2018 is around the corner and, here at Murphy Timmis, we’re all about enjoying the holidays with our closest family and friends and embracing the new year that’s about to come. This end-of-year recap blog is our way of revisiting everything that happened throughout 2017 and to get you excited about what’s in store for 2018.

A look back on Murphy Timmis’ 2017

We think 2017 is our year of many changes. The good kind of change, that is. We continue to grasp our personal brand, letting our brand show through our online assets. Among our latest projects was the newly launched real estate newsletter, The Real Estate Insider, that caters to our growing client list. We have also increased our social media marketing efforts, using it as a venue to share our lives as realtors and imparting more real estate related information to our audience.

The Real Estate Insider - Murphy Timmis Realty’s Newsletter

Last June, we launched a brand new newsletter series which features the latest scoop in Metro Vancouver’s real estate market. We aim for it to be the monthly resource for all things real estate in the lower mainland. It is packed with useful information for both buyers and sellers, including the latest trends in real estate along with our current listings. We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing this valuable real estate information to all of our subscribers.

Haven’t subscribed to the newsletter yet? Sign up here.

Murphy Timmis’s more Personal Branding

If you follow us on social media, you might have noticed the change in our social media feed. We’re glad you noticed it! Our efforts were not wasted. We’ve actually worked on putting a more personal approach to our social media, through sharing news, our daily struggles and the simple joys of being a realtor here in the Lower Mainland.

Not following us yet? Here are the links to our accounts. Follow away!

Facebook: @MurphyTimmisRealty

Instagram: @MurphyTimmisRealty

Twitter: @MurphyTimmis

Pinterest: Murphy Timmis Realty

Google+: Murphy Timmis

Our Newly Re-Designed Website

This is potentially one of the major changes we have embarked on this year. Realising that the website is the face of our brand online, we knew that making sure it’s consistent with our visual identity is imperative. Thus, the need for an overhaul was addressed. We're so glad to have launched it finally. Feel free to explore around and let us know what you think!

Our Newly renovated Office

Interior design has always been close to my heart. Being in the real estate industry, being up to date with the latest in home decor and the trends in modern interiors is a part of my job. I have always wanted to re-design our office and even if 2017 proved to be a busy year, I made sure that I block off time to focus on renovating. Now that it’s almost done and only a few last-minute minor touches are needed, I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

What to look forward to for 2018

More listings, more real estate resources to help you embrace your real estate journey and more blogs to provide you with more easily digestible real estate information. For sellers, we continuously improve our systems and processes, thus ensuring that you receive the best service there is in the real estate industry.

A Holiday Greeting from Us

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Your overwhelming support will forever be appreciated. We are grateful for your unwavering trust, for letting us do what we do best and for sending us amazing referrals that we later turn into repeat clients as we foster lasting relationships with each and every one of you. You are all amazing! We hope you have a happy holidays!”

As our way to kick off the holiday season this 2017, I hosted a ladies-only luncheon - one for the Rotary Ladies and another for my Dragon Boat Team. Both equally amazing groups of women came to celebrate life and jumpstart the holiday festivities! It was an amazing opportunity to catch up with all of them.

The food

The sumptious bites that we were able to enjoy were catered to us by Emelle’s Catering while the mouth-watering custom cut meat and cheese platters are from Newmans Fine Foods. If you have an upcoming event and need food delivery, don’t hesitate to order from them. Their service is excellent and the food is amazing! Here are a few shots of the food from the event:

Rotary Ladies

It would have been nice to have one big party but due to some scheduling conflicts, I’ve decided to create two events: one for the Rotary Ladies and another for the Dragon Boat Team - Abreast in a Boat, that I’m a part of. Here are some photos from the Rotary Ladies Bubbles and Bites lunch.

Dragon Boat Team - Abreast in a Boat

A team brought together by hope and perseverance, I’m proud to be a member of Abreast in a Boat. I knew that meeting everyone outside of practice will be a breathe of fresh air. I hope everyone enjoyed as much as I did. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to spend time with everyone. Here are our photos:

I would like to thank everyone for coming and for bringing gifts. Although it was completely unnecessary, it was greatly appreciated. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you! I hope you guys are enjoying the wine. Enjoy the holidays!

