Stunning 3 Bedroom Townhome

Start packing your bags! This well maintained home is ready to move right into! Located in sought after Findley Creek Village, you will be just a short walk away from the new Mall that is to be built and only a short drive to downtown Ottawa.

Constructed in 2005, the Tamarack built "Balmoral" model is approx. 1817sq.ft of very well designed space. A good sized entry way, opens up into a well layed out main level complete with a bright kitchen, dinette, 9 foot ceilings, living area with gas fire place and also seperate dining room. This home is perfect for entertaining with a large family room in the lower level, good living space on the main level and a 16' x 16' patio in the private, south facing back yard(Maximum sun exposure). Bring all your friends and family over, there's room! Upstairs you will find 2 great sized 2nd and 3rd bedrooms and a large master bedroom complete with a walkin closet and a 4 piece ensuite bathroom.

HOME FEATURES:
- Built in 2005
- Approx. 1817 square feet of living space
- Forced air Natural Gas heating
- Central Air Conditioning
- Single car garage with inside access
- 9 foot ceilings
- Landscaped front and rear yard
- 16' x 16' Patio in the southern facing back yard
Lower Level
- Large Storage room
- Large Family room
- Plush carpeting for added comfort
Main Level
- Gleaming hardwood floors
- Bright and spacious Kitchen
- Dinette
- Dining Room
- Cozy living area with natural gas fireplace
- Sunken foyer with Ceramc Tiles
- Powder room
2nd Level
- Plush Carpeting
- Large master bedroom
- Walkin Closet
- 4 Piece ensuite
- Laundry
- Full bath
- 2 Large bedrooms

Set the Stage for Top Dollar

Many of you have probably heard of staging by now. Some may know a great deal about it, and some of you may think home owners are hosting a broadway show of some sort to sell their home. If you are thinking of selling your home, one of the best moves you can make(besides calling me) is staging your home.

Staging isn't done because your taste is awful or your current decor is horrible. It is simply done so that your home may appeal to as many buyers out there as possible as opposed to only a handful who may share the same taste as you. You don't need a whole lot of money to make a big impression. Sometimes the largest impact will be the little things you do.

Here's a few of the basics to get you started:

CLEAN and Clean some more:

A spotless house will make buyers aware that you your home is well maintained. Dust everywhere, clean the carpets, don't miss the over looked spots like your window sills. If cleaning isn't your forte, perhaps call in a cleaning company to do a big clean.

Freshen up the place:

Minimize the odors in your home. Open up your windows 20-25mins a day to get some fresh air in there. Be sure to take out all garbages frequently. Keep your laundry room fresh and dry by keeping the washer door open at all times after washes. Try to avoid cooking greasy or abrasie smelling foods prior to having potential buyers in the home. Also, be wary of the air freshners that you use as some people don't like some smells as much as you do.

Paint:

Not a bad idea to throw up a fresh coat of paint. Gives your place that "New Home Smell". Remember to stick with neutral colours.

DE-CLUTTER:

Probably one of the most important and overlooked aspect of preparing ones home for sale. Be rid of all of the little knicknacks, the trophies, pictures of family, and well just about everything that makes it YOUR home. People want to buy THEIR home and not yours. All of the little things will cause distractions to buyers and not have them focused on all of the great features your home has to offer them. Organize all rooms and closets to appear as large as possible and clear counters and cupboards wherever you can.

Brighten the mood:

Keep the window blinds open wherever possible to allow as much natural light in the home as possible. Have nice bright bulbs in your light fixtures and leave as many lights on as possible before showings. No one wants to buy a dark, depressing home.

Well hopefully all of these little tidbits of advice help a bit. Feel free to give these things a whirl, and then call me when you are all done and lets sell that home for top dollar, in a very short time period and get you into that new dream home of yours!

Remodelling Your Bathroom

Many clients of mine have recently been considering doing some renovations in their home. It seems to be a common question as to where their dollars are best spent. Well its no secret that the most important rooms of your home in buyers eyes tends to be the Kitchen and the Bathrooms.

