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Happy Home

Jun 01 2018
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Is Acreage Life For You?

By | Buying/Selling Homes, Happy Home | No Comments

Acreages are so alluring, the large properties, the privacy, owning land and the endless possibilities! Though many buyers are unfamiliar with the lifestyle changes and different expenses that come with the package, such as wells, septic tanks/fields, lack of snow removal and many DIY projects. We are not experts on this, as we haven’t experience acreage life ourselves, though we can always connect you with a real estate professional that specializes in acreages!

Bobbi Morrison, a licensed realtor within the Danny Hansen Team, was asked today “What are the top 4 considerations that need to be addressed when considering the transition to acreage life?”

1) When starting to look for a country residential property it is SO important to find a realtor that specializes in rural real estate. This is not the same type of transaction as when purchasing in town.  There are so many things to consider when moving to an acreage it is important to have a professional that is specialized in this type of real estate helping you through the process. Knowing the right questions to ask, where to find the answers is the best way to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.

2) Financing for an acreage is going to look substantially different than an in-town purchase. For example: Banks tend to lend on the house and a certain number of acres. Therefore, outbuildings and excess of land would not be considered on an appraisal. The extra value, therefore, must be covered by the Buyers in addition to the the down payment in order to secure financing thus facilitating a successful sale.

3) Weigh the PROS and CONS of city life vs country life and take a good hard look at the lifestyle you want to live. For example: a significant pro could be that you will enjoy the peace and quiet in the country and your kids can grow up with an enormous amount of freedom away the hustle and bustle and concerns that come with raising children in an urban environment.

However, a con may be the additional drive time for extracurricular,  work, and for school.  If you love going to the lake or camping on the weekends, acreage life might not be for you.   A lot of your free time on the weekends may be consumed by yard maintenance!

4) Be prepared to purchase equipment for the maintenance of your new property. In some situations it’s enough to own a small lawn tractor, providing that you purchase the proper implements.  You will have loads of mowing and snow  removal moving forward so it is important that you are prepared!

What do you think? Is the #acreagelife for you?

Thanks to Bobbi Morrison for sharing some insight on acreage life! You can reach Bobbi at:
www.dannyhansen.com
dannyhansen@remax.net 
(403) 948-7510

Feb 01 2018
0

Building Community Connections

By | Happy Home, Healthy Home, Uncategorized | No Comments

Get Connected in Your Neighborhood

Many of our readers recently moved into a new home leaving behind friends & neighbors. Staying indoors during the winter months can lead to boredom and the winter blues. Here are some ways to build connections, make friends and get involved in your community:

  • Introduce yourself to your neighbors.
  • Exchange phone numbers & follow on social media (let’s be honest, online community is getting more valuable these days)
  • Invite neighbors over for coffee, tea or dinner
  • Host a shin dig (Keep it simple, do a potluck)
  • Join your local neighborhood FB page (or start one!)
  • Volunteer at the local school
  • Get outside (bundle up and/or take advantage of the warmer days!)
  • Build a lending library (Check them out on our Pintrest board)
  • Give a warm welcome to new neighbors
  • Ask a neighbor for a cup of sugar! (Been there, done that!)
  • Offer a helping hand (lend a tool, helping move heavy items, shovel a sidewalk…)
  • Organize a community clean up!

We hope that our clients who have recently moved into new communities are finding their tribe and getting settled — as friendships and connections makes life so much sweeter!

Interesting Related Articles:
5 Ways to Cultivate Connection in Your Neighborhood
10 Ways to Build Community
Community Building 101
How Housing Impacts Adult Friendship

Dec 01 2017
0

Little Touches That Can Make a Big Difference

By | Buying/Selling Homes, Happy Home, Home Beautification | No Comments

You are probably already aware of the major things you need to do around your home to get it ready for sale. These include getting rid of clutter, doing minor repairs, and making everything clean and tidy so every room is as much of a showcase as possible.

But there are a myriad of little touch ups you can do that you may not have thought about before… touch ups that can make a big difference in how attractive your home looks to potential buyers.

Here are just a few:

  • Paint or replace the mailbox.
  • Add a couple of flowering plants to key areas, such as the dining room, living room, and just outside the front door.
  • Patch up any minor cracks in the driveway and walkways. (If there is a major crack, consider getting it repaired by a professional.)
  • Put out the welcome mat. Literally! If it’s not clean and completely free of stains, replace it.
  • Clean your stainless steel kitchen sink using a special stainless steel cleaner and brightener. The effect will be dramatic; the sink will look like new.
  • Use a special spot cleaner to lift any stains from carpeted areas.
  • Replace plain or out-of-style light fixtures in the main areas of your home, such as the hallway and living room. Without spending a fortune, you can make a big difference in how these areas look.
  • Consider replacing the hardware on the doors and drawers of old kitchen cabinetry. That, along with some touch-up paint or varnish on worn areas, can make your older kitchen look young again.

These simple ideas can have a big impact on first impressions, yet they don’t cost much to implement, and you can probably do most of them in less than a day.

