Build a Greenhouse for Early Spring Planting

With spring just around the corner, many homeowners have gardening on their minds. The seed catalogues are well worn from repeated flipping of pages. Seeds have been ordered, and some early bedding plants have been started. Many of us are itching to get outside and start seeding the garden, but it is too early. The days are warming but the nights remain too cold to allow seedlings to survive.

One way out of this dilemma is to build your own portable greenhouse. A simple greenhouse can consists of some wooden frames that are bolted together and assembled in the garden. The greenhouse can be easily dismantled and folded flat for storage. It can be built to any size specifications, depending on your needs. Many home-depot stores sell some preassembled DIY kit that can be put together easily in one afternoon at very reasonable prices.

The floorless greenhouse allows light and heat to enter, but prevents some of the heat from escaping. Thus, the temperature inside the greenhouse increases during the day. The soil over which the greenhouse is placed stores some of this heat. During the night, when the outside temperature is cold, the heat gradually escapes from the soil but the greenhouse holds enough of this heat to prevent frost from damaging the plants inside.

The system works well if the air temperature is not too cold, though additional frost protection can be achieved by using internal and external curtains.

The greenhouse can be set over the garden area in the early spring (March). For best results, the garden should be located in an area that receives full sunlight. As the air temperature builds up inside, any snow covering will melt and the ground will begin to warm. By mid to late March it is often possible to seed directly into the soil "floor" of the greenhouse. Only plants that tolerate a cool growing season, can be seeded early. Warm-season crops such as require much more warmth that this greenhouse can provide.

As the days become warmer, too much heat may build up inside the greenhouse. It is very important not to let this happen, or you might lose your crop. The simplest solution is to leave the greenhouse door partly open to provide ventilation. When the days become quite hot, remove the greenhouse. In September it can be taken out again and placed over the garden patch to extend the growing season.

 

Protecting Your Privacy While Your Home is On the Market

Many people will likely spend considerable time browsing your home while it is on the market. If you are living in the home while it is for sale, your personal things will be on show too, and potential buyers might look through drawers and other items that are inside your home. Your privacy and security may become an issue when showing your home, so it is important to consider all your options before you welcome someone into your home.

For many individuals, protecting their privacy is very important, while others are simply concerned that buyers will make assumptions about them and judge them, rather than simply judging their home. However, the importance of protecting your privacy is the same, and that goes for anything personal, from financial information, such as cheque books, to bank statements and personal letters.

Protect your documents
Keep in mind that a potential buyer may open cabinets or drawers—this is not considered snooping. Buyers can innocently tug on a drawer to inspect its construction or depth and find important documents that you might not intend for anyone to see.

Don't leave mail where anybody can find it
Many sellers make the mistake of leaving piles of opened mail neatly stacked on the kitchen counter or somewhere else in the home. By leaving your correspondence out on the table, a potential buyer can find out about your credit card debt, whether you have filed for bankruptcy, and other private information that you probably don't want the buyer to be aware of. Not only is this an invasion of your privacy, but it can also change the offers that you receive from buyers. If you have a stack of mail from a collection agency, the buyer will know you are desperate to make a sale and will likely propose far under the list price.

Remove personal effects from your walls
From diplomas and religious artifacts to wedding certificates and personal photos, don't provide buyers with any personal information about yourself or your family. De-personalizing is also an important move to make when staging your home for sale anyway, so you can actually accomplish two things by removing the personal effects from your home.

Don't leave your computer up and running during showings
Gaining personal information from your computer takes only minutes for a professional hacker or thief, so be proactive and turn your computer off before potential buyers arrive.

Before you put your home on the market, empty out drawers, stage closets, and pack up anything personal, including medications. Disassociate yourself with your home—remind yourself that it is a house—a product to be sold on an open market that is bound to see plenty of new faces throughout the term of the selling process.

Consider renting a locker at your local bank and storing away your jewelry and other valuable items. It is better to be safe than sorry.

How to Avoid Buyer's Remorse

Buyer's remorse is an emotional response that many homebuyers experience during the course of a real estate transaction. The response can take various forms such as feelings of regret, fear, depression or anxiety. Many doubtful questions may arise: Did I buy the right house? What if I lose my job? What if home prices drop? Did I overpay? Is this really the neighbourhood I want to live in? Can I really afford the mortgage payments?

