Mike Giesbrecht

  As you may know, curb appeal refers to how your property looks from the street, where potential buyers first see it. Your home’s curb appeal can have a big impact on the sale of your property. In fact, it's not uncommon for a buyer to drive by a listing, rather than stop, because they don't like what they see.  So, how can you improve your home's curb appeal quickly? One way is to do some ...

  Imagine you have a major project at work, you have to deal with home schooling and you still need to deal with groceries, laundry and dinner. Whoa! That's a busy life.  Can you still find and buy a new home with such a tight schedule? The good news is, you can. In fact, there's plenty you can do to save time.  Consider these tips:  Get specific about the home you want to buy. Think ab ...

  Whether you're painting your home to prepare it for sale, or simply to make it more attractive for your own enjoyment, choosing the right colour is important. A colour isn't just a matter of taste, it's also, to a large extent, about the emotions it elicits.  If you're painting your foyer, for example, you may want it to seem bright and welcoming. So, light orange tones might be appropria ...

  As you've probably noticed, credit card companies regularly offer bonuses to get you to apply for their cards. For example, one such card company offers opportunities to buy tickets to concerts and other events ahead of everyone else. It's their "front of the line" service.  When you’re searching for a new home, wouldn't it be great if you could get to the front of the line on desirable p ...

  There's a reason why there are "kitchen and bath" stores, and even design magazines devoted to these rooms. A well-staged kitchen and bathroom can make the entire home look better. So, it's no surprise that professional home stagers pay particular attention to these spaces.  What do these pros have to say about bathrooms?  Professional stagers advise that you start by taking a picture of ...

  If you're thinking of listing your property, one thing that might be holding you back is concern about preparing your home for sale. You may be wondering how much work there will be. Is it going to take a couple of months? A couple of weeks? A few days?  That, of course, depends on the state of your property.  However, regardless of how close your home is to “show time” ready, there is p ...

  No matter what you think of snakes, you must agree that they have a unique way of dealing with worn-out skin. When the time comes, they simply shed it — like an old jacket — revealing a fresh new skin underneath.  Your home's roof doesn't have that advantage! So, when the shingles wear out or become damaged, you need to have them replaced.  Unfortunately, it's not always easy to determin ...

  Let's face it. Planning events, even exciting ones like an overseas vacation, can be stressful. So, it's not surprising that some homeowners — even those thrilled about moving — can slip into "worry mode" when putting their property up for sale.  Unfortunately, this anxiety can make the process of selling an unpleasant experience. Who wants that? So here are some things you can do to redu ...

  Two of the biggest stressors for DIYers are projects that cost too much or take too long. Unfortunately, there’s no sure way to guarantee that one or the other (or both) won’t happen. But there is a lot you can do to minimize the probability.  When budgeting, a big mistake DIYers make is not considering the little things. For example, you might budget for drywall panels but neglect to inc ...

  Imagine you're looking for a new home. You have a list of all the features you want, just like you would have a grocery shopping list. However, when you explore the homes currently on the market, none meets all your criteria.  What do you do? You have a few good options.  First, you can take a second look at your list. Does your new home need every single feature on it? Are there one or ...