Things Ottawa Buyers May Notice #32 – A Crawl Space in Need of Insulation

 While not the most common foundation type in Ottawa, there are homes with crawl spaces in lieu of full basements.  At a recent showing, the Buyer and I noticed that the living room and kitchen floors were really cold, even though the heat was on in the house.  This was an indication to take a good look in the basement.  After opening the trap door and crawling in, it was apparent that

  1. the crawl space had a dirt floor,
  2. the walls were not insulated and that,
  3. while there was some attempt several years earlier to put a little pink insulation between the joists, it was inadequate. 

All of this contributed to the cold in the house.  In addition, the heating ducts were not fully wrapped in insulation and they crossed the area.  When it is below zero outside, it is very cold in this type of uninsulated basement.  On the positive side, there was only a little indication of damp (some efflorescence) and the dirt was dry. The picture in this blog is not the exact basement but very close to what we saw. 

Structurally the house seemed solid.  For the comfort of the new owner and to reduce energy consumption (to heat the very cold rooms), I advise that additional insulation be added plus vapour barriers where possible.  At a minimum, the duct work needed to be protected from the cold. 

Photo credit:  Darwin repeater work 8-30-2008 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/davef3138/2811740417/

Zingers #91 – Caulk it up to experience

Look at the caulking around your sinks and tubs.  Is the caulking discoloured, mildewed, missing and in bad shape?  There are tools to remove caulking.  Buy one and get started.  Replace the caulking.  Not only will it refresh the look around tubs and sinks but it will also improve the seal to keep water from leaking into the base.

Seal the deal.

Black Squirrels – Not so much a novelty when you live in Ottawa

 When we first moved to Ottawa, we were fascinated by the  black squirrels.  We initially moved to Old Ottawa South.  The first time I saw one of the squirrels (and there are millions), I mistook it for a small kitten running across the road.  Not so much. 

We moved to the Glebe.  In the first winter, we felt sorry for the squirrels and started feeding them nuts and seeds.  My guess is that the neighbours thought we were loco.  Who in their right mind wants more squirrels in the yard?  Well, people from the west who have never seen these little brats.  From time to time squirrels find a way into the attic of houses.  They will locate tulip bulbs and make a snack run ito your flower bed.  Sometimes in the spring, tulips will grow in new areas of the yard.  Why?  Because the squirrels have been carrying the bulbs around and dropping them when they are full or the bulbs too heavy. 

One time, when walking through Patterson Park, a squirrel missed a leap between two very tall trees and fell to the ground.  I was sure that was his end.  Hoover and Tulipe, being alert terriers, were ecstatic about the opportunity to go after the squirrel.  With an amazing 9 lives or more, the squirrel got up, shook itself and then raced back up one of the trees. 

When you move to Ottawa, don’t be surprised at the squirrels and never, never feed them.

 Photo credit:  Black Squirrel @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/2908075386/

The Glebe, Ottawa – Six Month Sales Comparison

What happened in the first six months of this year?  Based on MLS®statistics for  residential properties (not including condos), things in the Glebe have been pretty stable:

2008 – 66 units sold at an average price of $604,348 with average DOM of 33.

2009 – 50 units sold at an average price of $589,468 with average DOM of 36.

The Glebe:  Stable, mature and desirable.

Feng Shui in Your Ottawa Home – Bamboo Stalks

If you are starting out with no plants in your home, you should consider bamboo.  Bamboo is a wonderful way to have green growing plants without have to spend inordinate time in care and maintenance.  Bamboo stalks grow in water, no need to plant in soil.  It will bring good energy into your space – alive, growing and positive.  Feng Shui principles consider bamboo as a symbol of health wealth and happiness.  The number of stalks in a container represents different types of positive forces.  I prefer odd numbers so think of 3 stalks (past, present and future); 5 stalks (wealth and fortune) or 7 stalks (good health).  

The container is important.  You will want to be able to change the water and clean the container.  Traditionally bamboo would be in a celadon coloured pottery container.  In contemporary homes, try keeping the bamboo in glass containers.  The beauty of glass is that you will always know how much water is in the container and if the roots are being properly served.  When washing the container, make sure that you rinse it well and that any rocks or marbles you have in the container are also well washed. 

To source out bamboo, look for bamboo stalks at Ikea (what?) and almost any grocery store.  If you want an arrangement of stalks in an appropriate vase, visit your florist.  

