It's nearly Fall - the time for cooler weather and shorter days. It’s also the perfect time to prepare your home for the winter months that lie ahead. Performing regular maintenance of your home protects your home’s value and can prevent major repairs.

Here is a list of common maintenance tips that you should perform each autumn.

Roof and Gutters

Ice, snow and wind can cause weak trees or branches to break. Part of your winter preparation should include trimming back all tree limbs and vegetation away from the roof.  You also should remove debris, such as leaves and sticks from your gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters don’t allow water to properly drain away from the home, which can cause seepage in your ceilings and walls. You can also invest in gutter guards, a screen that prevents debris from entering the gutter and directs the flow of water away from the house and into the ground.

Water Heater

You don’t want to find out that your water heater isn’t operating properly when you need it most. So use this time to perform an annual inspection, which includes having your tank’s pressure and temperature relief valve checked. In addition, remove sediment from the bottom of the tank by draining two gallons of water to improve heat transfer and the efficiency of your heater.

Heating and Cooling System

If you have a forced warm-air heating system, you should check the exhaust vent and air shutter openings for dirt and dust. Clean any lint and dirt from the blower blades, motor and burner (if you have a gas heater). Vacuum air passages and check and replace, if necessary, fan belts. To prevent airborne dirt from circulating throughout your home, wash out your reusable filter or replace it if it disposable.

Doors and Windows

To help control heating costs, you want to make sure that your doors and windows are properly sealed.  Now is the time to repair or replace weatherstripping around door bottoms and jambs and window frames. Check for loose or missing glazing putty and caulking for deterioration.  If you have storm windows, install them.

Water Pipes

Frozen or burst pipes can cause major damage to your home and be an expensive to remedy. Before frigid weather hits, protect your pipes in unheated areas from freezing by adding insulation, which reduces heat loss from hot-water pipes and condensation on cold water pipes. This can be accomplished by wrapping the pipes with heating tape or blanket insulation and duct tape or by encasing the pipes with preformed plastic foam. In addition, examine your pipes for cracks and leaks.

Fireplace

Before you light the logs and get ready to settle in front of a cozy fire, make sure that your fireplace is in good working order. Clean the chimney flue and if needed inspected and repaired. Check the seal on your flue, which is designed to keep out drafts. Replace the seal if it is loose or damaged.

If you decide to do the fall maintenance yourself disconnect the power for any electrical or gas systems.  In addition, before inspecting, cleaning or making any repairs refer to your owner’s manual for all equipment for proper instructions, which should be the final authority on any maintenance.

Although this list is merely a guide, it can help you keep your home in good shape and have a winter free of major repairs.

Thursday August 20th (Yes, Tomorrow!)  is the North Shore’s first ever Dinner on the Pier and we want YOU to be a part of it!

It begins with cocktail hour at the Pipe Shop Building in Lower Lonsdale.  Be treated to LIVE music, a "Nautical" themed photo booth and raffle prizes before heading to the Lonsdale Pier to enjoy a long table dinner beside the ocean.  

Proceeds from the event will go to a wonderful charity, Growing Chefs.

Wait!  It doesn’t end there, the Pipe Shop Building will transform into the Summer Nights Party with award winning DJ Physik on the turntables to create the ultimate dance party.

Tickets include the following:

• Signature cocktail by The Juicery Co.
• Complimentary wine by Haywire
• Complimentary beer by Deep Cove Brewery
• Appetizers by The Pinnacle Pier Hotel
• Charcuterie Board by Bowen Island Pizza Co.
• “The Best Salmon Ever” lox and fixings
• Fresh bread and KitsKitchen Organic Apricot Chutney
• Family Style West Coast inspired dinner by The Pinnacle Pier Hotel
• Dessert by The Cake & The Giraffe
• Free entrance into Summer Nights Party

CONTEST

This contest runs 9am to 9pm TODAY and is open to EVERYONE - anyone can win, because everyone involved in this event is awesome and has worked so hard to bring it all together!

Win 2 free tickets to Dinner on the Pier from The Botto Team

HOW TO ENTER

1. ‘Like’ TheBottoTeam on Facebook

2. Follow @thebottoteam on Instagram

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

'Tag' who you would take or give the tickets to in the Instagram or Facebook posts for one additional entry.

'Share' the Facebook or Instagram post for THREE ENTRIES !

Hey, we'll even get you an additional entry if you follow us on Twitter !

Enjoy our JULY Real Estate & Community News HERE.

In 1962, my family came to North Vancouver and bought a home in Westlynn - for $27,900 !   At that time, telephone numbers had letter-prefixes, "Lynn Valley Centre" had not yet been built, and Cockney Kings Fish & Chips were serving fish & chips wrapped in newspaper at the site of what is now Petro-Canada at Lynn Valley Road & Mountain Highway.

The building of Westlynn Terrace was just underway - 265 homes on 80 acres of land - and described as "creating its own character as a community of large family homes and attractive gardens, with broad, paved, fully serviced streets and an atmosphere of quiet dignity".

Most homes were on  60' x 125' lots, priced between $17,950 to $23,500, and "standard features" were wall to wall carpet, built in oven & range, double carport, shake roof & colored plumbing - !  Bring on the Cerulean Blue, Avocado, and Harvest Gold fixtures!

If you scan the photos attached, you may find a house like the one YOU grew up in - and we'd love to hear your comments on the memories you have from the Lynn Valley & Westlynn of the 1960's !

