John Gaio's blog

Are you in the market for a new home? Before you start attending showings, there are several things you can do to prepare yourself and your family for one of the largest purchases you will ever make. With housing stock at historic lows and tight competition among buyers, you may be able to give yourself a competitive advantage by being prepared. 

Make sure you have the right professionals on your side. Follow this list of tips to help you be as successful as possible when shopping for your new home.

If you have just purchased a home, you might have big ideas on how to make the space your own. When you bought your home, you likely saw great potential but putting a plan into action can be overwhelming. Check out these new year’s resolutions for your home that will help you hit the ground running in 2022.

Make a resolution to:

For generations, Canadians have been asking themselves this important question: ‘Is it better to buy a home or rent?’ On the one hand, owning comes with more responsibility and higher monthly expenses, but offers more stability and a long-term investment. On the other hand, the money spent on renting will never be recuperated, however, it can offer some flexibility if you’re not sure how long you will live in one place.

Winters in Canada can be cold and dark, and just like us, our delicate plants – indoor and outdoor plants alike – need some special attention this time of year. So, show your plants a little TLC this winter by giving them a warm, dry place to wait out the cold weather until spring. 

Follow this list of helpful tips to keep your plants happy and healthy through the winter months.

The common notion that spring is a better time to sell than winter is being challenged by today’s hot seller’s market conditions. A recent Royal LePage survey found that 79% of real estate professionals say they would advise their clients to sell this winter, rather than wait until spring; significantly higher than the 64% who say they would have given that advice prior to the pandemic citing that current demand is outstripping supply in another year of unusual winter market activity.  

No matter your age, Halloween can be one of the most playful, spirited (and spooky!) times of the year. It only occurs once every 365 days, so why not make the most of it and step into some festive fall fun?! We’ve rounded up five of our favourite, most memorable ways to celebrate the season – from adorning your home with hauntingly boo-tiful holiday decor, to indulging in devilishly decadent Halloween-inspired recipes. 

Before the cold weather sets in, make sure your home is winter-ready. Be sure to check these important tasks off your list. 

If you’re fortunate enough to own a home with a covered garage, you know how handy it can be to store things like sporting equipment, tools, off-season tires and boxes of holiday decorations. But if your vehicle is permanently parked outdoors because your garage has become a disorganized catch-all for countless boxes of unused items, it may be time for an intervention.

For generations, Canadians have been asking themselves this important question: ‘Is it better to buy a home or rent?’ On the one hand, owning comes with more responsibility and higher monthly expenses, but offers more stability and a long-term investment. On the other hand, the money spent on renting will never be recuperated, however, it can offer some flexibility if you’re not sure how long you will live in one place.

For the second time in less than two years – which have been largely defined by an ongoing global pandemic – Canadians will head to the polls in a federal election later this month. While campaigning will last a mere 36 days, there has been no shortage of electrified discussion among engaged voters in the first few weeks of the campaign.