Edmonton Real Estate Blog

I’ll admit it: I have an expensive juicer that’s still in its box in my kitchen cabinet. It’s been there for months and cost close to $400. (We paid for it using wedding gift cards.) It’s our fourth one. But that’s because the other three (all the same model) failed within days. By the time we got a different brand and model, my wife and I had lost interest in the constant upkeep and chopping of an entire garden and orchard to get only one glass of juice for each of us.

Of course, I’ve suggested we return the juicer in exchange for something (or many somethings) that we’ll actually use, but my wife refuses to hear it. She plans to use it next week. She promises.

In the same cabinet, we have a large Crock Pot that we never use, another juicer we bought at a garage sale (never use) and some electric chopper thing, also still in its box. If only I had thought about my actual cooking habits rather than give in to a fantasy about what my life might be like if only I had the right gadget, I would have saved a lot of space and money.

In a recent Houzz discussion about the worst home gadget, users pretty much echoed my dilemma. Popcorn makers, ice cream makers, waffle makers, rice makers (think before buying something with the word “maker” in it, by the way) — they all get used once and end up collecting dust in a cabinet.

So I decided to put together some questions we can all ask ourselves the next time we have the impulse to buy yet another bulky, complex, promises-to-make-my-life-easier home gadget. You might find that a good sharp knife and rearranging your busy schedule to allow just a little more prep time in the kitchen are all you need.

Can you use your hands? Cooking is a hands-on process, and that’s the way it should be. For most of us, it’s relaxing and therapeutic. There’s a subtle joy in chopping vegetables, measuring ingredients and working with your hands and simple tools. Once you take that out of the equation and surrender that control to a hulking, electric, ear-splitting gadget, you’ve relinquished the soul that goes into making good food.

And face it: You’re not ever likely to cook a meal for a hundred on a Friday night. That means you probably won’t get much use out of large appliances and gadgets meant to do a simple task at a high volume.

Do you have space? If you’ve got the space — and money and need — to store every new gadget on the market, then by all means, have at it. But the majority of homeowners are very tight on space in the kitchen.

So before you buy, survey your cabinet space and take measurements. Where will the gadget or appliance go? If you have space only up high, how will you reach it? Will you need a step stool or ladder? And how heavy is the appliance? Do you have dishwasher space to accommodate the parts? A large enough sink to wash the machine in? The disruption this new gadget will cause in your life might just outweigh the perceived benefits.

Do you have time? A big complaint with appliances is that they take a long time to clean. Most of them can’t go in the dishwasher, and even if some parts do, it takes time to disassemble the appliance, wipe it down and reassemble it.

Also, have you ever made your own pasta? It takes a long time. So maybe a pasta maker is not something you need on a regular basis.

What can you use it for? Avoid appliances or gadgets that offer to do one simple task just a little bit better: a garlic peeler, a lemon zester etc. Most of the time, you’ll find that a good kitchen knife will do the trick; plus it’s easier to clean and more empowering.

Also avoid gadgets that promise to do too many things. A multiuse gadget will likely do 10 tasks poorly, while 10 solid hand tools will perform great.

What will you use it for? If you made a pureed soup one time last year and thought maybe a handheld blender would make your life easier, maybe you should reconsider. Having a gadget that you take out only once or twice a year isn’t very efficient. Similarly, you probably don’t need a stand mixer if you bake only every so often.

Spend the money elsewhere. I can’t express strongly enough how important and useful a good set of kitchen knives is. One sharp knife can do the work of all those Slap Chops and multipart dicers. Plus, there will be less to clean up. And nothing beats a sturdy, handheld can opener.

Sleep on it. Never give in to a late-night infomercial or cooking demonstration on the spot. With any investment — no matter what the cost — give yourself time to really think about how important the gadget will be to you. Ask yourself the aforementioned questions first.

User 574steele has a great tip: “Before purchasing a gadget, check out the local thrift shops. If they have a zillion electric yogurt makers, they probably aren’t worth buying.”

And please, don’t give people gimmicky gadgets as gifts. If you don’t use one, chances are they won’t either.

Source: Houzz.com

During the process of buying or selling a home, your clients often learn about recommended or required repairs and upgrades. This can happen as a result of the home inspection as well as your expert knowledge of your market and comparable homes. Of course, the first thing homeowners want to know is, “How much will that cost?”

Pillar to Post is pleased to offer our Residential Construction and Remodeling Estimates cost guide, which provides estimated cost ranges for repair and/or replacement of the major systems and components in a home. It also includes general guidelines for the life expectancies of those systems. This information can help your clients make informed decisions when they’re considering home repairs or improvements, and is especially valued by homeowners before their property is listed. Below is just a sampling of our list of estimated costs for hundreds of repairs/upgrades.

These estimates reflect the average basic costs for supplies and installation of building materials in United States and Canada. Costs may vary depending on regions, upgrades, complexity, and disposal fees.

Source: Pillar to Post Newsletter

Electricity in the home is so commonplace that it’s easy to forget how dangerous it can be. According to the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, an electrical shock can knock you unconscious, cause a serious burn, or even stop your heartbeat.

Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to reduce the risk.

• Install safety plugs in outlets that young children can reach.

• Never plug in anything with a frayed or otherwise damaged power cord.

• Never use a plugged-in computer, hair dryer, or other electrically-powered item near a filled sink or bathtub. This includes phones with power cords.

• Never touch anything electrical with wet hands or while standing in water. (Water is a remarkably efficient conductor of electricity.)

• Always turn off the appropriate breaker before doing any electrical work, such as installing a new light fixture.

• When replacing a broken light bulb, turn off the breaker first. Although the glass is broken, the filament may still be conducting electricity.

