How To Update a Large Home on a Budget

In this case study, we were working on a large, executive home in Erin Mills. It was full of potential......and a lot of dated 1990's finishes. When you have a lot of surfaces to update, you have to make every dollar work hard, to keep to a proper budget. This is story about how to focus on the most impactful changes to get the best results.

Why You Should Live in Meadowvale

Meadowvale has been experiencing a rebirth and a new energy. Many of the original owners are cashing out and moving away, while hundred of young families are moving in. Over the last 5 years I have watched countless neglected homes receive new love with exterior facelifts and dumpsters placed in driveways while kitchens and baths are being gutted and updated. Prices have risen dramatically but they are still more affordable than the rest of the city, given that it's further north and Meadowvale has only just begun to rise in desirability.

Where NOT to Live in Mississauga

Since the "Great Panic of 2017", every neighbourhood has risen past the once prestigious $1 million mark. But area all villages worthy of equal stature? Let's take a closer look at some villages to learn what's worth the hype and what's not.
Why you should Live in Lisgar

Why You Should Live in Lisgar

Take a tour with me to learn about everything Lisgar has to offer. Very few people start their home search here because it is on the furthest edge of the city, far away from Toronto. But because of this, you get the most house for your money, and if you can get over the suburban feel, there's a lot to see and do, especially for families.
Whya you should live in clarkson mississauga

Why You Should Live in Clarkson

Let's take you on a tour of Clarkson so you can see all the wonderful things about this Village. Though not perfect, it offers a lot of opportunity, especially for those new to Mississauga, who still need quick commuting access to Downtown Toronto.

Moving to Mississauga from Toronto

Moving out to the west GTA might not be your dream move; you may not like the idea of the 'burbs and are worried that you'll loose all the great amenities and charm that you have enjoyed in Toronto. The Village Guru takes a lifestyle approach to get you into a new neighbourhood that will make your transition as successful as possible. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Top 10 Upgrades to Increase the Value of Your Home

Here is THE #1 COMPREHENSIVE list of most effective upgrades to increase the value of your home! It is best if you give yourself the time to get the work done properly. Better yet, you don't have to make these material upgrade decisions alone. Hire us first, and receive weeks and months of advice, planning, sourcing and problem solving at no extra cost to you. This level of service is standard to all clients, no premium fees here.
Article giving advice on what to do to buy a house under $500,000

What to Do if Your Home Buying Budget is Under $500k?

If your home buying budget is less than $500k, i am sure you are feeling frustrated. Many recent articles are advocating for you to start anew out in Hamilton or beyond. But what if you have a job you love right here? Or family support is just 10 minutes away? What if you WANT to stay in the GTA but you don't think you can buy anything here? This article is for you.
tips on preparing your kitchen for sale

Let the Kitchen Sell Your Home

Let the kitchen sell your home! Read more to learn a few simple, economical and universally appealing principles that will get you top dollar.

Expert Series: Advice for Home Buyers

I was recently interviewed by Point2Homes about the current real estate Market and what advice for Home Buyers I had to offer.

5 Upgrades to Avoid When Selling Your Home

Especially in a sellers market, we often see home owners do the WRONG work on their home, in the hopes of maxing the sale price. Find out here the 5 Upgrades to avoid, as well as what work will get better results

The #1 Secret to Finding the Best Real Estate Agent

The hardest part in starting the process of buying or selling a home is trying to figure out who is the best agent for you. Who can you trust? How can you tell their motives? There is one simple and easy way to do this, and it's not through interviewing 10 agents until your head is spinning with information. This 1 step will save you a lot of trouble and make the process of hiring a realtor that much easier.

Choosing The Right Paint Colour For Selling Your Home

Choosing the right paint colour for selling your home isn't about personal preferences or current trends. Used strategically, colour can highlight your best features and downplay any negatives of your home. Find out which tried and true colours we recommend for an elegant and contemporary look.

How to Ensure Buyers Love your Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. Beautiful bathrooms help sell homes for Top Dollar. Although they are a more expensive room to tackle, we'll show you the most economical tricks to get a huge bang for your buck and make those buyers FALL.IN.LOVE

Top Staging Tricks: Refresh your Kitchen & Baths

In this case study, we will review some of the most cost effective ways to refresh your kitchen and bath on a very tight budget.

