At Home With Valerie

You may not have kids of your own yet, but if you have people visiting your home for any extended period of time, you’ll want to make sure to do your best to baby-proof your space. Here’s how to shore up the biggest risks. You may not have kids right now, but chances are you may be entertaining guests one day who do. You can put your guests at ease and do your best to protect their little ones from harm by investing in some modest pre-visit baby proofing. Here are some sound strategies to make their visit low-stress and safe: Mind the Power and Appliances Outlets are enemy #1. Baby fingers are like magnets for electricity, so splurge on some plastic outlet covers which fit snugly into those empty sockets. If you have any multi-socket power strips around, be sure to cover those as well (or elevate them out of harm’s reach). Depending on the age of your youngest visitors, some may be able to reach knobs and buttons on appliances like your stove. Exploring han

Do you have property big enough for a spare cottage? Is there a basement or garage-apartment you’ve been thinking of adding?  Learn why these “Accessory Dwelling Units” (ADUs) are making a comeback. Years ago, it wasn’t so uncommon to have multiple generations living in the same home.  Sometimes these were aging parents moving back in with their kids, and other times they were college students getting their finances in order after graduation.  Many homeowners utilized extra space in their home to create independent apartments or separate living spaces. Though they go by many common names (in-law unit, granny flat, garden cottage, basement apartment), these types of spaces are known as ADUs, or Accessory Dwelling Units. If you have extra space such as an above-garage loft, or extra land where you could build a freestanding structure, you might be interested in adding an ADU to your home. Even if you don’t have a family member in need of the space, they can be grea

Sometimes things simply don’t go your way in a real estate deal, and bouncing back can feel exceptionally hard.  If you’ve recently been disappointed buying or selling a home, here’s some advice to help you put things in perspective and prepare yourself for the next move. Real estate deals are emotional roller coasters, often marred by unexpected setbacks. The dream house deal doesn’t come together. A closing fall through at the last minute. It happens. Sometimes the setback is so overwhelming we feel momentarily disoriented, unsure which direction to take next. We want to carry on, but we can't quite muster the will to make the next right move. If you've felt this way lately, perhaps the following process will help you: 1. Grieve the loss. If you're feeling disappointment, loss, shock, or sadness, don't gloss over it. Give yourself time and space to feel it. There's nothing healthy in pretending the way you feel is wrong, shameful, or otherwise w

Have you been inundated with telemarketers, robo calls, and scammers on your home telephone line?   Use this free service to eliminate annoying calls.   We’ve all been there. You’re just sitting down to dinner or your favorite Netflix binge and the phone begins ringing. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably gotten used to screening a lot of calls because so many are robocalls. You know the kind and you know the drill: Political ads, solicitations, scams. You pick up saying “Hello? Hello?” and then comes that eerie pause which tells you you’re about to hear a pre-recorded message.   It’s a rude waste of your attention, and yet many of us can’t just get rid of our home phone line. While you can ignore the call, often they call multiple times a day or every day of the week at the same time. The problem is widespread.   In early 2013 the FTC held a contest to combat the scourge of robocalls. The winner of that contest was Nomorobo, a free servic

Are you thinking about looking at homes in a neighborhood with an HOA (Home Owner’s Association)? Have you ever wondered what an HOA is or what you should know before you buy a property governed by one? This blog post is for you. If you’re a first-time buyer and are confused about what a Home Owners Association is (or does), you should definitely ask the right questions before you consider buying. Basically, an HOA is an organization which is designed to protect the quality of life and property values for owners within a neighborhood or shared building. How they do so, though, can vary widely. Typically when you purchase a residence subject to an HOA, you’ll be required to pay monthly dues which often contribute to major repairs or maintenance or the upkeep of common/shared resources. But HOAs can also have a significant impact on what you can and can’t do with your own home. The HOA’s rules are detailed in what’s called covenants, co

Fireplaces are one of the coziest amenities in a home. But they can also bring on terrible disaster if they’re not maintained properly and used wisely. Here are some essential tips for fireplace safety. Gathering the family around a crackling fire can be one of the joys of the coldest months… or it can be a nightmare. It’s one thing to be seated cozily on the couch while the firewood glows, and quite another to be standing on the curb in the cold watching the fire department trying to save your home.   More than 14,000 fires begin each year in fireplaces, and fires are the cause of nearly $900 million dollars in property damage. Don’t be a victim because of shoddy maintenance or careless usage of your fireplace. This goes for both wood-burning and gas fireplaces.   Here are some tips to maintain your fireplace and protect your life:   1. Before the coldest months set in, get your fireplace inspected. Remember, most inspection companies will be very busy duri

There’s an old saying: What you can’t see won’t hurt you. But, that’s not true. Less than ideal air quality in your home can result in allergies, colds, languor, and even sleepless nights. Here are some tips that can help: Let in the fresh air.  Weather permitting, open windows and doors to help circulate stale indoor air with fresher outdoor air. Change the furnace filter.  According to studies, most filters on forced air heating systems in homes do not get changed regularly. Tip: Change the filter when you change the batteries in your smoke detectors – at least twice a year. Easy on the household cleaners.  Cleaners that are tough on stains can also have the same effect on your health. So use them with care. After cleaning any surface, wipe the residue dry with a clean absorbent cloth. Keep things dry.  Mold spores thrive on moisture. So make sure bathroom fans adequately remove humidity. A fan should be strong enough so that a piece of paper clings to the intake.

