Sarah Beeny is definitely a seasoned house expert, becoming recognized for presenting Television reveals these as House Ladder and her personal modern docuseries, Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Region amid quite a few other people. And that's not to point out the priceless working experience of renovating quite a few of her own homes. So when she offers assistance about wherever to preserve and in which to splurge when renovating a property, we make absolutely sure to hear.
It is often a delight when professionals handle to surprise us with their suggestions, as Sarah did with her spending budget kitchen area strategy in a current interview with Ideal Household that just may conserve you from some kitchen area renovation regrets and aid help you save some income for parts where it is really much more greatly needed.
Sarah’s suggestion neatly aligns with Kevin McCloud’s IKEA kitchen philosophy, in that you really do not have to spend a great deal of funds on the base of your cooking house. ‘You can often get absent without the need of a right kitchen,’ points out Sarah. ‘You can just use bits of furnishings that you can get so cheap!'
‘You can get 2nd-hand furnishings for virtually very little and then paint it all the similar colour,' suggests Sarah. 'That way you could get a makeshift kitchen area for most likely £200. And it won't do permanently but it will do for a while.'
(Image credit history: Upcoming PLC/Tom Meadows)
As for what to do with the discounts? Spend in the crucial baseline of the house that you may well regret chopping corners on. ‘Make guaranteed that your wiring and your plumbing is accomplished proper,' she advises. 'Make sure you really do not have damp on the walls, have the plastering appropriate, electrics ideal, get all of individuals foundation items suitable. And then fret about performing much more high priced issues later on.'
Individuals costly issues involve the costs of receiving new kitchen cupboards or curtains. The latter is 1 which Sarah has however to choose and hold hers in her household.
‘The kitchen is not quite concluded. We haven’t bought curtains in there and I haven’t received round to that. And there is quite a lot of rooms that have not received curtains in!'
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The Simple Lifetime: How I Found Home by Sarah Beeny
Sarah Beeny is the writer of several guides about property, residence renovation and Do-it-yourself. Her most new ebook includes tales up to and which includes her most new job, as properly as property renovation tips and assistance based on Sarah's personal practical experience.
So even for Sarah Beeny, there is normally a little (or big) house venture waiting around all-around the corner that wants to get carried out.
Development is a multi-billion-dollar business which is driving progress in Canada, but there’s a best storm of uncertainty on the horizon.
As the industry continues to grow, a labour scarcity is protecting against the constructing field from achieving its accurate potential. And in the subsequent 5 yrs, 20 for each cent of the workforce is set to retire, with not enough staff to exchange them.
That’s problematic for an business that did $7.2 billion in revenue in 2019 in the Prairies by yourself.
With Canada’s populace rising as a result of immigration and the arrival of refugees, the labour lack is ensuing in less houses, exacerbating a housing crisis which is gripped the country put up-pandemic.
What does it all suggest for the up coming couple a long time?
One particular resolution may be those quite newcomers now calling Canada dwelling, with a likelihood for new legacies in just attain.
Enter the Winnipeg-centered Western Retail Lumber Association (WRLA), which will help its member businesses – in the Prairies, B.C., northwestern Ontario, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut – increase in the business.
“We’re below to support tiny to medium and big businesses that get the job done in the developing resources marketplace,” explained WRLA president Liz Kovach. “Our associates develop and offer every little thing that goes into a building. So whether it’s a professional developing, residential or agricultural developing, that’s what they do. And our work is to aid them operate definitely terrific, sleek firms the place we help their team in their teaching demands and of system, their advertising and marketing desires as well to their consumer room.
“Our business and our affiliation signifies almost everything from begin to finish. So whether it’s a tree that is harvested and processed into lumber, whether it’s siding that commenced out as a steel coil and has now been manufactured into something that seems gorgeous on the outside the house of your home, irrespective of whether it’s the insulation that you never see but you appreciate when it keeps you neat or warm dependent on the time of 12 months it is. All of all those, from start off to complete, our associates generate.”
Related: Canadian lumber business grappling with countless numbers of unfilled positions
But the design marketplace is so considerably more than a selection of lumber, sidings and insulation, according to Kovach. It’s about “building communities,” she claims.
“When you stroll into a area lumber keep, you are not basically halting to feel about what that involves simply because you just need to have some thing. No matter if you have to have a screw, regardless of whether you will need wood, no matter what it is that you want. But these individuals truly are encouraging the design sector create communities.
“And I know a whole lot of people really don't see that,” she included.
‘There’s normally likely to be a need’
What Kovach sees are the signals: a battling financial system, the labour shortage, an escalating population, the housing disaster.
“We’re normally going to be constructing, there’s generally heading to be a have to have and we see there’s development all over the place which is necessary,” she said. “We’re actually heading to start off to see the change once the desire rates go down and after our economic climate starts to choose up on the constructing facet. We’re truly likely to see the effect of how much desires to be created here in Canada.”
That’s wherever the WRLA is taking an energetic position in trying to make it simple for newcomers to understand about the marketplace and “build their job from there.” Kovach says bringing new faces to the field is critical to retain it shifting – and hold a roof in excess of everyone’s heads.
“For newcomers, this is a wonderful area to arrive,” the association’s president reported. “We have so many of our businesses that have these a cultural variety. If you go by way of all of our crops, you’ll get to see the flags of all the cultures that are represented and it’s genuinely incredible to see. You can see the variety on the ground, persons are doing the job genuinely nicely with each other and there’s absolutely some coaching there to enable people triumph and excel.
“We’ve witnessed a lot of newcomers to Canada who have found some interest, and I have listened to of a whole lot of them now and it’s seriously cool mainly because now we get to get the job done with them on some of their instruction and growth as nicely. It is exciting to be a aspect of that.”
Liz Kovach, president of the Western Retail Lumber Association, says extra workplaces in the sector are integrating cultural areas of the men and women who make up their workforces. (Joanne Roberts, CityNews)
Kovach states no issue what the skillset, there’s home in the building industry for persons to arrive operate. Aspect of that is since the WRLA provides schooling and teaching that specially caters to varying stages of abilities and encounters. It’s also, according to Kovach, due to the fact virtually every single ability is transferrable to the sector.
“I’m a great instance,” she informed CityNews. “I was training to be an athletic therapist, now I’m performing in the making offer field. I would have never ever been equipped to prepare this. As you understand and as you start to realize what some of your strengths are and your pursuits lie, that’s when you commence to generate that shift.”
Job transform for immigrants to Canada
Far more excellent examples are not challenging to arrive by.
At Winnipeg’s Quik-Therm Insulation, a producing plant on Sargent Avenue, Canadian immigrants are functioning hard in an marketplace that was the moment international to them.
Michael Bernardino and his coworkers Neil Aguilar and Jotham Benedicto may possibly no extended be thought of newcomers to Canada – they all immigrated from the Philippines in the early to mid-2010s – but they’re surely newcomers to building, aiding to fill a hole left by the expanding shortage of staff in the sector.
They all came to Canada hoping for extra prospects for them selves and their people.
Bernardino, who has been working at Quik-Therm for two many years, gave CityNews a warehouse tour, where expanded polystyrene sheets are turned into insulation.
“We have shares prepared to laminate,” claimed the 42-12 months-previous. “We minimize blocks, (dependent) on the order of the prospects.”
Then will come lamination, which Bernardino calls his favorite portion of the method.
“So generally we operate it through (the laminator machine), to put a movie on major and below the styro… It’s gonna be laminated from bottom and prime. Then it is gonna go by way of this perforator, it places some little holes for h2o and air to evaporate… Then we stack them and bag them.”
Bernardino’s entry into the building marketplace was unplanned and surprising. An expert nurse, he immigrated to Canada in 2014 from Angeles Metropolis in the Philippines to sign up for family in Winnipeg.
“I was a bit disappointed since of how rigorous the regulatory system of nursing right here prior to. So then why not shift to a further small business?”
—Michael Bernardino
“Back then I was however residing with my brother, so I really do not want to be a burden to them, so I have to have to locate a position to assistance fiscally.”
Bernardino located a work at a warehouse, and it inevitably led to him working at Quik-Therm. Aguilar and Benedicto afterwards joined him at a job they all say does not even feel like get the job done.
“No pressure. Even soon after work, you can go dwelling (with) no stress,” described Aguilar, who came to Canada from Quezon with his uncle in 2012. “Unlike other warehouses, exactly where initial detail in the morning you’re currently weary. But listed here, you will hardly ever get drained.”
“We treat every single other as a household,” Bernardino said. “So there is no stress, all of us are happy, and at the stop of the working day, you just played and not get the job done. I consider which is the most crucial part. You enjoy what you’re working.”
“It is fun,” added Benedicto. “That’s the most significant detail, proper? You are likely out in the early morning and then you’re excited going to your position and all the individuals below. We’re all loved ones listed here. It’s a family enterprise and that is why, my very first day right here, even my interview when I came below, I felt like I’m home. This is like household. Even the warehouse, it feels like it’s not a warehouse.”
(Still left to Correct) Neil Aguilar, Jotham Benedicto and Michael Bernardino make up the production line at Quik-Therm Insulation in Winnipeg. (Joanne Roberts, CityNews)
Benedicto, who still left Manila with his spouse and 3 young ones in 2017, is the latest member of the Quik-Therm workforce, with 3 months less than his belt.
“When I had my youngsters, me and my wife made a decision to go listed here for much more possibility and hope for a safer and superior long term for my children,” he reported.
Ryan Cullen, Quik-Therm’s director of operations, calls doing work in Manitoba “a blessing.”
“It’s neat to see your home province and operating with people today in your dwelling province and getting it out the doorway and then heading all all through Canada,” Cullen said. “We’re going up north to Nunavut, into the Yukon, to Northwest Territories and owning an affect. I feel it’s just, from my standpoint, it’s just cool becoming included in a Manitoba business and then creating a variance all during Canada.”
Coming from 3 various areas in the Philippines and three diverse employment backgrounds, Bernardino, Aguilar and Benedicto all had hesitations entering an business they understood very little about. Now they’re in the midst of a new vocation.
“I’m on the lookout forward to additional several years in here and ideally I will increase myself and I have my vocation growth right here,” mentioned Benedicto.
The three mates are not confident what the long run holds, but they know their organization will be at the rear of them. Aguilar, for one, is headed to Pink River Faculty soon to analyze IT Quik-Therm built it crystal clear he has a work with them each during and soon after his schooling.
As the firm grows and it wants extra members, Bernardino and his colleagues have turned into de facto recruiters.
“I’m considering of our buddies, to get them to operate with us, to experience this sort of vibe,” Bernardino said. “Like loved ones matter in the place of work. I imagine that would be good for us and hopefully for them, much too.
“To other Filipinos right here in Canada, if you want to work in this type of business, why not consider it? Perhaps you’ll like it.”
And it is not just Filipino immigrants who are becoming a member of the creating sector. The Western Retail Lumber Affiliation states it is seeing newcomers to Canada from all about the world selecting to give the field a try out, and as a result has been establishing components particularly meant to guidance persons whose initial language is not English.
‘For young people in our industry, the option is amazing’
The constructing market is not just about producers and construction personnel, as there are diverse work in the sector, this kind of as shipping, producing, revenue, advertising and marketing, IT, HR, management and client company.
Market leaders say the labour shortage extends to those people aspects of design as very well. It has them touting the benefits of a profession in building.
Mark Kennedy, the vice-president of functions at STAR Constructing Supplies in Winnipeg, states the opportunity job development in the development industry is really promising.
