Useful Household Tips

The internet can be a source of inspirational and unusual ways to use ordinary household items. Here are just a few examples:
1. Ketchup can be used to clean copper.
2. Lubricate a stuck zipper track by applying a drop of olive oil with a cosmetic swab-tip.
3. White vinegar will remove tea stains from a cup and coffee stains from your carafe, but be sure to rinse them thoroughly.
4. Minor drain clogs can be cleared with half a cup of salt, followed by a quart of hot water.
5. If you break a drinking glass, a slice of white bread will pick up the tiniest shards from the floor.
6. Electrical tape can temporarily seal a leaking drain pipe. (Unlike water supply pipes, drains work by gravity, not pressure.)

Be sure to keep an eye out for more tips and tricks, coming soon!

Making Your Home Buying Checklist

In The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right, author Atul Gawande explains how checklists have significantly improved everything from air travel safety to surgery survival rates. They help pilots, doctors – and everyone else – remember important steps, criteria, and other details that might otherwise be missed. A checklist can be particularly helpful when shopping for a new home. It will help you focus on what you need to see and know, and then help you make the right decisions.

Have you ever viewed a home on the market and forgotten to check something important, such as the property tax expense or the age of the furnace? By having a checklist, you’ll be sure to get this information – and, at the very least, save yourself some time.

There are many ways to create a checklist. You can make one up on your computer and print copies as needed. Alternatively, there are many checklist apps available for your computer, notebook or smart phone. (The basic versions of most of these are free.)

What should you put on your checklist?
Your REALTOR®, who specializes in this neighbourhood, can help. Call me, Paula Mitchell, at 905-454-8900 today!

But What About the Pets?

If you have pets, you probably adore them. They're part of the family! But when you're preparing your home for sale, you need to think about how you're going to deal with the "pet issue". Some potential buyers who view your property may love pets as much as
you do. However, others may be turned off by the tell-tale signs of pet ownership – such as kitty litter, dander, and smells. So be sure to make a plan for how you’re going to deal with your pets.

It's a good idea to keep pets out of the house during viewings. Even if your dog or cat is friendly, some buyers will be uncomfortable around them. So, you'll need to decide where your pets will go when buyers view your property. Consider a local kennel or "pet day camp". "Can't I just take my dog out for a walk?" you might be asking. You could,;
however, you may not always be available to do that during a viewing. So have alternate plans available.

You should also consider how you will deal with pet dander and everyday pet odours. You're probably used to them. Unfortunately, some buyers will be turned off or even be allergic. So, in addition to cleaning your home before a viewing -- especially in those areas where pets spend time like a favourite cushion or scratching post – consider using specialty air sprays available on the market that will neutralize pet odours.

Finally, it's a good idea to advise buyers that they're viewing a home with pets. That way, they'll be more forgiving if they catch a whiff of cat dander.

Need more tips on preparing your home for sale? Call your favorite GTA Realtors at the Paula Mitchell Group today at 905-454-8900!

Tips to Help You Prepare for a Major Move

Whatever the reason or situation, if you’re planning a move in the foreseeable future, remember that advance planning will make a big difference in how smoothly things go, and how quickly you’ll be able to adjust to your new lifestyle and/or surroundings. Here are a few basic steps to follow:

1. Reduce clutter well in advance of moving day. Sorting early means less packing, moving and unpacking. This is critical when downsizing. Since sorting could involve sentimental items, or belongings of grown children now living elsewhere, it’s best separated from the stress of moving day. If necessary, consider renting storage space for these items.

2. If your next home requires a major renovation, consider bridge financing that will allow you to carry two homes at once, thereby making the transition much easier.

3. In addition to predictable one-time costs, such as legal fees, tax adjustments and movers, consider new long term costs, such as utilities, parking, commuting, and insurance fees, especially when moving to or from a more densely populated area.

Happy moving!

Throwing the PERFECT Valentine's Day Party

While most couples spend February 14 with just their significant other, a couple's party can be a very fun and different way to celebrate heart day. Here, we offer some tips and suggestions for throwing a great couple's party on Valentine's Day or anytime of year!

