The family & friends you choose to spend your time with should never be based on what they have or what they can give you, but when flipping a house, if your family or friends DO have things or CAN help, it makes a difference. Ty and I have seriously counted on anyone we know to get this house finished, here are just a few items you may see in our house that we did not necessary purchase ourselves and a few tips on how to make extra money when you actually do have to buy things yourself.
1) Borrow: When Pauline (our Realtor) came over to list our house it is typically standard that window coverings are included, but not with us, no, we have wood blinds in our master that CANNOT be sold with the house because they belong to Mom and the bamboo blind in the kitchen was free because it was a miss-measure at Mom's store.
2) Beg: The Dining Room chandelier was free; Mom had found it in the clearance bin at Home Depot and never used it, so we did.
3) Sale: We were really good at finding deals, for example, Rona was closing in Perth so we went in (BEFORE WORK) and bought our patio door, bathroom window and front full-glass door, what we didn't know at the time was that the only thing we would actually use was the patio door, the front door we didn't measure and the bathroom window we never replaced.
4) Borrow: There is a gorgeous, huge painting in our River Room that really fills a wall perfectly and makes it warm, that we actually took from the Boat House at the Cottage..... we promised Jan we would return it once the house sold.
5) Beg: Thankfully Ty's Dad, Gord, is a wiz at anything home repair, he has done everything from build us a counter top to frame in our bathroom wall to squaring up our walls, and likely should have charged Ty by the minute for phone advice! We also enjoyed that Blair, his Carpenter and "partner" of "Bypass Construction" would come over often too.
6) Sale: Something not a lot of people know - Home Depot Online has a daily item that they put on sale, one day only, under "Hammer Drop" and then they also have one item each day that they put a few of up under "Auction" - and let me tell you, you can get awesome deals, the massive tv stand in our living room was purchased at 40% off on HD online so we thought we were getting a good deal getting it for $600 +tax & delivery, but a few weeks later it went on the auction and sold for LESS THEN $300! I almost died!
7) Beg: So not everyone has a Mom that owns a paint and decorating store, but I do, so we used 50 gallons (approximately, we lost count) on the interior and 15 gallons on the exterior and got a great deal on it - I love "family discounts" - my Mom is awesome, she also painted the majority of a two-storey, four bedroom home (I'm talking ceilings and all walls) in 4 days, she is a MACHINE! And she sews, although she seems to have caught on that I can sew as well......
8) Sale: When you buy things or have things you no longer need or want (like a bathroom window that you didn't use, a front door that you didn't measure or a tv stand that you have replaced but can still lie and say it is less then a year old) you can sell all of these wonderful things for free on websites like usedottawa.ca or craigslist or kijiji - all of these websites allow you to post for free and find buyers for your used stuff, and it totally works - we actually sold the door for more then we bought it for - because we got such a good deal on it originally!
9) Beg: Uncle Scott is his own company (shout out to Athabasca Home Solutions) and does awesome work as a general contractor, and because he loves his niece so, on several occasions he came over and helped us! And although they are not professionals I still believe they deserve an honourable mention - Uncle Rob for helping with the flooring (when we almost killed him with no AC), Brad & Megan for telling (because if they asked we would have said no) us they were coming to help cause Ty threw out his back and they wanted to help, D & Claire for, once again, telling us they were coming to help us move and allowing us to us their SUV to pile 4 mattress on top and Ty carrying over our dining room table from the apartment and Claire getting covered in Melamine paint so she had to almost bathe in paint thinner, Jon Jon and Brian for destroying our little one car driveway and making it a spacious two with his skidsteerer, and the array of friends and family that came that first week to do whatever they could to help.
10) Sale: If you are in the market for windows, and you do NOT require specific sizes (usually because you are making the cut out) just go to a window store and ask if they have mis-measures or windows that were returned because the customer didn't want them, our local one had trailers full that they auction once a year, but throughout the year they will sell them to you, usually at cost (cause the purchaser has already had to pay 25% to return them) and it works PERFECT!
11) Beg; Again, not everyone has a Dad that lives in the country with 100's of acres of bush, but I do, and so we have a house that has a wood stove and a Dad that cuts wood for us, and we love him for it, he works too hard and he will not take money from us for anything..... he is the best.