What does “I’m home” mean to you? Is it family, comfort, style or relaxation? Is it gardening, a favourite room, or cooking dinner? Royal LePage would like to know what you love about the place you call home.   Post a photo of a favourite moment at home HERE to enter the Royal LePage #IMHOME Contest and share it on social media with the hashtag #IMHOME!

Enter to win great prizes!

From June 16, 2015 to October 5, 2015, share your photos and be entered for a chance to win:
• A $2,500 Grand Prize home shopping spree at Hudson’s Bay, Home Depot or Best Buy Canada, awarded at contest end
• A $250 gift card of your choice*, awarded monthly
• A $25 gift card of your choice*, awarded weekly

How to enter the Royal LePage #IMHOME Contest
Entering the contest is as easy as sharing a moment at home of you with your friends and/or family or on your own! Upload up to 5 photos a week. Share the contest for an extra entry. Use the hashtag #IMHOME when sharing on social media.
Full details and contest rules and regulations are available HERE, but keep these guidelines in mind:

• Be in the photo!
• Keep it PG
• Get consent from everyone in the photo
• Exclude brands and logos
• Make sure your photo is in JPG or PNG format and does not exceed 5 MB
• Read and agree to the rules and regulations of the contest

Show us what #IMHOME means to you! Enter today!

You may have asked yourself this question before you begin a renovation project… 

Home owners are investing more money in home renovations than ever before.  Whether a small cosmetic change, or a major professional renovation, many homeowners are investing time and money to make their residences more functional , comfortable, and stylish.

Although considered by many to be an added inconvenience and expense, building permits and building inspectors are actually important safeguards that help ensure you get sound workmanship and good value for your money, plus they addresses safety concerns and add value to the home !

A building permit is issued by the local municipality prior to beginning work and ensures that your project conforms to local building codes and bylaws. Your project will later be inspected by a qualified building inspector who ensures that the project is consistent with the plans submitted for the permit.

All these measures are of benefit to you, your neighbors, and subsequent homeowners.  After all, who wants to find out after you’ve already built a new deck that’s it’s too close to your neighbor’s property, and that they can require you to move it over by three feet? What if this happens after you’ve sold your home? Yikes.

In addition to ensuring that your project used the correct materials and conforms to safety standards, the benefits to you and your family are obvious. If you’re working with a professional contractor, it is their responsibility to obtain the permit prior to commencing your work.  BEWARE the contractors that suggest a permit is not required – especially for electrical, gas, plumbing and structural work !!  If the contractor implies the job will be cheaper without the permit, you should seriously consider another opinion.  Permit costs, as a function of the total price of a renovation are minimal. 

Think of it as an ‘insurance policy’ !  If you are well organized submitting the required information to the municipality, the process is not long.  If you use a contractor to do the work, consider a local contractor with experience dealing with the local municipal authorities.

We check permits for every home we list or sell – and you as a homeowner must disclose whether work was done with or without a permit.  The risk is that the local municipality can require that you undo work done without a permit, whether it appears well done or not !  The prudent way to go?  Obtain permits for work requiring permits.  Not sure what is required ?  Check out the North Shore’s Municipal web sites:

North Vancouver District

North Vancouver City

West Vancouver District

Aaah, taxes. Always more complicated than we think, or would like. Building or buying a home with a laneway house ? Sigh.  Best to check with the professionals (tax accountant, lawyer & Realtor) before you get going.

A laneway house is a small detached residential infill house that typically fronts on the lane of a larger principal house. 

If you own a principal residence and you hire a builder to build a new laneway house, then rent or lease the laneway home to a non-relative, the CRA considers you to be the builder, and to have:

* sold, repurchased, or “self-supplied” the laneway house at its fair market value;
* self-assessed and collected the GST on the sale; and
* paid the GST on the repurchase of the laneway house

This is just once scenario provided by the CRA, and it gets more complex from there. In for some bedtime reading ? You could read the CRA’s, "The HST/HST Implications of the Construction of Secondary Housing Unites (Laneway Housing)".

Did you know?

A laneway home can increase the value of a home. Building a laneway home:
* could affect your eligibility to claim the Home Owner Grant because of the increase in property value beyond the price thresholds; and
* may also result in increased property taxes.
* can affect a your principal residence exemption

It’s important for property owners to understand their options before building a laneway house or buying a property with a laneway house. Get professional advice first !

Have you owned your current home for ten years ?  The North Van benchmark price for detached property has gone from $648,333 to a record high of $1,167,000 in that time period !   WOW that’s 80% in 10 years - CRAZY !!!

Ten years ago a benchmark townhome would have sold for about $425,000; today in North Vancouver, that number is $634,000.   And, while the re-sale apartment market has been slower these past 5 years, if you have held your apartment for ten years or more, you will on average have seen an appreciation of about 45%.  There’s a whole new meaning to, “Time is money”.

Real Estate is a hot topic today, and has been, especially in the Lower Mainland, for quite a while.  It really has always been an excellent, LONG TERM investment.  Don’t worry so much about the media stories of “bubble”, “affordability”, and “crash”.  You have to live somewhere – even if it means starting out with a small space and a room mate.  Invest in your future – invest for the long term.

And to those who only hear how much it costs to own a typical home on the West Side of Vancouver (now at about $2.5 Million) it may interest you to know that the MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $684,400. This represents only a 9.4 per cent increase compared to May 2014.

As always, we are here to help you navigate the process of Buying, Selling, and Owning.  On our team, we have over 60 years’ combined experience in the industry, and we are here to help!