The federal tax credit, which could put $1,350 back in your wallet, runs out this weekend. Find out what you can and can’t file for.

Aspiring home renovators have less than a week if they want to get $1,350 back into their own wallets.

On Sunday, the federal government’s vastly popular home renovation tax credit (HRTC) expires. It gives Canadians tax relief for 15 per cent of the renovation costs they incurred between Jan. 27, 2009, and Feb 1, 2010. People can file for a maximum $1,350 non-refundable tax credit on their 2009 income taxes for home renovation projects worth between $1,000 and $10,000.

Although home owners, contractors and retailers are hoping the credit is extended, the Finance Minister has indicated it will expire on the set date. That means Canadians need to get shopping in a hurry.

To help sort out what qualifies and what doesn’t, check out these tips from Brad Cran of Cran & Co., a Vancouver firm that specializes in personal and corporate income tax.

1 You have until the end of the month to use the HRTC.

2 The HRTC covers improvements to your home but not regular maintenance. As an example, sweeping your chimney would not be covered but fixing your chimney’s mortar would be.

3 This is a family credit, meaning a husband and wife who have spent $20,000 can still only claim $10,000 for the $1,350 credit.

4 If you sold your home halfway through the year and bought a new one, renovations to both are eligible but you are still limited to a maximum credit of $1,350.

5 If you have a rental suite in your house, you cannot claim the credit for work done on the suite.

6 It is not uncommon for renters to renovate their own rental units, but you must own the home being renovated to qualify.

7 People living in co-ops or condos can claim the credit on renovations to their unit and/or to a portion of work done on common areas. In order that costs to common areas qualify, you must be informed in writing what your share of the costs are.

8 Supplies and incidentals are covered but tools are not. If you are painting your house, you can cover the costs of paint and incidentals such as brushes, but you can’t buy yourself a $500 band saw to cut a piece of wood to fix a door frame.

9 You can claim the expense for permits and equipment rentals.

10 If you are hiring a contractor to renovate your home, you can only claim the portion of the work that has been completed by the deadline. However, you can claim the cost of any materials that you have purchased before Feb. 1. So, if you were planning to paint your house this summer, you could buy the paint now and still claim the cost for the HRTC on your 2009 tax return.

Final Bonus Tip: Be well organized and tabulate your results. If you turn up to your accountant with a bag of receipts you are going to save with the HRTC but you will have to pay extra on your accountant bill.

Source: Roma Luciw  for Globe and Mail Update (theglobeandmail.com)

Homebuyers want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday’s most popular rooms-such as home theatres-from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show here this week.

“This is a traumatic time in (the United States) and the future isn’t something we’re 100 per cent sure about now either. What’s left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity,” said Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill.

Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed ‘green’ from the outset,” she said. The key for homebuilders is “finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point.”

For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one, said Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, Texas. Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with claw foot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today, she said.

“What we’re hearing is ‘harvest’ as a home theme-the feeling of Thanksgiving. It’s all about family togetherness-casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces,” Lavender said.

Paul Cardis, CEO of AVID Ratings Co., which conducts an annual survey of homebuyer preferences, said there are 10 “must” features in new homes:

1. Large kitchens, with an island. “If you’re going to spend design dollars, spend them where people want them-spend them in the kitchen,” McCune said. Granite countertops are a must for move-up buyers and buyers of custom homes, but for others “they are on the bubble,” Cardis said.

2. Energy-efficient appliances, high-efficiency insulation and high window efficiency. Among the “green” features touted in homes, these are the ones buyers value most, he said. While large windows had been a major draw, energy concerns are giving customers pause on those, he said. The use of recycled or synthetic materials is only borderline desirable.

3. Home office/study. People would much rather have this space rather than, say, a formal dining room. “People are feeling like they can dine out again and so the dining room has become tradable,” Cardis said. And the home theatre may also be headed for the scrap heap, a casualty of the “shift from boom to correction,” Cardis said.

4. Main-floor master suite. This is a must feature for empty-nesters and certain other buyers, and appears to be getting more popular in general, he said. That could help explain why demand for upstairs laundries is declining after several years of popularity gains.

5. Outdoor living room. The popularity of outdoor spaces continues to grow, even in Canada, Cardis said. And the idea of an outdoor room is even more popular than an outdoor cooking area, meaning people are willing to spend more time outside.

6. Ceiling fans.

7. Master suite soaker tubs. Whirlpools are still desirable for many home buyers, Cardis said, but “they clearly went down a notch,” in the latest survey. Oversize showers with seating areas are also moving up in popularity.

8. Stone and brick exteriors. Stucco and vinyl don’t make the cut.

9. Community landscaping, with walking paths and playgrounds. Forget about golf courses, swimming pools and clubhouses. Buyers in large planned developments prefer hiking among lush greenery.