12) Sale: When having work done on/around your house consider hiring students, luckily for us I work at a trades school and know which students are top of their class and when students learn certain things and so, for example, in the week after the Masonry students had learned how to build dry-lay stone walls, we hired two of them to build ours on the water, and it looks beautiful, it gave them money and it cost us so much less for a wall that could not look any better, we also have Carpenters at this Campus, I am still waiting for a job for them.
So the moral of this entry is that, if you are patient, and if you can look to those you love or what is available in your area, you can find great deals, learn alot and complete a house for atleast half the price it would cost to have paid professionals do it!
However, I am not sure everyone will be so willing to help on the second house... the first house has an excitement about it that you lose in the second house, especially the parents, they all did ALOT!
xo,
S
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Lotus Touts from the Anthony Robbins organization
This has nothing to do with home ownership, but I have always loved it and the first time I received it, I wrote it down in my poem book and read it often, it makes perfect sense!
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't be! lieve al l you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before y ou get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE.. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN! .. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose ! the less on.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute20injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice
TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't be! lieve al l you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before y ou get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE.. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN! .. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose ! the less on.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute20injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice
TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Masquerading as Martha
Since my house to to stay in "viewing condition" and I am not a person that typically lives in a sanitized bubble I have found (or stumbled upon) several ways to make my abode look and smell extra perfect, without spending my life cleaning, these tips I share now with you.
1) Store your extra boxes of Kleenex beside your laundry supplies, apparently it makes them smell "delicious" (this was not intention, I am not that clever, and Claire is the first person I have met that smells a Kleenex before snotting in it!)
2) CLR Kitchen & Bath is the most amazing cleaner in the world for everything kitchen and bath, I mean we had planned on getting a whole new pedestal sink until I used this stuff (I was kinda looking forward to the new sink though - do not use if, in your heart, you want a new sink; boyfriend will think old sink now looks just as good)
3) Swiffer is the best invention in the WORLD; it works better then a broom, it is faster (and possibly also more thorough) then a mop, and much lighter then a broom, if you do not have one, buy one, you will not regret it and you will be discussed how much crap is on your floors.
4) When you go out and buy the swiffer, buy swiffer dry, not swiffer wet; I made this mistake, I thought since we have hardwood, swiffer wet would be better, but it is not, go with dry.
5) After using water on or around any sink, counter top, or table wipe it down with a dry towel - you will notice it looks a lot better, trust me, do it! It polishes it perfectly, especially stainless steel, no streaks or water marks.
6) Get a diffuser (scent thing that you burn a candle in the bottom of) and buy the wax cubes, the cubes spread the scent throughout the house better then the little glass jars of liquid! Plus the smells tend to be more natural and less purfumey, if you are selling your house, if it does not smell natural, it smells like you are trying to cover something up.
7) To give anything a new look, spray paint it! Seriously, knobs, hinges, curtain rods, closet door handles..... anything you want, it is the cheapest way to give some rusty, busted up piece of metal a face lift!
8) PAINT! And I mean paint anything, you would be shocked how much of a difference painting out old white trim, doors and baseboard fresh white..... after a few years and much traffic, it does dull. Or an old dresser (I painted out white AND spray painted the knobs silver), coffee tables, whatever.... I seriously have a gallon of fresh start in the basement and just when I find something I think would be great but looks dated because of colour or style, I try painting it, it is so easy!
9) Put your off-season clothing in a storage bin and out of your closet, when buyers see an overstuffed closet they think there is not enough room, not even noticing that you have three times the amount of clothes they do.... and it is actually nicer for you too, I can see my clothes now!
The more I write, the more I realize how much this little house has taught me, about everything, it was a great first home, I'll miss it, but onto something even more terrible!!! Looking forward to it!
xo xo,
S
1) Store your extra boxes of Kleenex beside your laundry supplies, apparently it makes them smell "delicious" (this was not intention, I am not that clever, and Claire is the first person I have met that smells a Kleenex before snotting in it!)
2) CLR Kitchen & Bath is the most amazing cleaner in the world for everything kitchen and bath, I mean we had planned on getting a whole new pedestal sink until I used this stuff (I was kinda looking forward to the new sink though - do not use if, in your heart, you want a new sink; boyfriend will think old sink now looks just as good)
3) Swiffer is the best invention in the WORLD; it works better then a broom, it is faster (and possibly also more thorough) then a mop, and much lighter then a broom, if you do not have one, buy one, you will not regret it and you will be discussed how much crap is on your floors.
4) When you go out and buy the swiffer, buy swiffer dry, not swiffer wet; I made this mistake, I thought since we have hardwood, swiffer wet would be better, but it is not, go with dry.
