Why Should You Install a Pergola in Your Backyard?

Are you wondering the benefits of installing a pergola in your backyard? Perhaps you’ve seen a pergola at a friends house or heard they can be a way to make your home more saleable. There are many benefits to a pergola, and we are exploring them in this article. As well as providing shelter and making your garden look better, a pergola can even boost the value of your property.

Increasing Home Value

One of the main benefits of installing a pergola, gazebo or other outside structure or feature has the potential to make a big impact on the perceived price of your home. Check out this well-researched guide that includes value-boosting maintenance tips. It has a whole section dedicated to building garden structures. The guide mentions an ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) survey in which pergolas ranked number two on the list of most desirable outdoor structures.

If the home value is boosted by the pergola being in place, it can mean that it is an investment, not just an expense. 
If you spend money on a pergola and invest wisely, or do the work yourself, you can make the money back when it comes to time to sell your property. This doesn’t mean that you have to install one while you are thinking of selling. There is no reason you can’t take advantage of owning the pergola and the benefits it brings to your garden first.

Sheltered Seating Areas

Having a sheltered area in your backyard is always very beneficial. You may live in a space where it is hot and sunny a lot of the time and you are looking for a cooler area with shade from the sun (and potential sunburn). Alternatively, if you are in an area prone to showers then this can be a way to stay dry. An example such as this home, where there is a pergola area with seats, a table, and even a fire pit just under the shelter it provides. This is a perfect place to sit and have food and drink or to entertain guests. Gazebos can do a similar job, but a pergola can provide a more permanent structure with a higher perceived value.

A Design Feature

Sometimes the pergolas are in place for design purposes more than anything else. This beautiful home is an example of a pergola which is in place as it has a quirky design and brilliantly sets apart an outdoor dining area. A pergola allows you to do so much in terms of design.  You can choose from a number of different woods and other materials, and decide whether you want full coverage or just a partially sheltered area.

One of the most popular uses of a pergola is to grow vines and other climbing plants around them.  Sprucing up your yard with plants is one of the top tips for selling your home. This can give a really luxurious feel to your backyard and create a classy ambiance. If you are green-fingered, a pergola can be another place for your gardening experiments.

Privacy

A lot of people don’t spend a huge amount of time in their backyards as they are worried about privacy. If you have other homes nearby which overlook your yard then it can often be the case that you don’t feel as comfortable with your privacy as you would in your own home.

Your backyard should feel like an extension of your home in terms of being another private area when you can relax, safe from prying eyes. A pergola can help you to create that. Whether you have prying neighbors or not, it is good to feel like you are relaxing in an area where nobody can see you.

An Outdoor Room

A pergola can give the illusion of four walls, and the fact that it provides a roof area means that you can treat it as another room. There are examples of people using their outdoor space for all sorts of things. Some people have installed outdoor grills and cooking areas with pizza ovens, BBQ grills, smokers and of course seating areas.

If you are a serial entertainer, you could think about using your pergola ‘room’ as a bar and having space for your friends to gather.  Other people have even installed televisions outside and made outdoor tv theatre areas in their pergolas or gazebos. If you are confident with electronics then this can be a good, fun reason to install a pergola. 

Other creative uses we’ve seen including shelter for a hot tub or just as a beautiful dining space.

Conclusion

Have you enjoyed our post on installing pergolas? Can you think of other benefits? Here are more great tips on How to Increase the Value of your Home as well here are some great tips on modernizing your home. How To Modernize Your Home

Feel free to share your thoughts by emailing us at info@BalanceRealEstateGroup.com, or share our article with your friends if you think it can be helpful for them.

It is hard to believe after such a long and unusual winter here in the lower mainland and Fraser valley that Spring has finally arrived and with it spring temperatures. Hopefully it won't be a teaser and that winter truly is over. Although it was just over a week ago that we had a little bit of snow come down. 

The picture of those beautiful crocuses was from many years ago when I had a garden at our old house in Cloverdale. They were so beautiful and one of the first signs that spring was on its way when the crocuses started to come up. I drove past the other day and the bulbs are still coming up. Looking forward to seeing all the cherry blossoms soon.

Today is International Women's Day and how a propos is it that this year's theme #BalanceforBetter seemed to have been made for our team the way it is today and who we are in general - Balance Real Estate Group. We are a team of women, of all ages...even though we haven't always been a team of women and we may not always be a team of women. We are proud to work together and want to recognize International Women's Day to celebrate working together as women. 

This year's theme is #BalanceforBetter with a goal to build a better working world...a gender balanced world.