10. Two-car garages. A given at all levels; three-car garages, in which the third bay is more often than not used for additional storage and not automobiles, is desirable in the move-up and custom categories, Cardis said.

Source: Steve Kerch of Marktwatch (Yourhome.ca)

Taking Care of Stainless Steel

To keep your stainless steel bright and clean, Adam Kamens of Amuneal Manufacturing Corp. suggests using a light mist of wax-based aerosol spray once or twice a week. Don’t put on too much – you don’t want to soak the surface and make it greasy. Wipe the mist with a clean, lint-free cloth, and never use oils to keep away fingerprints – lint will stick to the oil. Also, don’t use cleaners with bleach after you’ve put on the waxy layer, or it will dry out and lose some of the luster. And finally, don’t use anything abrasive, not even mild products like Soft Scrub or Scotch-Brite pads. You don’t want to scratch or ruin the surface.

Organizing Closets

Organizing your closet is the first step to organizing the rest of your home. Get rid of unused clothes and accessories, and organize the rest by how you get dressed in the morning and by color. Your closet will look appealing, and your everyday routine will be easier.

Removing Stains and Odors

Ruth Travis, president of the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, says that to remove stains and odors, blot up as much of the smelly mess as you can right away. While you’re blotting the upholstery, put a plastic liner or a garbage bag between the cushion and the fabric so you don’t push the contaminant into the cushion. Then flush with cold water as best you can. Blot and flush again. Cold water doesn’t set stains as much as hot water. You can also use a portable spot cleaner or wet/dry vac. If there’s still a residual odor, use a half-vinegar, half-water solution and rinse again. If that doesn’t work, call in the professionals.

Cleaning Painted Walls

To clean your painted walls, Carl Minchew, director of Product Development at Benjamin Moore, suggests starting with a clean cloth or sponge and water. If that doesn’t work, dip the rag or sponge into water mixed with a little dishwashing liquid, the milder the better. If the stain persists, apply a few drops of soap directly onto the wet sponge or cloth you’re using. For more stubborn cases, you could apply a little soap right onto the stain. If you need to resort to a stronger product like Fantastik or Formula 409, realize they have strong solvents in them and can soften the paint surface. Make sure that whatever you do to get rid of the stain, you rinse the wall afterward with plain water.

Creating a Different Mood

For easy makeovers, designer Thomas O’Brien says, “I’ve always collected textiles, and you can make a fast, easy change with bedding, towels, and table linens to create a different mood. Switch things out seasonally, or for a special event, or whenever you want to play with a certain color or pattern.”

Cleaning Your Carpet

To keep carpets looking nice, Paul Iskyan, owner of Rug Renovating, suggests taking off your shoes when you get home – but leave your socks on because walking around in bare feet leaves natural oils that attract dirt. Try to vacuum every day and use a top-load vacuum, so the dirt falls inward, and HEPA filters. Change the filters often, so you don’t blow pollutants back into the air. For less-trafficked areas, you can get away with cleaning the carpets once or twice a year, and every 18 months for a bedroom. For higher-traffic areas, the most often you’d need to bring in professionals would be three or four times a year, although once you see that your carpet’s dirty, you probably should have it cleaned for health reasons.

Caring for Your Tiles

Marty Hoffman of Hoffman Brothers Floors suggests cleaning bathroom and kitchen tiles with a cleaner that has “neutral pH” on the label. You can also mix baking soda and water for a homemade cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into 2 gallons water and mix very well. Then apply the liquid with a string mop or sponge mop. For grout, use the same baking soda and water mixture, but for tough stains, call in the pros.

Removing Stains from Countertops

Getting rid of stains on granite can be tricky, but the key, according to kitchen designer Florence Perchuk, is to wipe up stains ASAP. Also have your countertop sealed a few times as soon as it’s installed. You’ll know it’s sealed properly when water beads and forms droplets on the surface. Then have it sealed again a year later. You can poultice away rust, and you remove soap scum or mildew with a solution of 1/2 cup ammonia in a gallon of water. For most coffee or juice stains, you can use a little hydrogen peroxide in water, plus a few drops of ammonia. For everyday wear-and-tear, buff away small scratches with superfine dry steel wool, called “grade 0000.” For all other stains, check out the Marble Institute of America’s Website or call in the professionals.

Reorganizing Bookshelves

Sort books by size and subject. Remove and discard any ripped dust jackets (unless you think they might have value). Line books, some vertically, some horizontally, in a rhythmic pattern. This will relieve the monotony of rows.