Keep the invitation list fairly short and sweet -- including just family and close friends. While it seems that being part of a couple would be one of the requirements to make the invite list, don't count out your single friends! Let them know they are welcome to bring dates, or use this as an opportunity to play matchmaker -- set them up with other singles that you think they might jive with. However, it is probably a good idea to introduce them before the party so they can get to know each other a bit and decide whether or not they would like to meet up again at the party.

Keep the theme classy, but that doesn't mean it can't be sensual -- Decorate simply with a few candles (unscented!) and elegant floral arrangements. Set up the main entertaining room with intimate sitting areas as well as a dining table with enough seats for each of your guests. Include place settings and name cards. Place a small token on each place, such as a sachet, a small bottle of bubble bath or even some sexy dice.

Go all out when it comes to the food -- Eating, especially with your hands, or feeding one another can be an erotic experience. Set the stage for a little couple's flirtation by serving fondue (cheese with veggies and bread for an appetizer; chocolate with fruit, cheesecake and brownies for dessert). Incorporate foods that are said to be aphrodisiacs — such as caviar, figs, oysters and truffle mushrooms, into the menu. Don't forget the cocktails! Serve sexy sips such as Sex on the Beach, champagne (another aphrodisiac), wine with dinner and ice wine with dessert.

Line up after-dinner entertainment or activities -- If your entertaining space allows, create a makeshift dance floor and turn the music up after dessert. Play a fun board game or a TV game such as the Newlywed Game DVD edition. If the group you've invited is pretty tight-knit, you can even make up your own game personalized for your guests. Make a list of questions, with at least one question that can be attributed to each couple. For example: "We had an ice cream bar at our wedding instead of the traditional wedding cake. Who are we?" Tally the number of correct answers each guest had and offer a sexy prize for the winner!

A couple's party can be a great way to share this special holiday dedicated to love with those you love the most – your friends and family. Since many couple's do dedicate the actual day to on another, consider hosting your party the day before or the day after Valentine's Day.

DIY Winterizing Your Home

An experienced home inspector will tell you that winter maintenance is an essential part of homeownership; this is especially true in Canada, where average yearly snowfall ranges from 21 to 111 inches.1 It’s important to prepare your home for winter, because the damage caused by leaks and freezes could cost you thousands of dollars. Fortunately, winter home maintenance is actually fairly simple. In fact, it’s more dependent on proper planning than on DIY know-how. We’ve made it even more straightforward with this easy-to-follow checklist.

1. Restock Winter Essentials

Before the first big snowstorm of the year, make sure to stock up on winter essentials, including: salt, ice melt (deicer) and winter windshield washer fluid. While you’re at it, tune up your snow blower and make sure your shovel is in good condition.

2. Seal Drafts

If you feel any drafts around your windows or doors, seal them now before you waste money on extra energy costs. You can purchase a sealant kit, or use caulk, window glazing putty and weather stripping, to kiss those chills goodbye.

3. Protect Your Floors

Make sure you have appropriate mats and boot trays near the entrances to your home. Having a designated spot to wear and store your winter boots will prevent your floors from being damaged by water and salt, as members of your household and holiday visitors enter your home.

4. Test Your Heating System

Whether you have a wood stove, electric baseboards, or a super efficient geothermal heat pump, it’s important to make sure your heating system is in good working condition, before outside temperatures drop. If you’ve looked at the weather forecast and know the temperature is supposed to fall below freezing, turn your heating system on a week beforehand. If there are any problems, you’ll have a few days to contact a repairperson, before you really need your heat.

5. Turn OFF Exterior Faucets

Frozen pipes inside your home can be a nightmare, but did you know that exterior faucets pose the same risk? To avoid a frozen (and potentially burst) outdoor faucet, drain your exterior faucet before temperatures dip below freezing. Also, make sure to put away your garden hose for the winter to protect it from the winter conditions. If you don’t have a frost proof faucet (most older homes don’t), you should turn off the indoor shut off value to prevent any water from reaching your outdoor faucet, where it might freeze and cause problems.

6. Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams (pictured above) are caused by snow on your roof melting from the heat that is rising from your home. The snow melts and travels down your roof, where it hits your gutters. Because of the temperature difference, the water will then freeze and block the downspout, preventing proper drainage from your home. Unfortunately, this could cause future melted snow to leak into your home, rather than drain away from it. Get up on your ladder one last time before the year is over and check for ice dams (look for ice-clogged gutters and icicles). If you notice any, you can solve the problem temporarily by buying heated cables that will melt the ice and prevent more from forming. For a permanent solution, make plans in the spring to fix the problem by increasing the insulation in your attic.

If you’re a new homeowner, and you’ve just finished paying for the closing costs on your new home, it may be tempting to skip winter home maintenance – don’t. If you don’t properly prepare your home for winter, you may find yourself stuck with costly repairs come spring. By planning for and accomplishing these tasks before the brutal cold hits, you can ensure your home will be well prepared for anything our Canadian winters throw at it.



Originally posted on ClosingCosts.com

Backyard Entertaining on a Budget

Nothing says bring on summer quite like a backyard BBQ. It's the perfect mix of friends, the fresh outdoors, and fantastic food! But just because you want to throw a social, doesn't mean you have to break the bank. Here are a few ideas of how to entertain outdoors on a budget:

Food
Send an electronic invitation to your friends to let them know you're throwing a pot-luck BBQ. Create a food list and give guests an idea of what to bring, usually a side dish or dessert. Remember to prepare as much as possible in advance so that you can spend most of your time outside with your guests and not in the kitchen.

Seating & Decor
Arrange several seating areas if space allows. If you're short of chairs, ask friends and family to bring their fold-ups that transport easily. Swing by local garage sales or thrift stores if you need extra tables. Pick up colourful vinyl tablecloths, napkins and decorations at your local dollar store.

Kids & Fun Stuff
Kids love the beach, so buy an inexpensive wading pool and fill it with clean sand. Add plastic buckets, spades, blow-up beach balls, and a croquet set from the local dollar store and they'll be all set. Lay bright beach towels on the grass, or under a tree and the little ones will have their own picnic area too.

Lights & Pesky Bugs
String some white or blue lights around the backyard for nighttime. Place a few tea lights in glass containers and display them around the garden on things like bird baths and paving stones for a magical effect. To stop bugs from crashing your party, stake some tiki torches in the ground or put citronella candles on tables to keep them away.

Favour Ideas
Want to send your friends off with a little gift at the end of the party? If your homemade BBQ sauce is a party favourite, make a big batch, put in sterilized bottles and give to guests. If there is plenty of leftover food, be generous and let everyone take something home for dinner the next day. Don't forget to save some for yourself!

Shop Your Renewal

Lenders make a lot more money when they renew your mortgage than on your initial term. That’s partly because they don’t have to compensate anyone for referring you (or compensate them as much). But it’s also because many renewers don’t comparison shop as much or negotiate as hard. According to a recent Maritz/CAAMP survey, only 56% of borrowers negotiated their mortgage rate at renewal. A remarkable 4 in 10 took the first rate their bank offered. How good do you think that rate was? It sure as buttercups wasn’t the best the bank could do.

A while back the Bank of Canada found that borrowers who don’t comparison shop pay rate markups that are more than double those paid by comparison shoppers. And lenders’ client retention teams are wise to this. So they employ strategies like graduated rate discounts, which means they offer you an okay rate to start, and if you complain or show them better competing offers, they get progressively more competitive. That’s why trusting your lender to offer a fabulous rate up front is the single worst thing you can do at renewal.

