R & R

Source: cottagecoastalstore.com via Erin on Pinterest

Well, I'm off to the cottage for a few of days for some much needed R & R. The beginning of the week was a bit crazy for me as I closed on my 4th project on Monday, but it's back to regular scheduled blogging after the long weekend. I have a giveaway coming up as well as some changes happening on the blog. Enjoy the rest of your week and see you back here on Tuesday, I promise it will be jammed packed with goodness going into Fall!

Sneak Peek Fridays

Here it is again, your list of open houses happening this weekend in the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods. Make sure to check back here every Friday for the "list".

For more information on any of these homes, shoot me an email (oleksaka@gmail.com) and I will be more then happy to send you the complete listing and answer any questions you may have.

Also if you would like neighbourhood stats emailed to you on a monthly basis for the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods, please go to http://www.torontoweststats.com/ to get yourself on the list!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Saturday August 25th, 2012:

40 Westmoreland Ave Suite 3 $849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM-4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

1396 Bloor St W Suite 1 $420,000
Open house times: 2:00PM-4:00PM
Mls#: W2446108

7 Wallace Ave $399,000
Open house times: 2:00PM-4:00PM
Mls#: W2443842

30 Turntable Cres Suite 48 $389,900
Open house times: 1:00PM-3:00PM
Mls#: W2442371

Sunday August 25th, 2012:

40 Westmoreland Ave Suite 3 $849,900
Open house times: 2:00PM-4:00PM
Mls#: W2401760

1396 Bloor St W Suite 1 $420,000
Open house times: 2:00PM-4:00PM
Mls#: W2446108

7 Wallace Ave $399,000
Open house times: 2:00PM-4:00PM
Mls#: W2443842

30 Turntable Cres Suite 48 $389,900
Open house times: 1:00PM-3:00PM
Mls#: W2442371

Want to know what else is happening in the hood this weekend? Then check out my neighbourhood news, just click here.

Happy house hunting!

Neighbourhood News: Junction

Are you around this weekend and don't know what to do in the Junction Triangle? Well here's what's happening in your neighbourhood...

Junction Farmers Market

• runs every Saturday morning through the summer to early fall
• June 2-October 13, 2012
• 8:30am-12:30pm
• Located in the Green P parking lot at Dundas St W and Pacific
• fresh local food

Junction Design Crawl

• Friday August 24th from 7pm-11pm
• explore the shops and galleries on the Junction's Dundas St W strip
• the street will come to life with installations, shopping, music and delish treats from local vendors
• a night to be inspired!
• guide for the evening below...

Want to check out some houses in the neighbourhood? Then visit my Sneak Peek Fridays for your list of open houses happening this weekend, just click here.

Enjoy your weekend!

Great Find: Lighting

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you've probably already seen the photos below of these latest finds, but they are just too good not to share on the blog, so I'm going to do it. Side note if you're not stalking, I mean following, me on Facebook and Twitter, then better get on that! Anyway my boyfriend's home renovation is coming to an end and he asked me to help him pick out some light fixtures, one of my favourite things! There are so many good stores to choose from in Toronto, but the key thing is not going over board and remaining on budget.  So here were the stores on our list:

• Morba
• CB2
• West Elm
• Living Lighting
• Modern Furniture Knockoff

Here is what we bought....

Master bedroom light fixture/ceiling fan. Full credit goes to my boyfriend as he found this one all on his own and at Rona. The best thing was the price, originally $250 reduced to a whopping $70 because it was a floor model. The other cool thing about this light fixture is that it's a ceiling fan too, as it spins, the blades open up, perfect for air circulation when you have a vaulted ceiling, just like my boyfriend does.

This beauty is for the living room and bought at CB2 for $149. He has a grey couch and coffee table with tons of red accents, so I thought this light would be perfect. Now I'm second guessing myself though, should we have gone with the gold instead? 

Next up is this one for the dining room bought at West Elm for $199. We bought some chrome tipped bulbs to use here and in the living room light above. Trying to keep it relatively consistent as the light fixtures are so different.

With a little bit of make shifting, these will be the new pendant lights hanging in the kitchen above the peninsula. We have tons of pot lights so we didn't need a light fixture. These pendants will get the same chrome tipped bulbs too! Oh and these were bought at West Elm too, $30 each for the pendant and $15 each for the conversion kit

One more special treat for today....we visited the granite manufacturing warehouse yesterday to hand pick the granite slab for the kitchen, it was really cool seeing everything in action....

