One important part of home security is outdoor lighting. Your home doesn’t need to be lit up like a football field at night, but your exterior lighting should illuminate your yard enough to be a deterrent to burglars.

Some burglars hide around the property and wait for someone to arrive and open the door so they can use that opportunity to force their way into your home. Some security experts suggest that you walk around your property and look for areas where someone could hide, such as behind tall bushes like a cedar hedge or behind a large shed. Make sure these areas are well lit as well.

Pay particular attention to lighting around exterior doors, especially the back door.

Home security experts also recommend that exterior lighting be installed with a timed dimmer. The lights can then be set to cast a bright light in the early evening, and then a dimmer light throughout the rest of the night.

Lights installed with motion detectors can also be effective in certain areas. The sensors will cause the light to turn on or brighten when someone comes onto that part of your property. Generally, thieves will flee as soon as they see a light turn on.

Do you hide a spare key under the front door mat or in a flower pot? No matter how clever you think you are, experienced thieves know all the common hiding places. So, if you need to have a spare key available, put it in a small combination lock box and hide the box. That way, if a burglar finds the box, he still won’t be able to open it and access the key.

Luckily, there are many smaller things you can do that can make a big difference.

Here are a few good ideas that can help you “go green” easily and affordably:

Get a recycling bin and learn how to use it…

Most of our cities have a recycling program. You may be able to get a rebate on your recycling bin or even get it for free. Keep a list of items that can be recycled on your fridge door, so that everyone in the family can participate.

Get a kitchen compost bin…

Find out if your city has a compost pick-up program. If they do, get a kitchen compost bin. Composting can reduce landfill waste by as much as 32%.

Use energy-saving light bulbs…

Low energy light bulbs have come a long way in recent years. Their consistent glow and brightness now rival their incandescent counterparts. By replacing regular 40-watt bulbs with energy-saving 8-watt bulbs, you could save nearly 50% of the electricity you used for lighting.

Shop for local produce…

Many grocery stores and supermarkets offer produce – fruits, vegetables, – that are grown within a 100 mile radius. The short transportation distance means significantly less fossil fuel is required to get the produce delivered to your local store. Keep in mind that some non-local produce, such as apples in the off-season, often need to be transported thousands of miles.

Let nature do the work…

As an alternative to air conditioning, open windows and block out the passive heat gain from the sun with curtains. Do the opposite in winter. Strategically using curtains and windows can lower your energy bill by as much as 20%.

As you can see, you don’t have to do much to have a “greener” home. Just a few little changes can make a big difference.

The first is the market value of your current property. That’s the amount your home will likely sell for on today’s market. When you know its market value, you’ll have a better idea of how much money will be available to invest in a new home.

The second is an overview of what’s available on the market. Which of the homes currently available for sale meet your criteria with respect to type of home, special features (such as a big kitchen or pool), neighbourhood, etc? How much are these homes selling for?

With those two pieces of information, you’ll be able to make a better decision.

A good REALTOR® can get that information for you. Call today.

There are a lot of little things you can do to make a big difference in your heating or cooling bill. Here are just a few examples:

• Turn down the thermostat a couple of degrees in winter. (And turn it up a few notches in summer.) Chances are, you’ll hardly notice the difference in comfort, and you’ll cut your heating/cooling costs by about 5%.

• Do you need the air conditioner on all the time during the summer months? Consider turning it way up, or completely off, at night when it’s cooler outside.

• Invest in a programmable thermostat. That way, you’ll be able to set up a schedule that uses less heating/cooling energy while you’re out of the house.

• Let the sunshine in through windows in the winter (and block the sun where possible in the summer.) “Passive heat gain” can contribute to up to 20% of the heat in your home. Best of all, the sun is free.

• Use energy efficient lights throughout your home. These can cut the cost of lighting by up to 40%!

• Be careful with outside lights, which can use a lot of energy! Turn them off before you go to bed or, better still, use programmable outside lighting that can be set to turn off automatically.

• These are just a few ideas for reducing your energy bill. If you do some research, you can probably discover many other ways to cut your costs. It’s worth the effort!

Tips on getting your property ready for sale.

You’ve taken your real estate agent’s advice and gone through pain-staking repairs, remodeling and renos, all to make your house more sellable.
So what do you need to do before you declare your home open to the public? Here are some home staging tips to help drive up the interest in your home:

Clean it up

An open house should be a clean house. Clean your home from top to bottom, and make sure all appliances are spotless. Steam-clean carpets and drapes, scrub kitchen and bathroom tiles, and wash floors, walls, windows, ceilings and trim.Clean around tubs and sinks, removing water stains.
This is also a good time to spray for bugs if you suspect you have an infestation.

Dispose and de-clutter

Potential buyers like to see lots of space when viewing a property. Get rid of anything that you don’t need by holding a yard sale, donating it, or tossing it.
Consider pulling up old carpets or removing area rugs if they’re covering hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are a big selling point for buyers.
Don’t forget to organize the basement and attic, and clear kitchen and bathroom countertops.

