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So you’ve decided you want to stop paying rent and buy your first home. You’re not alone. With interest rates at their lowest in decades, many people have discovered that mortgage payments can be significantly lower or at least comparable to the rent they are currently paying.

Making the decision to become a homeowner is the easy part since buying a home is a great investment in your future. For many people, it’s no problem to keep up the monthly mortgage payments and other costs associated with home ownership. But what usually holds first time buyers back is the initial down payment required to obtain a mortgage.

How much can you afford?

The first thing you need to determine is how much house can you realistically afford? It’s a good idea to talk to a REALTOR® for help in this area. A REALTOR® is skilled at helping people make their dreams of home ownership come true. He or she knows how to assist you in assessing your needs and wants and can then match them with homes in your price range. As well, he or she will help you understand property financing, taxes, insurance and the process you will go through as a first time buyer to complete a real estate transaction.

Your REALTOR® can also offer advice on ways to save your down payment faster. He or she will likely suggest you take advantage of government programs such as an RRSP loan or the Ontario Home Ownership Savings Plan (OHOSP). Another option your REALTOR® can help you explore is a high ratio mortgage. A high ratio mortgage requires a smaller down payment than a conventional mortgage because it is insured by the CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation). Talk to your REALTOR® for details on how these programs work.

Once you know your price range and have a down payment plan in the works, your REALTOR® will work with you to find the “home of your dreams.” For most people, their first home is more modest than the true home of their dreams, but it is a start and will be much more affordable.

When you have found the right home, your REALTOR® will be there to negotiate on your behalf to get the best purchase price possible. He or she will make sure your interests are covered in the purchase and sale agreement and will help with all the details required to complete the transaction.

A REALTORS® knowledge, expertise and negotiating skills will ensure your first time home buying experience is a dream come true and not a nightmare.

To most of us, electricity is simply flicking a switch or turning a dial to light up a room, cook supper or get instant entertainment.  We take it for granted — that is, until there’s a power failure and we have to scramble to find flashlights, candles and matches in the dark.

Making your home safe and comfortable takes a deeper understanding.  Let’s start by remembering that the electricity we receive in our homes is part of a powerful, intricate system made up of power lines and generators.  It generally enters our homes through power lines to a main switch at 120 to 240 volts.  The main switch is clearly marked with an “on” and “off” position and controls all the power in the house.

All lighting or general use circuits in a home are protected by either “circuit breakers” in newer homes or fuses in older ones.  You should always disconnect the power by moving the main switch to the “off” position when changing fuses or doing electrical work around the house.  Never open the door of the main switch — if you sense something is wrong, call your electricity supplier.

The panel box or fuse box from the main switch is the one that splits the power into circuits that go into all the rooms in your home.  If you overload a circuit, say by plugging too many things in, the fuse may blow or the circuit breaker may trip, stopping the flow of power to that particular area.

In the basement

If you’re looking for the breaker panels or fuse boxes in a home, you’ll usually find them in the basement.  They require little if any maintenance.  Fuse boxes require the right type and size of fuses. Overloading circuits could cause power loss, or even lead to a fire.

If you detect rust in the fuse box, or if a fuse repeatedly blows for no apparent reason, if there is overheating, discoloration of fuses or flickering lights, contact an electrician to solve the problem.

Fuse changing

Use a flashlight if the area where the fuse box is located is dark.

Never change a fuse while standing on a wet floor.

Unplug appliances on the overloaded circuit and turn off the main switch.

Install the proper size fuse–most lighting and general use circuits are fused at 15 amps.

Keep the fuse box or breaker panel cover closed to protect children and prevent dirt from accumulating.

Look after your cords

Pull the plug when removing from electrical outlet. Pulling on the cord will wear it out and may create a shock hazard.

Keep cords away from heat and water, which can damage the insulation and create a shock hazard.

Never run electrical cords under rugs, through doorways or anywhere subject to excessive wear. This may lead to a fire hazard.

Never break off the third prong on a plug so it can fit into a two-prong outlet. This will create a shock hazard.

Regularly inspect all cords and plugs. To avoid fire, short circuits or shocks, discard all cords and plugs that are worn or damaged.

Plugging several cords into an outlet, or using an extension cord as permanent wiring, indicates that your home wiring is outdated for your needs and that you should have more outlets wired in.

Prevent pets from chewing electric cords by rubbing the cords with a bar of strong laundry soap.

Use electrical appliances carefully

Before buying, make sure it has a certification mark or seal ensuring electrical safety when the appliance is used properly.