5) After using water on or around any sink, counter top, or table wipe it down with a dry towel - you will notice it looks a lot better, trust me, do it! It polishes it perfectly, especially stainless steel, no streaks or water marks.
6) Get a diffuser (scent thing that you burn a candle in the bottom of) and buy the wax cubes, the cubes spread the scent throughout the house better then the little glass jars of liquid! Plus the smells tend to be more natural and less purfumey, if you are selling your house, if it does not smell natural, it smells like you are trying to cover something up.
7) To give anything a new look, spray paint it! Seriously, knobs, hinges, curtain rods, closet door handles..... anything you want, it is the cheapest way to give some rusty, busted up piece of metal a face lift!
8) PAINT! And I mean paint anything, you would be shocked how much of a difference painting out old white trim, doors and baseboard fresh white..... after a few years and much traffic, it does dull. Or an old dresser (I painted out white AND spray painted the knobs silver), coffee tables, whatever.... I seriously have a gallon of fresh start in the basement and just when I find something I think would be great but looks dated because of colour or style, I try painting it, it is so easy!
9) Put your off-season clothing in a storage bin and out of your closet, when buyers see an overstuffed closet they think there is not enough room, not even noticing that you have three times the amount of clothes they do.... and it is actually nicer for you too, I can see my clothes now!
The more I write, the more I realize how much this little house has taught me, about everything, it was a great first home, I'll miss it, but onto something even more terrible!!! Looking forward to it!
xo xo,
S
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Keeping Up Appearances
When you put your house up for sale you hope that the hardest thing you will have to do is juggle all of those over-asking offers and pick which one you want to take, that is so not true, the hardest thing you have to do is keep your house in "showing" condition. The quest to do this has resulted in me developing slight OCD. These are the lessons that I have learned and the lengths that I go to;
1) Ty is not able to close his closet door, ever, apparently it takes a women's touch.
2) Wanting to make your bed in the morning is MUCH more enjoyable then having to make your bed, like when you are running late for work, you still need to make your bed, with throw pillows, which Ty hates
3) If you have one dish in the sink, in your mind you are the filthiest person in the world, that dish must be cleaned because god forbid someone come for a viewing and there is a dish.
4) The daily desk calendar you were given for Christmas has become a nuisance because suddenly I MUST keep the date accurate or else someone may think we don't live there and it is all staged.
5) My weekly routine has went from a workout routine to a cleaning routine - including EVERY Friday I swiffer the entire house top to bottom and mop the hardwood, and, as we are clean people, you would be SHOCKED at the amount of hair that Lulu and I lose in one week around that house
6) My morning routine has changed from a get-ready routine to a furry of adjusting things - make the bed (complete with throw pillows), get ready and make myself breakfast, clean any dish or counter surface in the kitchen (counters, island cart, stove, table), dry out the sink (because it does look better), fold the cozy blanket at the foot of the couch back up, fluff the pillows on the couch, put any loose shoes back on the holder, push the office chair back in, fluff the comforter in the guest room (because Lulu and Ty have played on it), close Ty's closet door, after everyone is done in the shower I move the curtain to the left hand side and open the wall window to let in the light, I clean the sink from any tooth paste/make up mess, close the toilet seat, and leave for work, usually 5 minutes late. (Ty is in charge of cleaning out Lulu's litter in the morning and getting himself out the door)
7) I know keep anything small and expensive locked away, camera, external, etc.... because I have also become paranoid of these people going through my house
8) Laundry is no longer my easy chore, it is a marathon, because you cannot be mid-laundry during a viewing, why? because a) the washer makes this knocking noise that just doesn't sound good, b) if something cannot go in the laundry and must hang to dry it does so in the river room, which makes it seem like we have no where to do laundry, c) if it does not get put away immediately you once again become the filthiest person in the world, as if you left a dish in the sink....
There are many other examples of the shear torture that this is and there is a whole other entry yet to be done about how crazy I am with my realtor now that my house is for sale, but for now, you can simply chuckle to yourself about my antics to date.
Know this: my house is clean, you can eat off the floor.
xo xo,
S
1) Ty is not able to close his closet door, ever, apparently it takes a women's touch.
2) Wanting to make your bed in the morning is MUCH more enjoyable then having to make your bed, like when you are running late for work, you still need to make your bed, with throw pillows, which Ty hates
3) If you have one dish in the sink, in your mind you are the filthiest person in the world, that dish must be cleaned because god forbid someone come for a viewing and there is a dish.