Make More Space in the Kitchen

The changing season typically demands a lot of time in the kitchen, which means a lot of cooking and a lot of cleaning. This can mean a mess of cleaning supplies everywhere. Save yourself some space and hang some small desk organizers or pen/pencil bins above the sink and around the kitchen. Now you’ve got places to stash your cleaning supplies and a bigger space to work with. Learn other ways to make more space in the kitchen.

Use Baskets to Organise Your Bathroom

Expect to have family over during the the end of the year? If you’ve got people staying over but don’t have a ton of cabinet space, think outside the cabinet. Try using baskets or fancy-looking totes to hold bigger items like towels, bathroom cleaning products, product backups, etc. It looks decorative and it will stay out of your way during any last-minute bathroom cleaning extravaganzas. Check out more of these bathroom organization ideas.

Free Up Storage Space in Your Bedroom

It might fall into the category of, “Outta sight, outta mind,” but that’s not a bad thing. When you have a ton of people over during the changing season, you tend to pay more attention to the appearance of other rooms before your own. So when things get messy, don’t be afraid to store things under the bed to free up some space. Make this a hiding spot for shoes, boxes, off-season clothing, and anything that will give you more space in the closet. Here’s some more hacks for the bedroom.

Tidy Up Your Living Room Creatively

The living room is the primary hangout spot for family and friends during seasonal get-togethers, so you’re going to get quite a bit of traffic in this area. Keep things where they need to be by hollowing out an old book and use it to stash electronics or knickknacks like routers, TV guides, coasters, remotes, etc. Spend less time tidying up and more time in the presence of your loved ones with these other living room organizational ideas.

Hang Decorations with Plastic Hooks

Hanging seasonal decorations is pretty labor intensive and can get a little haphazard when using a hammer and nails. Enter: plastic hooks. Pick up these reusable tools for hanging wreaths, holiday lights, garland, and other outdoor decor. Most of these come with an adhesive backing, so you can even adjust if you place something that isn’t quite perfect. Here’s more outdoor decoration ideas for some inspiration.

Fall is upon us and the holidays is just around the corner. On my recent visit to Crate and Barrel, I was surprised to see Christmas decorations were already displayed. How fast time flies!

Since Crate and Barrel is one of my go-to places for all things home decor, walking into the store always feels like a treat! Their carefully curated collections, which are not only trendy but Instagram worthy too, inspired me to share my favourites with everyone. Starting with this beautiful tablescape which features the Thankful Collection:

Thankful Collection

If you follow us on Instagram, then you would have seen us share this photo already. Who wouldn’t like this one? What I really love about this one is that even if it’s meant for Thanksgiving, you can totally recreate it for the holidays, simply change the thanksgiving

elements such as the napkin, napkin ring and the trivet into holiday-themed pieces.

Wood Placemat

I love my square plates but I’ve been having a hard time looking for a placemat that will accentuate them well, until I found this! This square, wood placemat is perfect for my current tablescape.

Cozy Ivory Knit Stocking

I am in love with this oversized ivory-colored stocking! Can you just imagine how fun it would be filing it with gifts, and how exciting it is to see it filled with gifts especially for you. Be careful though - it’s best not to fill it with anything heavy. You don’t want it to lose it’s shape!

Libations Platinum Bar Cart

If you’re like me  and you love having people over and entertaining friends and family, then you get why I’m gushing over this bar cart! When we have get togethers at home, I usually have a guest list of 10-15 people so this cart is the perfect size for keeping my barware and beverages in one place. I think I know what I want for Christmas!

Is Crate and Barrel your favourite home shopping brand as well? What’s your current must haves? Let me know, comment below!

5. More Space

First-time homebuyers often buy a “starter” home perfectly sized for two. However, when their family starts to grow by one or two kids, the walls can close in. When kids come along, that means more stuff and more space is needed. Sometimes families just outgrow their home and want more room. They look for more space, a better community, or a newer nicer home that’s updated.

