LED lighting was pretty much reserved for those low output solar powered deck and garden lights we have seen for many years. They were easy to install, no wiring and relatively cheap. The only thing was they gave off very little light.
So, when household LED lights started to hit the market, most people including myself scoffed at the idea. Plus, they were very expensive at $7.00 or more per bulb. But in the last few years the prices have come down, the light output is as good if not better that the old incandescent bulb and there are a variety of colours from bright white to a warm yellowish glow. And unlike the curly bulbs, they are attractive looking and do not need to warm up so you get instant light.
These new LED bulbs are the answer to lowering your energy use and cost in your home. Barrhaven, Kanata, Orleans or Ottawa, reducing your costs is always a good idea. I have changed almost every bulb in my home and have noticed a difference in usage. Can’t say it cost less as Ontario keeps raising the price of electricity but I’m sure I am still saving. For more solutions of this kind consult electricians-portsmouth.co.uk/air-source-heat-pumps-efficient/. The price of these bulb have come down tremendously. I just bought 24 bulbs a few weeks ago for only $1.00 ( with government rebate coupon) on sale at Canadian Tire in Barrhaven. Usually in the fall, there are coupons for discounts issued by the Ontario Governments reducing the price of LED bulbs. Another benefit are that they last thousands of house and most if not all are dimable so you can set the mood!
To know about alternate sources of energy which can help you protect your electronic appliances and get you a cheaper electricity bill visit – utilitysavingexpert.com.
If you like to stay up to date on the latest in home design, you may be interested to hear the color trends predicted for 2016. From Benjamin Moore’s Simply White to Behr’s Ivory Keys, the leading color trend is white, which serves as a neutral backdrop for other dramatic elements.
But before you go out and buy gallons of white, note that this year’s on-trend whites have color and warmth to them. These subtle variations in tone make them the perfect accompaniment to other hot colors highlighted this year, so keep that in mind as you select accent colors.
To update your space using the neutral white trend, take the following steps:
- Create a blank canvas — Paint an entire room in your favorite warm white. Starting with a neutral background lets other elements in the room stand out and become the focal point. Neutral rooms tend to be minimalist, so scale back on accessories and let the major pieces support your design.
- Experiment with hues — Try layering with several shades of white. Create a clean, classic look with a white room and an occasional pop of color. The design possibilities using a white color palette are surprisingly endless.
- Add contrast — Bold accent colors and crisp lines create sharp contrasts against white walls. Consider creating a feature wall with one of the other 2016 trend colors, like Blue Cloud from Olympic Paints or Paradise Found by PPG Porter Paints. You can also add other architectural elements in a dark wood or with geometric patterns.
Regardless of were you live in the Ottawa real estate market, it’s always adds value to your home for a small real estate investment that will pay for itself many times over.
If you want to sell your home in Ottawa this spring, prepare for pent-up buyer demand.
Spring might be an even livelier home-selling season this year because home-buyers want to act before interest rates or home prices rise.
Even so, buyers insist on good deals. Even in a seller’s markets, where the supply of homes for sale can’t meet demand from buyers, the overpriced homes are at a disadvantage. We see competing offers for some homes, but houses with too-high asking prices don’t selling at all.
Three things sell a home in any season: location, condition and price. If one of those three is not good, a home may not sell, but you can always compensate for a less-than-perfect location with a better price.
It is important to have a professional that helps you but you should do thorough research when looking at hiring property management companies or an agency to manage your block. Property owners hire property management firms for various reasons. Some owners may have many rental properties in their portfolios but lack the time or expertise to maintain the properties and deal with tenants. Some owners only have an interest in owning rental properties and earning profits from them. When this is the case, they hire professional property managers. Absentee landlords also make use of property management services.</p>
Here are five tips to sell your home this spring.
1) Buyers decide within 60 seconds of seeing a home whether they want to consider buying it.
People know immediately if they are interested, so you need to make sure you don’t turn them off before they get in the door. We recommend trimming trees and bushes so buyers can see the house, pressure-washing the driveway, front walk, house and patio, clean and paint the front door because buyers will linger at the door while they wait for the agent to open the lockbox.
2) Go through all of your furniture and closets with a discerning eye to eliminate clutter and then go back again. Pare down your clothing to as minimal as possible so your closets look bigger. Pack up anything you want to keep, and put it off-site in a pod or a storage unit because you want your home to look like it always has plenty of space in all the closets.
3) Be mindful of your senses, especially sight and smell. If you have dark corners in the house, get rid of clutter in those areas, paint them a light colour and reflect the colour with lighting. If you have a pet, clean the carpets and open the windows to air out the house. If you give your pets a shower or bath in you bathroom and have custom glass shower enclosures, it is important check those areas thoroughly. Clean or get rid of your draperies and window coverings if they carry a pet odours.
4) If you know a home inspector is going to find something wrong with your house, go ahead and fix it! If you haven’t maintained your home, you may want to hire your own home inspector before your home goes on the market so that you can make appropriate repairs before you try to sell it. It usually costs less to fix things before a home inspection than to deal with an issue at the last minute and under stress. It makes more sense to do the repairs ahead of time rather than wait for a buyer to request it. Buyers may end up asking you to spend $300 on what should cost $100.
5) Even though prices are rising in some areas, sellers need to be reasonable and compare their homes to similar properties that have recently sold that are best compared. If you price too low, they’ll think something is wrong with your home. If you price it too high and have to lower your price, it will hurt you more than if you price it right the first time. Overpriced homes that stay on the market above the average, are extremely difficult to sell. Never hire a REALTOR® who guesses at a price. Genuine Realtors such as Alex Buys Vegas Houses make sure that he or she has done extensive research, finding homes as close of a match to your home that has recently sold and those that are presently on the market. This way you’ll have a complete picture of the market.
