Winnipeg Realtor and Real Estate Blog

For some people it can be hard to think of new and exciting ways to keep our families entertained, it can be especially challenging in the winter months! I have made a little list here to give your families some great ideas to stay busy during the cold months ahead!

Something that kids and let’s face it adults love is BAKING, not only can it take up a good chunk of the day (depending how much you want to do) but it’s also something the whole family can get involved in! It’s also a great way to stay indoors when the weather is too cold to go out in.

If the kids are wanting to go outside then something really fun to do is to build a snow castle. Some people may think that it can be super difficult to make a real good one, but all you do is get a square or round bucket, fill it with snow and stack, it’s exactly like building a sand castle your just substituting with snow instead of sand but using the same method! Super easy and super fun for the whole family!

Another cool idea is making pictures in the snow with food coloring and water! Something super creative and looks fabulous in the snow! Kids absolutely love this idea. Just go buy or reuse water bottles fill with water and different colors! Then go outside and start creating your canvas! You will defiantly want to bring your camera out as it looks so awesome when you are all finished! You will most likely have to refill the bottles during this activity as the water tends to go fast, and kids like to go crazy which is really fun to watch them have so much fun with something so simple and inexpensive!

If the weather is starting to get to chilly to go out and enjoy then something really fun for the kids to do inside is a treasure hunt! You can go to your local dollar store and purchase something interesting and low cost gadgets to hide for them around the house! This is something that people have been doing for years and years and for kids it never gets old! It can also be something super fun for adults as well! You can make a list for them to follow, draw a map for in and around the house there is all kinds of ways you can do this activity, just find the most creative and fun way for your family and you will be sure to have lots of fun playing!

Lastly but definitely not the only thing left to do, is BOARD GAMES! Everyone loves to play board games, if you don’t have many or any at all it would be something great to start collecting (maybe 1 new one every 6 months) if you have children then board games are a really fun interactive way to get the whole family involved! There are so many great ones out there to choose from, here are a few examples of my favorites, monopoly, Pictionary, jenga, snakes and ladders and trivia games (and there are way too many out there to list!) So many great games out there, find some age appropriate ones for your family and have a BLAST!

I hope this little but fun list gives your family some really great ideas and ways to keep busy and have fun this winter! 

It’s always nice to change up your home décor throughout the year to spice things up a little and the seasons are the perfect time to do so! I love fall, with all the trees changing color and the brisk air even the smell of fall I love. I also personally love the color scheme of fall with the reds, oranges and yellows! Makes your home super warm, cozy and bright! Here are just a few ideas that you can try to spruce up the interior of your home this fall!

The easiest and most meaningful way to start your decorating is with a center piece for your kitchen table and coffee table! For both tables you can use fake or real leaves of different types of colors (mix and match) and string them around some white or orange small pumpkins! If you are using real leaves then I would put a little hair spray on them to preserve them a bit! Try to find some kind of rustic looking tray or large plate to do it on! This is a simple and super neat looking way to start your fall decorating!

Next and one of the most popular things to decorate is the front of your door! Fall wreaths make for an inexpensive and inviting look to any season. You can either go to your local dollar store or hardware/craft store and make your own wreath or buy one! It’s a small and simple way to freshen up your fall decorating, and everyone loves walking up to your door and looking at something fabulous and seasonal before they enter your home! I know I do!

Something else you can try which can be a little more on the pricy side depending on where you shop is decorative throw pillows! If you are a master at sewing then this is something that can keep you a little busy as well. Throw pillows can instantly spice up any living room at any time, and let’s face it they make seasonal pillows for everything now! You can get some really cozy and colorful looking ones now. It’s something that will catch anyone’s eyes when they walk into your home! It’s also something that you can reuse as well so if you do go all out and splurge a little on pillows then you know that it’s something you will have forever and can use the following year (which is always a nice thought!)

Lastly something pretty easy to find is tableware! This can be anything from place mats, napkins, plates, cups you name it you can find it in fall themes! If you love having friends and family over to celebrate the holidays it always nice to serve them dinner with something that’s not the norm. So holidays/seasons are the perfect excuse to bring out the new/older seasonal dinnerware! It really is a great way to spend time with family and really get into whatever season or holiday you are currently in/celebrating!

Thanks for reading everyone and I hope whatever season you are in you are making it one for the books! I love to decorate and change things up and I look for new Ideas every year to spruce up the holidays/seasons! Hope this can give you some new and creative ways to get you decorating for the seasons! 

