During warmer months, many of us enjoy spending time outside on our porch or patio. More open and airy than indoors, these areas are perfect for entertaining or simply visiting with neighbors and friends. Here are some tips to make your porch or patio an extension of your home:

• Make your outdoor area inviting by arranging comfortable seating, dining, coffee or side tables, and umbrellas. Potted plants provide a pleasing visual link to your outdoor landscape.

• If you have space, a portable fire pit can be a wonderful focal point after dark. Make sure yours has a screen mesh spark arrestor. Check local ordinances to make sure they’re legal for use in your neighborhood. Always keep a fire extinguisher and garden hose nearby for safety.

• Add solar-powered electric lighting, candles, or torches for nighttime entertaining. A portable radio or MP3 player can provide background music.

• Today’s new generation of indoor/outdoor fabrics make it easy to add comfortable upholstered cushions without fear of fading or mildew. Fit a glass top to an old trunk which can then be used as winter storage for the cushions.

• To help control insect pests, porches can be screened in. Use citronella candles on patios or decks to reduce mosquitoes. Minimize additional mosquitoes by draining any areas with standing water after a rain.

Please let me know by phone or email if I can provide names of nearby stores specializing in outdoor furniture and accessories.

As long as you own your home, here is a list of important real estate documents you’ll want to keep in a safe place:

1. Property deed: keep it for as long as you own the property.

2. Closing statements: keep statements for three years after your purchase to show capital gains.

3. Home improvement: some remodeling projects can reduce a potential capital gains hit when you sell your property, so save your receipts and consult your accountant.

4. Warranty information: keep until the warranty expires.

5. Loan papers: keep until paid off or refinanced, or in the case of mortgages that have tax-deductible interest, keep them for three years.

6. Insurance policies: keep until the policy expires.

7. Receipts or statements: save credit card receipts and/or checking account statements or cancelled checks for all major purchases such as appliances, furniture, antiques and art

When you sell your home, you’ll usually be required to submit a disclosure form. Receipts for major home improvements like a new roof or remodeling project can help you complete disclosure forms and substantiate the good condition of your home.

A bank safety deposit box or fireproof safe is the best place to store your important documents. Be sure to save an up-to-date household inventory, complete with appraisals, receipts and photos or a videotape for insurance purposes in case of loss.

It’s easy to take fresh water for granted. But as our water bills continue to rise, here are some simple steps you can take to conserve this precious natural resource:

• Turn off the tap. A running faucet wastes 7 gallons of water every minute. Shut off the faucet while you brush your teeth to save at least 1000 gallons of water a year. When washing dishes, turn off water to apply soap, then rinse.

• Fix leaks: Household leaks account for 13% of all home water usage. A single dripping faucet can waste 2700 gallons a year.

• Buy water-thrifty appliances: When you replace your old appliances look for energy efficient appliances. An Energy Star washing machine can save up to 7000 gallons of water per year.

• Rethink the need for a water-hungry lawn and garden. Plants with succulent or leathery leaves usually need less water and most conifers require less than deciduous shrubs and trees.

• If you do have a yard, water it in the early morning or at dusk. Use a water timer to precisely measure the amount you use.

A beautiful yard or potted plants on a deck can provide you with hours of enjoyment and enhance curb appeal when it is time to sell. Please call or email me with any real estate questions or needs.

Because homeowners tend to get rid of old items when they make a move, I often hear questions about how to dispose of things. Here are some of the most popular ways to handle unwanted and gently used items:

* Have a garage sale. Advertise your sale in a local newspaper. Make sure to include your address and what time and days the sale will take place. Post directional signs at nearby key intersections. Put price tags on everything, but be flexible and ready to negotiate.
* Donate household items and clothes to a local charity. Call first to see if it will accept larger items such as refrigerators or couches. Obtain a receipt for your tax records.
* Recycle or donate electronic equipment to reduce the environmental impact of electronics disposal. Recycle TVs and monitors, computers, audio/video equipment, fax machines, and cell phones.

Real estate classified ads are another way to expose your home to a wider universe of prospective buyers. When writing an ad for your local paper or real estate magazine, keep in mind that the buyer needs to know this important information:

* The area or part of town your home is located in
* Your asking price
* The number of bedrooms and baths

Add “sizzle” to your ad by describing your home’s most appealing features. For example, you might say “cozy family room” or “great deck for outdoor entertaining.”
 
Finally, include your contact information. If no one will be home to answer the phone during the day, include your work number as well.

