With summer in full swing, it’s time for beach days, camping vacations, road trips, and yes, yard sales. A suburban tradition virtually everywhere in the country, yard sales—or garage sales, depending on what you call them—are a great way to declutter your home and collect a few loonies to spend on summertime fun. 

If it’s been a while since your last major purge, where do you even start? We’ve got some suggestions for planning and executing a successful yard sale.

Image via Mike Mozart on Flickr, CC BY 2.0

What to sell at a yard sale

Though it largely depends on your own surplus inventory, there are some proven hot-ticket items at most yard sales. Remember, the point is as much about getting rid of stuff as it is maximizing your earnings.…

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If you are a homeowner in Canada, you may or may not be aware of a number of related to what you can do on your property and what you can keep as a pet. Some of these might make little sense because they were passed more than a century ago. Some make a bit more sense. A few are simply laughable. Let’s have a look at a few of Canada’s weirdest homeowner laws.

Canada’s weirdest homeowner laws

Painting Laws

In Ontario, Ottawa and its suburb of Kanata are biased against the colour purple since it is legal to paint your house or garage door in any other colour. But if you paint them purple, it is against the law and punishable by a fine.

Meanwhile, in Beaconsfield, Quebec, you can be sued for painting your house more than two colours. The best…

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foundation problems cracked wall

The foundation of a house is crucial for supporting your home and keeping it stable, and if it’s well built, it can last a lifetime. Sometimes, foundation problems can have ramifications for the rest of the house. The sooner you know how to look for signs of trouble, the sooner you can address any problems before they escalate. Of course, if you’re on the home hunt, it is always recommended to have it carefully examined by a professional home inspector before you buy it.

Here are five warning signs of foundation problems to watch for:

  1. Cracks or warping in the exterior walls. Exterior walls are built to allow for a bit of “give.” But as the foundation settles, the walls can lose support. This can lead to cracks, warps,…

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Welcoming more than 300,000 travellers each year, Channel-Port aux Basques is a tourism hotspot in Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s a small town, but nearly everything you need is within walking distance. Take a sightseeing tour and discover one hidden treasure after another—from a delightful array of shops, restaurants, and museums, to beautiful boardwalks and colourful kiosks lining the harbour. Enjoy a day on the beach basking in sunshine, be guided by one of the lighthouses, and take a stroll through the town’s vibrant downtown in this charming community. 


Considered the gateway to Newfoundland and Labrador, Channel-Port aux Basques is situated at the tip of the rugged southwestern coast of the province. It’s also positioned at the eastern end of…

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Bank of Canada Interest Rate Announcement: Supersized Rate Hike of 100 Basis Points on July 13

The Bank of Canada was widely expected to make an increase in this morning’s interest rate announcement, but the central bank surprised everyone with a supersized hike of 100 basis points, bringing its target for the overnight rate up to 2.5 per cent. This is the Bank’s biggest move since 1998, and the fourth in a series of increases expected for 2022 as the Bank tries to tamp down the soaring inflation rate. Inflation is expected to hover around eight per cent for the next few months – well above the Bank’s two-per-cent target.

  1. What is the Bank of Canada’s current policy interest rate?
  2. When does the Bank of Canada announce its overnight rate?
    3. …

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Canadians have enjoyed low interest rates for the last decade, but even more so since the onset of the global pandemic, when the Bank of Canada responded with a trio of rate cuts, bringing us to 0.25%. But 2022 has already seen three interest rate hikes in response to soaring inflation rates, which reached a 39-year high in May, at 7.7 per cent. With a fourth increase in the Bank’s interest rate, you may be wondering: How will higher interest rates affect me?

What does an interest rate hike mean if you’re planning to buy a home, if you already have a mortgage, or are carrying any other debt? Let’s take a step back to better understand what causes movement in interest rates and how a higher rate might impact you.

What Causes Interest Rates to…

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Putting together the funds for a down payment often takes time and a solid strategy that goes beyond tucking a few dollars away each month. Luckily, Canadians have access to a number of investment savings accounts that can optimize their savings towards homeownership. 

Unlike a standard savings account, an investment account offers specific tax and interest benefits a regular account won’t have, making an investment savings account more advantageous when building for a down payment. For instance, Jessica Moorhouse, a millennial money expert and accredited financial counsellor, explains the longer you plan to save for a down payment, the more appropriate it is to invest your money, rather than keep it in an account that’ll gain very little interest…

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How is the Atlantic Canada real estate market performing in the era of rate normalization? Eastern Canada has been a hotbed of growth for the last two years, from population gains to economic resuscitation. With the coronavirus pandemic turning the housing industry upside down and triggering a change in consumer patterns, the Maritimes region is enjoying a renaissance. But while there is the uncertainty of higher interest rates and a post-crisis national economy reopening, experts are confident that this part of the country will survive the next phase of the economic cycle.

In the meantime, market analysts are combing through the data to determine just how well places like Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia are doing in this environment. Experts…

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Staying ahead of trends is tricky business. A Pet Rock was a must-have in 1975, but you’re not likely to find many on display in contemporary curio cabinets these days. It’s not much different for elements of home design. Flocked velvet wallpaper may have put you one step ahead of the neighbors the day it went up, but it quickly became a design liability just months after its application. There’s a natural conservative impulse surrounding big-ticket home purchases. We tend toward neutrals or classics for sofas or appliances for the purpose of longevity. We want things that “fit” five or 10 years down the road, though not every choice holds up over time.

Image via Giphy

On the other hand, accessories are particularly prone to trendy regret…

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what is a housing bubble

What is a housing bubble? You’ve undoubtedly heard the term, but what does it actually mean, and is Canada experiencing one? Whether you already own a home, are considering buying one in the near future, or you’re waiting for the right time to sell, here we answer what is a housing bubble, what causes it, and how it may affect you.

What is a Housing Bubble?

A housing bubble happens when the price of homes rises quickly, at an unsustainable rate. Typically, a price-growth rate that’s in the high single-digits is considered to be healthy and sustainable. Under healthy conditions, homeowners continue to earn equity over time, sellers can make a profit on resale, and buyers can still afford to get into the market. This type…

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