“For youthful men and women in our market, the chance is wonderful,” stated Kennedy, who turned a element-time gig at a design firm into a 35-12 months-job. “There is a ton of more mature fellas like myself that are on the lookout at the end of our professions and possibly looking to retire. And right now you can publish your personal ticket if you’re a youthful particular person who wants to get the job done tough and study the organization, you can genuinely do perfectly in this marketplace.
“With the expansion and the housing problems that there’s been lately, it’s challenging to come across excellent people, and knowledgeable individuals are quite hard to locate. It’s a quite competitive market place, so finding these excellent men and women and retaining them is most likely our major obstacle.”
STAR is a enterprise that provides setting up elements to contractors and to dwelling builders.
“A ton of it all starts off from right here,” Kennedy claimed. “So every task that you see that is likely up wherever you see cranes or development or anything at all all starts from a lumber yard.”
Mark Kennedy, vice-president of operations at STAR Creating Materials in Winnipeg, suggests any individual moving into the field can produce their individual ticket. (Steve Anderson, CityNews)
What commenced as a “little homegrown business” in Winnipeg grew into what it is right now, with Kennedy emotion the good results of the retail store mirrors anyone’s prospective for advancement in the field.
“We had (a) gravel lumberyard,” the vice-president of operations recalled. “If it rained, it was these massive puddles that were coming in. The warehouses were slipping in excess of. Our retailer was tiny and we experienced everyone tripping about everybody.
“During COVID, we in all probability would have had to shut down if we stayed in that place. So we understood that this was a huge endeavor for us in order to rebuild and rebrand of who we had been and who we preferred to be.”
Pursuing that “much-desired update,” STAR Developing Materials now has a renovated retail area, a seven-acre shipping and lumber garden, and many warehouses.
A great deal like the company, Kennedy’s possess occupation grew above the a long time. He labored at a lumber corporation by means of school and turned that into a total-time position following graduation.
“From there it’s just chance following option arrived by,” he mentioned. “It took me to Vancouver and the West Coastline … and then that brought me again to Winnipeg exactly where through a few unique possibilities again, I finished up at STAR and now I’m working the company.
“I don’t think I’ve ever applied for a position. It was fundamentally just an opportunity came upon itself from enterprise to enterprise and slowly but surely moved up and just worked really hard at what we were undertaking and you get identified.”
Kennedy hopes his story evokes other individuals to get a likelihood in an marketplace that desperately demands new faces. With a fifth of the workforce retiring in the coming yrs, it spells uncertainty for the in close proximity to potential.
But the impending hole in the making sector also opens a earth of choices – for immigrants, youthful Canadians, or anybody looking to learn and improve and be component of the upcoming era building Canada’s foreseeable future.
Want to level up your outdoor living space this summer? Head on over to Walmart -- the Walmart website that is -- because we found a really fantastic deal on a top-rated rattan patio furniture set for $206. CBS Essentials readers are going crazy for it: It's our bestselling patio set of 2024.
Right now you can get this 4.2-star rated patio set by Costway that includes two single chairs with cushions (23.5" x 25" x 31"), a loveseat with a cushion (43.5" x 25" x 31") and a tempered glass top coffee table (35" x 18" x 17.5") that supports up to 165 pounds. The chairs support up to 400 pounds. The washable cushions are available in white, turquoise, red, navy and beige.
"This patio furniture looks great and is very comfortable," a Walmart reviewer said. "All the pieces and hardware were clearly marked and the assembly instructions were easy to follow. Very well satisfied."
Originally priced at $369, you can get this four-piece patio furniture set at Walmart starting at $206. Shipping is included.
Looking for more patio furniture deals? Walmart has plenty of discounted outdoor furniture pieces and patio sets to shop right now. Tap the button below to see all the deals.
More great patio furniture deals at Walmart
Walmart is your go-to store for inexpensive patio furniture this spring. Check out these curated Walmart patio furniture finds, with options for every size of porch or deck.
Tappio 3-piece bistro set with table: $85
Walmart
On a tight budget this spring? Here's an outdoor patio furniture solution under $100. This three-piece rattan set includes two chairs (23" x 23" x 28") and a table (15.75" x 15.75" x 17").
"I love my set," says one verified Walmart reviewer. "I use it for my upper balcony at my townhouse. It's the perfect size and the seats are wide so you don't feel like you are going to have to squeeze in the chair and break it. They look a little low when you put them together but are actually a good height."
Regularly $130, you can score this patio furniture deal for $85 at Walmart now.
OC Orange Casual 3-piece outdoor sectional: $240
Walmart
This three-piece rattan patio set, rated 4.4 stars by Walmart reviewers, includes a loveseat (26.8" x 49.2" x 26"), lounge (27.2" x 49.2" x 26") and table with a tempered glass top (21.65" x 21.65" x 12.6"). The polyester cushions feature a zipper for easy removal and cleaning.
"Super easy to assemble, comfy and good looking," says one verified Walmart reviewer.
Regularly $530, get this three-piece set on sale at Walmart now starting at $240.
Rattan eight-piece outdoor furniture set: $410
Walmart
Need more seating for your guests this spring and summer? This eight-piece patio furniture set includes four chairs (23" x 22.5" x 32.5"), two loveseats (41" x 23.5" x 32.5"), two tempered glass coffee tables (27.5" x 16" x 16") and washable cushions.
Says one Walmart reviewer about the 4-star-rated rattan patio set: "I love the set, I use it almost every morning. The assembly was easy and the seating is comfortable. I bought the double set, one for under my carport, one for the garden.
Save on this bestselling outdoor patio furniture set at Walmart now. It's available in six colors, ranging from turquoise to gray.
Regularly $510, get this patio set at Walmart for $410.
Rattan outdoor patio daybed: $220
Walmart
Lounge all spring and summer on this rattan outdoor patio daybed (61" x 52" x 27.5"). The washable cushions are available in five colors. Supports up to 800 pounds. Prices vary by color, though most are on sale.
It's rated 4.0 stars at Walmart.
"This outdoor daybed is exactly as described and pictured," said a Walmart reviewer. "Looked for a year to find an affordable one. This was it!"
Regularly $389, get this patio set at Walmart for $220.
Rattan 3-piece outdoor furniture set: $154
Walmart
Looking for furniture for a smaller outside space? Check out this three-piece rattan set. There are eight colorways available.
Perfect for small spaces, this patio furniture set includes two single chairs (26.5" x 26.5" x 30") and a glass-top coffee table (19.5" x 19.5" x 19.5"). The cushion covers are zippered for easy removal and washing. The chairs support up to 390 pounds.
"Really nice set for the price," a Walmart reviewer says about this 4.2-star patio set.
Find this set at Walmart starting at $154, reduced from $389.
Fox Van Allen
Managing editor Fox Van Allen is an expert in tech, laptops and computers, toys and video games for CBS Essentials. When he's not writing about (or playing) the Nintendo Switch and PS5, Fox's hobbies include reality TV podcasting, designing board games and hanging out in his favorite warehouse stores.
Decorating a home is a double-edged sword; on one hand, you can furnish and customize exactly as you please, but on the other hand, aesthetics vary from person to person — and sooner or later, you're bound to invite someone in who just doesn't vibe with your personal tastes. Recently, we shared people's least favorite home design trends that are just about everywhere these days, and even more of you chimed in with your hot takes on how people decorate their spaces. These were the best ones.
1."Doorless bathrooms. Why would anyone build a doorless bathroom, much less in a bedroom? 'Why do I always have pink eye?' That's because poop and mold are on your pillows, Brittany. And don't forget, if you're a private pooper, you're gonna have to go somewhere else or ask your partner to leave the room. Who thinks of this stuff?!"
John Keeble / Getty Images
2."Exposed beams are beautiful and have been around for centuries — but you're not fooling me when you slap up some heinous, faux wood 'beam' on your ceiling for that rustic, modern farmhouse look. I recently saw a TikToker put up a faux wood beam made of foam, and I swear I nearly threw up."
—Anonymous, 36, Indiana
3."Built-in appliances are definitely dumb. Unless there's an easy way to remove the appliance for repairs or replacement, building around it is asinine."
Anatoliy_gleb / Getty Images
4."'Agreeable gray' everything. When we repainted our living room, we read about how agreeable grey is perfect, so we got a tester pot and painted a wall that was out of direct sunlight. It looked like wet cardboard. It also took four or five coats of primer to cover up. We now call all that class of colors 'grievous griege.'"
5."One trend I cannot stand is putting gigantic houses on itty bitty-sized lots. There will be little yard to speak of, but a 4,000-square-foot house that is fighting against their neighbors to the extent that you can look into your neighbor's windows — but have nowhere to be outside or throw a ball for your dog."
Marc Dufresne / Getty Images
6."Doorless showers. Every time you use those awful doorless showers, the entire bathroom gets soaked."
—Anonymous
7."Pillows, pillows, and more pillows! Big pillows, bright pillows, itsy-bitsy pillows. They look pretty when arranged perfectly on a bed. The problem is most of the time, they end up jumbled or thrown on a chair."
John Keeble / Getty Images
8."Huge master bedrooms and bathrooms that minimize the number of bedrooms (or rooms) possible. I'm not having a party in my bedroom, so yeah, it doesn't have to be so big."
9."Why do I see houses that are ALL built with the garages set as the FIRST in-your-face visual with new homes? Please, for the love of aesthetics, stop creating this atrocity!"
Erik Isakson / Getty Images/Tetra images RF
10."Why are they designing homes where you have to walk through the bathroom to get to the closet? What if someone is using it when I want to get dressed?"
—Anonymous
11."Two-tone kitchen cabinetry. The next owners will be thrilled to rip out that island that doesn’t match the rest of the kitchen — or even worse, the different colors on lower and upper cabinets."
Triggerphoto / Getty Images
12."Those huge bowl sinks set on top of vanities or counters. I call them above-ground sinks."
13."Free-standing bathtubs. They create about 30 square feet of nearly unreachable space that needs frequent cleaning."
Dreamtimestudio / Getty Images
14."No mud rooms or small entryways in favor of larger living spaces. Being in the Midwest, it can get wet and muddy as seasons change. I need a place to take off my winter gear and not track dirt into my main living spaces."
—Anonymous, Minnesota, 25
15."Kitchen sinks in a center island. Not everything goes in the dishwasher. So where do all the dirty items go until they get washed? And where do they air dry? Right on display in the center island. I also saw an island stove with a pot filler sticking straight up from the counter. What an eyesore!"
—Anonymous, 75, California
Photovs / Getty Images/iStockphoto
16."Don’t get me started with the ridiculous trend of not having stair banisters at home — or anywhere else. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen."
17."Pot fillers. How old is the water in those pipes that you're just about to put in your cooking? It's not like it gets used every day and the water is fresh."
—Anonymous, 75, California
Joe Hendrickson / Getty Images
18."Those kitchen cabinets that reach the ceiling are a waste of money. Nobody can reach the top shelf unless they're pro basketball players. Just enclose the space over the cabinets if you don't want an open space. It's a lot cheaper."
19."I hate my fake balcony so much. Like, why?! They're just big, sliding glass doors to nowhere. I see them all over Arlington now!"
Pavel Adashkevich / Getty Images
20."All the DIY paneling. Sticking wooden bits onto the wall to make it look like a period property is weird."
—Anonymous
21."Any room or place I see with barn doors becomes instantly tacky to me. You got a multi-million dollar home? Great! You have barn doors inside? Trash…"
22."The common trend with new builds where bathrooms are built anywhere near kitchens, or places where eating takes place (like right off the kitchen bar counter or dining table)."
