Victoria BC Real Estate Blog

If the bathroom of your Victoria real estate needs to get renovated, you have a choice over whether you want to do the job yourself, or call in someone to help you do the job.  If you call in a remodeling company, chances are that the bathroom will be remodeled in a short amount of time.  If you depend on doing the job yourself, you will save money, but it will take longer.

When you are planning a bath renovation, the first thing that you need to consider is the tub.  Do you want to take out the entire tub, or just get a tub enclosure?  Many people are choosing to get tub enclosures that go over existing tub and tile rather than remove a cast iron tub.  If you have an existing cast iron tub in your home, it can be very difficult to move.  Rather than attempt to move it, you may want to consider just going over it with an enclosure.  This can save you both time and money as it will most likely cost you a great deal to have the tub moved. 

In addition to the tub and shower, you also need to think about new toilets and a new vanity sink.  All of these can be installed by a plumber.  Bath fixtures are only one part of the bathroom renovation project, however.  Other aspects of the project include the floor, light fixtures, the walls and door.  These aspects of the job may be undertaken by yourself, or you can pay others to do these jobs for you.  Many people, when they are considering a bath renovation, plan out the entire renovation at one time, rather than do it in bits and pieces.  This ends up saving money as well as time. 

If you hire a remodeling firm to finish your bathroom for you, you will not have to do any of the work yourself and can expect the job to get done in a matter of days.  If the company comes in and works on the job on a daily basis, the job should easily be completed within a week, even if you are having tile put in.  Most bathroom renovations can be completed in a few days by a professional company. 

If you do the job yourself, it will be less costly, but it will take substantially more time. You may wish to outsource aspects of the job that you cannot do on your own to expedite the matter as well as allow for it to go smoothly.

Does your Victoria real estate contain dark paneling?  If so, you may want to update this look without spending a lot of money by painting the paneling.  Painting paneling is not difficult to do and can brighten up an entire room.  You do not have to take down the paneling and put up new plasterboard in order to renovate your room - you can do it with paint. 

The first thing that you need to do is to choose a color of paint that will compliment the room.  You will most likely want to pick a paint that is white or an off white so that you can really brighten up the room.  Dark paneling in a room is not only dated, but it also makes the room look smaller.  The room will look much larger when you paint it white. 

After you have chosen the paint color, you need to get a good paint primer to put on the paneling.  This will allow the paint to stick to the wood of the paneling.  Primer colors come in white.  It will take a few coats of the primer, depending on how dark the paneling is, to cover the paneling.  Once the paneling is covered and there is just a hint of the old paneling color coming through, you can then paint. 

Choose a good quality paint over a cheap brand as you will end up spending a lot less time painting with good quality.  Choosing a high quality, name brand paint cuts your painting time in half.  You will notice that it goes over the primer smoothly and covers on the first coat.  Give it two coats, to be sure that you do not have any hints of the dark paneling coming through.  Allow the paint to dry thoroughly between each coat. 

In corners and tough to reach places, you will need to use a paintbrush, but you can use a roller for the rest of the paneling.  If you go from dark wood paneling to a white colored paint, the room will change overnight.  It will look larger, brighter and will not have that dingy, 1970s look. 

If your property still has old paneling up, that was so popular in the 1950s through 1970s, then perhaps it is time for a change.  You can get change the entire room by painting the paneling.

Chances are that your Victoria real estate has plenty of chrome finish.  This is often found in the bathtub, the shower head and the sinks.  There are various ways to clean chrome finish.  One of the best ways to do this is through the use of electrolysis.  You can crumple up a piece of aluminum foil and mix a little sale and baking soda together.  Put the salt and baking soda mixed with water onto the chrome and then rub it with the softened aluminum foil.  The reaction that this causes will cause the chrome to sparkle like new. 

This same process can be used to clean shower heads and faucets as well.  In fact, any chrome in your house can be cleaned by this process that costs very little and does not impact the environment in a negative way.  There are plenty of products on the market that can be used to clean chrome, but many of them involve chemicals that are toxic when flushed down the drain.  When you rinse these products down into the sewer system, you are sending toxins into the environment that do not only affect the water system but the soil as well.  By using this very old fashioned way of cleaning chrome in your real estate, you are not only going to get results for a few pennies, but you are also doing your bit to keep the environment clean and safe. 

In addition to cleaning chrome, electrolysis can also be used to clean silver.  In order to clean tarnished silver, fill up the sink with warm water and put an aluminum lid at the bottom of the sink in the water.  Add some baking soda and salt and then add the silver pieces.  You have to make sure that each of the silver pieces interact with the aluminum and you will come out with clean silver.  This is ideal for cleaning tarnished silver and it is then safe for the product to be used as an eating utensil.  Similar products clean silver in an easy fashion, but they leave a residue of toxins on the silver ware. 

Electrolysis is an old method that has been used for many years as a way to clean tarnished silver and chrome.  Try using this in your real estate property as a way to keep the faucets and shower heads clean without using toxic chemicals that are hazardous for the environment.

