John Gaio's blog

The cold winter weather shouldn't limit time enjoyed working on the home outdoors. Before venturing outside, ensure proper safety precautions are taken to avoid an accident or injury. Consider the following snow safety tips from The Home Depot Canada to help keep warm and safe all season long.

Consider these safety tips when hanging your outdoor seasonal lighting:

- Power down: Before working with outdoor wiring, turn off the electricity to the supply outlet and unplug the connection.

- Look for the CSA International certification mark: Ensure that light strings, cords, spotlights and floodlights are certified by CSA International and marked for outdoor use or wet locations.

The dramatically rising cost of home heating is a bothersome concern for most Canadians. Heating your home efficiently this winter will be the key to keeping your energy costs under control. Here are some quick, easy and, most importantly, inexpensive ways to maximize warmth and minimize impact to your pocketbook:

Living with stuffiness or asthma? Here are a few simple strategies for reducing allergy-causing problems in your home.

Rule #1: Keep things cool and dry. 
Dust mites and mold love moisture and heat. To keep your air clean:

- Run the A/C. It dehumidifies the air, filters out pollen and discourages mold and dust mites.

- Use a dehumidifier to keep humidity levels between 30 and 50%.

A Breath of Fresh Air: Improving Your Home's Air Quality

A plumbing checkup should be among your top priorities when preparing your home for sale. Your buying prospects might flush toilets, turns on faucets and inspect the showerheads, while more seasoned “experts” will look under the cabinets for leaks and check for water spots around key areas. The last thing you want is to drench a buyer’s enthusiasm because you didn’t fix a simple plumbing issue.

Those about to start house hunting should check their credit score before things get too serious. There is nothing quite as frightening in the mortgage process as learning that your credit report contains a late payment or other blemishes that can prevent you from buying a property.

Believe it or not, after months of searching countless homes, finding the perfect one, negotiating price and finally agreeing to a deal, a sale can fall apart over a disagreement about curtains.

Should I stay or should I go when my home is showing?

Gently put, most agents say that when potential homebuyers come to see your home, it’s best that you leave the premises.  

Any home stager will tell you that “staging is staging” and the principals remain the same throughout the year—keep things clean, clutter free and colorful. But that doesn’t each season comes without its own brand of staging magic.