10 - 2021 - Coldwell Banker Supercity Realty

Attic & Basement Storage Ideas to Gain More Space

You’ll get more livable space while getting rid of clutter. It’s a win-win!

Image: Architecture by EL Studio/Pepper Watkins, photo

Outfitting your basement and attic with efficient storage can be life-changing. Not only will you get more living space, but it can also give your home an edge over others when it comes time to sell.

Try these ideas to get the most storage out of your home, while freeing up more floor space for you.

Conceal the Mess With Built-Ins

Built-in basement bookshelves for storage — Image: Jeff Amram Photography

Expand your idea of built-ins: they’re not just for your upstairs living room, and this value-adding upgrade is easily DIYed. Break out your power tools or work with a carpenter to craft wall-to-wall shelving for this über-useful storage idea.

Cover With a Curtain

Closed curtain basement storage — IMAGE: GILLIAN OF THE 2 BEDROOM BLUES

Basement storage area with the curtain open — IMAGE: GILLIAN OF THE 2 BEDROOM BLUES

Images: Gillian of The 2 Bedroom Blues

Let’s face it: Your off-season tubs will never be glamorous. But they can stay out of sight, even if you don’t have to budget for built-ins.

Dividing a basement room in two gives you the best of both worlds: the bonus living space of a finished basement and a dedicated storage area. It’s also money-smart, because you’ll get those finished-basement benefits without the wall-to-wall costs.

The key? The visual separation between the two. Science says clutter makes us anxious, so this basement storage idea suggests hiding the mess with a curtain. Choose a heavy curtain to keep out the basement chill.

Take Advantage of Rafter Space

Wire racks placed in between attic rafters for storage — Image: David Buschur

Don’t let imposing rafters limit your imagination: This awkward space is eager for a smart storage solution. Long, wall-to-wall shelves provide plenty of horizontal space for those pesky must-haves you don’t need every day, like picnic supplies, seasonal dishes, and niche cleaning supplies, leaving your other spaces neat and tidy.

Stuff the Awkward Spaces

Built-in clothing storage in finished attic — Image: Kerry Woods Photography

Figuring out how to best take advantage of your attic’s slanted ceiling feels like a particularly frustrating game of Tetris. But this clever attic closet storage idea fits the bill — and the slope.

Use your imagination to fit just the right storage items in this unusual space. Here, kids’ clothes and accessories are a perfect fit for this mini built-in, and soft stuffies fill the awkward top space.

Other contenders for this angular cubby? Folded linens, spare throw pillows, or a creatively-stacked triangle of toilet paper.

Go Modular Beneath the Stairs

Colorful storage boxes under stairs — Image: Windinghouse

That behind-the-stairs space can be tricky to fill: nothing quite fits right. But this ingenious modular basement under stair storage idea fits any sloped space, no matter the size. Use wooden crates or build your own stacking boxes to fit all your storage needs.

Paint the back of the boxes to add color and interest, or to clarify whose stuff goes where. Bonus: If your daughter knows the red-painted boxes are hers, she’ll be less likely to scatter stuff everywhere.

Push Pull-Out Storage to the Limit

Custom Lego storage bins in a basement — Image: John Wilbanks Photography, Inc./Board and Vellum, architect

This gorgeous built-in bookshelf is perfect for a large collection, like LEGO. The best part? The transparent plastic makes it easy to find exactly what you’re seeking, but still keep the space from feeling cluttered.

thanks to Houselogic.com

Keeping Your House Clean with Dogs While It’s on the Market

Oof. Houses that smell or look like pets have lived in them are just harder to sell.

Here’s how to de-dog your house before putting it on the market — and how to keep it that way while you sell.

#1 Steam Clean Everything Fabric

“Job number one is to take care of [the soft surfaces in your house],” says Melissa Maker, star of an eponymous YouTube channel and owner of a Toronto cleaning service. “They hold odors and hair like nothing else.”

This includes carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and even the drapes, she says. Pets rub against drapes, getting oils, odors, and fur on the fabric. Send curtains out for a professional cleaning.

#2 Groom Your Pet

Tail of siberian husky peaking out from wall of bushes — Image: wichatsurin/Getty

Get your pet groomed by a pro before you list your house. You can do it yourself, but a pro can get more hair and dander off than you can — plus, all that gunk is better off in the groomer’s drain than yours.