The bathroom is a great place to spend your dollars and actually get the money back when you resale. It usually is the first place to start because of outdated features, different decorating taste from the previous owners or simply normal wear and tear on a very functional room of your home. Well if you have been thinking of remodelling, here are a few things for you to consider:

Resale Value - Resale is something that I ALWAYS discuss with my clients. You may have heard before that bath remodels add value to your home. These days you can recoup about 64% of the costs of a minor bathroom remodel, according to Remodeling magazine’s “2010-11 Cost vs. Value Report.” If your bathroom is especially in need of updates, you may recapture more.

Costs—Good News - Contractors are always eager for work, and prices are lower for their materials and labor, so now may be an ideal time to make your bathroom more livable.

Timely or Timeless Style - This is a huge problem that I see when people are redoing their bathrooms. Before you remodel, think of what it will look like in a couple years when you sell your home. Will you and possible buyers still like the look and style? Hopefully they will, otherwise they’ll factor in the cost of their own remodel when making an offer. Then all your hard work will be for nothing.

Too Much Cost? Think Small - If you’re not ready for a full remodel, then a fresh coat of paint, new towels and a pretty framed print can do wonders to update your bathroom—and give you a new look for 2011. If you have those old fixtures that are a stunning shade of pink, blue, yellow or even green, there are ways around completely replacing them. There are several companies out there that will refinish those fixtures in more neutral colours. Keep in mind though that those old toilets use up a LOT of water and if you choose to replace it, you will eventually get your money back through savings on your water bill.

Remember, it's you and your family that have to live there now, so ensure that whatever you do, you can handle brushing your teeth in there day after day. Balance that with how perspective buyers will like it, and you have yourself a winning recipe.

If you need any contact info for contractors, designers, or for people to refinish those old fixtures please don't hesitate to ask.

Insulation and your home

I know it seems that I have been talking about how cold it is here in Ottawa a lot but, well it is damn cold! Due to our cold winters, and some pretty chilly homes that I have been in, I decided that it's time to talk about insulation. Everybody knows that insulation is a key factor in energy savings for your home, but not everyone knows how to improve it, if it even needs improving, and whether or not you have to tear your home apart to improve it. Let's see if I can help out a bit.

The bad news - With homes built prior to 1970, insulation was not a major concern for builders. Older homes can benefit by adding some more insulation, as well as tending to gaps by windows and doors that have occurred through settling over time.

The good news- improving energy efficiency is pretty easy to do regardless of the age of your home.

First the Windows: I have talked about windows in previous posts so I won't go into great detail here. Basically, if you can't afford to replace those old windows, properly weather strip them, or wrap them. Up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling needs results from heat gain and loss through windows.

Next the Attic: If you have an older home, you may have vermiculite insulation and it could contain asbestos so you may want to call in a professional. Asbestos is hazardous once airborne so don't disturb it once up there. You can add more insulation by blowing some more into the attic, and then rake it all up so it's evenly distributed. Or by simply adding more batt insulation. Blown is a tad better than batt as there are no seems between sections that allow air escape through. You can do this yourself by renting the machine to blow the insulation. Pretty easy, and kinda fun to do.

The walls: Ok so its a bit of a pain to do, but you will notice the difference and it will be a great selling feature when you sell your home. If you are planning on remodelling, this is a great time to add insulation or more of it since the walls will already be exposed. If not, you can blow in more insulation and then you will just have to do patch ups in the areas you do as opposed to redoing the whole wall.

The extra mile: So, we touched on windows and doors, attic, and walls. Where else can we get some savings for our energy costs? How about electrical outlets, exterior lighting attached to your home, even crawl spaces? Get out that caulking gun and walk around the exterior of your home. Remove any old caulking around light fixtures and replace with new. Don't cheap out either on the caulking as you get what you pay for. Ensure all electrical outlets are properly insulated as well. If you have a crawl space, check to see if insulated, if not, why not?

This all seems common sense i'm sure, but it's something that is often over looked. With the ever increasing costs of heating your home, more people are looking for energy efficient homes, why not have that selling feature in your favour? Like most home maintenance, it is more labour intensive as opposed to costly. So get off the couch and make your home a bit more efficient already! Unless you don't want extra money in your pockets of course.

Mortgage Updates

Well last week the government announced yet again that they are going to be making some changes this coming March 18th. A lot of my clients have been asking what these changes are and how they will be affected. In short here's what we are looking at:

1. the maximum amortization is now 30 years on insured products having less than 20% down. For conventional mortgages 35 year amortization should continue to be available.

