Mike Bolger REALTOR® in Kitchener / Waterloo

Sometimes your home insurance rates are reflected by certain things in your home. Understanding what they are can lower your home insurance rate. To prevent rate hikes, you will need to review some key features of your home that may be costing you extra money. Look for these things: Wiring Your old wiring can be a big concern for insurance companies. If the wiring system in your home is aluminum wiring, this is considered more susceptible to fire by Insurance Companies.   Insurance companies may require you to upgrade or they may hike your premiums. Also, some homes may have wiring that is no longer up to code; this could also negatively impact your rate. If homeowners update their wiring system with an electrician to decrease the risk of fire damage and up to code, it can have a dramatically reduce your insurance rate. Plumbing Another concern for the insurance company is the plumbing system. Damage from water leaks is one of the most common home insurance claims...

Being a first-time homeowner can be one of the most exciting and stressful times of your life. Now you have a whole new set of challenges ahead.  There are a lot of opportunities to learn as you go and unfortunately mistakes will be made. Many new homeowner mistakes can be avoided by doing some preparation. Don’t let the following newbie mistakes damper your excitement. Be proactive and plan ahead by using these tips and tricks below to help you learn the ropes of being a homeowner. Ignoring Routine Maintenance You likely did a walk-through with a certified home inspector, so you’re alert to what issues you’re your attention, and that can wait.  House maintenance includes many jobs you might have never considered before, like power-washing the home, cleaning the gutters, and prepping your pipes for the winter. The easiest way to avoid costly damage is to create a quarterly or monthly maintenance schedule for all the areas of your home. You should include interi...

So, it’s the spring and the time when we get down on our hands and knees to scrub our home top to bottom. Avoid the spring-washing blues. Put the duster down and make a visual difference to your home. Remember that feeling when you just moved in? It’s like a new car smell. Everything had its place, décor was new and you had just what you needed. Find that house again! It’s simply a change of mindset, appear beyond the mop to the tasks that will actually transform your house for the entire season.  Follow these spring-cleaning hacks to a cleaner, brighter home: Out With Seasonal Plants:   Replace all winter houseplants with fresh plants from a local farmer’s market. Fresh vegetation helps to improve the circulation of oxygen in your home. This will help attract clean spring-like air flow. Toss the Extras:   In the spring, it's the best time to place all these heavy materials like heavy throw blankets, seasonal toss pillows, and decor in storage. The ...

If you are trying to  sell your home  or update one this spring, there are various ways to modernize your landscaping and curb appeal. This year's trends might require homeowners to step outside the box with one of a kind landscaping designs. Here is a list of this year's most popular trends. Privacy Just forget about installing an unattractive wooden fence to protect your privacy and plant a quick growing hedge or shrub instead. This will provide an increased barrier between your outdoor living space and your neighbors. Think about a low growing shrub, that can create a semi-private feel to an area without blocking the view. You can also plant some trees to add personal privacy and add some organic beauty to compliment your house. Growing Produce If you are going to add plants to the garden, perhaps you should grow something to eat. Planting fruits and vegetables is known as a smart way to add some interest and beauty to your landscaping. Growing food in yo...

Selling your luxury property for the highest value may require some home improvements. A very good home improvement strategy with additions and improvements is expected to give you the best odds of being profitable. When your residence does not have a true family room or has one that can be staged can cost you huge, a family room is an excellent way to get a nice return to your investment by adding some additional square footage. Several sellers with a single story home have looked into adding another floor to it to be competitive in their market. For a few luxury home buyers, they desire a two-story home, and they won't even consider searching for any other choice. This could possibly be due to needing a family room on the first floor and a luxurious master suite on the second. By having an additional floor it will help to give your home a profitable edge at the time of selling. You can potentially add additional bedrooms, a bigger home office, walk-in closets, and more. Y...

Smell is one of our most valuable senses. This sense is linked with your memory. It is known by experts that very good smells can evoke cheerful memories and experiences. Distinct fragrances can communicate a vast array of sensations and feelings.  This is where the smell of your home can affect how long it takes to sell your home . There is a reason why waterloo  REALTOR®s  always think about the very best scent for home staging before a showing. Experts say that a house that smells like freshly baked cookies can bring to mind a warm and homey feeling while a refreshing and clean smelling house can stir up feelings of potential and new opportunities. Here are some tips that are known to help with smells in a home Use Baking Soda To get rid of any undesirable smells in your residence it is wise to use baking soda. If you own carpets or rugs, spread some baking soda out to help remove tough smells and leave you with a simple pallet. Let the baking soda sit for 1...