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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

There are lots of ways to give your home appeal when getting ready to put it on the market. The easiest is to pay someone a million dollars to do it, great if you have a 20 million dollar palace! Or upgrade kitchens, baths, flooring, etc. for a mere two million dollars! Or.... do the following at no cost !!Turn plants inward from windows for ...

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, ...

Let me preface this little rant by saying I'm a financial guy by past trade. Numbers come easily to me. Or maybe not. One area I thought would serve me well is interpreting the 'Nutrition Facts' on food labels to make good choices. Grams and MLs and %ages, oh my!  Easy-peasy. Let's see...125ml = 60 calories, 2g fat, etc. Got ...

The ongoing housing mess south of the border is beginning to have an impact on how we view our homes in Ottawa. And that is: - smaller is smarter. Money sucking McMansions are necessarily going to become less attractive as energy costs continue to skyrocket, uncertain economies, and eventually, social pressures. Got $500k for a home? Great! Why ...