Keeping You Informed with Linda Linfoot

“Keeping You Informed” I work for YOU, not the lender!

L inda L infoot Mortgage Professional

Cell: 604.765.8873 Fax: 1.888.253.4963 lindalinfoot@me.com www.LindaLinfoot.com

Verico Paragon Mortgage Inc 227-5589 Byrne Road Burnaby, BC V5J 3J1

L inda L infoot , Mortgage Professional

PREPARE YOUR PATIO FURNITURE

Hopefully a season of enjoying time on your patio, deck or balcony is just over the horizon. To prepare for the sunny afternoons and cozy evenings, you'll want to get your patio furniture in tip top shape. First give everything a good dusting and then scrub down to remove any dirt and debris that has accumulated over the winter. You can use a mixture of water and dish soap on most surfaces. Remove any fabric seat covers and wash them according to their manufacturer's recommendations. You can also purchase new seat covers or pillows at most retailers now. Be sure to coat any fabric pieces with a water-resistant or repellant spray to protect them from spills and the elements. Once the furniture is clean, you might want to spot treat any spots that have turned mouldy (can happen on plastic or resin furniture) and sand any rusty areas on metal furniture. If you want to, you can apply a fresh coat of paint to wooden, wicker or metal pieces. Check with your local home improvement store for the best paint options and techniques. Once the furniture is ready, all that's left to do is wait for the perfect spring or summer day to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

www.LindaLinfoot.com

Cell: 604.765.8873

L inda L infoot , Mortgage Professional

OPEN HOUSES BEFORE YOU’RE READY TO BUY With the market heating up, open houses are a very common way for sellers to attract potential buyers to their home. Even if you’re not ready to buy just yet, it might be worth your time to go to a few open houses to help you narrow down what you actually do want and need in a potential home. Touring a few different types of properties can help you narrow down what style to look for down the road when you’re ready to buy. For instance, you might swear that you don’t want a bungalow, but after viewing you might come to appreciate the convenience of having everything on one floor. Alternately if you’ve restricted your ideal home to a particular type of property, for example a rowhouse, viewing a detached property or a condo can help you solidify your decision, or open you up to the possibility of other options. Open houses will also give you a good idea of what homes in your price range are like so you can determine if you need to save up more or if you’ll be satisfied with what’s on the market when the time comes to buy. Another benefit to open houses is if you’re moving to a new community, you can get a feel for the area and things like traffic and noise levels. When you do go to an open house, bring a notepad and take notes on what you do and don’t like about the property overall – not things like the paint colour, but layouts, room sizes, landscaping options, etc. The more knowledge about your preferences you build up, the easier it will be to find the right property.

www.LindaLinfoot.com

Cell: 604.765.8873

L inda L infoot , Mortgage Professional

SPRING HOME MAINTENANCE When you own a home, there are numerous things you need to do to keep your home in tip top shape and protect it and yourself from the elements and time. While not all of these will apply to you and your particular property, here is a list of common home maintenance tasks to cross off your to-do list this spring. Exterior. If you’re responsible for

Interior. There are a few tasks that make sense to attend to every spring, such as the following. • Replace batteries in Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors • Deep clean in, behind, under and around your appliances • Wash window coverings • Shampoo the carpets and polish wooden floors • Have the AC maintained and your furnace cleaned before shutting it off for the warmer weather • Rotate (and clean) ceiling fans

maintaining the exterior of your home, examine the following to ensure there isn’t any damage that has occurred over the winter as well as any debris preventing things from working properly. • Roof and shingles • Downspouts and gutters • Chimneys • Window and door trim • Decks and patios • Cement pads, driveways and sidewalks • Railings and stairs

www.LindaLinfoot.com

Cell: 604.765.8873

L inda L infoot , Mortgage Professional

HOW TO PLANT A LARGE PLANTER Planting flowers and greenery in large pots to adorn your deck, driveway or yard can be a great way to bring colour and life to your home this spring and summer. If you're able to purchase a pre-made planter at your local garden center or store, that's probably the easiest, but if you want to DIY, here's how: 1. Ensure your pot has holes on the bottom or a drainage system for excess water to be removed from the soil. 2. Fill the bottom third of the pot with rocks, empty water bottles, sticks or other empty plant pots so you don't need to use as much dirt to fill it up. 3. Fill the planter about two-thirds full with potting soil specifically designed for container gardens. 4. Gently take the plants you'll be using out of their containers but remember which one came from where as it'll help you in the next step. 5. Place the empty containers in the planter so you can arrange the plants without damaging the stems and flowers. 6. Fill in the space around the planters with extra soil. 7. Remove the empty planters and replace with the plant. The hole will be the exact size and depth you need! 8. Water the planter thoroughly once you've moved the container to its final home as water will make it much heavier.

www.LindaLinfoot.com

Cell: 604.765.8873