(BPT) – Busy has become a way of life. Between work, household chores, time with family and friends, people often don’t have time to complete that entire wish list of home updates. Luckily, there are several simple kitchen and bath projects that you can conquer in minimal time that deliver maximum style and functional impact. In fact, here are a few projects that can be completed in about an hour or less.

Raise the bar with a new shower rod 

Bring the luxurious style of a hotel to your bath and increase shower space with a curved shower rod. Available in single- and double-rod designs, both offer the elegant look often seen in hotel baths while adding some extra elbow room to create a more enjoyable shower experience. If you’re short on time, find one that can be installed without drilling holes – and removes easily, making it perfect for any shower, even if you’re a renter. Finally, add decorative shower curtain rings and a new shower curtain to give your bath an instant makeover. 

Style and storage makeover

Want to quickly enhance the look and functionality of your bathroom? Accessories, such as towel bars, hooks and shelves can be a quick and inexpensive solution. It’s easy to eliminate bathroom pet peeves like towels on the floor and too many products in the shower with bath accessories that come in a variety of styles and finishes. If safety is a concern, there are a variety of accessories that incorporate the benefits of grab bars into their designs.

Turn boring into beautiful with a backsplash

If you wish you could have the beautiful tile backsplash seen in high-end kitchens, but aren’t up for messing with mortar, you now have an alternative. Today, there are many easy-to-install wall tiles that offer an adhesive backing or simply adhere with double-sided tape or adhesive. Plus, they are available in a variety of faux tile, stone or metal designs to transform the look of your kitchen in no time.

Say hello to kitchen hardware

Is your kitchen cabinet hardware looking dingy or dated? This simple project can make a dramatic difference in your home’s appearance. Look for new knobs and drawer pulls that are designed to match your existing faucets and fixtures in both style and finish. Whether you prefer modern or something with a more traditional look, there are many options available to extend your sense of design down to the details.

But don’t stop with knobs and pulls – much like the bath, towel rings and hooks are the perfect solution for managing dish towels that are often carelessly strewn about countertops. Establish a special spot for this kitchen necessity by mounting hooks, towel rings or towel bars on the side of an upper cabinet, the end of the island or in another kitchen work space.

Take an hour or two and try some of these quick and easy DIY projects for yourself. You may be surprised as to how much you can accomplish in such a short period of time!

When it comes to your home, you want it to be as unique as you are, and first impressions are very important. It makes sense to start with the part of your house that everyone will see first – your gates and railing. Wrought iron driveway gates are an ideal way to finish off your drive and give your home that wow factor.

Driveway gates and fences will enhance the beauty, privacy and security of your home. A driveway gate extends your home security to the boundaries of your property, and in a time where people are increasingly worried about their security, adding an iron gate at the driveway entrance has become popular. Having a secure fence and gate can be a great comfort, particularly if your house lies in an area of heavy traffic. In addition to the security benefits, adding a gate also contains animals, clearly marks property lines and makes a huge aesthetic improvement to your home.

When you choose an iron driveway gate for your home, you can be confident in the knowledge that they are known for their strength and endurance. This makes them less likely to break or bend. With today’s power coating options, wrought iron gates can become just as rust resistant as aluminum. Iron gates can be matched with existing fences, pedestrian gates and access control systems.

It can be very frustrating to finish a long commute only to have to get out of the car, open a gate, drive through it, get out of the car again and close the gate. With this in mind another trendy feature for your iron driveway gates is to install an automatic gate opener. Electric gates provide indispensable convenience, allowing a gate to be opened without ever having to leave your car and therefore eliminating all those cumbersome steps.

When purchasing electric gates you need to consider a few options. The most obvious is deciding whether you want your driveway gate to open by sliding or swinging outwards. Swing gates are more aesthetically pleasing but you must take into account the opening radius depending on the length of the gate. Sliding gates will eliminate this issue as they retract rather than swing out.

You will also need to consider how much power is required to open and close your driveway gate. The amount of power is dependent on the size of your gate, how it opens and how many times it will need to be opened each day.

