Selling your home can be stressful—but when you have pets, it can feel even trickier. At River Realty, we totally get it. Every member of our team has pets we adore, and we know how much they’re part of your family 🐶🐱. That’s why we’ve put together our top tips for selling your home in Paris, Ontario while keeping your furry friends happy—and appealing to buyers.

1. Keep Your Home Clean and Smelling Fresh 🧹✨

Pet hair, dander, and odors can be a deal-breaker for buyers. Regularly vacuum, mop, and clean carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Consider professional carpet cleaning if needed. Natural scents like baking soda or subtle essential oils work best—overpowering air fresheners can turn buyers off.

2. Stage Smart and Minimize Pet Clutter 🛋️🐾

Buyers want to imagine themselves in your home, not focus on your pets’ toys and beds. Remove litter boxes, beds, and pet supplies during showings. If possible, have pets safely in another room or at a friend’s house for the day.

3. Fix Any Pet Damage 🐾🩹

Scratched floors, chewed baseboards, or stained carpets can worry buyers. Touch up paint, fill scratches, and clean or replace damaged flooring. Even small repairs can make your home look well-maintained and move-in ready.

4. Plan Showings Around Your Pets 🐕🚶‍♂️

Some buyers may be hesitant around dogs, cats, or other animals. Schedule showings when your pets can be out for a walk or safely in a separate room. This keeps your home calm and buyer-friendly.

5. Highlight Pet-Friendly Features 🌳🏡

Does your home have a fenced yard? Nearby parks? Built-in pet amenities? Make sure buyers know! Pet-friendly features can actually be a selling point in Paris, Ontario, where many families love having outdoor space for their animals.

6. Be Honest About Pet-Related Wear and Tear 🐾💬

Transparency builds trust. If there’s any pet-related damage, disclose it upfront. Buyers will appreciate your honesty, and it helps avoid surprises during negotiations.

7. Keep Calm and Flexible 😌🐶🐱

Selling with pets requires coordination, but a little planning goes a long way. Keep your home clean, stage thoughtfully, and be mindful of showings. Your home—and your pets—will shine!

At River Realty, we love pets just as much as you do, and we’ve helped countless families in Paris, Ontario sell their homes while keeping their furry friends happy. 🐾❤️Selling your home with pets doesn’t have to be stressful. Follow these tips, and your home will appeal to buyers while your pets stay safe and loved.

Fall in Southern Ontario means changing leaves, cooler evenings, and yes — that one neighbour who goes a little too hard on Halloween decorations (we see you, Steve 🎃).

While it’s one of the most beautiful times of the year, it’s also your reminder to get your home ready before winter hits. Here’s a practical (and totally doable) checklist to help you prep without losing your sanity.

🧹 1. Clean Your Gutters

No one enjoys scooping soggy leaves, but clogged gutters can cause serious water damage once the snow starts to melt. Grab a ladder, clear the debris, and enjoy the free arm workout while you’re at it.

🔥 2. Furnace Tune-Up

A Canadian winter without heat? No thanks. Schedule a furnace inspection now, and have your gas fireplace checked too. You’ll thank yourself when that first cold snap hits.

💨 3. Seal Drafts

Feeling a mysterious chill inside? Not a ghost 👻 — just air leaks around windows and doors. Weather stripping or a bit of caulking now can save big on heating bills later.

🍂 4. Deal with the Leaves (or Don’t)

Rake them, mulch them, or wait for the snow to hide them. Either way, if you do rake, jumping in the pile at least once is mandatory.

🚨 5. Test Smoke & CO Detectors

A quick press of the button could literally save a life. Replace batteries if needed and double-check expiry dates on your CO detectors.

🕯️ 6. Stock Up on Cozy Essentials

Blankets, candles, and soup season are officially back. Add a good book or your favourite series (hello, Gilmore Girls☕) and you’ve got peak fall comfort.

🌳 7. Prep the Yard

Say goodbye to patio furniture before it becomes a permanent ice sculpture. Cover it, stash it, or drag it closer to the house and hope for the best.

⚡ 8. Restock Your Emergency Kit

Snowstorms happen. Power outages happen. Make sure you’ve got batteries, candles, flashlights, and snacks ready to go — bonus points for downloaded shows when the Wi-Fi gives up.

Prepping your home for fall doesn’t have to be a chore — think of it as setting the stage for cozy nights, holiday gatherings, and maybe even a snow day or two.

