The New Year is in full swing. Want to make sure it's a successful one? Then pull your annual credit report and set yourself up for financial health in 2022.

Make sure you:

1. Look for any errors you find. Report them to the appropriate credit bureau to get them amended.

2. Address any late, overdue, or in-collections accounts. These can seriously ding your credit score.

3. Make sure you recognize everything. If there are accounts or loans you don't recognize, you could be a victim of identity theft.

You can save time getting a home refreshed and ready to put on the market by focusing on these three areas, according to a survey of REALTORS® nationwide:

1. Home exterior: New paint is one of the most cost-efficient ways to improve the experience and value of your home. If you can't paint the entire house, focus on painting the trim and exterior doors. Replace the locks on the front door with shiny new ones and buy a new welcome mat.

2. Bathrooms: Buy a new bathroom set - toothbrush holder, soap dispenser and cup - and make sure you replace the toilet seat. It's the little things that can help a buyer remember your home.

3. Kitchen: Reseal granite countertops, deep clean the oven, and replace worn out faucets. An important touch - buy a new garbage can.

One final suggestion: hire two professionals. One to clean your carpets and/or polish your wood floors and another to deep clean your home. In the scheme of a home sale, this small investment will save you time and make a great first impression on potential buyers.

If you are thinking of listing your home this spring, here are 7 seller secrets that may help you sell your home faster:

1. Clean: It's time to do deep spring-cleaning, not just sweep dust under the rug. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression, and it all starts with a spotless home.

2. Lean: Kill the clutter. While you are spring-cleaning, pitch or donate items to free up more space in your home or store it all out of sight.

3. Pristine: Spring showers may grow May Flowers, but they also make shoes muddy. Remember that you need to keep your home tidy so that it remains ready to show.

4. Sheen: Start at your entrance, because it's the first thing your buyer will see. Does the front door need new paint? Why not add a new welcome mat? Are the cobwebs clear and the shoes put away?

5. Fix your screens: It sounds like a little thing, but buyers pay attention to detail and a ripped, bent, broken or missing screen conveys the wrong message about upkeep.

6. Keep it green: Nothing says a home is taken care of like a mowed green lawn or fresh landscaping.

One more secret: Keep it fresh, and in fact, use lemons. Why? Researchers at Washington State University found that the scents of lemon, birch, and peppermint in a retail setting help create a sense of relaxation and comfort. Give your home a "lemon-fresh" scent and you just might help your home sell faster this spring.

Choosing the best time to sell a home can be a complex decision and may depend on multiple personal and economic factors.

When you’ve outgrown the space in your current home, or you prefer to trade down to something smaller, it may be a good time to sell. Other personal changes, like a change in marital status or job, could necessitate a move.

An old rule of thumb in real estate is to wait until the flowers start blooming to put a house on the market. 

There are sound reasons behind that. Spring is the time of the year when the weather is ideal for going out to look at properties, and summer break is coming up for the kids, making a move easier.

But that’s not what has happened this year: the uptick in home sales is defying normal seasonality trends. Market conditions play a key role when timing a home sale. Your chances of getting top dollar for your home increase during a seller's market, when demand outweighs supply, as opposed to a buyer's market, when home prices are typically lower. 

In the current market, you can expect your home to sell fairly quickly for the asking price, possibly above, and you’re more likely to receive multiple offers. 

But the bottom line is if you're ready, so are we. Let's talk. We’re here to help.

We use colour to describe our emotions: she's feeling blue, he's red-faced, we're green with envy. Researchers say that colours play into human psychology and can even impact how we react to what we see, and what we want to buy.

How can colour psychology help you sell your home?

• Soft yellow is associated with happiness and light, making it a great colour for family gathering areas, such as kitchens

• Light blues can create a feeling of tranquility, like the ocean waves: relaxing and calming, terrific for bathrooms

• Greens are associated with nature, used to convey a feeling of peace and quiet and versatile for almost any room in the house

• Grey is a neutral colour, best used to connect spaces, such as hallways.

What colours should you leave off your walls? Avoid reds and oranges, colour experts recommend.

It's February, the month when love is in the air — air that is soon be filled with the fragrance of roses! So, why not fill your own space with love? Here are 5 little ways to show love in your life.

1. Plan a family dinner. Eating together always brings those we love closer and allows time for great conversations.

2. Leave little notes. Have someone special in your life, tell them you are thinking about them with a little note of appreciation.

3. Bring home a favourite treat. We all have a hard day sometimes; let those you care about know you were thinking about them.

4. Compliments. Feeling noticed and complimenting someone on a job well done will help them feel great and appreciated.

5. Put electronics away. Putting down your cell phone and being present for important people can help create deep, lasting relationships.

When everyone takes part in bringing joy to others, the world becomes a much happier place!