What's a current home design trend that you just can't get behind — and why? Tell us about it in the comments below, or submit anonymously using this form.
Prospective homebuyers question queries on housing tasks at a authentic estate agency in Beijing in March. [JIANG QIMING/CHINA NEWS SERVICE]
China"s genuine estate marketplace is expected to become completely stabilized in the 2nd 50 percent of 2024, ending a three-12 months adjustment period, if the most current rounds of highly supportive policy actions are very well applied to boost homebuyer assurance and relieve liquidity anxiety among the builders, authorities claimed on Friday.
They also count on restrictions on housing buys and loans will be gradually phased out, even though more coverage measures could be desired to fortify market place anticipations and speed up recovery of the sector.
Chinese authorities on Friday eased home finance loan procedures and vowed to battle the tough struggle of dealing with the chance of unfinished professional housing. They also asked to market presold property deliveries, cut down housing inventories and enhance financing for developers. Share charges of developers on A-share markets subsequently surged.
On Friday, the state removed business house loan fee minimums for very first and second properties nationwide, and lowered bare minimum down payment ratios for to start with and next residences, respectively, to 15 percent and 25 percent.
It also introduced the establishment of a 300 billion yuan ($41.51 billion) relending facility for inexpensive housing to really encourage and information economic institutions to help community State-owned enterprises in buying unsold accomplished industrial housing at suitable costs — to be applied as both sale-oriented or rental-oriented reasonably priced housing — in accordance with sector-oriented and regulation-primarily based concepts.
Beginning from Saturday, it will minimize desire charges for personalized housing provident fund financial loans by .25 percentage points.
In another advancement, at a information convention in Beijing on Friday, it was introduced that new steps will be introduced to aid regional governments to recall or buy back again unused household land parcels held by home developers to assistance minimize their economic tension. Governments in towns with excessive household inventories can arrange local Point out-owned enterprises to get unsold properties at acceptable charges and change them into economical housing, it said.
"Centering on lowering mortgage loan premiums, loosening residence invest in constraints and encouraging community government buys of unsold homes to transform them into inexpensive housing, the latest rounds of coverage steps will supply potent guidance for both of those supply and demand sides in the authentic estate sector," claimed Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit rating Ranking Worldwide.
"This will advertise presold house shipping and alter the ongoing craze of a considerable calendar year-on-year decrease in accomplished areas of professional houses considering the fact that the start off of the yr. Additionally, it will efficiently lower inventory tension, relieve the financial pressure on builders and greater manage default pitfalls," Wang mentioned.
The desire level for new mortgages prolonged to citizens was 3.69 percent by the end of March, stated the People's Lender of China, the country's central bank. The real mortgage loan price, on an upward pattern given that 2021, was believed to be amongst the optimum in background specified the at this time very low inflation concentrations, which was a key aspect fundamental the downward strain in the property marketplace irrespective of supportive policies in area, Wang mentioned.
"That usually means there is sizeable coverage area for supporting the residence industry, and if these adjustments are designed in a timely method, the sector could stand a very good possibility of stabilizing," he additional.
Yan Yuejin, director of the Shanghai-based mostly E-residence China Study and Growth Institution, mentioned the new progress also signaled that efforts to improve land utilization across various destinations are set to accelerate, which will aid authentic estate builders convert their land inventory into dollars and therefore reduce their liquidity stress.
"In the earlier, insurance policies to make improvements to land use generally focused on minimizing land idleness and squander. This time, having said that, it is very clear that the emphasis has shifted towards principally assuaging the challenges confronted by authentic estate enterprises and lowering their personal debt burdens," Yan reported.
Wang Xingping, senior analyst of corporates at rating company Fitch Bohua, explained the new policy measures were "unprecedently supportive" of the residence sector.
Yet the extended assets market place downturn, in tandem with downward macroeconomic stress, has severely dampened current market confidence, Wang mentioned, adding, "There is continue to a superior chance for much more supportive procedures aimed at stimulating revenue in the short operate, which will help to constrain the drop in property product sales."
Chinese cities described further home rate drops in April equally in year-on-year and month-on-thirty day period phrases, which indicated that the residence market stays in a procedure of adjustment, said Wang Zhonghua, a statistician with the National Bureau of Statistics' city division.
Value declines broadened month-on-thirty day period in all the tier-three towns for both of those new residences and pre-owned attributes, reported Wang of the NBS.
Lu Ting, main China economist at Nomura, said the task of ensuring the delivery of presold residences retains the critical to halting the "downward spiral" facing China's residence marketplace.
Households' unwillingness to invest in attributes has intensified real estate developers' liquidity anxiety, which, in switch, even further impeded home supply and discouraged property getting, Lu explained. "It is for that reason reasonable for the central govt to set up a fund exclusively focused to guaranteeing housing shipping."
Renovations present a unique opportunity to make your home greener, creating environments that combine aesthetics and practicality with environmental consciousness.
Every decision made during a home renovation can contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle, from choosing eco-friendly gadgets and materials to minimizing waste and reducing energy consumption.
Understanding how to be sustainable at home is one of the most fundamental practicalities to consider before you start renovating. Beyond reducing your environmental footprint, it is a great way to future-proof your home, enhance its curb appeal, and cut energy costs.
Sustainable home renovation tips
'In an era marked by environmental consciousness, the concept of renovating with sustainability at the forefront has gained considerable traction,' says interior designer Nina Lichtenstein. 'As homeowners seek to reduce their carbon footprint and embrace eco-friendly practices, renovating with sustainability in mind has become both a responsible choice and a trendsetting endeavor.
'However, renovating with sustainability in mind is more than a trend; it's a commitment to responsible living and supporting ethical practices.'
1. Planning
(Image credit: Marie Flanigan / Photography Julie Soefer)
The first step towards a sustainable renovation is careful planning. To do this, Nina Lichtenstein says: 'Start by setting clear goals: utilize non-toxic and natural materials, prioritize energy efficiency, or incorporate renewable resources like solar energy. Develop a strategy for waste reduction, including recycling and repurposing materials during the renovation process.
'A detailed assessment of your home's current state will help identify areas that can benefit the most from sustainable improvements.'
Consider the points below when devising your renovation plan.
Nina Lichtenstein
Nina Lichtenstein is the founder and principal home designer at her eponymous design studio, based in Westchester, NY. Nina believes that home design should capture a family’s unique spirit by how it serves the family's daily needs while nourishing the soul. She has been celebrated for designing, renovating, and building elegant living spaces.
2. Choose sustainable materials
(Image credit: Future)
Choosing sustainable materials is another crucial aspect of eco-conscious renovations. Eco decor not only reduces environmental impact but also promotes a healthier indoor environment, enhances long-term durability, conserves resources, and supports ethical practices in production and sourcing.
Shop sustainably by looking for materials that are recycled, reclaimed, or renewable. For example, using reclaimed wood for cabinets, countertops, flooring, or accent pieces will reduce the demand for newly harvested timber.
When decorating, choose eco paints and VOC-free finishes. Opting for products that are plastic and solvent-free minimizes environmental impact and improves indoor air quality by reducing harmful emissions.
3. Consider energy efficient upgrades
(Image credit: Neolith)
Enhancing energy efficiency in your home is a cornerstone of sustainable renovation.
One of the best ways to do this is to choose energy-efficient appliances and install smart home must-haves, such as programmable thermostats or smart lighting. These improvements not only reduce your carbon footprint but also lead to long-term savings by helping you cut energy bills.
EnergyGuide labels will show an appliance's average annual energy consumption and operating cost so that you can compare them to your current model. Additionally, appliances controlled by smart electric meters or home energy management systems can adjust their operations according to your usage patterns or energy demand to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
'Smart appliances don't just turn off during times of peak electricity demand – instead, they use subtle ways to shift energy use,' explain experts at The U.S. Department of Energy. 'Your water heater may adjust its heating cycle to operate when energy costs are lower, without impacting their performance, or your laundry or dishwasher can be scheduled to operate when electricity rates and demand are lower.' A smart thermostat can adjust schedules according to your temperature preferences and routines, reducing energy consumption by adjusting temperatures according to your schedule.
4. Reduce your reliance on electricity
(Image credit: Jenn Verrier)
You can also improve energy efficiency in your home by evaluating its energy sources and finding methods to reduce your reliance on electricity. For example, Nina Lichtenstein says: 'Increasing natural light and ventilation not only reduces the need for artificial lighting and air conditioning but also enhances indoor comfort. During a renovation, prioritize strategies like installing larger windows and and skylights.'
'Insulating your home is also crucial for energy efficiency,' says Himadri Shakya, home renovation expert at Architecture. 'Many older homes lack proper insulation, so a renovation is the perfect opportunity to address this issue. Speak to your builder about the best insulation options for your home and consider using recycled or natural insulation materials like cellulose or sheep's wool.' Implement measures such as caulking, insulation, upgrading windows for efficiency, and sealing plumbing. Consider using light-colored reflective roofing materials to reduce heat gain.
Furthermore, consider installing solar panels. With long-term savings and minimal maintenance costs, solar energy offers a reliable and sustainable way to generate electricity for your household, helping you to depend less on non-renewable energy.
5. Incorporate water-saving fixtures
(Image credit: Selected Wallpapers)
Another way to make your home more sustainable is by incorporating water-saving fixtures and technologies that can significantly reduce water consumption.
'Install low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets, and incorporate water-saving appliances like dishwashers or washing machines to minimize water waste without compromising performance,' suggest Nina Lichtenstein.
'Additionally, rainwater harvesting systems can also be integrated into landscaping to reduce reliance on municipal water.' Collecting rainwater is an excellent way to reduce your water consumption for various purposes, such as watering your indoor herb garden, and cleaning fruits, vegetables, and dishes. Filtered water can even be used for cooking after boiling.
6. Reduce waste
(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)
Sustainable living isn't just about energy savings; it's also about reducing waste.
'Meticulously plan projects to minimize off-cuts and unused materials,' advises Kristin Hintlian, co-owner of Bonsai Builders. 'When demolition is necessary, prioritize deconstruction over destruction to allow materials to be repurposed or recycled. This methodology has a dual benefit: reducing landfill waste and conserving resources by giving materials a second life.'
You can also minimize renovation waste by salvaging and repurposing materials wherever possible – some reclaimed materials look better than new. Consult with architects, contractors, and designers experienced in sustainable renovations. They can offer innovative solutions tailored to your home's unique needs while ensuring adherence to green building standards and codes.'
Donate usable fixtures, cabinets, and appliances to charitable organizations if possible.
Before you begin your renovation project, it's important to assess your current energy usage and identify areas for improvement. This could include upgrading to energy-efficient appliances or improving insulation in your home.
To get more homes built faster and address challenges in B.C.’s housing market, a new digital Building Permit Hub will help streamline and standardize local permitting processes.
“The permitting process can be slow and complicated, delaying the construction of homes we urgently need,” said Premier David Eby. “Together, we’ve made progress cutting provincial and municipal permitting times, but we have to keep going. This new one-stop shop for local building permits will reduce red tape for homebuilders, local governments and First Nations, and ultimately save money, speed up construction and help people get into homes faster.”
The Province is digitizing local permit processes to make it easier and faster for homeowners and industry professionals to submit applications to local governments and First Nations. The Building Permit Hub is the next step in the Province’s work to speed up homebuilding and reduce the costs of housing, and meet the Province’s goal for British Columbia to become a North American leader in digital permitting and construction.