And we ended up choosing this one...Alaska white, which will go perfect with the high gloss grey cabinets in the kitchen

Can't wait to see it all come together, we are so close to the finish line!

What do you think of our choices? Have any favourite lighting stores you would like to share?

Project Round Up!

Source: dream-on-dream-er.tumblr.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Hope everyone had a great weekend, mine was spent packing as I'm moving on Tuesday, oh joy! In the spirit of moving, it got me thinking how many times I have moved in the last 2 years (way too many), which also made me ponder which home I renovated was my favourite. Every time the renovation is complete, it's always hard to see it go as my hard work, sweat and tears go into each one and every home has it's own story, my opinion is very bias. So I have rounded up all my prior renovations and my boyfriends too, I was very much involved in the renovations and lived there as well, to get your opinion of which one is YOUR favourite.

Here they are in order:

1st Project Ever, click here

2nd Project, click here

Design Project, click here

3rd Project, click here

4th project, click here (featured on Design Sponge)

Can't wait to see what everyone chooses!

Sneak Peek Fridays

Here it is again, your list of open houses happening this weekend in the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods. Make sure to check back here every Friday for the "list".

Actually this week I wouldn't really call it a list, I just have 1 lone listing for you to check out. What does this mean? That if you live in the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods, it's still a great time to sell! I'm not saying that this is the only listing available in these neighbourhoods right now, but what I am saying is we haven't seen any new and decent listings come on the market in the last couple of weeks, so now could be YOUR chance....think about it, I'm always here for a discussion.

For more information on this home or any others currently listed in these neighbourhoods, shoot me an email (oleksaka@gmail.com) and I will be more then happy to send you the complete listing and answer any questions you may have.

Also if you would like neighbourhood stats emailed to you on a monthly basis for the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods, please go to http://www.torontoweststats.com/ to get yourself on the list!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sunday August 19th, 2012:

20 Foundry Ave Suite 108 $359,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2432799

Happy house hunting!!!

5 Questions To Ask A Mortgage Broker

Brennan Valenzuela from RateHub is back this month for our monthly guest post swap. Last month Brennan answered our FAQ's on the new mortgage rules, if you missed his post, just click here. While I discussed the merits of choosing to live in a house vs condo, click here to read that post.

Today Brennan is discussing mortgage brokers. With the popularity of using mortgage brokers versus traditional banks on the rise, it's important to be informed and ask the right questions. Just like with any profession, there's good and bad, so it's important to be educated before sitting down with any mortgage specialist. Brennan gives us 5 questions to ask a mortgage broker to help us get started on our mortgage journey...

Are you using a mortgage broker? Because according to research conducted by the Bank of Canada, Canadians who use mortgage brokers pay lower mortgage interest rates by an average of 0.175%, compared to those who use banks. For example, if your bank advertises a 5-year fixed rate of 3.15%, then a broker will be able to get you 2.98%. How do you find the right mortgage broker? Here are five simple questions both experienced and first-time home buyers should ask to ensure they get the right mortgage broker by their side.

1.      What kind of education/licensing do you have?

You must ensure that your broker is fully licensed and has the proper training that meets mortgage practice standards. Most mortgage brokers in Canada require a license for their practice; however, licensing differs from one province to the next. For example, Ontario mortgage brokers must meet education and experience requirements outlined by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO).

Although not mandatory, mortgage brokers can receive an Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) designation through the Canadian Association of Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP) which increases their credibility.

2.      What are your hours of availability and how can I reach you?

Unlike bank reps, mortgage brokers operate independently which affords them extended business hours for increased reachability. A good agent will also maintain communication with you even after you have closed your home to provide timely updates and mortgage news.

3.      Are you affiliated with any lenders?

It’s not a good sign if your broker is sourcing mortgage products from only one or two lenders because it limits the amount of options available to you. Ideally, you would like a mortgage broker with access to mortgage rates and products from multiple lenders for a greater diversity of selection.

4.      How long have you been a mortgage broker?

An experienced mortgage broker is a good mortgage broker. They are less likely to be caught ‘off-guard’ by a unique situation because they would have already dealt with it before. Ask them about their years of service and the number of deals they’ve closed. Most mortgage brokers wear their accomplishments like medals.

