Home Trends from Ed Wang and Christopher Wannamaker

Connect Realty, Brokerage

Edward Wang

Christopher Wannamaker

Direct: 416.807.1977 edward@wgrouprealestate.ca

Direct: 647.285.6964 christopher@wgrouprealestate.ca

Office: 416.588.8248 | www.wgrouprealestate.ca

THE W GROUP REAL ESTATE

Royal LePage Connect Realty

STOCK YOUR FRIDGE TO SAVE ENERGY

Did you know that organizing the food in your refrigerator a certain way can help you save energy? With costs of everything on the rise these days, a few small changes can't hurt. First, it's key to know that an overstocked fridge and an empty fridge are equally energy draining. Storing too much food and the air can't circulate causing the fridge to work harder to keep a consistent cool temperature; storing too little food and the motor has to work extra hard to cool the interior down. Now that you know that, be sure everything in the fridge needs to be there to prevent overfilling. On the other hand, if your fridge is typically empty, perhaps a smaller model would be more effective. When it comes to storing food, put leftovers (once cooled for no more than 2 hours) on the top shelf. This will prevent warm air from rising and warming food above the leftovers. Opening and closing the door repeatedly causes the interior to warm up too, so put your most frequently used items at the front, in the door, or in the drawers so you don't have to rummage around for them. Spacing items out evenly to allow air to flow is also a way to keep a consistent air temperature in the fridge and thus save energy. Other considerations: ensure your door seal is in good condition, clean the condenser coils (behind or under the fridge) at least twice a year, and try not to use appliances that generate heat next to the fridge (like a slow cooker).

Office: 416.588.8248 | www.wgrouprealestate.ca

THE W GROUP REAL ESTATE

Royal LePage Connect Realty

WHAT NOT TO CLEAN WITH VINEGAR Vinegar is a wonderful natural cleaner. It's affordable, abundant and really works for a lot of your daily cleaning needs. Being an acid, it helps break down dirt, oil, films and stains while not necessarily harming the surface it's cleaning. You can tackle glass (windows and mirrors), faucets, showers, bathtubs, toilets, small appliances, non-porous countertops (like laminate), stainless steel and even vinyl or laminate floors with a soft cloth and a bottle of white vinegar. As with any new cleaning solution, be cautious and test an inconspicuous area if you're planning to clean with vinegar, but for the most part, you should be fine cleaning most surfaces. However, here are a few things to avoid using vinegar on: • Screens, like your television or smartphone, should only be cleaned with a diluted vinegar solution (equal parts water and vinegar) to prevent damage. • Washing machines and dishwashers because, the hoses, gaskets and other rubber parts can be corroded and cause leaks and other damage. • Metal, specifically kitchen knives, as the acid will corrode the metal over time. • Stone countertops (and floors), like granite or marble, because the vinegar can eat away at the shine as the stone is quite porous. • Rubber, like the seals and hoses in your washing machine, which can be damaged by the acidic vinegar. • Hardwood floors as vinegar will dissolve the finish and leave the floors looking dull and open to scratches.

Office: 416.588.8248 | www.wgrouprealestate.ca

THE W GROUP REAL ESTATE

Royal LePage Connect Realty

CROWN MOLDING TO ENHANCE YOUR ROOMS

One thing that can drastically transform the look of a room is crown molding. It adds visual interest to the room and height to your ceiling, which in turn makes the room look more spacious and sophisticated. If you want to tackle the project yourself, you can find a multitude of tutorials online, supplies at your local hardware store and theoretically, enough time over the course of a weekend. Once you have the supplies required, you'll need to master three types of cuts - inside corner, outside corner and the overlapping joint. Once you know what you're doing with those, you'll measure, cut and install the wooden pieces along the top of your wall. For added visual interest consider painting the molding a darker colour than your walls and ceiling. Alternately, a white crown molding with a slim trim below it can be a step above the typical and add a unique look that no one expects. Remember, the crown molding does not have to match the rest of the trim and baseboards in the room either. The boards themselves can be flat and smooth, or carved with ridges and texture. Most of the time the molding will be made of MDF wood, which is budget friendly and easy to work with.

Office: 416.588.8248 | www.wgrouprealestate.ca

THE W GROUP REAL ESTATE

Royal LePage Connect Realty

DECLUTTER YOUR KITCHEN COUNTERS

When kitchen countertops get cluttered with appliances, decor, cooking utensils, homework, etc. it can create a sense of chaos in an otherwise calm and serene room. To organize your counters, you'll first need to toss any trash and put away anything that actually lives elsewhere. What you're left with now needs to be relocated or made a permanent counter fixture. A mail station or basket for papers is a great way to gather all of those important, yet not urgent papers that tend to take over the majority of kitchens. Once those types of things are organized, it’s time to look at the kitchen gadgets and see where they can go. If your kitchen lacks storage in the form of cupboards, think about adding shelving to get some things up and off the counter. You can also take advantage of the space above your cupboards for some of the larger, and

lesser used appliances, saving space in your cupboards for those you reach for more often and ultimately end up leaving on the counter when not in use. The side of your refrigerator or inside of cupboard doors can be utilized for storing smaller items in magnetic, or adhesive door organizers or even on hooks. Perhaps adding a rolling cart (or moveable island) would help free up some counter space and make room for those items that can be stored in another room and brought into the kitchen only when needed. Finally, décor items don’t have to take up a lot of space – a small candle here or a vase of flowers there – should add to the room, not hinder functionality or cause you undo stress. Try adding art to the walls or changing up the backsplash for a more permanent design option.

Office: 416.588.8248 | www.wgrouprealestate.ca

THE W GROUP REAL ESTATE

Royal LePage Connect Realty

GTA REALTORS® Release October Stats

AVG. SALE PRICE Single Family Dwelling $1,450,112

AVG. SALE PRICE Condo/Townhouse $791,299

ACTIVE LISTINGS 19,540

DAYS ON MARKET 21

GTA REALTORS® November 2023 – Lack of affordability and uncertainty remained issues for many would-be home buyers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in October 2023. As a result, sales edged lower compared to last year. However, selling prices remained higher than last year’s levels. “Record population growth and a relatively resilient GTA economy have kept the overall demand for housing strong. However, more of that demand has been pointed at the rental market, as high borrowing costs and uncertainty on the direction of interest rates has seen many would-be home buyers remain on the sidelines in the short term. When mortgage rates start trending lower, home sales will pick up quickly,” said TRREB President Paul Baron. REALTORS® reported 4,646 GTA home sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in October 2023 – down 5.8 per cent compared to October 2022. “Competition between buyers remained strong enough to keep the average selling price above last year’s level in October and above the cyclical lows experienced in the first quarter of this year. The Bank of Canada also noted this resilience in its October statement. However, home prices remain well-below their record peak reached at the beginning of 2022, so lower home prices have mitigated the impact of higher borrowing costs to a certain degree,” said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer. Source: Toronto Regional Real Estate Board | Market values stated are of the average of Toronto and surrounding region. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to-date evaluation of your home.

CLICK FOR FULL REPORT

Or Call With Your Real Estate Market Questions

Office: 416.588.8248 | www.wgrouprealestate.ca