If you’d like trusted local contacts to help with any of these tasks, reach out anytime — our team’s always happy to connect you with the right people.

While spring and fall get all the glory, summer can be a great time to list your home. Here’s why:

1. Less Competition = More Attention. As you know many Sellers aim to list in the Spring or wait until the Fall, which means fewer listings in the summer months. With less inventory on the market, your homes stands out more and can attract serious buyers who don’t have dozens of options to scroll through.

2. Buyers are Motivated. Buyers looking this time of year often have a deadline - whether it’s getting settled before a new school season, relocating for work or taking advantage of a vacation window to make their move. These aren’t just browsers, these are Buyers who are ready to act!

3. Your Home Shows Best in Summer. Longer days means brighter rooms, lush landscaping and outdoor spaces shine! Pools, decks, gardens, and curb appeal all make a strong emotional impression when people are imagining their next summer in a new space. 

4. More Flexibility for Showings. Schools out and people tend to have more flexibility from employers or take a lot of vacation time, making it easier for both Buyers and Sellers to accommodate showings or Open Houses 

5. Summer Moves are Just Easier. Picture yourself carrying boxes through blowing snow or carry that couch in on a nice summer day, which would you prefer? Summer is peak moving season for a reason - it’s just more pleasant - and Buyers know it! 

Thinking of Selling? Let’s chat and make a plan so your home hits the market while the summer momentum is still strong. Fall gets crowded—get ahead of the curve while the sun's still shining.

Many of our clients ask why we choose to be part of REMAX Twin City Realty Inc. instead of operating as our own brokerage. The answer is simple: being part of a large, well-established brokerage allows us to focus on what truly matters—delivering the best possible service to our clients.

By working within REMAX Twin City, we gain access to a powerful network of top-performing agents, increasing exposure for our listings and giving our buyers an edge in competitive markets. The brokerage also provides industry-leading training, cutting-edge technology, and marketing resources that help us stay ahead of trends and serve our clients at the highest level. Plus, having a dedicated administrative and compliance team ensures our transactions run smoothly, allowing us to focus on negotiating, marketing, and making the buying or selling process as stress-free as possible.

At the end of the day, being part of a globally recognized brand with a strong local presence gives our clients more confidence, more connections, and more results—without compromising the personal, hands-on service that makes our small team unique.

In speaking with one of our trusted mortgage brokers, they’ve said one of the biggest worries people have when buying a home is the appraisal coming in low. Thinking about it, we agree - this is a part of the process you as a consumer have no control over. 

One note I want you to remember though... It's rare for an appraisal to come in lower on a purchase! 

As one appraiser once said to me: "The best way to tell what a property is worth is by what it just sold for in the open market". Honestly, I rarely actually see an appraisal these days on a MLS purchase (most just auto-appraise), and when I do they almost always come it at sale price.

Clients with less than 20% down:

• I almost never see an appraisal needed for these clients, unless the property is in poor shape, purchased privately, or under power of sale. 

• The main reason we rarely see appraisals needed is that there are so many comparable sales in this price range, and the mortgage insurers (CMHC, etc...) are responsible for determining the property value. Their automated Valuation model (AVM) algorithm is super generous, so this rarely happens.

• For context, I can't think of a deal I have done in the last year for an insured purchase where the purchase price was not supported... not a single one!

Clients with 20% down:

• If they're looking under a million, again we see very few appraisals needed as long as the property is urban, not a rental, in poor shape, purchases privately, or power of sale. There's usually enough comparables in the market that either the lender's AVM or the appraisal supports the purchase price.

• If they're looking over a million (or more rural) and just have the 20% down, this is where there's a bit more risk at play simply because there are less supporting comparables, and the higher the price point, the more subjective the property evaluation becomes.

• Again... I can't think of my last deal where a purchase price under a million wasn't supported by either an AVM or an appraisal (knock on wood!).

Clients with a massive down payment (think over 35%):

• These are the easy files - almost no risk unless there's something wrong with the property itself.

• If a client is buying a $900k home with $300k down and the appraisal comes in at $880,000, in the lender's eyes it's simply a $880,000 purchase with $280,000 down, and the client is kicking in the $20,000 difference. Easy!

Hopefully this can help relive some stress you have when thinking about mortgages. If you need any additional help we love working with Jim! https://jimstefflermortgages.com/