Until a couple of years ago, internet access was a nice-to-have for most homeowners. But these days, it’s fast becoming a necessity. Kids need good internet to do homework assignments. You may need reliable internet to work from home and attend online meetings.


So, when shopping for a new home, it’s wise to check if the property which you’re interested in making an offer on has good internet available. The last thing you want is to move into a home only to discover that the internet service is slow and faster options are unavailable.

There are many ways to do find out.

For example, most internet services websites have a feature where you can type on the address and find out what type of internet services are available. Pay attention to how the service is delivered to your home, as well as the upload and download speeds.

Traditionally, cable and fiber offer the highest speeds with the most stable connections. However, satellite and DSL can be ve ...

Imagine you’re shopping for a car. You find one that’s a suitable model, a recent year, and hasn’t been driven a lot. The price is right, too.


But, there’s a caveat.

The paint is worn off in several places. The driver’s seat upholstery is torn and requires repair. And, the tires needed to be replaced... a long time ago.

Would you still buy it? You might. However, unless you enjoy fixing up cars, you’d probably hesitate to make the purchase.

After all, in addition to seeing the car itself, you’re noticing the work that needs to be done to fix it.
The same holds true when selling your home.

The more “move-in” ready you make the property the more likely buyers are to become interested in buying it. Like when viewing a car, you want buyers to focus on all your home’s wonderful features, not on the repairs and updates that need to be done.

That being said, how important is it that your home be “move-in re ...

When you’re selling your home, you want to promote those features that will be of highest interest to prospective buyers. After all, the more reasons a buyer has to love your property, the more likely they are to make a great offer.


Increasingly, one category of features that buyers are looking for is energy- efficiency. So, if there are specific energy-saving characteristics of your home, make sure those are highlighted when selling.

When considering the energy-efficient characteristics of your property, consider the following:
- Appliances: Fridge, stove, washer, dryer.
- HVAC: Furnace, air conditioner.
- Insulation. (Especially in the attic.)
- Home technology. For example, a system that automates heating, cooling, lighting, etc., to keep energy usage to a minimum.
- Lighting. Have you switched to LED bulbs or fixtures?
- Windows and doors. For example, did you replace windows in recent years to help lower heating and cooling costs? ...

There are many reasons why a homeowner might want to move. Examples include upsizing, downsizing, work relocation, or simply desiring a change. However, another popular reason for pulling up stakes is noticing that the neighbourhood is changing in a way that no longer fits your lifestyle goals.


For example, say there’s a shopping mall in development nearby. It may not be impacting you now, but in a couple of years, the increase in traffic and noise could nudge above your tolerance level especially if you prefer quiet!

That’s why it’s important to occasionally take a peek into your crystal ball and see what changes to your neighbourhood you can anticipate over the next two to three years.

Of course, there’s no actual crystal ball. But there are ways to determine where your neighbourhood is headed. For example, information is available on:
        - Proposed and planned construction projects, such as a new condo building or school. ...

Andrea Love is an independent animator and director based in Port Townsend, WA. She is a self taught specializing in stop motion with needle felted wool working from her basement studio. Her work has been screened at film festivals around the country including the Tribeca Film Festival and the LA Shorts Fest.