Buyer activity in the Fraser Valley stayed coy throughout April despite a bump in inventory across all three major residential types.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,708 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, a decrease of 23.4 per cent compared to the 2,230 sales in April of last year, and a 2.6 per cent increase compared to the 1,664 sales in March 2018.

Of the 1,708 sales processed last month 413 were townhouses and 498 were apartments, together representing 53 per cent of all transactions in April.

Active inventory for the Fraser Valley finished at 5,667 listings last month, increasing 18.2 per cent month-over-month, and 15.3 per cent when compared to April 2017.

Click here to read the full report

Painting seems simple — just slap it on, right? — but there a many things to think about for a truly professional look. Next time you paint, consider these tips for a finish you can be proud of.

Prevent splatter with plastic wrap

While you will want to remove as much furniture as possible when painting, there will often be some awkward objects remaining — particularly bathroom fixtures. Use plastic wrap to cover these and paint without the fear of spoiling them with errant drips or splatter.

Stop the smell of paint from becoming overpowering

If you add a couple of drops of vanilla extract to a can of paint, you can avoid the overpowering smell of paint and enjoy a sweet fragrance instead.

Use Q-tips to fix small mistakes

When painting it is important to fix any drips or mistakes quickly, before the paint dries. Keep Q-tips to hand so that you can act fast and accurately.

Remove painter’s tape the easy way

There’s nothing worse than your carefully marked-out tape peeling away paint with it. Avoid that by using a hairdryer on low heat. Point it at the tape from about about 7 cm away to soften the tape’s adhesive. This will make pulling it off easy and neat.

Keep your brushes soft

When you are finished painting (whether for the day or longer), soak your brushes in fabric softener. This stops them from becoming dry and stiff. Keeping brushes soft makes painting easier and the results better. To do this:

1. 1. Rinse the brushes with water only.
   2. Mix half a cup of fabric softener into 3.75 litres of warm water.
   3. Swirl the brushes in the mixture for around 10 seconds each.
   4. Lay them flat overnight to dry.

Stats are calculated comparing April 2018 to April 2017 .

To see more information on local stats in Fraser Valley, please click here.