Improving Indoor Air Quality

The more time we spend indoors, the more likely we are to be exposed to questionable indoor air quality (IAQ), and to be breathing in undesirable gases and toxins emitted from within the home. Among the most common indoor air pollutants in our homes are those coming from biological sources, such as mould, dust mites and bacteria, as well as those coming from chemical sources. Common chemical sources include fossil fuel residues like carbon monoxide (CO), and other off-gases emitted from common synthetics, such as building materials, new furniture, upholstery, drapery, clothing and textiles. 

To help reduce such risks and improve indoor air quality in your home, consider investing in a system that employs high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration. Also, be attentive to the size of your home and/or rooms, relative to the capacity of the circulation fan(s) and clean air delivery rate (CADR) of any systems you're considering. Finally, don't assume that all air purifiers on the market will be effective for everyone in the home. For example, if someone in your home has respiratory discomfort, you may need medical advice to identify the specific contaminants or irritants that are problematic and then determine the best possible IAQ solution for that pollutant. 

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4 Simple Improvements That Will Enchant Buyers

When prospective buyers come to see your home, you want them to love it. In fact, the greater the number of buyers who feel that way, the more offers you'll get - and those offers will likely be for higher prices. 

There's plenty you can do to get more buyers to feel the love. You already know that you should declutter and make everything clean and tidy. Here are four other suggestions worth considering: 

1. Make the floors shine. Buyers will notice the state of the floors, especially on the main level. So, do what you can to make them look great. Get any minor repairs done, such as replacing a cracked tile. There are floor cleaners and finishing products available that can make older-looking floors look almost new. 
2. Upgrade the wall décor. One of the easiest ways to stage a room is to hang new pictures that add to the look and feel of the space. They don't have to be Rembrandts! In fact, there are plenty of great-looking yet inexpensive paintings, prints, posters and other types of wall covering s you can find. 
3. Improve the lighting. Are there areas in your property where the lighting is too bright? Too dim? Uneven? Or otherwise unpleasant? Switching out a few light bulbs or fixtures can make a big difference. Consider buying a couple of standing light fixtures, which can be placed anywhere to improve the lighting. 
4. Add a few plants. Psychologists say that plants help to create a sense of comfort and well-being. That's just the effect you want your home to have on buyers! A few green plans can work wonders. But, avoid flowering plants as some buyers may be allergic. 

As you can see, these upgrades won't cost you much, but they will have an impact on buyers. The better the impression those buyers form when they tour your home, the more likely they will be to make a good offer. 

How to Keep Rugs from Sliding

An area rug or runner is the perfect way to anchor furniture, create a layered look, and add comfort to your space. While it might fill a room with character or add a cozy textural element, a rug that's not properly secured on the floor can become a hassle, not to mention a safety hazard. Whether it sits on a bare hardwood floor or it’s layered on top of wall-to-wall carpet, here are interior designer-approved tips and tricks to keep your rugs from sliding.

1. Use a Felt Rug Pad
One of the best ways to keep a rug in place, keep corners from curling, and make it more comfortable to walk on is by placing a rug pad underneath it. Felt rug pads come in various sizes, thickness options, and materials to accommodate different types of rugs and flooring.

Felt rug pads are one of the most effective and commonly used options for large area rugs. They come in standard sizes and thicknesses but can also be custom-ordered to suit oversized rugs. These non-slip pads are soft but dense. In addition to keeping rugs in place, they also protect the floor and extend a rug’s longevity, make vacuuming and cleaning easier, help soundproof a room, and add cushioning for comfortable walking. Choose a rug pad that is approximately two inches smaller than your area rug so that it’s fully hidden.

2. Add a Waffle-Style Rug Pad
A waffle-style rug pad is a common affordable option. They're usually made from rubber and sold in pre-cut sizes at most home goods retailers, though they can easily be cut down to size using a pair of scissors. This type of rug pad is very thin. One of its disadvantages is that it doesn’t add the same comfort and cushioning that a felt pad does. It also tends to lose its grip over time, meaning that it will likely need to be switched out more frequently. If a rubber waffle pad is used in a room that gets a lot of sunlight and isn’t weatherproofed, such as a sunroom or mudroom, you also run the risk of it leaving residue on the floor as it sits in the heat.