Robin Spiers & Associates

Call/Text: 403-813-6346 | Office: 403-202-4798

www.RobinSpiers.com | Facebook | YouTube | Testimonials

Apr 01 2017
0

Recycling

By | Happy Home, Healthy Home, Uncategorized | No Comments

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

We are all well versed in the 3 R’s, though it is important to keep in mind that there is an order of importance in the 3 R’s: it is best to look to reduce, reuse or repurpose and then recycle what we can. With the recent changes to waste management in Airdrie we have been reviewing how our household manages waste, and needless to say there is quite a bit of room for improvement.  Sure, we were recycling bottles, plastics, cardboard and paper, but found that there were many more simple changes we could implement to cut down our waste, such as extra recycling bins throughout the house, a compost bin under our kitchen sink, re-purposing old items and donating items to be reused.

Cities are helping us make recycling more convenient through recycling and compost pick ups right from our door.  Are you looking for way to cut down what your household sends to the landfill, but are looking for more information and support to do so? It leads us to question, what items are recyclable or compostable? Which items needs to go to the landfill? I was surprised to find out that fast food packaging can go into compost, as well as meats. Take a look at these images to help guide you along your way to reducing the items your household sends to the landfill:

Upcoming Changes For Airdrie City Residents

Clear bags voted out

On March 20, 2017 City Council voted to remove clear bags from the Waste Management Bylaw.

Starting the week of April 3, you will be allowed one bag of garbage per week (can be any colour of bag). Bag tags for excess garbage bags can be purchased for $3/tag. A total of four bags can be placed out for collection each week (one bag included in your fees plus up to three tagged bags).

Care and Compassion Provision
Council also approved care and compassion provisions that include:

Diaper Exemption
Residents who apply for the diaper exemption will receive excess waste tags for one extra garbage bag each week for six months. The household must have two or more children under the age of four and this exemption must be re-applied for every six months. The application form will be available shortly.

Medical exemption
Residents who apply for the medical exemption will receive excess waste tags for one extra garbage bag each week for six months. This exemption must be re-applied for every six months. The application form will be available shortly.

Waste Audits
Council directed staff to determine levels of contamination by looking for organics and recyclable materials in residential garbage bags over the next year. The results of the waste audits will be presented to Council in 2018.

Reduced fees
Due to successful contract negotiations, the estimated costs for waste management programs came in lower than estimated. The increase from resident’s current utility bill will be $3.92 where the estimated cost was $6.44. This takes into account the savings from the closure of Westside Recycle Depot, the reduction of one bag per of garbage per week, and the decrease in staffing at the Eastside Recycle Depot. It also takes into account the added cost of curbside recycling collection and the reduced commodity revenue from the Eastside Recycle Depot.

Curbside Recycling
Starting the week of April 3, single family homes in Airdrie will start receiving curbside recycling collection. Along with the addition of a blue cart program, changes to garbage collection will be implemented including a reduction to one bag per week of garbage.

SOURCE: City of Airdrie Website – Waste & Recycling,  http://www.airdrie.ca/index.cfm?serviceID=29

For More Information, Check out These Links:

Which Bin? Search Tool to Determine Where to Put an Item (Airdrie): http://www.airdrie.ca/index.cfm?serviceID=1045

What Goes Where? (Calgary): http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/WRS/Pages/What-goes-where/Default.aspx

Details on City of Airdrie Waste & Recycling: http://www.airdrie.ca/index.cfm?serviceID=29

Items that Cannot Be Recycled (Calgary): http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/WRS/Pages/Recycling-information/Residential-services/Blue-cart-recycling/What-Cant-Be-Recycled.aspx

Collection Schedule (Airdrie): http://www.airdrie.ca/index.cfm?serviceID=1094

Feb 01 2017
0

Creating Hygge In Your Home

By | Happy Home, Healthy Home, Home Beautification | No Comments

Creating Hygge In Your Home

Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Danish word meaning “Cozy Living”

  • Comfort
  • Relax
  • Peace
  • Social

“Hygge inspires joyful living, simple pleasures, togetherness, peace and warmth. It celebrates family and friends and taking time for relaxing and recharging. Hygge embraces community and the everyday; it is sharing a meal at the kitchen table and sitting quietly by a roaring fire on a rainy night.”  – Krista Hermanson of Krista Hermanson Design

How can we create Hygge in our home? It is more than just design, it includes taking time out of our day to relax, recharge and connect in our home. I believe a space influences our feelings, mood and activities; so by creating a space conducive to these hygge activities, we will be off to a good start!

  • Textures (thick knitted pillows or blankets, soft throws, lush area rugs)
  • Natural items (wool, fur, raw wood, ceramics)
  • Your favorite photos & things that you love
  • Candles (or room diffusers)
  • Music
  • Delicious foods and drinks
  • New bubble bath & pajamas/loungewear
  • Time spent with friends & loved ones
  • A good book or boardgame
  • Take up a new hobby (turn off the TV and reconnect in a calming activity, ex: knitting, poetry, writing, journalling, or crossword puzzles)
  • Simplicity – indulge in the simple pleasures of life. No need for extravagance
  • Flowers & plants