3.09.2012

Creative Decor: Vintage Suitcases

I'm a lover of all things vintage, so this post should come as no surprise. I love when I walk into a home and see one of a kind items. The more interesting part is the way people are using their vintage finds, it can be very inspiring! I'm always searching for creative ideas that I can replicate in my flip homes to give them that unique touch and vintage suitcases fall right into this category. As I was doing some research on vintage suitcases, I came across some really cool ways to use them and showcase them in your home.

So here they are, I'm sure some of these ideas you have seen in the past, but nonetheless, they are still pretty nice to look at!

Weddings/Events

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Pet Beds

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How cute!!?!!
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How About A Clock?

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Bedroom (most popular use I found)

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Storage/Organizer

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Decorative

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What do you think? Would you try any of these ideas?
Have a great weekend!!!
***Images via At Home, The Janelle Window Collection, Hitched, Cool Mom Picks, Homedit, Oh Darling Wedding, Bee And Mason, Elements Of Style, Well Appointed Desk, Mamie Janes, Funky Junk Interiors, Bowties And Bliss***
Aleks

3.08.2012

Cool Homes: Yabba-Dabba-Do!!!!

Growing up I use to LOVE watching the Flintstones, so when I saw this real life Flintstones house, I couldn't resist posting it and sharing it with all you Flintstone lovers! This home is located in Malibu, minutes away from the beach. It sits on 22.89 acres of land and offers incredible panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, Boney Mountains, Serrano Valley and of course, LA. This home features tons of Neolithic decor and has one bedroom and 2 washrooms. It is currently owned by American producer/actor, Dick Clark and is currently on the market for a whopping $3.5 million!!!! I would definitely love to be the listing agent on this one, wouldn't you?

I know you're dying to see it, so here it is.......
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If you aren't in awe yet, then get ready for the views...

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What do you think?

If you have a cool space or uniquely decorated place that you would like me to feature, make sure to contact me!
***Images via Home-Designing***
Aleks

3.06.2012

Mission: Clutter Free

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We all strive to keep a clean home, but sometimes life gets in the way and things start to pile up! It's always good to take inventory of what's actually in your home and practice the art of declutter our homes from things we don't need or use anymore. This is not just another staging technique for when you're thinking of selling your home, if you declutter a few times a year, perhaps the beginning of every new season, the mission doesn't seem as daunting. Also when you are actually ready to list your home, the task of decluttering won't be so bad and overwhelming.

Lucky Matt Schexnayder from SpareFoot has agreed to share some tips on how to declutter effectively, take it away Matt.....

Everyone has lofty ambitions of home organization, but not many can accomplish it. We all say that one day we will get organized, and then before you know it ten years has gone by and everything is still a mess. And what happens if all of the sudden you decide to move? How will you approach this situation now that the clock is ticking? Bring on the migraines.
People who manage to stay organized have never experienced this sense of panic, and they are lucky. But how do they do it? What is their secret? Well, a select few are just naturally good at keeping things in order, but most require the helping hand of a self-storage facility. Renting a self-storage unit is by far the best way to keep your home clutter-free.
It always seems as though there is never enough room to put all your belongings, probably due to the fact that people don’t have the heart to throw away items that were once precious to them even if they serve no purpose now. Even if you are living in a mess, you still can’t find it in you to throw anything out. That being the case, most people’s best scenario is a clutter-less home with an overstuffed garage.
Instead of spreading the mess of a renovation all over your house, or in your garage, rent a small unit from one of your local self-storage companies. Keep all of the things you can't get everyday use of out of the way until you have found a purpose for them. Placing your unused items in cheap storage units can help cut down on the visual chaos of a messy house, and it also gives you an opportunity to take a mental break from the stress.
Listed below are a few tips for achieving home and garage organization, the divide and conquer way.
  • First, before you can conquer, you must divide. This means separating the “keepables” from the “unkeepables” and using a judicious eye to identify belongings that should be given or thrown away.
  • Second, conquer. Identify what you need and segregate what you don’t need. These are the items you’ll be putting into storage.
  • Finally, pack things logically. Don’t just throw everything into a box. By packing things in an organized manner and labeling boxes, you’ll make it much easier to find something.
Putting the home you're living in in order can be one of the most stressful things you do as an adult. However, you can minimize the chaos and relieve some of the tension in your home by taking advantage of cheap storage units.
This article was written by Matt Schexnayder. Matt is on the SpareFoot marketing team and writes for the SpareFoot blog. SpareFoot is the largest online marketplace for self-storage with more than 5,000 self-storage facilities listed nationwide.
Have these tips inspired you to declutter?
Aleks

3.05.2012

Closing Costs-Get The Facts!

