Owning

Sept. 29, 2016

Vancouver Proposing Rental Licence for Airbnb and Short-term Rentals

Vancouver, BC is proposing to implement a new law to require short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, of less than 30 days require a licence. Only homes listed as an owner's principal home will qualify. If approved, Mayor Gregor Robertson says this could add up to 1,000 homes back into …

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Posted in Investing, News, Owning
Sept. 9, 2016

Creating a Pantry, when You Don’t Have One!

A pantry is the ideal nook for storing extra food and other items ordinarily crammed into the kitchen. It’s also a nice design feature, as it harkens back to the days of country kitchens with spacious pantries.

You might be thinking, “That’s nice, but our home doesn’t have a …

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Posted in Owning, Renovating
Aug. 22, 2016

Civil Resolution Tribunal

The Civil Resolution Tribunal, CRT, is Canada's very first online dispute resolution for strata owners. In the past, the only recourse owner's had to resolve disputes was to seek help from the property manager and the strata council, and if that failed the next step was expensive and drawn …

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Posted in News, Owning
July 7, 2016

Top BC Home Rebates and Grants

View the top grants and rebates for B.C. property buyers and owners.

You should see the PDF below, but if not, you can manually Open the PDF.

 

Posted in Buying , News, Owning, Popular
July 7, 2016

Keeping Houseplants Alive when You’re Away

When you’re out-of-town, there are plenty of kennels and other facilities that will mind your dog or cat. In fact, the pet-care business is booming! However, the same options aren’t available for your houseplants. So what do you do?

First, keep in mind that plants can go for several days …

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Posted in Owning
July 7, 2016

Extending the Life of Cut Flowers

There are few things more beautiful than cut flowers in a vase. They instantly brighten any room. That is, of course, until they wilt and die. So how do you make cut flowers last as long as possible? Here are some ideas:

• Cut the bottom of the stems before …

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Posted in Owning
July 7, 2016

Should You Move or Renovate? Three Things to Consider

Determining if you should buy a new home or fix up your current one isn’t easy. In fact, the decision can be steeped in so much drama they make reality TV shows about it!

So if you’re considering whether to move or improve, here are three things to consider.
1. …

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Posted in Owning, Selling
July 7, 2016

How to Reduce the Chance of a Burglary by 90%

No one wants to deal with a burglary. How do you reduce the chances of one happening?

Fortunately, burglaries are a well-studied phenomenon — especially by law enforcement. These studies have identified specific things you can do to cut the risk dramatically. Here are some ideas:

    34% of home break-ins …

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Posted in Owning
July 7, 2016

Low-Cost Storage Hacks for Creating More Space

Comedian George Carlin’s most memorable routine was, “A place for my stuff.” In it, he talked about dealing with the increasing quantity of items we accumulate throughout life.

George was funny. The problem is not. Here are some low-cost ideas for quickly creating storage space for your stuff.
   

    Attach …

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Posted in Owning
July 6, 2016

Can Buying New Kitchen Appliances Increase the Value of Your Home?

Next to a major kitchen renovation, replacing appliances is the most expensive way to upgrade the space. So if you’re purchasing a new refrigerator, stove or dishwasher in order to make your home more attractive to buyers, you want to make wise purchasing decisions.

The most important consideration is how …

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Posted in Owning, Selling