Environment and neighborhood also come into play when new parents think about the kind of surroundings they want to raise their children in. Which means if a condo living couple envisions a home with a spacious backyard for their child to run around freely, looking at buying a new property might be the next best option.

4. Shorter Commute

Travel time and proximity to work is a key motivating factor for many home buyers and sellers. Although a 30 minute travel time to and from work may seem short, having to tackle either heavy traffic or crowded public transportation can get old. If you are tired of seeing tail lights for too much of your day, maybe it’s time to make a change. As your local expert, we can certainly pinpoint homes with this in mind. Just provide us with the location of your office and we’ll do the home search for you.

3. New Job

Jobs can play a huge motivator when it’s time to move. Who can resist a promotion?! Every day, a promotion or a new job may cause someone to relocate and even immigrate. Whether it’s a new financial situation, new opportunity, even a housing stipend, it’s true that jobs are a top motivator.

2. Time to Downsize

After kids move, it’s common for homeowners to downsize to a smaller home that’s easier to maintain. Especially when the parents are not getting any younger, maintaining a home made for a larger family can become cumbersome. This may prompt the homeowners to sell their current home and move to a smaller condo.

The decision to move to a smaller home can also be health related. Like for example, when one of the homeowners is not physically capable of climbing up or down the stairs, moving to a home with a single floor plan is the best solution.

1.Moving Closer to Family

Wouldn’t it just be nice if all of your family can live in the same neighborhood so you wouldn’t have to travel far to visit them? The family is an important aspect of all of our lives and being too far from them can take a toll on our emotional well-being. Thus, wanting to get closer to the family has always been a key motivating factor on why people move from one house to another.

How about you? Did you recently sell or buy your new home? What motivated you to do so? If your reason is not among the ones mentioned here, let us know in the comments section!

SOLD!

1202 7680 Granville Avenue, Richmond

1202 7680 GRANVILLE Avenue, Richmond

2 Bedrooms. 2 Bathrooms. 1,002 sq. ft.  

Interested? Check out the listing details here.

The first step in every home selling journey is to decide that you are moving on to a new home and selling your current one. Now, once that is over and done with, the next step is to choose your listing agent.

1. CHOOSE YOUR LISTING AGENT

If you had a great experience with the agent that helped you buy your house, then make sure to consider them for listing it as well. However, if you are thinking of hiring a new real estate agent, start your research with referrals from your family and friends. (If your property is in Vancouver or Richmond, don’t forget to consider us too!) Once you have a shortlist of agents you want to interview, ask these questions before moving forward with any of them.

2. LIST YOUR HOME

One great thing about hiring a real estate agent to help you sell your home? Your agent will make this process as easy as possible for you the moment you sign that listing agreement. All the more reason for you to choose your agent carefully. Also, listing your home involves a few key aspects that you have to thoroughly discuss with your agent, such as the following:

• Your legal relationship with the real estate brokerage

• How long it should take for the realtor to sell your home

• Home appraisal

• Your home's asking price

• Any renovations needed to prepare your home for the sale aka as staging

Once everything is all set, let your realtor do their job and market your home to its potential buyers.

3. RECEIVE OFFERS

You'll know that you have a great realtor if the whole experience of selling your home doesn't feel as stressful as you initially thought it would. Now, the financial aspect of the selling process can be a totally different story. Especially once the offers start coming in. Your real estate agent is required by law to show you every offer that your home receives. Then for each one, you have 4 options:

• Accept it

• Make a counter offer

• Reject it

• Ignore it

Let your agent explain these options to you and decide what you want to do with the offers you receive.

4. CLOSING

Hooray! You just accepted an offer. The next step would be to let your realtor know about it, as well as your lawyer or notary public. Once closed, your lawyer will finalize all of the legal aspects of your sale then proceed with giving you a cheque or transferring the net proceeds to your bank. Now is the time to turn over your keys, move out and let your adventure begin!

We’d love to assist you in your selling journey! Let’s chat, contact us and we’ll be glad to answer your questions.

The arrival of summer may have been long overdue but now that it is here, your patio will essentially become the venue for numerous get togethers and family gatherings. Hosting barbeques and parties is one of the best things to do in summer, right?

Now the questions is, is your patio summer ready?