There are hundreds of questions that will run through your mind during the period leading up to closing: the day you actually become the owner of the home. Most of the questions will be simple ones that are easily answered, but sometimes doubts creep in, making you uncertain if you want to proceed with the purchase.

When you decide to buy a new home, you're forced to step outside your current comfort zone and confront the unknown. Your mind may try to compensate psychologically for feelings of uncertainty by mentally undoing the event. In other words, you may try to talk yourself out of buying your dream home. Add feelings of uncertainty to the fear of making a long-term commitment, and it's easy to understand why homebuyers can suffer from bouts of anxiety.

Here are some tips that can help you battle home buyer’s remorse:

1. Prepare yourself
The best way to cope with buyer’s remorse and minimize its destructiveness is to make sure that you are well-informed. You should find out as much as you can about the home buying process, local home prices and home mortgages.

It's a good idea to study a sample purchase agreement before you buy. Read the contract carefully to make sure that you understand it, and that it says what you think it should. If you have any questions about the purchase agreement, talk to your agent or real estate attorney.

2. Choose the right agent
In order to make sure that the purchase transaction goes smoothly, it is important that you choose the right agent to represent your interests. The right agent will be someone whose experience, knowledge and personality are trustworthy and will allow you to feel comfortable with the whole transaction. Try to find an agent who is familiar and knowledgeable about the neighbourhood and community that you plan to move into.

3. Make sure the property meets your needs
Get out that list of wants and needs you made back when you first started the home shopping process. Does the home you selected include the important features that you want? Provided that you saw a number of homes and thoroughly evaluated what each home had to offer, it’s likely that the house you’re about to buy is the best choice for you.

4. Is the price right?
Feeling certain about the price you are paying for a home is one of the most important factors that can reduce uncertainty and increase your comfort level. If your agent didn't prepare a comparative market analysis for you on the home you are buying, have him or her prepare one for you now.

5. Consider the resale value
As you look at houses in a particular area, think about what all of the houses have in common. Most neighbourhoods are usually built at the same time by the same construction company and will have similar floor plans and similar amenities (excluding possible owner upgrades). Before you consider buying the house with the most upgrades, consider whether or not you want to tackle a remodel. Don’t just consider the cost of the remodel, but also think about the amount of time and headache you can handle. No remodel goes smoothly! If a house with a newer kitchen costs $20,000 more than a house with an older kitchen, and you do not have the time to renovate, it may still be worth buying the house with the new kitchen.

6. Ask questions
No one knows the home better than the seller of the property. If you can find out the seller's motivation for selling, you might be able to negotiate a better deal on the house. Try to find out the last time service was performed on the roof, furnace, plumbing and water heating system. Asking the right questions upfront can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.

7. Get a home inspection
Save yourself a lot of time in future litigation and renovation by bringing in a licensed, professional home inspector to inspect the home before you buy. If any major problems are found, it will steer you away from a bad decision and/or it will help you negotiate a better price at the negotiating table.

8. Review your finances
You may want to review your finances to confirm that you can afford to make the purchase. Your feelings of remorse are probably unfounded, so the more rational things you can do to put your decision into the proper perspective, the better.

9. Discuss your concerns with your agent
Your agent has seen plenty of cases of home buyer’s remorse, and he or she can help put your fears and doubts into perspective.

Remorse is a common feeling during the home-buying process. Following the above tips will help you make an educated decision and reduce any remorse you may have.

Time for Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is an old tradition rooted in many cultures. It is the process of thoroughly cleaning a house from top to bottom once the weather has lost its winter chill.

Spring cleaning origins date back to prehistory and represent the time when it was easiest to conduct a good cleaning of living spaces. Extra light allowed people additional time to truly see the messy state of their caves, huts, or teepees. Warmer weather also meant that people could get things thoroughly dry. In agrarian societies, spring cleaning usually coincided with the beginning of planting. Spring was an ideal time to organize seeds and get the home ready for the busy months ahead. As well, there are several suggested origins for spring cleaning based on religious practices. For many of us the warmer weather inspires us to want to take the time to get the house in order after the winter months.

In the past, inadequate heating in homes and small living spaces often meant that certain types of cleaning had to wait for spring. Before modern dryers, washing drapes or comforters was complicated by cold weather and tight living quarters. Those in cold climates had no other choice but to wait for warm weather to hang laundry outdoors to dry.