3. Corner Rug Grippers
Rug grippers are particularly helpful not just for keeping an area rug or accent runner in place but also for preventing corners from curling. They have a strong adhesive on one side that adheres to the bottom of a rug and a non-slip silicone surface on the side that sits on the floor. Unlike sticky tape, grippers don’t leave a hard-to-clean residue on the floor, so you can easily reposition your rugs and reuse the grippers. They are thin, so they don’t cause any visible bumps, and work on multiple surfaces including hardwood, tile, marble, and more.

4. Apply Rug Tape
Similar to corner rug grippers, double-sided rug tape has adhesive on one side that attaches to the back of a rug and either an adhesive or silicone material on the other side. It comes in the form of a roll, similar to duct tape, and can be cut down to the size that you need to outline your rug. It works on hard surfaces such as tile, laminate, and more, and is a good choice for smaller rugs, such as a kitchen runner or door mat.

5. Silicone Caulk
If you thought silicone caulk was only for filling in the cracks in your window frames, there are many more uses for it around your home, one of them being to keep rugs from sliding. Caulk is typically clear or white and comes in a tube, so it can easily be applied to the back of a rug or runner. Squeeze out small dots of caulk directly from the tube or use a caulking gun. Once applied to the rug, allow it to sit and form a dry coating before pressing the rug down in place.

6. Hook-and-Loop Fasteners
Square hook-and-loop stickers, such as Velcro, are another effective way to keep rugs, runners, and door mats from sliding. Just like rug grippers, these stickers are designed to be attached under each of the rug corners by peeling off the backing and sticking one piece on the back of a rug and the other on the floor. This industrial-strength fastener is strong enough to keep rugs in place but allows for easy rug removal when you need to reposition or clean underneath the rug.

Fitness Tips For Busy People

Are you thinking of stepping up your fitness game this year? For most people, the main obstacle isn't a lack of motivation. It's a lack of time. If you're on a tight schedule, you might find it difficult to get to the gym regularly or adhere to any kind of fitness regime. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of practical strategies for getting fit even when your days are jam-packed. 

You may want to start with one of the many wearable fitness apps - watched, bands, etc. These apps can motivate you to take advantage of fitness opportunities as they arise. For example, if you use the stairs in a building rather than the elevator, the app will calculate the calories burned and even give you a virtual "high five"! 

But, you don't need an app to do this. As you go about your day, look for ways to be active. Walk to the store. Climb the stairs. Do a few sit-ups between meetings. 

Another way to schedule fitness on a busy schedule is to join a gym or fitness club with extended hours. Some gyms are open 24/7. That allows you to schedule a workout anytime you can fit one in. 

Finally, there are plenty of ways to get fit that don't require a gym. Walking, jogging, yoga, and strength-building are examples of exercises easily done without specialized facilities or equipment. 

And, remember, you don't need to block off an hour to workout. Five to ten-minute sessions can produce results. 

So, even on a busy schedule, there's no excuse not to reach your fitness goals in 2023. 

GTA REALTORS® Release December 2022 Stats

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) housing market experienced a marked adjustment in 2022 compared to record levels in 2021. Existing affordability issues brought about by a lack of housing supply were exacerbated by sustained interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada.

"Following a very strong start to the year, home sales trended lower in the spring and summer of 2022, as aggressive Bank of Canada interest rate hikes further hampered housing affordability. With no relief from the Office of Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) mortgage stress test or other mortgage lending guidelines including amortization periods, home selling prices adjusted downward to mitigate the impact of higher mortgage rates. However, home prices started levelling off in the late summer, suggesting the aggressive early market adjustment may be coming to an end," said new Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) President Paul Baron.

There were 75,140 sales reported through TRREB9s MLS® System in 2022 - down 38.2 per cent compared to the 2021 record of 121,639. The number of new listings amounted to 152,873 - down 8.2 per cent compared to 166,600 new listings in 2021. Seasonally adjusted monthly data for sales and price data show a marked flattening of the sales and price trends since the late summer.

"While home sales and prices dominated the headlines in 2022, the supply of new listings continued to be an issue as well. The number of homes listed for sale in 2022 was down in comparison to 2021. This helps explain why selling prices have found some support in recent months. Lack of supply has also impacted the rental market. As renting has become more popular in this higher interest rate environment, tighter rental market conditions have translated into double-digit average rent increases," said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.

The average selling price for 2022 was $1,189,850 - up 8.6 per cent compared to $1,095,333 in 2021. This growth was based on a strong start to the year, in terms of year-over-year price growth. The pace of growth moderated from the spring of 2022 onwards.

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

 

TRREB MLS® New Listings December 2022

 

TRREB MLS® Sales December 2022

TRREB MLS® Average Price December 2022