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Life in the city has taken on a distinctly country-like feel lately with racoons, skunks and squirrels roaming neighbourhoods at night in search of food. While cute and furry, these critters can cause a lot of damage to property, set up unwanted residence in your home and get into fights with family pets; they are also carriers of very undesirable germs and disease including rabies and the ticks that carry Lyme disease. Keeping these particular animals away from your home is definitely crucial to the proper enjoyment of your outdoor space – especially in the evenings when they are waking up and coming out of their burrows and nests looking for food.
 
The best way to keep these furry pests at bay is through exclusion – fencing off your property so that they can’t come in. However, as this is quite drastic and not necessarily the way most people want to go, there are alternatives that will stop them from coming too close.
 
Deterrents
Sprinkling deterrents around your home can work wonders at keeping these critters at bay. Commonly used sprays include coyote and fox urine – items which can easily be purchased at big box home and garden stores as well as online.
 
Scare them!
Similar to scarecrows placing moving objects in your yard can be enough to scare animals away. If you have trees in your yard, attached long shimmery streamers or anything else that will blow in the wind and move. Items can include windmills, flags or material.
 
Motion sensors
As raccoons and skunks are nocturnal, they only come out at night to forage for food. Adding motion detectors to your lights will cause them to think twice before entering your yard again.
 
Water, water
If you happen to be watching and see the animals when they enter your yard – blast them with a jet of water from your hose. Usually this will deter them from returning.
 
If none of the above solutions work for you, try pest-proofing your place but adding mesh screening around the underneath of porches – making sure that it goes down at least 6 inches and you turn it outwards for about a foot before covering with dirt. In fact, cover any opening to your home with mesh and secure properly. Fill any burrows or nests you find with dirt and use bricks or other heavy objects to keep the lids on garbage cans securely.
 
You can also place live traps around the areas these animals frequent and then call your local borough to find out where you can release them once caught. Whatever you do, remember that animals in the wild are dangerous – regardless of how cute they are and that you should never think of tackling one by yourself.

Summer in the city means sun, fun, barbeques and relaxation. However, it can also mean pests! What can you do to naturally repel insects and bugs from invading your Toronto home? Read on for some fun tips on how to use every-day natural items found around your house to make your home a fortress against pest invasion.
 
Moth be-gone!
Can’t stand moths? Well moths can’t stand cedar – which is why the fragrant wood was traditionally used to build closets. In lieu of a full cedar closet, you can purchase cedar chips or hanging blocks that you can keep in your closets, pantries or anywhere else you want to keep moth-free!
 
Spider-free
After eating those oranges or juicing that lemon – don’t throw out the peels! Citrus peels are a fantastic spider repellant. Just rub surfaces where spiders tend to gather and you won’t have to worry about sleeping with your mouth open anymore. Bonus – citrus smells great and polishes furniture nicely.
 
Mosquito repellant
No one likes being bitten by mosquitoes while trying to enjoy the great outdoors – a simple solution? Eat lots of garlic! Mosquitoes aren’t big garlic fans… the only trouble is it might keep others away from you too!
 
Ant aversion
If you start seeing ants creeping into your home, it’s time to break out the white vinegar and spritz along doors and windows to keep them out.
 
Keeping bugs away from the home
Along with the above remedies – other very effective ways of keeping bugs at bay include sprinkling cinnamon around the place and planting fragrant herbs around your house.
 
There are plenty of other ways to keep pests from ruining your summer-time activities. A simple online search can yield a slew of great ideas that won’t break the bank yet will also be very useful in keeping your home bug-free.

Curb appeal is one of the most important factors in any home sale. Regardless of how updated and renovated the interior of your home is, if that wow factor is missing when prospective buyers pull up outside, it is already working with a strike against it. In fact, many realtors consider curb appeal just as important as a solid foundation and good structure.
 
Here are a few tips that will help you spruce up your home so that people passing by will recognize the gem you own.
 
Keep is neat!
Keeping things neat simply means to cut your lawn, trim your hedges and trees and ensure that any landscaping, including driveways and pathways, are in good shape. If your driveway needs to be resealed or needs to be redone, then it is best to invest in an upgrade – the same holds true for walkways. If your walkway is falling apart, then it is time to have it redone. Although pricey, the investment will pay-off. One thing to keep in mind when redoing your walkway is that a winding walkway will add more interest to your frontage.
 
Flower, shrubs and trees!
Planting flower beds, shrubs and trees can add a lot of charm and natural beauty to your property, If you are not entirely sure what will look good or where to plant things, then we highly recommend hiring a landscape designer who can help you plan your yard. Some designers will even give you the plan with the plant/flower names suggested so that you can do the purchasing and planting yourself.
 
Keep it clean!
Nothing will detract from an otherwise attractive property like dirty siding or tarnished brickwork. If your home looks like it has been through the wringer, then it is time to break out the power washer and give it a thorough cleaning. Not only will doing so brighten up your home, but it will revive tired looking exterior finishes.
 
Adding accents!
Adding an accent colour or feature can also make a huge difference when it comse to curb appeal. A brightly coloured, contrasting front door, decorative window shutters or even a portico can change the look of your home completely
 
Planters
If you don’t have enough land to plant flower beds, then adding flower pots on your steps, next to your door or along your walkway will work just as well.
 
