Free Labour or Staging

David continues to offer his buying and selling clients 2 hours of complimentary 'Handyman' labour or 'Home Staging' by an accredited Stager.  Although some REALTORS® now offer to stage homes themselves, David believes his time is best spent finding homes for Buyers or marketing his Sellers' properties to prospective purchasers ... as opposed to decorating or moving furniture. That is why he contracts professionals to do this work ... at no cost to you! If you or anyone you know would be interested in this value-added service, please send a quick note to David at david@davidweir.com.

Empire Theatre Ticket Winners

Congratulations to Dana Rogalsky who was the winner of the Tom Cochrane and the Red Riders tickets. These fantastic Canadian musical talents rocked the house!!

Shawn and Jody Duffy were also winners of Empire Theatre tickets this spring. Shawn and Jody were the recipients of two tickets to see Jann Arden, another amazing Canadian song-writer and performer. Congratulations!

Upcoming Tickets Draws

Abbey Road on the River Canada

Empire Square Live and The Empire Theatre will host thousands of Beatle fans from the US, Europe, and across the country. America's foremost Beatles Festival is being held outside the USA for the very first time and you could be the lucky winner of 2 tickets to the Saturday 16 June celebration. To enter, simply reply to Donna with your name and contact information.

Empire Classic Rock Festival

Get ready to rock and roll! In July, the Empire Square Live will feature three amazing nights of entertainment you won't want to miss. Cheap Trick, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, and Pat Benatar will be in the house. David is offering tickets to all three shows so be sure to send in your name to Donna if you're fans of these great Rockers! Check for additional details HERE.

Real Estate Prices Continue to Sizzle
Industry figures show that the average price of a resale home in Canada's major markets hit another record high in April. New monthly price records were set in at least 12 markets across the country, according to MLS data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Nationally, the average resale price in 25 major markets was $323,936 in April. That's an increase of almost $7,000 from March and up $28,000 from April of 2006. Read the entire CBC article HERE.

Quinte West... Still Going Strong!

Win a Luxury Room Make-over With Royal LePage
Royal LePage Residential Real Estate Services has launched an online campaign to promote its 'Tell Us Your Story and WIN' contest. Contest details can be found on the Royal LePage Website and offers consumers a chance to win one of three $5,000 home makeovers. To enter the contest, consumers must submit a story about how a Royal LePage real estate agent has helped them buy, sell or rent a property, or made a difference in the community. The contest runs from March 1 to June 30, 2007.

Eliminate Obstructions - The farther you can see through a space, the larger and more open it will seem. Eliminate clutter and avoid over-decorating with too many trinkets and wall hangings. Arrange furnishings to open up floor space and avoid blocking views of windows and doors. When selecting furniture, choose benches, ottomans, armless chairs and sofas to keep space open. Add the illusion of space with the sparkle and reflection of mirrors, either wall-mounted or an oversized mirror on the floor leaned against a wall. Think about buying a mirrored or glass tabletop ... it will practically disappear within the room.
Make it Bright - Uncover windows and add additional light fixtures to eliminate dark shadows. Open up a space by hanging track lighting to accentuate art, or add bookshelf lights to highlight a cabinet. The possibilities are endless!
Optiminize Your Space - Keep the small space in mind at all times. Try as much as possible to use multipurpose items such as futons, compact kitchen sets, storage trunks.

Article Courtesy of The Homeowner

Aluminum Wiring is Safe if Properly Installed - In 1977, the Government of Ontario established a Commission of Inquiry on the use of aluminum in the home. After an 18-month investigation, it recommended that aluminum wiring should continue to be authorized for residential use.

Home Insurance - For homeowners faced with the uncertainty of obtaining insurance on homes with aluminum wiring, savvy brokers can take on new business, regardless of the type of wiring in the home. If a home inspection has been completed and there are no visible defects or deficiencies related to the electrical system, policies can be written with no discrimination against aluminum wiring. Insurance coverage at regular rates is also available for 'knob & tube' wiring, provided the homeowner undertakes to upgrade the accessible portions within the first month of occupancy.

Information Courtesy of All Around the House

Not only does using power wisely allow you to put coins back in your pocket, but you will be doing something good for the environment and helping to reduce the strain on our electricity system.

The typical Ontario household consumes approximately 850 kilowatt-hours each month. About 15% of this is for lighting. The typical home has about 25 light bulbs. If each household changed just one regularly-used incandescent bulb to an energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), we would save enough electricity to power all the homes in a town the size of Peterborough for a whole year. Imagine if we changed every light bulb in our home?

