Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate, Brokerage
Showing posts with label home improvements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home improvements. Show all posts
Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Friday, 7 October 2016
October Home Checklist
To-Dos: Your October Home Checklist
Clean up fallen leaves and branches and get your home ready for more time spent indoors.
Houzz Contributor, Laura Gaskill
The leaves are falling, the farmer’s markets are bustling and the cozy comforts of home beckon — it must be October. Make the most of this month’s bountiful harvest, get some exercise raking leaves in the brisk air and button down your house in preparation for winter. Then sit back, relax and warm your hands around a mug of hot apple cider. Fall is here.
1. Rake leaves. To make quicker work of collecting leaves from a large lawn, rake the fallen foliage onto a large plastic tarp. Then bag it or add it to your compost pile.
2. Trim dead tree limbs. Dead limbs are more likely to fall during winter storms, making them a potential safety hazard. Have an arborist inspect and trim large trees.
3. If you haven’t already, clean gutters and downspouts. Wait until most of the leaves have fallen to schedule a rain gutter cleaning. Inspect gutters and downspouts for cracks and loose parts and make repairs as needed.
4. Neaten up the mudroom. The back-to-school (and work) flurry can leave the mudroom looking as if a hurricane hit it. Take some time to regain sanity — sort through papers and put away stray summer items and extra coats. Clean the floors and invest in a new doormat if needed. Keep a recycling basket near the entrance to make sorting mail and school papers easier, and dedicate a tote or bin for items that need to be returned (like library books).
5. Keep seasonal decorating low-key with natural finds. Pumpkins and gourds, fresh heirloom apples, quinces, pomegranates, figs and fall foliage all make wonderfully simple decor.
Bring in cut branches from your yard, stop by a pick-your-own farm or scoop up fall’s bounty at a farm stand.
6. Maintain your wood stove or fireplace. If you have a fireplace or wood stove, it’s essential for safety that you have it serviced before lighting the first fire of the season. If you haven’t done so already, schedule an appointment to have your chimney inspected and, if necessary, cleaned.
7. Check safety devices. Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the house and replace batteries as needed. Check the expiration date on the kitchen fire extinguisher and replace it if needed.
8. Start a gift list. It may seem like the holidays are a long way off — but that’s why it pays to start getting organized now. Start a list of everyone you plan to give gifts to this year. Then, as ideas strike, jot them down on your list. You can also use your list to keep track of a holiday gifting budget. And if you want to make any gifts by hand, October is a great time to get started — handmade gifts always seem to take longer to make than expected.
Photo by Alderwood Landscape Architecture and Construction – Discover traditional patio design inspiration
9. Cover or store outdoor furniture and grills. If you plan to leave your patio furniture or grill outside through the fall and winter, cover them well and stow them beneath an overhang that will protect them from rain and snow. Even if you live in a mild climate, covering your grill between uses is a good idea to protect the finish.
10. Shut off exterior faucets and store hoses for winter. Disconnect, drain and roll hoses before storing them for the winter. Shut off the water supply to exterior faucets to prevent frozen pipes.
Tell us: What’s on your to-do list this October?
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Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Basic Home Improvements
With prices on mostly everything increasing, bigger chunks are being taken out of our wallets every day. You could save money on your home bills with a few home improvements. Some improvements that help you save can actually add to the value of your home.
Two areas that you may be able to save are your Hydro and Water Bills.
Hydro:
There are many ways to save on your hydro bill. You may have switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs already but there is more you can do. Technology on L.E.D. light bulbs has come along way. They are now cheaper to purchase and the look and colour of the bulbs is now equivalent to traditional incandescent bulbs. You can find them at your local hardware of home improvement store.
Manage the temperature inside your house with a programmable or smart thermostat. A programmable thermostat helps save energy and money by scheduling temperature settings for when you are likely to need heat and air conditioning. A smart thermostat can be set to know when you are on your way home and have your home at the temperature you want when you arrive home.
If your home won't stay warm in winter and cool in the summer check your windows and doors. Drafty windows can cause a big chunk of your heating and cooling losses. You can apply new weather stripping to windows and doors to close up the leaks. If you have older windows you may need to apply clear shrink film over the window which will add an extra barrier around the window preventing heat loss in the winter.
Installing timer switches that turn the lights (or exhaust fans) off after a predetermined amount of time can also help to save you money by not having lights and fans run while your not in the room. Occupancy sensing light switches are also available. These will detect if anyone is in the room or not and turn the lights on or off accordingly.
Ceiling fans can drastically help air flow throughout your home, helping your furnace or air conditioner heat or cool more efficiently.
Your furnace filter is a very easy way to help your furnace perform how it was designed. In the spring and fall replace the filters before you need to cool or heat your home. Replacing the filter will also collect dust and dirt making your home cleaner and healthier.
Water:
Showering and bathing comprises 35% of Canadian household water usage. You can install low flow shower heads and faucets which can dramatically decrease your water consumption.
Fix any leaky faucets and pipes to decrease your water bill. If leaks are not repaired you could require more expensive repairs down the road. A good habit to get into is to check your faucets and pipes for wear and tear every six months. If you notice a leak have it fixed right away.
When doing your laundry and dishes, wait till the off peak hours of the day.
How old is your hot water tank? New hot water tanks are much more efficient. Consider a tankless water heater. It may help save you money and the bonus is you will never run out of hot water again.
Two areas that you may be able to save are your Hydro and Water Bills.
Hydro:
There are many ways to save on your hydro bill. You may have switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs already but there is more you can do. Technology on L.E.D. light bulbs has come along way. They are now cheaper to purchase and the look and colour of the bulbs is now equivalent to traditional incandescent bulbs. You can find them at your local hardware of home improvement store.
Manage the temperature inside your house with a programmable or smart thermostat. A programmable thermostat helps save energy and money by scheduling temperature settings for when you are likely to need heat and air conditioning. A smart thermostat can be set to know when you are on your way home and have your home at the temperature you want when you arrive home.
If your home won't stay warm in winter and cool in the summer check your windows and doors. Drafty windows can cause a big chunk of your heating and cooling losses. You can apply new weather stripping to windows and doors to close up the leaks. If you have older windows you may need to apply clear shrink film over the window which will add an extra barrier around the window preventing heat loss in the winter.
Installing timer switches that turn the lights (or exhaust fans) off after a predetermined amount of time can also help to save you money by not having lights and fans run while your not in the room. Occupancy sensing light switches are also available. These will detect if anyone is in the room or not and turn the lights on or off accordingly.
Ceiling fans can drastically help air flow throughout your home, helping your furnace or air conditioner heat or cool more efficiently.
Your furnace filter is a very easy way to help your furnace perform how it was designed. In the spring and fall replace the filters before you need to cool or heat your home. Replacing the filter will also collect dust and dirt making your home cleaner and healthier.
Water:
Showering and bathing comprises 35% of Canadian household water usage. You can install low flow shower heads and faucets which can dramatically decrease your water consumption.
Fix any leaky faucets and pipes to decrease your water bill. If leaks are not repaired you could require more expensive repairs down the road. A good habit to get into is to check your faucets and pipes for wear and tear every six months. If you notice a leak have it fixed right away.
When doing your laundry and dishes, wait till the off peak hours of the day.
How old is your hot water tank? New hot water tanks are much more efficient. Consider a tankless water heater. It may help save you money and the bonus is you will never run out of hot water again.
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