Summertime is when we experience a higher-than-normal volume of people moving from one house to another.

The reasons for this are because children are out of school in summer and the weather is moderate. It also happens to more closely follow the peak real estate sales season of spring.

Let’s consider ways to make the unpleasant task of moving a little more agreeable:

Compartmentalize

Sorting out your belongings is a big part of moving, though possibly one of the most difficult aspects. And why not use the chance to decide what stays, what’s recycled and what goes in the donation bin. Consider holding a garage sale before the move. The less you have to transfer to the new house makes moving easier, less expensive and much less time consuming.

Get Quotes 

Be sure to get multiple quotes from different moving companies. Ask a lot of questions. Find out what kind of insurance is included. Explore what options and services they offer such as packing and unpacking services, moving boxes and packing supplies.

Drill Down 

Find out what items your moving company won’t touch. You will either have to throw out those items or find a way to move them yourself.

Pets 

Whether you’re moving relatively close by or far away don’t forget to make travel plans for your pets. And remember to accommodate your furry friends once you get to your new place. Try to find them an out-of-the-way spot where they won’t be distracted or disturbed by all the comings and goings of moving day.

Move-In Musts 

Consider assembling a sort of first-aid kit for moving day. You’ll want to include necessities such as toilet paper, tissue, a flashlight, cleaning supplies, rags and cooking supplies. Mark them ‘open first’ so you can quickly find these essentials.

Find a Babysitter 

Though kids aren’t in school in summer, younger ones may be more of a hindrance than a help on the big day. You may want to leave them with mom or perhaps a friend or babysitter. Plan that ahead of time.

Clean-Up 

As a gesture of goodwill, it’s a good idea to hire cleaners to clean your house once you’ve moved out and before the new homeowners arrive. You may want to consider having the carpets cleaned as well.

Unpacking 

This should be done based on your needs, but kitchen and at least one bathroom makes sense. Also, at some point, you’ll want to make up the beds since you will be spending your first night in your new home. Once these essentials are done, you can relax. Remember unpacking doesn’t need to be done in one or two days.

Source: www.moving.com,

Now that your heart is set on purchasing a condo you need to decide if you want to buy resale or one that hasn’t yet gotten off the ground.

Each has their pros and cons. What you select probably depends on your personality. So let’s examine both.

Resale

I can see it 

This option allows you to visualize what you are buying up close and personal. No guessing, no trying to picture yourself walking through the condo based on a 3-D rendering and wondering if you will truly like the layout, space and design elements. Same goes for the neighbourhood. You will get a sense of the kind of commercial activity and green spaces currently in your area as opposed to projecting possibilities with a pre-construction condo that can take years to materialize.

Waiting Game 

With a resale condo, you can move in right away or as soon as you close so there is little waiting, if at all. This is perfect for the patiently challenged among us.

Math Made Easy 

Calculations are a breeze as your mortgage is pre-approved and you can then figure out your monthly payments so you know what you’re dealing with.

Room to Breathe 

Older resale condo units typically contain more square footage in terms of living and storage space. If size matters to you, this may be a factor worth considering.

Renovation Expenses 

Odds are if you unit was lived in for any length of time, you may want to invest in some home renovations and repairs.

Pre-Construction

It’s Tailor-made 

One of the big benefits to buying a condo before it’s built is that you can customize to your heart’s content. Being able to select that bamboo flooring you’ve always loved or certain appliances and cabinetry can really add to the charm of buying this way.

Save Your Pennies 

Pre-construction gives you more time to save for your condo. This is because you pay the builder a number of payments which total a deposit in the neighbourhood of 20 to 25 per cent of the purchase price.

Appreciation 

There are no guarantees, of course, but often the value of your condo increases from when you buy it to when you actually move in.

Delays

It’s not uncommon to experience setbacks that impede the progression of construction so being sure you have a stable place to hang your hat as your condo is being built is important.

What are the Fees? 

With pre-construction you don’t know what your maintenance fees and property taxes will be. Of course, you can guess but they will likely change by the time your building is ready. Also, pre-construction units are subject to HST.

Dust, Dirt & Chaos 

You might have the keys to your unit, but the builder still have lots of work to do. If you don’t mind the commotion and the mess and can handle living in a condo that still needs some tweaking, this may not be a problem for you.

Sources: www.sunlife.ca, www.baystreetblog.com, www.lowestrates.ca

Open Tuning is a free music festival being offered this Saturday, June 9^th in the heart of Toronto’s west end.

