Your Home

It’s official: the holiday countdown is on for homeowners. There is still time to check off some of those decorating and home improvement projects on your list in time for the holiday season, but the clock is ticking. There are also a number of home maintenance tasks that need to be done this month make…

Here are 7 ways to ensure home buyers can avoid mistakes that will lead to nightmares later. Make sure your lender has done their appraisal of your home Just because you are pre-approved for financing, it does not mean you will get your money on closing. There are always more lender conditions to satisfy, whether…

By Lorne Shuman: If you are buying or selling a property and you will not be able to sign the closing documents, you may need to use a Power of Attorney to close the transaction. Before deciding to use the Power of Attorney, legal advice should be obtained so that your lawyer can advise you…

It’s time to make your list, check it twice, and get your home in the holiday spirit. Take advantage of the milder temperatures right now to get your holiday lights up – and to get it done safely, consider these tips from Hydro One: • Always use Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approved lights, cords, plugs…

When it comes to bidding wars, it sometimes sounds as though the real estate market in parts of the GTA are like the old wild west, where anything goes. I recently was told that a buyer in a bidding war put in an offer without a price, telling the seller to just “fill it in.”…

Winter is just around the corner and it is time to make sure your home is warm, comfortable and snug. Your heating system might chug along year after year, but that doesn’t mean it is operating efficiently – or safely. Every furnace should be cleaned and inspected annually, but it is especially important for older…

When you buy an old home, you must be aware of the possibility of mould behind the walls. If you are suspicious, have the proper tests done during the home inspection. It is not easy to sue a home inspector later if problems arise after closing. Here’s why: David McCarthy and Debbie MacNeil bought a…

Keep your lawn mowed until it stops growing and then give it a final raking. Rake leaves from the grass, but don’t discard them all. Place shredded leaves in garbage bags with a few handfuls of soil, moisten, close and shake once a week. The resulting leaf mold makes an excellent spring fertilizer or top…

Experts vary on the average life span for a roof, but generally, if your roof is 15 years or older, chances are it is in need of repairs or replacement. Making the decision to replace your roof is the easy part. The difficult job is wading through the seemingly limitless options to choose the right…

A wise philosopher once said: “I went bankrupt twice in my life; the first time when I lost a lawsuit, the second time when I won.” I couldn’t have said it better. In most cases, the only winners in lawsuits are the lawyers, who get paid, no matter whether they win or lose. Here are 5 things…