First thing is to remember that stain comes in a few types; water based or oil based. Oil stains have longer drying times whereas water based dry quicker usually within 24 hours which will allow you to finish your project quicker, it also has a low odor. There are some stains you can find that are a 1 apply which can be nice so you don’t have to re-apply making your project even longer to finish! So before you start make sure you decide how much time you want to put into this project, each type of stain will look nice so you don’t have to worry about the cosmetics of the different types of stains.

You will want to sand your wood project before you start to stain it. Always be sure to sand with the direction of the grain with a light 180 grit sand paper! Once you have finished with the sanding part you can then start to stain. Apply the stain either with a foam brush or a regular brush (it really doesn’t matter what you use it will look the same either way) Once you have applied your stain be sure to wipe it off with a rag, or else it won’t look even and will have drip marks which doesn’t look very good! Also the longer you leave stain on the darker it will be, so if you don’t want it to be too dark do it in small sections so you can wipe off quickly.

Try not to apply stain too thick as it will just peel off later on. If you want a darker look to your wood project then apply multiple coasts, remembering to still wipe off with a rag.

Staining is one of the easier things you can do, and looks really sharp on any type of wood, it can quickly turn a dull not so great looking shelf, ladder, trim/baseboard into something modern, fresh looking that can light up any room. There is only a few steps when staining anything, so if you have never done it before and are looking for a few tricks of the trade I hope these simple steps will help you!

Happy staining everyone! I hope the outcome of your finished projects look wonderful! 

It’s getting to be that time of year to start planning some trips to escape the cold winter months coming up! This list was made from very seasoned experts and travelers. Some of the destinations on this list don’t exactly help you escape the cold but if you or your loved ones like the winter and snowy season then some of these will still appeal to you at this time of year, for example one of the destinations is Banff, Alberta Canada (which is a very beautiful place to visit especially in the winter) it offers lots of activities including skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing etc.

Best Places to Visit in the World

1. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
2. Paris
3. Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Best Places to Visit in the USA

1. Grand Canyon National Park
2. Maui, Hawaii
3. Yellowstone National Park

Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean

1. British Virgin Islands
2. St. Lucia
3. U.S. Virgin Islands

Best Places to Visit in Canada

1. Vancouver, British Columbia
2. Toronto
3. Banff, Alberta

This is just a few ideas to get you and your vacation list started! If you would like more examples or ideas here is a link that you can check out that will offer more information on destinations and guidance to help you plan your perfect getaway!

http://www.usnews.com/info/blogs/press-room/articles/2016-06-28/us-news-reveals-the-2016-2017-best-vacations-in-the-world

You should always make sure that your home financials are taken care of first before you think about buying another property. Things like, paying off your high interest debts, do you have enough saved in an emergency fund, do you have enough steady income, do you have anything lined up for retirement. Those are important things to review and make sure are in order before you even think of purchasing another property. It is also good to contact or have a financial advisor when making big decisions like this, they will always tell you what you can and cannot afford and overall give you the best advice for you future.

You should make sure that you find the RIGHT real estate agent to help you find the best income property for you. Sometimes agents can look at you just as a potential commission opportunity, find someone who is interested in developing a relationship with you, someone who maybe owns income properties themselves! If they do you can bet they will be very knowledgeable about this way of investing and can most likely answer any questions or reservations you may be having.

Always remember that your investment property is not your home sweet home! You don’t need the must haves such as hardwood floors, granite counter tops, garages, remodeled ANYTHING, double sinks, ensuite bathrooms. These types of things could potentially drive up your price, and if you are using this property as a rental then there is no need to go above and beyond as your renters will bring their own flare and dress it up the way they want. I think the biggest thing you should consider is the location of the property! Will it attract good tenants, is their schools, what type of tenants will want to live in the area things like that!

Remember that finding your income property is just the first step! You then need to find good, respectful tenants to fill your home! You definitely do a tenant screening process before you give them the keys! You can research and get forms online for these types of screenings. You should also keep in mind that you will be a landlord as well, just remember you will always get calls any day at any time for thinks like a broken toilet or cracked window, or leaky tap. Will this bother you? Will it cut into your family time? Will it interrupt your work schedule to much? There is a lot of things to consider when making this type of decision. Just don’t take it lightly, talk to professionals, do your research and talk to people who are in this type of business and see what their experiences have been!