In short getting your home to look good takes little effort and/or investment, and the returns are well worth all of it.

Air conditioning may not seem like a necessity in Canada, but with the summer’s heat invariably comes the need for a cool escape. Whether you live in a house, condo or apartment, there are solutions to fit every place when it comes to keeping cool during a heat wave.
 
The easiest solution to air conditioning your home is to determine just how large of an area you want to cool. The size of the unit that you purchase will depend entirely on the space you want to chill. If you are looking at cooling your whole house down, then the units you should look at will be very different from someone who only wants to cool down one room.
 
Once you know the size of the space you need to cool down, then you can calculated the number of BTUs the unit you purchase will have to output. To calculate this measurement you can use a handy online calculator like the one found over here //bit.ly/2969wii. The number you get is the minimum BTUs you will need to have in order to effectively cool down your room.
 
Since every air conditioning system works on taking the hot air from your home and pumping it outside, it is necessary to have a window available for your AC unit.
 
Window Units
Window units are the least expensive option when it comes to air conditioners. They are portable machines that you can install in your window with minimal fuss. They are great for cooling down small spaces or just one room of a house. They tend to range in price and efficacies to really low-end, inexpensive to better quality more powerful units at a higher price point.
 
Free-Standing Units
Free-standing air conditioning can be placed in any room as long as you are able to properly vent it out a window. When you are purchasing a free standing unit be sure to check whether it has a dual hose or single hose vent. The single hose is good for smaller spaces, but in larger areas it can cause your unit to overheat and stop working. However, the single hose options are less expensive than their dual hose counterparts but won’t be as efficient in a large room.
 
Wall Units
Wall air conditioning units will require you to touch the masonry of your home in order to install the unit directly into the wall, but it is very effective at cooling down large spaces and/or smaller homes. They are also require a significant investment – but one that will definitely pay off on hot, sweltering days.
 
Central Air Conditioning
The grandaddy of all air conditioning systems central air is the luxe solution to your cooling needs. Although this system comes a hefty price tag it will last a long time and be more efficient over the long run.

Having a green home is a goal many of us would love to attain, but don’t necessarily know how to. Getting rid of the toxic substances in your home and making your own cleaners is a healthier alternative to using the harsh cleansers and chemicals that are available at the grocery store. Another advantage to making your own cleaners is the cost savings you’ll see. Not only are the items needed to make cleaning supplies inexpensive, they are also quite abundant.
 
Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the keystones of home cleansers. It is an astringent that can be used to clean everything from windows to bathtubs – which basically means that it can degrease really well. It can also be used directly on weeds in your garden to get rid of unwanted plants.
 
Baking Soda
Mixed with vinegar baking soda is excellent at getting grout white again, removing mildew and other stains/bacteria and as a general, all-purpose cleanser. Its texture makes baking soda a terrific mild abrasive while its composition makes it a natural deodorizer.
 
Borax
Mix with a cut lemon and you’ve got yourself a heavy duty cleaner that can remove rust stains on porcelain and enamel – but keep in mind that lemon (or any kind of citrus) should never be used on marble or granite surfaces as it will eat into the stone.
 
Here’s how to use the above listed ingredients.
 
Glass Cleaner
Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 1 cup of warm water for a fantastic glass cleaner – for an even better result use newspaper to wipe the glass clean after sponging in solution.
 
All Purpose Cleaner
Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 2 litres of warm water for a good all purpose cleaner.
 
Grout Cleaner
Need to really clean your grout? Mix baking soda, vinegar and warm water for a really powerful clean.
 
You can find other ways of using these ingredients alone or in combinations that will save you money, make your home less toxic and still keep everything spic-and-span!

Selling your Toronto home is all about proper marketing. Social media is now a vital part of any marketing campaign. Boosting the visibility of your home sale through social media is one of the best ways to get your property in front of the right people.
 
Facebook
Facebook is definitely the keystone to every good social media campaign. Even with the requirement of boosting posts to make sure that your post is seen by as many people as possible, it is still a solid option when it comes to spreading the word with your listing.
 
Twitter
Twitter is next on the social media echelon when it comes to real estate marketing. Tweeting a link to your listing with a good teaser about the property and area in which it is found is a great way of driving traffic to your listing without having to wait for people to find it on the MLS.
 
Instagram
The beauty of Instagram is that it is a truly visual platform. If you have a gorgeous listing then posting it on Instagram and tagging it appropriately will definitely go a long way toward driving the right people to the property.
 
Here are a few tips to ensure that your listing gets the most visibility possible so that your sale is fast and efficient.
 
Make it engaging
To get people to click on your link or actually engage with your post or tweet, you have to pique their curiosity. You have to make it engaging. You’ve got to aim somewhere between clickbait and a news piece. You want to pose a question that people will want to have answered. For instance, “Looking for a bright, well-maintained 6 ½ in North York walking distance to transportation and services? Click here.” Craft posts that leave people wanting to know more.
 
Keep it short
Don’t write too much in your posts. If there are certain features you want to highlight, put them in bullet form. Social is for quick, easily digestible information. If there is a lot more to say about a property, then link to your website or listing.
 
Add visuals
Social is all about visuals. Whether picture or video, it is important to add a picture to really call attention to your post.
 
If you are able to get the right combination of all three things listed above, then your post will get shared and that is how you can increase its reach and, in turn, the number of people who are exposed to your listing.