10 Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips

If you will be taking your kids Trick-or-Treating, you not only want them to have fun going door to door stocking up on candy, but to stay safe while doing so! Keep in mind these 10 Halloween safety tips to have the best time Trick-or-Treating!

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

1. Plan your route in advance

Trick-or-treating could take you several streets away from your house, which can cause sore legs and a bit of frustration. Avoid long paths by mapping out a route before leaving the house. Stick to paths that you and your child are familiar with to avoid getting lost.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

2. Use the buddy system 

As your children get a little older, they may not want their parents tagging along while they trick-or-treat. You know your kids the best, of course, but most Halloween safety tips recommend that parents accompany children under 12. If your older child is venturing out without you, make sure that he or she will be with at least a few friends the entire night. And don’t leave anyone alone—if some of the more adventurous kiddos can’t wait to check out the neighbor’s spooky haunted house display, but one of the children is a bit more reticent, make sure someone agrees to stay with him or her, at a designated place, before everyone takes off.

Vancouver Realtor-Carmen Leal

3. Stay on the sidewalk

Your kids know not to stray into the road when they’re walking to school. But on Halloween, when kids are running amok all over the neighborhood from house to house, it may seem like all bets are off. It’s essential to make sure that your kids are still following basic safety rules, like staying on the sidewalks and looking both ways before crossing the street. On busier roads, be sure to use the crosswalk and make absolutely sure that any approaching drivers can see you. Be careful about sprinting across unfamiliar lawns, too; in the dark, it can be tricky to see decorations or other tripping hazards lurking in the yard.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

4. Wear comfy shoes

Make sure you and your children are in comfortable, well-fitting shoes. Girls in dresses should avoid heels, and all shoelaces should be double-tied to avoid tripping in the dark.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

5. Stay well-lit

No matter how cool your child’s costume may be, it shouldn’t forego safety. If the costume is dark in color, apply reflective tape to your child’s costume to ensure they are seen by drivers on the road. Also, carry a flashlight with you to keep your child’s path lit at all times.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

6. Make sure all costumes are short

Long costumes that drag on the ground can be dangerous, especially at night. After purchasing your child’s costume, make sure it’s an appropriate length, and hem anything that’s too long to avoid tripping.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

7. Avoid masks 

Masks might look cool, but you should proceed with caution since they don’t really adhere to most Halloween safety tips. Many masks can make it difficult for your child to see or breathe. If possible, skip the mask altogether and use non-toxic make-up to complete the costume instead.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

8. Use flexible props

Try to avoid costumes that have weapons as accessories. But if your child’s costume won’t be complete without a weapon, make sure it is rubber or plastic. Choose a prop that won’t cause injury to your child or their friends.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

9. Be mindful of the candy you hand out

Halloween safety tips don’t just apply to your own children. If your neighborhood has a lot of tiny tots, you might want to steer clear of candies like Everlasting Gobstoppers or Skittles, which could present a choking hazard. If you yourself have a child under the age of three, make sure you check their candy haul and remove anything they could choke on, too. And don’t forget that not all kids can safely eat every type of candy. Opt for regular M &M’s rather than peanut ones to avoid triggering any peanut allergies. If you buy a variety pack of mini candy bars that includes Snickers, maybe skip the peanut-filled bars in your treat bowl. (Hey, there’s an excuse to eat them yourself!)

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

10. Check your child’s candy

When sorting through candy at the end of the night, be sure to throw away any candy that is not in its original wrapper, or looks as though it has been opened.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

********************************************************************

Are you interested in selling or buying your home in the next few months? Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her team that specialize in Real Estate Vancouver and have qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area!   604.218.4846 & www.carmenleal.ca

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

      This communication is not intended to induce breach of existing listing agreement.

Don't Be Haunted by These 6 Scary Mistakes When Hosting Trick-or-Treaters

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

When it comes to Halloween night, some of us prefer to turn off the TV and all the lights and pretend that nobody's home (don't hate—we know you've done it, too). But others of us live for this one electric evening when we get to take in the costumes and the joy as we hand out candy to tiny Black Panthers and mini Elsas.

It all sounds harmless enough—a bunch of costumed kids running around your front yard, just trying to fill their pillow cases to capacity. But here's the thing: If you haven't prepared your home for so many visitors, big and small, a night of frights and delights can easily turn into a series of cursed mishaps.