Today, the thought of taking a weekend or even a day to turn our houses upside down seems a near impossibility. Who has the time? Besides, our modern, centrally heated and cooled, climate-controlled homes don’t get oily, sooty, or smoky, and our washing machines and vacuum cleaners help keep the dirt from sneaking in. Despite this, a thorough cleaning of your house offers many health advantages that you should not ignore. During the cold days of winter, the quality of indoor air can be two to five times worse than outdoor air. Those seemingly harmless dust bunnies locked in our air-tight homes - and the daily use of many chemical cleaning products  - contain airborne toxins that can aggravate respiratory and other health problems.

Revitalize your hibernating home with these simple suggestions:

1. Work from the top down, inside to outside, to avoid getting what you just cleaned dirty again.
2. Do one room, even one area of one room, at a time to avoid unfinished jobs. The satisfaction of seeing one room sparkle will make the hard work feel like it's worth the effort.
3. When tidying, reduce trips around the house by temporarily depositing items in one spot en route to but not at their final destination.
4. Do two things at once. While the laundry is going, scrub the shower stall.
5. Make small repairs. If you're not handy, hire someone.
6. Invest in good rubber or vinyl gloves to protect your skin and nails.
7. Dust before vacuuming or cleaning the floor. Try feather or lambswool dusters, especially extendable ones for reaching above window and door casings and into corners. Household rags are invaluable for jobs requiring a damp cloth – natural fibres work best.
8. Buy mops with a squeeze mechanism and a decent-size heavy-duty pail – one with a measuring scale helps get soap-to-water ratios correct.
9. Use a Swiffer for light dusting, or your favourite broom or vacuum attachment to clean hardwood floors. Then damp-mop with a mild cleaner such as Murphy Oil Soap.

The $130,000 Question: A Full Rundown of Ontario’s New HST/GST Rebates for 2026 for New Home Purchases

Stop what you’re doing. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines of the Waterloo Region real estate market, waiting for a sign from the universe (or the government) to finally make your move, today is your day.

It’s Wednesday, March 25, 2026, and the Ontario provincial budget just dropped some news that is: quite literally: a hundred-thousand-dollar game-changer. We’ve been talking about the federal Bill C-4 rebates for a while now, but the province just threw a massive curveball that makes buying a new home in Ontario more affordable than we’ve seen in a generation.

I’m talking about a potential $130,000 in combined rebates.

Whether you’re looking at a sleek new mid-rise in Mary-Allen, a sprawling family home in Doon South, or considering a substantial renovation in the classic streets of Westmount, you need to understand how these numbers work. Because as of today, the rules of the game have changed for everyone, not just first-time buyers.

The Breaking News: The "All-Buyer" Provincial Boost

For the last few months, the buzz was all about first-time buyers getting a leg up. But as of this morning’s budget announcement, the Ontario government has opened the floodgates.

Starting April 1, 2026, the province is temporarily expanding the full 8% provincial HST rebate to ALL homebuyers: not just first-timers: for homes valued up to $1 million. This is a one-year window, ending March 31, 2027.

Here is why that is a big deal: Previously, if you weren’t a first-time buyer, your rebate options were significantly capped. Now, if you are selling your current spot in Beechwood to upgrade to a larger new build, or perhaps downsizing to a luxury condo in Uptown Waterloo, you can suddenly access up to $80,000 back from the provincial side alone.

Breaking Down the $130,000

I know, math is usually the part where people start scrolling, but stay with me. This is $130k we’re talking about. To get to that magic number, we have to look at two different "pots" of money: the Federal GST portion and the Provincial HST portion.

1. The Federal Slice (The GST Rebate)

Under Bill C-4 (The Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act), the federal government offers a 100% rebate on the 5% GST portion for new homes priced up to $1 million.

• The Max Savings: $50,000.
• The Catch: This part is still reserved for those who meet the 5-year rule. To qualify as a "first-time buyer" for this federal rebate, you (or your spouse/common-law partner) must not have owned a home that you occupied as a principal residence in the last five years.

2. The Provincial Slice (The Ontario HST Rebate)

This is the 8% portion. Usually, this was capped much lower, but with today’s announcement:

• The Max Savings: $80,000.
• The Big Update: From April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, this is available to everyone buying a new home under $1 million.

