Wet basements are the most common problem found in houses – both old and new.
So if your basement is wet, take heart: you are in excellent company! It is estimated that over 95% of all basements will leak at some point in their lives.
The fundamental cause of wet basements is hydrostatic pressure. When it rains and the soil becomes saturated, the water in the soil wants to fill the void created by the basement excavation. In very heavy rain, you might think of your basement as a boat in water, essentially displacing its equal volume in wet soil. Hydrostatic pressure will force water into any crack or crevice that allows entry.
The older the house, the more minute entryways water will find. If your house has a stone or rubble foundation, there won’t be a weeping tile to relieve the pressure at the joint of footing and foundation.
Weeping tiles were generally unknown until the advent of block or poured concrete foundations.....Click here to read more.
Joanne hardy
OakvilleProperty.com
Friday, October 19, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Client Testimonial on selling their Oakville Home
I have had plenty of experience in working with real estate agents over the years,
but when I met Joanne at an open house she was hosting, I knew I had met the perfect agent.
She is enthusiastic, charming, and very knowledgeable about housing in the Oakville market.
Joanne worked harder than any agent I've met in selling our house, and through her efforts, we sold our home for exactly the price we had hoped to achieve.
Listing our home, and finding the perfect new residence with Joanne's help was a truly satisfying experience.
I would strongly recommend Joanne to anyone looking to buy or sell real estate in the Oakville area.
Margaret
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
A staged home will attract both buyers and their sales representatives and it has been proven that a staged home will fetch a better price and sell quicker than the home that was not staged in the same market conditions. Also many purchasers furnish a home similar to the way it was furnished when they purchased it. Remember, a home that is staged has removed all personal elements of the individuals currently living in the home leaving room for an buyer to visualize themselves in the home. In other words the staged home represented a lifestyle and look they could call home.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Oakville is a Great Place to Live
Oakville a Great Place to Live
Oakville, Ontario is a wonderful family oriented town to live in. It is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. It is one of the most affluent as well as desirable towns in Canada to live in. It is about a 45 minute drive to Toronto and has excellent go transit service to Toronto and surrounding areas.
Oakville has a lot to offer. Downtown Oakville’s Main street has exqusite shopping and restaurants. Downtown Oakville has a fine collection of retail boutiques including art galleries, restaurants, gourmet food shops, high fashion and design houses, health, wealth and wellness centres. As a modern, fun, and happening place there is always something to do in downtown Oakville such as the ever-popular ‘Midnight Madness’, the legendary Downtown Oakville Jazz Festival, and ‘A Taste of Downtown Oakville’.
There is historic sites and museums in Oakville which include Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum, Oakville Galleries, Spruce Lane Farmhouse, Oakville Museum. Since Oakville has such a wonderful waterfront, there is a waterfront festival in the summer which has proven to be a wonderful town event.
There is lots of beautiful parks and greenspace to enjoy such as Bronte Creek Provincial Park. For Golfer’s there is Glen Abbey Golf Course, site of several Canadian Open professional golf championships and many other amateur tournaments. There are also sports associations and recreational facilities in Oakville.
Oakville has all the amenities found in large cities such as Toronto such as major shopping malls, banks, medical facilities and schools. Oakville has a good choice of private schools and ample public elementary and secondary schools to choose from. Oakville is also home to the well Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.
Within Oakville there are many neighbourhoods such as Kerr Village, South East Oakville and Falgarwood. The many neighbourhoods offer something for everyone. There are different types of housing and of course various price ranges making it possible for most buyers to find their dream home in Oakville, Ontario
For more information on about Oakville homes properties and living in Oakville please contact Joanne Hardy, Sales Representative,
Oakville, Ontario is a wonderful family oriented town to live in. It is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. It is one of the most affluent as well as desirable towns in Canada to live in. It is about a 45 minute drive to Toronto and has excellent go transit service to Toronto and surrounding areas.
Oakville has a lot to offer. Downtown Oakville’s Main street has exqusite shopping and restaurants. Downtown Oakville has a fine collection of retail boutiques including art galleries, restaurants, gourmet food shops, high fashion and design houses, health, wealth and wellness centres. As a modern, fun, and happening place there is always something to do in downtown Oakville such as the ever-popular ‘Midnight Madness’, the legendary Downtown Oakville Jazz Festival, and ‘A Taste of Downtown Oakville’.
There is historic sites and museums in Oakville which include Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum, Oakville Galleries, Spruce Lane Farmhouse, Oakville Museum. Since Oakville has such a wonderful waterfront, there is a waterfront festival in the summer which has proven to be a wonderful town event.
There is lots of beautiful parks and greenspace to enjoy such as Bronte Creek Provincial Park. For Golfer’s there is Glen Abbey Golf Course, site of several Canadian Open professional golf championships and many other amateur tournaments. There are also sports associations and recreational facilities in Oakville.
Oakville has all the amenities found in large cities such as Toronto such as major shopping malls, banks, medical facilities and schools. Oakville has a good choice of private schools and ample public elementary and secondary schools to choose from. Oakville is also home to the well Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.
