You never expect it to happen but sometimes your belongings may be stolen or destroyed. To protect your possessions in your home from theft or a fire or some sort of disaster, putting together a household inventory would be very useful. When it's time to provide your home insurance company with a record of your items to make your claim, this will reduce your stress, anxiety and time during this process.

You probably received some nice gifts at Christmas, and now is just the time to record these items and put them into a list if not done already.

I'd suggest starting one room at a time, otherwise it's just too overwhelming. And don't try to do it all in one day. Also remember to include items in your garage, attic, basement or storage facility.

You can find lists online that you can print out or make your own spreadsheet and include the item's serial and model numbers, purchase date, cost, where you bought it and attach any receipts you may have.

Take photos of the items, sometimes it's good to have a family member in the photo to show ownership (if it's an expensive item). Video is great too. You may also want to include copies of wills, passports, birth certificates and credit card info with the inventory list.

Once you are done with the list, keep a copy and put another copy in a safety deposit box. If you don't have one, give a copy to a relative or friend to keep. It's good to update this list every six months or so.

I hope you never have to go through this painful process of theft or a disaster in your home, but thought I'd bring this up, as it's a new year, and a good time to protect your possessions.

For all your real estate needs, contact Greg and Liz Holmes - The Holmes Team to help you buy and/or sell your home! Call us at 778.834.9929 or email us at info@holmesteam.ca .

Planning on buying a home or already own a home? Here are 10 grants & rebates that will help you save $$$!

1. Home Buyer's Plan
Qualifying homebuyers can withdraw up to $25,000 (couples can withdraw up to $50,000) from their RRSP's for a down payment. Homebuyers who have repaid their RRSP may be eligible to use the program a second time. (Go to www.cra.gc.ca enter "Home Buyers Plan" in the search box or phone 1-800-959-8287).

2. GST Rebate on New Homes
New homebuyers can apply for a rebate of the federal portion of the HST (the 5% GST) if the purchase price is less than $350,000. The rebate is up to 36% of the GST to a maximum rebate of $6,300. There is a proportional GST rebate for new homes costing between $350,000 and $450,000. (Go to www.cra-arc.gc.ca enter "RC4028" in the search box or call 1-800-959-8287).

3. BC New Housing Rebate (HST)
Buyers of new or substantially renovated homes priced up to $525,000 are eligible for a rebate of 71.43% of the provincial portion (7% of the 12% HST) paid to a maximum rebate of $26,250. Homes priced at $525,000+ are eligible for a flat rebate of $26,250. (Go to http://hst.blog.gov.bc.ca/faqs/new-housing-rebate or call 1-800-959-8287).

4. Property Transfer Tax (PTT) First Time Home Buyers' Program
Qualifying first-time buyers may be exempt from paying the PTT of 1% on the first $200,000 and 2% on the remainder of the purchase price of a home priced up to $425,000. There is a proportional exemption for homes priced up to $450,000. (Go to www.rev.gov.bc.ca/rpt or call 250-387.0604).

5. First-time Home Buyers Tax Credit (HBTC)
This is a non-refundable income tax credit for qualifying buyers of detached, attached, apartment condominiums, mobile homes or shares in a cooperative housing corporation. It's calculated by multiplying the lowest personal income tax rate for the year (15% in 2009) by $5,000. For 2009 the maximum credit was $750. (Go to www.cra-arc.gc.ca/hbtc or call 1-800-959-8281).

6. BC Home Owner Grant
Reduces school property taxes by up to $570 on properties with an assessed value up to $1,050,000. For 2010, the basic grant is reduced by $5 for each $1,000 of value over $1,050,000 and eliminated on homes assessed at $1,164,000+. An additional grant reduces property tax by a further $275 for a total of $845 for seniors, veterans and the disabled. This is reduced by $5 for each $1,000 of assessed value over $1,050,000 and eliminated on homes assessed at $1,219,000+. (Go to www.rev.gov.bc.ca/hog or your municipal tax office).

7. LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program
Homeowners improving the energy efficiency of their homes who hire a certified energy advisor may qualify for cash incentives through this provincial program provided in partnership with Terasen Gas, BC Hydro, and FortisBC. (Go to www.livesmartbc.ca/rebates or call 1-866-430-8765).

8. BC Hydro Appliance Rebates
Mail in rebates of $25-50 for purchases of ENERGY STAR clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, or freezers between June 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011 or when funding is exhausted. (Go to www.bchydro.com/rebates_savings/appliance_rebates.html or call 1-800-224-9376).

