Archives

No Comments

What to do in Ottawa

Categories: Tips

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

No Comments

Moving checklist

Categories: Tips

Moving can be a stressful time and there are so many things to remember to do. Here’s a list to make it a little easier.

Two Months Before

  • Sort, purge, and store – Go through your house and decide what you no longer need. Going room by room with three boxes labeled (donate, recycle, throw away) will keep this on track. If you haven’t used it in the last two years, do you need it? Box up things that you may not need for the next few months and store them either neatly in a basement, friends house or storage unit.
  • Investigate – Look into moving companies and request an onsite estimate.
  • Create a moving binder – A moving binder is a great way to keep track of all your moving documents, estimates, inventory of items, school documents, marriage certificate, mortgage documents and any other items you may need.

Six Weeks Before

  • Order supplies – To ensure you are ready, order your supplies in advance. Items like markets, tape, bubble wrap, boxes, wardrobe boxes, dish barrels etc. Don’t forget to label your boxes!
  • The extra food… it’s time to get creative – Start using up all the extra food in your house. Get creative with your frozen food. The more you use the less you have to move.

One Month Before

  • Book a cleaner – Moving can be stressful and tiring. Book a cleaner to do a thorough move out clean when you leave.
  • Confirm your mover – Confirm your mover and ensure that you have written confirmation of dates, costs, insurance and any other important items.
  • Start packing – If you aren’t hiring packers, this may take a little longer than you think. This is another good time to purge items that you may no longer want.
  • Label clearly all your boxes and which room they belong. This will make unpacking a lot easier.
  • Keep your valuables separate – Keep valuables such a jewellery and documents such as your moving binder separate. Move these items with you on the day of the move. Many movers also will not transport alcohol and cleaning supplies. If you wish to keep these, they will need to be transported separately.
  • Change of address – Contact your post office and have your mail forwarded to your new address. Make sure you contact any institutions, banks, insurance companies etc. that require your address and notify them of your move.

Two Weeks Before

  • Take the day off… Don’t forget to take a few days off to move and unpack into your new house.
  • Confirm details – Call your moving company and confirm details. Arrange to pick up your keys and signing of any final documents.

One Week Before

  • Pack a suitcase – Don’t forget to pack a suitcase for a week. It may take some time to unpack and it will allow you some time to find the box with your favourite clothes.
  • Pack a “first-day” tote – A first-day tote can make all the difference. For each bedroom, pack a sheet set, pillow, and any items that might be needed the first night. Also pack a kitchen and bathroom kit with paper plates, cups, coffee maker, towels, shower curtain and any other items that you may need right away.

A Few Days Before

  • Defrost the freezer, clean out the fridge and empty the garbage.
  • Reconfirm the details and confirm the arrival time of the movers.
  • Buy some water and other supplies for the movers.
  • Confirm that you have cash on hand and other payment ready.
  • Book daycare or a babysitter for the move day.

Moving Day

  • Take inventory and keep track that your boxes are labeled. Keep a copy so you can verify when the boxes arrive at the new location.
No Comments

When selling your home, first impressions are the ONLY impressions.

Categories: Tips

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.