The Math for First-Time Buyers

If you are a first-time buyer (haven’t owned in 5 years) and you buy a new home for $1,000,000:

• Federal Rebate: $50,000
• Provincial Rebate: $80,000
• Total Savings: $130,000

The Math for Repeat Buyers (The "April Window")

If you already own a home but are buying a new-build for $1,000,000 within this one-year temporary window:

• Federal Rebate: $0 (unless you haven't lived in your owned home for 5 years)
• Provincial Rebate: $80,000
• Total Savings: $80,000

That is an extra $80,000 in equity that repeat buyers didn't have access to yesterday. It's an incredible incentive to finally pull the trigger on that move-up home.

What About Homes Over $1 Million?

I get this question a lot, especially from clients looking at premium detached homes in areas like Doon South or modern custom builds near Westmount. The good news is that you aren't completely cut off if the price tag hits seven figures.

The rebate follows a sliding scale:

• Up to $1 Million: You get the full $130,000 (if eligible for both).
• $1 Million to $1.5 Million: The rebate stays flat at $130,000.
• $1.5 Million to $1.875 Million: The rebate gradually decreases as the home price rises.
• Over $1.875 Million: The rebate phases out completely.

According to data from the Cornerstone Association of Realtors, the average price for a detached home in the Waterloo Region has remained competitive, meaning a huge chunk of our local new-build inventory falls right into that "sweet spot" of maximum savings.

Why the Waterloo Region is the Place to Be

We aren’t just talking about numbers on a spreadsheet; we’re talking about where you live. Whether you’re hopping on the blue and white ION light rail to get to work in the Tech Hub or taking the kids to the park in Mary-Allen, these rebates make our local neighbourhoods even more attractive.

If you’ve been eyeing those new mid-rise developments in Uptown Waterloo, the combination of modern urban living and a $130,000 rebate is hard to beat. Or maybe you're looking at the growing subdivisions in Doon South, where the infrastructure is expanding to support thousands of new families.

The "5-Year Rule" Explained

Let’s clear up some confusion on the federal side. A lot of people think "first-time buyer" means you’ve never owned a home. That’s not quite right in the eyes of the CRA for 2026.

If you owned a home ten years ago, sold it, and have been renting ever since, you are likely considered a first-time buyer again under the 5-year rule. This opens the door for the full $130,000 rebate. If you’re unsure about your status, it’s always worth checking with a pro (or giving me a shout) before you assume you don't qualify.

Timing is Everything: The One-Year Window

The most critical part of today's announcement is the clock. The provincial expansion for repeat buyers is a temporary measure.

• Start Date: April 1, 2026.
• End Date: March 31, 2027.

The Ontario government projects this will support up to 21,000 jobs and boost the provincial GDP by $2.7 billion. But for you, it means you have exactly one year to secure a deal that includes an extra $80,000 provincial boost if you aren't a first-timer.

If you're looking at pre-construction, the date of the signed Agreement of Purchase and Sale is what typically matters, but you’ll want to ensure your lawyer reviews the "closing date" requirements to ensure the rebate is locked in.

How to Get Started

Navigating tax rebates, federal legislation, and provincial budgets while trying to find a home with the perfect kitchen in Beechwood is a lot to handle. That’s where I come in.

1. Check Your Eligibility: Are you a "5-year" first-timer or a repeat buyer?
2. Get Your Pre-approval: Before you go shopping for that $999,000 new build, make sure your financing is rock solid. You can start that process right here: https://kimlouie.net/mortgage-preapproval.
3. Scope the Neighbourhoods: From the quiet streets of Westmount to the vibrant energy of Uptown, let’s find the right fit for your lifestyle.
4. Understand the Contract: Many builders will include the HST rebate in their sticker price. You need to know if that $130,000 is coming back to you at closing or if it’s already been deducted from the price you're paying.

Final Thoughts

Today's news from the Ontario Budget is a massive win for housing affordability in our province. It’s not often the government hands out $80,000 to $130,000 to help you buy a home.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to move into a new build in the Waterloo Region, the window is officially opening on April 1st. Don't let this year-long opportunity pass you by.

Ready to see what's available? You can search all current listings in the region here: https://kimlouie.net/search.

