Ottawa Real Estate - Homes & Land

Conspicuous Consumption to Consciencious Consumerism. Need a moment? Ok, we'll call it the 4Cs. Back in the day when Baby Boomers were calling the shots, real estate had a much different perspective. Rising land costs somehow translated to requiring larger homes. It also was a measure of success; take that Mr. Jones! The average size of ...

Google 'Home improvements' or any variation of how to increase the equity in your home and a gazillion websites will come up on your screen. Ok you may have to scroll. What about stuff that may upgrade the look and help sell faster, but won't get you more loonies and toonies? Everyone knows that inground swimming pools are not a good ...

Happy to announce the error to cancel the program last year has been corrected in this week's federal budget; As soon as the details are published I will re-enter them onto my Green Living page. There are some serious rebates available for pretty much all a home needs to improve its energy efficiency. I have a geo-thermal system at home that ...

We all tend to buy into doing our bit to keep the planet chugging along, whether being a tree hugger or bowing to social pressures or drawing attention to one's eco-ego. Celebrities are no different, albeit their world twirls a tad faster. Here is a sampling of some of your idols at work on their carbon footprint.Jennifer Aniston brushes her ...

Up to one third of the heat generated in a house is lost through the roof, walls and ceiling. Add insulation to R-values of 32 or more. Ceiling fans, up in the summer. down in the winter. New windows and doors can be expensive; as an alternative caulk and weatherstrip leaky windows and doors. On the sunny side of the house, open the window ...

Bedrooms use up to 11% of a home's lighting. Install florescent lights (CFLs), and dimmer switches when practical. Good for creating a mood too! Have a guest room or others not always in use?, close the heat register to allow the energy you are paying for to be directed to rooms where people actually live. Bathrooms - the most obvious way to ...

Let's start at the bottom and work our way up. The basement - don't wait until your furnace ceases to operate; if it's more than 15 years old consider replacing it. Newer models typically run at 90% efficiency compared with older ones at around 60%. Then keep it maintained yearly. Turn down the heat on the hot water tank, it's a ...

And then you won't move. Kitchens are the centerpiece of a good home, which is why many feel it is necessary to spend a gazillion dollars, the alternative being to let them age not so gracefully. It doesn't have to be that way. Read on:The kitchen sink and hood fan are two fixtures that tend to stay, well, fixed. A stainless steel sink ...

When sprucing up your home for visitors, the bathroom is one space in the house where you can make a big impact for a relatively small outlay. And this is particularily true when selling your home. Most people already know that kitchens and bathrooms have the best return on investment as well as assisting in a faster sale. However, it's ...

Preparing a home for sale has become a business unto itself, and can get pricey when having it done professionally. For higher end homes there is an efficiency of scale so it can be worthwhile the cost. For homes under $500k, and for those so inclined, here are some inexpensive ways to attract Buyers through curb appeal:Power wash the exterior, ...