Let Spring Cleaning Come Naturally

Did you know that your home can sparkle this spring without using any chemicals?  Choose from a wide array of eco friendly cleaners on the market or simply make your own with household ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.  Here are a few tips to help you become a natural when it comes to spring cleaning: 

The Bathroom

Want to bring out a natural shine to your sinks, toilets, and tubs?  Create a gentle scouring paste by mixing 4 tbsp baking soda with 1 tbsp water. Generously sprinkle either table salt or baking soda into the sink or tub and use the cut end of half a fresh lemon as a scrubby-pad. Rinse with hot water and your ceramics will be gleaming! Undiluted lemon juice can also be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits.

The Kitchen

Vinegar, a natural antibacterial, has a high acid content which makes it an effective alternative to caustic cleaners for the kitchen.  Mix together 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a new spray bottle and you have a natural solution that will clean stovetops, appliances, countertops (except marble), and floors.  For troublesome stains, add a touch of baking soda to the mix.

To help remove finger marks from stainless steel appliances use a microfibre cloth or try a dab of baby oil on a clean cloth.  For microwaves, put a few slices of fresh lemon in an uncovered bowl of water and cook on high for about three minutes.  Grease and dirt should wipe away easily. 

Windows

Let the sunshine in by washing away winter’s grime.  Fill a bucket with 25 per cent vinegar and 75 per cent warm water.  Put on rubber gloves and soak an old cotton towel in the solution.  Rub on windows, and then scrunch up some old newspaper to buff up a shine.  If there are any streaks, simply finish off with a dry cloth.

Fabrics and Carpets

Have a stubborn fabric stain?  Dab white vinegar onto the stain followed by a mild soap solution such as all natural dishwashing liquid and water.  Rinse with a clean damp cloth and blot with a dry towel.  Salt can also be used to soak up fresh carpet stains such as red wine, coffee or ink. Simply pour salt on the wet stain, let dry, and then vacuum. Natural ingredients can not only get rid of stains, they’ll help eliminate odours from fabrics too!

Create a patio oasis on a budget

(NC)—Turn your patio into a summer oasis without breaking the bank with these five simple steps from Hilary Farr, designer and host of W Network’s Love It or List It.

Lighting

You can transform your garden into a romantic or festive summer oasis inexpensively and easily. String up outdoor lights: use your soft white LED outdoor Christmas lights or try eco-conscious solar powered or paper lanterns. For a more exotic look, invest in a few standing torches. If you have a permanent shade structure or patio roof, install a chandelier to create an elegant outdoor extension of your home.

Outdoor Rug

An easy and inexpensive way to bring the warmth and intimacy of an interior room outdoors is with a patio rug. Choose a vibrant or earthy shade to accent the colour palette of your outdoor space. Look for a sturdy stain-resistant material that can withstand weather damage, mildew and direct sunlight.

Revive Patio Furniture

Instead of replacing your white plastic patio chairs, make them look new again by using Vim Cream to remove dirt and tough stains. Add a finishing touch with new chair covers or colourful throw pillows.

Invest in Greenery

To create a secluded getaway feel on your patio, add “green” walls with potted outdoor plants. Use large decorative containers or plant flowers and bushes at the edge of the concrete slab or terrace. By adding stones or a pathway from the garden you create depth and the illusion of more space.

Bring the Barbeque Back to Life

It’s not as hard as you think to get your barbeque ready for grilling season by giving it a good cleaning. Use Vim Cream to easily remove tough grime on the grill and grease tray. Apply oil to cast iron cooking grills to protect the coating and to decrease sticking.

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A fresh start, warm weather and opportunity

As we approach the traditionally busy spring season, we can anticipate an increase in activity. There are a number of reasons why spring usually shapes up to be an active period of the year for the resale housing market. Families often coordinate their moves with the school calendar, purchasing in spring to provide for a late summer closing.

Others are simply motivated by every spring’s promise of a fresh start. Many buyers are also prompted to begin their search when the snow has melted, making streets and properties more accessible. Sellers meanwhile, choose this time of year as it affords the opportunity to extend household fix-ups to the outdoors, contributing to improved curb appeal and saleability.

Typically the summer months afford many of the same benefits as the spring market, without the fast pace. Last summer’s activity though, was markedly stronger than previous years, reflecting both pent up demand from the recessionary months prior and an emerging all-season attitude toward real estate in our city.

During the fall months another spike in activity is usually seen. Typically, the fall market reaches a crescendo in October, when between 6,000 and 8,000 homes change hands, in comparison to more than 9,000 transactions that often take place at the height of the spring season in May.

