GARDENING: Ready, set...
Gardeners hit greenhouses in preparation for planting
Spring is here, but do we still need to exercise some restraint in our eagerness to plant? In the case of hardy herbaceous perennials, it's a good rule of thumb to gradually adapt greenhouse-grown plants from their protected environment to the outdoors. Once acclimatized, they're ready to be planted as long . . .…
MIKE HOLMES: Solar leasing offers practical green solution
The move toward renewable energy and greener technologies has been really important to me for years now. Why? Because I'm building homes that are going to be around for years. So if I'm going to do it right, I have to think about the environment these buildings are going to . . .…
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Mudjacking might not remedy sinking floor
QUESTION: I live in a bungalow on riverfront property on Henderson Highway, outside the Perimeter. The house was built in 1978 and, to the best of my knowledge, the basement walls are on piles, not footings. Since the ice jams on the Red River, the worst being in 2009 and again . . .…
SOLUTIONS: Stain on cardigan need not be permanent
QUESTION: I marked my white cardigan with a blue permanent marker. You said once before to use bug repellent to remove marker but I had already used a stain remover and then rinsed in cold water. Is it too late to try bug repellent? Should I hang the cardigan in . . .…
How set decorators create rooms with 'lived-in' look
Our rooms speak volumes about us -- and set decorators for television shows specialize in knowing what they can say. Using colours, accessories and telling details, set decorators help flesh out a character, whether it's a working-class stiff in a worn-in apartment or a wealthy doyenne in a slick salon. For Los . . .…
Enjoy the Greenview
Ventura home built with substance to complement the style
As important as it is for a new home design to be pleasing to the eye, it's equally important it has substance to go along with the style. That's why Ventura Custom Homes came up with its Masters Series of homes, said Ventura's sales representative Ron Tardiff of Trinkl Realty Ltd. "This . . .…
10,000 more tradespeople needed by 2020
A number of years ago, the advent of spring meant the beginning of construction season. Those times have long passed and, with the increased population and demand for housing, the commercial growth happening throughout the province and the increased need to improve our infrastructure, construction season is now 12 months . . .…
Riverside Glen the whole package
Affordability, style, peace and quiet
At long last, prospective homebuyers in west Winnipeg have a new -- and distinctive -- housing option to look at. That option comes in the form of a 20-unit condominium development called Riverside Glen at the intersection of St. Charles Street and Augier Avenue set well back in a private tract . . .…
Best of the old made new
Careful consideration of family life guided home's design
As popular as open-concept floor plans are these days, that type of design has its strengths and weaknesses. Its main strength is you get an exceedingly bright main living area that flows exceptionally well from space to space. The weakness? Well, it can be a glaring one, especially if you enjoy . . .…
The anti-condo
Royalwood Estates shatters perceptions
When it comes to condominiums, not everyone is sold on the concept. Why? Simple: There's the perception -- right or wrong -- they lack space, even if they're of the townhouse variety. The second objection is condominium fees. Often in the $250 range, they're looked upon as being a money grab, . . .…
Wonderful, affordable family home
Crestview two-storey started out as bungalow
IT'S not often you arrive on the second floor of a 56-year-old home and do a double take. After all, it isn't often that a home built at the beginning of the Elvis Presley era has a loft off the stairs. Usually, homes of this vintage are unremittingly straightforward. Not this . . .…
SOLD & OFFERED - May 19/12
SOLD Wolseley Address: 500 Stiles St. Asking Price: $249, 900 Sold Price: $275, 000 Taxes: $2, 333.57 Square Footage: 1, 250 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1 Lot Size: 28x 87 Listing Agent: Dan Thiessen, Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate, 771-3526 Elmwood Address: 379 William Newton Asking Price: $139, 900 Sold Price: $138, 000 Taxes: $1, 069 Square Footage: 814 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1 Lot Size: 25 X 115 Listing Agent: Vijay . . .…
Ready, set -- starter
Move-in condition for under $200,000 is more than a dream
These days, it's difficult to find a move-in-ready resale home for under $200, 000. While it's a difficult task, it's not impossible. However, you do have to look quite extensively to find a home in that price range that doesn't require a whole lot of upgrading -- at least, not right . . .…
Sold &Offered: May 12-12
SOLD Lindenwoods Village Address: 5210-173 Victor Lewis Dr. Asking Price: $189, 900 Sold Price: $200, 000 Taxes: $1, 796.79 Bedrooms: 2 Bathroom: 1 Listing Agent: Vijay Guliani, Realty Plus Inc, 897-0800 Elmwood Address: 1007 Prince Rupert Ave. Asking Price: $259, 900 Sold Price: $296, 100 Taxes: $2, 868.58 Square Footage: 1, 105 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2 Lot Size: 58 x 100 Listing Agent: Tony Panchhi, Re/Max Executives Realty, . . .…
Shades of yesteryear
Older home lovingly renovated with modern features
WHEN you buy a resale home -- especially one built in the 1920s -- you're not always sure what you're getting. After all, a home 80-plus years old could have a lot of issues: the wiring (knob and tube), foundation (porous stone), insulation (none or little behind the walls) and a . . .…