The following excerpt is taken from the International Women's Day website....something my husband and I strongly believe in. So much so, my husband proudly works for a very forward thinking company in Vancity Credit Union. Where their CEO is a strong woman, his immmediate boss is a strong woman and the company in general believes strongly in the equality of women in the workplace. 

"Let's build a gender-balanced world

Balance is not a women's issue, it's a business issue. The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage ...

Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive."

Happy International Women's Day! To all the amazing women on our team, we wouldn’t be successful without them. To the women we are raising that will one day change the world! To all the amazing women in our lives! Mothers, Grandmothers, Sisters, Aunts, Cousins, Friends any and all the women that have touched our lives.

Bettina

We are so honoured to be ranked #2 & #10 in our office for 2018. Kara and I have been a team for almost 9 years now. We’ve been through a lot and the team has grown, we look forward to helping Susanne and Rachael reach the top 10 with us. We are so thankful to all of our clients, friends and family. We wouldn't be here without you. 

We look forward to what 2019 has to bring us....so far we are off to a pretty amazing start! 

Ok, so today's blog is going to be a little rant. 

I don't think I ever truly appreciated a real laundry room more, than when I had to pull out my stacker washer/dryer yesterday to re-attach the dryer vent. We noticed on the weekend that there was a little too much lint accumulating around the machine. Since we didn't get time to deal with it over the weekend, I figured since I had some time on my hands before work that I would tackle it. It couldn't be that difficult right? 

WRONG! I do not know how anyone is even able to repair these machines jammed into these little closets. I pulled out the machines and of course in the process the hose in the drain came out...Now there are a couple things wrong in this picture. Not sure why in a building that is less than 10 years old that the water hoses are rubber and not metal braided hoses. Especially when if they fail it can affect our neighbours below...so we are going to get those changed. But how does it make sense that the drain is half way up the wall (the area I have circled below) and of course the hose that comes from the machine is not a long one.....

So now, I not only have to re-attach the dryer vent hose, but now I somehow have to figure out how to direct this short hose down the drain. The only way to get in behind was to pull the machines out and squeeze between the door frame and machines because there is not only very little room to pull them out, but with all the cords and hoses you can only pull it out so far. I managed to get the lint cleaned up and re-attach the hose...but then I had to figure out how to get that drain hose into the drain....That is where the real fun began...at this point I am starting to build up a sweat as I realize I have to push the machines back in somewhat and climb up on top of the machine. Of course, I decide to do this while my husband is at work...I mean come on I should have been able to do this no problem right. Again wrong, and of course he calls as I am in the middle of it all and laughs when I explain what I need to do in order to get it working. Needless to say I kept my phone close in case I got stuck in behind the machines that I climbed up and over. (Not that I would have liked to make that call..."PLEASE HELP I"M STUCK BEHIND MY LAUNDRY MACHINES....") I could have waited for him to come home, but by this point I was determined to get this fixed. Crazy I know. 

As I climb up on the machines, I realize it is a long way down in behind....so I decide to climb down and then hoist a step stool over and lower it behind. Which worked out perfect...until I had to get it back out. I had pushed the machines back enough to get the hose in and fit the stool back there, but hadn't really thought about how I was going to get the stool back out. So I climb out and end up taking my house coat strap and an hanger to help me hook the stool (thank goodness it was a 2 step stool with a handle). I must have been a sight to see, a grown ass woman lying on top of stacking laundry machines reaching down behind to try and rig a housecoat strap in order to lift up a stool. All while praying I don't end up head first falling behind the machines. 6' from the top down is a long way when you are upside down. 

I won't be repeating this anytime soon, going to call in the experts next time. I will gladly defer to them in the future, that is for sure. Let them figure out how to deal with these situations. They deserve the money they charge for a service call. But as a realtor I truly get it when people look at these tiny closets and dread having their laundry in a closet. I might even know more than them why they shoudln't like having a laundry closet. 

Bettina

A very big Thank you to all of our clients. We couldn’t have done this without you. And a very big thank you to our spouses and families who support us while get to go to work each day doing a job we love! A hashtag I find myself using all the time is #lovewhatyoudo because we truly do love what we do. For the 4th year in a row we’ve achieved not only in the top 10% of real estate teams but the top 1%. We are so honoured to be among the top 1% once again. Tonight we we get to celebrate this amazing achievement at our Fraser Valley Real Estate Medallion Awards Gala. 

Watch any TV cooking show, and you’ll notice that a chef’s kitchen looks quite a bit different than what you’d find in most homes. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t have one just like it in your home! With a little remodeling, and splurging on some new items, you too can have a kitchen worthy of Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver, or Rachel Ray.

