Tips to Winterize Your Home

Brrrr it's cold out there. Here are some quick tips to help keep your home safe and yourselves warm through these cold winter months in Calgary.

• Clean your gutters: make sure that the melted snow has somewhere to go. Blocked gutters can form ice dams which can cause water to seep into your home. Ensure the downspouts carries the water away from the house's foundation.
• Check your furnace: make sure everything is in working order. Nothing's worse that having your furnace quit on the coldest day of the year. Also make sure to change your furnace filter regularly.
• Insulate: attics should have a minimum of 12 inches of insulation. If you can see your ceiling joists (10-11 inches wide) in the attic you know you don't have enough. 
• Use the sun: open curtains facing the sun during the day and keep the others closed to help naturally warm your home using the sun's rays.
• Don't let those pipes freeze: insulate pipes that are against outside walls and make sure you know where your water main is for emergancy shut offs. Check out my previous blog for more info on frozen pipes.
• Consider a programmable thermostat: this is a great way to save money. Set a comfortable minimum temperature and only have it warmer in your home when needed most. Who doesn't love saving money when your sleeping or out of the house...

Hope you found these tips helpful. Ciao for now!

Frozen Pipes... Yikes

Walking into your dream home on possession day is a very exciting time for purchasers, unless of course you discover the floors are covered in two inches of water. With Calgary winters not uncommonly reaching -30⁰C comes an important issue many home owners have to deal with, prevalently in vacant properties. This issue is frozen pipes. Frozen pipes are not a simple leak. The water expands as it turns to ice causing the pipes to burst, potentially spilling several hundreds of gallons of water per hour.

Here are some things to keep in mind:
- In-flooring heat can take up to 24 hours to reach the desired temperature.
- Keeping the window open and the door closed in the bathroom at very cold temperatures can cause the toilet tank and pipes to freeze, burst, and cause water damage in your home.
-Outside walls, under sinks against outside walls, and unheated crawl spaces are pipe locations most susceptible to freezing.
-Check your policy. Many insurance companies don't offer coverage for homes that have been vacant after a couple of days.
- As a seller DO NOT cancel your home insurance until the money from the sale of your home is in your bank account.

Ciao for now!

New Listing in Coventry Hills!

MLS#: C3453930                                        Price: $334,800
11331 Conventry Blvd NE
Make sure to check out this former upgraded show home. This four bedroom bi-level is conveniently located in Coventry Hills close to all amneties and only minutes from Deerfoot Trail. This home features four bedrooms, new maple hardwood floors throughout the kitchen, living, and dining room, a west facing backyard, and basement development including a wood burning fireplace. Pride in homeownership is evident. Excellent value!

Introduction

Today marks the one month since I've officially paid my dues, joined a brokerage, and become a member of the crazy yet exciting industry they call Real Estate. It's been quite the journey so far but I'm surrounded by such a wonderful team full of knowledge and expertise that any nerves I have are quickly cast aside. Everyday is a learning experience and I want to share the things I learn with you.
Please feel free to comment and leave questions or requests for blog topics. I will do my best to frequently update my blog as well as keeping the postings relevant to what you want to know about as a consumer of the industry.
Ciao for now!