“We are exploring new ways to speed up the delivery of homes for people in B.C.,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “The Building Permit Hub will make the permitting process smoother for builders and local and First Nations governments, ensuring homes are built quicker without unnecessary delays. This is one of many actions we are taking in our Homes for People action plan.”
The Province’s work to cut provincial permitting times is showing results. Provincial permits are being processed faster and backlogs are being cleared with permits being processed faster than they are coming in.
The Province has heard from industry, local governments and First Nations that some of the biggest challenges with the local building-permit submission process are incomplete applications, inconsistent submission requirements from one community to another and different interpretations of compliance with BC Building Code requirements. These problems contribute to costly delays to building new homes for people.
The Building Permit Hub will address these challenges by offering a one-stop, simplified process, resulting in faster processing and review times. Builders will submit their permit applications online in the hub, which will:
standardize building-permit submission requirements across jurisdictions in B.C.;
automatically check that the permit application is complete; and
automatically check compliance with key parts of the BC Building Code.
A provincewide system that addresses the different permit requirements in each community will result in complete and consistent applications that are straightforward for local governments and First Nations to approve.
“This permitting tool will evolve, incorporating user feedback to deliver a seamless experience for those building the homes people need throughout the province,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “Government is working to unlock the full potential of digital innovation and technology, as we tackle the housing crisis together.”
The Province worked closely with communities and industry experts to develop the Hub.
Twelve local governments and two First Nations will pilot the first version of the Building Permit Hub. The Building Permit Hub will go live on Monday, May 27, 2024, to allow communities to update the tool for their local requirements and permitting capability is expected to come online this summer. The hub will be further developed in summer with additional features added, such as permit applications for secondary suites and accessory dwelling units, and will eventually be available throughout the province, allowing every community to process building permits digitally.
The Building Permit Hub will scale up to include more types of housing. Advancing digital permitting and construction is part of the Province’s Homes for People action plan to build homes for people faster, protect renters and fight speculation. The Province is investing in other digital housing solutions as well and has already delivered a web-based, interactive version of the building code.
The Building Permit Hub is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the Province has nearly 78,000 homes that have been delivered or are underway.
To learn more about government’s new Homes for People action plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436
To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for people in British Columbia, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/
For years now, rattan furniture has remained popular both indoors and outdoors, and it’s definitely not going away anytime soon (even professional interior designers say so!). Unlike other materials frequently used to make outdoor furniture, rattan patio furniture is versatile enough to fit almost any vision, regardless of trendy aesthetics or style. Plus, rattan patio furniture is perhaps the easiest outdoor furniture to take care of; you can easily fix broken strands with epoxy glue, clean it with nothing more than mild soap and water, and yes, you can even paint on it, too.
Because Amazon is undoubtedly one of the best places to buy outdoor furniture online, we did some research and discovered the best rattan patio furniture deals worth shopping right now. From dining tables and chairs to comfy sectionals, each of these rattan picks will add comfort style, and of course, more seating to your outdoor space. And thanks to potential savings of up to 63 percent, prices start at just $90.
Christopher Knight Home Salla Outdoor Acacia Wood Dining Set
Amazon
For a subtle nod to rattan, this outdoor dining set effortlessly mixes textures and materials by pairing the wicker chairs with a solid acacia wood table and matching bench. (By the way, wicker is the weave, rattan is the actual material.) It comes with four chairs and a 63-inch long bench that can seat two people or up to three kids. The teak-finished table and bench introduce another material into the fold for extra contrast, as the frames on both are made of matte black metal that’s sturdy and long-lasting. All in all, it seats up to six people (again, maybe seven if you have kids), and the table itself spans 33 by 70 by 29.5 inches, providing ample space for dishes, food, and even board game night.
Devoko Three-Piece Patio Furniture Set
Amazon
An Amazon best-seller in the patio furniture category, this popular three-piece set is a quick and affordable way to add some extra seating to your outdoor space. With two comfortable wicker chairs and a small rattan coffee table that nestles in between, it’s the perfect bistro set for intimate conversions over a shared charcuterie board. Of course, it’s completely waterproof, quick and easy to assemble upon delivery, and the table comes with a tempered glass top that conveniently wipes clean with water. Both chairs come with a sponge-filled cushion that’s easy on the rear, too, and the covers can be removed whenever they need a deep cleaning.
Outsunny Seven-Piece Outdoor Patio Furniture Set
Amazon
This best-selling patio sofa is on major markdown right now, despite being able to accommodate as many as six people at once. A steal like this could easily go for over $700, so if you’re looking to add the most amount of seating as possible for the lowest cost possible, this is your chance. The U-shaped sectional is modular, meaning that each piece stands alone and can be rearranged to your liking. It also comes with a tempered-glass top coffee table that measures 28.75 by 25.5 by 12.5 inches—a convenient size for holding everyone’s drinks and even a few hors d’oeuvres, too. The sofa’s rattan construction has all the markers you’d look for in the material, including UV resistance, weather resistance, and waterproofing. Even the removable cushion covers are water repellent, so this entire set really can withstand all types of weather, all season long.
Pamapic Five-Piece Outdoor Patio Wicker Chair Set
Amazon
This gorgeous five-piece set is beloved by customers, and has more than 1,500 five-star ratings to prove it. For less than $350, you get two large, comfy chairs, a table with shelving, and two pull-out style ottomans to relax your feet on. The wicker weave on this set combines multiple colors of rattan, which gives it even more texture and dimension for an expensive Hamptons-esque flair. The rattan is waterproof and UV-resistant, therefore able to withstand all weather conditions, and because the ottomans tuck neatly underneath each chair, the entire set is space-saving, too.
There are more rattan patio furniture deals where those came from—aka Amazon. Keep scrolling below to shop and save on even more of our favorite patio furniture picks.
Signature Design by Ashley Grasson Lane Outdoor Patio Loveseat
Amazon
Devoko Five-Piece Patio Sectional Set
Amazon
Flamaker Three-Piece Patio Set
Amazon
Signature Design by Ashley Paradise Trail Outdoor Patio Sofa
Amazon
East Oak Breezeway Three-Piece Outdoor Bistro Set
Amazon
Best Choice Products Seven-Piece Modular Outdoor Sectional
Among the trends that the design world is all too happy to declare dead, the matching bedroom set, or suite as it’s sometimes called, is right up there with flush-mount “boob” lights and popcorn ceilings. “Conceptually, it’s very dated,” San-Francisco-based interior designer Marea Clark says. “When every piece of furniture looks exactly the same, it feels a little lazy and makes for a boring environment.”
Many companies still make these matchy-matchy sets, but they are unlikely to grace the pages of today’s shelter magazines or designers’ social media feeds. Instead, designers favor mixing an array of furniture finishes and styles for a more eclectic, collected look.
It hasn’t always been that way: America’s taste for the bedroom suite soured only recently. According to Alexis Barr, a design history instructor at the New York School of Interior Design, the idea of having matching bedroom furniture took off during the industrial revolution of the mid-1800s and remained popular through the 20th century, thanks to a mix of savvy advertising, expanded credit lines and a rising middle class.
“There was an attitude that if you’ve made it and you have your life in order, you can afford to buy things that go together,” says James Farmer, an interior designer in Perry, Ga. “Now we think differently about these things.”
But achieving the artfully mismatched look requires balancing furnishings in varying styles and materials. Pick too many motley pieces and your boudoir might have the aesthetic appeal of a roadside junk shop. So how do you master the mix? Here are the guidelines designers swear by.
Whether you’ve just inherited a bedroom set or you bought one 20 years ago and aren’t ready to replace it, you can work with what you have to achieve a look with more personality. “If you already own a matching set, changing one significant thing can make a difference,” Farmer says. “It’s like buying a suit off the rack and adding a funky tie. That tweak is what makes it your own.”
The easiest and least expensive items to swap out from a traditional suite are the nightstands. Adding a pair of bedside tables in a different finish or style can energize even the fustiest outdated set. And if there’s a matching headboard, changing it to an upholstered one helps because it’s one fewer wood piece in the room. “An upholstered headboard is a great opportunity to bring in some color or pattern through the fabric,” Clark says. “Plus, they’re comfortable; it’s nice to have something soft to lean against in bed.”
When shopping for dressers, chests and nightstands, designers recommend mixing natural wood-tone finishes, which could include rattan and cane, with painted and metal ones to avoid the dreaded sea of all brown furniture. “If you have five different kinds of stained wood coexisting in your room, it can feel like a thrift store exploded,” designer Shannon Claire Smith of D.C.-based Shannon Claire Interiors says.
For instance, Smith advises against buying nightstands in a light wood finish and a dresser in a similar but different tone because it might look like you tried to coordinate them and fell short of the mark. “Instead, I would combine the light wood nightstands with a black painted dresser, or do a burl wood dresser with lacquer-painted nightstands in a color,” she says. “The possibilities are endless, just so long as the finishes are different enough to look like you did it on purpose.”
That’s not to say that you can’t have two different wood tones happening in the same space. When Charlotte-based designer Charlotte Lucas works with more than one wood finish, she too aims for contrast. “It’s easier to mix a darker wood tone, such as ebony, with a lighter burl wood piece because there’s enough variation for them to complement each other,” she says.
Smith says one of the trickiest proportions to get right is how the bed relates to the nightstands and vice versa. “Beds these days are awfully low profile and they don’t have box springs like they used to,” she says. “Platform beds can be a great look, but if you don’t pay attention to that scale, it can feel very low slung, making the other furniture in the room feel off.”
Ideally, you’ll want no more than two to four inches between the top of the mattress and the top of the nightstand.
“You don’t want to feel like you’re reaching up really high or down low to set something on the nightstand next to you,” Clark says.
The proportions get even more complicated when you have non-matching pieces on each side of the bed. Say you found the perfect antique desk and you’d like to use it as a bedside table. In that case, you should look for a nightstand, table or chest with a similar proportion and finish for the other side of the bed to unify the pieces. “The other rule of thumb is to make sure they are both the same height within an inch or two,” Lucas says. “If you have two radically different heights with identical lamps, it’s going to look really off-balance.”
If one bedside table is more than a couple of inches taller than the other, you can still make it work by choosing different lamps that hit at the same height. What’s on both sides of the bed should carry a similar visual weight and have the same overall height.
Even the most eclectic interiors need balance and harmony. Bringing in too many stylistically unrelated pieces of bedroom furniture can produce a disjointed and chaotic result — the opposite of restful. “Your room might start feeling kooky if every piece is in a different style from a different period,” Clark says. “Balance older, vintage or antique finds with newer pieces so it doesn’t feel like a flea-market hodgepodge.”
Designers agree the key is to pick one dominant style to anchor the room, then pepper that with a few contrasting pieces in other styles. For instance, in a room of mostly modern furniture, one or two over-the-top French or antique pieces can break up the monotony. “Similarly, if you have all traditional furniture with classic lines, throwing in one sculptural, mid-century item is a great way to make the room feel instantly cool,” Smith says. “Drawing that juxtaposition is key to making the space unique.”
Farmer adds: “There’s a gift that you’re giving yourself when you appoint your bedroom. It’s your space, so be unapologetic about expressing your style.”
Michelle Brunner is a writer in D.C. who covers interior design and culture.
Whilst home loan premiums in Canada are beginning to development reduce, there is regrettably little aid on the horizon for possible homebuyers, as affordability circumstances continued to worsen in most cities — which include Toronto — throughout the thirty day period of April.