Finally, how will your gate be accessed, and by how many users? Electric gates are operated by a controller which sends a signal to the opening mechanism.

There are several options for your controller:

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  Wireless
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  Wired keypads
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  Keypads with intercoms
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  Key card operated controllers
• 
  Controllers operated by remotes or telephones

Each of these features will affect the price and your final decision should be based on your budget and personal preference. Once you have taken all these points into consideration you can narrow down your options and choose the best Driveway Gates for your specific needs.

First impressions are everything when it comes to selling a home, and peeling paint, stained carpets and unpleasant odors can be an instant turn-off for buyers. Fortunately, you can take simple and inexpensive steps to prep your home for a quick, top-dollar sale.

Freshen up:

• 
  Paint is an easy, cost-effective way to improve any interior, and a new coat can make all the difference in selling your home. Cracked or peeling paint will repel potential buyers, and faded or boring walls can create a lackluster overall appearance.

Make your home stand out with a fresh coat in a vibrant color, such as those found in Dutch Boy’s Crayola palette. Perfect for showcasing a finished basement, kids’ room or accent wall anywhere in the home, these bright shades will make any space pop. With 96 colors to choose from – from Marshmallow and Ice Pop, to Wild Strawberry and Inch Worm – you’re sure to find a shade to help make your home memorable. And as you are updating walls with new color, use a paint that not only adds beauty but also reduces odors. Add a few scented candles or potpourri to make the home even more appealing to buyers’ noses.

Little fixes:

• 
  The little things can make a big difference when it comes to the appearance of your home. Many buyers are looking to make as few improvements as possible, and even tiny cosmetic repairs can seem like a huge project. The more move-in-ready your house appears, the faster it will sell, and more likely buyers will be willing to pay the asking price. Some easy fixes include replacing broken counter and floor tiles, patching holes in any surfaces, making sure all lights work properly and doors open and close smoothly.

Organize and de-personalize:

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  To give your home a spacious showroom feel, take time to remove any superfluous stuff. Show off your kitchen countertops by storing unnecessary appliances, clear the sink and dishwashing machine, and organize refrigerator contents. Keep the bathroom vanity clear of personal items, neatly fold or hang clean towels, and clear or cover clothing hampers. Organize your cupboards, closets and drawers to maximize the appearance of your home’s storage capabilities.

Clearing your home of visible clutter will not only make it seem more spacious but also make it easier for potential buyers to picture it as their own. Minimize family photos and personal items to help visitors more easily see themselves – and their things – in your home.

Curb appeal:

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  First impressions can make a world of difference, so don’t neglect your home’s exterior as you prepare to sell. The mailbox should be in good condition and the house number easily visible from the street. Keep exterior doors, including garage doors, free of flaking or fading paint and freshen the trim around windows and shutters. A fresh coat of paint on the front door can add to your home’s curb appeal and affixing a seasonal display of flowers or a festive wreath on the front door also makes a warm, welcoming statement.

A few simple projects can vastly improve your home’s overall appearance, and with these tips, your home will be sold in no time.

What to expect when you’re expecting… house guests. The key to making a lasting impression on your guests is to provide all the comforts you would expect to find at home, but with a personal touch. As the proverb goes, “a home without guests is a home without soul”, so as the host, return the favor by filling your guest room with some of that soul. Sally Morse, director of creative services for window fashions company Hunter Douglas, offers the following tips on guest room décor:

 

• Luggage Racks – How many times have you entered a guest room and there was no place to put down any luggage? Arranging a place for your guests’ belongings in a small bedroom can be a challenge, but consider a folding luggage rack that can easily be put away and won’t take up too much space.

 

• Closet – A closet is useless without any hangers, so don’t forget to supply at least eight to 10 hangers for your guests. It’s also a good idea to put simple hooks on the wall or behind a closet door for coats, scarves or bags.

