October 2018

Some pets can do serious damage to homes where they live. If you're a home buyer trying to purchase a property that has sustained damage from live-in pets, knowing what kind of home maintenance projects to expect can help you prepare to make repairs.

Give the Flooring Some Care

Pets can damage floors in a variety of ways. Pets with claws may scratch floor boards, while young pets may have accidents or chew up carpeting. Sometimes this damage is visible, other times it is hidden from view. For example, removing the carpeting may reveal hardwood floors that have been stained.

In a home with carpeting, the carpet may need to be replaced to get rid of pet smells and pet dander. Home buyers hoping to avoid the expense of replacing the carpet

Bathroom renovation is an excellent way for a homeowner to boost the sale price of their home. However, not all renovations are created equal. Homeowners who want to get the best ROI must plan their remodel wisely. Buying economical fixtures can help, as can purchasing fixtures that specifically interest home buyers.

Install Low-Flow Fixtures

Protecting the environment is of major importance to many homeowners, as is saving money. Low-flow fixtures do both at the same time. The standard low-flow toilets use 4.8 litres per flush. This represents significant water savings compared to the old toilets, which used about 6 litres per flush.

Low flow fixtures are just one of the many eco-friendly materials available to homeowners. Other

When people begin to prepare their home for sale, they often start by making property improvements in hopes of enticing buyers. One of the many improvements that some people consider when they're trying to sell their home is installation of solar panels. If you're a homeowner thinking about selling your property in the next few months and you'd like to install solar panels, it's important to know whether or not this is a valuable addition to your property and what you can do to maximize the ROI from the installation.

The Value Of Solar Panels

Solar panels can vary in their value, depending on the positioning of the house, the amount of shade on the property and the amount of energy the household consumes. In general, it is believed that solar

A person's credit history is a complicated record of their experience with debt. When people try to buy a home, they often use their credit report and score to qualify for a mortgage to pay for the sale. With these tips, potential borrowers will understand how credit reports and scores affect the home buying process.

Credit Report vs Credit Score

Although lenders usually look at a person's detailed credit history as well as their credit scores during the mortgage pre-approval process, there is a practical reason to understand the difference. A credit report is a listing of a person's current and recent debts and payments to various creditors. Credit reports may also contain information about unpaid accounts that went to collections, or other

The many styles of architecture in Canada may sometimes seem like a hodgepodge to the untrained eye. However, home buyers can learn about their options so they can make a smarter decision. Those who may not be sure what kind of house they want should keep the following facts in mind before they start putting in their bids.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

A Ranch style home in Canada refer to any single story home, usually with an attached patio or deck space. The original idea behind the ranch style was to link the homeowner as closely as possible to the landscape. If there was an emergency with the cattle in the middle of the night, a

A refreshing swim and a dip in the hot tub can often be just what the doctor ordered, especially as our Calgary weather grows colder.

Whether you like to swim for fun or for serious cardio, look for a neighbourhood that's close to a great aquatic facility when house hunting in Calgary. Wouldn't you rather spend time doing laps than in your car getting to the pool?

We've listed a few Calgary indoor pools by area:

Calgary City Centre

• Repsol Sports Centre: Formerly known as the Talisman Centre and Lindsay Park Sports Centre, the Repsol Sports Centre is perhaps the largest in Calgary. Located at 2225 Macleod Trail in Mission it is convenient to Calgary City Centre. Aquatic features include two 8-lane 50m pools and a teaching pool,

Hiring a real estate agent is one of the best things someone can do when it comes to selling a home or buying a new one, but with how many agents are available to hire, it can seem overwhelming when trying to find a place to start. Here are five different types of real estate agents all buyers and sellers should keep an eye out for when searching for someone to work with to buy a home in North Calgary or elsewhere.

1. The Realistic Visionary

When it comes to selling a home, it's vital to have a good idea of what it's worth, and when talking to potential real estate agents to hire, asking for their opinion on the home's value is essential. One agent may say the home can fetch $200,000, and another may say $205,000. But if a third says they can

Septic systems are common in rural areas and less so in cities and towns like Calgary. Many people who move to the country from a larger community know little about septic systems and what to expect.

If you’re thinking about moving into a home with a septic tank, it’s important to understand how a septic system works and what kind of maintenance is involved.

Septic Systems Vs. Sewers

A sewer is an underground channel that connects your home to your community’s water treatment facility. Homeowners who use sewers are only responsible for maintaining the sewer line that runs beneath their own property, and most sewers need little to no regular maintenance.

A septic tank is an underground tank connected to a drain field. All waste water

Employing a drone to sell a home can be a fantastic way to show off the extent and condition of a property. Instead of just photographing the koi pond in the backyard, homeowners can now display aerial footage so home buyers can see how that pond fits into the rest of the land. As the cost of the technology drops, drones have become useful for more than just showcasing million-dollar homes. Learn more about how homeowners can use a drone to their advantage to attract serious buyers.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Assessing Your Property

Single-family homes are usually discouraged from using drones because they may not sell for

Let's face it – Calgary ain't the Okanagan. Orchards aren't our thing because spring doesn't always come early, summer heat waves are too spotty and our evenings are always on the cool side. Any green thumb gardener knows that there are certain things that just don't do well in our climate. Watermelon, for example.

But we love our flowering trees and the resulting fruit. It's just a matter of find the right kind of tree and perhaps changing our expectations of what Alberta fruit really is. There's nothing like fresh fruit that's you've grown in your own back yard. In the first half of the last century, preserving your own fruit was essential to stocking the prairie pantry. What wasn't eaten fresh was made into jam or canned. This ritual has