Caring for Your Area Rugs

Philip Costikyan of Restoration by Costikyan says you should clean your area rugs every four or five years – or every 10 years if a rug is not walked on much. Overcleaning contributes to wear and tear. Really fine silk rugs need be cleaned only every 20 or 30 years. For treating stains at home, keep a bottle of club soda on hand. Stains caused by pets, coffee, orange soda, red wine, and anything with dye or an acid base are the hardest to remove, and the key is to act quickly. Pour club soda directly onto the area, let the soda absorb into the yarn, and the salt in the soda will neutralize the acid. Blot again and again, until the residue is gone. For bloodstains, you should use milk instead, and for soil and grease-based stains, mix 1 part Ivory soap detergent with 16 parts water. If you still see residue when it dries, call an expert.

Caring for Wood Floors

The keys to keeping your wood floors looking new are to avoid oversanding, use trivets or saucers under plants to avoid water damage, use furniture protectors to avoid scratches, and damp-mop once a week with a mild soap like Murphy Oil Soap.

Polishing Silver

Metal restorer Paul Karner says to use a toothbrush and Hagerty Silver Foam on your silver because it’s not too abrasive and it’s water-soluble. For really bad black tarnish, Simichrome Polish is great. He also says to never put your silver in the dishwasher and store it in anti-tarnish cloth bags when you’re not using it.

Source: Housebeautiful.com

1. Maximize wall space in an entryway with cut-to-fit lattice from your local home-improvement store or garden center. Thread S-hooks through the slats to hang baskets filled with scarves, hats, and Rover’s leash. Lattice; Lowe’s stores. Green “Carrie” baskets; unicahome.com.

2. Do one small organizational task daily, no matter how small. Clean out one drawer or the top tier of the spice rack. Just think: After a month, you’ll have checked 30 things off your to-do list.

3. Open the mail over the shredder or recycling bin, and get rid of the junk immediately. This forces you to make quick and definitive decisions so nothing piles up in your hallway or anywhere else.

4. Keep each kid’s tests, drawings, and papers in a large art box, and go through the boxes with your children at the end of each school year. Holly Bohn, founder of seejanework.com, allows each child to pick one thing to save. She chooses one special item as well, then everything else gets pitched. “This way you don’t have to make immediate decisions when they bring something home,” she says.

5. Store all your notes, lists, and ideas in one small three-ring binder you keep in your purse. Periodically recycle outdated pages (last week’s grocery list) and keep others (that million-dollar idea that came to you at the doctor’s office).

6. Separate bras and undies with drawer dividers. Home and lifestyle editor Wendy Manwarren uses velvet dividers (available at organize.com) to sort her lingerie into sections according to type (bras, undies, and camisoles) and function (everyday garments stay up front; strapless bras are tucked in the back).

7. Once or twice a year, host a shop-my-castoffs party. Turn on the tunes, open a bottle of wine, and let friends take what they like – from purses and baubles to frocks and shoes.

8. Give yourself recognition for your organizing accomplishments, suggests Gail Blanke, author of Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life. Show off your solutions and brag a little. You’re more likely to maintain order in a space if you’re truly proud of it.

9. Treat organization the same way you would a diet or exercise plan: as a lifestyle change. To maintain results, you have to do a little bit, often, says Meryl Starr, author of Home Organizing Workbook.

10. Hang two canvas totes, embroidered with REPAIR and DONATE, from hooks in the laundry room, suggests seejanework.com‘s Holly Bohn. She tosses too-small, worn-out, and snagged clothes into the bags as soon as they come out of the dryer to keep from stumbling across these mini-projects all the time.

11. Stash a permanent marker in the bathroom cabinet and mark makeup, sunscreens, and medicines with the dates of purchase so you know when they should be tossed. In general, mascara shouldn’t be kept for more than three months, and sunscreens and medicines should be pitched at the end of a year, advises Lorie Marrero, creator of The Clutter Diet. Look for POA (“period after opening”) icons, like the one at right, on packaging; “3M” means a product lasts three months.

12. No bathroom storage? Hang a canvas shoe organizer on the back of the door, says Julie Edelman, author of The Ultimate Accidental Housewife. Put dental-care items in one row of pockets, makeup brushes in the next, your husband’s shaving gear in another, and so on.

13. Get a clutter buddy. “You’re a better editor with someone else’s stuff,” says stylist Christine Cameron, of mystylepill.com, who regularly helps one friend clean out her closet. “I insist she let go of that when-I-lose-five-pounds skirt, and she reminds me that a girl doesn’t need 10 pairs of black pants.”

14. Store frozen foods and meats in easily accessible, labeled plastic bins, as REDBOOK reader and organizing pro Sue Becker did here. You’ll never freeze your fingers hunting through your well-stocked but overpacked freezer again.

15. Record birthdays, anniversaries, and other key dates at sites like americangreetings.com or giftelephant.com, which can send you reminders when someone’s special day is approaching. Some even set up an automatic free e-card delivery.

16. Employ one system to help organize favourite recipes. The Recipe Nest (available at reciperelish.com) is a binder with six tabbed dividers that you can customize with your own categories, such as Grandma’s Secrets or Entertaining Menus. It’s nearly two inches deep, so there’s plenty of room for you to add to your collection.