9. BC Hydro Fridge Buy-Back Program (different from Applicance rebates)
This ongoing program rebates BC Hydro customers $30 to turn in spare fridges measuring 10-24 cubic feet in working condition. (Go to www.bchydro.com/rebates_savings/fridge_buy_back.html or call 604-881-4357).

10. BC Hydro Mail-in Rebates/Savings Coupons
BC Hydro offers rebates including 10% off an ENERGY STAR cordless phone, 50% off an E2TM dual-flush toilet, $15 off a clothes drying rack, and 50% off Earth Massage showerheads. Check for deadlines. (Go to www.bchydro.com/rebates_savings/coupons.html or call 1-800-224-9376).

Bonus - couldn't help but provide you with another one!
11. Terasen Gas Rebate program
Rebates for homeowners include $25 gift cards for furnace servicing, $50 rebates for upgrading a water heater, $150 rebate on an EnerChoice fireplace, $1,000 rebate for switching to natural gas and installing an ENERGY STAR heating system. (Go to www.terasengas.com/homes/offers/lowermainlandsquamish.html or call 1-888-224-2710).

Adapted from REBGV The Open House August 13, 2010


For all your real estate needs, contact Greg and Liz Holmes, The Holmes Team.
If you have any questions about the above rebates and grants or have a real estate related question, please call us at 778.834.9929 or email us at info@holmesteam.ca. 

Is your home show ready? Before you list your home for sale, here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Remove clutter and clear off counters.
Throw out stacks of newspapers and magazines and stow away most of your small, personal decorative items. Put excess furniture in storage, remove out of season clothing items that are cramping closet space. Get rid of family pictures, trophies and knickknacks. Make sure to clean out the garage too.

2. Wash your windows and screens.
This will help get more light into the interior of the home as well as looks better.

3. Keep everything extra clean.
A clean house will make a strong first impression and send a message to buyers that the home has been well cared for. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates, mop and wax floors, clean the stove and fridge. Polish your doorknobs (inside and out) and address numbers.

4. Get rid of smells.
Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odours, smoke and pet smells. Open the windows to air out the house. Scented candles will help.

5. Brighten your rooms.
Put higher wattage bulbs in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements. Replace any burned out bulbs in closets etc. Clean the walls, or paint them with a fresh neutral colour.

If you would like more tips for better home showings or if you are thinking of selling your home, contact us at info@holmesteam.ca or call us at 778.834.9929.

Let's face it...there's a lot of excitement when buying a home. The idea of more space, summer BBQs in the backyard, new paint colours and new decorating thoughts fill one's mind. You want a happy home for yourself...but if you have dogs, you also want a happy place for them too!

We're proud dog owners...our beloved Amber is more than a pet...she's part of our family. She's practically a big sister to our little girl, who is almost two years old. We're very happy where we live, and we made sure we considered our dog in our buying process.

Therefore, with so much going through your mind when buying a place, it would be wise to put yourself into Rover's shoes, or should we say, paws to consider their feelings about a new home.

Flooring:
Does the home have hardwood floors. In our opinion, a hard-floored surface seems to be great with pet owners. We all know how dogs shed hair, and cleaning up a carpet can be a big hassle. Hardwood or laminate is easy to clean, but it's important to know that a lot of hardwood surfaces are actually quite soft so susceptible to scratches, including dogs nails. Those nails can dig into the floor and leave some pretty big gashes in the floor, especially if you have an exciteable dog that runs around inside. If you have a dog that has long and/or sharp nails, a laminate floor might be a more suitable option. We've found laminate to be more resistant to scratches. If you prefer carpeting, consider the length of the carpet. If it's a long and shaggy carpet, remember that it will be more difficult to get dog's hair out, as opposed to a groomed carpet, or something easier to vacuum. If your dog is anything like ours...she loves lying on the soft carpet in front of our fireplace...oh how snuggly!

Fencing:
You should never assume that a house is fully fenced. It's a good idea to walk around the property and check to make sure all panels of the fence are in place and not about to fall off. We can't imagine a worse feeling that seeing Rover running down the street due to a missing fence panel. This also includes fencing behind shrubs. While shrubs add privacy to a yard, sometimes there is not fencing behind the trees, making an easy escape for dogs.

Around the neighbourhood:
Obviously, it would be important to know whether dog parks, or parks in general, are within walking distance. Places within walking distance usually mean you (and Rover) get out more. If it involves a car (even a short drive), it's more easy to put off that trip to the park...poor Rover won't get to see his friends as often. Also, what kinds of pet services are nearby... Where is the closest animal hospital? How far away is a reputable kennel for those times you travel? Where are you going to get their pet food? Since these may be aspects in our everyday lives, you probably should at least think of this when buying a place.

