Who doesn’t love a modern Toronto home? Sure, even if you prefer a vintage aesthetic, chances are, you still prefer modern amenities that make living in the 21st century such a wonder!

In Toronto, modern homes are taken to the next level, and discerning buyers are often looking for specific features and traits that simply scream, “I’m from the future!” 

For sellers, these modern features might not seem super important, until you’re buying your next home, that is. However, there are some modern Toronto home traits that could potentially make your property stand out from the crowd when it comes to selling. 

Here are some modern home features that can make or break your home sale. By the way, before making any decisions on home improvements, we recommend consulting with the pros to make sure they will be worth it in the long run! 

Are you subscribed to our YouTube channel yet? We drop new videos every week! Subscribe here and get expert buying tips, insights on local loft buildings, and all the tea on everything you need to know about the Toronto real estate market. 

Smart Home Tech for the Win

Alexa, what’s the temperate outside? Here at Homeplicity, we love our smart home tech, but do we love setting it up? That’s a big nope. A home that’s been specifically wired to easily accept smart home tech, is a big plus for modern homebuyers. 

Everyone wants easy integration, lightning-fast internet, and ease of use that just makes using this type of smart home tech seamless. 

For many people, though, smart home technology is about more than converting ounces to milliliters on the fly when perfecting your negroni sbagliato with prosecco technique, it’s about accessibility, safety, convenience, and beyond. 

Today’s smart home tech can do everything from play music in every room of your home to turn on the lights at a specific time when you aren’t home, let you know who’s at the door before you answer it, monitor your property with security cameras, automatically turn off the oven when you’re done cooking, maintain the perfect temperature all day long, and more. 

With so much on the go in our busy lives, automating some of these basic tasks can make the world of difference for a buyer, and ensuring your home is ready to be integrated with whatever smart home technology your buyer is bringing with them, is just one way to get ahead and prove you have a modern Toronto home. 

Thinking about selling your home soon? Read these posts next: 

• Your Top Home Selling FAQs
• 3 Things Buyers are Swiping Right On
• 4 Reasons Why Your Home Isn’t Selling

Engineered Hardwood is the Next Best Thing 

Over the years, laminate flooring has gotten a bit of a bad rep. While we love laminate for being durable, inexpensive, easy to install, and, in most cases, nice to look at, some might see “laminate” and immediately think “cheap.” 

We’ve noticed a trend over the past few years of seeing “engineered hardwood” as a luxurious and totally modern option in modern homes. But what exactly is engineered hardwood? 

Engineered hardwood is kind of like the “gold-plated” jewelry of the home design world. Basically, thin layers of hardwood floor are attached to plywood, providing the ease and durability of laminate with the luxurious look and feel of hardwood. As Hannah Montanna would say, “It’s the best of both worlds.” 

Sure, nothing will beat the appeal of a luxurious hardwood floor, but for modern Toronto homebuyers, engineered hardwood is the next best thing. On top of everything else, engineered hardwood has the sustainability it-factor since it utilizes far less wood per plank in it’s construction. 

If you’re thinking about replacing some outdated flooring in your home before selling, consider engineered hardwood to appeal to a modern buyer. 

Is it a good idea to hire your BFF to sell your home? Read why (or why not!) here.

High-Efficiency Features that go Beyond Skin Deep

By now, “high efficiency” appliances are ubiquitous. That little “HE” symbol is on everything from our washing machines to our dishwashers and fridges. But a true “high-efficiency home” goes beyond that. While some of these tips would be difficult to do or too expensive to justify when selling, here are a few ways to make your home Energy Star® compliant. 

(A quick sidebar, we’re not home contractors, for specific advice on making your home more energy-efficient, please refer to a professional!) 

