With the first day of Spring just over the horizon, it’s time for—you guessed it—spring cleaning! Whether you love or hate this annual chore, here are the top tips for getting it done in record time.

Make a Plan
A surefire way to speed things up is to start with a proper plan. Create a checklist so that you a) know when each thing is done, b) can plan the work around your schedule, and c) get the satisfaction of checking things off.

Declutter First
Some people like to declutter as they go, but it’s best to get this done first. If there’s less in your home, there’s less to clean.

Set Yourself Up for Success
Use spring cleaning as a time to set cleaning habits for the year ahead. Use your spring cleaning plan or checklist to define quick tasks you can complete regularly throughout the year and lessen the workload for next year’s spring clean.

This month saw a double-digit gain in sales, but last February was one of the slowest levels of activity since the late ’90s. With the extra day this February, monthly sales totaled 1,197 units. A combination of these two factors resulted in a 23 per cent improvement over last year, but sales remain well below longer-term trends and consistent with the lower levels reported over the past five years. “However, this should not diminish the fact that conditions are still improving,” said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

“Calgary is continuing to see slow reductions in the amount of oversupply in the market, from modest changes in demand and reductions in supply. This needs to occur before we can see more stability in prices.”

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