17. Make yourself a YNK (you never know) box, says Alicia Rockmore, cofounder of Buttoned Up organizational products. Here’s how: Empty the contents of a drawer (the kitchen utensil drawer, or a junk drawer) into a box. Then, every time you need one of the items, remove it from the box and return it to the drawer after you use it. After two months, whatever is still left in the box should be thrown out or donated.

18. Dangle necklaces and baubles from pushpins on fabric-covered bulletin boards, as REDBOOK editor-in-chief Stacy Morrison did here. She hung boards on a wall between two windows and now can always find the perfect accessory. (When the curtains are in place, the treasures are out of sight.)

19. Edit, edit, edit. How many pots can you fit on the stove at once? How many free pens do you really use? How many old T-shirts do you really need to save for the next paint project?

20. Sift through your ever-growing stack of magazines and catalogs while on a plane, train, or bus trip. Bring a few clear plastic envelopes (available atseejanework.com) along with you to stash recipes you want to try, decorating ideas, and reference articles you tear out.

21. Give yourself permission to regift. Just because someone you care about gave you something does not mean you have to hold on to it for the rest of your life (even if you have room for it!). Pass it on to someone who will appreciate and use it.

22. Corral clutter where it lands. Keep containers near mess hot spots, such as the front door, the bedroom dresser, and the kitchen counter. Then empty them once in a while (or when they get full), put the items away, and start over.

23. As soon as you upload your new photos to the computer, create a digital photo book. As for old photos that never made it into an album, Donna Smallin, author of A to Z Storage Solutions, suggests organizing them in photo boxes, categorizing by vacation or time period so they’re easily searchable.

24. Repurpose your old TV cabinet as a hideaway bar, suggests REDBOOK reader and organizing specialist Grace Brooke. Here, she installed inexpensive hanging glass racks and used three-tiered stacking shelves and trays to maximize the vertical space inside the cabinet.

25. Clean house like you’re moving. Keep only those things you’d take if you relocated.

26. If you travel a lot and collect cards and brochures from favorite restaurants, shops, and activities, throw them all into one box when you get home. When a friend is headed someplace you’ve visited, you can sift through your box (like the one below) to pass along some suggestions. Everyone wins: You have one spot where stockpiling a mishmash of info is allowed, and friends get travel tips from someone they know and trust.

Source: Redbookmag.com

Custom-engineered solariums have an average cost of $40,000 to $130,000. You can try to build one yourself, but it’s not “a quick-fix weekend project.”

Solariums are custom-built rooms that provide owners with a view throughout the year

What if the biggest window in your house was a roof — a dazzling geometric framework that offered you a front-row seat when stars fell, meteors blinked or the moon eclipsed? And when the next Alberta storm unleashes its fury, you would have a panoramic view from the comfortable warmth of your own home.

Solariums are a resplendent winter sanctuary, and the ultimate fantasy for sun lovers, gardening aficionados and nature enthusiasts — all of whom seek solace in a custom-built room with a view.

The winter months are the most popular time of year for homeowners to think solarium. Just ask engineer Andy Banack, owner and president of Edmonton’s Apollo Sunrooms Inc. Banack says a good first step for potential buyers is to understand the riddle of how a sunroom and a solarium are the same, yet different.

“The key to understanding the difference between a solarium and a sunroom is the roofing. A sunroom is any room with an abundance of glass to allow sunlight in. A solarium is a sunroom, but it’s a specialized sunroom because it has a glass roof enclosure.”

Although Banack will demolish walls and furbish fresh foundations to kick-start your renovation, he says that homes best suited for solariums are those with uncomplicated roof lines. Capable of building any size solarium, Banack adds that it’s a misconception to believe solariums must ultimately “face south.”

“What is more important than facing south is how a solarium attaches and matches architecturally to your home,” says Banack. “Our goal is to make it look as though this addition has always been part of your house. And some clients want them facing west, others east. In the end, the best location to build a solarium is the area that offers the best view, while allowing continuity through the rooms of your house.”

While Banack’s top-of-the-line, custom-engineered solariums have an average cost of $40,000 to $130,000, some consumers prefer the do-it-yourself dollar savings of building their own. With average costs of $10,000 to $15,000 and up, solarium kits are a popular alternative for acreage owners, rural denizens and those with professional building experience.

Paul Doerksen, owner and manager of Ideal Sundecks, says a quality Canadian kit product should respect three things: snow load (the weight of snow on the roof area); wind load (wind pressure against the walls); and wind lift (wind pressure lifting the roof area). Doerksen cautions buyers that different kits are designed for different climates.

