Something that turned a looker into a buyer
Posted on Jan 26, 2021 in Home improvements
In another time, on the North Shore, friends of ours had their home listed and while they were getting some lookers they weren’t getting any offers. It was a nice house…four bedrooms on the same level, family room with fireplace, dining room, generous living room with fireplace, two-car garage, large backyard with an in-ground pool.
They called it t...
Backyard office construction
Posted on Dec 22, 2020 in Home improvements
Vancouver residents who are working from home during the pandemic and need more space to do that have taken to the backyard in the search for the peace and quiet they left behind in their traditional offices.
However, the construction of a small, backyard office is not as simple as it sounds, and not as simple as it used to be.
According to a report...
Ideas for changing living-room design
Posted on Nov 24, 2020 in Home improvements
An article that appeared online this month dealt with decorating a living room, what works and what doesn’t. It made for interesting reading, with at least a couple of things that might prompt anybody to take a look at the way it is at home.Do you always put your large furniture against a living-room wall?
If so, one of the “mistakes” (these things...
Thermostats: the key to saving money
Posted on Aug 26, 2020 in Home improvements
In an age when virtual “people” like Alexa and Siri and ?? are taking care of some of the more mundane chores in life, it should come as no surprise that you can control the temperature of your residence remotely.
That’s one of the energy-saving tools that helps homeowners save nickels, if not dollars, while saving the world from using energy unnece...
Renovations? Questions for your contractor
Posted on Mar 09, 2020 in Home improvements
Just like spring cleaning, lots of home owners are thinking spring “renovating” to make their houses more enjoyable, or more saleable.
Here are three questions to put on your list for the contractor before you commit:
• Will you provide a written cost estimate and breakdown, itemized and regularly updated?
• Can you give me a list of references with c...
Laminate one improvement to help sell home
Posted on Feb 17, 2020 in Home improvements
Friends of ours installed more than 1,000 square feet of laminate floor in their home about 15 years ago. This was a questionable venture for two reasons. One, laminate floor was a relatively unknown product, in terms of longevity. Two, our friends had never installed anything more challenging than a light bulb — their assessment, not ours.
Times ha...