Nanaimo Real Estate Blog

If you want to garden on your Nanaimo real estate but are not sure what to grow, why not try herb gardening?  Herb gardening is one way that you can do some gardening without doing a lot of work.  In the winter months, you can grow herbs indoors.  Herb gardening is usually easy and the herbs can be used for a variety of different purposes. 

My wife has been herb gardening for quite some time now.  She grows several different types of herbs, including basil, which is one of the easiest indoor herbs to grow.  Basil can be used for several different dishes and I like it when she uses fresh basil in spaghetti sauce. 

Other herbs that she grows in her herb garden include chives, oregano and marjoram.  She uses both oregano and marjoram in the spaghetti sauces as well and also dries the herbs out so that she can use them fresh and not fresh.  She usually hangs the herbs upside down in bunches to dry or dries them out on cheesecloth in the kitchen.  When they are dry, she puts them into zip lock bags that maintain their freshness.  These herbs are better than the store herbs that you purchase that are already dried.  I notice that a little bit of the ingredients are all you need to really give taste to any dish. 

In addition to herb gardening, my wife also grows lavender, which is another easy plant to grow. She dries the lavender and puts in around the house as a natural air freshener.  She also makes a potpourri out of the lavender and burns it in special pots made for this purpose.  The lavender plants can also be boiled and the oils extracted.  She thinks that lavender is one of the best herbs to grow and is supposed to cure all of just about every ailment. 

If you want to grow some plants on your Nanaimo real estate property but are worried that you do not have a green thumb, you should try growing an herb garden.  Herbs are the easiest of all types of plants to grow and can be grown indoors or outdoors.

If your Nanaimo real estate drains are clogged, you can use a number of different methods to unclog the drains.  These include using a plunger to remove the clog, getting a wire, or plumbing snake down the drain to clear it out or using an acid based drain cleaner.  All of these work to some degree. 

Having clogged drains can be very problematic in your home.  You naturally want things to flow smoothly and having clogged drains in the tub or sink can cause soap build up and more mess in the tub or sink.  As soon as you see that the drain is reacting slowly, you should act. 

If you can pull the clog up with a plunger, this is the best and cheapest alternative to unclogging a drain.  A plunger is something that most people have in their homes and should be used for this purpose.  If the drain proves to be too stubborn to unclog, then you may need to try a plumbing snake. 

A plumbing snake works on the drain by fitting into the pipes and removing the clog.  These devices can be purchased at a home improvement store or any place that sells plumbing equipment.  Many people hire someone to unclog the drains in this way.  They route through the entire drain so that they clear it out completely, making the drain clear again. 

Liquid drain openers dissolve the clogs so that the drain runs better.  These work on clogs that are made of hair or dirt, but not if clogs are an obstacle that has lodged into the pipes and obstructed them.  Make sure that any drain opener that you use is safe to use on the pipes in your house.  Most of the drain openers will work quickly to unclog drains in sinks and tubs and even work in standing water. 

It is important to prevent clogs from happening.  Putting a lint trap in the sink is a good idea to prevent hair, lint and other debris from falling into the drain.  You can then change the lint trap periodically to make sure nothing gets into the drain and that it continues to remain clog free.  After you unclog the drains in your house, take steps to prevent them from getting clogged again.

A Nanaimo real estate dog run can help you keep your yard looking nice, even if you have a dog.   A dog run is an area where your dog can be free to romp and do his business, without going all over the yard.  If you train your dog to use the dog run instead of the grass, you can keep the grass looking nice and enjoy both your yard and your dog. 

It is relatively easy to put a dog run into your yard.  You can do this by just sectioning off an area of ground for the dog.  You should make it large enough so that the dog can be comfortable walking around, but small enough so that it does not encompass a large part of your property.  It should also be inconspicuous in that it does not look like a dog run. 

Traditional dog runs were always made of fencing material, such as chain link fencing, and were often thought to be something of an eyesore.  You do not have to use chain link fencing materials to make a dog run, in fact, this is often prohibited in some neighborhoods.  You can use fencing to make the dog run, but it should be attractive and not high fencing. 

Picket fencing works well for a dog run, especially if you use this in your garden as part of the décor.  You can incorporate the picket fencing so that it does not look like part of the dog run, but looks as if it is part of the garden.  This is easy to do and will not look unsightly.  You should put up the fence posts as you would if you were putting up any other type of fence, with part of it sectioned off for your dog. 

There is no reason to have your yard look unsightly because you have a dog.  When you have a dog run, your dog can have a place to run and play without taking its toll on your entire yard.  If you decide to put up a fence, you can use PVC posting that will not wear with the weather and is easy to install.  Most of the PVC fencing looks just like regular wood, but will last longer and does not require maintenance.

