Winnipeg Realtor and Real Estate Blog

Are you tired of looking up and seeing your outdated and old school popcorn ceilng from the 1950’s? I know I am, popcorn ceilings were so popular back in the day but reality is they are almost impossible to clean, they catch and hold onto dust like crazy and are really difficult to repair! If you are looking to modernize your home start with redoing your outdated popcorn styled ceiling. Here is how to redo your popcorn ceiling!

Scraping – This is by far the most popular and used method out there when removing your popcorn ceiling. Use a large, wide drywall scraper or utility knife to chip away at the textured roof, otherwise known as “popcorn” style. Depending on how large the surface area of your roof is this will most likely take some time so make sure to cancel any plans you have for that day! It usually doesn’t take much for it to come off the roof but you will have to re-mud lots of the area after you have removed all the textured parts. Once you are done with the mudding process you will need to then sand everything down to create a very smooth surface, my advice is instead of covering furniture with large tarps or drop cloths I would completely take all of your furniture out of the room, drywall dust gets EVERYWHERE and it can take forever to try and clean up! After you are fully done with all of these steps you can then paint!

Tip – I have heard that some people like to spray water onto their ceilings before scraping them to make it a bit easier to scrape but I would not recommend you do this. First off it creates a gigantic mess everywhere and if you have carpets well… (Enough said right there). Also it potentially can absorb into the roof and make it heavy, this can then start to crack or expand which you don’t want! If you do this it will just be way more time consuming and messy for you! It’s honestly best to scrape dry!

You could always hire someone to do this for you but if you someone who likes to tackle projects on your own then I hope this super simple process helps in updating your home! 

Your fridge is something you use and look at every day and where you store the food that you eat. I don’t know about you but this is something that I hate to look at if it’s starting to get dirty and grimy looking. Refrigerators aren’t always the most fun to clean and can be a challenge to get into all those little spots, but here are a few steps you can try to maintain its cleanliness.

If you notice that your fridge is starting to have a certain odor to it from the fruits and vegetables then you can try put some baking soda in a small container and placing it inside the crispers. You can also put some on the shelves as well. To give it a fresh scent you can cut a lemon in half and place it in your fridge as well. This won’t last two long as the lemon will start to dry out but it will last for a while until the baking soda has done its job.

It can be hard to wipe the shelves and drawers out while still in the fridge, so sometimes when I do my deep cleans I take all of this out and fill up my bath tub full of warm soapy water, I like to use dish soap than I wash them in the tub and let them air dry on a towel. This ensure that I get all the dirt build up off and it’s cleaned properly.

If you have glass shelves and want it to really shine and sparkle clean, then after washing everything and letting it dry fully I would take some glass cleaner (Windex) I use and wipe with that, this just gives it a little something extra!

You may notice that the small grate at the bottom of your refrigerator will collect a lot of dust bunnies and quite quickly as well and this tends to look a little unpleasant. For quick cleans you can just use a cloth to wipe the front off as much as possible, but I like to take the whole grate off and clean it in the tub or in your sink. I do this more often than the shelves and drawers because you see it more. It’s also not as much work and isn’t that big or difficult to maneuver.

Lastly the temperature, the range should be between 35-38 degree Fahrenheit. The purpose of your fridge is to just keep things cool, if you set your temperature to high then you will notice that all your vegetables and left overs etc. will start to freeze and that’s not a good thing! Or if you set it to low and it doesn’t keep your food cool enough then things will start to go bad as well. So it’s best to keep it between these numbers to ensure its doing its job properly.

I hope these little tricks and tips will help you keep your fridge looking and smelling its best!

There is nothing worse than opening up your microwave door to put food you are about to heat up and eat and seeing dirt and old food from previous warm ups covering it. I’ll give you some easy ways to clean your microwave out, but to maintain this problem you can actually buy a microwave lid that goes over top of your bowls or plates to prevent splatter from happening.

Fill up a bowl half full of water and add about 1 tablespoon of vinegar to it, you can add a bit more than that as well it won’t hurt anything. Put the bowl inside of your microwave and turn it on for about 5 mins give or take, the water will steam and loosen any of the stuck on food or dirt. Remove the bowl and wipe out with paper towel or any cleaning rag that you usually use when cleaning, the grime should wiper away easily with no hassle or scrubbing necessary.

Use a lemon, sounds weird and strange but it does work. Cut a lemon in half and place it cut side down on a plate with 1 tablespoon of water. Place it in your microwave and turn on until you see it get really steamy and hot. Once you have done this simply take the plate out and wipe out, this also gives it a nice, fresh smell too.

Last method to try is dish soap, fill a bowl half full with warm water and add as much dish soap to it as you think you will need, really depends on how bad your microwave is. Using the same method as the other two cleaning tips put the bowl in the microwave turn it on until you see it start to steam a fair amount, then take the bowl out. With this method you may want to clean it out with a sponge or something with a rough surface to it.