Let's get you into that new home: and keep that rebate money where it belongs: in your pocket.

Kim Louie, Real Estate Broker partnered with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty | Your Waterloo Region Real Estate Resource
📲 519.573.0837
📧 realtorkimlouie@kimlouie.net
💻 www.kimlouie.net

*** Not intended to solicit clients under contract. Content is for informational purposes and not guaranteed nor warrantied ***

The Wilmot Gamble: Industrial Ambition vs. Residential Realities

There's a fascinating contradiction playing out right now in Waterloo Region, and if you're a property owner, investor, or developer, you need to understand what's happening beneath the surface.

While the Region has effectively frozen new residential development approvals in Kitchener, Waterloo, and parts of Cambridge due to water capacity constraints at the Mannheim Wastewater Treatment Plant, they're simultaneously moving forward with an aggressive 770-acre industrial land assembly in Wilmot Township, one they're billing as a potential $10 billion economic catalyst.

I'm not here to tell you this is inherently good or bad. What I am here to do is break down what this strategic choice means for property values, development opportunities, and the long-term growth trajectory of our region.

The Numbers Behind the Bet

Let's start with what we know. The Region of Waterloo has been actively acquiring prime agricultural land in Wilmot Township, specifically in the New Hamburg area, for future industrial and employment uses. According to Regional Council meeting minutes from late 2025, the goal is to create a large-scale employment corridor that could attract advanced manufacturing, logistics, and technology companies.

The "$10 billion investment" figure has been floated by regional economic development officials as the potential private-sector capital this land assembly could attract over the next 15-20 years. To put that in perspective, that's roughly equivalent to the entire annual GDP of Waterloo Region's manufacturing sector.

The land itself represents some of the most fertile agricultural soil in Ontario, Class 1 and 2 farmland that's been in agricultural production for generations. The Region's strategy is to transition this land to serviced industrial lots, complete with water, wastewater, roads, and utilities infrastructure.

Here's where it gets interesting: while residential developers are being told "we don't have the water capacity," industrial development is being prioritized because commercial and industrial users generally consume significantly less water per acre than high-density residential.

The Resource Priority Conflict

This is the core tension I want you to understand, because it's going to shape property investment decisions for the next decade.

Waterloo Region is making a calculated bet that jobs growth will drive regional prosperity more effectively than housing growth in the short term. The thinking goes like this: attract major employers, create high-paying jobs, generate commercial tax revenue, and then use that revenue to fund the infrastructure upgrades (including expanded water treatment capacity) needed to unlock residential growth later.

It's a "jobs first, housing second" strategy.

The problem? We're already dealing with a housing affordability crisis. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the benchmark home price in Kitchener-Waterloo reached $697,400 in January 2026, while the Region's own housing needs assessment projects we'll need approximately 70,000 new housing units by 2031 to keep pace with population growth and household formation.

If you freeze residential development while population continues to grow (both through natural increase and employment-driven migration), you're creating upward pressure on housing prices and rents.

From a pure real estate investment perspective, this creates what I call "manufactured scarcity." Properties with existing development approvals, servicing agreements, or grandfathered zoning in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge just became significantly more valuable. If you own a residential development site with water allocation already secured, you're holding an increasingly rare asset.

What This Means for Rural Property Values

Here's where most people aren't paying attention, but should be: the Wilmot land assembly is fundamentally changing the calculus for rural property owners throughout the township.

Traditionally, farmland in Wilmot has been valued based on agricultural productivity, essentially, what can you grow on it and what's the per-acre rental rate for cash crop farmers? That valuation model is being disrupted.

Once the Region begins servicing this 770-acre employment corridor with municipal water, wastewater, and roads, every adjacent property owner is going to start asking: "When does my land get redesignated? When do I get access to services?"

We're already seeing speculative purchasing activity. According to land registry data I've reviewed, there have been at least a dozen farmland transactions in Wilmot Township in the past 18 months where the purchase price significantly exceeded agricultural value, clear indication that buyers are betting on future employment land conversion.

But here's the risk: not every adjacent parcel will be redesignated. The Region has been explicit that this is a contained employment area, not a blanket rezoning of rural Wilmot. Property owners who purchase at "development speculation" prices but never receive employment land designation could be holding overpriced farmland for decades.