Throughout the winter months, we generally see more moderate activity. This can benefit buyers, who have the opportunity to achieve an attractive purchase price from motivated sellers. There are however, also advantages for sellers. Buyers who are searching for a home at this time of the year tend to be serious about making a purchase and as such, ineffectual showings are not the norm. Houses often look their holiday best throughout the winter months as well, which can yield favourable returns.

Often changes in our personal lives dictate the time of year when we enter the real estate market and when this is the case, you can count on a Greater Toronto REALTOR® to counsel you on achieving the most favourable outcome in your transaction.

Tom Lebour is President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, a professional association that represents 28,000 REALTORS® in the Greater Toronto Area.

Upgrade your basement and make your home more comfortable

(NC)—Many homeowners renovate to upgrade their home as a result of wear and tear over the years. Yet converting unused space into an additional living area can add a whole new meaning to the concept of ‘modern’ living. Whether it’s a home theatre system or an adaptable living space, renovating your basement can create extra space and improved comfort for an expanding family.

• Think how you want to use your basement, and come up with renovations that will serve that goal.

• In doing so, consider how you can increase your useable space while reducing your renovation costs.

• Décor ‘tricks,’ such as mirrors and paint, can help create more light to turn your basement from dingy to bright and inviting, but you can also make it more comfortable with an insulation upgrade.

Before you start on your re-insulation project, assess the existing amount of insulation in your basement. Remember that adequate insulation of your basement walls will help you create an additional space that is modern, comfortable and inviting. Install Cel-Lok® insulation panels with an R-10 value and with R-14 PINK FIBERGLAS® insulation batts to create an insulation barrier with a value of R-24 for optimum warmth and comfort. For interior walls, try out QuietZone® insulation panels to minimize unwanted noise drifting to the rest of the house and control sound levels.

Cheryl West, an insulation expert at Owens Corning, says that insulating your basement can improve its comfort and maximize the energy efficiency of your home. And with government savings available, a renovation project like insulating your basement is affordable, too.

The ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program is offering a grant of up to $5000 from the Government of Canada for energy efficiency renovations which have not yet started. Some energy utilities and provincial governments offer additional funding. For more information on ecoEnergy grants and incentives, visit www.ecoaction.gc.ca/homes. Not only will you convert unwanted space into an additional living area by insulating your basement, but you can also cash in on government incentives and cut back on your renovation expenses.

Start modernizing your basement today.

More information on what insulation is best for your basement can be found at www.owenscorning.ca.

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By now you have no doubt heard all of the talk about the strong seller’s market we are currently experiencing in the city of Vaughan. Smart homeowners looking to take advantage of the current market conditions have been scrambling to beat other home sellers to market all in an effort to fetch record high prices for their homes.

Understanding the current real estate market conditions is really a matter of understanding the most basic economic theory – The Law of Supply and Demand.

Let’s break down the 3 basic types of Real Estate Markets:

Buyer’s Market

A buyer’s market is characterized by supply outweighing demand. In real estate that means the number of homes available for sale exceeds the demand for homes from buyers.

The result in the market is:

• Buyers have more options to choose from as their is an abundance of supply
• Buyers have the luxury of taking their time and waiting for the very best deals
• Buyers have the advantage when it comes to negotiating power
• Prices trend downwards

Seller’s Market

A seller’s market is characterized by demand outweighing supply. In real estate that means the number of buyers looking for a home exceeds the supply of homes available from sellers.

The result in the market is:

• Buyers have less options to choose from as their is a limited supply
• Buyers must act quickly as the competition for the very best homes is fierce
• Sellers have the advantage when it comes to negotiating power
• Prices trend upwards

Balanced Market

A balanced market is characterized by supply and demand remaining equal. In real estate that means the number of homes available for sale is relatively equal to the number of buyers looking to buy a home at any given time.

The result in the market is:

• Buyers have a reasonable amount of choice due to the healthy supply of homes availabe
• Buyers have a reasonable amount of time to search for a home but must be prepared to act when necessary
• There is no inherent advantage for buyer or seller when it comes to negotiating power
• Prices will stabilize and homes sell for a reasonable amount

Market Transition

Eventually the market will transition from one of the above conditions to another. Given the timing of the current sellers market there is a good chance that the market transition will begin to occur with the arrival of the Spring Market.

Traditionally the Spring is a time when many home owners decide to put their house on the market. This will effectively increase the supply and unless the number of buyers contiues to exceed the incoming supply of homes available for sale we will begin to see a market transition from Seller’s Market to a Balanced Market.

Now’s the Time to Act

If you’re a seller looking to cpitalize on the current seller’s market and get top dollar for your home, now’s the time to act. Take advantage of the current seller’s market before the market transitions to a balanced market with the coming of the Spring.  If you’re curious about what homes are selling for in your neighbourhood why not request your FREE copy of the Vaughan Real Estate Report!