Corian Counters - Who Knew?

I will start by saying that Corian has never been one of my favourite counter tops. When it first came out, it was a beige-yellow with oak trim for edges. After a few weeks, it looked stained and had nicks in the top. I know you can sand them down but who really takes a sander to their counter tops?

I recently volunteered for the Hospice at May Court Tour of Homes. I was assigned to the kitchen of a home with a renovation that took place in 2005. I had three hours to watch people (and there were hundreds) walk through the kitchen. Almost everyone had to touch the Corian counter top. It was amazing. The counters were beautiful. Well, the whole kitchen was great (thanks to Laurysen Kitchens ) but the counter tops caught every one’s eye. I have had to change my mind about Corian.

Corian costs about the same as granite. The biggest pro is you know exactly what you are getting. Because it is man made, it is consistent (no veins or blotches). The biggest con (for me) is the heat sensitivity. As with laminate, you need to protect the surface from heat. If you interested in a bit more information, the Kitchen Blog has a review.

As I said “Corian - who knew?”

The picture is one that was available on Flickr and shows 2 different colours of Corian. It is not from the May Court Tour home.

Photo credit: Our New Kitchen @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/fishpick/2346713185/in/photostream/

Grow Ops and Drug Distribution - Ottawa

All neighbourhoods in Ottawa can be locations for Grow Ops and drug distribution. To maintain the value of your current home (for now and future sale) and to make your area safe, it is important to know some of the signs and to phone the authorities if you have concerns. Closing your eyes to these problems will not make them go away - in fact, you are assisting the perpetrators.

What should you notice?

For drug distribution - look for a number of cars arriving at the house, staying for short periods of time, and then leaving. Maybe there is a lot of foot traffic going in and out of the house. Look for people who park a block away and walk to the house. Everyone has visitors but is there an unusually high number and people who do not look like they are just dropping in for coffee. Is the house being left to fall apart while other business is being transacted? Listen to your intuition. Is something just not right? Call the police to voice your concerns. In a case near me, the police indicated that they had no records of people calling so they were not actively watching the house. Call.

For a Grow Op - (see Ottawa Police site ) because the humidity is going to be high (and destroy the house in the process), it is unlikely anyone is living in the house. There will be ‘visitors’ to tend to the crop and they may be arriving and leaving at odd times. In a Grow Op situation it is more what is not happening versus what you can see. The drapes or window treatments will be closed tightly. There is likely to be condensation on the windows (from the heat and humidity). Windows will never be opened. Lights and music/TV will be left on 24/7 to give the feeling of someone being home. There may be a fan running to vent the inside of the house. Remember, a Grow Op does not have to be in a detached home. It may be in an apartment block, duplex, row or semi-detached. Your best move is to contact the city police.

The City of Kansas has a wonderful brochure and reporting sheet available for use.

If you have information about a marijuana grow house, the Ottawa police would like you to contact them:

phone 613-236-1222, ext. 7300; or
contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 613-233-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-222-8477.

Photo credit: Neighborhood Watch @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/40819389@N04/3757326409/

In Flanders Fields The Poppies Blow

LEST WE FORGET…… NOVEMBER 11, 2009

Senators Games at the Scotiabank Place

If you are coming to Ottawa to house hunt and want to spend an evening getting acquainted with our hockey team then go out to a game. If you live in the west end of the city, keeping game dates in mind will forewarn you of upcoming traffic congestion. To find the dates and more information about the Senator, go to the Senators website.

Photo credit: Scotiabank Place @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cpstorm/137575673/in/photostream/

Happy Canada Day - July 1, 2009

Victoria Day - Ottawa

Happy Victoria Day

Photo credit: J.J. Zinger

Instant Gardens in Ottawa

This morning I drove past the Parkdale Market, right across the street from my office at Royal LePage Office. I know the old adage is to not plant your garden before the May long weekend but…. Almost all of the stalls are now open and there is a profusion of hanging baskets of flowers. WOW.

If your house is for sale, think about investing some money (around $100) in hanging flower baskets. You can hang them from hooks from your fence or from the porch ceiling OR you can put the baskets in containers, such as the urns that are currently being sold. The urns can sit on either side of the front door or can be on the deck in the backyard.

Look for flowers that will give your house a terrific punch of colour.

Hanging baskets give instant curb appeal.

Photo Credit: Hanging Baskets @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/gomattolson/562725786/

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

New Year’s Thank You to Flickr Members

Here is a big thank you to the contributing members of Flickr who have made their photographs available for viewing and use. I have been so lucky to find wonderful photography to include in my articles. Thank you to those photographers who have knowingly or unknowingly helped me this past year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas - Love Hoover and Tulipe

This is just typical - the weather gets cold and she takes us to the groomer’s and has all of our hair removed. On top of that she finds these awful headbands that make us look like White West Highland Terrier fools. Oh well, there is often a treat involved after the humiliation so we endure. I have the angel on my head and Hoover has the snowman. He certainly looks like he would prefer to be miles away. We have enjoyed having her home more this year with her strange real estate hours. I know she likes all of her clients and helping them look for or sell their homes. We hope she has even more fun next year. Maybe she will stop getting us these ghastly headbands.