...ThinkTorontoHomes.com

There is no doubt that homeowners want to get the biggest return on their investment (ROI) when they decide to sell their home. You can easily increase your home’s value by performing a few renovations.

These renovations can vary widely depending on the type of home that you have and the amount of money you are willing to spend to boost the appeal and value of your home.

Even the slightest amount of change to your home will help. It is a consensus among real estate agents that renovations prior to selling your home absolutely impacts your return on investment. However, there are definitely some renovation projects that will be more fruitful than others.

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Why do people list their houses and condos for sale in the depths of January?

One good reason is that they’re trying to sell on a busy street. Canny agents will advise listing such a property during the coldest time of the year because buyers are less likely to open the windows and hear the streetcar rumbling by or noise from cars whizzing along the highway.

Other catalysts include death and divorce, but if sellers have the option of waiting for better spring weather, they usually do. For the past several years, agents have been lamenting that more sellers don’t list in February when house hunters feel rejuvenated after the traditional market break during the holidays and can’t wait to get out and look again.

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Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 1,506 sales through the TorontoMLS® system during the first two weeks of January 2012. This result represented a six per cent increase compared to the first 14 days of January 2011. New listings were also up on a year-over-year basis, but by a lesser 3.7 per cent.

“The market didn’t miss a beat after the holiday season, with robust sales growth continuing and sellers’ market conditions remaining in place. Strong competition between buyers continued to push the average selling price higher in the Greater Toronto Area relative to a year ago,” said Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Richard Silver.

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It was the mortgage shot heard around the country.

BMO fired the opening salvo in a mortgage rate war this week by offering a 5-year fixed rate of 2.99 per cent, the lowest 5-year rate in modern Canadian history. Friday, other banks starting striking back, with TD and RBC cutting 4-year rates to 2.99 per cent.

Experts say other banks are likely to follow suit, with homebuyers being the clear winners.

“In the near term, mortgage rates are on sale, and that’s great news if you’re looking,” said Robert McLister, editor of the Canadian Mortgage Trends newsletter. McLister noted that even some 10-year rates are dropping.

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The boxes of new toys vying for space. The mail piled up by the door. And the holiday decorations that have cross-pollinated with your belongings. It’s no wonder decluttering is now a top New Year’s resolution, right up there with dieting and exercising.

“People are looking around and seeing that their whole house needs a diet,” says Jacki Brown, the president of the Professional Organizers in Canada.

While most of us won’t cross over into dangerous hoarder territory, hoarding expert Randy Frost says even for well-functioning people, a jam-packed basement and attic could be a harbinger of things to come. “As people get older, these problems tend to get worse.”

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