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4 Ways to Make Your Home Stand Out in Your Neighbourhood

August 6, 2019 By adminAPX

The first impression of a home is like the first impression of a person – what you initially see and feel will dictate your reaction. If the front yard is cluttered with toys and the grass looks like a jungle, it doesn’t give off a good impression. However, if you walk up to a house that has a well-kept lawn and nothing that you have to step over, you’ll have a better feeling.

The same goes for the inside of your home too. If you want your home to stand out amongst the rest, there are small changes, or more drastic ones if you prefer, that can make a significant difference.

Here are four ways that you can make your home stand out in your neighbourhood.

Add Lots of Windows

Windows add a whole new element to a home, no matter what size it is. Inside, windows allow the natural sunlight to illuminate the entire house. On the outside, it adds a unique feature, especially if you use different windows that other people use.

Skylights are another way to make your house pop. Although you don’t always see them from the road, when you’re inside, though, they add a unique feature to the room.

Paint Your Front Door

If you drove down a street that had the exact same house side-by-side, but one had a door painted a vibrant colour compared to the other, chances are your eyes would go towards the house with the vibrant door. Giving your front door a pop of colour can really draw in people.

Have fun with colour options for the front door. However, stay within the same colour pallet of your home. You want your home to stand out in a good way.

Hang Decorative Art

Not only does art give you and your guests something to talk about, but it can also add a new feeling to the room. Think of a time that you went to someone’s house, whether it be a friend or when you were house-hunting, and you saw artwork that grabbed your attention. If you really like it, you likely think about it often.

An easy way to make your home memorable and stand out is to add decorative art. It could be paintings on the wall, sculptures, or even accent pillows on the couch.

Plant Trees

Another way to make your house pop is to plant trees in the front and backyard. Trees serve a real-life purpose, but they also can make your home stand out compared to the ones beside it.

To step it up a notch, add trees that have a pop of colour, especially when the leaves turn in fall. Take a drive around town to see the yards with trees and how they stand out amongst everything else.

Whether you’re looking to sell your home or redecorate, use the list above to help you add elements that will make your house stand out in your neighbourhood.

5 Home Improvements to Add Value to Your Home

August 6, 2019 By adminAPX

Buying a house is an investment that typically increases in value over time. In some circumstances, there isn’t much more you can do to the property to add more value. However, in many situations, even the simplest improvement can drastically change the value of your property.

If you’re planning to sell your home or are looking to spruce things up at the moment, we have five renovations that you can do to increase the value of your home.

Replace and Update the Windows

If you want to add a bit of value to your home, replacing your windows is a sure way to do it. You don’t want just any windows, however. Energy-efficient windows are the way to go. People are always looking for ways to save on their utility bills, and energy-efficient windows allow you to keep the warm air in during winter, and the cold air in during summer.

If you don’t have one already, consider installing a skylight as well. Skylights add a different source of natural light and are another way to allow the fresh air inside.

Update Your Kitchen

For most families, the kitchen is the heart of their home. It’s where everyone congregates after a long day, where you entertain the majority of your guests, and the most obvious reason, where you cook and sometimes eat your meals.

Updating the kitchen can go two ways – either it can significantly increase the value of your home, in which you recoup most of your costs, or you could invest too much that doesn’t match the rest of your home and never get that money back. As you remodel your kitchen, keep in mind the style of the rest of your home.

Change a Room

It’s easy to think that you have to spend tens of thousands of dollars, expanding the square footage of your home to increase the value. However, simply converting an existing room into something different can help. If you haven’t finished your basement, complete that task and turn it into a second living room or a recreational room for kids. You could even turn the attic into a craft room or a new office space.

Before doing any drastic changes to your home, consider reinventing certain rooms that don’t get used very often. You’d be surprised the ideas you can come up with, and how much it affects the value of your home.

Finish Simple Upgrades

Although you may not want to do them and can easily say that the new owners can take care of them, but if you want to recoup as much of your investment as possible, finish any simple upgrades around the house. Adding things like a fresh coat of paint, replacing broken tiles or splinted trim, or even fixing plumbing problems, are upgrades that can help you out with the value of your home.

Upgrades to Avoid

Not all updates will add value to your home, no matter how much you enjoy them. Adding in pools, installing crazy expensive appliances and turning your kitchen into a gourmet restaurant, won’t help you in the long run.

If you want to add more value to your house, think of practical improvements that will help the house.

5 Ways to Keep Your Home Cool During Summer

July 2, 2019 By adminAPX

In Canada, even though we’re known for our cold winters with lots of snow, we still can get sweltering summers. When the sun beats down, and the house warms up, your first instinct is likely to turn up the AC to cool everything down. You’ll know that method works when you stop sweating, and when you get your next power bill in the mail.

