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My good friend Keith Moore suffers from MS. It is a life-changing disease and when we found out we were heartbroken for him and his young family. 

Keith is an inspiration and has such a positive attitude towards life. Although he has good and bad days, he focuses on the good and makes you realize when you have a bad day, it’s not so bad!  I am so proud to call this great man, my friend.

One thing he said to me that I will never forget is: “everyone has something and this is my something”.  He continues to work as an amazing Chiropractor and support his family while living with MS.  He doesn’t let this disease stop him from the good things in life and has a passion to help others.

Last year our team was top fundraiser because of Keith passion and drive, this year we would love to be top again!  We walk every year and we are walking again this year!

Support our team, MOVING WITH MOORE team and we can help beat this together. Any donation is greatly appreciated. 

You may be a military family or know someone in the military. Military house hunting is like no other experience. Stress level run high when buying a house in a short amount of time, AND waiting for THAT posting message can seem like forever.

Let’s cover the basics… 5 days to find a house… yes, I know it’s 7 for an HHT (House Hunting Trip), but those last two days are buffer days in case all else fails. Finding a house in that length of time looks like the end scene from a Benny Hill movie. It’s fast, intense and can be filled with emotion.

Here are some tips that will help during your next military move.

Be Prepared
Pre-Approval
Get pre-approved for financing BEFORE your house hunting trip. Knowing what you can afford will make houses shopping a lot easier. The new stress test is in, so now more than ever, your pre-approval is important. Pre-approval will also give you a little more flexibility for your housing conditions and this can make or break a sale in a competitive market.

Make a list
Make a list of first day, second day and all else fail houses. Your agent can help you get this list down to the must-see houses. Take the time to talk to them about the type of house and area you want to live in. They can suggest areas to look at.

Read the Brookfield policy
I know reading policy can be really dry, buy rules change and what was covered last time, may not be covered this time.

Technology Rocks!
Did you find a great house, but you are too far away? Ask your agent to take you on a FaceTime tour. It may not be the one and you can then keep or on the list or take it off the must-see list.

Book a babysitter
Find a drop-in centre for the kids, book the MFRC childcare, hire a happy or ask your agent what options are available in your area. House hunting will be a lot easier when you can focus on finding the perfect house.

Pre-book your building inspector
I know it’s crazy to book an inspector for a house that you haven’t bought, but if you want to get everything done in time, it’s essential. Your agent can suggest building inspectors and lawyers that are Brookfield approved that you help you along the way.

Take pictures
“What did that kitchen look like?” Take some pictures of some of the houses you like. You can then go back and look at them when you are making a decision on “the one”.

Don’t see TOO many houses
Make your must-have list and get your list down to a reasonable level. Seeing too many houses will become confusing and overwhelming. Researching the neighbourhoods where you are moving will help you find the right area for you.

Resale
This is a big one… When you get posted in a few years can you resell that house? Ask your agent about how easy it will be to resell the house when it becomes time to move again.

Happy HHT season military friends!

Ottawa is a great city with a lot going on around the area. This year we will see a burst of excitement as Canada’s 150th is celebrated across the city. There is a lot to celebrate and it will be a great time to live in Ottawa. Concerts, festivals, and the Juno awards will all be happening in this vibrant city.

Find our more about what is happening at the Ottawa 2017 website.

During a usual year, there is still so much to enjoy from museums, sporting events, skiing, tobogganing, sailing, hiking and so much more. Skating along the canal is especially one thing not to miss in this city.

Whether you are a foodie, sports enthusiast or lover of the arts. This city has something for everyone.

Festivals
● Winterlude – Canada’s biggest winter festival, which is held for three weeks in February, with ice sculpture competitions, snow games and skating.
● Bluesfest – with ten days in July of blues bands from around the world
● Canadian Tulip Festival – two weeks in May – the largest tulip festival in the world
● Ottawa International Jazz Festival – 10 days in June of jazz performers from around the world
● Fringe Festival – 10 days in June of plays and theatre
● Folk Music Festival – Four days of folk music acts in September every year
● Dragon Boat Festival – Four days of dragon boat racing in June every year
● Canada Day – July 1 every year

Cultural Centres and events
The Museum of Civilization (Gatineau)
The National Arts Centre
The Canadian War Museum
The Canadian Museum of Nature
The Agriculture Museum
The Aviation and Space Museum 
The Science and Technology Museum

So moving day is coming and you have decided to pack your own home? What now?

Depending on the size of your home will determine what quantity of supplies you need.
These cheat sheets from updater.com will help you estimate the amount of boxes, tape, markers, box cutters you will need to move your house.

Download the guide here

Happy moving!

Here are some must-do’s before you list your home.

De Clutter
Listing your home gives you a great opportunity to decluter. We all collect things that we don’t need and now are a good time to go through those items that have been hiding in the basement. Now is a great time to have a garage sale or donate these items to charity.
If you have a lot of items, junk removal companies can help you quick and easily remove your unwanted items.

Clean
Giving you house a deep clean can give you a competative advantage in the market. Give everything from the baseboards to the curtains a good clean. Ensure that your counters sparkle and the bathrooms are spic and span. If you need a hand cleaning companies can help give your house a good deep clean.

Storage
Storage is a key factor on most homebuyer’s lists. Half empty closets and cupboards to display your storage space. Buyers will be looking inside your cupboards so ensure you keep them tidy.

Make your “home” a “house”
The more personalized things you have in your house the harder it is to sell. Buyers find it hard to visualize themselves in a house that seems like someone else’s. Take the time to stage your house and take down items like family photos. Create a blank slate for those looking to buy your house.

Hide the dog
Family pets are also family members, but not everyone is an animal lover. If you are planning an open house, it is best to take Fido and all his items with you. This will open the market to pet friendly and not so pet friendly buyers.

Kitchen is key
The heart of the home is the kitchen. A quick refresh of your kitchen can make a big difference when selling your house. Fast inexpensive kitchen refreshes can be as simple as natural paint and new hardware. Other simple changes like painting cupboards and replacing the counter can take a kitchen from out dated to updated.

Smells like home
Not all smells are good for selling houses. A common mistake is too many plug-in air fresheners. A more successful approach is to air out your home and bake some cookies before your open house. Freshly baked smells make a house seem more of a home. Just don’t burn the cookies.