Hope this helps and I hope that all your decisions and choices better your lives and the lives of others!

Selling your home yourself will save you money. Don’t get me wrong there are some people out there that are successful in selling their home themselves. There is a lot of things/skills you need to know about getting your home listed online, marketing your home to buyers, dealing with issues when it comes to the home inspections and negotiating the contract. A lot of the times when home buyers know your selling on your own they tend to expect a discount. It’s not impossible to sell your home for the same price on your own but it’s defiantly not an easy task and may be a lot more stressful for you.

Open houses sell homes. Open houses on the average rarely sell your home to prospective buyers. If you or your agent decide not to hold an open house, it most likely won’t hurt your chances in selling your home. Agents like holding open houses to gain new customers who are looking to buy/sell. So open houses aren’t a sure thing when trying to sell your home.

You should renovate before putting up your house for sale. The thing is, with any major renovation such as your kitchen, bathroom or flooring could actually deter a potential home buyer as they may not share the same taste or décor as you, so all the money and time spent putting into theses renovations may backfire for you. When people buy a home they are most likely going to make their own upgrades and changes that suit their own style. You also will never get 100% of a return for the money you spent on remodeling the home.

You can save money as buyer by NOT using a Real Estate Agent. Unfortunately this a completely false statement, the commission of a property is already built into the price. Once a house sells all the expenses such as commissions will come out of the final sell price, if the buyers don’t have an agent the seller’s agent will receive the entire commission.

There are a lot of real estate myths out there, my advice before buying or selling your home is to do as much research as possible so you can get all the correct facts for yourself so you don’t lose or miss out on anything!

 Dryer Sheets. Find out where your problem areas are for mice, then layout your dryer sheets flat. Make sure to check the scent and freshness of them, as they can also be used as a nesting material for mice once the scent has worn off. You can also use these as a plug where the mice are sneaking in. Mice hate the smell of dryer sheets so this can keep them away! Try and get the smelliest ones that you can buy.

Copper wire mesh/Copper Steel. All you have to do is roll up the mesh into a wad and stuff it into any holes or cracks where the mice are getting in. Use as many layers are you can to really jam it in there. You can also use a pepper spray as an extra deterrent.

Aluminum Foil. This may sound really weird and funny, but mice don’t like the sound aluminum foil makes or the taste! You can either lay it out flat for them to run across or you can bunch it up and put it in the holes/cracks where they are getting in! You can also lay it out flat in front of where they are getting in!

Furry Friends. Some people have a real mice problem in their homes/cabins. Cats are great animals to solve this problem, if you don’t have one you may want to think about adopting one at your local animal shelter and let nature do its thing! Not only are you getting rid of your mouse problem but you are also giving an animal a home!

Peppermint Essential Oil. If you didn’t know this mice have an extreme sense of smell. As we would find the smell of peppermint refreshing and pleasant mice find it offensive and overwhelming. All you have do to is add 20-30 drops of oil to every cotton ball and place then around your home kind of like you would with a trap but I would use quite a few so there is a stronger smell. Also put them in/around any hole you may have where they are getting in! 

Hope this helps deter any mice problems you may be having! It is getting colder outside so this is the time of year where these little creatures like to come in and stay warm! Happy mouse hunting everyone! 

Smoking In the Home. Smoking in the home over a long period of time can cause a lingering strong smell. Cigarette smoke over time gets into everything for example your drapes, carpets and even wood paneling. If you are a smoker and seriously considering selling your home you may want to think about removing your carpets, repainting your walls and start a deep clean of the home. It’s very important to a home buyer how you present the home, and to home buyers today the smell of smoke is a big turn off.

Turning the garage into something else. If you have turned your garage into something other then what its purpose was intended for this could actually turn home buyers to look somewhere else. Parking is usually a premium thing for people. There are some buyers out there that don’t see a need for a secure, covered area for their vehicles but if that’s the case they see a garage as a secondary storage location which is another very important thing to home buyers, people can’t get enough storage space!

Carpeted floors over hardwood/laminate. People today much prefer hardwood/laminate flooring over carpet. The reason for this is it’s much easier to clean, has a much more of a designer look to it, doesn’t show dirt as much and people with allergies much prefer hardwood then carpet! If you have hardwood/laminate show it off it’s nice to have, let the home buyer choose whether or not they want to cover it with carpet it will be much easier for them to do that then rip out old carpet and replace with laminate/hardwood.

