Construction season is upon us. It is time once again for the roads to be torn up, gas mains to be installed, and paving to begin. The question is, how do you show your downtown condo in its best light when all around you, the noise, smells and detours of the downtown construction zone are keeping buyers at bay? Here are a few tips.
With paving, the smell is going to be the strongest issue you will have to contend with. The scent of tar is not a pleasant one and can really permeate a space if you keep the windows ajar. One trick is to pick up a portable air conditioner for a few hundred dollars and use it to along with some fans too cool the condo. That way you can leave the windows closed. Then, take some cinnamon and vanilla and simmer it on the stove in some water. Cinnamon is a natural deodorizer and will not only help mask the tar fumes, but will also kill any other odours that may be lingering in your home.
Detours are a big problem that can force buyers to bypass your listing all together. Projects such as the Canada Line are now riddled with controversy over the loss of income and inconvenience they caused to surrounding businesses. If your condo happens to be on a street such as Granville or one in which the street is being torn up, make sure you host an open house. While cars may not be able to park up and down your street, this construction almost always leaves a path for pedestrians to navigate. Take advantage of the foot traffic that you only get during a weekend open house to bump up the number of individuals to who view your property.
Finally, noise is probably one of the largest problems you will face. Everyone wants to buy a quiet space even if it is in the downtown core. Construction noise can be heard for miles around and can really turn a buyer off, even if they know it is only temporary. If you are in a newer building, your windows are most likely double paned and have some pretty good noise dampening properties. If you have a single pane window in an older building, set up your showings for off hours in the evenings and on weekends. Try and avoid showing the property during peak construction times.
– Ryan DeLuca is a realtor with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, and host of The Real Estate Minute on Novus TV; rdeluca@sothebysrealty.ca.
