43 Insanely Cool Remodeling Ideas

There never seems to be enough storage space. Here are a couple ideas that might work to keep your place looking neat and tidy, without getting rid of the things you want to keep.

 

More ideals compliments of BuzzFeed by clicking Insanely Cool Ideas.

 

The power of 9

There could be an advantage to listing your home with 9 near the end of the listing price rather than rounding to the next thousand.  The reason is what is known as the left-digit effect in price cognition.  

You don't normally see the new blender priced at $80.00, it's more likely to be priced at $79.00 or $79.99.  This is a strategy that has been proven to be good in real estate as well.

Strange as it might seem, a recent study in major cities found that houses with prices ending in "9", like $849,000 rather than $850,000, sold an average of 4.2 days faster and for $2,175 more.  Even though the asking price was lower, these houses sold for more money.
 
It's one of those strange facts that doesn't make sense, but can possibly make a bit more profit for you when you go to sell.

More on The Left-Digit Effect in Price Cognition here.

For more on listing your home, Get Jack.

Consider Going Up With Renovations

A recent study shows an interesting return on investment when adding finished living space to a home. 

Homeowners who added space by going up increased the value of the home much more than homeowners who renovated going down for the added living space.  The details of the Zillow study reveals basement renovations returned only 48 cents for every dollar spent, while adding a storey increased value by $1.02 per dollar spent. 

It may not be possible to add another full storey to a home, but often adding dormers and opening up an attic area is quite possible and could be a much better investment than the basement project.  

As with any renovation it is always advisable to consult with a  qualified contractor to get a complete overview for your home.

Location, location, location

It might not be all about location, but remembering location, location, location is still some of the best advice.  Case in point is this mobile home that listed for $1.1 million.

 

 

 

A 79-year-old fisherman who purchased a modest, third-acre lot in the Hamptons on New York Long Island paid just $300 for the piece of land in 1956. The fisherman then placed a 700-square-foot, one-bedroom mobile home and shed on the property and has lived there ever since.

 

Little did the fisherman know when he purchased the land, but he hit the jackpot. The tiny piece of land and single-bedroom trailer home is now with an astonishing $1.1 million. What makes Richard Lester’s land and mobile so valuable? His neighbors.

 

The home is locate just one mile away from the ritzy Indian Wells Beach. The property is surrounded by huge homes owned by the rich and famous. In fact, Lester can boast neighbours that include Jerry Seinfeld and Paul McCartney.

 

 

 

One way to create some excitement about your listing

A house-seller in Holland came up with an ingenious way of attracting more potential buyers. The house had been for sale for more than six months and failed to attract anyone prepared to meet the $780,000 price tag. So, the owners decided they needed to come up with something special to create some interest in their home.

A roller-coaster was installed to show people around the house and grounds. This video shows people whizzing through the living room, kitchen and bedrooms and around the outside of the property.

Don't worry about not understanding the language because a movie is worth a thousand words.

No word on the place being sold yet.

Be Home Smart Not Home Emotional

Take two minutes of your time and get some valuable advice on buying a home.  

Mandatory Carbon Monoxide Detectors

It's now mandatory. Do you have one?

A new law making carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in all Ontario homes is now in effect.

The new regulation, which became effective on October 15,2014, updates Ontario's Fire Code following the passage of Bill 77 last year.

These updates are based on recommendations from a Technical Advisory Committee which was led by the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management and included experts from fire services, the hotel and rental housing industries, condo owners and alarm manufacturers.

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week will take place November 1-8, 2014

Bill 77 is also known as the Hawkins-Gignac Act. It is named after a Woodstock family. OPP Const. Laurie Hawkins, her husband Richard and their two children, Cassie and Jordan died in a tragic carbon monoxide leak in their home in December 2007. They did not have a carbon monoxide alarm.

Carbon monoxide detectors will now be required near all sleeping areas in residential homes and in the service rooms, and adjacent sleeping areas in multi-residential units. Carbon monoxide alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into the wall.



Quick Facts

Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless.

More than 50 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning in Canada, including 11 on average in Ontario.

Bill 77, an Act to Proclaim Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week and to amend the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, received royal assent in December 2013.

The first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week will take place November 1-8, 2014.

The Ontario Building Code requires the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in homes and other residential buildings built after 2001.



Safety Tips
(Provided by the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education)

Install at least one CSA-6.19.01 approved carbon monoxide detector outside bedrooms. However, it is advised to install one on every floor.

Check the expiry date of existing detector and replace any devices built before 2008. Alarms need to be replaced every 7-10 years depending on the brand.

Have a licensed technician inspect your fuel burning appliances (re. furnace, range, fireplace, water heater) annually, to ensure they are in proper working order and vented correctly.

For families with older parents or relatives, help them inspect their detectors.

Replace batteries in your detector annually, or opt for models with 10-year sealed lithium batteries that never need to be changed.

When a detector sounds, make sure everyone is out of the house and call 911. Exposure to carbon monoxide reduces a person"s ability to think clearly, so don"t delay clearing out.

Kidde Canada has published a very helpful CO information sheet and law guide in PDF format. It is available on their website.

Another great website with valuable information is safeathome.ca. They also have a very good CO Safety Guide in PDF format.