Finally, unless you’re an expert or an electrician, never do any major electrical work on your own. Hire a professional.

OK, so you have a perfectly good kitchen. The layout works; the cabinetry is solid; but it just needs a little uplift. There are plenty of relatively minor changes you can make that don’t involve restructuring your life and house. Here are a few.

1. Repaint your cabinets. A fresh coat of paint can transform a kitchen from dark and dingy to light and airy. If you are a few years away from that big kitchen reno, this is a great time to have some fun with color.

2. Upgrade your countertop. Upgrading a dated countertop will give new life to your entire kitchen and add value.

3. Install a new backsplash. If your cabinetry and countertop work nicely but your room lacks pizzazz, a new backsplash can add lots of personality and really dress up a kitchen. A bit of texture, sparkle or gloss will give simple cabinetry a lot of presence.

4. Make a statement. New jewelry always picks up my mood. It can do wonders for your kitchen too. New hardware can dress up plain cabinets, while standout lighting fixtures can add a surprising wow factor.

5. Change your faucet. A detachable hose with a hand spray comes in handy for so much more than just giving a bath to the cat. I prefer a faucet with a flexible braided water-supply hose. It looks better than a plain black rubber hose and will last longer.

6. Expand your horizons. Need more surface area? Don’t think you need to start from scratch. If you have an island, you can introduce a different material on an added eating counter either below or above the counter.

The standard counter height is 36 inches. A nice option, like you see here, is to add an extension at table height (30 inches is typical). The great thing about adding a table-height extension is that regular kitchen and dining chairs will pull up to the counter comfortably. If you prefer a higher surface, you could go with bar height (40 to 42 inches).

7. Consider refacing. New cabinet fronts and doors can dress up the cabinetry boxes if the layout already works and they are solid.

8. Rethink the uppers. Open shelving offers an opportunity to display collections or just keep frequently used items accessible. Wine comes to mind, but that’s just me.

9. Add some cozy touches. A runner is a great addition to a galley kitchen. I don’t know why we are disciplined to treat our kitchen like it has a different set of rules when it comes to decor. I’m all for adding a table lamp for an unexpected element in a kitchen.

10. Add a floating island. If a new bank of cabinetry is beyond the budget, try a ready-made freestanding piece to add extra storage and a surface for working and eating surface.

Add a new top to a freestanding piece of furniture and extend the edge for an eating counter. The minimum overhang would be 10 to 12 inches, but there are a few considerations when extending the top. Take care not to shift the balance of weight so much that the piece is unstable (people love to rest their elbows, adding weight to the surface). Also you may need to add brackets to support the overhang.

11. Add a showstopper. A simple kitchen with simple cabinetry is downplayed by a showpiece range. Playing up one feature is a great way to detract from less interesting elements.

Source: Houzz.com

Changing the filter of the home’s HVAC system is simple and inexpensive, and taking care of it at least every three months can mean the difference between optimum comfort and avoidable repairs.

Your HVAC technician should service your unit once a year.  Because a HVAC unit contains moving parts, it is important that belts are not cracked and dry, ventilation ductwork is not gapped, cracked or rusted, and components, such as coils and fans, are clog-free and adequately lubricated for unimpeded operation.  This sort of evaluation is best left to the professional, unless the homeowner has had the appropriate training. The filter of the unit, especially if it is an HVAC unit that will tend to get nearly year-round use, should be changed by the homeowner at least every three months, but possibly more often. Check your filter’s condition and change it once a month if:

You run your unit six months a year to year-round.

You have pets. Pet dander can become airborne and circulate through the home’s ventilation system just as typical household dust does.

You have a large family. More activity means more household dust, dirt and debris.

You or someone in your household suffers from allergies or a respiratory condition.

You live in a particularly windy area or experience high winds for extended periods, especially if there are no nearby shrubs or trees to provide a natural windbreak.

You live in an area prone to or having recently experienced any wildfires. Airborne ash outdoors will eventually find its way indoors.

You have a fireplace that you occasionally use.

You live on a working farm or ranch. Dust and dirt that gets kicked up by outdoor work activity and/or large animals can be pulled into the home’s ventilation system, especially through open windows.

You have a large garden. Depending on its size and how often you work it, tilling soil, planting, pulling weeds, using herbicides and pesticides, and even watering mean that dirt, chemicals and condensation can be pulled into your home’s ventilation system.

There is construction taking place around or near the home. You may be installing a new roof or a pool, or perhaps a neighbor is building a home or addition. Even if the activity is only temporary, dust and debris from worksites adjacent to or near the home can be sucked into the home’s ventilation system, and this increased activity can tax your HVAC system.
Tips for changing the filter:

Turn off the unit before replacing the filter.

Use the right filter for your unit and make sure it’s not damaged out of the package.

Follow the directions for your unit to make sure you’re installing the filter properly. For example, many filters use different colors for the front and back (or upstream and downstream flow) so that they’re not installed backwards.

Make sure there aren’t any gaps around the filter frame.  If this is the case, you may have the wrong size filter, or the filter itself may be defective or damaged.

Use a rag to clean up any residual dust before and after you replace the filter.

Securely replace any levers, gaskets and/or seals.

Turn the unit on and observe it while it’s operating to make sure the filter stays in place.

Note the date of filter replacement in a convenient location for the next time you inspect it.  A filter that becomes dirty enough to change within a short period may indicate a problem with the unit or ventilation system, so monitoring how often the filter requires changing is important information for your technician to have.

Source: Full Scope Inspections Newsletter

Source: Dominion Lending Centres Newsletter

You may have just finished draining your champagne glass on New Year’s Eve, but it’s not too soon to resolve to make your next home gathering more stylish, more sophisticated and easier by adding a home bar in 2014. Here’s what to know if you’d like to get it done.