As an Oakville realtor, we’ve shared our thoughts on why home staging is so important, how it works and how clients can benefit by being able to sell their home quickly and for a higher price. Most people have heard of home staging and understand that it helps present their home in the best light possible by removing clutter, placing furniture in a way that maximizes the space and helps the space look as inviting as possible for prospective buyers.

With that in mind, people who are interested in listing their home are often delighted to hear a realtor mention that they will support them with home staging. However, as with any type of service, be sure to ask the right questions so that you clearly understand what will be provided and avoid confusion.

Different Types Of Home Staging

At Sue Heddle Homes, we offer all of our listing clients free home staging. What does that mean exactly? It means that we have a warehouse full of luxurious furniture, pillows, bedding, beautiful art work and on trend accessories so that our clients to get the most out of home staging with little to no effort on their part. Our personal home staging team will style your home to showcase its best features. All of this is provided to our clients at no extra charge.

However, not all home staging offered by Oakville realtors is the same. In order to understand what will be provided when it comes to home staging, be clear on what is being offered to you and what additional expenses may be required in order to avoid misunderstandings.

If the Oakville realtor you are considering working with offers home staging, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be getting full service treatment. In some cases, here’s what it may mean:

• They provide you with the services of an Interior Designer for an hour who creates a list of suggestions and a potential shopping list on what you’ll need to stage your home. Making the purchases and executing their suggestions is up to you.
• They make suggestions on home staging companies or Interior Designers that may be able to help you at an added cost.
• They move only your existing furniture and décor items around doing what they can with what is already in the home. While this may come at no extra cost, you aren’t getting the refresh to your home that may be required to facilitate the sale you want.

Get Full Home Staging When You List With Sue Heddle Homes

Selling your home can be stressful and overwhelming. The last thing you need is more tasks to do such as shopping for artwork or décor accents that you hope will appeal to prospective buyers. When you list with Sue Heddle Homes, when we say we’ll take care of home staging for you, we really mean it! Using our own home staging materials, we’ll ensure your home looks it’s best at no added cost to you. If you want top results, make sure you list with a top Oakville realtor, like Sue Heddle, that knows how to get your home sold. Contact us to learn more about our award-winning sellers program and get it working for you.

Whether you’re thinking of selling your Oakville home this winter or not, most people are looking for ways to keep their home warm without paying sky high heating bills. In addition to saving money, when the weather is cold and damp outside, it’s much nicer to stay comfortable and cozy at home while we all wait for spring to arrive!

The age of your home can certainly play a factor in how easy it is to keep it consistently and evenly warm, but regardless of your type of Oakville home, the tips below can prove to be valuable for just about anyone. If you are thinking of selling your home, ensuring that the heating system is updated and working well is a smart way to help you achieve a top selling price.

7 Ways To Maximize The Heat In Your Home

Sometimes it just takes a bit of planning and effort to help you make the most of your space. While not all of these tips may apply to your home, we’re sure you’ll be able to make use of at least a few! And if the home you’re currently in is not meeting your needs, be sure to reach out to Sue Heddle Homes. We’d be happy to meet with you to discuss buying or selling a home in Oakville, Burlington, Milton or Mississauga.

1. Install a programmable thermostat to help keep your bill low and your efficiency high. This way, you can automatically have the heat lowered when no one is typically in the house and overnight. It may seem counterintuitive to lower the temperature at night, but keep in mind that research shows cooler temps promote better sleep.

2. Let sunlight in during the day. Once the sun is up, you might as well capture as much free heat as you can. Even on the coldest winter days, the sun is still warm, especially in the afternoon. Open up your curtains and let the light shine in, especially in rooms where you know the sun streams in for a good part of the day.

3. If you have ceiling fans in your home, check to see if they have winter setting. A winter setting can push the heat back down into your rooms. This can work especially well in rooms with high or sloped ceilings.

4. Make sure your vents aren’t blocked. If they are, move things around, at least for the winter. This will make sure every room is getting maximum heat potential.

5. Get cooking or baking. Using your oven will definitely help keep your house warmer, especially in the rooms closest to the kitchen.

6. Invest in some rugs. Did you know that uninsulated wood floors can account for up to 10% of a home’s heat loss? Add a rug or temporary carpet to your floor in the winter to notice a big difference in coziness.

7. Keep yourself warm. It’s pretty simple to throw on a sweater, pull on wool socks or add extra blankets to your beds at night. While you don’t want to resort to wearing a coat around the house, keeping the people who live in your house warm while allowing the thermostat to run a bit low is also a great way to manage heat in the winter.

Is It Time To Move Into A Home That Better Suits Your Needs?

Whether it’s the layout of your home or the functionality that’s no longer working for you, now’s the time to buy or sell a home in 2020 with Sue Heddle Homes. With more than a decade of experience as a trusted Oakville realtor, Sue Heddle knows what it takes to make outstanding real estate deals happen. When you list with Sue Heddle Homes, not only will you get free home staging, but your listing will be also be created using high quality photos and showcased using digital marketing tools. Ready to make a change this year? Call (416) 906-7998 and let’s talk!