“Because snow loads differ from region to region, some kits are manufactured for different climates and are not conducive to Alberta weather. Banff, for example, has a snow load of

120 pounds per square foot while Edmonton is

25 pounds per square foot,” explains Doerksen. “So purchasing a product designed for Florida may not work in Edmonton.”

Although solariums can be built by anyone, with an average cost savings more than 25 per cent, Doerksen doesn’t recommend it for everyone. Because “90 per cent of solarium leakage is instalment related,” Doerksen says that practising due diligence sometimes means hiring a qualified installer to assemble your kit.

“These are not a quick-fix weekend project,” warns Doerksen. “People have to determine if they are handy enough to measure, cut and erect a structure and have it perform in the Alberta climate with the snow loads. With my company, the benefit of professional installation is a full warranty that includes the installation itself.”

Retired couple Mike and Betty Gibbins didn’t want a do-it-yourself solarium. Instead, they opted for a custom-engineered job and a unique protective glass that blocks 90 per cent of the sun’s ultraviolet light. Keeping out dangerous UV rays, “Conservaglass” coatings retain heat in the winter, while reflecting heat excess each summer.

The Gibbins’ cactus plants like it, too.

“We built our solarium for two reasons. One is that we wanted to open the house up because the dining room was cramped. The other reason was because we collect plants and this is a nice place for them,” says Gibbins.

“We have about 250 cactus and 150 related cactus succulents. As members of the Cactus and Succulent Society of Alberta, we see this as a great place to hold cactus house parties. We’ve had three so far.”

During the day, if it’s really cold outside, Gibbins says he might use a fan booster to increase heat flow to the room. But as temperatures softly chill at night, the cacti thrive.

“It cools at night and this is nice for the plants because they like cool nights,” notes Gibbins.

How easy is it to change solarium infrastructure into a greenhouse? To change any solarium into a greenhouse, just add plants, says Banack.

To protect your floor and foundation from water spillage, however, he suggests incorporating a tile or concrete floor that’s been sealed and is permeable.

“We get a lot of people who like plants and we’ve built three solariums that are orchid houses,” says Banack. “And one of the reasons is that orchids do quite well in this environment.

“But rose trees, banana trees, jade trees and even orange trees also do very well. You name it. I’ve seen two orange trees in our solariums now. The oranges are small, but they do turn orange.”

Realtor Peter Schalin says a solarium absolutely increases the resale value of your home.

“Generally I’ll add $10,000 to $40,000, depending on the array of options included. But keep in mind, there are people who build solariums bigger than most homes.”

Banack’s advice to future owners is that the sky is the limit. “If you have preconceived notions limiting you, get rid of them. Think about what you want, not what you think you can get. We have clients and their home backs onto the North Saskatchewan valley. They watch deer from the comfort of their easy chairs.”

Banack warms to his favourite topic: “That’s the beauty of solariums. You can take a vacation and you never left home.”

By Linda Alberta, Freelance

Breakthroughs in technology mean homeowners in older houses can now enjoy the same advantages in home automation formerly available only in new homes.

The heart of home automation is the ability for a homeowner to control or monitor, sometimes remotely, electrical devices in a home. Practical applications include the control of lighting, draperies, audio systems, the monitoring of home security and the adjustment of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.

It used to be that only new homes being built were connected digital homes, sometimes referred to as Smart Homes. The systems were typically controlled and interconnected by wire; installation was easy to do only before the drywall was put up in the construction of new homes. Retrofitting an existing house was theoretically possible, but the added labour drove up costs.

“The availability of wireless systems has made a big difference when updating and retrofitting older, frequently heritage, structures,” says Paul Titterton, general manager of Lenius Osborne, an electrical contractor who specializes in home automation systems. “While you just can’t beat wire in some applications, wireless systems are usually cheaper. Jobs that now cost $10,000 used to be in the triple digits.”

Home automation systems are popular with security-minded people. Titterton recalls one client who installed a home system with cameras so he could make sure his 17 year-old son didn’t drive his Porsche when he wasn’t home.

Owners have the ability to monitor and control their home system or view images from video cameras, from anywhere in the world via a personal computer or iPhone over the Internet. Sensors can detect movement and alert a user by phone or an e-mail message. “With these systems, you can turn off your house lights from beside your bed or from anywhere in the world,” says Titterton.

Systems can be programmed to do just about anything, he says. Sensors can warn of fire, water leaks and sudden temperature drops.

A hard-of-hearing owner can program the system to flash lights in the house instead of having an audio alarm to warn of any impending emergency. It can turn down the audio or shut off the home theatre automatically to warn of a fire or burglary in progress.

People with pre-existing medical conditions, such as a patient hooked up to a portable EKG machine, can program the home system to monitor signals and automatically summon medical personnel if pre-established limits are exceeded. Patients can also carry a panic button with them in case of emergency.

The applications run from life-saving to lifestyle.