2. when refinancing your home, the limit has been lowered to 85% of the appraised value.(where it was 90%)

3. The government will no longer insurance lines of credit secured by homes (this rule will take affect on April 18th)

4. for purchases, people can continue to buy with as little as 5% down (self-employed individuals require 10% down)


Well that's it for today folks. Stay warm out there!

Freezing Pipes in the winter

2011 and guess what? It's still freezing cold! Get used to it people this is Canada, and here in Ottawa we get colder than most. I figured today is a better day than most to talk about this topic since it is minus 21 degrees out right now. Most of us have heard about pipes freezing over in the winter and causing many issues for the home owner. No one really thinks of home maintenance during the winter. I get it. Its cold out, nice and toasty in your home and all you can think of is curling up and watching tv. Well unless you're hoping for an indoor pool, don't forget about your plumbing. Here's some things to consider.

FIRST THINGS FIRST - if you don't already know where your water main shut off is, please figure that out, and while your there, put a big tag on it so that everyone else in your home knows where it is too. Got babysitters? Then let them know too. This way, if something does go wrong and water is pouring out of the bottom of your sink you know how to stop it from doing more damage.

WHEN THE GOING GETS COLD, THEM PIPES MAY BURST - Alright so your not a scientist, here's how it works; you leave to go down to Florida in January to escape this awful cold weather, turn the heat down in your home to save costs, gets to -30, the water in the pipes freeze, frozen water expands and BOOM!!!! the pipes burst. So here's what you do before you go away,

• This one should be obvious but, DON'T TURN OFF YOUR HEAT! Turn it down but not off so that the temperature remains high enough to avoid freezing levels.
• Open the cupboard doors underneath the sinks to allow the warm air in the home to circulate into the cupboard and keep the pipes warm
• Turn on your faucets to a very slow drip to keep the water in the pipes moving.
• If you come home and come across a frozen pipe, you can usually unthaw them with a hair dryer.

DO IT YOURSELF........Perhaps. - If you run into a plumbing issue and you think you know what the problem is, maybe you can tackle that problem yourself. OR maybe not. Most plumbers out there make most of their money fixing botched up plumbing jobs from people that "thought" they knew what they were doing. Save yourself the hassle and just call in the pros. ( I know some great plumbers just ask)

So hopefully this helps and you can go away on your vacay and relax not worrying about how big of an indoor swimming pool may be awaiting you when you walk in the door.

Take care of your home, and it will take care of you.

Give me a shout if you have any real estate questions, or if you or anyone you know happens to need a hand in buying or selling a home. amiller@kwottawa.ca

Shrink Wrapping your windows.

I have decided to post this small blog to help those that have older windows, or not properly insulated windows and like to plastic wrap them for the winter.

I just left a home that had "tried" to shrink wrap their windows(like the image) but like about 60% of the people that try to do this, they had done it incorrectly. So now they have an eye sore of a window that is still losing heat and creating drafts. Here's how to do it right.

- Go get yourself some plastic film from the hardware store, as well as double sided tape.

- put the double sided tape on the WALL all around the window. This is the most common mistake people do, they only tape the windows on the actual window frame, however a LOT of the heat loss and cold air is actually coming from the mouldings and window sill. So you have to wrap over that.

- once the double sided tape is all up, put on the plastic, top first, and then one side, then try to pull it as tight as you can so it still looks transparent.

- to tighten it even more once its all stuck on there, get out a hair dryer and go over the plastic with it, the plastic will shrink further with the heat of the hair dryer, and will get nice and tight. This way it doesnt look quite as ghetto and you can actually see out of your window.

- as a final touch, with a knife or scizzors, cut of all loose ends of the plastic, so that it looks clean and professional.

Shrink wrapping your windows is a great inexpensive way to keep money in your pocket from heat loss of your home. If you have a few windows in your home that you can feel a slight breeze somehow coming through even when the windows are closed, give it a try. It's not hard and its something that even the kids can help with and have fun.

Well I hope this little tip helps you. It's no fun doing things twice so hopefully you can get this done the right way first.

Feel free to contact me if ever you have any questions or need any advice regarding real estate in Ottawa and its surrounding communities.