Trusted Regina Shares 6 New Year’s Resolutions for Every Homeowner

19. Jan 2022 Trusted Regina

6 New Year’s Resolutions for Every Homeowner

Lately we have been spending much more time in our homes than usual. With homes and finances at the forefront of many household conversations, here is a list of 6 things you can do to improve both your home and your finances.

Pay Off Your Non-Mortgage Debt FIRST!

The general rule of thumb is that you should focus on paying off higher-interest debt before lower-interest debt. You may be paying a higher rate on a credit card or private student loan than on your mortgage, so you'd benefit more by paying those off early.

Don't pay so much toward the higher-interest debt that you risk defaulting on mortgage payments. Yes, credit cards can be expensive, and the issuer may take legal action if you default on card payments. But defaulting on mortgage payments can be an even bigger risk because you could lose your home.

Build A Realistic Emergency Fund

Owning a home comes with many responsibilities and expenses, some that you can plan for in advance, like property taxes, and some that just pop up unexpectedly. If you haven’t already started saving for those unexpected expenses in an emergency fund or rainy-day fund, the new year is a great time to start! Saving any amount is beneficial in an emergency, but about 3 to 6-month’s salary is usually recommended. A high-interest savings account is a good place for your emergency fund. You’ll still be able to earn interest on your savings, and it’s not entirely locked away in case you need to access the funds quickly.

For some people, work-from-home measures may be in place indefinitely. The lines between your personal and professional life may be blurred during this time. The best way to keep firm boundaries is by trying to maintain a similar routine to when you’re in the office. Ensure you set boundaries to limit overtime work, always take breaks throughout the day, and log off your work computer at the usual end of the workday.

Make Your Home As Energy Efficient As Possible

We live in Saskatchewan, so there's no avoiding heating and cooling costs, and they will only rise as time goes on. Whatever you can do to make your property more energy-efficient is a worthwhile investment! It also makes it more attractive when you decide to sell.

For tech-savvy homeowners, making your home more energy-efficient with smart thermostats or programmable LED lights can be fun! Even if technology isn’t your thing, minor fixes around the house can help make your home more energy-efficient and save you money. Here are a few things to add to your list:

Seal all air leaks around windows and doors
Use cold water or energy-saving settings for washing machines and dishwashers
Unplug devices and appliances when not in use
Lower your thermostat while you’re away from home or in less-used areas of your home
Install a low-flow showerhead
Opt for energy-efficient window treatments like honeycomb shades

Make Your Home A Space You Love

Starting off the new year ( or a new week! ) in a clean, organized space is a huge mood booster. With many people working from home now, organized space can also help your productivity. While there’s no right or wrong way to declutter and organize your home, one useful method is to work by room to make the task more manageable. Look at everything you have and split the items into three piles: Keep, Donate, and Toss. Perhaps you could read Marie Kondo's book The Life Changing Method of Tidying Up, she is a Japanese professional organizer with a simple method to declutter your life, from clothes to books to knickknacks. She wants you to answer just one simple question when it comes to any of the items in your house:

Does it bring you joy?

If you answer yes, you keep the item. If you hesitate or say no, you donate it or throw it out. It’s simple, it’s brilliant, and it’s completely intuitive.

Once you’ve decided what’s staying, you can make sure everything has a designated place to keep things tidy in the long run.

Start A Household Maintenance Checklist

As with most New Year’s resolutions, it’s easy to start the year off strong, but as time goes on, it may become more challenging. Set yourself up for success and stick to your home goals by creating a household maintenance checklist. Create a recurring calendar reminder so you never forget to handle tasks around the house. For example, set a reminder to change your HVAC filter every three months or clean your eavestroughs twice a year. Proper home maintenance is a good way to prevent having to pay for home repairs over time.

Plan To Pay Off Your Mortgage Sooner

Depending on how much you still owe on your mortgage, paying it off may be daunting but don’t be discouraged. Even small steps now can help you become mortgage-free sooner. Start by increasing your regular payments. For example, instead of purchasing a takeout dinner, put that extra $50 towards your monthly mortgage payment. Keep that up for a year, and you’ve already put an additional $600 towards your mortgage and, over five years, an additional $3,000.

Another simple way to pay your mortgage off faster is to put any additional or unexpected income towards your mortgage. That can be anything like funds from a tax return, a bonus from work or inheritance. Before you make any pre-payments, double-check your mortgage pre-payment options with your mortgage lender so you don’t exceed your allowable limits.

Trusted Regina Property Management Company CH Living Regina Rental Property Spotlight - Willowcrest Apartments

18. Jan 2022 Trusted Regina Regina Real Estate, TRUSTED TIPS

CH Living is Your Trusted Regina Property Management Company With The Best Regina Apartments For Rent! CH Living takes big steps to make their properties a great place to live and call home. They want your Regina apartment rental experience to be positive and long-lasting. Many of their buildings are conveniently located in downtown Regina. The focus of the CH Living Team is on renovations, preventative maintenance, quality materials, and communication. In this article, they shine the spotlight on one of their Regina Properties with apartments to rent Willowcrest Apartments.

CH LIVING PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT - WILLOWCREST APARTMENTS

This quiet building is ideal for seniors and is situated on Rae Street, just 2 blocks from the Southland Mall. A short walk to many grocery stores, including Save On Foods, which is literally across the street. There are many restaurants and stores close by and the area is well served by Regina Transit. The building is close to Parkside Extendicare and most errands can be accomplished on foot. This building is professionally maintained by the live-in caretaker Damon Kramer who does a fantastic job keeping tenants happy, and the buildings in smooth operation. Damon puts full care, attention and effort into everything he is involved in. His organization skills allow him to follow-up with tasks accurately and on time, and having a solid background in construction allows him to fix and maintain better than most

This 46 Suite building has 1 & 2 Bedroom Suites available - Foor plans at Willowcrest Apartments range from 680-1000 sqft.

WILLOWCREST APARTMENT AMENITIES

COMMUNITY AMENITIES

Additional Storage
Concrete Building
Elevator
Keyless Entry
Large Laundry Room
Quiet
Recreation Room
Senior Friendly

AMENITIES

Air Conditioner
Balcony
Dishwasher
In-Suite Laundry Optional
LED Lighting
Vinyl Plank Flooring

COMING SOON

New features coming soon to Willowcrest include: updated common areas, fully renovated main floor lobby for fun and relaxing afternoons with family or friends, large brand new gym, and recreation room for those big events

Flexible tenancy agreements are available.
Security Deposit is equal to one month's rent.
Small Pets are allowed!

Click here to contact CH Living to arrange a viewing or if you have any more questions

Office hours: Monday - Friday 8.30 am-4.30 pm

CH Living is Your Trusted Regina Property Management Company

CH Living Your Trusted Regina Property Management Company Shares 10 Qualities Of A Dream Tenant.

16. Jan 2022 Trusted Regina Regina Real Estate, TRUSTED TIPS

CH Living is Your Trusted Regina Property Management Company With The Best Regina Apartments For Rent! CH Living takes big steps to make their properties a great place to live and call home. They want your Regina apartment rental experience to be positive and long-lasting. Many of their buildings are conveniently located in downtown Regina. The focus of the CH Living Team is on renovations, preventative maintenance, quality materials, and communication. In this helpful article, they share the 10 qualities of a dream tenant.

A good landlord will go to great lengths to find a qualified tenant for their rental property. Qualified tenants are those that have a proven track record of financial responsibility and rule-abiding behaviour, indicating their ability to pay rent and not damage the property. But a great landlord will hope for more than just a good credit score and clean criminal background in their tenants. Although difficult to screen for, there are certain qualities that can make a renter stand out as the perfect tenant in their landlord’s eyes.

10 Qualities Of A Dream Tenant

#1 PAY YOUR RENT.

Better yet, pay rent on time! The landlord-tenant relationship revolves around regular rent payments in exchange for a place to live, and making on-time rent payments is one of the most important jobs for which a tenant is responsible. Most likely, your landlord depends on the rent to make the mortgage payment on the rental property so paying rent late can be a financial burden for your landlord.

#2 TREAT THE PROPERTY LIKE YOUR OWN.

Taking pride in ownership of your rental property by taking care of it will not only ensure the return of your security deposit but also should be reflected in a great landlord recommendation should you decide to move in the future. Normal wear and tear is expected, but preventing tenant-caused property damage is ideal.

#3 COMMUNICATE MAINTENANCE ISSUES.

Even a small leak can turn into a big expensive problem for a landlord. A dream tenant will notify their landlord when they notice any maintenance issue that requires attention. Landlords can provide easy options for tenants to submit maintenance requests online, which can easily be tracked and monitored until the issue is resolved.

#4 DON’T BE HIGH MAINTENANCE.

While a landlord values great communication from their tenant, a renter who constantly complains or requires special attention is a pain. In most cases, you will not be your landlord’s only tenant and only priority. Try to resolve problems on your own, as long as they follow lease terms, before bothering your landlord.

#5 DON’T LET SOMEONE LIVE WITH YOU WHO ISN’T ON THE LEASE.

The lease agreement is designed to protect both the landlord and the tenants. It needs to be signed by anyone over 18 living in the rental property. A good tenant will not sneak in secret roommates and should notify their landlord if they plan on hosting any long-term guests.

#6 KEEP THE RENTAL CLEAN.

A dream tenant will keep the property sanitary as to not invite pest infestation or cause property damage. If the tenant does not keep a clean home, the landlord may deduct the amount paid for extermination or repairs from the tenant’s security deposit per the lease terms.

#7 RENEW THE LEASE.

Managing tenant turnover is expensive and time-consuming for a landlord. A dream tenant will want to renew their lease agreement and hopefully live at the same rental property for a long time. In a perfect world, they would meet every quality of a perfect tenant making the long-term tenancy even more ideal.

#8 KEEP UP WITH TENANT MAINTENANCE.

While the majority of maintenance responsibilities fall on the landlord, tenants may be required to maintain some appliances, manage lawn care, change air filters or replace smoke detector batteries. A great tenant will not only understand and agree to these terms but will actually do it! A tenant’s maintenance responsibilities should be outlined in the rental agreement so they understand their contractual obligation in regards to maintaining the property properly.

#9 FOLLOW LEASE TERMS.

A standard lease will prohibit any illegal activity on the property or any behavior that threatens the safety of the community. A good tenant will uphold these rules as well as other lease terms. Other lease terms that a bad tenant might break typically involve pets or obnoxious parties that disturb other renter’s right to enjoy a quiet environment. Beyond the failure to pay rent, lease violations like these constitute legitimate grounds for eviction, which is expensive and stressful for all landlords.

#10 HAVE RENTERS INSURANCE.

Not only will renters insurance help cover the cost of replacing a tenant’s stolen or damaged personal possessions, it can also cover the cost of damage caused to the property by negligence. A great tenant will have renters insurance so the homeowner isn’t left with a bill due to a tenant being unable to cover the cost of damage to the property or court fees. The good news is, renters insurance is extremely affordable and costs less than a few cups of coffee a month. Contact CH Living's sister company Campbell & Haliburton Insurance!

PLUS ONE BONUS ONE – BE HONEST!

The most important quality of a good tenant is honesty. Honesty is so important, it gets its own section beyond the top ten.

If something happens that negatively affects your financial situation and rent becomes unaffordable, a landlord will appreciate honest communication about the issue. While a tenant isn’t required to share all their personal information with their landlord, they are required to pay their rent throughout the lease term. If rent payments suddenly stop showing up, the landlord will have no choice but to move forward with an eviction. If you think we missed anything for what it takes to be a dream tenant, let us know in the comments!

CH Living is Your Trusted Regina Property Management Company

Trusted Regina Bathroom Store Wheatland Fireplace, Kitchen & Bath Feature Beautiful Vanity Design Ideas

15. Jan 2022 Trusted Regina

Your first step into the beautiful Wheatland Fireplace Kitchen & Bath Regina showroom will help you understand why Wheatland has been given the Thumbs up by Trusted Regina in the bathroom category. Wheatland loves their customers and as a result, their customers love and TRUST them. In their latest bathroom tip, they share beautiful bathroom vanity design ideas.

Beautiful Bathroom Vanity Design Ideas

Massive or understated, modern or traditional, decorative or plain practical: the bathroom vanity can be anything you want it to be. It's the place where you prim and pamper yourself, or just comb your hair quickly; it's the place where we get a few minutes to be with ourselves each day, staring at our reflection in the mirror.

Whatever you need out of your vanity space, one of these design ideas ought to inspire you.

1. Rustic Style

Go back to basics with a rustic bathroom vanity. Rough wood, filled with natural knots and colors, recalls the naked wood beams on the ceiling and enhances woodland-inspired decor.

2. Modern Floating Vanity

A weightless white modern vanity in decor represents everything you need in modern, minimalist decor: tons of white, a floating style for minimal floor footprint, and lacquered shine for some light-reflecting texture.

3. Simple and Clean

The simple lines and colors, make a great choice for people with simple tastes. Lots of storage, plenty of counter space on both sides of the sink, and gorgeous light fixtures work together to make your space practical and beautiful.

ABOUT THIS TERM: PRIMARY BATHROOM

Many real estate associations, including the National Association of Home Builders, have classified the term "Master Bedroom" (or "Master Bathroom") as discriminatory. "Primary Bedroom" is the name now widely used among the real estate community and better reflects the purpose of the room.

4. Asymmetrical Vanity

The asymmetrical effect attracts attention and opens up the room to feature the open plumbing and the weightlessness of it all. It's unexpected—and that's what makes it special.

5. Glamorous Mirrored Vanity

You'll feel like a glamorous Hollywood star as you prepare for a night out at a gorgeous mirrored vanity table. Add a beautiful French etched mirror and chandelier-inspired light fixture—everything you need to bring out the glam girl in you.

6. Gold and Blue

The golden brass hardware on this vanity contrasts beautifully with the dark blue paint—in this bathroom. This decor has a royal, regal feel that makes you feel like the ruler of your home—and your day.

7. Small Modern Bathroom Vanities

Instead of one large piece of furniture, go with two smaller spaces, one for each person, so that they don't step on each others' toes in the morning. Clever.

8. Floating Marble

The floating style gives a vanity interesting weightlessness, given the material; the minimal surroundings really bring out the quality of the stone. And a natural wood shelf right under the vanity serves to hold all you need for your morning and evening beauty routines.

9. DIY Farmhouse Vanity

You can fit the interior with shelves and drawers. It's great for small spaces too: its minimal profile fits very well in a bathroom corner.

10. Recycled Antique Bureau

Reuse, recycle, reclaim! An antique bureau-turned-vanity will show you that some things deserve a second chance. Multiple drawers provide lots of storage, and an arched front design makes for unusual bathroom vanity.

11. Couples Vanities

If you have space to spare in your primary bathroom, you might want to consider this kind of setup. Two sinks are separated by a dressing space, which includes an extra mirror, a slim drawer, and a tufted stool. The overall look is traditional and classic, which makes it perfect for a gender-neutral space.

12. Simple Open Vanity

You don't always need lots of drawers or space to make a bathroom vanity effective. A simple shelf side table works well enough for her small bathroom. Add a basin sink, which fits on any flat space, and a wall-mounted faucet for extra space savings.

13. Midcentury Modern

Take yourself back to the 60s with a mid-century modern design. add splashes of color on the drawers and top cabinet door and sleek, hardware-less build suits the shallow vessel sink.

14. Nook Vanity

Have an extra nook space in your bathroom? Why not transform it with a dressing table? Bonus: you have a dedicated space for your beauty supplies, which won't clutter up the counter space around the sink.

15. Rough Wood

Explore Wood To Make Something Special.Sometimes the beauty of nature requires no refinement. Add a double-shelf rough wood counter with a vessel sink and modern faucet fixtures. The balance of polished and unpolished, wood and stone, will make any bathroom a striking space. A farmhouse bathroom vanity is what you need to complete your farmhouse bathroom. As we know that farmhouse design is a popular choice for its aesthetic look. It is charming, simple, and it offers a fantastic look to your bathroom.

16. Eclectic Powder Room

There is something wonderfully indescribable about this bathroom. The spiky mirror frame, the rough, unpolished-edged countertop, the rustic wood, and distressed-looking wall finish all seem rather strange on their own, but together they make for something mysteriously appealing. This Southwestern powder room by Platinum Companies features a rustic vanity with a low-profile vessel sink to fulfill all your desires of a dark and stormy bathroom.

Wheatland Fireplace, Kitchen & Bath are successful for a reason! This really is where your outdoor living and indoor fireplace, bathroom & kitchen dreams meet in spectacular surroundings! Wheatland services and installs high-quality fireplaces, Visit their website or stop by their showroom to feel the warmth and comfort of their amazing selection.

Check out their listing here: Wheatland Fireplace Kitchen & Bath is a Trusted Regina Bathroom store and much much more!

"Better Living Begins Here... At Wheatland, it is ALL ABOUT YOU!"

Why Trusted Regina Fireplace Experts at Wheatland Fireplace, Kitchen & Bath Recommend Converting to an Amantii Electric Fireplace

15. Jan 2022 Trusted Regina Regina Fireplaces, TRUSTED TIPS

Your first step into the beautiful Wheatland Fireplace Kitchen & Bath Regina showroom will help you understand why Wheatland Fireplace has been given the Thumbs up by Trusted Regina as your exclusive Trusted Regina fireplace store. Wheatland loves their customers and as a result, their customers love and TRUST them. In their latest fireplace tip, they recommend converting to an Amantii electric fireplace.

Covert to an Amantii Electric Fireplace

Now it’s easier than ever to convert an old wood or gas fireplace into an electric fireplace. Even brick fireplaces are easily converted to the clean look of an Amantii insert. The beauty of having an insert is that you can use Amantii inserts any time of year, with or without heat, to create the desired mood.

Choosing the Right Amantii Model

Ensuring your customers get the right model for their home/office is simple. Explain to your customers that an electric insert is basically a retrofit of their existing fireplace. Find out how wide and how high their opening is. These two measurements are critical when picking the right insert. Then take into account the size of the room and help them choose the best insert for their needs. There are six styles to fit almost any dimension.

Amantii's TRD Inserts

Amantii’s TRD inserts have a contemporary clean look and are available with three or four-sided trim kits. Unit sizes are 26”, 30”, 33”, and 38”. All Amantii TRD inserts are rated for indoor and outdoor use.

The beauty of an Amantii insert is they come with state-of-the-art Fire and Ice® flame sets. Your customers can change the look of their flames from traditional red to more contemporary colours like blue, violet, purple and rose. They also have realistic birch logs to give the look and feel of a freshly lit fireplace. Amantii’s TRD inserts can produce up to 1200W 4096 BTU heat. The two-stage heater comes with a cord and is hard-wire ready. The heater itself is located inside, on the top of the unit, which allows heat to cascade down the glass. Hidden venting creates a true, clean appearance.

When heat isn’t required, a simple click on the remote control turns off the heat, leaving the room bathed in firelight without heat. Something that can’t be done with a wood or gas fireplace.

Sierra Flame INS Inserts

The INS-FM-30 and 34 electric inserts have the same surround as the TDS series; however, the black sheet steel overlay is larger. This style’s heavier look is versatile and can go with almost any room size, decor, and furnishings. Customers love the look of the gradient flames and the realistic traditional log set.

Flame height and intensity are controlled via remote control with the heat vented upwards and can heat up to a 500 sq ft. room. This series has no grills and the latest LED light technology with four-stage front and four-stage back internal backlighting. Like the Amantii series, these Sierra Flame inserts operate with or without heat and are controlled by the remote. It’s an easy and effective way to convert to an electric fireplace.