In ground pools. Sometimes people think having a beautiful pool in the back yard will attract potential home buyers, this might be true if you are living in high heat climates. For the most part people actually see pools as a huge maintenance issue and not to mention liability. If you live in an area where pools aren’t really that common then I would seriously consider your decision. On the other hand if you think you will get lots of use out of it and you will be at the home for the long haul then consider it for sure!

Pets. Everyone loves the joy pets bring to your family home, but this can be a problem for some home buyers. If you have pet toys scattered throughout the home, or pet hair everywhere this can scare people off. When people see hair and dust, toys everywhere this can give off the impression of a dirty home. If you have pets it’s best to put their food dishes, toys, beds etc. away somewhere unseen. Some pets can have an odor to them so maybe give your home a quick clean before a showing!

Remember when you are making small changes to your home when trying to sell, to picture how others may react to it. People will always change things so just minor adjustments are necessary! I hope these quick tips will help you make the right changes so you can sell quickly! 

 Diet. Did you know that some dogs have certain food allergies? Or that they can have certain sensitivities that can cause them to itch. When your dog starts to itch this creates dander, if you start to notice constant scratching, licking of the paws, chewing or flaky skin you should take them in to your vet right away to see if diet is the cause. It is amazing how quickly your dog’s coat can change from simply changing their food.

Brushing. Rule of thumb for brushing your dog is to try and do it every day! This helps loosen and reduce dander. To avoid spreading the dander throughout your house you should try and brush your dog outside! If you prefer or your dog will let you, you can purchase a pet vacuum to suck up the loose hair.

Bathing. Giving your dog a bath weekly is fine! If you are bathing this often you should be using a high quality shampoo (oatmeal works the best) so that your dog’s skin does not dry out. Bathing them also helps eliminate dander and helps loosen their hair. When your dog is shedding you can bathe them more often during this time (just make sure you are using a VERY good moisturizer) to help get rid of the hair and dander.

Keep it short. If you don’t have a lot of time to groom your pet regularly or you have allergies, try trimming your long haired dogs. This will help prevent the hair from attaching to other hair (we don’t want it just hanging around). Short haired dogs you can try damping a cloth and wiping them down occasionally to help keep that dander in its place and not tracking everywhere in your home.

Supplements. You can by certain supplements for your pet that can help minimize dander and soften your dog’s coat. Lack of enough fatty acids can cause your dog to have dry skin. Try adding Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids such as fish or coconut oil to your dog’s diet, this can help make your dog’s skin healthier so it don’t flake as much.

We all love our furry friend’s but some of us have allergies that we need to maintain, while also maintaining our pet’s health. I hope that these tricks of the trade can help both you and your little friend out! 

Know what you want the finished product to look like. It’s always best to have some kind of idea what you want it to look like after you are done refinishing it! A good tip (especially if you bought this piece of furniture second hand) is to make sure that you match it to the rest of your home’s décor. Whether it is wood and you are re staining it or painting it, make sure you go through the proper steps, you don’t want to just throw some stain or paint on without sanding it first, this will help so it doesn’t chip or crack easily!

Make sure your piece of furniture is clean. A lot of older pieces of furniture are unfortunately neglected, so the dirt and grime starts to build up rapidly. If you don’t give it some good elbow grease before starting your restoration project, then most of the time your paint/stain will just end of peeling off. Plus it’s always nice to clean something to your own cleanliness standards anyways! This way it’s a win for the furniture and you!

Make all necessary repairs. You make luck out in finding an old piece of furniture in pretty good condition therefore you will not need to worry about doing this! If you aren’t that lucky however you will want to replace any loose nuts/bolts, table/chair legs, knobs or anything else that needs to be fixed. This step can be done before or after you have done any kind of cosmetic adjustment. My advice is to replace/add anything AFTER you are done painting/staining. I recommend this because then you don’t have to tape anything off and you don’t have to be as careful, so it can make your project go a lot quicker!

Pick up a How-To-Guide book. For a lot of us who have never done any kind of furniture restoration before, it’s probably a good idea to pick one of these guides up, so that if you need a quick question answered you can have it on hand. You can find these books at your local library, book store or maybe even your supermarket. YouTube is also a great place to look for step-by-step guide for any project that you may have on the go or would like to start. There all are types of videos on there for almost anything, and you can follow along easily and at your own pace!