Daylight savings time ends on Sunday at 2 a.m.   Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour Sunday night before heading off to bed!   Regards,   Valerie McConville Homes and Gardens Real Estate Ltd.

When the cooler months roll around, pests look for reliable sources of warmth and food… that includes your house! Here are some practical tips for keeping them out. When the temperatures begin to dip, humans aren’t the only ones who appreciate the warmth and shelter of a cozy home. Insects, rodents, and other small mammals are also drawn to the comforts your house provides. Ever have a mouse die in a wall? It’s not the sort of smell that one appreciates during the holidays. No one wants an expensive electrical repair when a rat chews its way through wiring in the attic or basement, either. Do yourself a favor and protect yourself from pests this Fall and Winter. Here are some tips: Inspect the outside of your home for ways animals may sneak in. Often utility vents and areas under eaves have gaps which should be sealed or screened. Look for gaps around door and window frames, and caulk or repair those gaps. Tiny entry ways can lead to big problems. Examine trees around

You’re standing by your window admiring the view. Then you notice it. Moisture has built-up around the edges of the glass. Should you worry?  It all depends on the reason for the build up. Assuming you have traditional double-pane glass in your windows, there are a few things to look for if you notice moisture. Often, moisture at the bottom of the windows is simply caused by too much humidity in your indoor air. If that’s the case, simply adjust your humidifier. If the moisture is on the exterior of the window, typically there’s also no problem with the window itself. It may have rained recently or the outside humidity may have spiked causing the accumulation. Generally, there’s no reason for concern. However, if the moisture is in between the two panes of glass, the seal has broken and surrounding air – along with its water content – has made its way in. This disrupts the thermal barrier of the window, reducing its energy efficiency. In fact, the glass might

When you’re about to sell your home, it may be disheartening to see so many other properties for sale in your neighborhood.  You may be thinking, “That’s a lot of competition! Will our property get noticed? Fortunately, there are many proven strategies for standing out in a sea of For Sale signs. First of all, keep in mind that many home purchasers come from the REALTOR’S personal network of buyers who want to move into your area. So, choosing the right REALTOR®   is crucial. Second, remember that when there are other properties for sale on your street, curb appeal becomes even more important. There are many simple things you can do to make your property look great to those driving around looking at homes. Make sure your property looks as picture perfect as possible. In a competitive market, it’s also more important than ever to highlight features of your home that are unique and enticing. If, for example, you have a large backyard deck and brand new h

Do you live in an area which offers free and easy composting? Here are some quick tips you can use to make composting easier and more effective. Do you compost? Composting is a great way to reduce the waste which goes into our landfills. More and more communities are providing curbside compost pick-up service.  Whether a part of regular trash and recycling, or provided by a private company, composting is no longer an affair where you have to turn a drum of scraps in your backyard or worry about pests. If you already compost privately, you know that composting is a spectacular way to turn your table scraps and other biodegradable waste into “black gold” for gardening! Below are some great composting “hacks” you can use to enhance your composting experience: 1. Use toilet paper in the kitchen. Have an oily pan? Don’t dump the oil in the trash or down the drain. Instead, keep toilet paper handy in the kitchen. Wipe the pan out with the toilet paper and place the so

Selling a home is an emotional experience with heavy financial repercussions attached. If you try and sell before you’re truly ready to move, you could find yourself in a stressful, costly situation which wastes a lot of time.  Here’s how to ask yourself if you’re really ready to sell. I love to sell homes. It’s a privilege and an honor to be a part of the process. I get great satisfaction from making my living helping people move on to the next phase of their life, whether it’s upsizing, downsizing, or simply relocating to a new neighborhood. But there is one sort of home seller I can’t really help: The seller who’s not really ready to sell. If you’re thinking about selling your home, don’t enter into the process lightly. It’s a big deal. There’s some stress and there’s a great opportunity for joy. There’s a big investment at stake. This, along with a lot of other reasons large and small, is why you want to be 100% sure you’re ready to sell your home. If you think

Winter is coming! Time to think about your home and how you will prepare it for the long months ahead. Here are some great tips to get your home winter ready. After all, your home is the biggest investment you have. So, protect it! Take care! Valerie McConville