Whether you are buying or selling Nanaimo real estate, you should be aware of the fact that an increasing number of people are choosing to get real estate inspectors to take a look at the property before buying.  This is because they are not sure what to look for with regard to items that will need to be repaired as well as potential damage to the property.  The home inspectors will look for the following:

Roof damage

Home inspectors will take a look at the roof of the property to make sure that it is in good repair.  If there are any leaks or if the roof appears damaged, they will report this in their findings.  Both buyers and sellers should be aware of the state of the roof before a sale commences. 

Leakage

The home inspector will take a look at the basement or crawl space to see if there is any leakage.  This can often be repaired.  If the home inspector finds signs of leakage, this will also be included in the report. 

Mold

Some homes may have mold that can be toxic.  This often occurs in basements and crawl spaces where there has been a lot of water damage.  This can also occur in other areas of the home.  Home inspectors will report any mold findings.  There is evidence that certain types of mold can be toxic and make homeowners sick. In some cases, the only cure for this was basically the destruction of the house. 

Sound foundation

Cracks or any disturbance in the foundation of the house will also be noted by the home inspector.  Home inspectors are generally looking for major flaws in the home, although they will report on anything that is out of order.  A crack in the foundation  is something that will be reported. 

State of electrical wiring and plumbing

In addition to the above, the home inspector will take a look at the electrical wiring and plumbing to see if it is up to code in the home.  In many older homes, the circuit box is overloaded because of new wiring. 

Some of the items that home inspectors will report will be minor, such as tears in screen doors or even dents in the walls.  These can easily be repaired by the buyer or seller.  Most people who get home inspectors are looking for major flaws in the home that can be costly to repair.

 If you have old carpet in your Nanaimo real estate and plan to remove it, either to expose hardwood floors or get new carpeting, you can remove the old carpeting yourself and save some money on labor charges.  Often, installers of new carpet and flooring will charge money to remove the old carpet and the tack boards that are used to keep the carpet in place.  If your carpet is old, you will want to remove the carpet, the padding and the tack boards.  Follow these steps to do this:

Remove the carpet

You can use a box cutter to start cutting at the carpeting where it is loose and frayed.  Once you get a piece cut, you can start ripping it up.  Place it in pieces in an area of the room and then take it down to refuse as needed.  The carpet will start coming up easily in the center of the room.  You can get as much up as you can in one piece, but remember that you have to haul it out.  In some cases, it may be easier for you to take it up in easy to haul sections. 

Remove the padding

The padding is under the carpet and needs to be replaced as well.  You can remove the padding easily along with the carpet.  This is much lighter than the heavy carpet and often will come up with the carpeting.   Most of the time, you will get both padding and carpeting when you get a new floor put in your home.  You are better off to remove the old padding. 

Remove the tack boards

You can remove the tack boards, which are wooden boards that have tiny nails sticking out of them easily after you remove the carpeting.  In most cases, the tack boards will be along the ends of the wall.  They are usually thin, but have sharp tiny upward tacks that can scratch you if you try to remove them by hand.  Use heavy duty gloves and take a chisel and hammer to pry them up.  You will then have to remove the nails or staples that were used to hold the tack boards in place. 

If you have hardwood floors under your carpeting, you can then buff and polish them.  In many cases, they are still in good condition as the trend towards wall to wall carpeting in the 1960s caused many people to cover up good wood floors in favor of carpeting.  If not, you are then ready to put down new flooring or have new carpeting installed.

If your Nanaimo real estate needs shutters, you can hang them yourself.  Shutters often make your home look more polished and can accent your windows.  Hanging outside shutters on your home is not a difficult job.  You just need to take the following steps:

Measure the windows

Prior to hanging the shutters, you have to measure the length of the windows.  All of the windows of your home are most likely not all the same size.  You do not want to get the wrong size when it comes to the shutters.  Once you have all of the sizes written down, you are ready to go shopping. 

Purchase the shutters

You can find shutters at any home improvement store or millworks factory.  You can choose wood or vinyl shutters.  Wood shutters may be treated and stained, or they may need to have this done.  You should stain and seal the shutters before attempting to hang them.   If you choose to add a bit of color to the exterior of your home, you can paint the shutters and then seal them with varnish that is made for the outdoors. 

Hanging the shutters

Exterior shutters are not meant to close; their purpose is to add a decorative touch to the exterior of your home.  You can hang them by using screws that will permanently affix them to the siding of your home.  You should use a level to make sure that the shutters are straight before you affix them permanently.  You should use a drill and screwdriver to affix the shutters to the outside of your home. 