It pays to reorganize

Tidy up cabinets, and neatly store toys, books and knick-knacks to maximize space.Reorganize the closets and pack away some of your belongings. Storage room is a priority for buyers, and a full closet does a poor job of showcasing the amount of storage room available.
If you’ve been using a spare room for storage, put away the clutter and ensure the space is properly furnished. Limit the number of items stored on the closet floor or overhead.

De-personalize and detach your emotions

Remember, you’re about to sell this house, and the goal is to create a space that as many people as possible can envision as their home. To do that, you will have to remove many of your personal items. Avoid displaying photos, souvenirs, personal collections and medications.
Secure valuables, or consider storing them in a safety deposit box at the bank. Remove any items you’re taking with you, such as chandeliers and mirrors.

Furnish empty houses and rooms

While creating the illusion of space is important for house staging, too much empty space can work against you. People buy homes, not houses. Empty rooms make it hard for buyers to get a good sense of the space: large rooms look cavernous, and small rooms look even smaller when empty. Oddly shaped rooms make it especially hard for buyers to visualize how to arrange furniture.
Staging your property with the right furniture is key to ensuring buyers can imagine living in the space, especially with smaller units like condos. Arrange your furniture to make rooms appear as spacious as possible.

Kick up the curb appeal

Staging should start at the curb. If you haven’t already, get your lawn, porch or entryway looking pristine. Apply a fresh coat of paint to doors, shutters and siding if possible, and plant or display colourful flowers. The more inviting the outside of your home, the more excited people will be to see the inside.

If you’re thinking of making a move within the next few months, there are two important things you need to know.

The first is the market value of your current property. That’s the amount your home will likely sell for on today’s market. When you know its market value, you’ll have a better idea of how much money will be available to invest in a new home.

The second is an overview of what’s available on the market. Which of the homes currently available for sale meet your criteria with respect to type of home, special features (such as a big kitchen or pool), neighbourhood, etc? How much are these homes selling for?
With those two pieces of information, you’ll be able to make a better decision.

A good REALTOR® can get that information for you. Call today.

You could get upgraded insulation installed in all the walls of your home, or buy a new high-efficiency furnace and air conditioner. These improvements would certainly reduce your energy costs – but they each require a significant investment.
What if you don’t have the budget?

There are a lot of little things you can do to make a big difference in your heating or cooling bill. Here are just a few examples:

• Turn down the thermostat a couple of degrees in winter. (And turn it up a few notches in summer.) Chances are, you’ll hardly notice the difference in comfort, and you’ll cut your heating/cooling costs by about 5%.

• Do you need the air conditioner on all the time during the summer months? Consider turning it way up, or completely off, at night when it’s cooler outside.

• Invest in a programmable thermostat. That way, you’ll be able to set up a schedule that uses less heating/cooling energy while you’re out of the house.

• Let the sunshine in through windows in the winter (and block the sun where possible in the summer.) “Passive heat gain” can contribute to up to 20% of the heat in your home. Best of all, the sun is free.

• Use energy efficient lights throughout your home. These can cut the cost of lighting by up to 40%!

• Be careful with outside lights, which can use a lot of energy! Turn them off before you go to bed or, better still, use programmable outside lighting that can be set to turn off automatically.

• These are just a few ideas for reducing your energy bill. If you do some research, you can probably discover many other ways to cut your costs. It’s worth the effort!

When you purchase a new home or a property for development, you should give thought to the other “asset” for which you are now responsible…the trees!

Besides their obvious benefits to society, trees are considered “assets” within the urban landscape and now carry both financial and aesthetic “value.” In the past 3-5 years, municipalities such as Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, and Toronto have passed and/or upgraded by-laws governing tree protection and preservation during all phases of construction on both municipal and private properties.

Ownership of an asset includes the responsibility of maintaining it. Here’s how it relates to trees:

• Trees are living organisms with a finite life span
• As trees age or are injured, they are susceptible to disease, decay, and death
• Trees naturally lose branches and on occasion will fail
• While the risk to human safety is low, a tree owner has a legal “duty of care”
• A tree’s “risk potential” rises in urban areas where its failure could cause injury or damage to people and property
• If a healthy, structurally sound and properly maintained tree can be an “asset”, then an unhealthy, structurally compromised, or poorly maintained one can be a costly “liability”

You have a house assessed and inspected before you buy it…you should consider having the trees inspected too. They are your responsibility. Real estate agents are starting to use Consulting Arborists who have the specialized skills, education and experience in risk assessment to provide this service.

Next time, let’s talk about how to keep your trees healthy…that’s much more fun!

Best regards,

Tom Bradley   B.Sc. (Agr.)
A.S.C.A. Registered Consulting Arborist #492
I.S.A. Certified Arborist #ON-1182A
Welwyn Consulting
(905) 301-2925
email