This year, Chinese New Year officially begins on January 25 and ends on February 4, 2020. When the New Year begins, it will be the year of the Rat, the first of all the zodiac animals. In Chinese culture, rats are seen as a sign of wealth and abundance. Because the Rat is the first sign in Chinese Astrology, 2020 is also considered a year of new beginnings and renewals.

Chinese New Year often kicks off a surge in the real estate market. If you’d like to sell or buy a home in the coming months, Sue Heddle Homes can help. With more than a decade of experience as an Oakville realtor supporting clients all over Halton and the GTA, we’d be happy to chat with you about your needs. Contact us anytime!

8 Things You May Not Know About Chinese New Year

Did you now that Chinese New Year is celebrated by more than 20% of the population? If you aren’t familiar with this important Chinese holiday, keep reading to learn more.

1. Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival.
2. There isn’t a set date for Chinese New Year because it is based on the lunar calendar.
3. It is the longest Chinese holiday, lasting 15 days.
4. While gifts may be exchanged during the Spring Festival, children always receive lucky money in red envelopes.
5. People stay up on Chinese New Year’s Eve to set off firecrackers at midnight because they are supposed to scare off monsters and bad luck. Firecrackers are used again in the morning to welcome the New Year and foster good luck.
6. Families decorate their homes in red to scare away bad luck and unwelcome monsters.
7. There are 12 Chinese zodiacs signs, and each animal sign represents an entire year.
8. Chinese New Year ends with the Lantern Festival.

Wishing You Good Luck And Good Fortune This New Year

Chinese New Year is all about spending time with family and preparing for a positive and prosperous year ahead. As we move into the next lunar year, Sue Heddle Homes wishes good luck and good fortune to you and your family.

We get it. January is not considered a favourite month among very many. In Oakville, it’s typically cold and snowy and people are caught up in making new year resolutions! However, if you’re thinking that 2020 may be the right time to find an experienced Oakville realtor and sell your home, you’re no doubt anxious to get started.

You may be thinking that January can’t possibly be a good time to get your home on the market. In fact, if you poll your friends and family, they’ll most likely suggest that the spring may be a better time. Don’t worry though, there really is no reason to wait!

You Can Have Success Listing Your Home In January

If you want to sell your home in the early part of 2020, take comfort in the fact that there are actually a lot of great reasons to start the process as soon as the calendar flips to a new year.

1. Historically, there are usually fewer homes on the market in the Oakville, Burlington and Milton areas in January. This means you’ll have less competition which can result in getting a good offer that much faster.

2. People who are house hunting in January are serious buyers. At this time of year, you’ll get less people attending open houses out of curiosity or people who are only looking with the hopes of buying a home in your area in the next few years.

3. Take advantage of business cycles. Did you know that January tends to be the busiest month for corporate transfers? This means that there could be plenty of employees being transferred to your area who are looking for a quick sale and are ready to make a firm offer.

How To Improve Your Chance For A Winter Sale

Here are a few tips that can help make your January sale as successful as possible. If you’re looking for an Oakville realtor with proven success, contact Sue Heddle Homes. We offer all of our clients free home staging - an excellent way to increase your selling price and reduce the number of days on the market.

• In addition to current photos, if you have professional summer photographs of the outside of your home, it’s a good idea to include these in the listing.
• Always ensure your driveway and walkways clear of snow and ice.
• Keep your home comfortably warm, and if you have one make use of the fireplace to create an inviting winter environment.
• Create a take-away sheet for prospective buyers that highlights winter activities in your area such as skating rinks, tobogganing hills or the best place to get a hot chocolate!

Sell Your Home This January With Sue Heddle Homes

As you can see, there really is no reason to wait to sell your home in 2020! Let’s get your home ready to list in January and take advantage of the opportunities the first month of the year can bring. Sue Heddle Homes offers more than a decade of experience and knows what it takes to facilitate a successful sale. We’d be happy to provide a free home evaluation and meet with you to discuss the best next steps. Ready to move forward? Call us at (416) 906-7998!

The real estate market in Oakville and surrounding areas was much different in 2019 than it was in 2018. However, the changing market didn’t stop Sue Heddle Homes, a trusted Oakville realtor, from continuing to support our new and returning clients! From Toronto to Grimsby and many locations in between, we worked hard to ensure our clients had a successful experience and look forward to celebrating even more accomplishments in 2020.

As we get ready to start a new year, we will continue to offer our clients free home staging as well as ensuring every listing we create only ever uses professional photos. You can count on Sue Heddle Homes to do everything we can to support your success. We are so grateful for all of our clients and their referrals and can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!