 

• Flowers – A great way to add a personal touch to your guest room is by putting flowers on a bedside table or bureau. The flowers don’t have to be fresh necessarily; dried hydrangeas, for instance, live longer and provide an elegant, vintage look to a room. During the holiday season, try filling a vase with dry arrangements or a large bowl with pine cones for a festive and eye-catching addition.

 

• Provide Privacy – Part of making your guests feel at home is providing adequate privacy. Choose window coverings that not only add character to the room, but provide privacy and light control as well. Products such as Silhouette window shadings from Hunter Douglas do just that: the shadings diffuse light through two fabric layers for a radiant and calming effect with the added benefit of providing privacy.

 

• Converting Your Office Space – Many people don’t have the extra room in their homes to set up a special guest room, so they combine spaces into multi-functional areas. The work space/guest room is a great option for creating a cozy and versatile space. Once you’ve determined how your multi-use space should be divided, consider investing in a pullout couch, especially if you have frequent visitors.

 

• Mirrors – Be sure that there is at least one mirror in the room, whether it’s in the bedroom itself or the bathroom. A floor-length mirror is an added luxury that your guests will definitely appreciate.

 

• Small Touches – A little gesture can go a long way. Consider leaving a welcome note or a pouch of lavender on the pillow to make your guests feel special. Also give your guest room an intimate feel by including a family photo or two or some of your favorite books

With these simple tips you’ll have a hard time getting your guests to leave.

 

More information is available online at http://www.hunterdouglas.ca.

(NC) House-hunting couples have many important decisions to make together – from deciding on a new-build condo or century-old bungalow to agreeing on the ideal neighbourhood and the type of mortgage that will work best for them.

According to research from TD Canada Trust, 73% of Canadians bought or expect to buy their first home with their significant other. Since a home is the biggest purchase most couples will make, Farhaneh Haque, director of mortgage advice at TD Canada Trust, provides her top three tips to ensure couples are on the same page before hitting any open houses.

• Air out financial closets – Couples should be open and honest about their current financial situation and financial history. If anything could affect the ability to secure a loan together, afford monthly mortgage payments, or interest rate increases, be upfront about it.
• Start on the same foot – From a home office to a kitchen made for entertaining, couples should set a budget and discuss the key characteristics they want in a home, and what they are and are not willing to compromise on.
• Saying ‘I do’ to a mortgage – Couples need to give as much thought to their mortgage as they do to their dream home. This includes discussing the size of the down payment, amortization period, type of mortgage and payment schedule.

“The last thing couples want is an unwelcome surprise when they’re about to sign on the dotted line,” Haque said. “By speaking with a mortgage specialist well before you’ve entered the pressure-cooker of the house hunt, couples can make informed decisions that can save money and stress in the long run.”

(NC)-While retiring debt free is a goal for many, with competing financial priorities such as saving for retirement, home ownership and the day-to-day living expenses, how do you make this dream a reality?

 

“While paying off your mortgage and debt before contributing to your RRSP may seem like the thing to do, it is not always realistic,” says Jason Round, head of Financial Planning Support at RBC Financial Planning. “It is best to find a balance between paying down debt and contributing to your RRSP, even when RRSP returns are lower than mortgage interest rates. The capital invested in your RRSP will produce compound interest in a tax shelter – creating a substantial nest egg for your retirement.”

 

Round provides three tips to a debt free retirement:

 

• Understand trade-offs – Recognize that while you may be contributing to your RRSP regularly, paying down debt will impact your savings.

 

• Set-up regular RRSP contributions – Consider an automatic RRSP contribution to save while continuing to pay off your debt. The tax refund generated by RRSP contributions can be used to pay down debt.

 

• Restructure your debt – Start reducing your high-interest debt (credit card) then focus on managing low interest debt (mortgage).

 

It is always a good idea to talk to a financial planner who can go through a financial review with you. A Financial Planner will provide advice to help you pay down debt while staying on track with your investments.

