Buying A Fixer-Upper: Are You Ready For The Work

Always dreamed of renovating a home exactly to your specifications, or have you found an older house that is structurally sound but needs a lot of work inside?  Perhaps the price is right and you can’t resist all that house you can get for your money.  Whatever the reason, buying a fixer-upper can be both an exciting and rewarding purchase or a financial and time consuming disaster, depending on whether you are prepared for what you have gotten yourself into.  So what should you know before buying a home that requires a little or a lot of tender loving care?

Home renovations before and after

The Benefits

The benefits of purchasing a fixer-upper are obvious.  The price is usually right, and if the seller wants a quick sale because of decreased interest in the home, you may be able to negotiate a really great price.  Also, if you intend to flip the home after the renovations, the profit...

(NC) – Can you imagine living without the modern comforts of your home? The amenities we've become accustomed to, like dishwashers, home heating or stain-and-fade-resistant fabrics, are standard features in today's interiors. For those who want the newest innovations in their home, two categories lead the way: light control and energy management. Sally Morse, director of creative services at window fashions company Hunter Douglas, gives us the scoop on lighting and energy use:

Managing Light: Window Treatments

The earliest windows were just holes in the wall. “The evolution of windows is remarkable,” says Morse, “From hide coverings to panes made of translucent animal horn, then thin slices of marble, oiled paper, then finally glass. And the shapes and sizes of windows changed too, requiring innovations to the original window treatments invented by the Egyptians 4,000 years ago. Ever since, people have translated the core concept of a simple covering that blocks out...

How to maximize living in a smaller space

This screen is painted in Benjamin Moore's Nightingale AF-670 which is a perfect complement to warm wooden furniture paired with modern accents.

(NC) It comes as no surprise that Canadians are living in smaller spaces. As national real estate prices continue to rise, our homes have been decreasing in square footage. However, there is no need to sacrifice style when living in tighter quarters. Sharon Grech, a colour and design expert at Benjamin Moore, offers her easy tips on making the most of your smaller space this fall:

Pick a Colour Scheme

Choosing one harmonious colour palette helps to pull a small space together because it allows the eye to travel without distraction. Grech recommends combining Pashmina AF-100, Boudoir AF-190 and Sonnet AF-55 all from the Affinity Colours Collection, a palette of harmonious hues from Benjamin Moore. “These colours capture the light and offer a beautiful depth and richness, which is...