Amped up by the success of previous festivals, this will be the fifth annual event for Open Tuning and Freeman Real Estate is happy to be a part of the festivities. The family-run boutique firm has been a fixture on Bathurst Street for nearly five decades so when there is opportunity to give back to the community, the Freemans enjoy doing so. This year, Freeman is sponsoring Freeman Laneway Stage, which will feature some of the many great bands playing at the festival.

“This is our second year participating in Open Tuning,” says Dan Freeman, senior vice president and broker of Freeman Real Estate. “We enjoy these kinds of events as they allow us the opportunity to meet neighbours and those who live and visit the neighbourhood. More importantly, though, we like participating because it’s a way of giving back to the community that has been so good to us.”

The streets of Seaton Village will come alive this Saturday with live music, in a variety of genres, playing at unique venues throughout the neighbourhood. The festival seeks to celebrate live music and the many ways we understand it: creating music, performing it, experiencing and listening. Musicians young and old, from various musical genres and experience levels are invited to perform at the various venues which include front porches, parks, alleyways, garages and street corners.

“I think what’s neat about this festival is the grassroots, sort of democratic approach it takes,” Freeman says. “No matter what your experience is with music you can get up and perform, providing you register first, of course. Who knows? I may even consider it.”

This year’s line-up of acts includes the Fourteen Hens Band from 2 to 3 p.m., the Governor Douglas Band from 3 to 5, Tyler Simmons from 5 to 6 and from 6 to 7:30, the Storm Free Band.

Last year’s event welcomed more than 100 artists at over 20 different venues within Seaton Village. Musicians included first timers and professionals such as members of Toronto’s Broken Social Scene and Jane Siberry.

The festival began in 2014 thanks to a group of area residents, who were inspired by a similar event known as Fete de la Musique, which is held in Paris, France.

Open Tuning is entirely volunteer-driven with no paid advertising or corporate sponsorship.

Seaton Village is just west of the Annex and it bounded by Bloor and Dupont and Bathurst and Christie Streets.

Summer is here and the time is right for watering lawns and gardens, washing our cars and topping up pools.

Did you know that city water use doubles in the summer thanks in large part to grass and garden watering? While there’s nothing wrong with keeping your plants and lawn hydrated, homeowners often overdo it when it comes to H2O. The result tends to be water wasted due to evaporation, run-off and over watering.

In an effort to avoid wasting water and to cut costs, here are some guidelines set out by the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation:

Watch Mother Nature

It’s a good idea to assess your weekly rainfall by keeping a measuring container in your yard that is emptied each week. Established lawns, for example, need about 2.5 cm or 1 inch of water per week. To determine the measurement set out a can of tuna on your lawn and after an even watering, when the water reaches the top of the can, you know you’ve reached the limit. Time how long that takes and use the timer on your sprinkler next time. If you get a good rain, you can skip watering for one full week.

Timing is everything 

Water before 9 a.m. as this cuts evaporation and the scorching of leaves.

Don’t be a hoser 

Set up your sprinkler or hose so that you’re not watering your walkway, driveway or sidewalk. Talk about throwing money down the drain!

Roll out the barrel 

Rain barrels can cut your municipal water usage incredibly. They collect rainwater from your roof thanks to eaves troughs directed into the barrel.

Soak it

Apply a soaker hose to the base of plants, rather than to the leaves, as this reduces evaporation. Drip or trickle irrigation systems work well because they bring water slowly and directly to the roots. This will ultimately create deeper roots which heightens a plant’s drought resistance. If you prefer a sprinkler pick one that sprays close to the ground and that has a timer.

Don’t cut too short

Short grass doesn’t absorb as much water as longer grass so it’s best not to trim it too short. Set your mower blade so that it cuts no lower than 6 to 8 cm or 2.5 to 3 inches. Shaded roots can hold water better.

Use mulch

Mulch does a lot more than simply retain moisture in the soil. It’s also good for moderating soil temperature, erosion and weed control. Try wood chips, bark and crushed rock, though there are other choices for mulch as well.

Other ways to save water

Don’t hose down paved surfaces to get rid of dust, dirt and debris. Use a good old-fashioned broom. When washing your vehicle, use a water-filled bucket instead of a hose. Finally, cover your swimming pools when not in use. This decreases the water’s evaporation.