We asked two of our amazing clients to showcase their beautifully designed patios while also helping you prep your patio for the rest of summer. Here are a few takeaways:

COMFORTABLE LOUNGING CHAIRS

No patio is complete without comfortable lounging chairs just like in Shelley Jaffe’s garden patio.

(Shelley Jaffe’s Garden Patio)

When you have family and friends over, you want them to be truly comfortable during their stay. Choose chairs that are designed for lounging and comfort. Also, consider the material used in these chairs. Opt for lightweight materials, especially if you like re-arranging this space.

AMAZING VIEWS

Some condos, especially in Vancouver, may be lacking in space but there is one aspect that they can completely beat the competition: the spectacular views in their balcony. Can you believe this incredible view of BC Place from Judy May’s balcony (picture below) ? Imagine entertaining your guests in this outdoor space? Even having coffee here in the morning would be a treat!

(Judy May’s Olympic Village Condo Patio)

BOLD-COLOURED ACCENT PIECES

Designing your outdoor space can be a challenge but one of the things that can really brighten a space up, either indoor or outdoor is by using bold-coloured accent pieces like the throw pillows and side tables in Judy May’s outdoor space.

(Judy May’s Outdoor Space)

REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND TRIMMED PLANTS

Impress your guests with well-maintained and regularly trimmed plants. It’s such a no-brainer, right? Simply, trim overgrown shrubs, remove dried leaves and water the plants. Voila! Tip: If you’re not a garden-kind of person, choose low-maintenance flowers and plants. They won’t require that much of an upkeep and they will last all summer without spending too much time maintaining them.

(Shelley Jaffe’s Garden Patio)

I feel absolutely privileged to be a part of helping my clients find these inspiring spaces so they could create these amazing patios!

Are you ready to spruce up your patio? Need some assistance? Let us help you in finding and even building your dream home. Contact us TODAY!

The allure of saving your real estate agent's commission can be really tempting especially when the real estate market indicates a continuous increase (if you're a buyer) or decline (if you're a seller) in property prices. So if you're one of those people who's still contemplating whether to save that commission or let a professional real estate agent handle your case then this post should help you decide.

EXPERTISE

The real estate industry can be pretty overwhelming. Hiring a real estate agents saves you the time and effort from having to understand the specifics of the current real estate market. Your real estate agent will do all the work for you and provide you the information that you need to know.

NEGOTIATION SKILLS

Real estate agents are trained in the art of negotiation. If you are a skilled professional dealing with negotiations as well, You might be thinking, "I am pretty good at negotiating, why do I have to hire somebody else to do this for me?" Because unlike you, an agent do not have an emotional attachment to your property, giving them a more objective perspective on handling your case.

HANDLING PAPERWORK

If you're not aware yet, selling or buying a house involves a lot of paperwork. This can be pretty overwhelming, especially for first time home buyers. Gone are the days of one-page deposit receipts. Nowadays, you'll be lucky to tackle a 10-page purchase agreement. So if you're not particularly fond of (lots of) paperwork, letting your real estate agent handle your case might be the best option for you.

YOUR BEST INTEREST IS THE PRIORITY

Licensed real estate agents are legally bound to act in your best interest once you sign an agreement with them.   Once an agent represents you they would have to do business based on what's best for you (not for them). Also, realtors often do business based on referrals. It would hurt their reputation if they start ripping one client off. And if one agent actually does so, then you, as a client, will have a lot of options for recourse as compared to when you deal with a private buyer or seller directly. 

CLOSING SUPPORT

Closing a sale is probably one of the most exciting moments for buyers, especially first time home buyers. Thus, it's inevitable that some details can be overlooked. Having a real estate agent can keep you from missing any vital steps in the process of moving into your new home and will always be available to provide you with assistance.

ULTIMATELY…

Hiring a real estate agent is your choice. If DIY is your thing and you truly believe that you can sell your home all by yourself, then by all means, you have all the right to do so. But if you think hiring a realtor to deal with all the hassles involved with buying or selling your house is worth it (and we definitely believe that is!) then we’d love to help you out! Simply contact us to set an appointment.