Chefs love counter space. So, when remodeling, plan to create as much as possible. If you have an existing island, for example, you can replace the countertop with a larger one. Just adding eight inches in both directions will make a big difference.

Most chefs have more than one oven. If that’s impractical for you, consider buying a double-oven stove. Also, chefs prefer gas burners for quicker heat- up times and exacting control of cooking temperature.

One thing you’ll notice about chefs is they love stainless steel.
That’s because it’s easy-to-clean, hygienic and durable (assuming you take care of it).

Finally, because chefs spend so much time in the kitchen, they want the space to be attractive and comfortable. So, when remodeling, keep decor in mind.

Even if you’re just an amateur chef, creating a chef-worthy kitchen will make the foodie in you smile.

Today is Pink Shirt Day in support of efforts to Stop Bullying of all kinds. Whether it be in the workplace, schools, home or on the internet. By wearing something pink you are supporting the efforts to STOP bullying of any kind.

As social media continues to expand and become a part of our daily lives, so does bullying...unfortunately. Many of us grew up in a time where it was ignored or brushed off as being no big deal. We were taught - "Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me." I was never a big fan of that saying, names do hurt...no matter how much you try to tell someone not to let them. Today it is so much worse than it ever was back when I was a child. Because there is no safe place for people to get away from the bullying. It enters the privacy of your home, whether you like it or not the minute you open up your computer or phone. You can't get away from it! The only way to try and make it stop is to keep putting emphasis on days like today but to be conscious of it everyday!

In Richmond a few years ago on Feb.26th 2012, 500 students took part in a flash mob at the Aberdeen Centre. It brought tears to my eyes back then and it brought tears to me eyes once again as I watched the video that has now had over 131,000 views. I know I'm sappy but it was great to see kids of all ages taking part to help stomp out bullying. I wonder where those kids are today. Take a peak at their youtube video:

http://youtu.be/oJ1A_IBi01E

For more information here's a website set up for the day to share your pictures and thoughts. We'd love to hear from you too!

http://www.pinkshirtday.ca/

Support anti-bullying by wearing PINK! Let's help those without a voice be heard! Let's show them we care!

If you're thinking ahead to your next dream home, the road you need to take to get there may seem confusing. Do you search for listings online? Drop by Open Houses on the weekends? Call the number on For Sale signs?

Let's break it all down! Here are the specific steps you need to take to ensure you find a home that fits your wants, needs and budget.

1. Find out how much your current property will likely sell for on today’s market.

2. Arrange for financing, so you know what you can afford.

3. Select neighbourhoods you'd love to live in. (That may involve some

   fun exploring!)

4. Decide on the type of home you want to buy. (For example:

   detached, three-bedroom, etc.)

5. Prioritize the property features you want most, so you can be flexible

   if a feature is missing from a home listed on the market that is

   otherwise ideal.

6. View properties on the market that closely fit your criteria, particularly

   new listings that may not yet be posted online. (Tip: Arrange to be

   immediately notified of new listings that are a good fit for you.)

7. When you find a home you want, make an offer designed to get the

   property — without overpaying.

8. Negotiate until you secure the deal. This may involve counter-offers.

9. If the negotiation is skillfully done and all goes well, the home is

   yours.

As you can see, there isn't a lot of mystery in finding your next dream home. You just need to take the steps and get the professional help you need along the way.

Looking for a real estate agent that can get you to the finish line? Call today!

Today was a beautiful day in the lower mainland. The sun was shining bright bringing a little warmth to the cold winter air that we have been having. It was the prefect day to take my grandmother out for a walk to grab a bite to eat at her favourite deli around the corner.

Ozzie’s Deli and Meats ….its an unassuming little place. The kind of deli that is quintessential for a small town like Tsawwassen. You wouldn’t think much of it from the outside. But inside, it is the heart of the community and you can feel it beat every time you walk in the door. 

Every time we go for lunch, there are so many regulars like my grandmother, that many people greet each other like old friends. Today my grandmother told me a story about a local woman she knew that now lives in Australia, she ran into her one day where she had literally just returned home for a visit and the first place she wanted to go was to Ozzie’s Deli and Meats.

Ozzie’s has been around for a few decades and the present owner Anya took it over close to 20 years ago. I have no idea what it was like originally, but Anya and her staff have impressed me time and time again with their warmth and compassion. They not only dote on my grandmother but many of their regulars. You can tell each one of their customers holds a special place in their hearts. So much so, my grandmother wasn’t doing well last fall and hadn’t been in for lunch in months. When we finally made it in for lunch they brought tears to my eyes when they shared how concerned they were and so happy to see she had come in. Greeting her with hugs all around.