5. What do you love about your job?

Finally, you want to gauge the level of passion your mortgage broker has about their job. Is there fire in their eyes when you talk to them? Do they have strong opinions about the mortgage industry? Are they confident about how they can help you? A good mortgage broker will have all of the above.

Thanks Brennan, I think these are some solid questions that everyone should be asking! Which option is your top choice for arranging a mortgage, a bank or mortgage broker? Brennan and I would love to hear from you!

For more information make sure to follow RateHub on Twitter @RateHub_Canada and like them on Facebook. 

See you next month Brennan!

1st Floor Reno Recap

A couple of months back I shared my 4th completed renovation project in the Junction Triangle, if you didn't get a chance to see the post, just click here. Anyway I just posted before and after pictures with promises to break down the renovation floor by floor. So here is the recap of what I did on the first floor. Stay tuned for future posts where I recap the 2nd floor, basement and front and backyard renovations.

Here is what I started with in the foyer, living room and dining room...

Here is what I had done....

• the whole main floor was gutted right down to the studs and all walls were taken out to accomplish an open concept main floor
• we exposed the entire right side wall to showcase the amazing brick that was buried beneath
• while gutting the main floor we discovered a brick fireplace in the living room, score!
• ripped out the main staircase and ordered custom steel stringers for a see through/floating effect
• re-routed vents
• re-wired the entire house as there was some knob and tube wiring, typical in old homes like these
• re-located the entrance to the basement back to underneath the main staircase
• kept the front door and all the window and door trim as I love me some character in a home

Here is what it looked like during the demolition stage...

Here is what I did to rebuild it back up...

• drywalled the entire main floor
• installed the steel stringers to give the home an industrial element
• installed wood steps, which were stained and varnished by yours truly, the stain colour I used was the same colour as my hardwood floors
• designed a new banister using cedar posts and cable craft wire, cedar varinshed by your truly again
• added 13 pot lights throughout the main floor, all on dimmers
• added a chandelier in the front foyer
• cleaned and varnished all the brick, not done by yours truly
• found a piece of an old wood railroad track which I used as my fireplace mantle
• installed oak hardwood floors in a pewter finish bought at Hamilton Hardwood Outlet (the owner will bring samples to you, so you don't have to go to Hamilton)
• installed tiles in the front foyer bought at Home Hardware
• installed all new light fixtures
• installed 7 3/8" baseboards throughout the main floor bought at Home Depot
• painted the walls in Pewter Grey from C-I-L paints bought at Home Depot
• built new cedar stairs going to the basement and stained and varnished by yours truly

Here is the finished product...

Now on to the kitchen...here is what I started with...

Here is what I did...

• demolished the entire kitchen, sparing nothing!
• the gut of the main floor included the kitchen to make it open concept, perfect for entertaining (there's the Realtor in me)
• got rid of the door to the back extension so the main floor flowed better
• closed off the entrance to the basement in the back extension and relocated it
• designed an Ikea kitchen complete with a breakfast bar/peninsula and pantry around the fridge, in high gloss grey
• added pot lights and 2 pendant lights to hang over the peninsula
• installed granite countertops
• installed farmers sink with goose neck faucet
• bought all brand new stainless steel appliances; slide in gas range, french door fridge, built in dishwasher and exhaust fan from the Canadain Appliance Store (heavily discounted appliances, check it out)
• decorated the kitchen with a small wine rack, antique finds and a chalk board

Here is the finished product...

After using and enjoying my kitchen, I did end up making one minor change for the better. I didn't do a back splash in the kitchen and for the most part it worked out well, except behind the stove. The wall started to get really dirty and it started to look awful. I decided to install a back splash just behind the stove using matte black subway tiles in a brick pattern. So I called my dad and we did it together, it took no time at all. The longest part was waiting for the glue to dry so that we could grout it.

Here it is in progress and yes majority of it, is my handiwork...

Here is the finished product...doesn't it look so much better?



 I hope you enjoyed my first floor recap and thanks for making it this far down the post. Make sure to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss out on the remaining recaps. The second floor, basement and front and backayrds are still to come!

In the meantime, what do you think? Do you have any questions about anything I did on the main floor?

