Fall Checklist For Your Home - December 2016

As you’re probably aware, one of the key steps to preparing your home for sale is to get rid of as much clutter as possible. You want to make every room look spacious and comfortable.

But what do you do with the pictures, boxes, clothing, tools, furniture and other stuff you need to take out of your home?

For items that you don’t want anymore, you have two options: dispose or donate. You can dispose of items at your local waste depot or recycling centre, (but be sure to call ahead to confirm which items they will accept.) Donations can be made to organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army. These organizations are interested in good furniture, clothing, appliances (that work), bikes and other toys (that don’t need repair), and tools.

For items you want to keep, consider renting space at a local self-storage facility. Most offer a variety of storage options from lockers to garages, and typically charge by the month. As for security, most self-storage facilities have fencing, gates that require a passcode, cameras and other security features. You can also lock your own unit.

One of the drawbacks of self-storage is that you have to move your stuff twice – first to the storage unit, and then to your new home. An alternative that’s becoming increasingly popular is a Mobile Storage Unit. The unit is placed in your driveway for a few days while you load it with the items you want stored. Then it’s picked up by the mobile storage company and taken to their warehouse. When you move, the company simply drops the unit off at your new home for unloading.

It seems like every month there is a new website offering deals on everything from electronics to travel. In fact, the “coupon industry” is booming.

This trend has conditioned people, more than ever before, to look for bargains and become determined to pay well below the market price for merchandise. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all want a deal!

But when it comes to shopping for a home, bargain hunting can be a bad idea.

First of all, the real estate market is competitive. The overwhelming majority of homes sell for a price that is at, or close, to their respective market values. Your chances of finding a property that is listed significantly below its market value is slim to none.

Secondly, if you become fixated on finding a bargain, you may not notice all the great properties on the market that are within your price range and meet your criteria.

In other words, you may inadvertently pass on what may, in fact, be your next dream home.

So, when shopping for a new home, focus on finding the right property at the right price, and not on finding a bargain.

At this time of year, people traditionally set goals for next year. Do you have something you want to achieve over the coming months? If so, then you’ll have a much better chance of reaching your goal if you make it “SMART”.

SMART is an acronym that refers to the five ingredients of a successful goal: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. It is based on the work of famed management guru Peter Drucker, but the technique is equally applicable to personal goals.

Here’s how it works:

Let’s say your goal is to lose weight.

To make this goal SMART, you would need to make it specific – lose 7 pounds; measurable – track your weight every week; achievable – find a good program to follow; realistic – check with your doctor to make sure your weight loss goal is sensible, and time-bound – six weeks.

Studies prove that if your goal is SMART you’ll have a much better chance of achieving it. Good luck!