Brush your furry friend regularly (outside, preferably) while your house is on the market. Any hair you get off on a brush is hair that won’t end up on your sofa or in your rugs.

#3 Clean Tile-Floor Grout

White hallway with stone tile | Keeping Clean with Dogs — Image: Cavan Images/Offset

Tile resists dog stains, but grout is porous and sucks them up like a sponge. “I had a cat who had an accident on a tile floor, and the pee seeped into the grout,” Maker says. Steam clean grout to lift old smells and stains. If your grout is really cruddy, hire a pro to chip out the old grout and put in new — or DIY it if you have the skills.

#4 Get an Air Purifier Tower

To you, it smells like home. But your HVAC has been circulating the same hair and dander again and again (especially in hot and cold weather when the windows are closed).

Add an air purifier tower with a HEPA filter; it pulls hair and dander out of the air before they even reach your HVAC.

Most air ducts don’t need to be cleaned, especially if you change filters regularly. But if dander and fur seem to be taking over, hire a duct-cleaning company before putting your home on the market.

#5 Use Enzymatic Cleaners

They’re the special forces of odor busters. Enzymatic cleaners are made of beneficial bacteria that eat stains and odors. They’re formulated to stamp out a specific type of stain, so a cleanser that targets urine won’t be the same as one for vomit.

“They’re cultivated for a specific mess,” Maker says. Apply them liberally to stains regardless of how old they are, before listing your house.

#6 Get Rid of Scratch Marks

Close up of brown dog's paws | Keeping House Clean with Dogs — Image: Jen Rogers/EyeEm/Getty

Pet toenails leave telltale marks on doors and walls. For walls and doors made of synthetic materials, you’ll just need to paint over the marks. For a wooden door, use a wood-filler pen that can fill in the scratches. For hardwood floors, rub out small scratches with steel wool or fine sandpaper followed by mineral spirits, wood filler, and polyurethane. For major damage, refinishing the hardwood is a good investment with a stellar 100% ROI.

#7 Absorb Odors With Charcoal

Charcoal pulls moisture and odors out of the air. You can get inconspicuous little bags of it to hang in places your pets love most. Or, just strategically stash some charcoal briquettes around the house.

Just be sure to get the ones that aren’t presoaked with lighter fluid.

#8 Spot Clean Furniture Daily

Black dog sitting on green corduroy armchair | Keeping clean — Image: Meredith Novario/Offset

If you’re like many pet owners, trying to keep your dog off the couch completely isn’t worth the effort. Instead, cover your freshly-cleaned furniture with throws or pet covers, and wash them at least once a week. Vacuum rugs and carpets every day. Pet smells sink in fast.

For quick hair removal before a showing, wipe down the couch with rubber gloves. The hair comes right off.

#9 Get a Sniff Test

You’ve scrubbed everything, and you think your house smells like a dog has never set foot in the door. Get a second opinion as to whether the odors are gone, Maker says. “You may be nose blind. Ask your agent to walk through and give you an honest opinion.”

Thanks to houselogic.com

6 Tasks That Every Smart Homeowner Does in October

The temps are starting to drop; the smell of wood smoke is in the air.

Temps are more chilly than warm. That’s when veteran homeowners know it’s time to do these six things if they want to avoid grief or overspending.

#1 Buy Appliances

Image: Pierre Desrosiers/Getty

Whisper to them. Do a rain dance. Whatever it takes to get your old appliances to wait until fall to go on the fritz. Manufacturers bring out their latest models during the fall, and store owners offer big sales on appliances they want to move out — like last year’s most popular dishwasher. So September, October, and November are great months to buy.

But October is right in the middle, when there’s still plenty of selection and retailers might be more willing to haggle.

Refrigerators are the exception because new models don’t come out until spring.

#2 Switch the Direction of Ceiling Fans

Red ceiling fan with patterned wallpaper — Image: iaobzjls/Getty

Most have a switch to allow the ceiling fan blades to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise. One way pushes air down to create a nice breeze, and the other sucks air up, helping to distribute the heat. Think counterclockwise when it’s warm and clockwise when it’s cool.