Top Real Estate Blogs Of 2019 From Sue Heddle Homes

Our blog is just one of the ways that we aim to add value to our clients and to anyone else contemplating buying or selling a home. As such, we’ve rounded up our top real estate blogs from the last 12 months. We’re so pleased that we’ve been able to create content that resonated with those looking for real estate news and information around Oakville, Mississauga, Milton and Burlington.

1. Best Neutral Paint Colours For Updating Your Home

2. How Does Home Staging Work?

3. Why You Need An Experienced Realtor On Your Side

4. How To Find An Oakville Real Estate Agent

5. 5 Essential Questions To Ask At An Open House

Need A Top Oakville Realtor In 2020?

Sue Heddle Homes is ready to assist you with all of your real estate needs in 2020. With indications of tight markets in Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Mississauga, now is the time to get started and be ready to list your home in the new year. With more than a decade of experience as an Oakville realtor, we’re committed to making your real estate transactions as smooth as possible. If you have any questions or would like a free home evaluation, please contact us or call us at (416) 906-7998.

While our society continues to become increasingly visual, when it comes to selling your home the images used have always been important. The pictures included as part of your Oakville real estate listing are the main element used to advertise and market your home. So, what do you want your pictures to say?

When listing your property for sale, you want all images used to speak volumes and to grab the attention of every prospective buyer who may be looking for a new home.

3 Reasons Why You Need Professional Images To Sell Your Home

When you list with Sue Heddle Homes, not only will you get free home staging, but you’ll also get listing photos taken by a professional photographer. Your listing should be the best it can be, right from the start. Sue Heddle Homes will make sure the photos of your home make each room shine.

Here's why you want to make sure you work with an experienced Oakville realtor that understands why photos are a top priority.

1. Professional photographs show that you really care about your property. When prospective buyers see that, they will be more likely to want to see your home as they’ll have faith they’ll be buying a home in good condition.
2. Searching online is the most popular way for buyers to find prospective homes to view. As such, you want what they see to stand out and to encourage them or their realtor to reach out and find out more. Additionally, professional online images have the potential to reach not only local buyers, but buyers from elsewhere who may be looking in your area. Your online images may be the only thing they have to help them determine if your home may be the right one for them.
3. Pictures help people feel as though they get to be inside your home, without truly being in the home. Many people use pictures to know if it’s a good fit before wasting time by going out to the property. Poor pictures give too many people a reason to skip your listing and move on to the next. While great pictures don’t guarantee the home sale you want, they certainly are one of the best ways to get buyers in the door.

Let Sue Heddle Homes Showcase Your Oakville Home

Selling your home can feel like a lot of work! When you list with Sue Heddle Homes, not only will we stage your house for a faster sale at a higher price, but we’ll also ensure your listing is created using only high quality, professional images. With more than a decade of experience selling Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Mississauga homes, you can count on Sue Heddle to showcase your property in the best possible way. For a free home evaluation or to find out more about selling your home, please contact us!

As we're firmly rooted in 2019 and gearing up for another busy year in the Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Mississauga real estate markets, we're still taking the time to celebrate and reflect on a successful and rewarding 2018. We're pleased to share the latest recognition for Sue Heddle Homes - an Award of Excellence for Exemplary Performance for the Fourth Quarter of 2018.

In addition to our latest accomplishment, we also celebrated the following in 2018:

• Recognition as one of Real Estate Magazine’s 25 Top Elite Women In Real Estate.
• Recognized multiple times as the #1 top agent or among the top ten agents for Century 21 Miller Real Estate Ltd. 
• Adding Zillow to our marketing tools for sellers.
• Creating top blog content that proved to be helpful to our clients and anyone in the real estate market. 

If you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell a house in Oakville and the surrounding regions (including anywhere in the GTA), please reach out to Sue Heddle Homes. With more than a decade or experience and proven results, we'd be happy to connect with you and find out more about how we can help. Call Sue today at (905) 845-9180 and lt's talk about your real estate needs for 2019!

Congratulations to all the outstanding women listed as Top 25 Elite Women in Real Estate. It is an honour to be  recognized alongside them in the most recent issue of Real Estate Professionals magazine. This accolade not only recognizes my successes in the real estate field, but also my commitment to giving back to the community through my Hockey Cares initiative.

In addition to being recognized by the real estate industry, our busy summer in both the Oakville real estate market and with clients living just outside of the GTA resulted in also being recognized as the top agent for Century 21 Miller Real Estate Ltd in August 2018. A sincere thank you to all of our clients for trusting Sue Heddle Homes with their real estate needs. It really is our pleasure to work with you!

When it comes to buying or selling your home, we know that there are lots of realtor options.  We really do appreciate and value every single one of our clients and are so thankful that so many of you put your trust in us.  We are proud of the work we do and were recently recognized with an 'Outstanding Achievement' award - we share this accomplishment with our clients, past and present, who continue to work with us and refer our team to their friends and family.  Thank you!

We look forward to the last few months of 2017, where our commitment to providing high level customer service and top notch negotiating skills will continue!