Turning up the AC will rack up your electrical bill really quickly. If you don’t want to pay more but prefer not to sweat when you’re sitting in your home, then it’s time to look for different ways to cool your house in the summer. Try one of the following five ideas below.

Close the Blinds

If the sun is shining into your home, it’s going to warm it up. It’s nice to let the sunshine in throughout the day and enjoy the benefits from it. However, when it’s above 30 degrees outside in the middle of the afternoon, that sun will sure warm up your house.

Close the blinds to block out the sun and subsequently its heat. Especially for windows that face the sun in the afternoon, keeping the blinds closed will help prevent how much heat enters your home. Blackout curtains will work the best.

Use a Fan

Sometimes all we need is to circulate the sitting air around our house. Instead of relying on the AC to do that, have a fan. If you work from home and find the afternoons unbearable, a little fan on your desk will blow enough air in your direction to cool you off.

Want more than circulation? Using this trick can turn your fan into a mini air conditioner. Put a bowl of ice in front of the fan, so it blows the coolness towards you.

Open Windows in the Evening

As the sun sets so too (typically) does the temperature. When this happens, it’s the perfect time to open any windows and skylights you have in your home to let in fresh, cool air. On days that are colder than normal, you can do the same thing. Plus, not only will it cool your home, you get to enjoy the benefits of fresh air in your home.

Turn Your Ceiling Fan Counter-Clockwise

Did you know the direction of your ceiling fan can change the feeling of the air? When you turn it counter-clockwise and put it at high speed, the airflow turns into a wind-like breeze that will cool the room below. So, if you have a ceiling fan, keep it and crank it up in the summer.

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated isn’t just essential for your health, but it can also help keep you relatively cool. Drinking icy-cold drinks can help keep your temperature at a tolerable level. Just like you would grab a hot cup of hot chocolate on a frigidly cold day, grab that cool glass of water (add some fruit to infuse it for an extra taste) to cool you down.

If you’re trying to save money and conserve energy, turning up the AC in the summer should be your last resort. Try using these hacks first to keep yourself and your house cool when the sun is at its hottest.

6 Common Roof Issues to Watch For

July 2, 2019 By adminAPX

At one point or another, homeowners will encounter an issue with their roof. Just as with every other part of the home, your roof will wear down over time, especially if you’ve have nasty storms roll through.

The roof is not something you want to mess around with or taking your time addressing. A simple leak can quickly turn into a disaster if left alone. Roof problems don’t go away; they get worse.

Keep tabs on the look of the roof and anything happening inside. If you notice one of the following six common roof issues, it may be time to hire a professional.

Leaks

Most likely, the most common issue you’ll come across as a homeowner is a leak in the roof. A leak can stem from many different sources, including a broken shingle, broken weatherstripping, and broken seal around skylights. It doesn’t take long for a simple leak to turn into something bigger, or to cause serious damage to the inside of your home.

Broken Shingles

The shingles on your roof have a lifespan. For basic asphalt shingles, you can get away with having shingles last between 15 and 18 years; other types can last up to 30 years. After that, it’s time to inspect them to see what needs replacing.

Broken shingles can come from several issues, including:

Heavy sun exposure
Large temperature variations
Harsh storms
Trees and other debris
Poor installation
Material quality

Clogged Gutters

Gutters serve a significant purpose in protecting the foundation of your home. After a heavy rainstorm, if there are no gutters, the water would simply pour off your roof and fall anywhere it wanted. The gutters collect the water and guide it to an area away from the foundation of your home.

If the gutters are clogged, it prevents the water from flowing down and away from your house. The water can pool on the roof, which can lead to serious damage.

Tree Damage

Something you don’t want happening to your roof – a falling tree. As much as we love having trees in our yards for various reasons, if the branches come into contact with the roof, and can cause damage to the shingles and wear down the surface of the roof. Keeping your trees trimmed will help prevent any contact between the roof and the trees.

Ice Buildup

Not very often will you hear someone say that ice is a good thing, unless it’s in a cube for your drink. Otherwise, ice in other places like the ground and on the roof will only lead to trouble.

Ice buildup can damage the shingles on the roof. Not only that, once it melts, it turns into water that can seep underneath the shingles and damage not just the shingles, but the structure underneath it.

Poor Installation

Poorly installed roofs are never a good idea. Same with using low-quality materials. For the roof of your house, it’s a project you want to invest in and spend the money on the best materials. Otherwise, you’re left with a roof that won’t do its job (protect the house below), and will only have you spending more money to fix it down the road.

If you come across a roof issue, for your own safety, it’s best to call a professional to do the job for you. Fixing a roof can be dangerous, but it is a necessary task to do. Pay attention to the common issues listed above and fix them as quickly as possible.