When buying Victoria real estate, there are a few things that you should consider before you place an offer on the property.  It is best to know as much as possible about the neighbourhood as well as the area before purchasing a home in the area.  In addition, you should take a good look at the following when you are buying a home:

How old is the roof?

Ask the owner how old the roof is.  Roofs that are over 10 years old often need replacement.  A good roof will last 30 years before it has to be completely replaced - that is the existing shingles torn off and an entire new roof installed.   The roof can be re-shingled once before this happens.  Make sure you understand the age of the roof and if you are likely to have to pay for a replacement before you buy the property.  There are companies that do roof inspections - this is not a bad investment when you are buying a home. 

How old is the heating unit?

Is there steam heat or gas forced heat?  You should know how old the boiler or the furnace is that is responsible for heating the home.  A good unit will last about 35 years.  If the house is old and has the original boiler or furnace, you may want to consider the cost of replacement into the price of the house. 

How old is the hot water heater?

This is another item that you cannot do without.  While washers, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators can be replaced as they break down, you do not want to be without hot water.  The hot water heater should be no more than 15 years old.  If not, figure in the cost of replacement when you are thinking of buying the home. 

These are just some of the questions that you should ask when you are buying real estate.  Older homes generally are in need of repair more than newer homes, but many have been updated.  Be sure to find out the age of the home and when it was last updated so that you do not get stuck with a lot of repairs after you have purchased the property.

Is it time to get new blinds in your Victoria real estate?  If so, you have a lot of choices when it comes to window coverings - now more than ever.  You can choose from wooden blinds, vinyl blinds, aluminum blinds or even fabric blinds.  You also have a choice of whether to get vertical or horizontal blinds. 

The first thing that you need to do is to go shopping and find blinds that will conform to your décor.  You can find blinds in just about any home improvement store.  You can take a look at the different blinds that are available that are ready to install as well as those that can be made to order. 

Often, you can get a better deal when you shop for blinds online and buy them for the entire house. In many cases, you can even get free shipping of the blinds right to your door.  Once you settle on what you like and what will match with your style in your home, including the style and color, you can then start measuring your windows for blinds. 

In order to obtain proper measurements, you should know the differences between an outside mount as well as an inside mount.  An inside mount is when the blinds will be hung inside the window jambs.  An outside mount is when the blinds will encompass the entire window, and usually part of the walls.  Outside mounts are often used when you are installing vertical blinds. 

Another measurement to take into consideration is projection.  If the blinds have thick slats, as is the style today, they may project too much into the window unit to be considered for an inside mount.  You may then choose to mount these blinds on the outside of the windows. 

If you have standard sized windows, you can usually find pre made blinds that will fit easily on the windows without having to be pre ordered.  If you have windows that are unusually wide or high, then you will most likely have to get the blinds custom made. Custom made blinds generally cost more than standard sized blinds which are mass produced and can be seen in any home improvement store.  Vinyl blinds are by far the most inexpensive of all of the blinds available on the market today and can be purchased for a few dollars a unit.

The length of the blinds can be altered to conform with the length of the windows. You can remove the bottom part of the blinds with the pop out holder that is in place to hold the slats.  You can then remove the slats and thread the remaining rope through the bottom of the blinds, being careful to leave enough of the rope so that you can thread it properly into the bottom.  You can then pop in the holders and the blinds will fit your window and not hang to the floor. 

You have many choices when it comes to blinds for your real estate property.  They are the most inexpensive way to gain both beauty and privacy as window coverings for your home.

What is the water quality at your Victoria real estate property?  While some people who live close to big cities have water that is good when it comes out of the tap, others have to get water softening systems to get rid of the hard, metal like taste to their water.  If you have hard water you may want to invest in a water softening system. 

We have a water softener at our house.  When we first moved in, we noticed that the water was brown when it came out of the tap.  This is common in some areas.  It meant we had hard water with a lot of mineral deposits.  It was tough getting clothes clean, dishes always seemed to have a residue and when I took a shower, I could never seem to get enough lather on me to feel clean.  One day, I called a water softener company for an estimate. 

When we first moved in to our neighbourhood, we didn’t know any of our neighbors so I couldn’t ask for recommendations.  Eventually, we got to meet all of them but in those first few weeks it was cold weather and we all pretty much stayed indoors.  I called out the water softener company and got an estimate.  It seemed reasonable so my wife and I decided to go ahead with the installation.  We had the water softener in a week. 

We were happy with the way the water softener worked.  No longer did we have residue on the dishes, the clothes were cleaner and it was easier to lather in the shower.  My wife said that she had a great shower and that her hair stayed shiny for a longer period of time.  We were happy until we did get to meet our neighbour John, a retired man who is very helpful, and who told us how much he paid for his water softener.  We were flabbergasted.  He paid half for his than we did for ours!  We later got around to meeting other people in the neighbourhood who pretty much told us the same thing.  It seemed as if we over paid for our water softener. 