It never hurts to increase your luck with bamboo.  

Photo credit:  Lucky Bamboo @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/chefranden/369311449/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

 

Closet Angst 2 – One Black Shoe One Blue

Have you ever gone to work wearing one black and one blue sock.  I once arrived at work with a navy and a black shoe because they were the same style and, in the dark, I could not tell that they were different.  Are you laughing?  Just ask people if they have ever done something like this and it will surprise you how often this happens because so many of us dress in the dark.

If you are fixing up your closet to sell or to stay, see if you can improve the lighting in your closet.  A couple of hints – do not use halogen lights if you have limited space and have things stacked to the ceiling.  The bulbs get very hot and may cause some damage.  Secondly, put the lights on timers as you are going to forget shutting them off about 1/2 the time. 

When you hang your clothes or put away your socks, try to separate the colours.  Keep navy and black as far away from each other as possible.  Put clothes away when there is enough light to see what you are doing.  Watch out for black and navy T shirts. 

I once had five black suits.  While they looked similar in the dark, the fabric was slightly different and the shades of black were not equal.  It was impossible to find and match the pants or skirt that went with each jackets.  Eventually, I thought to sew a little loop on the inside of the pants/skirt and the jacket.  One suit had bright orange thread loops, the next had a turquoise loop on each piece, the third suit had red and so on.  In the morning, it was a dream to search through the separates and find the right pants for the jacket by just looking for a coloured thread loop.

Photo Credit:  Day 005/365~New Year, New Shoes! @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter/3171592433/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ 613-723-5300 ~ vzinger@royallepage.ca

Closet Angst – Three Organizing Tips

If you have seen the movie Sex in the City then you know that every woman dreams of having a big clothes closet.  When you are selling you house, there are some ways to appeal to the women buyers by maximizing what space you do have. 

1.  Declutter – take out everything that you have not worn for the past 12 months, box it, label it and pack it away.  You want your closet to look like there is space for clothes.   Keep the closet for clothes only.  Do not store your wedding gown, your comforter, your puzzles or your kids’ toys in the clothes closet.    

2.  Hangers – throw away every single wire hanger you own.  Not only do they ruin your clothes but they bend and twist and look cheap.  If you have money and enough space, buy wooden hangers for everything.  If you cannot do that, buy the best quality white plastic hangers that you can afford.  Hang all your clothes on the hangers and, if you are like me, have all your hanger hooks facing in the same direction.

3.  Buy and install or have a company install organizers.  At minimum, you will want at least half the closet to have two rods, one very high and the lower one high enough off the floor so that you can hang your skirts/ folded pants and/or jackets.   This will double the hanging space.  The other half of the closet can have one high rod with enough space below for shoes and boots.  The more space and money you have to invest in the closet the more elaborate you can get.

A well organized, clean and spacious closet helps sell a house.  Really.  Next time you go house hunting see if you don’t scope out the closets. 

Size matters.

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Ontario ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca

Buying a House with an Oil Fuelled Furnace

If you are looking at homes in older neighbourhoods such as the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Alta Vista and Centre Town/ Golden Triangle, you might find a home that you want with an oil fuelled furnace.  Oil fuel, unlike gas, is trucked to the home and a tank is normally located in the basement where the fuel is stored.  In the past, the tanks were buried outside.  This is now illegal and very costly to remove.  Most homes have had the tank removed and an interior tank installed.

Many people have grown up with oil fuel and have no concerns.  Others find it unsettling to have to remember to have the tank filled and to have a tank of oil in the basement.  With the cost of oil increasing substantially, there are buyers who are planning to convert to gas. 

If you are buying and plan to convert to gas immediately, this reminder is for you.  Ensure that your offer to purchase the home includes the instructions that the owners are NOT to fill the tank before possession.  As a buyer, not only would have to pay for the full tank, as part of the adjustments, but then you will have to pay an additional $500.00 (approximately) to have the tank drained and removed. 

If gas lines have not been run into a rural community, oil is one of the most common heating fuels.  Conversion is not possible until the gas lines are installed. 

Talk to plumbing and heating specialists to find out what kind of furnace is best for you and your heating needs.

Photo credit:  58 E. Mountain Street @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/richspk/2579445904/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Ontario ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca

Property Tax Assessments Demystified – President of Ottawa Real Estate Board

I have gratefully accepted the offer to reprint an article on Ontario property tax assessment written by Heather Skuce, the President of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. The second billing for property tax will soon be out and there are going to be questions.     