#3 Clean Windows

A bright kitchen with open shelving and wall of windows — Image: Prideaux Design & Alta Constructors, designer/Matt Vacca, photographer

Daylight is about to dwindle so why not get as much of it as you can? Clean off all the bugs, dust, and grime from your windows while the weather is still warm enough to do so. For streak-free windows, combine ¼-cup of white vinegar with ¼ to ½ teaspoon of eco-friendly dish detergent and 2 cups of water.

If window cleaning isn’t a DIY job at your home, schedule a professional window cleaner (who, unlike most of us, is able to do it even when temperatures plummet) before the end of the month. The closer it gets to the holidays, the busier they get. Bright sunshine on winter’s darkest days makes it totally worthwhile.

#4 Schedule a Heating Unit Checkup

A beige wall with framed thermostat and other paintings — Image: Ellery Designs, www.ellerydesigns.com

To ensure your family will be able to feel their toes all winter, schedule early in the month for your heating unit to be serviced. As temperatures drop, service companies get busier.

Whether you hire your heating company’s technician or a contractor to do it, they’ll clean soot and corrosion from the combustion chamber, replace filters, and check the whole system for leaks, clogs, and damage. Nothing pairs with a pending blizzard better than the assurance that you’ll be weathering the storm with warm air piping through the vents and cocoa in hand.

#5 Get a Chimney Sweep to Inspect the Fireplace

A beige-painted brick fireplace with black slate tiles — Image: Sarah Thompson

It’s time to dust off and sweep the chimney! Best to hire someone who knows wood-burning fireplaces. A professional chimney sweep will ensure your wood-burning fireplace burns more efficiently and will help prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning during the winter. So, yeah, it’s pretty important.

Tip: If you don’t already have a chimney cap, this is also the time to add one to stop wild outdoor critters from crawling down it — and (yikes!) into your house.

#6 Insulate Exposed Pipes

A few copper pipes in front of a concrete wall — Image: Emily Plummer (Instagram: @1930s_house_emiliaplum)

If you’ve ever dealt with a burst pipe, you know it’s a sad, wet disaster worth preventing. To avoid the stressful (not to mention, expensive) ordeal, prep your home’s exposed pipes with foam or heat tape — choose which one will work best with your climate. Remember: The most at-risk pipes are often those in unheated areas such as in attics, crawl spaces, and garages, so secure those first.

Thanks to houselogic.com

Shut Down Home Intruders With These 7 Safety Strategies

01 Oct 2021 by Mariana Cowan

A break and entry occur every 90 seconds in Canada.¹ Fortunately, there are some proven tactics you can use to decrease your likelihood of a home invasion.

Most burglars won’t go to extreme lengths to enter your home. They are looking for easy access with minimal risk. A monitored security system can be an effective deterrent—homes without one are 300% more likely to be burglarized—but it isn’t the only way to protect your property.²The strategies below can help to maximize your home’s security and minimize your chances of being targeted by intruders.

Thinking about listing your home? We have some additional recommendations for you. Contact us to find out the procedures we use to keep our clients and their property safe and secure during the buying and selling process.

1. Check Your Doors and Windows

According to insurance company SGI Canada, the most common entry point for a burglar is through a basement or ground floor door or window.¹ So securing these points of entry is essential.

Evaluate the condition of your doors and locks.

A steel door is generally considered the strongest, but many homeowners prefer the look of wood. Whatever material you choose, make sure it has a solid core and pair it with a sturdy deadbolt lock that is a minimum of 2.5 cm long when thrown.³

Add window locks and security film.

Aftermarket window locks are an easy and inexpensive upgrade that can provide an additional layer of protection for your home. Choose a lock that is compatible with your window frame material and a style that is appropriate for the window type. And consider using a specialty film on windows that are adjacent to a door. Security film holds shattered glass in place, making the windows more difficult to penetrate.⁴

2. Landscape for Security

When it comes to outdoor landscaping, many of us think about maintenance and curb appeal. But the choices we make can impact our home’s security, as well. Thieves target homes that they can enter and exit without being detected. Here are a few tweaks that can make your property less appealing to potential intruders.

Increase visibility from the street.

A privacy hedge may keep out nosy neighbours, but it can also welcome thieves—so trim overgrown trees and shrubs that obstruct the view of your property. According to police officers, they offer an ideal environment for criminals to hide.⁵

Place thorny bushes and noisy gravel below windows.