The Infrastructure Funding Gap

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: how is the Region paying for this?

The servicing costs for a 770-acre employment corridor are substantial, we're talking $150-200 million minimum for roads, water, wastewater, stormwater management, and utilities. Traditionally, these costs would be recovered through development charges paid by the companies building facilities on the land.

But here's the complication: under Bill 23 (the More Homes Built Faster Act) and subsequent provincial legislation, Ontario has significantly reduced the development charges municipalities can collect, particularly for residential but also for some commercial and industrial development.

According to the Region's 2025 budget documents, they're projecting a $47 million shortfall in development charge revenue over the next five years directly attributable to provincial legislative changes. That means servicing costs for major projects like the Wilmot employment lands will need to come from property tax increases, reserves, or debt financing, all of which have implications for existing property owners and taxpayers.

If you're a residential property owner in Kitchener, Waterloo, or Cambridge, you need to understand that your property taxes are likely subsidizing infrastructure that primarily benefits industrial development in Wilmot. That's not a value judgment, it's an accounting reality.

The Long Game: What Happens in Five Years?

Here's my professional assessment of where this is heading:

Short term (2026-2028): Expect continued upward pressure on residential property values in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge as development constraints remain in place. Purpose-built rental and intensification projects with existing approvals will command premium pricing. Rural residential properties in Wilmot (estate homes on agricultural land) will see increased interest from buyers priced out of urban markets.

Medium term (2028-2031): If the Wilmot employment lands successfully attract one or two anchor tenants (think large-scale advanced manufacturing or logistics operations), you'll see rapid land value appreciation throughout the corridor. Adjacent commercial and mixed-use development will follow. However, if the employment lands fail to attract tenants, a real possibility given global economic uncertainty, the Region will be sitting on expensive serviced land generating minimal tax revenue.

Long term (2031+): Assuming the employment strategy succeeds and generates the projected tax revenue, the Region will finally have the fiscal capacity to fund expanded water treatment infrastructure. At that point, you'll see residential development constraints gradually lifted, releasing pent-up housing supply. Property owners who purchased during the constrained period will likely see significant value realization.

What Should You Do With This Information?

If you're an investor or property owner in Waterloo Region, here's my practical advice:

For residential property owners: Understand that your property's scarcity value is temporarily elevated. If you're considering selling in the next 2-3 years, market conditions favour sellers. If you're buying, focus on properties with existing development potential or locations near planned rapid transit.

For rural landowners in Wilmot: Don't assume your farmland will automatically be redesignated for employment use. Have a clear conversation with a land use planning consultant before making purchasing decisions based on speculation. If your land isn't immediately adjacent to the designated employment corridor or doesn't have reasonable access to future services, agricultural valuation is probably still the appropriate baseline.

For developers: Properties with secured water allocation and development approvals in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge are premium assets right now. If you're sitting on entitled land, this is a strong market to advance projects. If you're looking to acquire, understand that you may be buying into a 5-7 year hold before servicing constraints are resolved.

The Wilmot land assembly represents a significant strategic gamble by Waterloo Region, one that prioritizes jobs and commercial tax base over immediate housing needs. Whether it pays off will depend on global economic conditions, the Region's ability to attract anchor tenants, and the political will to fund infrastructure expansion when residential development pressure becomes unsustainable.

What's certain is this: the next five years will create winners and losers in Waterloo Region's property market. The winners will be those who understood the infrastructure constraints and positioned themselves accordingly.

If you're trying to navigate these market dynamics, whether you're buying, selling, or holding, let's have a conversation about your specific situation and how these regional trends impact your property decisions.

---

Kim Louie, Real Estate Broker partnered with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty | Your Waterloo Region Real Estate Resource
📲 519.573.0837
📧 realtorkimlouie@kimlouie.net
💻 www.kimlouie.net

*** Not intended to solicit clients under contract. Content is for informational purposes and not guaranteed nor warrantied ***

Choosing Outdoor Lighting for Curb Appeal and Safety

Well-executed exterior lighting can enhances the architectural detail of your property and makes your home look beautiful in the evening adding an abundance of curb appeal.   Aside from aesthetics, good exterior lighting can give you and your guest’s added security and peace of mind when entering and leaving your home.

