Curb Appeal - Day 3 - Cost Effective Improvements

So you’ve decided perhaps your house could use an exterior “facelift” afterall. Here are 10 cost effective improvements that you can do to improve curb appeal, without hurting your wallet:

1.       Paint the front door – If your home is a neutral colour consider brightening it with a bold coloured door. Not sure what colour to choose? Again, you’ll need to take an objective look, so from across the street, take a look at your house, as well as the surrounding area. Do you notice any punchy colours that perhaps you can compliment with your front door? Consider also painting window frames and shutters to match.

2.       Add some mulch to your garden, and around your trees. Not only will this give a clean, fresh look to your yard, but it’s great for your plants and trees. Mulch helps to control weeds and retains moisture, so less watering is required. Mulch is available in a variety of colours, so find one that blends well with your exterior.

3.       Re-seal the driveway – Sealing the driveway helps to preserve the ashphalt and prevent cracks and damage, it makes cleaning, plowing, and shovelling easier, and improves the overall look of the driveway.

4.       Upgrade your house number to a custom plaque

5.       Replace your outdoor light fixture

6.       Add solar/led garden lighting

7.       Powerwash the exterior of your house to remove built up grime

8.       Re-stain your porch

9.       Add a fresh coat of paint to your railing

10.   Add some potted plants to your porch and/or walkway

Curb Appeal - Day 2 - How to Take An Objective Look At Your Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is incredibly important to selling your home. But you don’t have to wait until you’re selling to make some simple improvements. You might be thinking that your home doesn’t need any exterior improvements, but why not take an objective view of your home to be sure? Here’s how:

First, stand across the street from your home. You’ll be amazed how different your house looks from this angle. Notice any areas that can be improved? How does the lawn look? Does the garden need cleaning up? More plants? Look at each area of the house, including the porch, the house itself, windows, sidewalk, driveway, lawn, etc.

Next, take pictures. Again, you’ll get a much different view when you view the photographs.

Finally, take a walk around the house. Look for cracks, peeling, and other repairs needed. Don’t forget to look up!

While some fixes may be more involved than others, it’s good to take this objective look at your home to understand the improvements that are needed, so that you can budget accordingly. Some repairs may be more immediate than others, so be sure to prioritize. For some great cost-efficient improvements, stay tuned all week.

Get Them In The Door!!

In order to get a potential buyer to buy your home, you must first get them in the door! This week I’ll be focusing on curb appeal. It’s a term you hear often, but do you understand what it means? According to Urban Dictionary, Curb Appeal is “the aesthetic charm of a house when first seen from the road”. Here are some great front yard tips from Better Homes and Gardens (@BHG):

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/landscape-basics/front-yard-landscape-secrets/

Stay tuned all week for more great tips!

Mini Makeovers for Beautiful Rooms

Mini Makeovers for Beautiful Rooms

The New IKEA Catalogue is HERE!!

Think IKEA is for students? Think again. If you haven’t checked out IKEA lately, give them a chance. @IKEA_Canada is continually evolving, finding new and innovative solutions to everyday household issues. As well, they have placed special focus on creating products that are stronger, and more durable, as well as better for the environment. While once considered a “cheap” solution for students, IKEA is now recognized for their universal designs, and unique ideas. Here’s one of my favourites from this year’s 60^th anniversary catalogue, the STALL Shoe Organizer, perfect for any mud room: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/50178091

Receive a $50 Gift Certificate for Home Staging or Redesign* with @AndreChinRemax

Andre Chin of Re/Max Real Estate Centre, Westmount Rd Kitchener (@AndreChinRemax) is the agent for all your needs. Buying or selling, he’ll take care of your real estate needs. Need a home inspection? Real Estate lawyer? Mortgage Agent? Home Staging? Talk to Andre, he’ll set you up with everything you need. As a special bonus, sign Andre as your Real Estate Agent and receive a $50 gift certificate redeemable towards a home staging or redesign consultation from Beyond The Stage Homes!

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

Like most tomato growers, you probably have so many tomatoes in your garden that you’re inviting the neighbours over to pick as many as they can. A great use for these fresh tomatoes is a nice, simple, pasta sauce. Here’s a recipe for you to ensure that your tomatoes do not go to waste:

Ingredients:

10 medium to large tomatoes from your garden

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

½ an onion

1 large tomato, diced (optional)

¼ cup fresh basil (or tbsp dried basil)

1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place your tomatoes in a large saucepan and fill with water until all are covered. Place on high heat on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 10 minutes, until you can see the skins loosening. Remove from heat, drain water, and refill pan with cold water. Allow to sit until tomatoes are completely cool.

Once your tomatoes have cooled, drain water, and remove the skins. These should come off with little effort, but you may need a knife to puncture the skin. Cut off the tomato tops, and place all tomatoes in a blender. Blend on low setting until pureed.

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat, and add garlic and onion. Sautee until tender. Add diced tomato and sautee for another minute. Add pureed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Top your favourite pasta or pizza with this sauce, or use as a bread dip. Enjoy!