With the arrival of fall bringing cooler nights, shorter days and busier schedules, you might be wondering how you can extend the feeling of summer fun and continue to enjoy patio season well into the autumn months.

Whether you’re hosting a backyard get-together with family and friends or embracing the quiet of the night on your own, outdoor patios have become an extension of our usable living space and should be enjoyed as long as possible. With a few modifications, your outdoor patio can become a cosy autumn oasis, ready to combat those nippy nights and early sunsets.

Here are seven ways to keep patio season around a little longer to get the most out of your outdoor living space.

1. Add barriers

Don’t let the cool fall weather bring…

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How would you describe your dream home? You know, the one with every amenity and design feature you’ve been looking for? But finding that dream home already built and available on the market isn’t always possible. Whether it’s because of the location, size, price, or available features, it can be difficult to find this dream space without compromise. 

Rather than struggling to find something that checks all the boxes, some choose to buy land and build their own home. The process is different from buying in the resale market and can get a little complicated, so it’s best to let a REALTOR® guide you through the process, but we’re going to break things down a bit for you here first.

Why buy land?

According to REALTOR® and salesperson Peter…

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The red-hot Canadian real estate market is finally cooling down thanks to higher interest rates, and is poised to experience some stabilization after the unprecedented boom of the last two years. Is this a terrific opportunity for households looking to purchase a home, or is ownership still out of reach for many Canadian families?

Canada’s housing sector had been electric throughout the coronavirus pandemic, from skyrocketing real estate valuations to exceptional sales activity. It isn’t easy to find another comparable period in the Canada’s history or perhaps envision another span like it in the future – although markets are cyclical.

But while many Canadian families established generational wealth throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis,…

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The COVID-19 pandemic certainly turned Canada’s housing market on its head. Many had anticipated a significant crash in the early days of the coronavirus public health crisis, but the opposite transpired, with a big change in consumer buying and selling patterns. Many Canadian homeowners experienced enormous equity gains on their residential properties and with remote work taking hold, they chose to sell and move elsewhere, in search of a bigger place, or a quieter way of life. What resulted in a massive demand for homes, coupled with a shortage of listings, created strong seller’s market conditions. With buying a home becoming a challenge, many homeowners decide to play it safe, with a plan to buy a house before selling one. But how do you buy a…

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Homesteading_urban_garden

If you’ve checked out any shows such as Homestead Rescue, Unplugged Nation or Alaska the Last Frontier, you may be wondering, what’s homesteading and why are people choosing to live this way? The big idea behind homesteading is focusing on self-reliance, a concept that is becoming increasingly more important in today’s economy. It isn’t reserved just for people who move off the grid, either. Read on to learn about the homesteading practices you can try. 

What’s Homesteading?

While homesteading used to be a very specific lifestyle, the definition has evolved to mean different things to different people in the modern day. What they all share is a commitment to living in a self-sufficient way.

The traditional approach to…

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When the time comes to sell your home, an obvious question arises—should I do renovations before I sell? While on the surface it may seem like renos could increase the value of your property, there are a handful of factors to consider before jumping in.

 First, find and choose a REALTOR©  for guidance on how the market is performing in your area. Next up, decide on your target market. Are you looking for a buyer who wants a move-in ready place? Or someone searching for a fixer upper? What’s your time frame to sell? These questions will help determine the scale and size of any potential renovation.

 Anthony Lance, REALTOR® and sales representative with Right at Home Realty Inc. in Toronto, Ontario, says, “whether you’d like to sell your home with…

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Deciding to place your home on the market this fall? That’s great! Getting your home ready for sale is just as important in the fall and maintaining curb appeal requires different attention then in the spring and summer. Follow these six tips for selling your home this fall, and you might just get it sold before the last leaf falls.

Tips for Selling Your Home this Fall & Easy Fixes to Help Buyers Fall in Love

1. Don’t ‘Leave’ a Mess

While fall leaves are gorgeous to look at on trees, once they hit the ground they no longer add to the beauty of your property. Make a good first impression and get rid of leaves with a leaf blower or rake so the first thing sellers see is your home, not the amount of raking they will have to do each year! Clear…

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Best Time to Sell Your Home_autumn

About the time pumpkin spice lattes hit the menu at your local café you may want to have your house ready to hit the market. Why? Next to spring, fall is arguably the best time to sell your home. In fact, it may even have some advantages over the spring market. Read on to learn why fall might be the best time to wear plaid, indulge in everything pumpkin and sell your home.

Ready to Fall in Love with the Fall Market? Here’s Why It Could Be the Best Time to Sell Your Home:

If you missed the spring market or your intentions to move got waylaid by long weekend plans and summer days, it doesn’t mean you have to wait until next year to sell your home. Placing your home for sale in the fall market has many benefits that may…

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Despite the coronavirus pandemic leading to a so-called Great Resignation that has produced a labour shortage in North America and Europe, fewer Canadians are embracing entrepreneurship, bucking the growing trend south of the border. Before the global health crisis, there were close to 2.9 million self-employed Canadians. Today, Statistics Canada data show a little more than 2.6 million self-employed folks, with losses situated throughout multiple industries, including professional and technical services. It turns out that these folks have transitioned to paid full-time employment. It is a grind for the rest of the self-employed class, but it is also liberating. Of course, that feeling may not be the same when it comes to gathering credit and applying…

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Mother Nature can be unpredictable. Some storms can be intense, with strong winds and heavy rains causing instant and noticeable damage. Other times, storms may be less intense, but still cause damage you might not even think to check for, which can ultimately cause bigger problems later down the road.

It’s difficult to predict how strong a storm will be when it hits,t or how much damage will be caused, so it’s best to beprepared. Here are some of the most common signs of storm damage on homes, so you know what to look for next time your area is hit by severe weather.

Image via Pixabay

What are the most common damages after storms? 

Thunderstorms, hail, blizzards, ice storms, high winds, and heavy rain can develop quickly, with the extent of…

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