Don't be haunted by your mistakes! If you’re planning to host hordes of trick-or-treaters this year, make sure to avoid these pitfalls before the kiddos come a-knocking.

1. Not clearing your walkway

Sure, you probably know your walkways shouldn't be obstructed by giant inflatable jack-o'-lanterns and animatronic spiders. But clearing away the big stuff doesn't mean you can ignore the small stuff; it’s incredibly easy to trip and fall on bits of debris—especially in the dark, and especially if you’re an excited (and sugar-high) 9-year-old.

Sweep away anything that could be a hazard on the way to the candy door—pine cones, nuts, etc.—and don't forget about your yard, too.

Kids tend to cut across lawns on Halloween night, so it's important to store any yard-related items or chemicals away and out of sight.

If you have in-ground sprinklers, be sure to place a cover over them so children don't trip.

2. Keeping things too dark and spooky

We get it—your Halloween decor is meant to be enjoyed in the dark. But for safety reasons, you should plan on leaving (at least a few) lights on to help your visitors navigate the front yard.

Use Christmas lights to clear a walking path to your front door. You can set them to a light glow, but make sure your porch is well-lit.”

Not only is a well-lit porch a good idea for your own personal safety (so you can see who’s coming and going), but it's also important if you want to attract trick-or-treaters.

Parents warn children not to go near homes that are dark and suspicious.

3. Using candles

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Sure, you need to have some light—and nothing screams "Halloween" quite like a flickering jack-o'-lantern. But having an open flame on your busy front porch? Probably not the best idea.

Stick to electric lights, rather than lit candles. Choose LED candles; open flames can cause fires, especially when children are excitedly running around. Let's also not forget that a child's costume can catch fire if she's standing too close to an open flame.

4. Not keeping pets inside

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Even if your dog loves kids, the general mayhem of Halloween is enough to give most animals some anxiety.

Make sure pets have a safe, quiet place to relax and aren’t inadvertently let out of the home when the door is opened. This is particularly important with regard to Halloween trick-or-treaters, when the door is being opened repeatedly and scary costumes and loud noises could alarm your pet.

Plan on keeping your pets indoors on the big night, even if they normally prefer to be outside.

5. Inadvertently displaying your valuables

No matter how cute the costumes, hosting trick-or-treaters still is all about openly inviting strangers to your home. Which means it’s a good idea to keep any tempting valuables out of sight.

A lot of people keep their keys near their front door—it makes sense—but you should take care to hide them out of view. You don't want strangers to find out where you keep them.

Besides keys, anything expensive and easy to take should be tucked away and out of sight when your trick-or-treaters start arriving. This includes wallets, phones, tablets, and even laptops.

From swords to broomsticks, costume accessories can easily end up scratching your vehicles. Make sure that you keep your vehicles as far away from the walkway as possible.

6. Not securing your home

On a related note: Although your front porch should be readily accessible to trick-or-treaters, be sure to keep other doors to your home locked.  Make sure your home is secure, and keep the party on the front porch.

Don't invite trick-or-treaters inside your home. This sounds obvious, but keep the festivities to the front lawn. There's no need to make your home into a haunted house—you never know who you could be inviting inside.

********************************************************************

Are you interested in selling or buying your home in the next few months? Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her team that specialize in Real Estate Vancouver and have qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area!   604.218.4846 & www.carmenleal.ca

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

      This communication is not intended to induce breach of existing listing agreement.

7 Home Staging Tips for Rental Properties

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Home staging has great benefits for homeowners that are trying to sell their homes faster and for top dollar, but it can be just as helpful to landlords trying to rent out their properties. Rental staging will set your property apart from the competition, inspire confidence in potential tenants, and help you attract the right ones. 

A small investment in rental staging can keep your income property from sitting empty for too long, so it’s making you money rather than losing it. Whether you have a long-term or short-term rental property, these home staging tips for rentals will help you keep it filled longer and for the rent it deserves.

1. Keep everything polished and fresh.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

One thing that will immediately make renters weary of a rental property are signs of past tenants. If the property has scuff marks on the floors and baseboards, holes or damages in the walls, and generally feels “used,” they’ll instantly be turned off. After every tenant leaves, do a deep cleaning of the property and make any repairs to the walls, floors, ceilings, and other elements. Touch up paint and make sure everything is in working order. Outside, make sure the area around the front door and the door itself is in good shape, and that the plants and grass look healthy.