“The whole industry is moving to automation,” says Nigel Brown, co-owner of Ruffel & Brown, a window-covering store. “Twenty-five years ago you had to get out of the car to open the garage door. Now there is a greater expectation … that pretty much anything can be automated.”

Curtains, window blinds and shades all can be tied into smart homes. With a touch of a button, curtains close, lights dim, the TV turns on and a DVD loads in a home-theatre system. Window coverings are the latest items to join programmable indoor and outdoor lights to give a house a “lived-in” look, even if owners are away.

A remotely controlled 10-foot motorized track for a curtain, wired into a home

automation system, can cost $1,000 to $1,500. Stand-alone systems, some solar-powered, are also available. Smaller blinds and shades in difficult-to-reach spots with no existing wiring can be powered by batteries.

Brown says sun sensors let you program drapes to close either at night or in strong sunlight.

Smart Home systems are ideal for video and music lovers. By connecting an iPod dock to the system by hardwire, tunes can be played in any room of the house or even outside. A central hard-drive and signal distribution allows video to be viewed on multiple televisions. If somebody comes to the door while a television program is in progress, an image from the front door camera can be displayed on the television.

“Just about anything can be integratable (into the system),” says Titterton. “It doesn’t take more than programming for anything with an integrated circuit.”

Victoria Times Colonist

“Less is only more where more is no good.”

Every so often, someone comes along who just makes you question every purchasing decision you’ve ever made. Like Miami-based designer Marianne Cusato, whose home design philosophy embodies living better with less.

Working with a team of designers, Cusato created the Katrina Cottages: attractive, affordable homes between 300 and 500 square feet. That’s not a typo. I don’t know how big your place is, but my kitchen and eating area is around 300 square feet, and I still trip over my dogs.

Her team’s task was to design an alternative to the FEMA trailers that housed those left homeless after hurricane Katrina. The Katrina Cottages are well-designed and apple-pie cute to boot. They won the Smithsonian Institution’s National People’s Design Award in 2006.

Of course, Cusato’s not the first build-better-not-bigger disciple. Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House, also reveres architectural quality over quantity.

But regardless of whether your home is big or small, its design — far more than its size — determines how well you live. Bigger isn’t always better — though it can be.

Here are some ways Cusato says we can work around common design flaws in newer homes that may negatively affect how we enjoy our spaces.

– Mistake: Dominant garages. As people began to rely more on cars for daily living, garages started taking over the front of the house. Next, people retreated further inside their homes and became less connected with their neighbours and communities.

– Fix: Enhance your street connection. Consider how your home meets the street. It should pull you in. Punch up your home’s curb appeal. Focus on the front door and your porch if you have one. Make the path to your door say, “Welcome.”

– Mistake: Focus on size. To max out square footage, many builders have opted for bigger houses at the expense of high end finishes.

– Fix: Upgrade door handles and knobs that feel flimsy for ones that look and feel solid. Similarly, trade hollow core doors for solid ones.

– Mistake: Tacky add-ons. Among Cusato’s many peeves are tacked on architectural details that are just for looks. Specifically, she’d like to abolish fake shutters and three-foot porches.

– Fix: Use it or lose it. “A home should have nothing gratuitous,” says Cusato. “Either the shutters work or they go.” Even her 300-square-foot cottage has an eight-foot-deep front porch (not included in the square footage). “Keep it authentic.” Now think about that while I go take the fake shutters off my garage.

Marni Jameson, Calgary Herald

Average price up 19% nationally in December, but just 2.65% locally

Sales and prices of existing homes in Canada soared in December, capping a whirlwind 2009 that began weakly and then went on to set record highs for prices, and further stirring debate of a housing bubble.

The Canadian Real Estate Association said Friday that a total of 27,722 homes changed hands in December, up 72 per cent from the same month in 2008, when activity ground almost to a halt in the wake of the global financial crisis.

“Sales activity in 2009 came in like a lamb and went out like a lion,” said CREA President Dale Ripplinger.

CREA said the national average price in December rose to $337,410, up 19 per cent year-over-year. For the year as a whole, the national average price climbed five per cent from 2008 to a record $320,333.

In the Edmonton region, the average residential price in December was $319,201, up 2.65 per cent year-over-year. For the year as a whole, Edmonton’s average price for a single-family home was $364,032 while the average for a condo was $240,322.

After the slowest start since 1996, resales in the Edmonton region reached 19,139 residential sales in 2009 to beat the forecast from the Realtors Association of Edmonton.

The Canadian association reiterated that the national average price was skewed due to activity in Canada’s priciest markets.

Year-to-date activity was still trailing 2008 levels at the end of September 2009, but a 59-per-cent year-over-year gain in the fourth quarter, the best ever, pushed 2009 sales activity above annual levels for 2008, it said.

The robust figures continue to show the housing sector is leading the overall domestic economy out from a long downturn. But the housing market’s strength has also been at the centre of a debate over whether a bubble in sector is forming.