How to Prevent Your Skylight from Leaking

February 25, 2019 By adminAPX

We love skylights. They offer so much to every home. From additional natural lighting to turning your house into an energy-efficient property, the list goes on and on for why skylights are an excellent addition to a house.

However, even the best-installed skylight is prone to wear and tear, cracks, and leaks. Just like everything else in and around your house, after a while, the skylight ages and the structure loses its integrity. That is when you’re likely to see leaks and wind seep through the seals.

Replacing a skylight can get expensive. Add in anything damaged in the home below from a leak, the price tag of reacting to a leaking skylight can increase exponentially. That is why with proper maintenance and knowing when it’s time to replace the skylight, you can prevent leakages and keep your home in prime condition.

Let’s take a look at ways in which you can prevent your skylight from leaking.

What Causes a Leak?

Before you can begin to repair or prevent a skylight from leaking, you need to know what causes a leak. Many factors contribute to a leaky skylight:

Improper installation.
Damaged flashing.
Roof damage and lack of roof maintenance.
Too high humidity inside the home.

Now that we know some of the causes, we can start to look at ways to prevent a leak.

Regular Maintenance and Inspections

Having a regular maintenance routine that includes inspecting your skylight is one of the best ways to keep tabs on the integrity of the skylight. Thorough and regular inspections can help you notice any wear and tear on the skylight and the roof around it.

When inspecting, look any signs of deterioration, as well as holes, cracks, or broken seals. Your maintenance routine should include examining the roof as well. Broken shingles around the skylight can cause issues too.

Proper Ventilation Inside the Home

Too high humidity levels can cause many problems in any house. When there is lots of humidity inside, condensation begins to form on windows and mirrors. The skylight is no exception. When that condensation starts to build, it has to go somewhere. It will either drip onto whatever is below it or seep into different areas of the skylight and roof.

Humidity can also cause wood and other materials to warp. If the structure of the roof and home begin to distort and have issues from the moisture, it could affect the seal of the skylight. So, ensure you have proper ventilation inside your home.

Boost Up the Seal

Sometimes, all you need to do to prevent or stop a leak in a skylight is to fix the seal. An easy way of doing that is by applying caulking around the edges of the skylight. One hundred percent silicone caulking will help keep the skylight sealed tightly to prevent any leaks from occurring. Including this step in your regular maintenance routine.

Preventing leaks is the best way to protect your skylight and your home. Having a preventative routine allows you to catch any damages before they can do any harm to the property.

How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

February 25, 2019 By adminAPX

How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
More and more you hear about making your home more energy efficient and the many benefits that follow along with the change. That is because being more energy efficient not only is better for the environment, but it can also save you money down the road.
Although some of the switches to be an energy efficient home can get pricey, there are multiple changes you can do that can fit any budget. Many of them are quite small and simple but have enormous benefits later on.
Let’s take a look at different ways you can make your property more energy efficient.

Reduce Power Usage
A good chunk of the environmental pollution comes from those who produce power for the country to use. Unfortunately, until we have cleaner energy sources to rely on, we need that power. However, if you can reduce the amount of power you use at your home, that can have an impact.
Start by turning off the lights in rooms you’re not in. Change out the lightbulbs in your home to energy efficient LED bulbs. Utilize natural light as much as possible through windows and skylights.
Insulate Your Home
A house that is not insulated will only cause you problems. That is because nothing is keeping the cold air outside during winter and inside during summer. If you’re continually losing air from inside your home, you’ll have to keep running your furnace or air conditioner.
Check that there is weatherstripping around all the doors in your house. Make sure all windows, skylights included, are properly sealed. Any holes you can find, especially in the attic, plug or seal them.
Use Energy Efficient Appliances
We have more options than ever before when it comes to energy efficient appliances. These differ from standard ones since they require less power to operate. Although switching to some energy efficient appliances is a large investment up front, they do pay off the longer you have them. You’ll find that you reduce the amount of power you need, the run better and can even last longer.
Reduce Your Water Consumption
Your water consumption also affects how energy efficient your home is. The more you can conserve water, the less your property needs which will save you money. So, be conscientious about the length of your showers. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. Minimize the number of small loads of laundry or dishes.
Unplug Where You Can
Electronics not in use that stays on and plugged in can use up a ton of power. Even though the screen is black and the device is in sleep mode, likely things are happening behind the scenes that we don’t see. That means the device is using power when you’re not using it. Unplug electronics and chargers that are not in use.
Install Solar Panels
Although these are another investment, installing solar panels on your property have many benefits. To start, you can produce your own power rather than relying on buying it. In return, you’ll save yourself a lot of money the longer you use a solar panel.