Get Second Opinions

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself is to compare rates with a broker. Unfortunately, only 28% of mortgage holders “definitely” plan to consult a mortgage broker at renewal, according to Maritz research. But whether you consult a broker or call up multiple banks and credit unions, shopping around your renewal is mandatory. That challenge is convincing bank customers of that. They tend to be a loyal sort. In fact, bank clients are more than 50% more likely to use the same lender when renegotiating or renewing their mortgage than broker clients. That’s largely because brokers open people’s eyes to better alternatives. At any given time, one of dozens of broker lenders may have rate promotions or mortgage features that save a borrower hundreds, or even thousands, in interest.

Unfortunately, broker clients also switch lenders more often because a minority of less ethical brokers churn their books—i.e., convince borrowers to switch lenders primarily to generate another commission. (Naturally, your success with any advice provider depends on their integrity.)

It Takes Effort

When your mortgage maturity comes around, don’t be satisfied with your lender’s first offer. If you’re well qualified and really want the best deal, do this instead:
Check the major rate comparison websites.
Call the non-broker banks. (RBC, BMO, etc.)
Call a broker, check their broker lender offerings, share your own findings and ask them to compare the pros/cons of the best deals you’ve found.
Compare the above to your existing lender’s offer (including all switch costs, if any).
Pick the best overall deal (which isn’t necessarily the lowest rate).

These steps should easily shave one-or two-tenths of a percentage point off your rate…or more. A 10 basis point rate savings on a $200,000 mortgage puts $950 back in your jeans over 60 months. You’ll also improve your odds of finding a mortgage with the optimal term and fewer restrictions. And those two points always save you more than any small rate difference.

Making your home look it's best!

Across Canada, housing prices are rising steadily this year. In July in the GTA, sales rose by a shocking 16.4% compared to July 2012. Not only were there substantially more homes sold over the past year, but the average house price climbed by 7.9%. All home stagers would agree that if you want to join this trend and make a profit off your home, you have to make it look the part. If you want your house to look like it's worth every penny of what you hope to get for it, sprucing up your home and home staging is a must. Here are some tips to get you started on making your home look its very finest.

Finish the exterior – Every home has something to fix on the exterior. This can be anything from filling in some missing mulch in the garden to repainting that dated front door or putting on that final piece of trim. Make sure the exterior of the home is welcoming and nicely painted. First impressions are extremely important when it comes to buying a home, and the exterior will give your potential homebuyer exactly that: their first impression.

Lighting – Few things make bolder statements than the lighting in your home. An elegant chandelier in the foyer can create a high-end feeling throughout the entire home. Decorative table lamps in bedrooms and family areas also create warmth; while pot lights give a bit of a luxurious, glamorous feel to rooms.

Depersonalize - Potential homebuyers need to picture themselves in your rooms, and quirky decor and crazy flares may not do the trick. A few personal touches make for a fun showing of your home, but having too many starts to make things feel cluttered. Try and limit the vibrant colours and unconventional furniture to keep the house feeling familiar.

Ensure everything in the home is working and well-maintained - No torn screens, cracked plaster or burnt out lights. You may have gotten used to them, but homebuyers are looking for something they want to live in; not something they can live in. So be sure to tour your home and carefully look over every area, ensuring that all lights, windows, sinks, etc. are all functional and look well-kept. Scents are also important in the home. Some air freshener helps the home feel clean and crisp.

Be size-conscious of fixtures and furniture – Your favorite couch or table may look really good, but if it’s difficult to fit it inside of the room, it is time to say goodbye. Try to include small groupings of furniture to give the room some depth and make it look bigger than it is.

Kitchen, Kitchen, Kitchen – Clear your counters and create a clutter-free environment. A simple vase or bowl adds a personal touch and makes it feel homely; all while maintaining a clean atmosphere. However, I would recommend storing small appliances in the cupboard as this makes the kitchen feel much bigger. You will want to make sure that your appliances are being stored in new-looking cupboards. A simple paint of coat and some new handles makes a huge difference in giving your kitchen a more modern feel. Lastly, if your kitchen doesn’t have a backsplash, all you need is a weekend to do it. Because the backsplash area is so small, you can invest in some gorgeous tiles or glass mosaics to add additional quality to the room.

