Home Improvement Tips

Some home improvements are worth more than others. If you're a homeowner who is thinking about making home improvements in the coming months, choosing your home improvements wisely is important. These four home improvements have low ROI, and may even decrease your home's value.

Turning a Bedroom Into Something Else

Bedrooms add value to homes, so a bedroom conversion that turns a bedroom into an office space, library or recording studio can decrease the value of that home. Homeowners who want to convert their spare bedroom into another room altogether must do so carefully. No matter what the changes, it's important to ensure that someone else could use the space as a bedroom. Homeowners should be wary of making changes like building in office

Experts often say that, when a natural disaster occurs, most problems stem from a failure to prepare more than the disaster itself. Canada is subject to a number of risks, depending on location. Issues can range from flooding to earthquakes to extended isolation due to heavy snowfall. In addition, everyone has the potential to fall prey to smaller disasters like injuries around the home. To stay prepared, homeowners should research which disasters are common in their area and prepare accordingly. By setting aside some supplies in an emergency kit now, the impact of any emergency can be made far less severe. Things that should be in every household emergency kit include:

Food and Water

In the event of certain types of emergencies, families

A bathroom renovation is a perennially popular home improvement project, no matter if it's a luxury transformation of the master bath, a functional update for a hardworking family bathroom, or a cosmetic redo of a tiny powder room. Decision-making cam be difficult though, whether it's a DIY project or you work with a professional design and construction team.

The dilemma often centers around balancing budget and design, and the necessity to assure that high style will also bring a high return on investment. A 2018 poll reported that while nearly half of Canadian homeowners contemplated renovating their homes during the year, actual spending was estimated to decrease by about seven percent from levels spent on updates during the previous year.

Finding the right insulation isn't just a smart move for responsible homeowners who want to cut down on their heating and cooling bills, it's also one of the best ways to increase the resale value of the home.

When it comes to choosing the right insulation for the home, owners need to find quality materials that can handle the constantly fluctuating temperatures. However, they also need to consider the ventilation of the home as too much insulation can potentially interfere with the airflow. Learn more about how to strike the right balance.

Get an Energy Audit

The first step for a homeowner is to order an energy audit to see where they may be losing warm or cool air from the home. Most homeowners will only get this done if they notice the

Canadian residents may think that they are safe in their home but still be unaware of the serious safety hazards that may require their attention. Adults, young children and the elderly can all be at risk of injury or worse in those homes wherein homeowners may have neglected to pay attention to common home safety hazards.

Here are some common home safety hazards found throughout Canadian residences today.

Smoke and Fire Hazards

All Canadian residents should ensure that their smoke alarms are working properly as fires often start at night when people are sleeping. An operating smoke alarm can save lives. More than one smoke alarm may be needed and should be located in every room of the home and on every level. Smoke alarms need to be

In the frigid cold of the Canadian winter, it’s important for people to not only prepare themselves but their homes. Taking the time to winterize a home can help prevent the harsh cold from damaging it later on, especially if it's going to be put on the market to be sold in the Spring. There are many ways homeowners can winterize their homes, but here are some simple ways that don’t require much time or effort to complete.

1. Change the Furnace Filter

A furnace’s filter should be changed a few times a year in order to help it keep running properly. However, it’s especially important to replace the filter when winterizing a home. Changing the filter regularly helps extend a furnace’s lifespan, keeps energy costs lower because it doesn’t have

You're out and about viewing homes with your real estate agent and you run across a beautiful house with a gleaming countertop in the kitchen. You ask what the countertop is made of and the homeowner lets you know that it's granite. You visit another house with an equally inspiring countertop and find out that this one is made of quartz. While both of these higher-end counters are both very aesthetic, you may be wondering which one is the best, or if there are other countertop styles you should consider.

Quartz and Granite Countertops

Both granite countertops and quartz countertops are extremely durable materials that can last for years. They both cost about the same too, and a lot of the difference between the two comes down to your own

Smart technology for homes involves useful devices that not only simplify the art of living but also offer a high return on investment (ROI) for home owners. ROI is a business term referring to the ability to make money by investing in something, whether it is stocks, taking out a loan to start company or collecting antiques. Some great smart technology items homeowners should consider as high ROI investments include:

How Smart Technology Can Improve the Value of a Home

Some smart technology becomes a permanent installation in the home. This type of smart technology can become a bonus to home buyers who value energy efficiency and convenience. Examples of the types of smart features that can improve a home's value includes smart thermostats,

If you're an avid treadmill enthusiast and are thinking about buying a new condo in the upcoming future, you'll need to find out first whether you can operate a treadmill in the unit. While most condominium buildings won't have a specific rule concerning personal exercise equipment, there will be other simple rules that may make it impossible to run the machine.

It's All About The Noise Level

Most condo agreements will have a stipulation about individual noise levels from each unit. Most will basically say that you cannot make noise that will bother your neighbours. This means that you'll have to find out how the noise travels from one condo unit down to the one below it.

In some cases you'll be able to drop bricks on your floor without

Though most people enjoy their homes, there are some hazards that homeowners may need to deal with. The potential of mould in ones home is one of those potential hazards. How worried should Canadian homeowners be if they uncover a serious mould problem in their home? While not all forms of mold are toxic, the existence of a mould issue can possibly impact the health of occupants.

Homeowners want to protect their family, and mould, which may be hard to detect and even more difficult to eliminate, can exacerbate existing health issues. It is important to address the issue early on to avoid the possibility of worsening heath issues in occupants.

Where Does Mould Commonly Form in the Home?

Mould can be found in parts of the home that have high