Follow all the manufacturers instructions.

Never use any electric appliances around water. Even if your  hands are wet, or you’re standing on a wet floor, you cold get a shock or other injury. For example, be careful when using hair blowers and radios in the bath area.

Don’t pry toast from a plugged-in toaster with a knife or a fork. If you want to avoid a shock, unplug the toaster first.

Never touch plugged-in appliances when your hands are wet. Always unplug them before cleaning.

If an appliance sparks, overheats or stalls, pull the plug and have it checked by a service person.

Other safety tips

Never touch power lines yourself or with any equipment. Take extra care when working near them. Before doing any digging, call your local hydro company to locate underground power lines. Cutting through one is dangerous and could black out an entire area.

When planting trees around your home, make sure they won’t grow up into power lines. Don’t attempt to prune or fell any trees near power lines yourself. Call your local hydro company. A tree falling into a power line can be very dangerous.

Power tools should have a three-prong plug or double insulation. Keep them in good condition and never use power tools on wet grass or other wet surfaces. If you need an extension cord, use a proper, three-prong, grounded cord.

There’s little doubt that Canadians are on the move. Whether moving from an apartment to a home, apartment to apartment or home to home, moving is no simple matter. With careful planning, however, your transition can be facilitated in an organized and efficient manner, allowing you the peace of mind you need to settle into your home.

Advance Planning

Planning should begin at least two months in advance. Confirm with your REALTOR® your closing date before scheduling your moving date. If you are renting, confirm your move-in date. Make a list of all records that must be transferred to a new location, such as children’s school records, and financial and medical records.

Whether moving two blocks or 2,000 miles, decide what must go with you. This may be a good time for a serious cleaning of the closets or the basement where you’ve been storing your “valuables.” It can be expensive and time consuming to move things you really don’t need, or worse, to find that there’s no place to put them in your new home.

If you are disposing of a large number of items, consider holding a garage or moving sale to offset some of your moving expenses. If you’re donating items to charitable organizations, ask for a receipt for tax purposes.

New Address

Send change of address cards to magazine publishers and organizations who you are affiliated. Most magazines request 4 to 6 weeks notice. Provide change of address notice on credit card bills and leave forwarding instructions with the post office. Let your friends and neighbours know your new address. This also is a good time to request help you may need with packing and moving. If you are moving yourself, schedule a moving party providing pizza and beverages for anyone who can help.

Take inventory of borrowed or lent items. Return what is not yours and retrieve your items. Mailing that hedge trimmer across the miles to its owner will be expensive as well as a nightmare to package. Dispose of flammable liquids, such as gasoline or oil. Is there gasoline in your lawn mower?

Two weeks before you move, contact local utility companies to advise of a date to disconnect service. Arrange for utility service in your new home. Clear up outstanding accounts, particularly if you are leaving the area. Plan carefully for the transfer of checking and savings accounts. Open an account in advance in your new community so you have access to money, but make sure your old account stays open until all checks have cleared.

If you are driving any distance, service you car before you move. Car problems in an unfamiliar community can be troublesome. This is also a good time to make appointments with doctors and dentists arranging for a final check-up and discussion of potential problems of which to advise a new doctor.

Packing up

Begin packing early, particularly those items seldom used. If you have a hired a moving company, request boxes and packing paper. A local grocery store is a good source for boxes and packing paper. Ask for boxes in advance. Smaller stores may receive shipments only once a week and will only give away boxes if you are there at a specified time to pick them up. Collect both large and small boxes, keeping in mind that filling a large box with books or records will make moving them difficult at best.

Have plenty of packing supplies handy. Save old newspapers for packing material. For delicate items, you may want to purchase special packing boxes to materials to ensure safe moving.

Be creative in your packing particularly with odd-sized or fragile items. For example, move mattresses with old sheets on them as a protection from dirt. An antique floor lamp rolled up in a rug, or a crystal decanter packed in the middle of bath towels adds increased protection.

Of course, creative packing can lead to confusion when unpacking. Make sure all boxes are clearly labeled with their contents. Mark boxes “fragile” which have breakable items. For those items too precious to risk damaging move by hand.

Make a list of items to pack separately; items needed on the road (maps, prescription medicines, toys for children); items needed to settle in (cleaning supplies, light bulbs, tools); and those items you will need within the first few days of arrival (food and utensils for the first meals). Pack a suitcase which you could live out of if it should become necessary. Keep important papers such as medical records and insurance policies in one place where they can be retrieved quickly if needed.