Fresh linen – All bed linen, towels, curtains, etc. need to be replaced if they do not look new. This is an inexpensive way to introduce some character and style into your home while making it feel fresh and new.

Update the bathroom – Something as simple as a new mirror and shower curtain can make a big difference to potential homebuyers. Some new lights and fixtures can go a long way as well. Try replacing bathroom towel bars with well-designed ones from a designer bath boutique. You can get matched ensembles that include a toilet paper holder, wastebasket, trays, etc. You will be able to update your bathroom for only a couple hundred dollars; which will be worth much more when selling.

Maintain the Master bedroom – A beautiful master bedroom is key to finding a homebuyer. The master bedroom is where a home owner is most connected with: it is the last thing they will see every night, and the first thing they will see every morning. Continue the hotel feel into this room with multiple new pillows, fresh linens, and a throw at the end of the bed. Matching lamps or vases is a great way to bring symmetry into the room and will give the room that designer flare.

Overall, keep your house clean and clutter free, make sure everything is in working condition, and update what you can: whether it be a big project or a small fixture. All the little updates add up and can take a home from livable to lovable.

How to Expertly Host Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving can be stressful whether it's your first time hosting or your fifteenth. To keep your stress levels low, try this simple, yet elegant menu from Food Network Kitchens' cookbook "How to Boil Water". Stick with our suggestions or add in some family favorites to make it your own.

Recipes:
• Roast Turkey with Gravy
• Apple-Cranberry Dressing
• Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
• Green Beans with Shallots
• Mashed Potatoes
• Apple Crisp

First, make it easy on yourself. Follow a plan. The more you can prepare ahead of time (that includes any trips to the supermarket), the better.

Settle on a menu (or use ours) but don't feel like you have to do it all. This is a great holiday to enlist helpers to prep in the kitchen, tend bar, set the table or help clean up. And, it's ok to say "yes" when someone offers to bring something — ask them to bring wine, another dessert, a side dish, and if your oven is small, they can even bring the turkey!

Once you've reviewed your recipes, figure out how many pots, pans and serving dishes you'll need. If you come up short, borrow the rest from a friend or family member. Two highly important items are a roaster pan with a solid bottom (those foil ones at the grocery store aren't quite sturdy enough, but you can place one on top of a sheet pan) and an instant-read thermometer to test the turkey for doneness.

If you've bought a frozen turkey, make sure to defrost it properly: one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds. And don't forget to remove the giblet package inside the cavity before you roast it!

Read all the recipes before you start cooking. Figure out which take longest (like the turkey) and prepare a prep schedule.

Here's a plan for our "How to Boil Water" menu:

Thanksgiving morning or preferably the day before:
• Make the giblet stock and a cranberry sauce (choose one from our site). Store them in the fridge.
• Wash and trim salad greens and green beans. Wrap them loosely in paper towels and store them in the crisper.
• Bake the Apple Crisp. Let it cool and then wrap it in foil. Reheat just before serving.
Thanksgiving Day:

Three to four hours ahead of time, depending on the size of your turkey:
• Make the Apple Cranberry Dressing. Cover the baking dish with foil and pop it in the fridge until about half an hour before dinner. If your oven is too small to hold both turkey and dressing, bake the dressing while the roasted turkey rests.
• When your oven is preheating, toast the nuts for the salad and set them aside.
• Prep the turkey according to the recipe and put it into the preheated oven.
• Take a break!

One hour before dinner:
• Make the vinaigrette for the Pear and Blue Cheese Salad.
• Put the potatoes on to cook.
• Take the bird out of the oven after its required cooking time, tent it in foil and let it rest.
• Cook and assemble the Green Beans with Shallots and hold in a warm place.
• Assemble the salad (don't add salad dressing until ready to serve).
• Make the gravy.
• Mash the cooked potatoes.
• Carve the turkey.
• Put the crisp into a low oven.


The final step:
• Pat yourself on the back!