Pet-friendly complexes:
While it is true that many strata properties (condos or townhomes) have pet restrictions (often limiting the type and/or number of pets), some complexes are "pet-friendlier" than others. Be sure to look around when you're looking at properties. Do you see large dogs? Are there "no pet" signs? Do you see a lot of people walking with the dogs on a leash? All these are pretty good indicators as to "how pet-friendly" a complex is.

Overall, there are a lot of factors that go into buying a home. While Rover probably doesn't get the final say, it's important to consider how your dog will adapt to their new home. As you know, they only want you to be happy, so why not make sure that they'll be happy too.

Happy trails!

For all your real estate needs, contact Greg and Liz Holmes - The Holmes Team to help you buy and/or sell your home! Call us at 778.834.9929 or email us at info@holmesteam.ca .

Moving can be one of the most stressful parts of the buying and selling process of a home. 

Some of the thoughts running through your mind might be: Who do I contact? Will the movers show up? Do I get the cheapest or most expensive moving company? Do I get someone from craigslist to help with my move? 

You want to make sure your valuables arrive at your new home safely and securely. Below is a link to the British Columbia Trucking Association that has information and tips on moving and storage companies. It might be worthwhile to take a quick read through the site. Good luck!

BC Trucking Association website

For all your real estate needs, contact Greg and Liz Holmes - The Holmes Team to help you buy and/or sell your home! Call us at 778.834.9929 or email us at info@holmesteam.ca.

Canadian House & Home Magazine is promoting their January 2012 issue with their trendy choices for paint colours. So if you're planning on doing some redecorating and aren't sure which colours to pick...a trendy choice is always a good option. Be sure to watch for accent colours...acid yellow isn't recommended for an entire room!!

Here's the link to their colour choices:

http://houseandhome.com/tv/segment/top-2012-paint-colours

In terms of an investment in your property, painting is one of the best AND least expensive ways to give your home a fresh, updated look and will help sell your home for more and faster, too.

DID YOU KNOW?

When you buy a brand new property, the colours in the show home are rarely the colours in your home once you take possession. "Builders beige" or white are the customary colours you can expect in your property once you move in. Make sure you get clarification about your expectations once it is move-in ready!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

What's your favourite home decorating colours? Do you like a white "Martha Stewart" kitchen? Do you like warm or cool colours in the bedrooms? Tell us! We want to hear from you!

Enjoy,

Greg

A friend and client of ours had us over the other day for dinner and she was talking about her wall that she had painted with chalkboard paint. Her daughter was able to draw and scribble on the wall with chalk and of course easily wipe off too. It was pretty cool! I hadn’t seen that on a wall before and the fact that you can get it in so many colours is very unique – the typical black, but also beige, brown, pink, purple, blue etc. What a neat idea. Now I’m considering something like that for our little one.

I checked out a website that has a lot of decorating ideas and you might want to take a look at it: www.houzz.com . You can search by room, style, location, projects, idea books. You can even download it as an app on your iPhone.

This website actually has a bunch of photos from different people that have designed their home with space set up for kids with chalkboard walls.

If you want to find ideas on putting together or organizing your home office, this website has some ways to make your work space work. There’s even an example of an office set up in a closet!

If you would rather search by Product, you can check out flooring, lighting, storage or windows and doors. Lots of brilliant ideas to design and decorate your home.

If you have a website that you like or have some cool decorating ideas, tell us!

For all your real estate needs, contact Greg and Liz Holmes - The Holmes Team to help you buy and/or sell your home! Call us at 778.834.9929 or email us at info@holmesteam.ca .

Some of our clients have asked us who to use in renovating their kitchen, bathroom, basement or deck and we always suggest the same thing - use a professional. When it comes to renovating, we want to make sure you get the best work done by certified professionals. As real estate agents, we are helping you in buying and selling your largest investment, so that means you want a reputable contractor. That's not to say that people who are not certified can't do great work, but as agents, we want to help protect your largest investment..

Get the necessary permits, hire a professional, get insurance for your renovations - these are steps to help protect you from any damage, court cases, etc that may occur. We see many homes that have work done but there are no permits and we inform our clients that they must make the decision whether it's a small risk or big risk in buying that home. As a real estate agent for a seller, we have a duty to inform the buyer(s) of any deficiencies and lack of permits if asked.