“People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped.” (Source Unknown) A lot of energy gets spent these days managing reputations online. From LinkedIn profiles to the contents of our tweets and status updates, nearly everyone operates under the assumption that what we share will be indexed available, creating at least a partial picture of who we are. And I think we’ve all had the experience of “Googling” someone we’ve just met. Is this a good idea? With all of this information available online, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:  1. It’s worth reiterating that what’s available online about a person is only a partial view (and may even be inaccurate). Disinformation is as easily saved as fact, and can be hard to correct.  2. Social media sites often paint heavily polarized pictures of a person’s beliefs or personality, and tend to reveal the carefully curated best or unintentional moments of their

If you have a son or daughter in college, you probably sent them with most of their possessions, including expensive laptops and other electronics. So what happens if their dorm room is robbed? Are they covered? What about off-campus? Learn more about the issue here… If you have a son or daughter heading off to college this fall, you’ve probably sent them along with most of their most prized possessions. Laptop, stereo, smartphone, mountain bike… it all adds up to several thousands of dollars of personal gear. So what happens if they get robbed? Will you be stuck for the replacement costs, or are they covered on your homeowner’s insurance policy? Believe it or not, the insurance policy on your home might just cover what your kid takes to school. But there’s a catch: Many policies only cover the student if they live in a dorm on campus. If they’re in an apartment or house on their own, you might not be covered. One alternative to covering your student’s

Many people who are self-employed think it’s impossible to qualify for a mortgage. While it can be more difficult, there are some things you can do to improve your odds. Here’s how…  The so-called “gig” economy means more people than ever are self-employed, receiving 1099 tax forms as independent contractors. In the world of the self-employed, the idea of securing a mortgage can seem like a fantasy. Unlike the traditionally employed, the self-employed entrepreneur is seen as a greater risk. Despite making a good living, some self-employed workers never even apply for a mortgage, believing the dream of home ownership is cut off by slim chances for approval. This isn’t necessarily true! Don’t give up on home ownership just because you’re self-employed. Instead, take the steps to boost your status in the eyes of lenders. Here are some tips to put you on the path towards pre-approval: 1. Lower your debt. Debt is what haunts almost all new buyers seeking a loan.

Selling a home is an emotional process… especially when your home doesn’t sell the first time around. If you’ve had the unfortunate experience of seeing your plans to move fall apart, here’s a little help for getting over the slump and regrouping for the future.  Everyone says selling your home is one of life’s great emotional rollercoasters. From making the leap to moving day, the process is one of surprises, anticipation, and (hopefully) celebration.  But what happens if your home doesn’t sell? If your home’s been on the market for the length of your contract with your real estate agent and it hasn’t sold, your home is on its way to becoming “an expired listing.” At this point you have to make a choice whether to continue with your agent, find a new agent, or delay your dreams and take your home off the market. Still, the sting of the experience lingers. How do you move on from an expired listing? Here are some tips to learn and even grow from the experience: 1. Admit

Figuring out how much time you should spend viewing properties for sale is a little like asking, “How long should I spend trying on shoes?” The answer seems obvious: As long as it takes to make a decision! Buying a home is significantly more complex than purchasing shoes – and the stakes are higher too! You need to make sure you have all the information necessary to confidently make the best decision. There are basically three stages to viewing a property: Macro Micro Professional When you view a home on a macro basis, you’re looking at it from an overall perspective. For example, you may do a general walk-through to get a first impression and determine if the property has the basic features you need, such as the number of bedrooms and the size of the backyard. Macro viewing is often the fastest stage in the viewing process and can sometimes take just a few minutes. If you like what you see, then it’s onto the micro stage. At this stage you take a clos

When you own your home, you need to take an elevated interest in some details you might have overlooked as a renter. Here are a few crucial examples of things you’ll want to keep in mind as you get to know your new home. When you’re a renter, there are a lot of details you might overlook. Given how much is out of your control about the condition or landscaping around your apartment complex or rented home, you may not be greatly interested in certain aspects of the house. All of that changes when the home is your own investment. With your money and your safety on the line 24/7, you’ll need to pay attention to some areas which renters take for granted. Keep these few tips in mind and you’ll avoid several common homeowner mistakes. 1. Call 811 before digging up the yard. Landscaping is a great pleasure for many homeowners, especially those who want to plant their own food or dig in a nice water feature. The only problem? There could be pipes, power, and telecom cables un

Doesn’t it seem strange that people buy houses without actually living in them a little first?  There’s a new trend emerging in which some sellers are listing their house on AirBnB while they’re looking to sell. Is this a good idea? If you stop to think about it, selling a home is a bit of a strange endeavor. You’re asking prospective buyers to make a huge investment in your home without the experience of actually living there. Yet this is standard procedure. Buyers make offers after showings without having spent a single night in the home where they’re planning on living! Now there’s an emerging marketing trend designed to take some of the ambivalence out of buying a home. Some sellers are taking the steps to let prospective buyers “live” in their house for a few days to see if the home is right for them. AirBnB is one platform making this strategy possible. Most effective for sellers who have staged their house and are not currently living in the listing, the appro