How to Prepare Your Kitchen When Selling Your Home

If you want to sell for TOP DOLLAR, start in your kitchen. This is by far the most important room to buyers, and the price you end up with will largely depend on how happy the buyers are with the kitchen. Selling Your Home For Top Dollar - Part 5

Essential Tips for Increasing Your Home's Curb Appeal When Selling

Curb Appeal matters when selling your house. Tips to preparing your curb appeal and landscaping for selling.

Industry Article: Know Your Village

This is a quick link to the Interview I did with Point 2 Homes about the Mississauga Real Estate Market and what buyers need to know to get the home they want and need.

How Do I Find The Right Area to Live In?

[VIDEO] Finding the right area to live in can sometimes be a challenge for home buyers. Balancing factors such as budget, proximity to work, family and others can make the situation very complicated.

My Top 5 Villages in Mississauga

Clients always ask me where I would live, Would you buy this house? Would you live in this neighbourhood? what do I look for?...etc. When I'm working for someone I try to see the world through their eyes, it's about finding them what is best for them. So today I decided to write this post to answer the question, partly for fun, and also so that you can get a little better sense of who I am, and how I look at the world as a home buyer.

Younger Home Buyers Should Think Like Home Flippers

[VIDEO] Knowing what I know, if I was a first time home buyer I would be looking for something that needs a little work. By a little I don't mean a gut or the need for permits, but something that might be outdated cosmetically because here's what I do know- The majority of today's home buyers are

Osprey Marsh

This morning I decided to take a stroll around Osprey Marsh in Lisgar and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by how serene and peaceful the area is.

Bathroom Tiles: How to Create the Best Look

How to choose the best bathroom tiles for your renovation!
The top looks for kitchen cabinets

Top Looks for Kitchen Cabinets

 Keep Your Cabinets  for a Stylish and Affordable Update In most kitchen update situations, whether I'm providing home staging or decor services, I always first try to see if we can work with the existing cabinets. If the layout works well,…
Article about designing a white kitchen

Why White Kitchens Are Best

White Kitchens Win the Real Estate Equity Game I wasn't planning on writing another article about kitchens (or white kitchens) this morning, because if you haven't read them yet, I've already written several kitchen articles that you can…
How to decorate a Mid Century Modern Dining Room

Get the Look: Mid Century Modern Dining Room

The beauty of mid century modern design is that it feels very modern, without feeling cold and hard. Warm woods, textured fabric and interesting lines all work together to create an elegant and timeless look. Follow these easy steps to create your own mid century modern dining room
Decorating in monochromatic style

Get The Look: Monochromatic Living Room

Learn the top 3 tips to successfully creating monochromatic living room decor. When using many shades of just one colour, making a plan is key.

Cost Effective Ways to Add Storage to Your Home

You can never have enough storage space, and tackling storage issues now is well worth the effort since it will dramatically increase how you live and enjoy your home now, and it will make the buyers go GA-GA when you are ready to sell.

Essential Home Lighting Tips

While it can be very difficult to renovate to make a space bigger, we can play with how big the space FEELS by improving home lighting.

Putting the Elements and Principles of Home Design to Work

Thinking about scale, emphasis, proportion, balance, rhythm and colour, to name just a few, is what makes home design outstanding.
Article about finding design outside the big box store

Good Design is Found Outside-the-Big-Box Store

Don't get me wrong, I love IKEA, and HomeSense and Bouclair. In my humble home staging beginnings, I could find cheap pops of colour in pillows and drapes that would do the trick in a pinch.

TOP 5 Design and Decor Choices That Should Be Avoided at All Cost!

I see a lot of homes, I mean a lot. TOP 5 Design and Decor Choices That Should Be Avoided at All Cost!

IKEA PAX

As a real estate agent I've seen PAX hundreds of times and I'm always amazed at how versatile this system is.

Renovation: DIY or Hire Out?

There is a huge DIY home renovation culture out there, but if you added up the hours it takes to do a project and paid yourself accordingly, are you really saving all that much over having a professional do it faster and better than yourself?

Trend Spotting – Smart Ways to Apply Trends to your Home Decorating

  Here is a blog from my wife Stephanie about decorating and the do's and don't with design trends: I think I can safely say that many women (and now, some men too!) love to stay up to date with the latest trends in fashion.…