can include video tours of the property, voice-over narration describing the home and community, maps of the surrounding neighbourhood and professional photo galleries. A simple online listing stating the name of the community in which a property is found, the details of the property and a short description might suffice for an ordinary home – but if you have a luxury listing then it is important to showcase it properly. The proper marketing environment can actually boost the sales price and shorten the time that a listing is on the market.Our new look reflects our future direction and growth. Alongside our existing array of services, we are pleased to announce the addition of several forward-looking tools specially designed for realtors who understand how the use of leading technology can boost their listings. The new services include:
 
Print Materials
Again when it comes to brochures, foldouts and other forms of print marketing for real estate listings, custom creations are the way to go. Generic hand-outs might work for regular listings, but high-end homes require a finesse that can only be found in a custom creation. Professional photography, original copy writing and distinctive layouts can all go a long way toward positioning a property in a new or more captivating light. Whether you choose a regular postcard, a brochure or an executive folder to promote your listing, the quality will determine whether it is marketing money well spent or not. 
In order to stay competitive and to meet the ever-changing and demanding needs of luxury home-buyers everywhere, we have enhanced the tools that we offer realtors. You need to properly showcase your high-end homes and we have the means to help you create the exclusive and unique experience required to set your property listings apart from the rest.
 
Marketing your real estate listing has become a very specialized field and is one that requires the expertise of marketers who know how best to promote property listings. Imaginahome Inc. is proud to be one of the first such firms in the GTA. Through the years we have honed our craft, expanded our offerings and grown in size to accommodate even the most ambitious of projects.
 
Give us a call today to see how we can customize your real estate marketing materials to get you that fast, efficient sale.

New and Improved Website!

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Welcome to the new and improved Imaginahome website!
 
Our new look reflects our future direction and growth. Alongside our existing array of services, we are pleased to announce the addition of several forward-looking tools specially designed for realtors who understand how the use of leading technology can boost their listings. The new services include:
 
– Aerial photography
– Video tours
– 360 degree tours
– 3D immersive tours
– HD videos
– Voice-over narration
 
In order to stay competitive and to meet the ever-changing and demanding needs of luxury home-buyers everywhere, we have enhanced the tools that we offer realtors. You need to properly showcase your high-end homes and we have the means to help you create the exclusive and unique experience required to set your property listings apart from the rest.
 
What’s more – every week we cover an interesting topic in our blog related to the real estate market – whether it is home renovations, gardening or financing your first property, we’ve got the latest trends, tips and trusted advice to guide you along the real estate road.
 
Looking for real estate news? We’ve got that too – think of Imaginahome as your definitive source for Toronto real estate and real estate marketing news and needs.
 
For regular updates, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The GTA Home & Reno Show

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It’s that time of year once again, folks! The GTA Home & Reno Show is about to open its doors for another round of how-to’s, where-to-finds and who-to-hires! From Feb. 12-15th the International Centre Mississauga will be hosting this year’s edition of the premier home and renovation show in the city.

The focus for 2016 is on making your house a home. Expert speakers have been lined up to talk about how you can turn your property into that of your dreams – regardless of what you start with. The home and reno show is one of the best places to get solid advice from industry professionals, find out about the latest trends in home renovation and to meet with experts from every aspect of the renovation spectrum – from financiers to finishers.

Regardless of whether you are buying or selling a property, chances are that you will have to invest in certain updates – either to get the highest asking price possible or because you plan to live in the home and enjoy it for as long as possible. In either scenario, getting the low-down on your best options for renovating and updating will go a long way toward your future property happiness.

Among this year’s speakers is Scott McGillivray, host of the popular HGTV show Income Property. He will be discussing the “Top 5 Returns on Investment Renovations.” He is slotted to speak on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 1pm.

You can find out more about the show and the speakers presenting this year, at their website. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

If you plan on doing any renovations to your property – this is one show that you shouldn’t miss!

The Master Retreat

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The master bedroom in Toronto is the one place in new homes that has grown more than any other. In the past master bedrooms were slightly larger than the children’s bedrooms and had a slightly larger closet as well. Over time this principal bedroom in a house has steadily increased in size while the closet went from a single to a double and then to a walk-in, and now, to actual dressing rooms adjoining the master. The same transformation holds true for the ensuite. The master ensuite began life as a powder room and progressed in scope and function to deluxe, spa-like spaces fitted with everything needed to fully and entirely unwind and pamper yourself.

Master bedrooms today are more like entire suites. The most ambitious in design often take up an entire level or wing of a floor and they include sitting rooms, a sleeping chamber, dressing rooms with walk-in closets and ensuites. At the very minimum, master bedrooms will include a walk-in closet and an ensuite.

The phenomenon of a master suite is relatively new starting to appear in the mid-nineties and growing through the end of the century into what we find in today’s most luxurious homes. In fact, a large majority of homebuyers will cite a master suite as a necessity when looking for a new home. The only people with whom master suites are still relatively not so important are middle-class families with more than two children – in their case, they prefer having an extra bedroom over the master suite.

