Archives for Home Maintenance

Pool Dreams: Creating Your Stay-at-Home Backyard Oasis

The hot ticket item throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been changing at a pace that almost seems impossible to keep up with. It began with toilet paper and Lysol wipes, and moved quickly to office furniture and electronics, and now that summer is here, and a hot one at that, Ottawa area residents are now looking to get their hands on patio furniture and swimming pools to transform their backyards into an oasis where they can fully enjoy their summer at home. While installing a pool is a project that has excellent benefits both for personal use and resale value,
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Home Projects To Ready Your Home For Summer

With the spring season now in full bloom, summer approaching quickly, and social distancing guidelines leaving you a little stir-crazy, you may be feeling anxious to spend time outdoors and keep yourself busy while waiting for restrictions to be lifted. Fortunately, when you have to #StayHome, you might be able to find some time to work on some home projects that may have otherwise been neglected. Because home projects are usually essential or seasonal tasks to ensure your home is properly maintained, this can also be a great learning opportunity for kids who are currently unable to attend school, and
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Fall Furnace Tune-Up

Fall Furnace Tune-Up As much as we may hate to admit it, fall is here. As the days get shorter and the air gets colder, the time of year when we switch from cooling our homes to heating them is upon us. However, before you switch your furnace on and start getting your winter blankets out of storage, it is wise to perform a routine inspection and maintenance of your furnace. You don’t want something going wrong in the middle of winter when you need heat more than ever. You can spend money to have a professional come and perform
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3 Tips For Making A Major Homeowners Insurance Claim

3 Tips For Making A Major Homeowners Insurance Claim Home insurance is one of the costs that come with home ownership. You pay your premiums to your insurance company and when disaster strikes, you expect that they will pay for most, if not all of the bill.  But will they? Here are 3 tips to help you get the most out of your homeowner’s insurance claim.   Know your limits, deductibles and what your coverage includes. Depending on your policy, your insurance company may or may not cover things like water damage. By reviewing your policy, you’ll know how much you
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3 Tips For Making A Major Homeowners Insurance Claim

3 Tips For Making A Major Homeowners Insurance Claim Home insurance is one of the costs that come with home ownership. You pay your premiums to your insurance company and when disaster strikes, you expect that they will pay for most, if not all of the bill.  But will they? Here are 3 tips to help you get the most out of your homeowner’s insurance claim.   Know your limits, deductibles and what your coverage includes. Depending on your policy, your insurance company may or may not cover things like water damage. By reviewing your policy, you’ll know how much you
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Spring Cleaning 101: Tips On Getting Your Home Ready For Sale

Spring Cleaning 101: Tips On Getting Your Home Ready For Sale Contrary to years prior, 2018 has presented us with a rather mild, wet March. As such, we’ve barely approached the standard season for “April showers” and have already received enough rain and wet weather to rid most of the snow! The month, however is still young; and, as unpredictable as Mother Nature can be when it comes to delivering cold weather and long winters, we think it’s safe to assume that Jack frost might just bite a time or two more. This said, if you’re in the market to
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Winter: Time to keep the heat IN, and your costs DOWN

As winter begins to cover the ground with snow, we Canadians are aware, there’s much more coming our way than just a light dusting. Shoveling snow, spreading salt, and digging out your frozen car, are just some of the “joys” winter may bring to you this season. As the costs of heat and electricity continue to rise, Jack Frost will be nipping at your pocketbook, wanting to extend his winter chills to the interior of your home. If you’re hoping to keep the cold outside, and your heating costs down, the best thing for you to do is to get
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Fall Home Maintenance Tips

Fall. Arguably one of the most beautiful times of the year! The weather has cooled and the leaves have begun to change, reminding us that winter isn’t all that far away. Before the snow flies, our homes need a little TLC in order to ensure our warmth and safety over the months – yes, months – of winter. We’ve prepared a few tips on where to begin and what to include in your home maintenance checklist for the fall: Inspect and clean out your eaves trough. In order to ensure a smooth and safe flow of water away from your
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Bang For Your Buck: Renos That Will Increase Your Home's Value

If you are a homeowner, you’ve probably spent money on your property over and above the regular carrying costs.  Investing in your  property has the obvious benefits of making your home nicer to live in, but smart renovations can also have the side benefit of increasing a home’s value when it comes time to sell. Below is a list of some of the home renovations that have been shown to add the most to a home’s value, as well as some renovations to avoid. Flooring Flooring can be a costly renovation, but can also add to a home’s value if
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Winterizing Your Yard

Winterizing your home for the cold snap is one thing; winterizing your yard, however, is another. And as much as most of us would like to avoid prepping our yards for the inevitable cold that is to come, it’s something that’s simply unavoidable – especially if we’re looking to save both time and energy when spring and summer rolls around next year. Rest assured, however, winterizing your yard is not as complex as most of us may think it is, in fact, it’s actually quite simple.   We’ve provided a list of ways below that will help you and your
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