Posted by stoneteam on May 9, 2012 | No Comments
I was out showing homes yesterday to a family moving here from overseas. They have two young children and are moving to Kelowna for the lifestyle. They want to raise their family in a safe community yet give their children access to cultural and sporting activities that may not be available in smaller communities. They like the fact that Kelowna has an international airport as he will be travelling quite a bit with work. Having a university here in Kelowna (UBCO) especially one with such a well respected reputation, was another bonus. But they are most excited about the quality of life that Kelowna will give them. They are looking forward to enjoying Okanagan lake this summer and Big White ski resort this winter. They are impressed with the quality of our public and private schools. They love the beauty of the Okanagan and the friendliness of the people here. This family was able to choose anywhere in the country to live – and they have chosen Kelowna! This makes us proud to be from this beautiful area, and to be able to share the wonder of our community with people moving here.
When someone is only visiting Kelowna for a short period of time it can be stressful making a major decision such as which neighbourhood to choose.
We first got together with them to find out what their needs, wants and preferences were. We asked questions like what activities the children will be involved in (dance, hockey, swimming?) and if they want a view of the lake, or room to kick the soccer ball around in the back yard after dinner. We then gave them a good map, with highlighted areas and got them to drive all over Kelowna. We suggested they stop for lunch and talk to the staff about what they love about living in Kelowna. We even suggested that they take a quick stroll through the neighbourhood grocery stores.
All of this helps people get a sense of what Kelowna has to offer and which area will be the best fit for them and their family’s needs.
They’ll call us tonight with a list of homes they want to see and a few of their favourite neighbourhoods. And tomorrow we’ll begin the hunt in earnest.
If we can help you, or someone you know, make the move to Kelowna as seamless and fun as possible – please give us a call.
Posted by stoneteam on April 25, 2012 | No Comments
Home Security System Value
When you think about your home from a real estate perspective, you need to consider all of the aspects of your property that might affect its value. This means making sure any obvious improvements are taken care of, as well as updating paint jobs, and even taking care of the little things like cleaning out gutters and keeping the lawn in order. However, it also means keeping an eye on your home’s security system to make sure that it is as advanced and effective as possible. While the aesthetics certainly matter in real estate, you also need to remember that there is no aspect of a home more important than its safety. So, with this in mind, here are some things to consider with regard to your security system and the features it should include in order to be top notch.
• First, if you have not already done so, consider upgrading the basic alarm in your home. Most newer systems come with advanced touch screen control panels that can be used to monitor your entire home security network, and which can even be hooked up to be operated via your cell phone or smart device.
• Next, you should consider the features that you have backing up your alarm. Many people are under the false assumption that an alarm system is adequate security for a home, and in most cases this is true. However, no electrical feature is completely invulnerable to failure, so it is also worth considering some backup features, which can be of vital importance in the unlikely event that your alarm fails you. Motion detectors, security cameras, and laser trip wires are common choices for backup features to security systems.
• As a final precaution against criminal activity and break-ins, you should also take the simple step of putting a sign in your front yard that indicates that you are protected by a top home security team. Such a sign can deter criminals from even attempting to break into your home, as nobody wants to be caught or identified by a security system.
• Finally, you will also want to make sure that your home is adequately protected against accidental dangers. Most home security companies offer smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, which are absolutely essential for any safe home environment. Accidental dangers can be extremely lethal, and can come about out of nowhere, for no particular reason, so it is important to be prepared against them.
- Mark J. is a professional freelance writer and programmer at http://www.homesecuritysystem.com
- www.homeSecuritySystem.com
- He has worked with a number of clients in different fields including technology, education, security, and business.
Posted by stoneteam on April 19, 2012 | No Comments
We are excited by the announcement of a new hotel coming to Kelowna. The Four Points Sheraton will be open this time next year across from the Kelowna Airport. This is great news for not only our economy, as the hotel will employ 65 full time Kelowna residents, but also for the Kelowna Construction and Kelowna Tourism Industry. The addition of this hotel will provide for additional accommodation for families visiting students at UBCO as well as provide more service options for residents of Quail Ridge.
Posted by stoneteam on April 18, 2012 | No Comments
We wanted to share the idea of the “new fridge” that is available now. It is even cooler then a fridge normally is. It is a food management system and can talk to your smartphone, create a menu for dinner based on the items in your fridge and even talk to your oven if it is a smart oven to preheat the temperature needed. It’s all about making our lives simple(at least I think it is). You can scan the items you put in your fridge before they go in and it will let you know when they are about to expire. It may not talk to you just yet but I’m sure we will see that in no time.
Posted by stoneteam on April 17, 2012 | No Comments
It has just been made official that direct flights are starting this Friday between Red Deer and Kelowna. Northwestern Air is operating this schedule on Fridays and on Sundays (leave Red Deer at 8 am (MT) arrives in Kelowna at 8:15 am (PT) then leaves Kelowna at 8:45am (PT) and arrives in Red Deer at 11:00 am (MT).
On Sunday the flights leave Red Deer at 4:00 pm (MT) and arrive in Kelowna at 4:15 (PT) then leave Kelowna at 4:45 pm (PT) and arrive in Red Deer at 7:00 pm (MT).