Ozzie’s serves deli sandwiches, salads, homemade soups, shepherds pie, schnitzel, burgers and so much more, not to mention fresh baked cookies for dessert. 

It is not just a local place to grab a bite to eat. It is a local place to meet and greet.

Next time you are in Tsawwassen stop by for lunch but be sure to bring cash as they are old school restaurant with no debit or credit cards. 

1557 56 Street, Tsawwassen

(604) 943-7511 

Bettina

Relocating to a Different Town or City

Moving around the corner or even across town is relatively simple because you are likely familiar with the various neighbourhoods and you can access them anytime. If there's a listed home you want to view, you can simply go see it.

Relocating to a different town or city, however, is much more challenging. It may not be possible for you to make multiple visits to see homes for sale. You may also be unfamiliar with the various neighbourhoods.

So what do you do if you want to move out-of-town or need to relocate due to work?

Your first step is to get the information you need. You'll want up-to-date data on the neighbourhoods so you can pinpoint the ones that are the best fit for your needs and lifestyle. You'll also want to get a sense of the types of homes for sale in those neighbourhoods — style, size, features, listing price, etc.

Your next step is to schedule a day to view homes. This visit must be carefully planned so you only see those properties that are likely to be of interest. You don’t want to travel all that way only to end up seeing properties you wouldn't likely buy. What a waste of time!

So, if you’re relocating, you’ll need help. Give us a call. We can help make the relocation go smoothly for you.

Most Common Moving Mistakes

Moving can be one of the more exciting phases of our lives, especially if you are moving to the Vancouver or surrounding area! Whether you are relocating to a different residence in the same area or to a different city or province altogether, moving is both an exciting and arduous process. There are literally thousands of meticulous steps that can be taken to ensure the smoothest possible transition. However, taking each step is overkill and it is best to take a more subtle approach and prioritize. Due to the deluge of moving information, tips, blogs, YouTube videos etc, sometimes it’s best to know what not to do in preparation for a move.

Nine Weeks Before

1. Failing to do adequate research.

By this time you should really be sifting through the web and all of its valuable information regarding any queries you may have about moving. 

2. Hoarding.

Use it or lose it! There is no need to keep old stuff that you will no longer have use for. Old possessions can be easily replaced. If you are overloaded with trash, there are multiple junk removal services that can help you get rid of your trash fast!

3. Not making copies of important records.

Due to the chaos that can be moving homes. It’s highly recommended that you make copies of any important archives that you may have such as medical records, financial statements, birth certificates, and school records.  

Six Weeks Before

4. Not ordering supplies in advance.

By ordering all the bubble wrap and boxes in advance you will be able to cross one more task off your list making things just a little less stressful as moving day approaches.

5. Wasting food.

Limit the groceries. There are exceedingly high chances that your freezer holds a lot of food that you may not have been aware about. Try to clean out the pantry and freezer one meal at a time.

6. Not keeping a detailed expense record.

Moving is expensive! Some employers will provide relocation packages that may help cover the cost of moving. Whether it be a flat rate or percentage, make sure to pay extra close attention to your expenditures. 

Three Weeks Before

7. Not booking a high quality moving company in advance.

Moving companies tend to be the busiest during the beginning and end of the month so if your moving day is planned around one of these time frames make sure to book well in advance!

8. Failing to notify important parties.

Obviously you may want to let your utility, cable, and water provider know that you will be relocating and/or no longer needing their services. In addition, it is important to notify banks, schools, and any emergency contact of your upcoming move.

9. Not separating the “valuables.”

Any type of valuable that is easily transported and has significant value should be accounted for and transported personally with you. 

One Week Before

10. Not refiling important medications.

Better be safe than sorry on this one. 

11. Not packing a personal suitcase.

Sometimes your belongings will become shuffled in the fray of moving. Thus, having a personal suitcase is absolutely essential to the process. 

12. Not confirming with the moving company.

For a high quality moving company it would be rather unlikely for them to either forget or omit your reservation, save an unforeseen emergency. Therefore it would be best to double check just to be safe. 

One Day Before

13. Not defrosting the freezer.

This is one of the more common mistakes that can be made during any move and it can be a time delaying, therefore costly nuisance as movers are typically hired by the hour. 

14. Being unprepared for the movers.

It’s considered kosher to provide at least 10% tip and as they are lifting heavy objects around it would be nice to have some refreshments for them. 

15. Not taking inventory again.

Channel your inner accountant. The more meticulous you are, the greater the probability that you will be able to have a successful move and not leave anything behind!

Good Luck!