Moving Day

When the moving day has finally arrived, makes sure someone is home to meet the mover and point out items to be loaded onto the truck. If your are handling your own move, organize loading to maximize space in the truck and to ensure that the heavy box of books does not get loaded on top of the china box.

Before leaving, make a final check of all rooms, closet shelves and other spots where items may have been overlooked. Have an empty box handy for those “found items,” or items which didn’t seem to fit in anywhere else. Turn off all lights and close and lock all windows and doors. Leave your keys with the REALTOR®, Landlord or new owner.

Make sure you are there to meet the movers to avoid possible additional charges. During warm weather, have cold beverages available for movers–professionals or volunteers. Finally, don’t try to unpack everything at once. Unpacking carefully and in an organized manner, keeping in mind which boxes can be stored as they are, will save time in the long run.

By following these tips, your move into a new home or apartment will be a smooth and enjoyable experience.

It’s hard for an avid gardener to put down their spade come winter. That’s why so many choose to garden year-round.

Whether it is wintering expensive outdoor annuals inside your home, investing in a small greenhouse or growing miniature indoor gardens on window ledges and in special containers, there are many ways to keep gardening all year.

Growing plants and flowers, both indoors and outdoors adds an element of beauty to your yard and home that can be very satisfying. It’s also profitable. Well-placed trees, shrubs, flowering plants and an attractive lawn can increase the value of your property by as much as 10 per cent.

A greenhouse or solarium, or miniature indoor gardens that allow you to garden year-round, also add beauty and value to your home. A greenhouse, in fact, can be therapeutic. Not only can you watch flowers bloom and harvest vegetables and herbs 365 days of the year, you can work the soil and tend to it regardless of weather conditions.

So, if you don’t want to give up the spade this fall, begin to consider the following options now:

Bringing your fancy annuals indoors

In addition to the inexpensive annuals, such as impatiens and petunias, most of us plant to add colour to our gardens every spring, consider investing as well in more expensive, but interesting and hardier annuals.

It’s well worth the extra investment because most of these more expensive annuals will winter quite well inside your home, adding colour and brightness to those dull, dreary winter days.

Plants that perform well over the winter include hibiscus, lantana, Mexican heather, passion flower, lithodora, the Mandevilla hydrid, geraniums and others available in spring at most garden centres.

After enjoying their beauty all summer long, cut them back before the first frost in fall, pot and place them in a bright spot indoors until the following spring when you can slowly re-introduce them to the outdoors. Don’t forget to include some herbs, such as rosemary, which stay well indoors over the winter too. Don’t expect the plant tags to tell you these plants can thrive for more than one summer, though.

Invest in a greenhouse

A greenhouse can be the key to year-round gardening for many avid gardeners. There are many greenhouse models on the market today, in varying sizes and prices, to choose from. You can build your own, buy prefabricated kits which must be assembled, or have one custom built for your home.

Greenhouse gardening requires plenty of sunlight. So, choose the location carefully and consider the possibility of future expansion when deciding on the size. Greenhouses require fans, heaters, vents, sprinklers and shelving units. A variety of glazing materials are used to promote thermal efficiency, including glass, acrylic, film and polycarbonate. These materials can increase the rate of plant growth by as much as 50 per cent.

A greenhouse can be an avid gardener’s dream come true. You can grow exotic plants and vegetables, experiment with new gardening techniques, and experience the warmth of a summer garden on the coldest of winter days.

Creating an indoor garden

Greening your home with indoor plants is fun and a bargain compared to filling up and brightening spaces using furniture and other decorative techniques. You can hang them from the ceiling, set them on tables and other furniture pieces, perch them on window sills, prop them in empty corners — the possibilities are limitless.

Don’t settle for just simple houseplants, There are many varieties of plants to choose from, including dwarf trees that can easily raise a crop of grapefruits, lemons or oranges right in your living room — but you should expect a three to five year wait for the first fruit to develop.

If you don’t have a big home or big ideas about indoor gardening, miniature houseplants can be very cheerful and great decorators. Because they occupy less space, you can also grow more of them and in greater variety. Dwarf geraniums, for example, will bloom over and over again. Small pots of colorful cacti will do well on a narrow window sill.

Windows can be the best places to decorate with a living garden, as long as the plants are not haphazardly arranged. It should be an artistic composition, an arrangement of plants and containers that create an attractive, refreshing and charming effect.