 

To see how RBC can help, visit: http://www.rbcfinancialplanning.com/

(BPT) – It’s a sobering truth of real estate that sellers often have to spend money to make money. Even if your home is relatively new, you still face costs associated with getting it ready to show, such as repainting interior rooms or hiring professional cleaners and stagers. If your home could use some TLC and updating, spending as little as $5,000 on key upgrades could improve its appeal for buyers – and ensure a speedier sale at a better price.

Here are five upgrades you can make for under $5,000 to help put your home at the top of every buyer’s must-see list.

 1. Upgrade your entryway – Replacing an old, dated or worn entry door can be a cost-effective way to ensure buyers get a good first impression when they walk in your house. Whether you choose a fiberglass, wooden or steel model, installing a new entry door can cost a few thousand dollars, yet the return on investment at the time of resale can be significant. A fiberglass entry door returns about 72 percent of its investment, while a steel door recoups more than 100 percent of its value, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report.

Enhance your new door with attractive plantings, fresh paint and clean windows around the entryway to create a memorable, attractive entry for just a few thousand dollars.

2. Increase natural light – More buyers are becoming aware of the mood- and productivity-enhancing benefits of natural light, and homes with big, bright windows have always been in demand. Adding windows to a room can be a costly, time-consuming affair. Not so with adding a skylight. For well under $5,000 and in just a day or two, a professional can install an Energy Star qualified, solar powered no-leak fresh-air skylight, like those from Velux America. Professional installation costs nationally ranges from around $900 to $2,325, with an average of $1,400, according to HomeAdvisor.com.

The low installation cost will leave you plenty of budget to enhance the skylight upgrade even further with energy efficiency-boosting solar-powered blinds. The skylight and blinds are operated by remote control and the blinds are available in designer colors and patterns to enhance your décor. The products, as well as installation costs, are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit to further reduce the cost of the improvement.

The most popular rooms in the home for fresh air skylights are baths, where they provide privacy in addition to natural light, and kitchens, where they vent cooking odors and humidity naturally while brightening this much-used workspace. Visit http://www.veluxusa.com to learn more.

3. Beautify a master bathroom – Bathrooms and kitchens sell homes. Making a few cosmetic upgrades to even a small master bath can help increase a home’s appeal and value. For less than $5,000 you can easily repaint, upgrade faucets, replace old cabinet hardware and add decorative touches like designer towels.

If you’ve already done all that, take a look at the floor or countertops – two cost-effective upgrades that can wow buyers. Since counters don’t make up that much square footage in most bathrooms, replacing them with granite can cost just a couple thousand dollars. Tile flooring is also a relatively inexpensive way to improve a bathroom’s look and usability.

4. Heat things up in the kitchen – Kitchen remodels can offer high ROI for sellers, but a full remodel may be outside your budget. If you’ve already done the obvious – like repainting and decluttering – it’s time to look for a few more cost-effective improvements that will appeal to buyers.

Just as in the bathroom, swapping old faucets and cabinet hardware with new designer options can enhance the appeal of a kitchen. Shabby, outdated appliances can hinder a speedy sale, so consider replacing them with new ones. You don’t necessarily need to install top-of-the-line, high-priced appliances to make a good impression, either. Newer, Energy Star qualified appliances represent savings for buyers down the road.

5. Lavish landscaping – No single aspect of your home has a greater impact on a buyer’s first impression than the landscaping. A great front yard sets the tone for the rest of the home, appealing to buyers on a number of levels, including beauty, practicality and savings.

With $5,000, you can accomplish a lot in terms of landscaping. You can sod a small front yard, add decorative planting beds to a lush lawn, or even install shade trees that will both beautify the yard and enhance the home’s energy efficiency in summer. Decorative concrete stamping of walkways and driveways is another cost-effective way to improve a home’s curb appeal.

Whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market, no one wants to see their home linger long before selling. A few simple upgrades can help ensure your home gets plenty of attention this season.
 

Changing your ceiling lights is a great way to improve the look and feel of your space and you have more options than ever before in terms of selection and price. Most projects will only take a little bit of your time, even if you’re a DIY novice, and they really do make a big impact on the level of comfort people will experience in your home.