The most up-to-date affordability examination by Ratehub.ca paints a somber photograph of the country's present-day true estate marketplace, finding that it became tougher to qualify for a home finance loan in 10 out of 13 significant marketplaces in Canada last thirty day period owing to increasing residence costs.
The report analyzed the bare minimum yearly earnings essential to get an average property in major Canadian metropolitan areas primarily based on April 2024 and March 2024 real estate details, although also using into account how mortgage rates and the mortgage anxiety check are impacting the income desired to get a residence.
In accordance to the examine, the regular five-12 months mounted home loan rate decreased a little bit between March and April from 5.62 for every cent to 5.5 per cent.
The common mortgage loan anxiety test — which involves borrowers to prove that they could find the money for to have their mortgage at a fee of two per cent or larger than the one they receive from their lender — also sits at 7.5 for each cent.
"The two critical variables that impact home affordability, residence values and fascination costs, moved in reverse directions," said James Laird, Co-CEO of Ratehub.ca.
"Curiosity premiums are down and residence values are up in 12 out of 13 towns we seemed at. The raise in household values was adequate this sort of that affordability worsened in 10 of 13 cities even with the level drop."
The data collected was dependent on a property finance loan with a 20 for every cent down payment, 25-calendar year amortization, $4,000 once-a-year property taxes and $150 regular heating. Average household costs were sourced from the CREA MLS Home Price tag Index (HPI).
In Toronto precisely, the normal household value in March 2024 was $1,113,600 and $1,128,100 in April 2024, representing a transform of $14,500 —the 2nd-best raise witnessed in Canada moreover Halifax.
How a great deal you need to have to make to be equipped to afford a property in major Canadian towns. Supply: Ratehub.ca.
The research also uncovered that the cash flow expected to acquire an typical property in Toronto in March was $217,500, a figure that increased to a staggering $218,050 in April.
Regardless of the increase, the newest info release from the Canadian Genuine Estate Association (CREA) reveals that an boost in listings has resulted in the most "balanced marketplace conditions we have witnessed at the countrywide level given that before the pandemic" this spring.
"House loan costs are continue to higher, and it continues to be complicated for a whole lot of persons to split into the market," said James Mabey, Chair of CREA's 2024-2025 Board of Administrators.
"For those who can, it is the initially spring marketplace in some time wherever they can store around, get their time and exercise some bargaining energy. Given how substantially desire is out there, it can be really hard to say how extended it will final," Mabey continued.
In accordance to Ratehub.ca, it is really anticipated that homebuyers will return to the authentic estate industry at the time the Bank of Canada starts off chopping its lending amount, which could occur as early as the future announcement on June 5, 2024.
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Summer is a great time for home improvement projects and DIY updates around the house. Set some time (and money) aside this summer to give your home some TLC. Not only will it increase the overall value of your home, but little upgrades here and there can also save you a lot of money down the line.
sturti/Getty Images
Some home improvements can be expensive, such as adding central air conditioning or remodeling an entire room of your house. But some lower-cost projects can add value for less money. Here are some simple, affordable home improvement projects to try this summer that won't break the bank.
1. Pressure-Wash Outdoor Areas
Winter weather can leave all sorts of dirt and grime on your home's exterior and other outdoor areas. Take advantage of the warmer weather to give your home a high-powered cleaning. A pressure washer can quickly remove buildup on siding, driveways, decks, patios, and walkways.
If you don't own a pressure washer, you can often rent one at your local home center or hardware store. As you clean your home's exterior, direct the spray downward to avoid forcing water into cracks or seams. Use a lower-pressure setting on surfaces that could easily be damaged, such as painted siding or wood decks.
2. Refinish Your Deck
Sprucing up your deck with fresh paint or stain in anticipation of summer entertaining is a summer home improvement project that will really pay off. Not only will refinishing your deck give it a clean look, but it will also help reduce cracks and splinters, making the surface friendlier for bare feet. Proper prep is key to a beautiful finish, so take the time to clean the surface and strip off the old finish before you begin.
While you're at it, consider painting your patio furniture to make it look good as new. Then hang some outdoor string lights to make your space a dreamy oasis perfect for hosting a event.
Jay Wilde
3. Build a Shed
Add value to your home and a spot to park your lawn equipment by building a shed in your backyard. Before starting this project, check with your local authorities, as building codes and ordinances vary by location. Once you've gotten the go-ahead, choose a spot in your yard that offers convenient access and prepare a solid, even foundation. You can purchase shed kits at home centers and online or find building plans that can easily be customized with different materials.
4. Declutter Your Home
A summer home improvement project that can make a big difference in your living space is decluttering. Air out and organize those sometimes-forgotten areas that tend to be used less in colder months, like the garage, an outdoor shed, or a basement. It doesn't usually cost anything to declutter, and you can earn money by selling items you no longer use. Plus, you can use your earnings toward other home repairs.
"It costs nothing except a week or two of your time, and the ability to let go and part ways with unneeded clutter that no longer brings you or your home joy," says Emilie Dulles, lifestyle design expert and founder of Dulles Designs. Your clutter can cost you money, and getting rid of things you don't use will make room in your house and even give you ideas for other improvements.
5. Refresh Your House with Paint
Summer is the perfect season for more significant paint projects. If you have areas in your home that you've been meaning to repaint, such as entire rooms or the exterior, summer is the time to do it—and a little paint could go a long way in transforming your space. The warm weather lets the paint cure properly and ensures that it will last longer.
"I think painting is one of the best DIY projects because it can be easily corrected if you make any mistakes," says Chicago-based real estate developer Bill Samuel. "It really has a huge impact on the overall space when you take your time to repair any blemishes and do a quality job." Samuel says you can expect to pay between $15 to $50 per gallon; more expensive paints will usually cover the walls better and last longer. Dulles recommends painting parts of your home (or all of it) white to make it look bigger and brighter.
6. Check Gutters
This might not be the most fun or creative home improvement project, but it's an important one for protecting your home against summer storms and preparing for the colder months ahead.
"Winter, followed by a rainy spring, can take a toll on your gutters and downspouts," says Bailey Carson, home expert at Angi, a digital company that helps people find local professionals for home projects. "If they're ignored, you could end up needing to replace them altogether, or worse, dealing with foundation damage, interior flooding, driveway cracks, or landscape erosion." The damage would cost you way more than cleaning your gutters, which averages $160, ranging from $118 to $225.
All you need (if you don't have this equipment) is a gutter cleaning attachment for your garden hose, a ladder, a bucket, a gutter scoop, and heavy-duty gloves. You could also buy a gutter guard to protect your gutters and prevent leaves from gathering in them in the first place.
Adam Albright
7. Spruce Up Landscaping
Give your yard some attention, too—you're probably spending a lot more time in it enjoying the beautiful summer weather. While the cost of renovating your outdoor space varies depending on the project, there are simple DIY improvements to elevate your backyard or front yard for a lot less.
Commercial real estate investor and founder of Property Cashin Marina Vaamonde says landscape your front yard. "Gardens make homes more aesthetically pleasing, and they also can add to the property value. Summertime is the perfect time to plant perennials, a variety of beautiful-looking flowers that are low maintenance," says Vaamonde. She also suggests lupines and hydrangeas as other beautiful (and low-maintenance) additions to your garden.
Adding plants or flowers up the walkway to your front door can give you instant curb appeal and liven up your front yard, says money-saving expert Andrea Woroch. You can do the same sprucing up in your backyard to eliminate overgrown or dead plants, trees, or shrubs, and add some patio furniture.
8. Clean or Replace AC Filters
Another not-so-fun but critical summer home improvement project: cleaning or replacing the filters on your HVAC unit. Don't worry: this one is quick and won't take as much time as cleaning your gutters.
"Filters get dirty, especially if they haven't been changed in six months," says Rick Hoskins, home DIY expert and founder of FilterKing. Dirty filters can cause allergies by circulating dust, mold, and other allergens throughout your home when the AC is on during the summer. All you have to do is find your AC and furnace vents, unscrew them, and clean or replace the filters. Hoskins suggests looking for filters with a MERV rating between 8 and 13 for optimal protection.
9. Repair Siding
Summer is a good time to evaluate your vinyl siding for holes or tears that compromise the barrier it provides to your house, as well as unsightly areas that might have grown dingy or stained. If you find a small damaged area, you can clean and repair with caulk. If your siding has a larger area that needs repair (beyond your DIY skill level), seek professional help.
Check the integrity of your caulk at siding seams and in the corners. A fresh bead of caulk might be needed to secure the siding. Remove the old and dry caulk, then run a fresh bead where needed.
10. Install a New Doorbell
Your home might need a new doorbell that simply works better or maybe you're ready to upgrade to a next-generation video doorbell that keeps the "porch pirates" away. Either way, summer is the perfect time to replace your doorbell.
Even if you aren't tech-savvy, installation is fairly simple and the manufacturers do a thorough enough job explaining the process. Of course, no two homes are alike and, sometimes, the manufacturer's instructions can leave you with unanswered questions. To ease you through the process, we've put together a step-by-step guide for installing your video doorbell.
Kritsada Panichgul
11. Plant a Garden
The longer days give us more time to work outside. For gardeners, or hope-to-be gardeners, summer is the season to try to new plants, design a new garden bed, amend soil, and more. If you've never planted a thing in your life, there's a lot to consider—your planting Zone, your soil, light conditions, how much you want to tend to your plants, and even food production vs. flower beds.
If you want to start small, consider a raised garden bed. The structure of the bed (usually some type of wood) defines the size of what you can grow, and therefore, how much time you'll need to devote to your garden.
12. Clean Your Windows
Clean windows improve your home's curb appeal and allow natural to fill your rooms inside. They also give you a better window to the world outside. But cleaning those windows can present a logistical challenge. How do you safely get to your exterior windows, especially those on the second floor? There are various approaches, including using a ladder, extendable poles, magnetic window cleaners, and robotic cleaners, and safety is a top priority.
If you're not cool with working on a ladder or have a tricky terrain, there are plenty of other gadgets and tools that make it possible to reach difficult windows—from telescoping squeegees to cleaner sprays you attach to a garden hose to robots.
13. Add Lights in Your Garden
Bringing in light is a great way to make your garden usable at all hours. Garden lights along a sidewalk can add style as well as safety. There are plenty of low-voltage landscape lights to choose from. Or for the easiest way to add light, buy some solar lights. They are a stock item in the big box stores or you'll find lots to pick from online. You pop them in the ground and that's it. The sun charges them throughout the day. The lights come on in the evening.
Another way to bring light to your yard is by hanging string lights in your tree. Wrap them on low hanging branches or around the trunk. If a permanent installation is an option, hire a pro to install uplights on trees for extra drama.
The longer summer evenings will be more fun with light
Kevin Dunlop stands outside a portable shed in front of the Thrift Warehouse in Haliburton, working on a cedar chest.
He bends over a table doing marquetry – a decorative inlay of a canoe reflected in water.
People might know Dunlop from his days on the Studio Tour, when he was known as the Marquetryman.
As he works on the chest, he says he’s been in the Highlands since 1981.
“My wife’s more local than I am,” he says with a grin that shows laugh lines around his mouth and eyes. “I’d never get that kind of credential.”
SIRCH has hired Dunlop for a new pilot, ‘last chance project.’ Marketing manager, Laurie McCaig, said for the next few months, the warehouse will be accepting wooden furniture that would normally be turned away, and end up in the landfill.
“We’ll determine whether it’s worth it to improve it and sell it by repairing, restoring, refinishing, repurposing or upcycling,” McCaig said.
Dunlop tells the story of the chest. It came in with loose veneer on the top, as it had been water damaged. It was rejected at the receiving door. They called Dunlop over for a second opinion. He was hesitant, recognizing it would be a big job. However, he said staff challenged him, “and I decided to take on the project.”
He scraped the bad veneer off the lid, made the marquetry panel, sanded it, put a new finish on it. It took about three days, but the time was an anomaly.
“For the most part, the pieces I’ve been able to save have been under two hours of work,” he says.
He added he spends a great deal of time in conversation with people while he works, educating them on how, they too, can fix furniture destined for the landfill.
“We’re not only trying to rescue the furniture, but we’re trying to stimulate peoples’ imaginations, so they can now go into the thrift store, look at something that’s not quite ready for main street, and can imagine what they might be able to do with it. They can pick my brain and get some ideas on technique.”
Dunlop said he’s “loving it.” McCaig added Dunlop is the man for the job. “He has a fantastic reputation in the area. That friendly face gets it every time, but his wealth of knowledge of woodworking, with him having a studio tour booth for many years, he was just the perfect fit. We were happy to bring him onboard.”
McCaig said he’ll be there until October. “We’re just trying to divert as much as possible from landfill, and we’re trying to teach, that’s what we’re all about. Someone might see a piece like that and say ‘oh, I don’t know’ and just toss it. Instead of tossing it, either bring it here and donate it, help the community, or take on the project yourself, because maybe Kevin can give you an easy solution for a problem. That’s what the program is all about.”
Dunlop said the public is enjoying the program as well.
“Half the people already are quite interested. They’ve been talking about things they’ve brought back to life. I’ve been inviting them to bring before-and-after pictures. I’d like to put up a bulletin board with peoples’ projects. And, people are really picking my brain for techniques.”
He adds, “at this point in my life, it feels good. In my career as a furniture maker, I’ve been responsible for cutting down some trees, now it feels kinda’ good to be making sure that the one’s with good bones are not going to the dump. For me, it’s a process. It’s been a nice headspace when I’m doing the work. Once it’s done, that’s just a byproduct.”
The Thrift Warehouse is at 128 Mallard Rd. in Haliburton.
Urban downtowns are sometimes called concrete jungles because the apartments and office buildings that make up skylines from New York to Vancouver are generally made of — what else? — concrete.
But that could change with a push underway to build more tall buildings with another material: mass timber.
Mass timber is an umbrella category of materials made by binding layers of wood together to create larger, stronger elements like panels and beams. Proponents say it's faster and easier to build with than concrete and steel, and less carbon-intensive to boot.
If concrete and steel are the Coke and Pepsi of highrise construction, mass timber has so far been more of a generic-brand cola. Mass timber made up just one per cent of all building construction materials in North America in 2022, according to an RBC report.
But analysts expect the market to rapidly expand in the years ahead, and all across the country, existing mass-timber plants are being expanded and new ones are in the works, from B.C. and Alberta to Ontario and Nova Scotia.
WATCH | Will mass timber mean more homes in Canada's biggest city?
Mass timber construction is on the rise. Could it help the housing crisis?
There’s been an increase in large-scale building projects using mass timber, otherwise known as engineered wood. Experts say the material offers several benefits compared to steel and concrete — including sustainability and speed. Talia Ricci explores whether it could be part of a solution to Toronto’s housing crisis.
"The demand is extremely high for mass timber now," said Frank Gannon, director of stakeholder engagement with mass timber manufacturer Western Archrib. He spoke with CBC News inside a new, 155,000 sq. ft. facility the company is building north of Edmonton to keep up with its growing orders.
"We are filling capacity slots about 10 months out from today — so yes, the phone's ringing off the hook."
The industry is getting a boost from new building codes that allow taller mass-timber buildings, and federal and provincial programs and policies that encourage builders to use more of it.
But so far, the uptake of mass timber has been uneven across the country, as some builders remain reluctant to switch from tried-and-true materials to something new.
And while much of the buzz around mass timber comes from its low carbon profile, some experts disagree about how climate-friendly it really is.
Beams and columns, floors and walls
The two most common types of mass timber are glue-laminated timber, or glulam, and cross-laminated timber, or CLT.
Glulam, which has been around since the early 20th century, is used to make beams and columns. CLT panels are a more recent innovation used for floors, roofs and walls.
Frank Gannon, director of stakeholder engagement with Western Archrib, stands in front of a large beam of glue-laminated timber at the company's plant north of Edmonton. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)
Taken together, the two materials can serve as an alternative to concrete and steel in a building, said Brian Merwin, senior-vice president with Mercer Mass Timber in Vancouver.
"CLT is the transformational material for tall buildings," he said, adding that most of the material used in highrises is for the floors. "[It's] sort of filled that missing gap to get us to where we are today."
In 2020, the National Building Code of Canada was changed to allow encapsulated mass-timber construction up to 12 storeys. That means mass timber components in these taller buildings have to be covered by a fire-resistant material, like drywall.
Ontario and B.C. have gone further, and will allow up to 18-storey buildings.
Faster and lighter
Building with mass timber carries several advantages, according to structural engineer Robert Malczyk. It's faster to work with than concrete, he said, because panels can be largely prefabricated and assembled on-site.
His own five-storey Vancouver office building, made with mass timber, was erected in 12 days.
A worker at the Mercer Mass Timber factory in Okanagan, B.C., works on a piece of curved, glue-laminated timber. (Submitted by Jenn Kochanski)
"As an owner, I saved a lot in crane time, in closure of the streets time," said Malczyk, principal with the Timber Engineering consulting group.
Mass timber is also relatively light, making it more resilient to earthquakes, he said. Plus, many people simply like the way it looks.
"It has this beautiful calming effect, it's a natural material. We just love to be surrounded by wood."
Proponents of mass-timber construction also point to its environmental advantages.
Wood is a renewable resource, said Mohammad Mohammad, a senior research adviser with Natural Resources Canada, and producing it generates far less carbon compared to steel and concrete.
Robert Malczyk, principal at Vancouver's Timber Engineering Inc., stands inside his mass-timber office building. He says the building took only 12 days to construct. (Dillon Hodgin/CBC News)
At the end of a building's lifespan, he said, wood can also be recycled or reused, rather than being sent to a landfill.
"It has a lot of environmental benefits," said Mohammad, who works with a federal program funding innovative wood-construction projects that is so oversubscribed, its website contains a high-volume notice.
Green claims questioned
Not everyone is ready to throw out their cement mixers and switch to mass timber.
While construction in B.C. and Quebec, for example, has grown thanks to "wood-first" policies in their respective provinces, other provinces remain a bit more hesitant.
Many developers in Alberta, for example, are studying mass timber carefully but haven't yet felt comfortable green-lighting a mass-timber residential building, said Scott Fash, CEO of BILD Alberta.
"I think we're in the phase of exploration and not quite action," he said.
This close-up of a piece of glue-laminated timber shows the multiple layers of lumber that are glued together. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)
Insurance premiums can also be high for builders working with mass timber, said analyst Sean Steuart, not because it's a more dangerous material but because it's so new.
"It's just not a well established industry, and as such, the insurance-underwriting framework is not as well developed," said Steuart, director of equity research with TD Cowen.
He said there's also a mismatch between supply and demand of mass timber: most demand is coming from Eastern Canada but manufacturing is concentrated in the West, which can drive up shipping costs.
Another risk: not everyone thinks mass timber is as sustainable as it's made out to be, and some experts caution against cutting down more trees to build with more mass timber.
"The most valuable thing we can do with forests is to leave them standing and growing," said Timothy Searchinger, whose work on mass timber has been published in the journal Nature and by the World Resources Institute.
He suggests the world would be better off exploring more low-carbon concrete options instead.
Glue-laminated timber was used for the balconies on New York City's Timber House. Some builders have been reluctant to switch to mass timber from more established materials like steel and concrete. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)
Faster housing construction?
Mohammad, with Natural Resources Canada, said the vast majority of forests harvested in Canada are sustainable, and that usually more than one tree is planted for every one that's cut.
As Canada attempts to rapidly ramp up housing construction in the years ahead, he believes mass timber will play an important role in the overall mix of construction materials — especially in Northern communities, where concrete can be prohibitively expensive and hard to ship.
"[You can] basically establish a new housing development within weeks or months," he said.
"Now that we are able to go taller and larger with mass timber, it's just adding another construction system, another tool to our toolbox."
Rick Jeffery, CEO of the Canadian Wood Council, doesn't see a scenario where mass timber fully replaces concrete and steel. He also pointed out that it's not common for buildings to be made of mass timber alone: typically they're made of some mix of the three materials.
But he believes mass timber will be used much more often as Canada aims to build its way out of the housing crisis (a goal that will require another 3.5 million homes by decade's end).
"We see there's a big opportunity on that residential side."
The CRA identified $957 million in unpaid income taxes over eight years of audits targeting B.C. real estate, more than five times the amount in Ontario, which has three times B.C.'s population
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Published May 14, 2024 • Last updated May 15, 2024 • 5 minute read
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After taking a deeper look into B.C.'s real estate sector, Canada's tax regulator has uncovered $1.3 billion in unpaid tax bills.Photo by Francis Georgian /PNG
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After taking a deeper look into B.C.’s real estate sector, Canada’s tax regulator has uncovered $1.3 billion in unpaid tax bills.
The Canada Revenue Agency has dramatically ramped up its auditing of real estate in recent years, scrutinizing both personal transactions and professional activities.
The agency has found “a disproportionate amount of non-compliance” in Canada’s largest metropolitan centres, with Metro Vancouver “identified as an area that requires our unique attention,” said Jason Charron, director general of the CRA’s compliance programs branch, recently. “We’re continuing to focus on the Lower Mainland, where we know there’s non-compliance.”
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Since launching a dedicated real estate task force in 2019, the CRA has mostly focused on Ontario and B.C., increasing the number of audits performed, sending out reassessment notices for billions in additional taxes the agency believes should be paid, and levying hundreds of million dollars in penalties.
In Ontario, the agency assessed $1.4 billion in unpaid taxes and penalties in the real estate sector between 2015 and 2023. B.C., which has about a third of Ontario’s population, had almost the same amount of tax non-compliance identified over the same period: $1.3 billion.
These real estate audits looked at a wide range of activities and entities: property-sellers illegitimately claiming the principal residence exemption, unreported capital gains, people who reside outside of Canada and invest in property here, share transfers and corporate structures designed to mask a property’s beneficial owners, and the activities of homebuilders and realtors.
Although the total value of unpaid taxes and penalties found in B.C. and Ontario was similar, the nature of non-compliance was markedly different in the two provinces. In Ontario, most non-compliance identified by the CRA in real estate was related to unpaid GST and HST on new homes or inappropriately claimed rebates on those taxes. In B.C., most of the non-compliance related to income tax.
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Data provided by the CRA shows that the agency identified $957 million in income tax-related non-compliance in B.C. real estate between 2015 and 2023, more than five times the amount found in the larger province of Ontario, at $178 million, over the same period.
The CRA says confidentiality laws prevent the release of information about the audits, but sent a written statement that said, in general, the income tax-related non-compliance included:
• Situations where a taxpayer acquired an expensive home without a clear reported source of income
• Profits from the quick flipping of homes that aren’t properly reported as taxable business income
• People, including those who aren’t residents of Canada, failing to report capital gains on sales of real estate
• Unreported income earned outside of Canada
• Non-compliance by realtors and developers.