I hope these few simple and easy tips will make it easier for you to keep your microwave in tip top shape! 

Ever want to have a long, warm and relaxing bath at the end of a hard day’s work? You fill up your tub and go to lay or sit down in it and all you feel is the icky roughness of old and dirty soap scum. For me that is one of the worst feelings, to sit in a tub full of old soapy body dirt! Here are two very simple ways/methods that I have found to be the most effective in getting rid of that annoying and gross soap scum. 

This one sounds like its a little crazy but it ABSOLUTELY works and works well!

Powdered laundry detergent. The roughness of the powder plus the soap in the actual detergent make this so easy for you to clean! I just splash a little warm water all over the tub and throw the powdered laundry soap on the wet surfaces and start scrubbing. You don’t even need to let this sit for any amount of time you can just dive right in and start, I would recommend using a sponge or pad that has a rough surface especially for those tubs that can get really bad.

Baking soda. I think we can all agree that baking soda can be used in all sorts of cleaning methods and in all sorts of situations. You can really use as much as you want and it depends on how bad your bathroom is. All you need to do is get a cloth or whatever you use to clean with and sprinkle some baking soda on it and start scrubbing. If you are finding that your tub/shower is a little worse then you thought, then simply make a paste using vinegar.

A lot of the times cleaning problems like these can be a challenge and not everything always works, but these are the two ways that I find most helpful to reach your desired result! So instead of sitting and relaxing in your old caked on dirty tub try out these methods and start feeling a little more distressed.

Winter time is never an easy time, it’s always freezing outside your constantly bundling up and wiping the snow off of your car it’s just not a lot of people’s favorite season! The worst part for me during the winter is trying to keep my floors dry and clean! Nothing makes me bite my nails more than wet, muddy winter boots trampling all over my nice, clean dry floors. Here are a few simple yet super easy tips to try and keep you sane and off of your hands and knee a little less this winter season.

An outside walk off matt. You definitely need a sturdy durable heavy matt for in inside of your entry way, but if you put an equally good one on the outside of your door as well it will act as a first line of defense for all those mucky boots! It won’t take all the moisture off of your boots but it will help with that initial mud and snow!

Road salt. Road salt often gets caught underneath your boots and then gets tracked inside your home and onto your floors. This is not a good thing, the salt is very course and can easily scratch even the toughest of hardwoods, if you notice that any is getting caught or trapped inside be sure to take control of that situation right away it’s best to vacuum or sweep it up.

Cleaner. Make sure you use the right cleaner during the winter months. You can buy some cleaners that can help with access moisture on your floors, or keep the dirt from clinging so badly and looking awful. Go out and buy yourself some good quality cleaners so it makes your job a little less strenuous.

I don’t know if this bothers you as much as it does me in the winter, but if it does I hope that these simple, easy and effective ways give you a little break from cleaning your floors on a daily basis ( maybe only cleaning every two to three days ) Happy NOT scrubbing those floors as much! 

During the winter and summer months is when your HVAC is getting used the most, in these months I recommend changing out the filters once a month. Here are the reasons this will benefit your system;

It will extend the overall life of your heating ventilating and air conditioning unit. When the dirt builds up or accumulates in the filter air can’t pass through so it’s motor then has to work harder as a result and can also start to overheat. You may at that point depending how long this went on for have to get some repairs done, or worse case if you have an older unit you will most likely have to replace it and this can be very costly. To prevent this maybe set a reminder date for once a month to change out the filter.

Clean healthy air, does anyone in your household suffer from bad allergies or asthma? Having a dirty air filter will cause unclean air and can affect someone with these kinds of health concerns, also if you have pets pet dander can get caught in the filter and spread through your home a lot easier. Changing the filter is an easy step in keeping your overall air quality at its best.

Keeping a clean furnace filter can actually save you on energy costs believe it or not! When you have a clogged, dirty filter your unit has to work much harder to do it’s job resulting in using more energy which can cause a much higher bill. Simply keeping your filter clean and changed on a regular basis can save quite a bit on your monthly charges.

I hope that these few EASY and simple steps in keeping your furnace filter clean and up to date on it’s changes will keep your families air quality fresh and clean and hopefully save you a little extra a month to put toward something special! 

Dressing for the holidays or for any party can be a hard thing especially for women. Finding the perfect outfits can be so stressful and can add to the stress levels already there from the holidays in general. Here are some helpful tips to help you get through it a little easier!

Dress to fit your body! Everyone has different shapes and sizes and the best thing to do is to fit your body and feel comfortable. There are so many fashionable looks out there for all different kinds of body types, there is nothing worse than trying to get through an evening in something that is a little to snug for you. When you go out shopping for that perfect outfit there are tons of tailors out there that can help you find it! Don’t sell your body short if you are not a size 0 dress, make your style fit you and work it!