Much of the success of exterior lighting depends mainly on its design. Professional lighting designers often talk about “moonlight effect.” That’s a naturalistic look that features light no more intense than that of a full moon, but still strong enough to make beautiful shadows and intense highlights.

A well-lit front entrance enables you to greet guests and identify visitors. Wall lanterns on each side of the door will give your home a warm, welcoming look, while assuring the safety of those who enter.

Install a single fixture above the garage door to provide lighting for safety and security. Consider installing a motion sensor on these fixtures or a photocell that turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn to save energy.

Another important factor is making your home secure and safe from intruders and animals. Good lighting around the entire perimeter of your home can be a deterrent in itself. Illuminate any side of the house that would otherwise be in shadows. Spotlights installed on your eaves will accomplish this, or, for a more dramatic look, consider ground lights pointed up to graze your walls.

Steps, paths, and driveways should be illuminated to make sure family members and guests are able to move about easily and safely after dark. You can install path lights or post lanterns or attach lights to the side of the house.  Low-level path lights, which spread circular patterns of light, will brighten your walkway while highlighting nearby flower beds, shrubs and ground cover. Low-level path lights can also be used to define the boundaries of long driveways.

If you have added exterior features like a swimming pool, an exterior porch or entertaining space, ensure these areas are well lit as well.

Choose lighting fixtures that look beautiful, but also throws light a good distance away from your home. This will help illuminate dark areas, and aid your vision to see outside from inside your home. If you have a large property, flood lights installed on the corners of your home will help throw light further than average wall sconces on the exterior of your home.

Another consideration to keep in mind is to select outdoor light fixtures that are energy efficient and made of durable material to suit the harsh outside temperatures during the hot summer days and cold winter nights.  In most cases, fixtures made of cast aluminum are a very durable option.

Tax-Deductible Moving Expenses

Have you recently moved to a new location? Do you know that you can deduct certain moving expenses on your next tax return, including transportation, packing and storage costs.

Many people never realize these tax benefits because they don't know what can be deducted. If you are preparing to move, it's best to be informed beforehand so you know which receipts to keep. You may find it worthwhile during a move to pay for various services that are tax-deductible rather than doing them yourself.

The typical move involves a number of costs including hiring a company to transport personal effects and furniture, hotel stays and meals (if the move involves driving a long distance to a new home), and service fees to disconnect and reconnect utilities. In addition, renters who leave on short notice may have to pay the cost of breaking a lease.

Homeowners will incur closing costs and commissions on the sale of their home as well as legal and other fees on the purchase of their new home. This article will enrich your information about some tax deductible moving expenses.

To be able to claim moving expenses on your taxes, your move has to meet the following conditions:

• You moved to your new home or new apartment to start a job or a business, or to attend full-time post-secondary courses at a university, college or other educational institution.
• Your new place of residence is at least 40 km closer to your workplace or school than your previous home.
• You moved from one place in Canada to another place in Canada.

Two groups are eligible to deduct a portion of their moving expenses: students moving away from home to attend school and people moving to a new area for a job or relocation by their employer. There has been a challenge to the rules regarding eligibility for the self-employed as you'll read later in this article.

Students
Students must fulfill two main qualifications: the distance between your home and school must be at least 40km (by the shortest public route) and you must be a full-time student. A full-time student is defined as someone who regularly attends a college, university, or other educational institution in a program at a post-secondary school level (whether in Canada or not) and is taking at least 60% of the usual course load during each semester.

As a student, you can only deduct eligible moving expenses from award income (scholarships, fellowships, bursaries, prizes, and research grants) that you report on your return. Your moving expenses must be greater than your award in order to deduct any moving expenses. As Revenue Canada's website reads, "If your moving expenses are more than the award income you report for the year, you can deduct the unused portion of those expenses from the award."

Although many students will not earn award income and will therefore not be able to deduct moving expenses, tuition fees themselves are a tax deduction. If a student has a part-time job, tuition can reduce taxes paid on those earnings.
Students who meet the qualifications and have received award income can deduct the costs of travel, shipping and transportation of belongings, as well as items listed below under 'Expenses you can deduct'.

Employees
If you are moving for work (e.g. a company relocation or new job), are employed and establish a home at least 40 km closer to a new job than your old home, then you qualify to deduct moving expenses. Similarly, if you are self-employed, and you establish a home at least 40km closer to your new operational business than your old home, you also qualify to deduct moving expenses.