With so many choices and variables, how do you find the perfect fit? Before you start investing time driving around town with your agent, it’s a good idea to narrow down the playing field by looking at what would fit your needs best. Here’s where to look:

Look Inside

What do you already own that your new home would need to accommodate? If your dining room table is one that you cherish, use often and happens to be huge, then add “large dining room” to your list. Carry this logic through your space and you should come to some conclusions about what is essential in a new home. While you’re at it, take a look at your personal style; it can also give you valuable clues as to what you really want.

Look Outside

What is out in the world that catches your attention? Is it a brick exterior or cedar shingles that make a house feel like home to you? Consider the different styles of houses that you like, and see if there are any common elements among them. Another place to look is at the style and size of any new items you plan to acquire. Taking an outside inventory of what appeals to you can help narrow down your search.

Look at Your Requirements

It’s helpful to take a head count and look at what features are vital to each member of your family. How many of you are going to live there, and are any more expected shortly? How many of you need home offices or parking spaces or playgrounds? This will give you an idea of the size and number of rooms you require, as well as clues to locations or types of housing. Make sure you include pets and consider what’s best for them.

Taking stock of any special needs or limitations you have will also help you clarify your choices. If climbing stairs is not an option, a single storey dwelling is likely to be the best fit. If you’re not the handyman type and don’t have a large budget or the patience for renovations, you may want to skip past fixer-uppers, no matter how tempting a deal they are.

Look at Your Lifestyle

Look at your lifestyle to gain insight to your best locations. If you’re planning to stay awhile, and are also planning on children (or already have them), then you’ll want to find a neighborhood that’s kid friendly and has great schools. Another consideration should be your work commute. Will your new location support you in getting to work on time, in the usual way?

Your lifestyle can also determine the best layout for your home. Look at how you spend your time, how you relax and interact. You may find that the dining room is rarely used, while the family room is definitely the place to be. Similarly, look at how you entertain. Do you have overnight guests often enough that a guest room is a necessity? If your idea of a fun evening is cooking with your guests, then an open kitchen may top your list.

All in all, if you take the time to consider what’s really important to you, you should be able to define the type, size, attributes and location of houses that you want to look at. The results should be a lot less time looking, and a better chance of finding the house that is the right fit for you. Feel free to call or email me anytime for a complimentary list of homes meeting your search criteria.

Happy House Hunting!

(1) Knob and Tube Wiring. Does the house have an out of date electrical system?  If so, the buyer should beware.  This is not simply a matter of “oh well, we’ll fix it later”.  In fact, properties with this type of electrical installation will not be approved for home insurance, making them ineligible for a mortgage from conventional lenders.  Yikes!

(2) Amount and Type of Insulation. A careful inspection will reveal the amount and type of insulation in a prospective property.  Not only do builders occasionally use less insulation than is sufficient, but also there are older forms that have been deemed environmentally unsafe and should be removed.

(3) Leaking Foundation. Inspecting the basement for dampness or signs that water has leaked through in the past, such as staining on the walls, will go a long way toward ensuring you don’t have a very expensive fix down the road.

(4) Termites. These can be an especially persistent and common problem in Leslieville and the Beach neighbourhoods of Toronto.  Termites are hard to get rid of and can cause expensive damage, plus even a successful removal does not guarantee they won’ t be back again.  Beware!

Most of the time, a home inspection will simply provide the peace of mind that your new home is well maintained and no immediate repairs are necessary.  It is important, however, to keep an eye out for these and other problems which could present trouble in the future.  Because of this, I always recommend a home inspection when placing an offer and not in buyer competition.

We’ve heard it all before: buying in a neighbourhood that’s on the upswing is always a great investment. It’s a theory as old as real estate prospecting itself, and rest assured, it holds as true today as ever. But, it often seems hard to be sure if we’re choosing a location that truly is improving or just throwing our money at a bunch of hype.

So – how do we determine if a neighbourhood is actually improving? Other than listening to the ‘word on the street,’ here are a few tell-tale signs to watch for:

• Real Estate Activity. Are there lots of real estate signs in the area? Great… but you’re not done yet! Look carefully. An in-demand area will have many “SOLD” signs on the lawns. An area in decline will have listings that are lingering unsold, resulting in many signs, with few actual sales.
• Landscaping. This one’s easy to spot. Are people taking care of their yards and improving them with gardens and other attractive features? Hmm… could be a good sign!
• Commercial Investors. If the hip coffee retailer first moves into an area, it’s surely time to invest. New corporate inroads by big, reputable retailers into up-and-coming neighbourhoods often mean it’s a great time to invest residentially. For one thing, you can bet they’ve done their research.
• Home Improvements. If contractors are buzzing about, it means that the properties themselves are being upgraded (or at least well-maintained). If that’s the case, you’re almost surely dealing with an area on the rise – a great buy indicator.

All of the above are just hints. The best way to know is to put these clues into consideration along with other hard factors like researching the city’s future plans for the target area.