Rebates for new homes built to energy-efficient standards

Buying or building a new home is likely the largest single investment you will ever make. By choosing an energy-efficient home, not only will you reduce the cost to operate and maintain your home, you'll create a smaller environmental impact . . .

Posted: 2017-03-09

A Vacation with Plants

February and early March found many folks away on adventures to warmer lands - tropical havens rich in flora and fauna. Many new to enjoying the greenery and many with a "gardener's interest" in plants were quick to listening, or . . .

Posted: 2017-03-08

Wallpaper is back in style

Stylish prints have replaced the drab florals of the 1980s

Wallpaper is ready for its next act. The polarizing paint alternative and longtime decorating taboo has returned to fashion thanks to ultra-stylish prints, dimensional fabrics and new materials that make it easy to install and, yes, to remove. Offering more . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04

Neverland up for sale at a reduced price

LOS ANGELES — Neverland, the onetime ranch and private playground of the late pop icon Michael Jackson, has returned to market for US$67 million, a 33 per cent price chop from its original list price of US$100 million. The property, now . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04

River Park South home is like-new and livable

Well-lit floor plan is just one of the two-storey's many great features

It’s no secret: one of the pitfalls associated with buying an older resale house is the possibility it will need significant updates to make it contemporary. Consequently, it’s always a pleasant surprise when a newer house comes up for sale for . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04

Use cottage with care in winter months

Question: We have a post-on-pad summer cottage in Whytewold, not skirted. The water system was drained the first week in October. We have plastic sheeting over most of the windows, the thin film that you shrink with a blow dryer. . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04

What lies beneath

The most complex aspects of a build are often concealed

It’s sometimes easy to forget how difficult it had been to plan and execute a major renovation once that renovation has been completed. Often concealed are the structural complexities required to achieve aspects of design and obstacles that were encountered . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04

The top remodelling trends for 2017

Planning ahead a key component of any home renovation

Thanks to generational changes, economic improvement and necessity, contractors expect an uptick in remodelling this year. Here’s some of the more important remodelling trends for 2017. Universal design As baby boomers and Generation Xers get older, they often see their family structure expand. . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04

Prepare your indoor plants for spring, too

Houseplants seem to be in vogue again, which is encouraging because they have a way of bringing the plant world into the hearts of those who need it most: urban dwellers, office workers and people generally short on terrain. The image . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04

What're you gonna do with all that junk?

A mountain of clutter can be overwhelming to look at, but you've just got to tackle it

Now this was FUN! Recently, I received an email from a Free Press reader responding to a column I had done regarding how "stuff" can build up, take over our homes and leave our brain feeling as cluttered and disorganized as . . .

Posted: 2017-03-04