Changing out an old ceiling light to a new one is easy and only takes seconds. Underneath the cover, at the base of the lamp will be a couple of screws that hold it to the ceiling. After turning off power to the room, unscrew the unit and detach the wires from it. Once you do this, you can simply reattach the new ceiling light, restore the power and enjoy a whole new effect in the room. It really is that simple for most installations, so the only thing to seriously consider is the look you want your light to give off. 

One option is to also install a dimmer switch. This is also a simple procedure, and the switch is very inexpensive and can be found in almost any lighting accessory retail location as well as online at your favorite dealer. This will allow you to control the brightness of your ceiling lights, and is perfect for areas such as the dining room, study or even the bedroom.

Chandeliers are a great way to accentuate rooms that have high ceilings, but they can also be small enough to fit over any existing fixture. Whether you are looking to use a chandelier as the focal centerpiece in an entryway or a small accessory for the dining room, there are plenty of models to choose from, and the designs can range from contemporary to classical. The only thing to remember is that your ceiling will need to support the weight of the chandelier, so it is very important to know what those limits are before installing a new piece. You may need to reinforce the mounts or consider an alternative that is less heavy.

If you do install a chandelier in a room it’s also worth considering placing a large mirror on one wall, this will give the impression of greater space in the room and will accentuate the impact of the chandelier.

Ceiling fans are also exceptionally beautiful and can add a lot to a room, especially kitchens and bedrooms. Most come with or without light fixtures, and you have the option of choosing a simple fan or one with a light attachment. A double benefit of having circulating air as well as light is that it can make a stuffy or crowded room much more pleasant to be in. Just as easy to install as replacement ceiling lights, it can be a simple weekend project that most people can do in about an hour. Finding the right one will depend on need, space and personal taste.

Whether looking for ceiling lights or fans, there is a wide selection to choose from for prices you won’t find in traditional stores. A trusted online retailer should be a one stop resource for not only products, but for service and coaching as well. If you have a project, you can find a lighting accessory retailer that can help you to transform any space into an inviting place. Just give yourself some extra time for your order to be shipped.

Styles don’t last forever, and changing ceiling lights is easier and less expensive than most people think. From simply replacing a cover to switching to a whole new light entirely, there are more options than ever to transform that dull room into a luminescent space that is warm, inviting and comfortable. Whether you want to install ceiling fans or chandelier lights, there are many design options to choose from, and knowing what the effect is that you want to create will help you to make satisfying choices.

by: Kathryn Dawson 

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_7022.shtml 

(NC)-Saving and investing for retirement is important. But how and when to spend what you have worked so hard to accumulate is just as important, if not more so. Retirement planning expert Debbie Ammeter of Investors Group suggests that there are several key considerations:

Retirement date – If you decide to retire before age 65, each extra year will be one less year of saving and investing. If you retire after 65, you can continue the tax-saving, income-building advantages of your RRSP until the end of the year in which you turn 71.

Retirement lifestyle – You may decide to keep working full-time or part-time, perhaps start a business. If so, you can afford to save less in advance because even a modest amount of extra employment income can go a long way.

Retirement income – Include all income -ranging from your personal savings, company pensions, investments held within RRSPs or TFSAs and non-registered investments to government sources including the Canada Pension Plan/Québec Pension Plan (CPP/QPP) and Old Age Security. Retirement paycheque – Identify your continuing costs and expenses. Take inflation into account and the happy fact that you could need that income for 40 plus years. Establish a mix of investments that will bridge the gap and deliver the cash flow you will need without depleting your underlying assets.

Taxes – Minimize taxes with a withdrawal plan for your registered and other income-producing investments that takes full advantage of all the tax benefits available to you, such as age and pension income credits, while avoiding OAS clawbacks.

More information on this topic is available from the Investors Group, or contact a financial advisor to get specific advice about your circumstances.

Editor Note: This column, written and published by Investors Group Financial Services Inc. (in Quebec-a Financial Services Firm), presents general information only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments.