October 2020

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Preparing Your Home For Another Canadian Winter

by Bevony on 28 October 2020 Comments Off on Preparing Your Home For Another Canadian Winter

Regardless of the pandemic, you still have a bunch of things left on your to-do list for your home and yard. Canadians know how to withstand winter and can even flourish in those long cold months. But in order to do that we have to prepare for the season and ensure we are ready for its fierceness. While the government does their preparation for the winter, let’s help you get through your list and if you don’t have a list, use the one below. 

Seal Your Windows and Doors

If you are already feeling a draft by your windows or doors this is not a good thing. In the winter you want to keep all that cold air outside and keep your warm air inside. You should also check around your vents as well. If you find cracks in the caulking you will want to replace that. Opt for rubber caulking as this is the most weather resistant option and it is best at mimicking natural contraction and expansion that is caused by temperature changes. Check the weather, stripping around your doors and well and replace this if necessary. 

Insulate the Attic

Heat rises and so your attic will be the last line of defense against heat loss. You want to ensure that the insulation in your attic is at least 12 inches thick and properly layered. You will want to ideally have a vapor barrier as well. In the end you want your attic to be the same temperature as outside and without adequate sealing and insulation you may find the cold seeping back inside causing your heat costs to raise. 

Drain Hoses

Your watering days are going to be over for a while, so shut off your pipes and drain all your hoses. You also want to ensure that your sprinkler systems are drained and your taps are capped. Ensure you do this before the temperature falls below freezing, so you don’t end up with any frozen accumulation. You also want to drain your eaves of any water and make sure there are no leaves causing residual water backup after the fall. 

Bring In Window AC Units

Bring all your window units inside – we are pretty sure this is a no-brainer. 

Swab Your Deck

Store your patio furniture or cover them up. Bring in planters and pots that may crack in the cold or that have plants that will thrive inside. Once everything is put away or covered, you can clean the deck to ward off mildew and mold. If necessary, also reseal the deck if necessary. 

Trim the Trees – Not the Christmas Tree

Ice covered branches can look pretty, but they are not safe. So trim those trees before the snow, frost and ice starts. 

Tune Your Furnace

Clean your furnace to ensure it is working properly before the weather gets too cold. You may need to change the filter as well. Check on all ducts and vents to ensure that you will be experiencing a free flow of warm air when you need it the most. You may also want to have your chimney or fireplace inspected, especially if you haven’t done so in a while. 

Stock Up on Supplies

Do you need any supplies to manage the snow? Check on the condition of your shovels and get salt. You will want these to be available and easily accessible when the snow comes along. Now is the time to also have an emergency kit of perishables put together as well. This kit should include:

  • Non-perishable food items
  • Candles
  • Blankets
  • Drinking water (approx 2 liters per adult per day)
  • Matches
  • A battery powered radio
  • Flashlights 
  • Batteries

Are you ready for the winter season of 2020? Is your house ready for all the other seasons. Here at SilverBeam Homes we can help you with all your buying and selling needs. We can also give you great advice on maintenance and put you onto our team of preferred professionals. Contact us today!

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BevonyPreparing Your Home For Another Canadian Winter

Safety Protocols for Buying or Selling a Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Bevony on 21 October 2020 Comments Off on Safety Protocols for Buying or Selling a Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic
House Keys, Key, Security, Door Key, Close, Castle

The metro Vancouver area has seen a rebound in home sales. This, after the lockdown due to COVID 19 in the spring. COVID-19 has brought about a number of changes when it comes to the process of buying and selling homes. 

The rebound in home sales is due in part to lower interest rates. Buyers seeking stability, or those with housing needs changing, are looking for homes. And they are happy to find these lower rates which give them an incentive to buy before they had initially planned for. And that’s a good thing, but what formalities have changed when it comes to buying and selling? 

Open Houses Are Few and Far In Between

Dropping by on Open Houses is a thing of the past. There are options for virtual tours or walk through’s and these help to eliminate potential buyers that are more on the fence. This is advantageous to the realtor or seller too. 

These virtual tours are now as important and even more important than pictures. Homeowners can get an accurate look at the home from their screens and this also moves most of the paperwork online. 

  1. Waiver Forms now feature a series of questions that are related to COVID. BCREA guidelines allow a realtor the option to refuse entry to or to reschedule if either a tenant or seller or anybody working on their behalf is showing symptoms. 
  2. The BCREA mandates strata for condominium properties to clean high touch point common areas such as elevator buttons. Realtors are required to confirm with sellers to find out if common spaces have been disinfected. Realtors are also required to communicate to the buyer whatever safety protocols are their responsibility. 
  3. Prospective buyers must wear a mask and sanitize their hands. The wearing of gloves is not mandatory, but they are recommended. Persons are asked not to touch anything as they tour the home but there are times when they forget the request. 
  4. Social distancing is a must. This is practiced by limiting the number of persons that are allowed into  the home at one time. The number of people allowed is limited by the size of the property. Typically, one household is taken in together. A household denotes people already living together. In bigger homes there may be the chance that two parties can view at a time and in such cases they are cautioned to maintain distance. 

Tips for Attending an Open House

If you still want that physical walk through that of an open house, make sure you are working with a realtor that you trust. You want to keep yourself as well as your family members safe. So you want to be certain you can trust that your Realtor is taking the proper precautions to keep you safe. 

To limit your time in an open house, try to find out all you can about a home before you view it. This way too many questions will arise as you notice things when going through the house. It is understandable that you will want to physically see a house as buying a home is a huge investment. 

Be sure you are taking the appropriate safety protocols and practices reducing your chances of catching the COVID-19. 

If you’d rather be safe than sorry, you can build your home from the ground up. And we can help you with that. Contact us today to see how we can make your dream of owning a home, a reality.  

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BevonySafety Protocols for Buying or Selling a Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Gardening During the Winter

by Bevony on 14 October 2020 Comments Off on Gardening During the Winter
Rosengeranie, Pelargonium, Geranium, Blossom, Bloom

Annual geraniums are a great option for a winter gardener. They will grow and bloom very well all year round and don’t need a lot of fuss. You can dig them up in the fall and place them into a paper bag or cardboard box so you can store them over the winter so you can let them out again in the spring. So let’s talk a little bit about what to expect from certain Geraniums. 

Martha Washington Geraniums

All zonal geraniums are known as frost-tender pelargoniums. They are however different in their growing conditions that they prefer. Zonal geraniums will do better in warm, dry soil. Geraniums such as Martha Washington’s require cool temperatures in order for them to thrive and bloom well. Your Martha, Washington will be very impressive in the late spring, as such they are quite popular during that time for gifting. In the late spring they become thick and busy and have ornamental leaves with fringed edges. Their flowers are showy and appear in clusters with vivid splashing colors and are beautifully veined. 

These flowers tend to have long bloom periods. To help lengthen their bloom period you want to ensure you keep them in the cool. During the high summer temperatures, this plant can take a break from flowering. While you will notice that zonals may hit their peak bloom in this time. To prolong the bloom period you can place this plant outside in a spot that is lightly shaded when the weather starts to warm up. 

During the winter, Martha, Washington’s don’t need too much water. It will thrive in temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees in light and almost dry soil. This not only will help them survive the winter but will also set them up for a great spring flowering. 

Rooting Zonal Geraniums

When you take cuttings from your geraniums you may want to cover them with a humidity tent. Ensure that they are covered but not being touched. This is helpful with your zonal geraniums to help them to root. You don’t want the roots of the plants to be too damp because they are sensitive to these types of conditions. High humidity levels can cause rotting, otherwise known as “black rot”. 

Rooting is very easy in warmth and with bright but indirect sunlight. You want to choose a porous free draining planting mix to ensure that the soil stays modesty moist to provide the best outcome for your rooting endeavors. 

Considering doing some planting in the winter to get ready for the spring with lovely flowers. Consider getting some Martha Washington Geraniums!

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BevonyGardening During the Winter

Conscious Design for The Home Front

by Bevony on 7 October 2020 Comments Off on Conscious Design for The Home Front

Designers and architects are driven by a need to find solutions for everyday irritations and problems. Designers reflect on how we live to provide the solutions that we need even before we notice we need them.

In 2020, everybody has had the opportunity to do some inner reflecting. We have had the chance to look at the things we have taken for granted and what we will no longer do any more. Designers get the chance to reflect and with new needs from the population on a whole they have had the opportunity to revamp their designs and bring designs that proved meaning for their clients. With designers focusing more on how we live, we start seeing people looking at sustainable design and architecture. 

What is Sustainable Design?

Sustainable design has the aim of reducing a building’s negative impacts on the environment and on the health of the building’s occupants. This in turn helps to improve a building’s performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are:

  • Reduce consumption resources that are not renewable
  • Create a health environment
  • Improve productivity of an environment
  • Minimize waste 

One sustainable material is Timber, it is good for the environment as well as it is good for our lungs. It is ideal for use in homes of asthma sufferers and allows for a better living environment for even those without respiratory conditions. 

If you want to achieve wellness in your home, you have to look into the types of materials that are used in the construction. You also want to consider the types of materials used in your furnishings. For example, check what type of cushioning agent is used in your sofa. Natural foam would be a sustainable material instead of polyurethane foam, which is toxic. 

Change the World for the Better 

The choices that we make can really make a big difference. Look at the Californian wildfires, they show us that we need to do better to protect our environment; our home. We have taken so much from mother nature, and we really need to consider it is long overdue for us to start giving back. 

Here at SilverBeam Homes we strive to help you build the best home that you can afford. We can include more sustainable materials in your build as we offer customized building solutions to our valued customers. Considering building a home? Partner with us and let us help you make your dream home your reality. 

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BevonyConscious Design for The Home Front

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