Add the right accessories! Accessories are the best way to take a simple look and make it look red carpet fabulous! Something easy like a great pair of earrings can really spice any look up, whether they are a pair a simple yet stylish studs, or long dangles it can really help with your look. Try downsizing from you regular purse where every woman keeps their entire life and find a small sleek looking clutch, this helps by taking a little baggage off your shoulders and leaves you with just what you need, cash, cards and maybe your touch up lip gloss! Lastly make a bold statement with an awesome looking, out there necklace and embrace your neckline!

Color. I know that the little black dress is something pretty much all of tend to gravitate to but try experimenting with some different color tons! Make an entrance in a bright red dress, or even a beautiful yellow tone! Try miss matching colors with your shoe color as well. Sometimes standing out in a crowd is better than always blending in I think, so go for it stand out and be beautiful!

I hope that all your Christmas parties create fun and lasting memories for you, be sure to look fabulous and be safe! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

If you and your family love the smell and look of a real Christmas tree at Christmas time then let me help you with a few tricks of the trade in keeping that spirit and tree looking its best this year! I know that a lot of people venture into the fake trees and let’s face it, it is way easier to maintain and virtually no clean up but having a real tree does help give your home more of a Christmas feel to it!

When you get home remember to trim the trees trunk about one & a half inch before placing it into warm water. If you are not putting your tree up right away be sure to store it in a heated area away from freezing temperatures and snow. When you are ready to set it up you should make another fresh cut off the trunk the same size then put it up in at least 1 gallon of water.

There is always limited space to put up nice big trees in your home or ever small ones as they do tend to take up a lot of room, but try and stay away from any heat sources like heat vents, fireplaces of any kind or radiators. Leaving it next to any of these things will dry the tree out way faster which is what you want to try and stay away from. If your home is regularly dry then you could always try putting a humidifier in the room for the length of time that your tree will be up for.

Be sure to keep your pale or whatever you are using to sit the tree in is always full of water or you water it on a very regular basis. Once the water level gets to the base of the trunk it creates a resin and the tree stops absorbing water and will die way quicker, and that’s the last thing you want is a dying tree for Christmas Day!

I hope these super simple and easy tricks will help you and your family have a beautiful, fresh and green tree this Christmas to enjoy! Happy Holidays Everyone! 

Do set a budget. Sometimes around the holidays it can be very stressful for some families/people when it comes to income and shopping. My suggestion is to take a look and what you can afford to spend and make a list of everyone you need to buy for. Then and I know it’s hard to decide who and how much you want to spend on someone but it is very important so that you don’t go over budget and put yourself in a bad financial situation. Besides it’s always the thought that counts and not how much you spend!

Don’t take your credit card shopping. Back to setting yourself a budget, taking your credit card can defer you from your budget plan. Its money that is just sitting there and a lot of the times really easy to spend, especially around the holidays where so much buying is in order. It’s never fun to receive an online bill or bill in the mail showing how much you owe back, my moto is if it’s not in your account don’t charge it, because most likely if you can’t pay cash for it you won’t be able to pay it back to your bank. Try and stick to your cash budget plan, or if you are going to use your credit card say to gain more miles or points depending on the type of card and rewards you have, then make sure you have the money in your checking’s account to repay it back right away!

Do online shopping for some things. Let’s face it, everywhere you go around the holidays is PACKED, so packed in fact that it can be stressful to think about where you’re going to park, and is what you wanted still going to be in store. There are so many things to think about when you are going into the craziness of the malls/shops around Christmas time. It can be helpful to look online first and lighten the load of your list that way, instead of worrying about long lines and pushy people! Plus sometimes you can even find better deals online that you wouldn’t necessarily find in store!

Don’t procrastinate. We all know that at Christmas time even a month before things start to decrease quickly off the shelves! So don’t wait! Go and do you shopping at least a month before December or as early as October! There is nothing worse than waiting last minute to find out that what you really wanted to get someone isn’t there anymore and won’t be back in stores until Christmas is over! You don’t want to be left with slim pickings because that will sure dampen your mood! Also another plus of shopping early is that you miss all the chaos and hustle and bustle!

Do check return policies. Make sure ESPECAILLY if its clothing or shoes that you always ask customer service what their return policy is as all stores are different. It’s never fun to receive or give a gift to someone that either doesn’t fit or isn’t exactly what they need OR maybe they got two of. It’s always best practice to get a gift receipt with your purchase and know for yourself what the return policy is so that you know they can take it back if they need to!

I hope everyone has a stress free shopping experience this year, and you get everything on your list! Merry Christmas!