• More Insulation – Building codes require a specific amount of insulation, but going above and beyond is not necessarily a bad thing. A little extra insulation could keep the home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Additionally, if the insulation in your home is old or outdated, or contains asbestos, you’ll want to get that replaced anyways. 
• Updated Moisture and Vapor Barriers – These products help keep moisture out of the home and help preserve your home’s building materials and protect against rot and mold. In many cases, moisture barriers are primarily used in high-moisture areas like mudrooms, basements, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, but depending on your home, you may benefit from adding some extra moisture barrier elsewhere. 
• The Big Appliances – Yes, Energy Star® ratings on your dishwasher, fridge, stove, and other day-to-day appliances are important. But what about the bigger appliances? Traditional water heaters and furnaces should be replaced every 15-20 years, so for some, this could be a very important change to make when purchasing a modern home. Tankless water heaters, heat pumps, and other newer innovations are extremely appealing. 
• Electric Car Charging in the Garage – With the rise of electric cars, it would make sense that more buyers are looking for homes that will accommodate their EVs. Electric car charging stations are practical, futuristic, and necessary as many manufacturers switch to green alternatives.

With all that said, making big changes to your home before selling should be a convo you have with your agent. It’s all about strategy here and getting the most ROI for your upgrades. Not all upgrades are worth it in the end!

Can you time the market? Tick-tock, find out here! 

Heated Floors are Not Just Fancy AF

Imagine this, it’s a cold winter night. You take a steaming hot shower. You’re so relaxed and ready to have the best sleep of your life. When you’re done, you step onto your bathroom floor and a chill shoots up your leg. Your bathroom tile is freezing. All the relaxation of the hot shower was for nothing. 

Now imagine the same scenario except when you step out of the shower, the tile is warm. It’s so pleasant. It feels great, and you’re ready to go to bed, snug as a bug. 

Heated floors might seem like the ultimate luxury, but in reality, they are super practical and extremely beneficial! 

While you could opt for heated floors only in tiled rooms like the bathroom and kitchen, some homeowners have heated floors–otherwise known as radiant heating–throughout their entire home. The benefit of radiant heating is two-fold, the heating source is incredibly efficient and “green” but also if you suffer from allergies, radiant flooring is better than forced air and helps eliminate dust in the home. 

Heated floors are also finding new uses outside too. Why would you need a heated floor outside? Imagine never having to shovel your walkway or driveway again. Heated walkways and driveways are all the rage and for good reason. We live in Canada. Snow is a big part of our lives, and never having to shovel snow again sounds like a dream! 

If you’re selling soon, you’re probably also planning to buy. Read these blogs next: 

• Spilling the Tea on Your Top 8 Buyer FAQs
• Raise Your Hand if You Want to Buy a Cheap Toronto Home!
• Inside the Mind of a Toronto Real Estate Agent

Scandinavian-Inspired Kitchens 

When we say “Scandi’ style kitchens, we aren’t just talking about everyone’s favourite big box Swedish furniture store, we’re talking about hygge, the Scandinavian way of life where things are simple, cozy, functional, and warm feeling. 

Kitchens with too much going on can feel hectic, alarming, and just plain not nice to be in. A sleek kitchen with minimalist cabinetry, neutral tones, high-quality appliances, plenty of lighting, and functionality built into the design are all the rage right now. 

Some ways to incorporate these sleek and minimalist-inspired kitchen designs into your home include: 

• Adding soft-close cabinetry and draws with minimalist design and unfussy handles/knobs. 
• Incorporate a light and sleek countertop style, granite is not the only choice, you go with butcher’s block bamboo, stainless steel, marble, concrete, slate, you name it. 
• Opt for light or neutral tile backsplashes, white subway tile is an instant classic, but the options are truly endless! 
• Stainless steel appliances are now the gold standard for a highly functional and beautiful kitchen. They look good everywhere from a multi-million dollar estate to a trendy, modern Toronto condo. 

Whether you’re planning to buy or sell a modern Toronto home, we can help! Call or text me at 647-973-8392 today, I’m always happy to help.