Within Oakville there are many neighbourhoods such as Kerr Village, South East Oakville and Falgarwood. The many neighbourhoods offer something for everyone. There are different types of housing and of course various price ranges making it possible for most buyers to find their dream home in Oakville, Ontario
For more information on about Oakville homes properties and living in Oakville please contact Joanne Hardy, Sales Representative,
For more information Contact Joanne Hardy,
67 Lakeshore Ave West. Oakville Ontario L6K 1C9 (905) 338-9000
Cell: 416- 230-1425
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Home Automation Ideas
Get Everything at Your Fingertips with Home Automation
In these busy and often stressful times, having a little help around the house can be handy. Home Automation (HA) tools are a great way to make things run more quickly and efficiently around the house. Here's a list of just some of the great HA tools you can use to make your life a little easier.
Plug and Use Home Automation
Just plug a wire-free HA module into an electrical outlet and you have instant control of lighting, heating, and curtains. A wire-free HA module is a great tool when you are away and want your home to look occupied.
Biometric Fingerprint Locks
Always losing your keys? If you've ever had to go to the expense and bother of changing all your locks, you may want to consider one of the new biometric locks. This is a fingerprint recognition door lock that makes house keys obsolete. Once you scan your fingerprint into memory it will be recognized on the sensor. Up to 99 fingerprints can be stored to ensure frequent visitors (such as family members and cleaners) can gain access to your home. No more having to leave keys under the doormat.
To read the full article click here.
Joanne Hardy
OakvilleProperty.com
Monday, September 17, 2012
What do you know about HST?
Hello Everyone, I have written in my blog about this subject before and I have come across a lot of people that still aren't sure about how it effects their home purchase.
This is going to affect all of us, so the more participation we get the better the outcome will be!!
Earlier this week, the Government of Ontario formally launched its latest on homeowners, purchasers and sellers with the introduction of legislation to harmonize the provincial sales tax and goods and services tax.
What is the HST?
The Harmonized Sales Tax will blend the PST with the GST. For consumers such as you and I, it will mean higher costs for items that were previously PST-exempt. For business, taxes will be lower. The government believes that lower business taxes will ultimately lead to lower prices for goods.
HOW IS THE TA X BURDEN LOWERED?
It involves changing the rules surrounding how the taxes are applied. Under the current system, businesses pay sales tax when they buy office supplies, machinery and other goods. These costs are eventually passed along to consumers. However, companies receive tax credits to cover the GST paid during the production of their goods and services. Harmonization extends these tax credits to the provincial part of the tax. The end result is lower production costs and more money to spend on machinery and equipment.
Homebuyers and sellers in Oakville and Ontario will pay 8 per cent more on legal fees, appraisals, real estate commissions, home inspection fees, and moving costs, adding about $1,500 in new taxes to the average residential real estate transaction in Ontario.
For homeowners the HST will also add hundreds of dollars in additional tax on utility bills (gas, electricity and home heating fuel), on home renovation labour, the cost of lawn upkeep or landscaping and the cost of snow removal.
Please help Oakville and Ontario REALTORS® fight this tax. In less than 30 seconds you can send an email to your MPP asking them to vote against sales tax harmonization legislation, by clicking here: http://bit.ly/stopthehst
This is going to affect all of us, so the more participation we get the better the outcome will be!!
Earlier this week, the Government of Ontario formally launched its latest on homeowners, purchasers and sellers with the introduction of legislation to harmonize the provincial sales tax and goods and services tax.
What is the HST?
The Harmonized Sales Tax will blend the PST with the GST. For consumers such as you and I, it will mean higher costs for items that were previously PST-exempt. For business, taxes will be lower. The government believes that lower business taxes will ultimately lead to lower prices for goods.
HOW IS THE TA X BURDEN LOWERED?
It involves changing the rules surrounding how the taxes are applied. Under the current system, businesses pay sales tax when they buy office supplies, machinery and other goods. These costs are eventually passed along to consumers. However, companies receive tax credits to cover the GST paid during the production of their goods and services. Harmonization extends these tax credits to the provincial part of the tax. The end result is lower production costs and more money to spend on machinery and equipment.
Homebuyers and sellers in Oakville and Ontario will pay 8 per cent more on legal fees, appraisals, real estate commissions, home inspection fees, and moving costs, adding about $1,500 in new taxes to the average residential real estate transaction in Ontario.
For homeowners the HST will also add hundreds of dollars in additional tax on utility bills (gas, electricity and home heating fuel), on home renovation labour, the cost of lawn upkeep or landscaping and the cost of snow removal.
Please help Oakville and Ontario REALTORS® fight this tax. In less than 30 seconds you can send an email to your MPP asking them to vote against sales tax harmonization legislation, by clicking here: http://bit.ly/stopthehst
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Oakville community information
Article from: oakville.com
How well do you know the community in Oakville?
If you are looking to have some fun, there are lots of things to do from events & festivals, museums, galleries, historic homes and more. There are many great parks, swimming pools and recreation centres in Oakville to choose from.
If you want to get involved in the community, consider joining some of the community organizations and residents & business associations or participating in volunteering programs at local charities.
Below, we have provided a handy list with links to many of the community services that Oakville has to offer.
read more click here.
How well do you know the community in Oakville?
If you are looking to have some fun, there are lots of things to do from events & festivals, museums, galleries, historic homes and more. There are many great parks, swimming pools and recreation centres in Oakville to choose from.
If you want to get involved in the community, consider joining some of the community organizations and residents & business associations or participating in volunteering programs at local charities.
Below, we have provided a handy list with links to many of the community services that Oakville has to offer.
read more click here.
For more information Contact Joanne Hardy jo@oakvilleproperty.com
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