Volume 4 Issue 4 April 2014

Darlene Breault

Working and Living in Durham

Holding the key to your new home

Spring Invites Change to Your Home A new spring season invites changes to your home with fresh spring decorating. Changing with

the seasons gives you an opportunity to get out some long-lost pieces and make them the center

of attention for a while. Change can come all at one time, like spring house cleaning, or over a

period of several days or weeks. You'll be surprised what a difference just a small change can

make. Lighten Up! That means colors, fabrics, and flow. Everything should feel clean and refresh-

ing, light and tranquil. Choose sheer fabrics, linens, and open weave textiles for your warm

weather curtains. Slipcover the sofa or chairs with paler tones or florals.

Rethink the Rugs. Wonderfully cozy area rugs look just right in winter. But when the temperature rises it may be time to roll them up and replace them for summer with sisal or

cotton rugs in light, cool colors. Summer is also be a good time to have heavy rugs cleaned or repaired.

Orient Toward a View. If your furniture is centered in front of a fireplace, think about ways to rearrange the look for summer. Change the focal point away from the mantel to a view of a garden, placing the conversation grouping to take

advantage of the garden scene just outside.

Use Fresh Flowers. Nothing says Spring more than fresh flowers. Make sure to be consistent with creating arrangements. Choose a color scheme, like all white, instead of mixing bouquets, use the same type flower in one glass

container with a beautiful white satin or grosgrain ribbon wrapped around it. These lively touches can breathe life into

winter-weary spaces.

Re-Accessorize. Time to rework your accessories and makeover your shelves. Clean winter dust off the shelves and begin to replace objects with an eye toward keeping the look light. Bring out your floral china or white ironstone, set up

a collection of pitchers or glass, and include plants and picture frames as well. Move from ceramic to crystal and glass,

either contemporary or traditional.

Think Lighter Linens. Remove the toasty down-filled duvet from your bed in the spring and substitute a light cotton matalasse bed cover or a simple cotton blanket. Change dark-patterned decorative pillows by covering them with fresh,

floral prints or plaids for warmer weather. Either change out the pillows with a second set or alternate the decorative

covers.

De-Clutter Now. Look for organizing solutions for your home. Any spot that is overcrowded or unorganized can drain your energies as it swallows objects and fills your life with clutter. A visit to a home store can yield products to contain

clutter wherever it exists.

Freshen up your entry. Bring the look of summer to your front door by cleaning up the area. Wash the door and windows and touch up the paint if needed. Hang a silk flower wreath on the front door too. Plant flowers or shrubs with

a new color theme each. Source: http://homeinteriorinspirations.blogspot.ca/

As your Neighbourhood Realtor I am always happy to provide you with a comparable market

analysis of your property. So please do not hesitate to call. I will be happy to assess the current

market value of your home and talk about any Real Estate queries you may have.

It’s always a pleasure!

905-723-5944 or Darlene@ListedByDarlene.ca

Darlene Breault Full Time Sales Representative

Office: 905-723-5944

Email: Darlene@ListedByDarlene.ca Web: www.ListedByDarlene.ca

Market Statistics Sales and Average Price Up in March

April 3, 2014 -- Toronto Real Estate Board President Dianne Usher

announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported strong

year-over-year increases in TorontoMLS home sales and the average

selling price in March 2014. Home ownership affordability, backstopped

by low borrowing costs, continued to be a key factor underlying this

growth.

A total of 8,081 sales were reported in March 2014 – up by 7.2% in comparison to March 2013. Sales growth was

much stronger in March compared to the first two months of the first quarter. Sales for Q1 as a whole were up by 3%

compared to the first three months of 2013.

“Sales activity in the GTA accelerated last month. Compared to last year, a greater number of buyers found affordable

home ownership options, as evidenced by sales growth for all major home types. Against this backdrop, however,

overall inventory at the end of March remained lower than last year. This means competition between buyers

increased, which is why the average selling price continued to climb,” said Ms. Usher.

The average selling price for March 2014 sales was $557,684 – an increase of almost 8% compared to the average

reported for March 2013. The average price for the first quarter of 2014 was up by 8.5% year-over-year.

“With borrowing costs remaining low, and in fact declining, strong home ownership demand will continue to butt up

against a constrained supply of listings. Strong price growth will be the result for the remainder of 2014. If the pace of

price growth experienced in the first quarter is sustained, TREB may revise its outlook for the average selling price,”

said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

Full Report available at www.ListedByDarlene.ca

Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the

nine 3x3 grids contain one instance of each of the numbers 1

through 9 .

Community Events Sudoku

For solution visit www.ListedByDarlene.ca

BIZZARR BAZZARR ~ a VICTORIAN MARKET

When: Apr 19 2014, 9am-5pm

Where: Harmony Creek Community Centre,

15 Harmony Rd North

KW Energy RED DAY

When: May 8th, 2014

Where: Grandview Kids Centre

Spindle Tree Garden bus tour

When: June 17, 8am

Where: Trinity United Church, Bowmanville

For details: Linda at 905-436-2359

Strawberry Supper at Faith United Church

When: June 21, 5-6:30pm

Where: 1778 Nash Rd. E., Courtice

Details and Price: 905-436-2359 for tickets

Your Event Could Be Here

If you would like an event that you are hosting published here,

please don’t hesitate to contact me!

This is not intended to solicit those already under contract