This is wonderful news as it will allow more people to commute between Alberta and Kelowna. There has been incredible growth in Red Deer as it is well situated between Edmonton and Calgary and is tied in well to the oil and gas industry.
Kelowna has always been attractive to the Alberta buyers because of our incredible quality of life. In the Central Okanagan we have over 54 golf courses, 135 wineries and the beautiful Okanagan Lake. Schools are well ranked, there are numerous sport activities to appeal to all ages, and we have an expanding cultural district. This is a wonderful place to live!
If the Stone Sisters Group can assist you in finding you a home here in Kelowna, please let us know.
Posted by stoneteam on April 4, 2012 | No Comments
Don’t miss one of the best art events coming up in Kelowna this Thursday April 5th at SOPA art gallery. U8 is a highly anticipated event that Deborah, the owner of SOPA puts on once a year. Artists from the Okanagan and around the world will have their work showcased for this 10 day event in the heart of the South Pandosy area. There is a tremendous amount of phenomenal art to choose from and every piece is $800 or less.
The opening night starts at 7 pm! See you there!
Posted by stoneteam on March 22, 2012 | No Comments
A lot of people in Kelowna woke up to a surprise this morning! Fresh Snow!!! After enjoying a glorious first day of Spring yesterday, we were optimistic that winter was finally behind us and that it was time to welcome warmer weather. One of the major factors for people to move to the Okanagan is our lifestyle – and our climate contributes to that greatly. Usually we are able to send photos of the weather in Kelowna to people in Edmonton and Calgary to help encourage them to make the move… not this year! 2012 has been a strange year so far for weather with much more snow and cooler temperatures then we are used to. As lifelong residents of this incredible valley, we are used to packing away our winter boots by the end of February and as kids we were often in shorts by the end of March (we were freezing mind you). Growing up in Kelowna, there was an unwritten rule that you had to swim in the lake by the May long weekend. Well if this weather doesn’t start to improve soon this may be the first year that doesn’t happen for us! The Kelowna real estate market is definitely affected by weather and things pick up when the flowers start to bloom. Come on Spring!
Posted by stoneteam on March 14, 2012 | No Comments
The colour of a home, inside and out, is an important consideration when selling your property. People frequently ask us what colours are popular and what will appeal to the greatest number of people. Here are some tips that will help you when you are choosing colours:
1) Keep it neutral! When choosing an exterior colour, go with something that you find in nature. Natural colours tend to appeal to most people. And remember to consider how the home will look in winter when there’s snow on the ground and no leaves on the trees.
2) Blue is the hardest colour home to sell. Blue carpet, walls or cabinets seem to appeal to few people. A grey/blue can be okay but if it’s a dark blue, or robin’s blue the majority of people seem to not like it.
3) You may have heard that painting the front door yellow will help your home sell. We have seen this done, and sometimes it works but not always. More important than the colour itself is that the door needs to be sparkling clean and in good condition. A fresh coat of paint will go a long way and the buyers to stand at the door for a bit while the agent gets the door unlocked etc.
4) Feature walls inside a home: they can look wonderful, but when you are selling your home, we find it’s best to keep a neutral colour consistent throughout the house. Add colour with throw cushions or photo frames instead.
The way you live in your home is different than the way it’s merchandised when you are selling. Colour plays a large factor in appealing to the greatest numbers of buyers. While it can be a little boring to be neutral throughout the home, your home will look fresh, clean and the buyers can imagine their furnishings fitting in more easily. Happy Selling!
Posted by stoneteam on March 9, 2012 | No Comments
We have a gorgeous 1 bdrm and den condo in the Mode available for rent. This beautiful home features an oversized patio that is 500 sq ft. Excellent location near shops, bus and the Landmark Towers. $1050 per month. Please let us know if you or someone you know is interested!
Posted by stoneteam on February 28, 2012 | No Comments
We just finished the REMAX office tour where we went and previewed a lot of new listings this morning. I was inspired to blog about the importance of smell in the sale of a home. In life, whether you are meeting a person for the first time, or a home, so much depends on that first impression. When a home smells clean it gives you the sense that it’s well taken care of and inviting. When a home has cooking, pet or other odors it can be a major turn off.
Some of the properties we viewed this morning smelled wonderful: like fresh bread or lemony clean… and there were a few that smelled… well NOT FRESH. In this hyper-competitive market buyers have many different options to choose from. If your home is for sale, make sure it smells great!
Here are some tips:
1) keep a package of ready-to-bake croissants or cookies in your fridge and pop them in the oven 30 mins before you have a showing.
2) A small dish of vinegar does an incredible job of absorbing odors – tuck one where it won’t be seen.
3) Avoid the highly scented plug in air fresheners as they are often overpowering and tend to cause the buyer to wonder what you are covering up.
4) Our Dad taught us a great trick: drop a few drops of vanilla extract onto your stove burner and turn it on low for a few minutes – smells just like fresh baking.
Happy Selling! If the Stone Sisters can help with your Kelowna Real Estate needs, just let us know!
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