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I'm often asked by my clients, what are closing costs and how much should they budget. It is a very common question, especially among first time buyers and there are a lot of myths out there about what your closing costs include. The other day, one of my buyer clients told me that they heard from a friend that they should budget 7% of the asking price for closing costs, that's a lot, especially since they are first time buyers!!!

So I thought I would set the record straight for everyone out there scratching their heads. This only applies to resale properties, not new homes or condos as there are other factors to consider. I will start by doing a break down for 1st time buyers...

First Time Buyers:
  • Lawyer fee to close the deal, $1000-$1500, make sure to shop around, also ensure the quote given includes all disbursements and title insurance
  • Title insurance, $250-$650, this one is a no brainer people and should be taken by ANY buyer (done through your lawyer), this is a one time fee and the best and cheapest insurance you will ever buy! If the previous seller has something on the title of the property that your lawyer didn't discover during the title search (mortgage liens, etc) and costs money to reprimand or any outstanding property taxes or water bills, title insurance will pay for it in a heartbeat, no battling it out with your typical insurance companies, so why not take it and give yourself a peace of mind! I've had to use my title insurance a few times in the past and it was a pleasure and took no time at all.
  • Ontario Land Transfer tax, for any property purchased in Ontario, you must pay this tax, good thing for first time buyers is that you can receive up to a $2000 rebate, just remember, all buyers on the agreement of purchase and sale must be first time buyers! This tax is a percentage of your purchase price so it's hard for me to estimate here, but I have a great LLT calculator you can use on my blog, just click here. Keep in mind this tax is only paid on the closing date and not before!
  • Toronto Land Transfer Tax, this tax is paid only on properties purchased in Toronto and again it's a percentage of the purchase price. The good news for first time buyers is that they can receive a rebate up to $3,725 (equivalent to the Toronto LLT payable on a $400,000 property). First time buyers are NOT exempt completely, it all depends on the purchase price!
  • Insurance tax, if you are receiving a high ratio mortgage (less then 20% down payment) the bank automatically insures your mortgage, either with CMHC or Genworth. An insurance premium is charged to the buyer, this premium is a percentage, but lots of factors, that I won't be getting into, come in to play when deciding what percentage the buyer will be paying. Not to worry as this premium gets added to your mortgage amount, but what doesn't get added is the HST the buyer has to pay on the premium. The buyer must pay the HST on the premium during closing and therefore should be factored in as an important closing cost. Please also keep in mind that some banks even insure mortgages with a 20% down payment or more, but the bank will usually absorb the cost.
  • Mortgage broker fees, all banks and most mortgage brokers do not charge a fee to the buyer when arranging a mortgage, but there is some that do and this cost must also be considered in a buyer's closing costs, as the fee, if any, will need to be paid on the closing date
Non-First Time Buyers:
  • all the same fees apply like above
  • the difference is that as a non first time buyer, there will be no rebate on the Ontario Land Transfer Tax
  • as a non first time buyer purchasing property in Toronto, the rebate for the Toronto Land Transfer Tax will not apply, the buyer will have to pay both taxes, Ontario and Toronto, yuck!
I hope that has helped you solve some of the questions and myths you may have regarding closing costs. Please keep in mind that other various costs associated in purchasing a property apply. Those are, but not limited too, movers, cleaners, deliveries, etc, but these are the main ones that always stay consistent, unfortunately, unless our Mayor Rob Ford does good on his promise and eliminates the Toronto Land Transfer Tax, but I will leave that discussion for another day!

Let me know if you have any questions or comments and I will do my best to answer them!
***Image via San Francisco Chronicle***
Aleks

3.01.2012

Cool Homes: Polish Style

Today's feature is not so much a home, but nevertheless is near and dear to me as it's from Poland, the country where I was born! The designer's challenge was to design something minimalistic yet functional for people visiting Poznan in Poland and to also have all the amenities of a hotel room while feeling and looking like home. I think the designers, mode:lina, were successful in their mission, what do you think?

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I LOVE all the quotes on the wall, don't you?

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