Sneak Peek Fridays

Here it is again, your list of open houses happening this weekend in the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods. Make sure to check back here every Friday for the "list".

For more information on any of these homes, shoot me an email (oleksaka@gmail.com) and I will be more then happy to send you the complete listing and answer any questions you may have.

Also if you would like neighbourhood stats emailed to you on a monthly basis for the Dovercourt-Wallace-Emerson-Junction neighbourhoods, please go to http://www.torontoweststats.com/ to get yourself on the list!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Saturday August 11th, 2012:

371 Wallace Ave  Suite 26 $ 525,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2393761

50 Turntable  Cres  Suite 64 $ 379,000            
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2434311

426 Maybank Ave  $ 379,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2436655

100 Quebec Ave  Suite 118$ 499000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2421690

Sunday August 12th, 2012:

371 Wallace Ave  Suite 26 $ 525,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2393761

100 Quebec Ave  Suite 118$ 499000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2421690

426 Maybank Ave  $ 379,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2436655

50 Turntable  Cres  Suite 64 $ 379,000            
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2434311

20 Foundry Ave  Suite 108 $ 359,000
Open house times: 2:00PM – 4:00PM
Mls#: W2432799

Want to know what else is happening in the Junction Triangle neighbourhood this weekend? Then check out my neighbourhood news, just click here.

Happy house hunting!

Neighbourhood News: Junction Triangle

Are you around this weekend and don't know what to do in the Junction Triangle? Well here's what's happening in your neighbourhood...

Junction Farmers Market

• runs every Saturday morning through the summer to early fall
• June 2-October 13, 2012
• 8:30am-12:30pm
• Located in the Green P parking lot at Dundas St W and Pacific
• fresh local food

The Junction Flea!

• outdoor flea market
• presented by SMASH and Russet & Empire
• held on the second Sunday of every month during the summertime
• independent vendors selling handmade craft and design, antiques, food, vintage clothing and more
• starts at 9am rain or shine
• Located at 2799 Dundas St W (Keele & Dundas)

Want to check out some houses in the neighbourhood? Then visit my Sneak Peek Fridays for your list of open houses happening this weekend, just click here.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Cool Homes: Municipal Hall

When the 1964 Chatham Township Municipal Hall,  located in Ontario went up for sale in 1994, Roni Brown who is an avid antique hunter and interior decorator, jumped up at the chance and scooped it up to live here with her family. It became a slow transformation project for her with a lot of sacrifices made along the way. The property sits on 2 acres of land, is 1,900 square feet and comes with a 5,600 square foot outbuilding/garage. She had a lot of changes done to adapt the property for family living while keeping some of the original elements. Roni keep the original brass plaque listing those responsible for the buildings creation, the raised stage and the original chevron-patterned VCT flooring. She also kept an old rounded exit sign and acoustic tile on portions of the 12.5 ft ceiling. After living and enjoying her home for 18 years she has put it up for sale, for a whopping $244,900, wow! Here it is....

What do you think? Pretty cool huh?

If you have a cool space or uniquely decorated place that you would like me to feature, make sure to contact me!


***Images via Globe and Mail***

Renovation Tips...Part 1

I figured with 5 home renovation projects under my belt, I could post some renovation tips and share some of my knowledge that I have learned thus far. My disclaimer here is that I'm not claiming to be an expert and all of these may not apply to your own personal situation, I'm just sharing my knowledge. Also my experience comes from renovating old homes in downtown Toronto so my advice comes from dealing with those types of homes. Now since that's out of the way, let's begin!

The Contractor:

• Do research before your project begins- before getting a quote research various things such as, the way things should be done properly, different approaches, the big no's, etc. Knowledge gives you power to negotiate, but remember who the real expert is
• HGTV is not realistic- keep in mind that when watching renovation shows on HGTV, there is a lot of behind the scenes happening that is never shown on TV. These TV shows have big crews of 15 + people working on the house so the timelines are unrealistic for a regular home renovation. Also only selected mistakes and delays are shown on TV
• Get more then 1 quote- get multiple quotes, you're about to spend thousands of dollars of your hard earned money, isn't it worth it? Rule of thumb, 2-3 quotes for smaller projects, 4-5 quotes for bigger projects, but remember the lowest bid is not necessarily the best one
• Don't under value your contractor- although some times we can get carried away negotiation,  don't forget contractors work hard, have overhead to pay and also need to make a living. Also getting them to commit to a lower price then they would normally does not motivate them to start and finish your project faster, they may take side jobs to make up the shortfall which hurts you in the end. Instead ask for deeper discounts on material (if you're not purchasing it yourself) as contractors get commercial discounts
• References- ask for references and check up on them to see the quality of the contractors work and how easy it is to work with them
• Contracts- insist on contracts with a break down of how much everything will cost so that there is no discrepancies at the end when it's time to pay
• Hire specialists-although general contractors are jack of all trades and may give you a better quote because they are doing all the work, throughout the project this may back fire on you for several reasons. If your contractor gets sick, the project comes to a halt and may not meet your deadline, the project will not move as fast as you anticipated as one person can only do so much and contractors can become overwhelmed, which further delays you. The saying goes jack of all trades or master at one.
• Communication is key- Ensure your contractors understand your vision for your project. Don't be afraid to speak up and let your contractors know when they are doing something wrong or something you don't like, remember this is your money, risk and investment and communication is key with any relationship, whether it's personal or business
• Make a list- of everything that needs to be done in your home and set realistic deadlines for each task so that everyone is on the same page. Make sure your contractor has a copy of this list and re-evaluate it with them every week. If the contractor is consistently not meeting your deadlines then have a sit down and find out why, are your deadlines unrealistic or are the contractors not fully committed to the tasks at hand?
• Payment plan- make a structured payment plan with your contractor. Don't give them all the money upfront or hold onto it until the end of the project. Most contractors require a deposit upfront which makes me concerned. Talk to your contractor and come up with a plan where you pay them every week, 2 weeks or 3 weeks for work that has been done or hours put in. I'm a strong believer in paying for work that's completed and not promises of future work to be done
• Attitude- although craftsmanship is important, so is the attitude of your contractor and how well you work with them, it ensures a smooth renovation. You want a contractor that is a problem solver and not a drama queen every time they are faced with an unforeseen obstacle
• Supervision is a must-giving your contractor free rein on YOUR project is not advisable. Make sure either yourself or someone you know, is always dropping by the home to note progress and to let your contractors know someone is always watching. If you have extra time, find an excuse to be at the home for extended periods of time each day, as from my experience people tend to work harder and take less breaks when you are there working too
• No such thing as a perfect contractor- they all come with their flaws, you just need to decide what you can live with and what you cannot live with as you have to deal with these contractors every day during your renovation and see them in your home

***Most important tip....TRUST YOUR CONTRACTOR! If you can't trust them, then you shouldn't hire them to renovate one of your biggest investments. There's a lot of shady contractors out there which give the good ones a bad rap, just like any profession. So make sure to take the time to find the one that's right for you, isn't it worth it?

Well that concludes part 1 of my renovations tips. Make sure to pop by next week for part 2, where I will be discussing The House.

Did you find these helpful? Have any of your own tips you would like to share?

My Finds In Aberfoyle...

I had a very relaxing long weekend, but it wouldn't have been complete without a trip to the Aberfoyle antique market. My boyfriend is in the midst of renovating his next project and since it's getting close to the end, I'm already thinking about how we are going to decorate it. We have a lot of items already from the last renovation project I helped him with, but there were a few items on my wish list that I needed to find in Aberfoyle this weekend and they were....

• 2 lamps I could re-finish
• tall wooden ladder
• handles for a barn door
• wheels for a barn door

Luckily we were very successful in finding everything right before it started to rain heavily, at which point we packed up the car and called it a day!

Here are our finds...

I have DIY dreams for these bad boys which will sit on a table behind his couch. Best find of the day...only $20 for the pair!

I also have plans for this wooden ladder, paint plans that is, don't worry I will feature all the after photos on the blog

I did some barn doors in my last project as closet doors in one of the bedrooms, here it is...

Now we are going to take it one step further for his house and add a track that you can see and some wheels, just like this....

Source: countryliving.com via Aleksandra on Pinterest

   

He will make the doors himself, just like in my house, but then we will add these to make it look like the picture above, along with the track

I also wanted to take this home with me, but unfortunately it was a no go, oh well there's always next time!

Although I was thinking some paint and a cool bulb with a cage would have looked amazing!

What do you think of our finds? Have any great finds from Aberfoyle that you would like to share?