Prep time for cottage days

It's your cosy weekend getaway. Or, for the lucky ones, a summer-long, luxurious retreat. Cottage time is precious in our Canadian climate. When spring arrives, lake fever abounds and we dream of dining at the harvest table, dock fishing and lounging . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

MIKE HOLMES: Rushing home repairs can lead to disaster

Tornadoes tore across Missouri and Alabama. Wildfires raged through Texas and Arizona. Heavy floods soaked Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North Dakota. And hurricane season has just started. Every year, we have extreme weather that reminds us of mother nature's power. And it . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Sun tunnels vs. skylights: about the same

QUESTION: In a previous edition of the Free Press, you addressed the question relating to the removal of skylights. In that article you highlighted concerns with the installation of skylights, such as condensation and leakage. These are concerns that I . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

SOLUTIONS: Rubber ball takes out running-shoe marks

QUESTION: I am 76 years old and regularly look after my grandchildren on weekdays. Although I enjoy my time with them, when they leave, I almost always notice black marks on the floor from their runners. It is hard to . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

Looking for a subdivision? Choices abound

YOU know how sometimes we see something so often that we fail to appreciate just how amazing it is? That happens to me sometimes when I look at the subdivision guide within the Saturday Homes section. Although I always read . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

Sold & Offered: July 9-11

North Kildonan Address: 412 Bonner Ave. Asking Price: $359, 900 Sold Price: $370, 000 Taxes: $4, 082.30 Square Footage: 2, 300 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2.5 Lot Size: 68 x 112 Listing Agent: Tony Panchhi, Re/max executives realty, 987-9800 East Kildonan Address: 181 Tu-Pelo Ave. Asking Price: $229, 900 Sold Price: $221, 900 Taxes: $2, . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

Clarity crucial to joint cottage ownership

With summer (apparently) now finally here, the idea of buying a place in the coun--try becomes tempting. If you don't want to commit to 100 per cent of the purchase price, one option is to purchase a cottage with friends or . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

A house with a view

Well-windowed bungalow on big lot backs onto wetlands

When the designers of Parkhill Homes conceived their newest show home, 32 Cypress Ridge in South Pointe, they had two objectives in mind. "Because we were building it (a 1, 968-square-foot bungalow) on a big lot that backed onto wetlands, we . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

Blast from the past

Riverview 1920s-era home oozes top-notch character

As most of us have come to know by hard experience, looks can be, well, quite deceiving. That's the case with 285 Maplewood Ave., an 86-year-old, two-storey home found in the quiet enclave of Riverview. On the outside, it looks like . . .

Posted: 2011-07-09

GARDENING: Butterflies take flight

Here's how to attract or view them

Nothing announces warm beautiful weather like seeing a butterfly fly by. In Manitoba, you have the potential to spot about 150 species of butterflies and skippers. Skippers are close relatives of butterflies with similar daytime flying and nectar sipping habits and are . . .

Posted: 2011-07-02