You might want to check out the Better Business Burea for reputable contractors to renovate your home. The website is http://mbc.bbb.org/.

Another resource is RenoGuide www.renomark.ca part of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association (GVHBA). I've checked out their site and it's great - you can select if you are renovating a house or condo/townhouse, select the area you live in and what kind of renovation you are looking for. A list of companies with descriptions and contact information are shown.

Although you may want to save money (especially the HST) and pay a contractor cash and get a deal, it may not be a good option in the long run. If you don't have a written contract, or they don't have insurance, you may not be able to win the case in court if there's a problem (you won't have any records, permits, inspections to help with your case).

By working with a reputable company/contractor, you'll be more at ease and less stressed about the renovation. And if you do sell your home, you have proof of your renovation and that goes a long way in impressing a buyer.

For all your real estate needs, contact Greg and Liz Holmes - The Holmes Team to help you buy and/or sell your home! Call us at 778.834.9929 or email us at info@holmesteam.ca.

If you are planning on starting a family and are thinking about decorating your home, here are a few tips to help you out. If you think you have "child proofed" your home, you will learn there is something else to put away or protect your little one as he/she starts moving about. That's what we are finding out ourselves!

Thinking of using drapes or curtains to add colour or design to a room? As your infants learns to crawl, she'll want to pull down on the drapes and this could potentially become a safety hazard. Until it stops being a novelty, it might be worth it to wait to put up your curtains or else you'll be watching your infant like a hawk!

Are you considering new flooring in your home? Maybe you want to get rid of your carpet and put in hardwood or laminate flooring. Not that there's anything wrong with hardwood or laminate flooring, but you may want to keep the carpet for a bit longer. It's easier on a baby's hands and knees when learning to crawl and when she tumbles, it's softer on her and puts you more at ease. Cork is a great option if you plan on changing your flooring in the kitchen and play areas. It has some "spring" to it so it's more flexible than hardwood and laminate.

Do you have big plans for your living room with a nice coffee table and big TV? Does the table have sharp corners? Is it wobbly? We decided not to have a coffee table so that there would be more room for our child to move around. A round glass coffee table looks nice but you will constantly be wiping off little finger prints and you'll be wincing each time your child bangs something hard on the glass. Make sure the side tables you buy are sturdy and will stay in place when a child is learning to stand. Going out to buy a new TV? If you can, mount it on the wall, but if not, just remember, there will be lots of little finger prints on it if it's not high enough. I know what that's like!

Plants make a home look great, but while you have a little one moving around, you might want to move those plants up! I've heard stories of kids eating the dirt from the pots and getting sick. This also pertains to puppies as well, as they like to get into things!

These are just a few points to consider if you are planning on starting a family and decorating your home. If you have any suggestions or comments you'd like to share, we want to hear from you.

We specialize in helping young couples and growing families in buying and selling homes. If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please call 778.834.9929 or email info@holmesteam.ca. Thanks for reading!

Do you own a home with a suite that helps pay your mortgage? Or are you planning on buying a home that has a suite?

In July, Surrey council voted to allow one secondary suite per single family home. This came from surveys collected from the community that found that 63 per cent of Surrey residents support allowing a suite in all single family homes - with the most support in the Newton/Fleetwood area. This is not a new concept, Surrey has had this for decades, but the fact that this is an issue that's being discussed is something to consider. Delta is planning on following in the footsteps of Surrey and most of the municipalities already have this in effect.

A staff report on July 26, 2010 recommended that in allowing one secondary suite per single family dwelling that there would be stipulations including multiple suites in a house be prohibited, the registered owner must reside on the premises, the owner provides additional off-street parking and the owner pays appropriate utility fees to offset the added costs of city services.

Now if you are an owner of a rental property that has more than one suite, this would mean that you would have to eliminate any other suites in that home and take down walls, remove extra kitchens and have that done with permits etc. If you have a coach home and a suite in the basement, you would have to eliminate the basement suite. This would be a big cost to the owner and loss of income. On the other hand, if you are planning on buying a home with a suite or suites in order to help pay for your mortgage, then you will want to be aware of this. As real estate agents, we help our clients by researching, doing our due diligence, checking zoning and by-laws. We provide the information and then it is up to our buyers to decide if that home is the right fit for them.

We'd like to hear from you. Where do you live? Do you have a suite as a mortgage helper? Do you own rental properties? Or do you oppose suites in homes?

If you have a real estate related question you'd like us to answer or have any other comments, contact us:
Greg and Liz Holmes, The Holmes Team