According to Revenue Canada, you must establish your new home as the place where you and members of your household ordinarily reside. For example, you have established a new home if you have sold or rented (or advertised for sale or rent) your old home.

Employed and working from home: an exception to the rule
Until recently, employees who work from home and move have faced some restrictions regarding moving expenses. In the court decision Gary Adamson v. the Queen, Mr. Adamson had incurred moving expenses as an employee who was required to provide his own office in his home.

Expenses you can deduct:

1. transportation and storage costs (such as packing, hauling, in-transit storage, and insurance) for household effects, including items such as boats and trailers;
2. traveling expenses, including vehicle expenses, meals, and accommodation, to move you and members of your household to your new residence (you can choose to claim vehicle and meal expenses using the simplified method);
3. costs for up to 15 days for meals and temporary accommodation near either residence for you and the members of your household (you can choose to claim meal expenses using the simplified method; and
4. the cost of cancelling a lease for your old residence, except any rental payment for the period during which you occupied the residence.

When your old residence is sold as a result of your move, eligible moving expenses also include:

• legal or notaries fees for the purchase of the new residence, as well as any taxes paid (other than GST/HST or property taxes) for the transfer or registration of title to the new residence, if you or your spouse or common-law partner sold the old residence, and
• the cost of selling your old residence, including advertising, notarial or legal fees, real estate commission, and mortgage penalty when the mortgage is paid off before maturity.

Expenses that are not deductible:

• expenses for work done to make your home more saleable;
• any loss from the sale of your home;
• expenses for house-hunting trips before you move;
• the value of items movers refused to take, such as plants, frozen food, ammunition, paint, and cleaning products;
• expenses for job hunting in another city (such as traveling expenses);
• expenses to clean or repair a rented residence to meet the landlord's standards;
• expenses to replace personal-use items such as tool sheds, firewood, drapes, and carpets;
• mail-forwarding costs (such as with Canada Post);
• costs of transformers or adaptors for household appliances; and
• costs incurred in the sale of your old home if you delayed selling for investment purposes or until the real estate market improved.

Remember to keep recipient and documents supporting your claims, you do not have to include those document in you tax claim but Canada Revenue Agency may want to see them at a later date.

Keep in mind that this article is for information only. The tax laws are frequently modified, we recommend that you visit the Canada Revenue Agency's website for specific details about which moving expenses you can claim or consult a professional accountant to maximize your tax return.

What is a Mortgage Pre-Approval?

Securing a mortgage pre-approval is one of the first steps to take before beginning your house hunting process. A pre-approved mortgage is a tentative promise from a lender that it will loan you a certain amount of money for the purchase of real estate, for a certain term and at a certain interest rate. The lender will base its decision upon your income, credit score and assets.

A pre-approval is not a binding commitment, but rather an indication that the lender is willing to extend a mortgage to an applicant once a suitable property has been found and secured via a real estate contract. It is usually valid for 90 to 120 days. The final decision is generally subject to certain conditions being met before the mortgage is finalized such as: the appraisal of the real estate is high enough to protect the lender in the case of default, the property title is clear and the property meets inspection standards, plus a number of other factors.

Even though you have been pre-approved by a lender, it is best practice to include a condition of financing in the purchase agreement to give you time to gather your documents and the lender time to review and give final approval to your application. Once you have a signed purchase agreement, the lender will require written income verification and proof of down payment, as well as proof the title is clear, the property meets inspection standards, and the appraisal of the property is high enough to protect the lender in case of default.

Advantages of a Pre-Approved Mortgage

1. Knowing what you can afford
Knowing how much you are able to spend before purchasing a home is always a good idea. With a pre-approved mortgage, you know exactly where you stand before shopping for a home.

Many real estate agents will want you to have a pre-approval in place before they take you house hunting. This is to ensure that they are showing you properties within your affordable price range. As a general rule, your housing costs, including your mortgage payment, taxes, and heating expenses should not exceed more than 32% of your gross household monthly income.

2. Pre-approval makes buying more convenient
If several buyers are interested in the same property, being pre-approved can give you the advantage. Sellers are more likely to accept an offer from a buyer who has been pre-approved over a buyer who has no guarantee that they can attain the financing for the amount they offered.