2. Decorate with a neutral palette and pops of color

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Rental properties with a neutral palette are more well-received than ones with bold or specific décor. Though your tenants won’t own the place, they will still want the opportunity to personalize it with their own décor. Even if the furnishings you stage it with won’t remain there while it’s occupied, it’s still important to stage it in a way that will appeal for a large number of renters. Stick with a neutral palette and use accents of color to give it some character. This will make it look much more appealing and inviting to renters.

3. Give each space a clear identity

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Let renters see how useful each space can be by showing how they could take advantage of it. For example: place a desk and office chair in the nook by the window to show how it can serve as a home office. Place bar stools at the kitchen bar with some place settings to show how they can dine and entertain there. Place a small table and a couple of chairs on the balcony to show that it is big enough for use. Renters can misjudge the size of a space and overlook opportunities. By staging the home with these ideas already there, you’re opening up their imaginations and letting them see the true possibilities.

4. Keep it open and clutter-free 

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Too much furniture and small accessories can make a space feel much smaller and more closed-in than it really is. When staging a rental, it’s important to use only some key pieces of furniture that suit each room. Bulky furniture, for example, will instantly make a space feel very tight and confined, so stick with furniture that has a lighter build. The rest of the décor should be simple and sparing, as too much of it will read like clutter. If you’re currently living there, make sure all of your personal items are hidden away and put away small kitchen utilities, like a toaster or coffee maker, in a cabinet so the countertops are clear.


5. Add comfortable details 

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

The details can be the thing that sets your rental apart from others. Hang up a couple of white robes in the bathroom, set up some mugs and coffee on a tray in the kitchen, place a caddy over the tub for someone to place a book and a drink on, and set the dining room table and/or kitchen bar. All of these things are small details that can have a big impact on making renters feel at home.


6. Make it luxurious

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Other details that can set your rental apart are luxurious elements like nice white bedding, fresh white towels in the bathrooms, a high-quality bath mat by the shower, and other amenities that will create a sense of luxury throughout the rental. This will give renters a higher perceived value of the property and make it more attractive overall.

7. Embrace the location

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

For short-term rentals especially, it’s smart to add elements to the décor that remind renters where they are. If your rental is on or near the beach, for example, include a few coastal elements throughout the home. If it’s near a lake, you can include a beautiful painting of a lake as wall art or if it’s near the mountains, include some rustic touches. You don’t necessarily want to “theme” the rental too much, but a few subtle things will create more of an experience for renters.

********************************************************************

Are you interested in selling or buying your home in the next few months? Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her team that specialize in Real Estate Vancouver and have qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area!   604.218.4846 & www.carmenleal.ca

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

      This communication is not intended to induce breach of existing listing agreement.

Thinking of INVESTING in the VANCOUVER Real Estate Market?

Carmen is a sought-after Vancouver agent for her highly specialized expertise in the Vancouver Real Estate Market. Carmen is blessed with a business touch to make the world of real estate understandable and successful for her clients at the same time earning her top recognition among her peers. Ingrained with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, passion and enthusiam, Carmen Leal immediately found great success in her real estate career and has allowed her to amass connections with large networks of residents, and has solidified her position with the Vancouver’s real estate and business community.

The Spanish look? It’s real. She was born of Spanish parents and is fluent in the language. Carmen has much love for her city as she does for her specialized real estate turf – the residential towers of Yaletown, always fascinating Gastown, Coal Harbour and everything in between in always-growing Vancouver.


TO SIGN-UP CLICK HERE

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

********************************************************************

Are you interested in selling or buying your home in the next few months? Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her team that specialize in Real Estate Vancouver and have qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area!   604.218.4846 & www.carmenleal.ca

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

How to Make Wood Accents Beautify your Home

Vancouver Realtor-Carmen Leal

Have you ever walked into a room and seen how wood crown molding makes the room feel more grand and luxurious? Even a simple beadboard or wood wainscoting can transform your room from boring to appealing in an instant. If you are looking for ways to beautify your space, adding wood accents can add a formality or a needed style to your home. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home, wood accents can add value to your home, and boost buyer appeal above your competition.

1. Crown molding and chair rails

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Wood trim which is placed at the top of the ceiling or at the top of furniture pieces is called crown molding. It comes in various profiles and widths and can be traditionally ornate or use simple lines. Chair rails are typically placed horizontally along the wall at a height that a chair would rub up against the wall. Similarly to crown molding, chair rails come in various widths and profiles. Chair rails can divide the wall with color or textures.