4) The daily desk calendar you were given for Christmas has become a nuisance because suddenly I MUST keep the date accurate or else someone may think we don't live there and it is all staged.
5) My weekly routine has went from a workout routine to a cleaning routine - including EVERY Friday I swiffer the entire house top to bottom and mop the hardwood, and, as we are clean people, you would be SHOCKED at the amount of hair that Lulu and I lose in one week around that house
6) My morning routine has changed from a get-ready routine to a furry of adjusting things - make the bed (complete with throw pillows), get ready and make myself breakfast, clean any dish or counter surface in the kitchen (counters, island cart, stove, table), dry out the sink (because it does look better), fold the cozy blanket at the foot of the couch back up, fluff the pillows on the couch, put any loose shoes back on the holder, push the office chair back in, fluff the comforter in the guest room (because Lulu and Ty have played on it), close Ty's closet door, after everyone is done in the shower I move the curtain to the left hand side and open the wall window to let in the light, I clean the sink from any tooth paste/make up mess, close the toilet seat, and leave for work, usually 5 minutes late. (Ty is in charge of cleaning out Lulu's litter in the morning and getting himself out the door)
7) I know keep anything small and expensive locked away, camera, external, etc.... because I have also become paranoid of these people going through my house
8) Laundry is no longer my easy chore, it is a marathon, because you cannot be mid-laundry during a viewing, why? because a) the washer makes this knocking noise that just doesn't sound good, b) if something cannot go in the laundry and must hang to dry it does so in the river room, which makes it seem like we have no where to do laundry, c) if it does not get put away immediately you once again become the filthiest person in the world, as if you left a dish in the sink....
There are many other examples of the shear torture that this is and there is a whole other entry yet to be done about how crazy I am with my realtor now that my house is for sale, but for now, you can simply chuckle to yourself about my antics to date.
Know this: my house is clean, you can eat off the floor.
xo xo,
S
Monday, October 20, 2008
When looking for a house....
In August 2006 Ty and I started looking for a house, we had a wonderful real estate agent helping us and after seeing about 8 houses we found the one we currently live in, this is what I learned from house hunting;
1) I think I can solve any problem a house has, I believe that I can make any house beautiful; forget that little roof issue or what appears to be a foundation built on randomly placed logs, I could make this place SHINE! Thank GOD for sane, level headed Ty! Seriously, I only said no to two houses, one had a bat and a toilet that appeared to be clogged with really old feminine hygiene products and the other one had this smell like someone had died there.
2) You need to find a realtor that is honest with you, that will really tell you (and this did happen) that "you cannot buy this house, I will not sell you this house because it is JUST THAT BAD" and someone that has a sense of humour about things.
3) You can always use more space then you think. When we first saw our house in all of its 4 bedroom glory Ty said we didn't need all that space, our realtor told him to close the door and leave them empty, which we never did, no. Now we're spoiled and REFUSE to have anything smaller then a 3 bedroom with den. Once we have children, we will need a mansion to fit them because we have learned - the two of us and Lulu (the cat) require 4 bedrooms.
4) Although you are not a realtor or home inspector or mortgage consultant or lawyer, you will start to get an attitude that you know EXACTLY what they should be doing, you will be the expert and you will not understand WHY no one is listening to you (this gets worse when buying house #2). You will email your team of professionals CONSTANTLY to check and make sure that they did this or that because you just want to make sure, not because you doubt them, but just because you want to make sure (not!).
5) The bank will give you WAY more then you can afford (as evident in the news currently). Basically, we sat down and figured out what we could afford per month on housing, then deducted the portion that would be bills, taxes, utilities, etc from that and came up with what we could afford for a mortgage payment, we went to the bank and were pre-approved for double, that is right, double. It may be tempting to buy that home at the top of your allowable loan, don't! So many people say "the bank wouldn't give me the money if they knew I couldn't afford it", to which I agree, but by afford it they would expect you do not eat, drink, talk, pay insurance, or travel anymore then a mile.
At this point in time I am not sure if you get better or worse when looking for your second, I know I am better at not wanting every house, I am worse when it comes to thinking I know more then the professionals, and I definitely expect more from my realtor. I think I am better now.
xo xo,
S
1) I think I can solve any problem a house has, I believe that I can make any house beautiful; forget that little roof issue or what appears to be a foundation built on randomly placed logs, I could make this place SHINE! Thank GOD for sane, level headed Ty! Seriously, I only said no to two houses, one had a bat and a toilet that appeared to be clogged with really old feminine hygiene products and the other one had this smell like someone had died there.