“The raft of data will do nothing to quell talk of a bubble, talk that the Bank of Canada and the Canadian Real Estate Association have studiously downplayed,” said Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets.

“And, before we officially jump on the bubble bandwagon, we would again point out that the reported price change is skewed by the surge in Vancouver and Toronto sales.”

The Bank of Canada, ahead of its interest rate decision next Tuesday, said this week it was premature to talk about such a possibility, a view echoed by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on Friday.

“I do not see evidence of a bubble right now, but we’re going to keep watching. There are some steps we can take, that we will take if necessary,” Flaherty said Friday.

He pointed to tools the government could use to cool the market, including raising credit requirements for insured mortgages, ensuring cautious lending practices, and reducing the maximum amortization periods of mortgages.

Record-low interest rates have helped fuel the housing boom, while low supply and pent-up demand have also driven up prices.

But Scotia Capital economists Derek Holt and Karen Cordes said “dismissing housing risks is being a tad Pollyannaish.”

They said in a report that it was likely that housing will “experience a more sudden decline in activity in the back half of the year and into 2011.

“The drivers are pointing to signifi-cant softening in both the supply and demand supports, such that downside risks to house prices by 2011-12 are material and merit caution,” the economists wrote in a report.

CREA said December sales records were reported in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Average prices set annual records in a majority of local markets in 2009, and in every province except Alberta, the association said.

Seasonally adjusted national home sales totalled 46,805 units in December, concluding the strongest fourth quarter ever. A total of 137,957 homes were sold on a seasonally adjusted basis in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Edmonton Journal

Lori and Cliff Burlingame, holding blueprints of their home, are owners of Silvercliff Homes. Behind them are family members, some of whom now work for the company

Photograph by: Brian Gavriloff, The Journal, Freelance

More space leads wish list given to custom builders 

Build it — with creature comforts — and they will use it.

That’s what one Edmonton-area home builder has noticed as buyers in the greater Edmonton region are opting for more luxury-like features in today’s new homes.

What are buyers looking for? In short, more space.

And here’s how they’re using it: There’s virtually a bathroom for every bedroom, they’re adding more than just the one traditional walk-in closet, they’re selecting a variety of home entertainment settings — rooms uniquely designed for fun and games — and they’re selecting imaginative ways to camouflage kitchen storage.

“A lot of our homes are being built around entertaining,” says Cliff Burlingame, who along with his wife Lori runs Silvercliff Homes, an Edmonton-area custom home builder. “That’s the lifestyle now. There are games rooms, home theatres, larger living rooms and larger, open-concept kitchens where they can entertain more.”

But while the number of bedrooms remains roughly the same compared with homes they’ve constructed before, one trend Silvercliff is noticing is that extra closet space is a hot item, as are additional bathrooms — and this includes average-size family homes, not just the executive homes, they build.

“A lot of them are doing walk-in closets in all the bedrooms; that is quite a big thing,” says Lori. “We haven’t really noticed more bedrooms; if anything, there’s more bathrooms being attached to the kids’ bedrooms.”

It’s all a far cry from what the Burlingames have noticed in years past, where houses they worked on — renovations formed a larger part of their work back then — weren’t as distinctive when it came to upgrades as they are today.

The couple have home building in their blood — Cliff has been in construction for more than 30 years, while Lori handles the interior design end of the business as she has from Day 1. They believe in a personal approach, walking their clients through the building process to provide a home — be it a starter or an executive model — that meets the buyer’s desires. As the contractor, they organize and supervise the project, simply charging a fee for their involvement. As for the materials involved, they pass on their builder pricing — with no markups — to their clients.

Popular features

“Back in the ’90s it wasn’t like it is now,” says Lori. “Today, it’s more upscale and more money is being spent; they’re doing the extras like more expensive fixtures and upgrading cabinets. The kitchens have more gadgets; there’s lots of little niches for espresso machines and instant hot water taps and every home has a garburator now — in the ’90s, it was just more in upper-end homes.”

That, however, is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to customizing homes for current buyers, be they young or old.

“If they’re not happy, we’re not happy,” says Cliff, who now counts his son Chase and daughters Brandi and Paige as part of the Silvercliff team.

Other popular new-home items include forced walkouts, double bathrooms and elaborate coffered ceilings, examples of which can be found in the Burlingames’ current home on the southwestern outskirts of Edmonton, in Leduc County.

Their custom-designed bungalow offers 2,430 square feet on the main floor and another 2,430 square feet in the fully finished basement, which Cliff notes is also a prevalent trend.

“A lot of people want finished basements,” says Cliff. “It all depends on affordability, but it’s a popular item.”

On the main level, the Burlingames’ home has formal and informal living spaces that are defined by various ceiling types, from barrel to cross-beam to coffered, all with diverse lighting effects.