2.  Transition pieces between materials

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

The original intent of wood trim is to cover up the transition between different materials in your home. Where the floor and wall meets, base trim is used. Where a window/door edge meets the wall, a side wood trim is used. Depending on your home décor style, choose a combination of trim pieces to make a dominant cornice on your fireplace mantle, or a minimal thin baseboard piece for a clean, simple detail. The transition between materials shouldn’t be harsh, instead should be decorated beautifully with trim.

3. Exterior wood details

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Wood detailing on your home shouldn’t only be reserved for the interior! Wood trim is especially beautiful on the exterior of your home, especially when fine detail has been added. Traditional and historical homes are known for their wood trim, and if you own an older home, the wood detailing is what makes your home special. If you’re thinking of upgrading the exterior of your home, consider adding wood shutters, trim, corbels, dentils and other specialty trim pieces.

4. Contrast trim with surroundings

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

While typically white or bone colored trim is used on the interior of homes, natural wood stains and darker color trim is a great way to add contrast to your room. Choose a wood stain color that blends well with your furniture, wood floors, and/or decorative wood in your space. For a dynamic touch, add darker trim to light colored walls and ceilings to add visual interest.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Wood trim pieces come in a variety of species and grades. Adding wood trim is a great do it yourself project that will help you gain a new appreciation for your home when you complete. Consider getting help from a carpenter or home improvement store representative for tips and tricks for cutting and installing wood trim on your own. Get inspiration from home décor magazines and see how your home will come alive, and can boost its resale value!

********************************************************************

Are you interested in selling or buying your home in the next few months? Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her team that specialize in Real Estate Vancouver and have qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area!   604.218.4846 & www.carmenleal.ca

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

      This communication is not intended to induce breach of existing listing agreement.

How you can maximize the return on your real estate investments

Potential investors often want to know the simple answer to a complicated question: what is the best option for real estate investment? Though there’s no clear-cut answer, there are some key factors to consider when looking at investment options.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Rental condos

Rental condos are a good investment for those looking for a steady cash flow right out of the gate. At first glance, condos are a relatively straightforward investment. You’ll be able to enjoy a higher rate of return each year and the initial investment is relatively low.

And although condo investment can seem hassle-free, check out for potential upcoming costs—like special levies. Reviewing the minutes of strata council meetings, assessing the age of the building and asking about rental restrictions before you invest.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Rental single-detached homes

A detached home is a larger investment than a condo. The annual rate of return is lower and you may experience a negative cash flow in the first few years—but patience is a virtue. Investing in detached homes often means higher potential for capital gains.

Looking for at least a 20-year-old home in a great location. You’ll collect rental income for 10 to 15 years and, if the location is prime, it could sell to a developer for a significant lift in the future. Its very important to get a proper inspection, unless you’re planning an immediate tear-down.

With single condo rentals or detached homes, lower tax rates may be available if personal capital is used, rather than using a corporation to manage the investment.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Commercial properties

Location is important in any real estate investment, but it’s crucial for commercial properties. You want to invest in a neighbourhood that will support the business tenants you’re hoping to attract.

Commercial properties are good investments if you’re looking for a reliable income that isn’t subject to fluctuations in property taxes or utility bills. And if you’re in it for the long-term, commercial properties will likely see a higher potential for capital gains.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Apartment rental buildings

Consolidating smaller investments by investing in an apartment building can be a smart choice. When you invest in a building, you have total control—you own the land, and there are no strata councils or bylaws. Obviously, total control doesn’t mean you’re immune to increasing property taxes or unforeseen repairs, but this investment will likely yield a positive cash flow from day one and you can expect higher capital gains. Be cautious that though it may be tempting to sit back and let the rent roll in, it’s worthwhile to invest in upgrades from the start to attract high-quality tenants.

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

Note: When purchasing commercial properties or apartment rental buildings investors purchase these types of investments through a business, for legal liability reasons.

********************************************************************

Are you interested in selling or buying your home in the next few months? Work with award winning realtor, Carmen Leal and her team that specialize in Real Estate Vancouver and have qualified Buyers that are looking for a home in your area!   604.218.4846 & www.carmenleal.ca

Vancouver-Realtor-Carmen-Leal

      This communication is not intended to induce breach of existing listing agreement.