2) You need to find a realtor that is honest with you, that will really tell you (and this did happen) that "you cannot buy this house, I will not sell you this house because it is JUST THAT BAD" and someone that has a sense of humour about things.
3) You can always use more space then you think. When we first saw our house in all of its 4 bedroom glory Ty said we didn't need all that space, our realtor told him to close the door and leave them empty, which we never did, no. Now we're spoiled and REFUSE to have anything smaller then a 3 bedroom with den. Once we have children, we will need a mansion to fit them because we have learned - the two of us and Lulu (the cat) require 4 bedrooms.
4) Although you are not a realtor or home inspector or mortgage consultant or lawyer, you will start to get an attitude that you know EXACTLY what they should be doing, you will be the expert and you will not understand WHY no one is listening to you (this gets worse when buying house #2). You will email your team of professionals CONSTANTLY to check and make sure that they did this or that because you just want to make sure, not because you doubt them, but just because you want to make sure (not!).
5) The bank will give you WAY more then you can afford (as evident in the news currently). Basically, we sat down and figured out what we could afford per month on housing, then deducted the portion that would be bills, taxes, utilities, etc from that and came up with what we could afford for a mortgage payment, we went to the bank and were pre-approved for double, that is right, double. It may be tempting to buy that home at the top of your allowable loan, don't! So many people say "the bank wouldn't give me the money if they knew I couldn't afford it", to which I agree, but by afford it they would expect you do not eat, drink, talk, pay insurance, or travel anymore then a mile.
At this point in time I am not sure if you get better or worse when looking for your second, I know I am better at not wanting every house, I am worse when it comes to thinking I know more then the professionals, and I definitely expect more from my realtor. I think I am better now.
xo xo,
S
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Why?
I am not a writer and I will not pretend to be, I am creating this blog because after a year and a half of renovating our first house to flip I feel that I have gained some knowledge that may help regular women, like me, believe that they can actually do home reno's.
To set the record straight, I am not a tomboy, I dream of the largest walk in closet with the most shoes and purses any girl can want, power tools scare the crap out of me, I don't like dirt under my finger nails and I was terrified the first credit card bill I got that had more hardware store purchases then retail stores. However, I have grown since that initial freak out. After a weekend with a few girlfriends I realized, this whole decorating, real estate, "it doesn't match, it goes" business is more difficult then it seemed when I was submerged in it and maybe I have learned more about finding a deal and decorating tips then I thought, so now, I will share.
What do I plan to write about? silly things, like how to make your Kleenex (and home) smell "delicious", the minor differences between room filler and dust collectors, my neurotic and stalking behaviour towards my real estate agent, how to redo a bathroom floor and keep up your boyfriend because he is not helping, our search for our next nest, and anything else I can think of. Some days I may wander on rants about shopping or weddings or finances or relationships, but for the most part I plan on humorously imparting wisdom about house renos from a female point of view because I truly believe, if you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning.
This could suck, and it may be deleted in a week, but please read and make comments, I love swapping ideas or advice.
xo,
S
To set the record straight, I am not a tomboy, I dream of the largest walk in closet with the most shoes and purses any girl can want, power tools scare the crap out of me, I don't like dirt under my finger nails and I was terrified the first credit card bill I got that had more hardware store purchases then retail stores. However, I have grown since that initial freak out. After a weekend with a few girlfriends I realized, this whole decorating, real estate, "it doesn't match, it goes" business is more difficult then it seemed when I was submerged in it and maybe I have learned more about finding a deal and decorating tips then I thought, so now, I will share.
What do I plan to write about? silly things, like how to make your Kleenex (and home) smell "delicious", the minor differences between room filler and dust collectors, my neurotic and stalking behaviour towards my real estate agent, how to redo a bathroom floor and keep up your boyfriend because he is not helping, our search for our next nest, and anything else I can think of. Some days I may wander on rants about shopping or weddings or finances or relationships, but for the most part I plan on humorously imparting wisdom about house renos from a female point of view because I truly believe, if you can't be a good example, be a terrible warning.
This could suck, and it may be deleted in a week, but please read and make comments, I love swapping ideas or advice.
xo,
S
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