5 Tips for a Smooth and Stress-Free Move

5 Tips for a Smooth and Stress-Free Move

Whether you’re an organizational queen or a procrastinator, let’s face it moving is stressful! With the housing market in Kelowna not slowing down, it is evident there are a few of you that are heading out the door of your old home and into the door of your new Kelowna family home! We are so excited for your new adventure. We want to ensure that the transition of the move is as smooth and stress-free as possible. Here are some tips to get you through it!

 

Start Early

As soon as you know the possession date on your new home, start getting your things together and pack slowly. It is way easier to slowly pack up than to leave everything till the night before the movers arrive. This is just a recipe for disaster! Leave a few boxes in every room of the house and start packing up things you know you will not use between now and the time of possession.

 

Use your Linens to Wrap up Delicates

Moving costs money, and lots of it! To help cut costs during your big move, instead of buying special wrapping paper or bubble wrap, use linens such as comforters and towels to wrap up your delicates. Not only does it help your wallet but it also saves space when you move as the linens have to come anyways!

 

Keep Your Clothes on the Hanger

Rather than taking everything off of the hanger and then having to put it on the hanger again when you get to your new place. Transport your clothing on its hanger! There are two different ways that you can do so. First, you can buy the boxes that have a pole along the top and you can just hang your clothing in the boxes. Then when you arrive at the new place just take your clothes out and put them directly in the new closet. Second, you can tie garbage bags around the clothing. If you are going this route, just ensure you gather the clothing from the bottom, lift the bag the clothing and tie it securely over the bunch of hangers.

 

Take Photos of your Wall Art/Bookshelves

The worst part about moving to a new place is forgetting how all of the stuff was organized at the old place. If you really like the way you have the bookshelf designed or the photo collage that is placed in the hallway of your home, take photos! When you get to your new place, look back at the photos of how everything looked and you can easily replicate it! No more wondering how you had that bookshelf organized or where that photo came from!  

 

Keep your Necessities Easily Accessible

The worst part of the first night in the new house is not being able to find anything! Keep the things that you may need for the first night and morning with you so it is easy to find everything you may need. Put together a basket of cleaning supplies that you may need to clean up spills, dirty floors of people going in and out or just to wipe things down before you load your items in. Keep another basket of things you may need i.e. toilet paper, towels, snacks, makeup, etc.

 

At Quincy Vrecko and Associates, we always have our client’s best interest in mind. To speak to one of our knowledgeable associates, call 778-780-2860 today! 

Choosing the Right Luxury Real Estate Agent to Sell your Luxury home

There are important factors to consider when choosing your Luxury Real Estate Agent to sell your Luxury home. It’s more than just your typical real estate services.

Without a doubt, Luxury Real Estate attracts a certain type of buyer and needs to be marketed differently than an average family home in the Okanagan.  A marketing plan should be designed to not only target the features of the home and surrounding area, but to feature the lifestyle associated with living in that Luxury home.

The right Luxury Real Estate Agent understands what is takes to attract a Luxury home buyer and knows what features and benefits to highlight when creating the marketing plan for that Luxury home.

Consider a luxury real estate agent who;

  • Specializes in Luxury home marketing
  • Is knowledgeable with the complexities of a Luxury home purchase
  • Do they have experience working with Luxury home Buyers?
  • Has a state of the art marketing platform with global reach
  • Has experience selling Luxury homes
  • Proven negotiation skills

We recently sold 428 Audobon Court in Kelowna’s Upper Mission.  This large beautiful home has some of the most amazing features! Some of those features include a pool, incredible lake views and superior finishing work. Our target marketing attracted the buyer quickly resulting in fewer days on market and close to list price.

Whether you are selling a waterfront home, recreational property, large Lakeview home, sprawling estate it is important to determine the best selling features to attract the right Luxury buyer.  Don’t trust just any Kelowna real estate agent to sell one of your largest assets, trust a Kelowna Luxury Real estate agent who will ensure you are maximizing on your investment.

When considering selling your Luxury home, consider Quincy.  Quincy has over 30 years of experience in the luxury Industry and understands the Luxury clientele.  He is strong in Luxury Marketing, a true salesman and skilled in negotiations.  He is RE/MAX Kelowna’s #1 Luxury Real Estate agent. Quincy has proven time and time again it is important to hire a Luxury Real Estate agent to sell your Luxury home. Call 250-863-8810 to speak with Quincy today!

Declutter your Home with These 7 Steps

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How to Get Started on Decluttering Your Kelowna Home

The idea of living in a clutter-free home is so intriguing but many start with the question “Where in the world do I start”. You think of the countless things you have gathered over the years, and the thought of less clutter, less to clean, less to maintain is starting to sound better and better! While we were showing homes over the weekend in the Lower Mission, we were so impressed by some of the home’s organization and cleanliness we just had to share some tips on how to declutter your home.

1.    Set your timer

This one seems so obvious but some will find that the easiest way to declutter your home is to set the timer for an hour or two and clean until the timer goes off. Devoting a full day to decluttering will set you up for failure. You know you will not completely declutter your home in a full day, set a realistic goal, go in increments that you are comfortable with, and make it fun!