Assessing a property’s value for the purpose of calculating property tax is a complicated process involving many variables (and a lot of math). Fortunately, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) has recently made some changes that can help homeowners gain a better understanding of how their property is assessed – and what that means for their tax bill.

 

A three-year freeze on property assessments ended on January 1 of this year, and MPAC staff is currently engaged in reassessing every property in Ontario. New assessments will be mailed to property owners in September, and will be effective for the 2009 through 2012 tax years. From now on, property values will be reassessed regularly every four years.

 

Assessments are intended to determine the “current value” of each property. Current value means the price a property might reasonably be expected to sell for, in its current condition, on the open market. The newly-redesigned MPAC web site (www.mpac.ca) contains a wealth of information about how properties are evaluated. According to MPAC, the 5 major factors that account for about 85 per cent of the value of any residential property are:

   *     Age of the house   *     Building area   *     Location   *     Lot dimensions  

*     Quality of Construction

  

Other features that may affect value include number of bathrooms, fireplaces, garages, pools, and whether the property has water frontage. All these features are analyzed with sales of comparable properties in the community to determine the current value assessment. That number is used by the City of Ottawa to calculate the owner’s property tax bills for the next 4 years. (If a property increases in value, the increase will be phased in over the 4 years; if it decreases, the entire decrease will come into effect immediately.) The city multiplies a home’s assessed value by the tax rates for each of the municipal and education portions of the bill, and adds the two numbers together to determine the amount an owner pays.

 

A section of MPAC’s web site called “About My Property” allows any property owner to review their assessment, along with those of up to twelve other properties of their choice, to compare assessment information for similar properties and help determine whether their property’s assessed value is accurate.

 

What if an owner feels that his or her assessment is inaccurate? A brochure sent out with all assessment notices includes information about how to report inaccuracies and file a complaint or challenge. A page on MPAC’s web site called “Resolving Assessment Concerns” offers a direct link to the Request for Reconsideration form, as well as details on how an appeal to the Assessment Review Board (ARB) can be made.

 

In the case of an appeal, a REALTOR® member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board may be able to provide some assistance; as with any professional advice, there may be a cost for this service. Anyone, including a REALTOR®, may be called by an appellant to provide evidence at an ARB hearing. Whether they will be considered to have sufficient expertise to offer opinion evidence as an expert is up to the ARB.

   

The President’s Pen column was prepared by the Ottawa Real Estate Board and first appeared in the April 1 issue of the EMC community newspapers.

 

The Ottawa House – Efflorescence is a Symptom Not a Sipping Drink

Last week I was at a friend’s house.  I noticed that there was a white build-up on the bricks near the top of her front stairs.  She said that it was a salt build-up due to the brick facing on her home near that spot not having enough ventilation.  I thought, given that I have seen this before but usually in basements, that I would add efflorescence to the Ottawa House series. 

Pink TulipI started looking for pictures of efflorescence and came across a wonderful “Information Blog” written by a home inspector, Charles  Buell ,  who lives in Washington State U.S.A.  The bouquet is to thank him as he has kindly allowed me to use his pictures in this article and I have quoted him on the source of efflorescence. 

As Charles said, “Most people have seen “efflorescence” even if they didn’t know what it was or that it even had a name.  The whitish build-up visible on masonry structures is caused by moisture moving through the material.  As the moisture evaporates from the surface, the salts carried in the moisture builds up to create what we call “efflorescence.”  It is very common on foundations below grade that have not been adequately sealed on the exterior or that are for some other reason being impacted by sub-surface water.  Moisture can also wick up through the foundation footing and then evaporate out through the wall.  While mostly cosmetic (in some cases it can lead to spalling and weakening of the concrete or brick structures), the main thing that is indicated by efflorescence is:  “there is moisture in the material.”  The picture … shows typical efflorescence on a basement wall.  …”

 ar120040981610458.jpg

The photo below shows efflorescence on exterior brick chimney. 

ar120041039791649.jpg

Don’t let the home inspector surprise you with the news of a moisture problem.  When you see efflorescence you will already know there is an issue.  Look wise.  Ask the inspector if he or she can tell you the extent of the problem.  The hidden or future cost may be repairs to reduce moisture penetration.  

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email vzinger@royallepage.ca 

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