Real estate values on the rise

Ottawa realtor Paul Rushforth sometimes senses a hesitation in homeowners who'd like to sell their homes. They're worried that potential buyers are afraid that real-estate prices are about to fall, just as they have fallen, drastically, over the past few years in the United States.

``I tell them there's really very little to worry about,'' Rushforth says. ``Especially in Ottawa, we don't really have a real-estate bubble. In nearly six decades, we've only seen prices go down four times - and I, personally, expect prices to continue increasing.''

Vancouver and Toronto may have real-estate bubbles, especially in the condo market, but that's not true of Ottawa, Rushforth says. ``I actually expect that, five years from now, people will be wishing they had bought in 2012.''

You can sell your house for top dollar now, he says. But to squeeze full value from your home, you need to put a little time and money into sprucing your property up.

``A modest amount of money and a little perspiration can give your house a huge boost in selling price, something my clients have shown time and time again.''

Here are Rushforth's top tips on giving a home more appeal:

Paint: Nothing freshens a home more than a recent coat of warm and inviting paint, which Rushforth calls ``the greatest bang for your buck of all the things you can do for your house.''

Lighting: Prices are lower than they used to be, and you can easily pick up an inexpensive chandelier or dome lights at a big-box store like Home Depot.

Kitchens: A new funky backsplash, a sleek countertop and new hardware on cabinet doors will make many a potential buyer smile. Ceramic floor tiles and new coat of paint give an extra boost.

Bathrooms: With fresh, warm paint on the walls, new ceramic tiles and new lighting, a dated bathroom can be brought inexpensively back to life.

Floors: You should refinish any scratched hardwood floor, replace soiled carpets, and replace linoleum with ceramic tiles. Stay away from laminate floors.

And then there are less tangible things that greatly affect how a potential buyer responds to your home. There should be no clutter anywhere. Every surface should be as clean as possible. It even helps to make sure the house smells nice - maybe by baking chocolate-chip cookies or putting out fresh flowers.

Many home improvements don't have to cost anything, Rushforth says. He's had clients who have bartered for electrical or plumbing services. One web designer created a website for a siding company that happily redid part of his home's siding in return.

``With the rise of social media, it's easier than ever to find ways of sharing, bartering, swapping and trading,'' Rushforth says.

Some of Rushforth's clients have held poker tournaments to raise money for home improvements. Others have sold used cars or rented out use of a summer cottage. Holding garage sales is a great strategy, since you not only get some needed cash, but reduce the amount of stuff you'll have to move when the time comes.

``Without breaking the bank, you can usually improve your house far more than you first expected,'' he says. ``The key is to do things conservatively and wisely - to do a lot yourself, to use lower-end fixes, and barter and trade where you can.''

Rushforth has seen these strategies work time after time - in his real-estate practice, and also in the television show All For Nothing?, which he hosts with designer Penny Southam. Each week, two households compete to see who can get the greatest increase in house value while spending essentially nothing.

``The homeowners get better than a 10-to-1 return,'' Rushforth says. ``The average home increases in value by $27,000 with expenses of only $2,600.''

If you'd like to see Rushforth's techniques in practice, watch All For Nothing? on the W Network. The program airs Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and 10 p.m., ET and PT.

``These common-sense strategies will work for anyone who wants to sell a house,'' Rushforth says.