The kitchen features a massive centre island with a country-style sink, raised eating bar and lower baking centre, and is also home to an intriguingly huge hidden pantry. At first glance, no one would ever know that part of the custom cabinetry is actually a cleverly hidden door that opens to a massive out-of-sight pantry.

Just off from the kitchen is a home office, but this one comes with a distinctive and useful Silvercliff twist.

“Probably 80 per cent of our clients nowadays have some sort of home-based business or work, so we tend to have offices in almost all of our houses,” Cliff says. “But we like to build the office so it can be converted from a study into a bedroom.”

He says this is quite useful as a family’s needs can change over the years.

Silvercliff creates this dual-purpose room by recessing a pocket in the wall to accommodate part of the buyer’s office furniture, be it bookcases or a shelving unit. Initially, the recessed area takes on a customized look once the office furniture is in place. When it’s time to convert, the furniture is removed and there is minimal construction to transform that portion into a closet by finishing it off with a set of double doors.

Downstairs, the Burlingames have incorporated a forced walkout. As opposed to traditional walkouts where lots are sloped, Silvercliff is able to include a walkout on traditional flat lots with a typical below ground basement.

By erecting six-foot concrete walls to keep the dirt from falling inward, they’re able to create an area where you can walk out of from the basement onto a patio, which then has a number of steps upwards to reach ground level.

“We’re basically putting retaining walls around your walkout area,” says Cliff. “And because of the retaining walls, it gives you a lot more privacy.”

The double bathroom, meanwhile, is something that originally just made sense for Cliff and Lori, who came up with the idea to make it easier to live with three kids growing up. In actuality, the double bathroom is really one bathroom but divided into two areas by a locking door. On one side, there are double sinks while on the other side of the door, there’s a bathtub, shower and the toilet, allowing more than one of the now grown up kids to use the bathroom at a time.

“It’s become really popular and now we build it all the time. It’s really ideal,” Cliff says. “One can be showering and one can be putting on makeup and they’re in two different rooms but in one spot.”

In fact, the features in their house, including the dramatic and comfortable home theatre and the separate games room with its pool table and hockey memorabilia, are so in demand that three other clients want Silvercliff to build them the exact same house, just in different locations.

On average, Silvercliff likes to limit the number of homes it builds to about half a dozen a year. This, says Cliff, makes it easier to focus on the quality and workmanship of the homes they construct.

A home may be one of the biggest investments you ever make. Saving up a down payment is just the first step. Find out more.

What factors affect the value of a home?

• Location: Real estate people always say “Location, location, location.” That’s because the area you live in will be the biggest factor affecting your home’s price. It’s smart to buy a home where housing prices are likely to increase. Also, the people who may buy your home from you one day may be willing to pay more for a home that is close to schools, sports centres, stores, services, and so on. Keep that in mind as you look.
• The condition of the home and the property it is on: Does the home need a lot of repairs? How is the roof, plumbing, and electrical wiring? A home in good repair may be worth more. Also, the condition of the outside of the home, the lawn, gardens, driveway, and trees will all affect the value of a home. These are the first things that buyers see, and are together known as curb appeal.
• Renovations and updates: An older home might need some work to keep it safe, modern, and comfortable. If you are buying at a home that has had some renovations, check the quality. When you do work on a home you own, do it as well as you can. Poor work can lower the value.
• The economy: There are some things you can’t control that affect house prices, like interest rates. Higher interest rates mean it costs more for a mortgage, so fewer people buy homes. When that happens, the prices of homes can fall. Lower interest rates, on the other hand, can boost buying and drive prices up. House prices often go up for a while, and then come down a bit. Try to find out as much as you can about how prices are changing, or may change, when deciding to buy or sell a home. Often there will be stories in the paper about housing prices.

How much is my home worth today?

If you’re considering buying a home, or you just bought one, you know how much it’s worth. But if you’ve owned your home for a while, its value has probably changed. Here’s how you can find out how much it’s worth now:

• Call a real estate agent: Ask them for an estimate of your home’s value. You may be able to get an agent to do this for free, because they hope to get your business in the future.
• Ask an appraiser: Your bank or a real estate agent should know a number of appraisers. Banks use them to estimate house values before they approve mortgages. You can also look in the yellow pages. An appraiser will charge a fee for the service.
• Check to see what other homes in your area have sold for recently: Compare your home with similar ones that have sold. Unless you keep up with what’s happening in your area, this information may be hard to get. Ask your real estate agent if you can’t find it yourself.

How much will my home be worth in the future?

To estimate a home’s future value, you will have to do some informed guessing. Start with finding out what has happened to prices in your location over several years.

Source: Canadian Real Estate Association (MLS®)

Remember: There’s no guarantee what housing prices will do

Location and the condition of the home are both important factors, as is the economy as a whole.