Spring is just around the corner. And, after two long years of pandemic-related lockdowns, there’s never been a better time to brighten up your home with a fresh coat of paint. We’ve got all the latest colour trends covered.

This year, some paint experts are recommending deep and eccentric colours to help breathe new life into the place that has substituted your office, classroom, gym and entertainment space for the last 24 months. Others are taking a softer approach, with palettes of earth tones and colours inspired by nature. 

Here are the 2022 colours of the year, according to some of the top paint companies in North America:

Pantone’s colour of the year is the bold and deep Very Peri (PANTONE 17-3938). After many months in isolation,

Of all the rooms in your home, the kitchen might be the most daunting one to pack up. When it’s time to move, follow these four important steps to make packing your kitchen easy and stress-free!

1. Get organized. Before you start packing mugs and bowls into boxes, take inventory of each cupboard and drawer in your kitchen. Use this opportunity to purge or donate any items you do not intend to take with you. Next, gather all the packing materials you will need, including packing paper or bubble wrap, strong tape, boxes in various sizes, and a marker.
2. Set aside your essentials. You can’t leave everything to the last minute, so you’ll want to pack up the vast majority of your kitchen ahead of time and leave out only a few essential items to be used

A laundry room – if you are fortunate enough to have a designated room – is one of the most underrated and important spaces in any home. Your guests may not see it and it might not be a deal-breaker for potential buyers in the future, but you are likely to spend several hours (at least…) each week in the laundry room. That means, while it doesn’t have to be fancy, it does need to be functional, clean and easy to navigate. 

Here are some tips to help make your laundry room easier and more enjoyable to use:

• Make sure your appliances are the right size and in the correct location for your space. The layout of your laundry room will revolve around the washer and dryer, so consider carefully where and how you place these machines. Of course, the

Here’s what you can do now to prepare yourself.

Are you in the market for a new home? Before you start attending showings, there are several things you can do to prepare yourself and your family for one of the largest purchases you will ever make. With housing stock at historic lows and tight competition among buyers, you may be able to give yourself a competitive advantage by being prepared. 

Make sure you have the right professionals on your side. Follow this list of tips to help you be as successful as possible when shopping for your new home.

1. Create a wishlist. List and rank all of the things you are looking for in a home. Consider things like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and parking spaces you need; whether you want a home on one

Since the late spring of 2020, Canadian home prices have been rising at historic rates, following the onset of the global pandemic. Widespread lockdowns suddenly forced millions of workers and students to conduct their daily business from home. While the trend of working remotely was gaining in popularity in the years prior, the seemingly unending health crisis accelerated the movement, driving many Canadians living in major urban centres to trade in their cramped quarters for more space in smaller cities and rural communities.

The latest Royal LePage House Price Survey and Market Forecast shows price growth in Kingston’s single-family detached segment was the highest in the country, posting an increase of 46.5% year-over-year in the third quarter.

After years of taking care of your home, some minor home improvements or maybe even a major renovation, you are ready to sell. But the trouble is, you think your home is worth more than what the experts are saying. 

According to valuation company RPS Real Property Solutions, 26% of homeowners overestimate the value of their home by more than 10% of the appraised value.

It is understandable whether you are watching the home prices go up in your neighbourhood, you want to get the most for your largest asset or you are simply experiencing the “Endowment Effect” (an emotional bias toward an object you own), many homeowners think their house is worth more than it is.

Why is the appraised value lower than expected?

Many of us see the sentimental

While the housing affordability crisis is top of mind for many Canadians trying to get into the market, the chronic housing shortage that is the source of the problem, has been challenging many urban centres from coast-to-coast for years. 

Canada’s housing affordability crisis affects almost everyone, directly or indirectly. There are positive social and health benefits when housing insecurity is reduced. And, when housing becomes unaffordable for even the middle class, it can be the source of social unrest. Furthermore, the impact of the housing affordability crisis on the economy is significant. For example, the Toronto Board of Trade and WoodGreen Community Services recently found that the city’s housing shortage costs the economy and employers

Your home is your sanctuary; a safe and calm-inducing place you can retreat to at the end of the day. Did you know that our physical environment can affect our mental state? A cluttered countertop can make us feel uneasy and a collection of mismatched shoes at the entrance can change our mood when we walk in the door.

That’s why, in order to have a clear mind, we must start with a clear space. Here are eight ways to improve the organization of your place and create proper flow throughout your home, free of physical (and mental) barriers.

1. Out of sight, out of mind… Declutter countertops in your kitchen and bathroom. Keep everyday items neatly stored in organizing containers behind closed doors or in drawers and fight the urge to place

Doug (Doc) Donnelly was born in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, raised in Ottawa, and has lived in the Edmonton area since 1997.  Married to his lovely wife Melinda for over 35 years, they have one son, Adam, daughter-in-law Melanie and a wonderful granddaughter named Keira.

 After serving 22½ years of Loyalty, Honesty and Integrity in the military, for which he has received numerous medals, Doug (Doc) Donnelly decided to turn a new page in his life by joining the Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate team in January of 2003.  With over 65 years of combined family experience (all with Royal LePage) dealing in real estate, his family’s dedication and loyalty speaks for itself.  He promises to bring these family traits to you when dealing with your home.

Air conditioning is a great choice to cool down your home. However, there are many AC-free, effective tips to cool down your home that even those with air conditioning should consider. If you are trying to beat the heat, these tips can make a big difference.

• Make sure your ceiling fan is set to the correct setting for summer. Did you know that your ceiling fan has multiple settings? Most people don’t and changing it to the correct setting is a game changer. A fan moving counterclockwise will push air down and make you feel cool. In the winter, change it back to clockwise and run on low, which will gently recirculate heat.   
• Close your windows. If the outside temperature is hotter than the inside temperature, don’t let that warm air in.