Kitchen garbage disposals are wonderful things, it allows you to scrape and clean dishes all at once in the same place and doesn’t stink up your garbage bags as quickly. Most garbage disposals are self-cleaning but it is good every once and a while to physically clean them yourself to prevent unwanted odor and bacteria build up. Here are a few easy steps to follow in maintaining your garbage disposal;

If you can physically see any large object in the disposal you should remove them right away. Always make sure before sticking anything down your disposal that it’s turned off. You can use your hands to grab large objects or household tongs, a fork or anything that will work for you to remove it safely. You may want someone to hold a flashlight for you so you can see properly, also try and avoid damaging the grinder.

Next fill your sink about 2-4 inches of hot soapy water, then proceed to pull the plug turning on your garbage disposal. This method will work better to get rid of grime and bacteria rather than just simply turning on tap and letting it run.

There may be some tougher debris and grime still stuck on the grinding elements, for this problem pour about 2 cups of ice down your disposal followed by 1 cup of rock salt. Then turn on cold water and your disposal and let the blades crush down the salt and ice. This is also a good way to maintain the sharpness of your blades as well.

You can also go and buy a scrub brush designed especially for disposals and manually clean it out. This should come with directions on how to do this simply just follow.

Here are a few simple tricks for maintain the smell that can occur with garbage disposals;

Save or peel any type of citrus fruit, lemons, oranges, limes etc. Stuff these peels down your disposal and turn it on this will leave your disposal and kitchen smelling super fresh.

Another easy method is to use baking soda and vinegar. Pour half a cup of baking soda down your drain and then pour 1 cup vinegar down. This will create a fizzle loosing up any bacteria that may be causing unwanted odors. Let this stand for about 15 minutes then pour boiling hot water down the drain, be sure that you turn your disposal on before you pour the water down.

One other easy odor eliminating agent is simply bleach. Bleach kills any bacteria and freshens things up quickly. You also don’t want to use too much bleach as it can harden up grease and make it that much harder to remove. Only use 1 tablespoon of bleach but first dilute it in 1 gallon of water. Slowly pour this solution down your drain, let sit for 5-10 minutes then turn your disposal on and flush away with hot water, let this run for a good 10 minutes washing away any bleach that may be left behind.

Hope this helps everyone! 

It is very important to keep this kitchen appliance clean on a regular basis. Range hoods are significant to your home for many reasons, here are just a few: it keeps your air clean and filtered removing any potential toxic pollutants or gasses. When you cook there is usually smoke or grease which can be quite negative toward your health. On that note it also helps reduce any mold or bacteria that can arise from cooking. It also helps to remove any excess heat from your kitchen when cooking, this can be from heat from your stove or steam from the meal that you are preparing. A lot of the times just your regular lighting isn’t always the best in your kitchen, range hoods also offer the benefit of extra lighting directly over top of your cook space which is great for reading recipes or keeping a better eye on whatever it is you may be preparing. Lots of people in the real estate market also find this feature quite attractive to the home, so it could potentially increase the value. If you don’t have a range hood you should talk to your realtor about that value it may have whether it’s negative or positive.

Here is how to properly clean your range hood:

The best way to maintain the cleanliness is to give it just a quick wipe down every day. Just wet a cloth with warm soapy water and wipe down the exterior. The filter on the other hand should only need a monthly check up. When cleaning your filter take it out of the range hood completely and fill your sink with HOT soapy water and let it soak, for best results I would say at minimum half an hour. Then using your spray attachment (if you have one) spray in down in one direction to remove any grit and soap. If you do not have a spray attachment then use a swished up and down method in your sink, be sure to put on gloves so you don’t burn your hands in the hot water. Then let air dry until completely dry. For the inside of the range hood this can get pretty caked on with grease and grime, I would recommend a degreaser product let sit for how ever log the directions tell you then wipe off with a cloth.

I hope this helps as it is important to keep this part of your kitchen clean and free from any bacteria or greases. Happy cleaning everyone and make those hoods shine!

There is always the why question when it comes to your windows sweating. Everyday daily activities such as showering, cooking and believe it or not even breathing all add moisture to the air. When air warms it expands allowing it to hold more moisture. It then contracts as it cools reaching its saturation point then releases its excess water in the form of condensation. The warm humid air then comes in contact with cold window glass it cools and condenses. So to help out with this problem (that most of us have) here are just a few suggestions that could help.

-Lower your thermostat to 66°-68° F

-Vent gas fireplaces, or limit their use, and don’t use older unvented gas space heaters

-Be sure to seal up any cracked windows

-Make sure that your clothes dryer is vented properly to the outside

-If the problem is really bad you should consider installing a dehumidifier

I hope these simple steps can reduce the window sweat in your home, it’s never fun or visually attractive to look out a window and see nothing but water drops and condensation so I hope this can help fix that problem for you! Especially if you have a really nice view!