Hanging exterior shutters can make a dramatic difference in your home and can even add color, if you choose painted shutters.  They are easy to acquire and even easier to hang.  You just need to have a drill, screws and screwdriver in order to hang exterior shutters on your home.

Your Nanaimo real estate will look even better when you add some garden furniture.  There are various places that you can go online to get inexpensive garden furniture.  You can get teak wood furniture or even cheap PVC furniture for your garden.  It is best to get a quality piece of furniture that will last and will remain in your garden for years to come.

Decorating your garden should be just as important as decorating your home.  You will want to have a focal point which can be a piece of furniture such as a bench, a gazing ball or even an archway.  You should plan your garden out on paper before you decide to start planting flowers, trees and bushes.  It may take several years for your garden to be the dream garden that you envision.  In that time, you will have to tend to the garden during the warm months and make sure that you eliminate any weeds that will choke the life out of your plants. 

I have a neighbour who has some of the gaudiest garden furniture that you can imagine.  Not a piece matches and it looks as if she just decided to buy as much junk as possible and toss it into the yard.  I have another neighbour who does not have near as much money as my gaudy neighbour, but her garden is lovely.  She has a bench and a nice archway that leads into the garden.  It really looks like a place of tranquility and reflection, and I often see her sitting out there and reading a book. 

When you buy your garden furniture, try to remain in the same theme and add one or two pieces at a time.  Too much furniture will make your garden look cluttered and junky.  Focus on a certain piece, plan your garden and it can look just as nice as my neighbour’s garden.

You should make sure your Nanaimo real estate has proper insulation.  This means that if you have an attic or a crawlspace that has blown in insulation, but has not been reinsulated in many years, you can do so by blowing in more insulation into this space.  Many people who have attics and crawlspaces that they do not use and have been vacant for years find that they are poorly insulated.  This can cause you to lose heating in your home during the winter. 

It is best to get your home insulated as much as possible so that you can save on your heating bills.  The more insulated you are against the cold, the better off you are when it comes to keeping the cold weather out and the warm weather in. 

You can choose to insulate your home on your own or you can have a home insulation company come out and do the work for you.  You will find that you end up saving money on your heating and air conditioning bill when you are well insulated. 

Do not let the hot air out this winter - keep it inside the house with insulation.  If you have areas in your house that are not insulated properly or appear to be cold, then you can do something about it by re insulating them.  When you continue to insulate your house and keep it up to date, you will end up keeping your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.  This will save on both heating and air conditioning bills.

If you want to finish your Nanaimo real estate basement, be aware of any permits that you might need to complete such a project.  If you are putting in a bathroom or need an additional circuit breaker, you will need to hire a licensed contractor to do this job.  Generally, anything to do with electric or plumbing will need a licensed contractor to do the job.  You would want this anyway as you will want to make sure that your real estate improvement stays in code. 

There is much to be done when it comes to finishing your real estate.  This means that you will have to get everyone set up just as you would if you were contracting the sale of the house.  The first thing that has to be done is for you to map out the way that you want the basement to look when it is finished.  Then you should start to plan the actual renovation.  The first people to get in will be the plumber and the electrician. 

After that, you can have the basement insulated by putting studs up against the walls, insulation added. You will have to also have the drywall covering the insulation and then wires pulled so that the electrical outlets will work.  You will then want to paint, cover the floor and put in any fixtures. 

Once the basement is done, it will be something that the entire family can enjoy.  You will be using it more often if you have parties and especially if you have younger children and teenagers.

Our Nanaimo real estate does not have a lot of space for kitchen storage.  And it seems to me that my wife has just about every kitchen gadget you can imagine. This is amazing for a woman who hardly cooks.  A lot of the gadgets were always sitting on the counters and cluttering up the kitchen.  We have a lot of space in our kitchen, but not a lot of storage space.  My wife wanted me to build a closet, but I had a better idea.

I got an old dresser at a flea market and decided to paint it white so that it matched the décor of the kitchen.  It would be used like a buffet and the drawers could hold many of the gadgets that were gathering dust in the kitchen as they were never used.  I sanded down the dresser and painted it by using a primer and several coats of latex paint.  I then changed the handles on the dresser to match those that we had with our kitchen cabinets.  When I was finished with the piece, it looked as if it was always a part of the kitchen.  It looked much better than a closet. 

Then I deposited all the kitchen cooking gadgets in the drawers.  The kitchen looked a lot better without all the gadgets around and we even had some extra room.  The following evening, my wife surprised me by treating me to homemade spaghetti that she made with her spaghetti maker that she never before used, even though we had it for several years.  The spaghetti was good and now that everything is out of the way, I think she might be more inclined to want to try out some of those gadgets in the new storage buffet.