Newsletter

If selling is on your radar this spring, here’s a simple 3-part guide to make the process feel clear and low-stress:

1. Week-by-week selling checklist (where to start, what to do first)
2. What to fix (and skip) (save money, focus on what buyers notice)
3. Showings, offers, and closing playbook (what happens after you list)
   

Reply “SELL” and I’ll send a simple timeline for your home.

Reply with your street and I’ll send a quick price range + what buyers are choosing right now.

If you want a quick “what would we do first?” plan for your home, just reply PLAN.

Here are the key numbers from the last 30 days for detached homes in Kingston:

• Average sold price: $655,725 (about 2% lower than this time last year)
• Number of sales: 40 (about 27% fewer than last year)
• Average days on market: 54 days (about 30% longer than last year)
• Sale-to-new listings ratio: 35%
• Simple meaning: for every 100 new listings, about 35 sold in that window
• Sold price to list price: 97%
• Simple meaning: homes sold for about 97 cents on the list-price dollar
• Months of inventory: 5.5
• Simple meaning: at the current pace, it would take about 5.5 months to sell what’s listed, if no new homes came on

What this is really saying (plain English)

This looks like we are in a balanced market that leans buyer-friendly.

Not because prices are crashing—they aren’t.

But because there’s more choice, and homes are taking longer to sell, which gives buyers more time and more negotiating room.

Important note: These are overall numbers. Neighbourhood, condition, and pricing still matter a lot. Two houses a few streets apart can have totally different outcomes.

What Smart Movers Are Doing Right Now

Buyers

• Get your mortgage plan updated (even if you already talked to a lender last year)
  Why it helps: it keeps your budget real and your offer stronger.
• Track 10–15 homes you’d actually buy (not “maybe” homes)
  Why it helps: you’ll spot value quickly when it appears.
• Use the slower pace to learn areas (schools, commute, walkability, noise, winter parking)
  Why it helps: fewer surprises after you move in.
• Ask for the “why” behind pricing on anything you like
  Why it helps: it keeps emotion from leading the decision.
• Negotiate smartly (not aggressively)
  Why it helps: in this market, reasonable asks often get traction.

Sellers

• Price for today, not for peak headlines
  Why it helps: the market is rewarding homes that are clearly “worth it.”
• Prepare like you’re competing (because you are)
  Why it helps: inventory levels mean buyers compare everything.
• Make your home feel easy to buy: declutter, brighten, fix small issues
  Why it helps: buyers pay more for homes that feel “no work.”
• Expect a longer runway than a couple years ago
  Why it helps: realistic timelines reduce stress and bad decisions.
• Plan a strong first two weeks (photos, staging, launch strategy)
  Why it helps: that’s when the best attention shows up.

If your house feels chilly even when the heat is on, you’re not imagining it.

What to do (simple steps)

• Check weather stripping on exterior doors (the rubber seal). Replace if cracked or loose.
• Add a door sweep if you feel air at the bottom of the door.
• Inspect the caulking around windows (the seal between trim and wall).
• Change your furnace filter if it’s due.

Why it matters

• You feel warmer with less heat running (comfort + lower bills)
• Drafts can dry out your home and make it feel harsher
• Small maintenance like this keeps the home showing well if you plan to sell this year

If you want, reply and tell me the age of your home and what rooms feel drafty—I’ll tell you the most common “leak points” for that style.

February in Kingston is still winter. But it’s a softer winter. The kind you can live in.

Here are a few simple ideas worth stealing.

A winter walk that always works

• Lemoine Point Conservation Area is hard to beat. Quiet trails. Water views. Pine air.
  
  Go late morning on a weekend—10 to noon is a sweet spot. The light is better. The day feels calmer. Bring a travel mug. Walk for 30–45 minutes. You’ll feel human again.

Skating in the woods (worth the little road trip)

• If you want something genuinely different, check out the Northern Lights Ice Skate Trail at Potter Settlement Artisan Wines in Tweed—about ~41 km north of Napanee. It’s one of those experiences that feels almost unreal: lights, forest air, and that quiet winter glow.(Note picture of skating is from their website)
  
  A quick heads-up: bring your own skates (no rentals), and it’s smart to check conditions before you go.

A downtown warm-up stop

• Pick one café downtown and make it your February habit.
  Crave Coffee House & Bakery is a great one for this. Coffee. Bakery. Cozy tables. No fuss.
  
  Go after your walk. Or go before. Either way, it makes the day feel fuller.

One board game to try this month

• If you want a simple, fun game night without a rulebook headache: Ticket to Ride.
  
  Easy to learn. Moves fast. Competitive, but not intense.
  
  Perfect for a winter night when you want something better than screens.

Local Kingston events worth checking this month

Downtown usually has a few winter things happening in February—walkable, easy, low-pressure. Two good ones to keep an eye on:

• Spirit of Winter (downtown winter vibes)
• Kingstonlicious (a great excuse to try a new spot)

If you want, reply and tell me what you’re into—outdoors, food, family stuff, live music—and what end of town you’re in. We’ll send back a short list that actually fits.

Team Gazeley hit the ice this month at the Royal Kingston Curling Club for the 4th Annual Ted Brown Classic, presented by Tulips and Maple Catering. In the photo (left to right): Jay, Turner, Jett (special guest), and Sean. It was a great three-day spiel with extra games mixed in at Cataraqui Golf & Country Club, which kept the energy up from start to finish. With 40 teams and 160 players from across the province, the club was buzzing all weekend—lots of laughs, lots of great shots, and the kind of community event that reminds you why Kingston is such a good place to live (and why we’re proud to be part of it).

January isn’t about big moves.

It’s about quiet preparation.

Buyers are:

• Watching new listings
• Learning neighbourhoods
• Getting mortgage pre-approvals
• Touring without pressure

They’re using winter to understand the market — so when the right home appears, they’re ready.

Sellers are:

• Making small repairs
• Decluttering
• Planning timelines
• Talking through pricing

They’re using the slower season to get ahead of spring.

The people who feel calm in April are the ones who prepared in January.

You don’t need a full renovation to start the year well.

January is perfect for small wins:

• Fix that sticky door
• Touch up scuffed trim
• Replace old light bulbs
• Organize one closet
• Clear one shelf in the garage

These small projects make your home feel better and they add up over time.

If a move is in your future, this kind of care also protects your value.

A well-kept home shows pride.

Buyers can feel that.

Family Winter Activities

Winter builds great family memories. Outdoors we have a number of community skating rinks with Market Square being ready for skating most days. Community rinks like Woodbine are fantastic experiences but seasonal weather can impact conditions so checking out conditions at Kingston Rink Conditions is good to do in advance. With snow on the ground most subdivisions have some secret sledding spots. Rodden Park in Calvin Park is a family favourite. And if we get enough snow building snow forts in the yard is always fun. This year, enjoy some simple fun, no screens required.

New Year Routines

Short walks. Hot coffee. Earlier nights. The kind of reset that actually sticks.

At-Home Comfort

Soups on the stove. Lamps on early. A house that feels warm even when the wind howls outside.

Kingston winters don’t rush you.

They invite you to settle in and embrace this wonderful season.

January is a beginning.

Not loud.
Not flashy.
Just steady and hopeful.

If this is the year you make a move, or even just explore the idea, we’re here to help you plan it clearly and confidently.

Reply when it suits you.

Jay, Sean & Turner
Brothers. Family. REALTORS®. Here to help you move with confidence.

📞 613-561-4653
📧 jay@gazeleyrealestategroup.ca
🌐 gazeleyrealestategroup.ca