The CRA declined to say how which categories the $957 million broke into — for example, how much was related to property flippers or developers or non-residents — citing the need to protect taxpayer information and maintain “the integrity of our risk assessment system.”
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The number of income tax-related audits CRA conducted in B.C. real estate increased by almost 10 times between the 114 audit files opened in the 2015 fiscal year and the 1,089 opened last year.
There has been a corresponding boom in what the agency calls “audit assessments,” meaning the combined value of unpaid taxes still owing and penalties levied. Income tax-related audit assessments related to B.C. real estate averaged $6.4 million annually for the two fiscal years between 2015 and 2017, and shot up to an average of $155.1 million annually over the most recent two-year period, a 2,300 per cent increase.
Canada’s 2019 federal budget included $50 million over five years for the CRA to create a real estate task force, with specialized audit teams. Last month, the 2024 budget boosted that funding to $73 million for the next five years.
This work seems to be “paying for itself and then some,” said Tom Davidoff, an associate professor at the University of B.C.’s Sauder School of Business. The findings show there was “obviously” some kind of problem with tax compliance in this sector, he said, “but what we don’t know is how big of a problem it is now … If there was a problem and they solved it, that would be fantastic.”
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For years, many British Columbians were “ringing the bell” about people cheating on their taxes with real estate dealings, said Davidoff, director of UBC’s Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate. This recent crackdown might not make housing in B.C. significantly more affordable, he said, “but it’s real money and it’s certainly useful to get it back where it belongs.”
Davidoff co-authored a 2022 paper published in The Canadian Tax Journal, which examined the top five per cent of Greater Vancouver homes had a median value of $3.7 million, while the median owner paid income taxes of just $15,800. This was the lowest correlation of property values to income tax contributions of any North American city, the authors wrote, concluding that “most luxury homes in Greater Vancouver appear to be purchased with wealth derived from sources other than earnings taxed in Canada.”
Considering these earlier findings, Davidoff said it makes sense that the CRA’s recent audits of B.C. real estate uncovered income tax “chicanery.”
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Canadians for Tax Fairness, a non-profit tax policy advocacy group, said it welcomes the CRA “doing more to ensure that the real estate sector complies with tax laws, and we encourage the government to adequately fund the CRA so they can do their job.”
In an emailed statement, Canadians for Tax Fairness spokeswoman Erica Shiner said: “Tax avoidance continues to be a problem in many sectors, costing Canadians billions in revenue each year.”
Douglas Todd: Luxury homeowners in Metro Vancouver pay low income taxes, says UBC study
Homeowner claims injustice in B.C.’s use of new law to demand source of money to buy house
B.C. uses new law to demand house owners explain where they got the money to buy it
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Getting ready to sell your house? You may want to consider these five home improvements to ensure a bigger price tag at closing time.
Unless you’re Joanna Gaines, the prospect of updating and prepping your home for sale can seem daunting. All those little repairs you were happy to postpone for another day (or year) may seem like glaring problems to a buyer once your home is on the market. So, what to do? Option one is to hope you luck into a buyer who will see your home not as it is now, but for what it could be. Option two is to put some money and time into a few repairs that will help get your home market-ready. Although the latter option may seem like a lot of hassle, it can translate to serious money — nearly a quarter of sellers who do home improvements sell their home above list price.
Thankfully, you don’t have to spend months (or many thousands of dollars) with a contractor to get your home ready — many small DIY home improvements can yield big returns on closing day. (And you can invest those returns to make even MORE money!) Here’s a look at five of the best.
1.) Painting
Painting is the lowest cost improvement with the highest rate of return, so it’s not surprising that 36% of home sellers choose to do it, according to Skylar Olsen, Zillow’s Director of Economic Research. When trying to sell, a nice coat of neutral paint can give the entire house a facelift, and buyers really love to see a fresh blank canvas. “Consider getting color recommendations from a trained professional since paint colors can be tricky depending on lighting and other features in the house such as cabinets and flooring,” says Jennie Norris, chairwoman for the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. If you’re looking for a “safe” color, gray has been trending in recent years, Norris says.
Initial Cost of Investment: Professional painting of the interior of an entire 2,500 square foot house can be anywhere from $2,000-$4,000 depending on the market, according to Norris. If there are vaulted ceilings or a lot of detail work, it could be more.
If That’s Too Expensive, Consider: DIY, if you’re handy with a paintbrush. Buy a 5 gallon bucket of a neutral paint color (much cheaper than buying per gallon) and get to work. “At the very least, if you can’t do the painting yourself, wash your walls and declutter to create a nice open space,” suggests Lori Matke of homestagingexpert.com.
2.) Landscaping Your Yard
The outside of your house is a buyer’s first impression when they pull up. A patchy or overgrown yard can be a major turn-off. Anything that’s dead should be removed, and anything that’s overgrown should be cut back. You can make sure the lawn is refreshed and green by re-sodding or planting grass seed, and you may want to do edging to help define spaces. Also, fresh mulch or straw in any beds is a must. “A few newly planted shrubs and perennials tucked in for good measure will make your house feel much more finished and inviting,” Matke suggests.
Initial Cost of Investment: Professional landscaping can cost anywhere between $500 – $3,000 (and higher if you add in tree removal) according to Matke.
If That’s Too Expensive, Consider: If you’re up for a little sweat equity, roll up your sleeves and remove anything dead yourself. You also don’t need a pro to purchase grass seed. Just follow the directions for planting, and keep it watered and mowed. “A good, sturdy garden rake can tidy up the borders, and instead of renting a lawn edger, a sharp, heavy-duty putty knife works just as well,” Matke says. For color, you can purchase a few bright annual flowers at your local garden shop and either plant them directly into the landscape around the house, or add them to pots near the front door.
3.) Flooring
Replacing carpet or repairing flooring is an improvement that 26% of homeowners make, according to Zillow. If you’ve got lots of rooms with many types of flooring, you might want to bite the bullet and invest in new flooring for all, to create a seamless feel throughout the house. Wood floors, or even faux-wood floors, are preferable to carpeting even though those options can be more costly, Matke says. If, however, you can’t afford to upgrade to wood, new carpeting is still a major selling point. And just like with painting walls, a good neutral color is best.
Initial Cost of Investment: For professional flooring installation, expect to pay between $10 – $12 per square foot for faux wood, and up to $30 for real wood. An average quality carpeting will cost about $8- $12 per square foot, installed, says Matke.
If That’s Too Expensive, Consider: Some outlet centers have flooring stores, where you can sometimes find great deals on older styles that have been discontinued, Matke says. If an upgrade absolutely isn’t in the budget, then look to have your carpeting and hardwoods professionally cleaned. If you have a few worn/discolored areas on the hardwoods, touch them up yourself with a little water-based stain to make them less noticeable. And don’t forget about the charm of a nice throw rug when needed.
4.)Bathroom Update
A mid-range bathroom update (think natural stone for countertops, not high-end quartz) offers a great return on investment, according to data from Zillow. And a bathroom that looks old can really date a house, Norris says. A few lucrative bathroom updates could include: new counter tops, new tiling, frameless glass doors (get rid of the brass or metal), new cabinets, and new fixtures for the sinks and tub. When replacing cabinets, remember that minimalism is best — neutral colors, and no designs or raised panels.
Initial Cost of Investment: The cost of a mid-range bathroom remodel averages between $3,000-$12,000 according to Zillow.
If That’s Too Expensive, Consider: Dated tile always looks better with clean grout lines, so consider cleaning or freshening the grout, which you can DIY or hire someone to do. Also, instead of replacing cabinets, you can simply paint them — white, gray, or black can offer a clean look, according to Norris. And reglazing the tub will always be cheaper than installing a brand new one.
5.) Update Lighting Fixtures
Replacing lighting throughout a house can be a simple update for a small investment — but it can make a bit impact where appearance is concerned, Norris says. As you look at options for chandeliers, pendant lighting, and ceiling fixtures, remember to keep colors consistent with your home’s hardware. For example, you can mix metals such as copper and oiled bronze, or brushed nickel with chrome, but you wouldn’t want to mix gold and silver tones. Keep in mind that older brass fixtures can look dated, since they were often used in properties built in the 80’s and 90’s. In other words, if you’re going to the trouble to put in something new, make sure it offers a true update.
Initial Cost of Investment: Light fixtures for dining areas or pendant lights can be a few hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on source and style, Norris says. But there are often good deals to be found at places like Ikea, Home Depot, Lowes, and other stores that cater to the DIY crowd, where some fixtures can cost under $100.
If That’s Too Expensive, Consider: Less is more. Especially with lighting, sometimes it’s more about what you don’t see than what you do… So if that giant 1980’s chandelier is eclipsing the living room, don’t feel like you have to replace it with something fancy — just take it out. The buyer can easily imagine for themselves what they’d like in the space, and you don’t have to spend a dime. You can also install fixtures yourself, but where wires are concerned, make sure you have a professional electrician to help.
So, How Much Can I Really Make?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here — every home is different, and every neighborhood and part of the country will yield varied results. But a common formula used by home stagers is that every $1 put into a house should yield an additional $1.50 increase at closing, at least. With some projects, the rate can be much higher — bathroom remodels boost sales prices by $1.71 for every $1 spent, according to Zillow. This means that a $5,000 bathroom renovation would yield a bump in home price of $8,550, perhaps more.
Lastly, Small Repairs Are Great, But Don’t Lose Sight Of The Bigger Picture
Before you get carried away making these smaller cosmetic adjustments, spend some time looking at your home’s basic needs — are all the big things in working order? Buyers have certain expectations, and that includes getting a house that has been well maintained and is safe and livable. “In other words, if you’re contemplating a kitchen remodel but your roof is leaking like a sieve, you need to address the roof issues first before indulging in any updates,” says Matke.
Also, while you’re trucking on your “repair and improve” bandwagon, avoid taking on costly projects that have a purely personal appeal — like that water feature and koi pond out back you’ve always dreamed of. “You simply will not get your money back on those types of additions, and buyers might be more apt to reconsider if it’s not something they’ve always dreamed of, too,” Matke explains.
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The work of the late Los Angeles master Ray Kappe (1927-2019) is part of the American modernist architecture legacy that vintage furniture dealer Lars Triesch fell in love with from afar. The result of his passion is Triesch Residence, a Kappe-designed home built in the leafy town of Kleinmachnow, southwest of central Berlin.
(Image credit: Jürgen Nogai)
Tour Ray Kappe's Triesch Residence
As a young draftsman, Kappe worked on Eichler villas (Joseph Eichler's iconic low, glass-enclosed, A-frame roof homes that came to epitomise California Modern), which were, at the time, rising across 20th-century US suburbs. In the 1970s, he became the founding director of the academic program at SCI-Arc, the Southern California Institute of Architecture. His Los Angeles office promoted eco-modernism with flat roofs, heavy timber structural beams, and oversized picture windows framing leafy vistas. Triesch and his wife, Sara, a painter, wanted all those - but in their home base of Berlin.
(Image credit: Jürgen Nogai)
They decide to build their dream home from the ground up. Seven years ago, even before securing land where constructing a flat roof would be allowed, Triesch, 44, and his family of four, went straight to the source in Los Angeles to meet Kappe and tour five of his California houses. The architect had never built outside the US but still signed on - ultimately in partnership with his sons Finn and Ron - to invent a California-inspired home for Germany that respects the snowy climate and strict Berlin building codes.