There is nothing to be done about it, but I do not like feeling cheated.  However, the next time I get someone out for any work in my house, or to install anything, I plan to get three estimates.

Your Victoria real estate will be all ready for winter when you get your furniture cleaned.  You can choose to rent a machine to clean your furniture or you can hire professionals to come in and clean the furniture for money.  Either way, you will feel better having your furniture cleaned. 

Upholstered furniture often gets stained throughout the course of the year.  For this reason, you will want to make sure that you keep it in good condition by getting it cleaned a few times a year.  Many people get their furniture cleaned at the same time that they get their carpeting cleaned.  There are several ways that you can get your furniture cleaned.  You might want to consider steam cleaning or dry cleaning your furniture to keep it in good condition. 

If you have removable slip covers, you can take them to the dry cleaner and get them cleaned and then put back on your furniture.  This can usually happen within a day or so.  You will be surprised at the difference in the slip covers once they come back. 

If you have someone come in and clean the furniture, chances are that they will be able to get up many of the stains that are making your upholstered furniture look older than it is.  By taking care of your furniture in this fashion and having it cleaned periodically, you will make it last a lot longer and get the most out of your furniture investment.   Get your furniture cleaned twice a year to keep it lasting longer and looking like new.

If your Victoria real estate is older, then you might want to check on the wiring and make sure that it is up to code as well as safe.  A neighbour of mine recently had a fire in his house because of faulty wiring.  The house is older and he had overloaded a circuit.  The overloaded circuit caused a fire in the house that was fortunately small and confined to one room. No one was hurt. 

If you have an older house, you might need to check the wiring, especially if you add onto the house.  You have to make sure the wiring in the house is made to accommodate the electrical uses of today.  We tend to use a lot more electrical power than we did years ago, so it is very important to keep the house wiring updated. 

Anyone who adds onto their house or even renovates a room or attic should check the electrical system in the house and make sure that it is able to keep up with the renovations.  In some cases, you may need to add another circuit breaker.  If the wiring is old, then you may need to get new wiring for your home. 

 After the fire at my neighbour’s house, I checked our wiring and saw that it was not up to code.  We had an electrician come out and update the wiring so that it was up to code and we feel much safer now.  Everyone should check the wiring in their real estate to make sure that it can handle the electrical needs of the house.

In your Victoria real estate, every once in a while, it is a good idea to re-caulk around your tub basin.  This prevents mildew from building up.  The first thing that you need to do is to remove the existing caulk from around the tub.  You can usually do this with a razor or a utility knife.  There are scrapers that are made especially for this at the home improvement store, but I have found that it works just as well with a knife. 

Once the caulk has been removed and disposed of (you should line the tub with plastic so that you can make or easy disposal of the product and it does not go down the drain) you can then make sure the area is clean and then caulk the area with the new caulk.

When buying caulk for your bathroom, you should be sure to buy bathroom caulk.  This is waterproof and made for this purpose.  You have a choice when it comes to caulk application - you can either choose to apply it with a caulk gun or by using a tube of squeeze caulk.  You will get a much more even application when you use the caulk gun.  The squeeze caulk that comes in tubes that you just have to squeeze works well for small jobs, but is often unreliable when it comes to the amount of caulk that you dispense.  While this is more convenient to use, it is far more professional and you will get better results when you invest in a caulk gun.  You can get a caulk gun very inexpensively at any home hardware store or store that sells home improvements. 

You should allow the caulk to dry for at least 24 hours before using your tube.  You only have to do this once every several years, but it is worth it in the end as it will look as though you have a brand new tub.

When it comes to advising you about your Victoria real estate, I have two words for you - no wallpaper.  When we first moved in, it seemed as if the place was covered with wallpaper.  This was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s but looked very dated in our home.  We wanted to take it down. The first time I tried, I used a chemical solution.  It did not work well, stunk and I found the paper coming off in little pieces. On top of that, it was not very good for the environment. 

Instead, I decided to purchase a steamer.  I did not get an industrial sized steamer that professionals use, but a simple one that I purchased at my home improvement store.  This steamer worked by filling up the tank with water and then allowing it to heat up.  The unit was attached to the tank with a hose and would get very hot.  You would put this on the walls and allow for the steam to melt the glue that held on the wallpaper. 

There were some areas of the house where they primed the wallpaper first, making it even more difficult to remove.  I also had to do some patching with wall compound in areas where removal had been the toughest.  All in all, it took me several weekends to take down the wallpaper using the steamer.  In addition to the steamer, you need a scraper that will allow you to lift the wallpaper from the wall.  It came off a lot easier, often in whole, large pieces, in this manner.  But it was still a job that I would rather not do again.

After the walls were cleared from the wallpaper, we set about painting them.  Painting is so much easier than wallpaper and is easier to change.  You can simply paint over it.  Even if you use a dark color, you can use primer and go over the dark color to set the wall for the new color paint.  My neighbor recently told me that he wants to borrow my steamer to take down the wallpaper in his house.  I guess I will have to show him how to do the job as well.