Your fridge makes up about 15% of your home's electricity use and even more if you have a second one. If you want to retire that second fridge, Hydro One will come right into your home to get it while you sit back and watch the savings grow.

Hydro One's summer challenge is in full swing. If you use 10% less electricity this summer, you'll get a 10% rebate on your autumnn electricity bill.

If you need a new central air conditioner and buy an ENERGY STAR®-qualified model you may be eligible for a rebate of up to $750.

Think about using outdoor solar lights instead of turning on your exterior lights. Outdoor solar lights give you design flexibility since you can put them wherever you want. Check out the Every Kilowatt Counts site for coupons and participating retailers. Similarly, there's a movement toward outdoor motion sensors which are great for porches, garages and places you don't frequent. Energy savings and security in one!

Information Courtesy of Ontario Power Authority and Hydro One

Hummingbirds are fun to watch as they hover in place or dart quickly among the plants in your garden. Despite their tiny size they’re quite feisty little creatures. And their bright jewel-like colours, especially those of males, add a brilliant dimension to any scene. Attracting them to your garden can be very rewarding.

You can keep those hummingbirds coming from spring until fall if you garden with plants that will give these birds a natural and complete food source, or with a feeder or two to supplement their primary food.

Make Your Own Hummingbird Food - Mix one part white sugar to four parts water. Allow the water to boil for one minute and then add sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool thoroughly. Fill your feeder and store any excess in the fridge for up to three or four weeks.Do NOT use honey as it may cause a tongue fungus, nor artificial sweeteners as they provide no sustenance for birds. Also avoid food colouring as this only adds chemicals to their diet. The red on the feeder will attract hummingbirds. If, after a couple of weeks, you don’t have any takers, move the feeder to a more visible place and consider other ways to entice hummingbirds to your garden.

Feeders - There are two main types of feeders: tubular models with drinking holes at the bottom and saucer-shaped ones with holes at the top. When buying a feeder, keep in mind that you need one that is easy to hang, take down, take apart, clean (including those hard to reach places) and then rehang. Sometimes the heat of summer days causes the holes to expand so that the tubular models may start to leak. If you want to make your own, be creative and experiment. Some stores sell attachments that connect to the mouth of upside-down plastic or glass bottles.

Cleaning - Keep feeders clean so your visitors don’t get sick from a build up of bacteria. Clean every three days — more often if temperatures are high or if it is in the sun. Although it may not look dirty this sugary solution can go bad very quickly, so clean regularly. Cleaning doesn’t have to take long — swish a long brush inside and rinse with hot water. If you use soap, be sure to rinse the container very well.

Location - Keep the feeder in a spot where hummingbirds won’t get hurt. An open area will allow them to spot approaching predators, such as house cats. The feeder should also be either close enough to windows (less than 30 centimetres) so that hummingbirds don’t hurt themselves, or far enough away (1.8 metres) so that they won’t crash into them. Keep feeders away from busy areas with car or people traffic. If your feeder doesn’t have a perch, you may want to put it near a tree or shrub for perching and shade.

Information Courtesy of Canadian Wildlife Federation. Read the entire article HERE.

Following are tips to ensure your garden is the talk of the neighborhood this summer.

Add a Touch of Flair - Since gardens are intimate domains, many gardeners are individualizing their spaces with bird feeders, fountains, waterfalls, ponds, statues, globes -- even lights. But don't go overboard. Remember, less is more.

Traditional Container Gardening is Out - For the past few years container gardens, or potted plants, that line stairways, walkways and pools, have been the craze. Although plants in pots are still popular, gardeners are beginning to mix and match colored pots with bunches of various plants and flowers for a drastic but simple backyard makeover.

Colour Is In -- The hottest garden accessory for 2007 is colour. Hot hues add contrast to a space and can help hide dull outdoor furniture. Besides colorful plants, shrubs and flowers, try adding various shapes, colors and sizes of garden pots throughout the space for depth and dimension.

It's About You - A garden is an intimate experience that should reflect your style. It's a form of self-expression that focuses on your individuality, creativity and confidence. Remember, a garden is an extension of your home and should mimic your tastes.

Information Courtesy of Home and Garden Update

Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, Brokerage
Independently Owned and Operated
253 Dundas Street East, Trenton, ON K8V 1M1

Telephone: 613-394-4837
FAX: 613-394-2897
Toll Free: 866-965-3637
Email: david@davidweir.com
Web Address: www.davidweir.com