(Image credit: Jürgen Nogai)
Ray Kappe died at age 92, and he never saw the finished project, which is now complete, featuring four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sauna, a screening room, and a studio. It’s wrapped in large windows and custom-milled redwood siding shipped from Oakland, California, in a container, alongside a bespoke Ofuro soaking tub assembled from redwood planks laminated by an artisanal Pacific Coast workshop.
(Image credit: Jürgen Nogai)
Challenges included a quest for Slentex, a slim new inorganic aerogel insulation to layer inside Kappe’s thin exterior walls (it reduced the required thickness of chunkier German wood-framed walls by half). Arguably, Kappe’s lifelong interest in architectural prefab also helped the design set sail. Factory-made walls and structural members got bolted together on-site in just a week, streamlining construction.
(Image credit: Jürgen Nogai)
A suspended 'free-swinging' staircase uses the architect’s signature wood blocks - stacked 'like Jenga,' as Triesch notes - in Douglas Fir to match exposed structural beams. Such fir is rare in Germany, as is the 1.5”-wide clear red oak strip flooring. (Stains and wood protectants came from Sansin and Bona, two of many manufacturing partners for the house detailed on Triesch’s information-rich construction blog)
(Image credit: Jürgen Nogai)
The structure grows out of a mature landscape rejuvenated by Topanga-based Richard Grigsby. Norifumi Nishioka selected plants for the wild new Japanese-style meadow with a manmade waterfall and creek bed inspired by a stream at the iconic Kappe Family home in Pacific Palisades.
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(Image credit: Jürgen Nogai)
Of course, as a mid-century dealer, Triesch has 'a big stock' of vintage furniture. He decided to decorate his home with Kappe-designed pieces where possible, replicating one-offs he’d seen touring that home in LA. Today those new prototype tables and a sofa live in Kleinmachnow, while their authorized reproductions sell through his furniture shop, Original. in Berlin.
Asian equities were sharply higher this week, led by Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Taiwan, though Mainland China markets were flat.
This week was a busy one for internet earnings as Tencent and JD.com beat estimates handily while Alibaba and Baidu reported mixed results.
Real estate was also in focus this week as news of a government effort to purchase unsold apartments to stabilize prices led to gains in developer stocks.
Inflation reports were further impacting markets this week as China reported higher-than-expected growth in consumer prices, a good sign for its economy, and the US’ softer-than-expected CPI print contributed to a risk-on atmosphere globally.
Key News
Asia ended the week higher as Mainland China and Hong Kong outperformed while South Korea was off.
It was an interesting session overnight. Hong Kong and Mainland China bounced around the room before slipping following April economic releases. This is despite Vice Premier He Lifeng’s comments on real estate policy support. Then, markets went absolutely vertical after the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank, announced three policies to support the real estate market.
The PBOC’s real estate three-pronged stimulus package involves: (1) providing RMB 300 billion ($41.5 billion) worth of loans to local governments to buy unsold apartments (really RMB 500 billion, assuming it represents 60% of the loan principal) at an interest rate of 1.75%, (2) lowering the minimum down payment for first-time home buyers’ mortgages to 15% and to 25% for second homes, (3) lowering the mortgage rate for first-time home buyers for loans of 5-years or less by 0.25% to 2.35% and to 2.85% for longer-term loans (2.78% and 3.33% for second-time home buyers).
This is the closest to the policy bazooka we’ve seen in addressing the multiple facets of real estate’s impact on China’s economy. Multiple agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and the Ministry of Natural Resources released statements around these top-down policy changes. The facets of economic impact are (1) depressed property developers creating a financial crisis (i.e. China’s Lehman moment though no one believes the government would allow a financial crisis to unfold right in front of them), (2) the lack of property development, which means fewer jobs, (3) fewer new apartments, which means less demand for home appliances, furnishings, etc., and (4) lower property prices, which have been weighing on household wealth and thereby domestic consumption (60% of China’s household wealth is tied to housing). This is a real step-up in policy. Yes, it is not a magic bullet that will suddenly solve the above issues, but it will help.
April new home prices declined -0.58% from March and existing home prices fell -0.94% from March.
Did you notice all the “buts” in Western media reporting on this topic? Foreign investor confidence in China, especially amongst US investors, is low, which explains the skepticism. Why bother when the Magnificent 7 goes up every day? That is true, until it doesn’t.
In China they call the PBOC “Big Momma” because you don’t mess with the PBOC. Investors in China and Asia will recognize that when the government pivots, you should too!
Real estate was the top-performing sector in Mainland China, where it gained +7.94%, and Hong Kong, where it gained +5.42%. Developer China Vanke gained +19.37% and Sunac gained +25.85%.
Knowing professional investors are underweight China, it is not surprising that trading desks were busy overnight. Think about all those emerging market funds that own Nvidia and Microsoft
Microsoft
! Hong Kong trading volume was lower than yesterday, though still 178% of the 1-year average led by Tencent, which gained +0.36%, Alibaba, which gained +7.53% after short selling firm Citron re-recommended the stock, Ping An Insurance, which gained +5.7%, Meituan, which fell -0.48%, and China Construction Bank, which fell -0.85%. It is interesting that Tencent’s market capitalization is $476 billion versus Alibaba’s $213 billion, though I suspect that Alibaba will receive some TLC from mainland investors once added to Southbound Stock Connect this fall.
The Hang Seng closed above 19,500 as Mainland China outperformed Hong Kong.
Chart1
KraneShares
In last night’s economic release, industrial production was stronger-than-expected though retail sales surprisingly came in lower. Meanwhile, online retail sales were relatively strong. Property investment was unsurprisingly lower, along with property sales. Remember our trading buddy Dave’s saying – “if market no care, you no care”.
I recommend checking out Charlie Munger’s interview on the Acquired podcast. He had interesting comments on investing in China, including a discussion of Berkshire Hathaway’s
Berkshire Hathaway
BYD investment.
The Hang Seng and Hang Seng Tech indexes gained +0.91% and Wayne Gretzky +0.99%, respectively, on volume that decreased -12.49% from yesterday, which is 178% of the 1-year average. 333 stocks advanced while 150 declined. Main Board short turnover declined -17.92% from yesterday, which is 139% of the 1-year average, as 14% of turnover was short turnover (remember Hong Kong short turnover includes ETF short volume, which is driven by market makers’ hedging). All factors were positive as value and large caps outperformed. The top-performing sectors were Real Estate, which gained +5.41%, Consumer Discretionary, which gained +2.65%, and Financials, which gained +1.24%. Meanwhile, Health Care fell -0.82%, Technology fell -0.38%, and Consumer Staples fell -0.1%. The top-performing subsectors were real estate services, insurance, and retail. Meanwhile household/personal products, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals were among the worst-performing. Southbound Stock Connect volumes were high, almost twice the 1-year average as Mainland investors bought a net $763 million worth of Hong Kong-listed stocks and ETFs, including Bank of China, which was a large net buy, Tencent, and China Construction Bank.
Shanghai, Shenzhen, and the STAR Board gained +1.01%, +1.18%, and +1.06%, respectively, on volume that increased +4.6% from yesterday, which is 104% of the 1-year average. 3,295 stocks advanced while 1,585 stocks declined. All factors were positive as value and large caps outperformed. The top-performing sectors were Real Estate, which gained +7.93%, Financials, which gained +1.48%, and Materials, which gained +1.26%. Meanwhile, Health Care was the only negative sector, falling -0.41%. The top-performing subsectors were real estate, insurance, and chemical fibers, while motorcycles, power generation equipment, and household appliances were among the worst-performing subsectors. Northbound Stock Connect volumes were average as foreign investors sold a net -$875 million worth of Mainland stocks. CNY was flat and the Asia Dollar Index was lower versus the US dollar. Treasury bonds rallied. Copper and steel were both up 1.17%, which I have never seen before.
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Learning how to clean an air conditioner is critical, especially before summer gets into full swing and scorching hot days become the norm. During the summer, your air conditioner works overtime, especially if you like to keep cool by staying inside. And if you always want cool air blasting from your portable air conditioner, you definitely need to learn how to keep your air conditioner clean.
Whether you have central air or a window unit, here's how to clean an air conditioner like a professional. Plus, check out air conditioning maintenance tips and tricks from our experts you can easily do to protect yourself from the summer heat.
Brian Kleinschmidt is a home improvement expert and American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning partner.
Mika Kleinschmidt is a home improvement expert and American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning partner.
Giacomo Calzavara is the Managing Director of JMATEK North America, a licensee of Honeywell portable cooling products.
How Often to Clean an Air Conditioner
Window AC
Air conditioning units need to be cleaned regularly. "I would recommend cleaning [a window AC unit] every two weeks," says Giacomo Calzavara of JMATEK North America.
Central Air
As for a central AC unit, it's a good idea to have a professional inspect and clean your system once a year. They can make sure the coolant levels are on target, check for leaks, and clean the coils.
How to Know When Your AC Needs Cleaning
While it's best to clean your air conditioner at least once a year, there are signs you can look for that indicate it needs to be cleaned between annual washdowns. Dirty air conditioners not only affect the unit's performance, they can also send pollutants and irritants into your home's air, so keeping them clean is vital.
Your AC Isn't Cooling Efficiently
If your air conditioner isn't cooling your home or room as well as it usually does, or if the air being blown out of the unit is not cold, that's a massive sign that your AC needs maintenance. When the AC doesn't work efficiently, you might be tempted to crank the thermostat down or let it run for longer; before you do that, try cleaning it so you don't run up your electric bill.
Your AC Is Making Weird Noises
Your AC unit should not make noises other than a mechanical hum or the sound of the blower. If you hear a knocking or whirring or the unit sounds louder than usual, it may be time for a cleaning.
Your AC Smells Off
Your air conditioner should not be releasing any odor into the air. If you suddenly notice a musty, earthy, or burning smell, check your unit—it probably needs to be cleaned.
Your AC Unit Looks Dirty
A significant sign that your AC needs a good cleaning is that it simply looks dirty. Yes, a certain amount of dirt will collect on the part of the unit that sits outside. However, if you notice dust or dirt on the fins, dirt in the runoff pan, or even mold, your AC needs to be cleaned. Running a dirty air conditioner decreases its efficiency and can damage your entire system, so it's critical to keep everything clean.
Your Energy Bills Increase
Noticed a sudden uptick in your electric bill? The cleanliness of your air conditioner might be to blame. Dirty ACs don't function at their highest efficiency, which means they have to work harder, driving up energy bills. If you've noticed an increased bill with no explanation, check your AC unit.
Considerations Before You Get Started
The first and most important step in cleaning your air conditioner unit is to disconnect the electricity. For window units, make sure they're unplugged. If you're doing light cleaning of your central AC, turn off the electricity via the circuit breaker.
There are two primary areas to focus on when cleaning a window AC unit: filters and coils.
Filters remove the dust from the air and when they're clogged, they force your AC unit to work harder and use up more energy to cool your home—that costs more for you without delivering results.
Coils help move the hot and cold air, so make sure they're not clogged with dirt and dust.
Of course, for some air conditioning systems (like central AC), it's best to have a professional HVAC contractor inspect the unit, check the ductwork, and ensure it's operating efficiently.
"Companies like ours should come out and do the heavy maintenance on it, but in between, there are air conditioning maintenance tips people can follow themselves," says Dave Mejean of B&W Plumbing and Heating. "It's like a car: You have to have your mechanic tune it up, but there are still things you can do to make sure it's running too."
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