2.    Divide and Conquer

Pick a room and declutter until you have finished that one room. If you start in the kitchen make your way into your bedroom and then into the dining room your house will get overwhelming and you’ll end up with a bigger mess than when you started!!

3.    12x12x12 Challenge!

This challenge is a great way to get your kids involved in decluttering their bedrooms or toy rooms. You assign each of them a room and give them the 12x12x12 challenge. They must throw 12 items away, donate 12 items, and put 12 items back to their proper homes! You’ll find that if you get your kids involved in a fun and entertaining way such as introducing challenges and games into the process, they will be more inclined to help!

4.    Try the Oprah Winfrey Closet Hanger Experiment

Great way to get rid of clothes that you may be holding onto. Put your clothes on the hanger so the hanger faces back to front. For the next 6 months, every time you use a piece of clothing return it to your closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After the six months is up, you will see which items you no longer wear and can donate them to a local charity.

5.    Have a Game Plan

If you have an A-type personality and you know you would be lost without your to-do list then this step is perfect for you! Distinguish ahead of time which rooms you would like to conquer today and make a list of them. Once you are done with a room, cross it off the list and then head to the next one. Not only are you decluttering your home but you have a great sense of accomplishment by looking at that to-do list at the end of the day as well.

6.    DONATE!

This is the best time of year to start donating to your local charities. A great way to declutter your home is to give one item away each day. This is also a great way to involve your children, have each person take one thing they do not need anymore and put it in a bag. At the end of the week, go as a family to your local charity to donate it! Not only are you giving back to the community but you are spending your weekend as a family which is a plus!

7.    Organize Now, Buy Later

The biggest mistake people will make when trying to declutter their home is they buy things before donating/throwing out the stuff they no longer need. Declutter your room/home first and then go out and buy things to organize the rest. You will not know how many containers, baskets, or new shelving you may need until you find out how much you have left after you have gotten rid of the unnecessary items.

You will find the process of decluttering your home to be an uplifting experience. It is a proven fact that having less stuff around you to worry about gives you a sense of freedom. It also feels good to donate things and pass them forward for someone else to enjoy. If you like this article you might also like our piece on the Minimalist movement in the US. This takes decluttering your home to a whole new level.

Are you getting your home ready to sell? Take advantage of the time and advice given by our expert Kelowna real estate team, which ensures your home is in its best shape to set your sale up for success. Get in touch! 1-778-760-2860.

Downsizing your Home, Think Small but Go Big

Downsizing to Kelowna is a Popular Trend this year

We are very fortunate to live and work in the Okanagan. For many couples living in Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton the lifestyle we have is something they have only experienced on vacation. So when the opportunity in retirements occurs, where they can leave the big city and downsize to Kelowna, it is a dream come true.

We offer a wide choice of housing options in Kelowna, more so than other Okanagan cities with a large number of condo developments and townhomes being built in 2016 and scheduled for 2017. Two major high rise developments are underway with The Monaco in the cultural district and 1151 Sunset Drive just one block from the beach. Both offer big city class but are right here in our Okanagan resort community.

Moving from a hot real estate market like Vancouver up to Kelowna has some nice advantages for the retiring boomer couple. Selling a modest home at the coast affords a luxury property in Kelowna. And while this might not always be downsizing the trend is to buy a home that requires less maintenance, has fewer bedrooms and bigger living spaces. Open kitchens, great rooms, vaulted ceilings, lake and mountain views are just a few of the common features that can be found.

According to Tracey a big motivation is the quality of life we have here. la dolce vita, the sweet life as they say in Italy.

“For the boomers the focus shifts from work and raising children to enjoying what life has to offer and Kelowna has it all with excellent restaurants, entertainment, wineries, parks, sports and activities”

Additional Kelowna Perks

Downsizing to Kelowna has some additional benefits along the way. Kelowna has excellent healthcare facilities and the new Hospital. There is a lot to do with golf, skiing, hiking, biking and boating. One example is the new Okanagan Rail Trail which will offer one of the most unique linear parks in Canada travelling 48 km along the shores of Woods and Kalamalka Lake. The Kelowna area features over 30 golf courses, 5 ski hill and 6 amazing lakes all within a 2 hours drive. We also have fantastic theatres, live events and of course our two hockey teams the Warriors and Rockets. It is a year round playground and perfect for those with time on their hands.

Kelowna Condo and Townhome choices

Condos and townhomes in Kelowna can range in value from the low $400,000 up to well over $1,000,000 for penthouse suites. Current projects like Cameron Mews by Sandpiper and Green Square Townhomes by Troika in the desired Lower Mission have sold at record pace. Information on projects like these and new construction is available from Tracey and her team at QVA Homes.

If you are planning to downsize to Kelowna and would like to learn more about what is new in the Kelowna Real Estate Market please call us. There is a lot going on in Kelowna and with over $480 million in construction underway or completed this year there will be excellent choices available. Check out our Relocation Guide to learn more about moving to the Okanagan Valley.