If your home currently doesn’t have a master with a walk-in closet or ensuite and you are looking to upgrade to one, the scope of the project will depend on the space on your floor. If you have three extra bedrooms, then you can feasibly turn one of those bedrooms into an ensuite with a walk-in. However, this should only be done if the market in your neighbourhood will return your investment when you sell. Naturally, this will not be a consideration if you plan on living in your home long-term.

If you don’t have extra space that you can use, then consider building an extension or building out over an attached garage. Obviously such ambitious projects will come with certain costs that might be more than you anticipate.

However, as we move into a new way of thinking about home and larger numbers of people are moving towards smaller, more sustainable dwellings, the phenomenon of the grand master suite might be on its way out. Only time will tell.

Fun Kids Room Ideas

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When it comes to decorating – no design project can beat the thrill of decorating a kid’s bedroom. Given their vivid imaginations and exuberant sense of fun, the sky really is the limit when it comes to designing and appointing these spaces. Naturally bright colours and light will play integral roles in any design for a child’s room, but the size of the room and your budget will also be important factors in its decor.

Ideas for small spaces
If you have a small bedroom, then consider a loft bed; they offer a practical solution that features the excitement of sleeping high-up while maximizing your floor space. It is the ideal solution for slightly older kids who might need a desk for homework or a couch for lounging with friends.

The same idea holds true with bunk beds – they are the best solution to comfortably accommodating two kids in the same room.

Reading/lounging Corner
A great idea that kids will love is creating a reading/lounging nook in their rooms. Setting up some bookshelves and placing a little seat nearby will encourage youngsters to read or play quietly in their “own” little den.

Fantasy Painting
If you have the talent (or the money to hire a painter), a simple way to make your child’s room more fun is to give it a custom paint job – trees, birds, clouds, the sea, space… whatever interests your child will make their room pop and lend itself well to imaginations that need only the slightest nudge to soar…

Cubbies and Crannies
Kids need lots of storage – but they also love places to hide and to pretend – why not give them both? Creating cubbies that are strong enough and large enough to hold a child’s weight will serve dual purposes – as storage and a great hiding place!

Crannies can be created under a raised bed, around a desk corner – and they can be as simple as stringing up a colourful throw and adding a string of Christmas lights to the mix.

Whimsy
Adding a touch of whimsy is always a good idea when decorating a child’s room. Whimsy can be as small as stencilling fairies, flowers, planets or other favorite elements around the room to as complicated as creating a tree in the corner with an actual swing hanging from a branch. The sky’s the limit when it comes to such creative touches.

Ultimately your child’s room should be a fun and imaginative place for your child to retreat to, but also an easy place to clean and maintain.

The perfect lounge

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When setting up a lounge in your Toronto home – whether a formal living room or a casual family room, the idea is to create a stylish space for relaxation where family and guests alike will feel welcome and at-ease. Regardless of the space you have to work with there are certain tips and tricks that will help you personalize your setting.

Colour
The right colour will influence the ambiance of your room and promote either a festive, refined, sophisticated or casual atmosphere. Your personal style and taste will dictate the color palate that you choose. When putting together your palate try to pull in everything that will be in your room including wall and window treatments, upholstery and any other textured element – and then match them to each other. Interior decorators work with a swatch board on which they attach all of their color and texture inspirations so that they can see whether what they envision works together in reality. Making your own swatch board is a great way to get professional results when planning everything yourself.

Texture
Colour is not the only important element in a room – texture is just as integral to a unified space. Whether you are looking at wall paper, rugs, upholstery, flooring or moldings – the proper texture will add weight, depth, character and style to your space. Be sure to match your texture to the overall vision for your lounge.

Furniture
Furniture is the backbone of your lounge – not just the actual pieces you choose, but also the placement of those pieces within your room. Depending on the size of your room, you might want to consider placing the furniture in the middle of the space leaving room behind for circulating. Ensuring that talking areas are not crossed is another element to keep in mind.

Bar
The addition of a wet bar in your lounge will definitely get the party going! However, wet bars are not as popular in formal living rooms or family room as they are in recreation areas or lower level lounges. However, that doesn’t mean that if you want a wet bar in your living or family room you can’t break the mold and go your own way. There are a number of ways to incorporate a wet bar into your lounge – from hidden compartments to the creation of an actual bar with stools and hanging glasses.

Lighting
As with everything else, lighting is a very important part of creating the perfect lounge. Indirect or mood lighting works best for entertaining although you will certainly want to have full overhead lights for those occasions when better lighting is needed. Two sets of lighting is therefore smart – overheads that are used only when needed, and mood lighting for every day.

The perfect lounge really will depend on what you consider important in such a space and what your comfort level dictates.