Here are just a FEW suggestions on the types of tools you will most likely need/use. Sand paper, and I would get both the rough type (80 to 120 grit) and the finer type (300 to 600 grit). Get a couple different putty knives, plastic and metal, hammer, screwdriver, rubber mallet for wood, wood putty, wood glue, measuring tape, gloves, face mask, and a few different sized of paint brushes!

Hope this helps and you create something beautiful!   

First decide what your interests are. First you must know whether this vacation is a family one or a “just the two of us” kind of trip. If you are planning to bring the children along, you might want to go somewhere that has a beach, theme parks or maybe even some camping. If you are into things like history or architecture places like Paris, Italy or Rome would be an excellent choice. If you are into adrenaline or adventure try looking for places that offer activities like zip-lining, skydiving, river rafting or mountain climbing!

Make sure you have a budget before traveling. The best thing to do always before planning a vacation is looking at your finances, things like airfare, hotels, transportation, food and activities. A lot of the time the more costly part of the trip is just getting there because they are remote locations. Once you arrive they are relatively cheap usually due to their economy. Things do tend to add up quickly so in my experience set out a budget but try and put a little extra aside just to be on the safe side!

Make sure that it is the RIGHT time to travel. Check things like, monsoon season, blizzards, rain or even heat if you’re not use to severely hot weather. Sometimes even going on an off season can be beneficial, you deal with fewer crowds and the pricing can sometimes be less expensive. A few things to remember when picking the right time to travel is to research first the weather, local festivities, and customs of your travel destination.  

Foreign languages. Decide first how comfortable you are with speaking or listening to foreign languages. When traveling it sometimes can be challenging going to a place that doesn’t speak or know or spoken language. If you get lost and need directions, or need to find a specific attraction or shop. This can become stressful at times and vacationing should be anything but that. If you aren’t so comfortable with this, then do some research on places where you can go that this won’t be an issue/stress.

Safety/Medical. Center for Disease Control (CDC) web site. Search your travel destination to see what medications and vaccinations are recommended, if any. Some vaccinations require doses spaced out over the period of several months, so make sure when you choose your destination you look this up beforehand so this doesn’t create a problem with scheduling.

Everyone loves to travel and take time off! So here are just a few helpful tips to get you leaving on that jet plane a little faster and easier! Happy Vacationing Everyone! 

Try Not To Change Your Mind. Everyone will change their minds at some point during a home remodeling project but, every time you change your mind about something it will result in either a change in cost, time or order. Also remember that whoever you have working on the job needs to be informed of any changes so this doesn’t result in contractors working on an old project plan! It’s ok to make a change everyone does during the process, but just be cautious of all the disruptions it can potentially cause!

Try Not To Delay Decisions. The best thing to do before starting your project is to make all your decisions before the job is scheduled to begin. Once you pick out/order things like paint, trim or faucets and make all the necessary appointments for painters, plumbers/contractors and then after decide to go with something else you then have to reschedule everyone for a different date/time which can be tricky if workers are busy or booked up. This can cause a potential long delay in your project! So it’s best to have everything ordered and picked out before the home remodeling is set to begin, no one likes to be set back or wait to start something.

Take Kids & Pets Out Of The Home. Of course any contractor will try and accommodate your family, but in a sense they shouldn’t have to. If you want your project done swiftly, safely and accurately then you should try and make arrangements for the house to be empty while the project is in effect. Also let’s face it, it is never safe to have children or pets around when there is any type of construction going on, especially if it’s a big project with multiple contractors in and out.

Try Not To Be A Distraction. This may sound a little abrasive but every time a contractor is having a conversation with you it takes away from the time they could be working on your home (which is what you are paying them for!)  Think of it this way, if the conversation has no merit to your project then it’s best to have it after to job it completed.

Always Over Budget.  It is best to always have a little more then you have budgeted for when starting on a remodeling project! Almost all of the time things never cost less or equal to what you have had set out in terms of cost. This is why we go back to “Always make your decisions beforehand” because it can save not only time but money as well. If you have things picked out and already ordered then you know there will be no surprises during the remodel.

Remodeling can be a very stressful time in one’s life, so I hope these few little tips can save you some troubles so you can sit back and just look forward to how great your home will look after it’s completed!