Quick Cleaning Counts

Not every day can be devoted to housework and cleaning chores, so it's worth finding a routine that saves you time and helps you stay ahead of grime. To be time-efficient, determine whether your best approach is sticking to one task throughout the home (e.g. change bedding) or using the "rotation" technique of cleaning one room at a time, from top-to-bottom. Develop a plan but be sure to recognize that different tasks require different time investments. Identify the most opportune time to deal with each task. Start with mini-jobs, such as removing countertop clutter before committing to larger tasks like disinfecting cooking and prep surfaces or washing floors. 

Here are a few time-saving tricks you may not know: 

• Ceiling Fans: Cover one blade at a time with an old pillowcase or shirtsleeve, then wipe back carefully to capture dust. 
• Venetian Blinds: Wrap kitchen tong tips with a micro-fibre cloth and swipe each slat, top and bottom at once. 
• Stovetops and Rangehoods: Surprisingly, cooking oil may be the best way to wipe down caked on greasy surfaces. 
• Toilet Bowls: Dissolving denture tablets can do wonders when trying to clean porcelain and they won't cause any damage. 

How To Keep Your Deck From Collapsing This Winter

Whether you like it or not, winter is coming. This is a good time to ensure your deck is structurally sound to prevent collapse and damage. Not only will it give you and your family some peace of mind, but it might also help you avoid a costly repair in the future. Review this checklist to ensure your deck is tough enough to handle the upcoming winter. 

Loose Railings - Give your railing a good tug. Is it wobbly, unsteady, or leaning too much in one direction? This should be addressed to prevent further damage, especially before heavy winds and snow arrives. Secure the railing by tightening any loose screws or fasteners. 

Support Posts - Check your support posts for signs of rust and moisture damage, which can typically occur where it meets the ground. It's important to address this as the rot can continue up the post if left untreated. 

Cracked Concrete - If your support posts are resting on top of concrete blocks, inspect the condition of the concrete and look out for cracks or crumbling. 

Loose Ledgers - Ledgers ensure that the deck stays attached to the house. If the ledger is decaying or improperly fastened to the house, this could lead to an eventual collapse. 

Rotted Wood - Not sure if your wood is rotting? Look for mildew, dark colouring, cracks in the wood, or a soft spongy texture. If you think your deck is rotting in some areas, have these specific boards replaced before winter arrives or it could become more damaged. 

Loose Screws, Nails, and Fasteners - Look for things like rusted screw heads, loose fasteners, or nails that are sticking out on the surface of your deck. If you see any of these signs, it could mean there is a problem underneath. Fix these issues as soon as you can. 

Heavy Furniture - Consider removing your furniture before winter hits, especially if they are heavy. The combination of furniture, snow, and ice can add too much weight to your deck, so try to take any pressure off before the snow hits.

The Latest In Bathrooms

Anyone inclined to upgrade a bathroom to bring it into the current decade - or vault it into the future - should consider the many innovative fixture and functions entering the market these days and in the coming months. Some are designed with pure aesthetic benefits, while others are more practical. For example, the pandemic has sparked a strong trend toward bidet installations, complementing desirable bathroom comforts such as heated floors, towel bars and toilet seats. Other ways to create a spa-like atmosphere could include a shower floor platform made of interlocking teakwood tiles, or a coordinated sight-and-sound show based on mood-enhancing chromotherapy. 

Homes with more space might accommodate an open, curb-free shower area and a freestanding drainless bathtub. You might even consider a pre-programmable faucet that responds to voice commands and can draw your bath to a predetermined depth and temperature or a shower that recycles and sterilizes runoff for reuse. For a modern option on toilets, there are low profile "no tank" pod-like toilets or ones that are self-cleaning - replacing a very undesirable household task. If you have time, you may choose to wait as future toilets are being designed to include a biological analysis of each user's regularity! 

GTA REALTORS® Release October 2022 Stats

Despite the continued housing market transition to a higher borrowing cost environment, the average selling price in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) found some support near $1.1 million since the late summer. GTA home sales continued to adjust to substantially higher interest rates in October 2022, both on an annual and monthly basis. However, new listings are also down year-over-year and month-over-month. The persistent lack of inventory helps explain why the downward trend in home prices experienced in the spring has flattened over the past three months.

GTA REALTORS® reported 4,961 sales through the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s (TRREB) MLS® System in October 2022 – a similar number to September 2022 but down by 49.1 per cent compared to October 2021. Yearover-year sales declines were similar across major market segments.

New listings were down by 11.6 per cent year-over-year and reached an October level not seen since 2010. New listings were down on an annual basis more so for mid-density and high-density home types, which helps to explain why prices have held up better in these categories compared to detached houses.

“With new listings at or near historic lows, a moderate uptick in demand from current levels would result in a noticeable tightening in the resale housing market in short order. Obviously, there is still a lot of short-term economic uncertainty. In the medium-to-long-term, however, the demand for housing will rebound. Public policy initiatives like the recently introduced provincial More Homes Built Faster Act and strong mayor provisions will help ensure we see more homes being built to affordably meet the needs of new households,” said TRREB President Kevin Crigger.

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark was down by 1.3 per cent year-over-year in October 2022. The average selling price for all home types combined, at $1,089,428, was down by 5.7 per cent compared to October 2021. The monthly trends for both the MLS® HPI Composite and the average selling price have flattened in recent months following steeper declines in the spring and early summer.

“Home prices in the GTA have found support in recent months because price declines in the spring and summer mitigated the impact of higher borrowing costs on average monthly mortgage payments. The Bank of Canada’s most recent messaging suggests that they are reaching the end of their tightening cycle. Bond yields dipped as a result, suggesting that fixed mortgage rates may trend lower moving forward, which would help affordability,” said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.

TRREB MLS® Sales-to-New Listings Ratio October 2022

 

TRREB MLS® New Listings October 2022

 

TRREB MLS® Sales October 2022

 

TRREB MLS® Average Price October 2022

For Lease | 133 Chaplin Crescent - Main Floor

 

**An Exceptional Chaplin Estates Rental Opportunity**

Completely Renovated And Loaded With Character & Charm. Hardwood Floors, Gas Fireplace, 2 Bedrooms + 2 Baths With Radiant Heated Floors, Pot Lights, Built-In Closet Organizers, Ensuite Laundry. Chef's Kitchen Perfect For Entertaining. Approximately 1,200 Sq. Ft, 1 Parking Spot, Backing Onto Beltline Trail, Walk To Subway. A Fantastic Mid-Town Executive Rental, Nothing To Do But Move In & Unpack. A Great Condo Alternative!