Don’t eliminate shrubbery altogether, though. Certain hedges can actually offer a deterrent to robbers. Plant thorny rose bushes or sharp-leaved holly beneath your first-story windows for both beauty and protection. Add some loose gravel that crunches when disturbed.

3. Light Your Exterior

When it’s dark outside, criminals don’t need to rely on overgrown shrubbery to hide. Luckily, a well-designed outdoor lighting system can make your home both safer and more attractive.

Install landscape lighting.

Eliminate pockets of darkness around your yard and home’s perimeter with strategically placed outdoor lights. Use a combination of flood, spot, well, and pathway lights to add interest and highlight natural and architectural details.

Use motion-activated security lights to startle intruders.

The soft glow of landscape lighting isn’t always enough to dissuade a determined intruder. But a motion-activated security light may stop him in his tracks. And if you choose a Wi-Fi connected smart version, you can receive notifications on your phone when there’s movement on your property.

4. Make It Look Like You’re Home

Motion-activated lights aren’t the only way to make an intruder think you’re at home. New technology has made it increasingly possible to monitor your home while you’re away. This is especially important since most burglaries take place between 10 am and 3 pm, when many of us are at work or school.⁶

Turn on your TV and leave a car in the driveway.

A survey of convicted burglars revealed that the majority avoid breaking into homes if they can hear a television or if there’s a vehicle parked in the driveway.⁷ If you’re away from home, try connecting your TV to a timer or smart plug. And when you travel, leave your car out or ask a neighbour to park theirs in your driveway.

Install a video doorbell.

In that same survey, every respondent said they would knock or ring the doorbell before breaking into a home. A video doorbell not only alerts you to the presence of a visitor, it also enables you to see, hear, and talk with them remotely from your smartphone—so they’ll never know you’re gone.

5. Keep Valuables Out of Sight

Few home invasions are conducted by criminal masterminds. In fact, a survey of convicted offenders found that only 12% planned their robberies in advance, while the majority acted spontaneously.⁸ That’s one of the reasons security experts caution against placing valuables where they are visible from the outside.⁹

Check sightlines from your doors and windows.

Don’t tempt robbers with a clear view of the most commonly stolen items, which are cash (think purses and wallets), jewelry, electronics, firearms, and drugs (both illegal and prescription).⁵Take a walk around your property to make sure none of these items are easily visible.

Secure valuables in a safe.

Consider the possessions that are on display inside your home, as well. It’s always a good idea to lock up firearms, sensitive documents, and expensive or irreplaceable items when you have housekeepers or other service providers on your property.

6. Highlight Your Security Measures

While it’s prudent to hide your valuables, it’s equally important to advertise your home’s security features. In surveys, convicted burglars admit to avoiding homes with obvious protective measures in place.^7,8

Install outdoor cameras.

Security cameras are the most common home protection device and for good reason.¹⁰ Not only do they help prevent crime (burglars are known to avoid them¹¹), they can offer peace of mind for homeowners who want to sneak a peek at their property while away. And if you do experience a break and enter, security camera footage can help police identify your intruder.

Post warning signs.

Security system placards and beware-of-dog signs are also shown to be effective deterrents.⁸ Of course, you should back up your threats with a noisy alarm and loud barking dog for maximum impact.

7. Limit What You Share on Social Media

Social media platforms can be a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but it’s easy to reveal more than you’ve intended. Be thoughtful about what you’re posting—and who has access.

Delay posting photos or travel updates.

It can be tempting to upload a concert selfie or pictures from your beach vacation. But these types of photos scream: “My house is unoccupied!” Try to wait until you’ve returned home to share the photos on social media.

Set privacy restrictions on your accounts.

Think twice about connecting with strangers or casual acquaintances on social media. If you enjoy sharing family updates and personal photos, it’s safer to limit your followers to those you truly know and trust.

YOUR HOME IS SAFE WITH US

We take home security seriously. That’s why we have screening procedures in place to keep our clients and their homes safe when they are for sale. We also remind our buyers to change the locks before they move into their new homes and provide referrals to locksmiths and home security companies that can help. To learn more about our procedures and how you can stay safe during the buying and selling process, contact us to schedule a free consultation!