Alaina Burnett PREC* : Oakwyn Realty Downtown Ltd. : : page 13

Dealing with an Unsightly Neighbor

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Alaina Burnett

Riding my bike through the streets of East Vancouver, I looked at the homes as I rolled by: a charming craftsman, a re-imagined Vancouver special, a peeling heritage Victorian, a new shingled Cape Cod, a modern box….a run-down “crack shack”. Outside the decrepit home, a shirtless, bearded hippie on a slackline practiced balancing between two trees. I stopped and walked by bike onto my friend’s porch. As we sat, taking in a glass of wine near Commercial Drive, she lamented: “In Vancouver neighborhoods, where home prices are soaring far above $1 million, what do you do when your neighbor is letting his home rot into the ground?”

I looked over to her shoulder, and immediately knew what she was referring to. Next door, the siding was falling off the side of the house, exposed clapboard showing signs of mould. The tar shingle roof was covered in moss. The garden was full of Morning Glory, which was starting to creep over the house, and under the fence and onto her property. The front of the house was almost completely obstructed by unkempt rhododendrons, and a dandelion-filled “lawn”. To the side of the yard, the remains of an upright piano sat, peeling and rotten. Which leads back to my friend’s original question: what can one do? I made a few suggestions (from worst to best):

WRITE AN ANONYMOUS, OR NOT SO ANONYMOUS, NOTE:
If you’re a direct person, you may consider writing a carefully worded note, suggesting that neighbors (spread the blame around!) would love to see the property tidied up. If the note is anonymous, you’re likely passive aggressive or dislike confrontation. Who can blame you? If the note is signed by you alone, be prepared for dirty looks and awkward encounters.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD
Perhaps if your neighbors see you working on your yard, or making improvements, it may serve as inspiration to keep up with the Joneses. It sounds like a stretch, but it has worked for some! However, if the property is tenanted, this likely won’t help.

DROP HINTS TO THE NEIGHBOR
If you happen to run into the problem neighbor, drop hints like “we are thinking of getting our house stuccoed/painted/re-roofed/fumigated/bulldozed, and we may be able to get a discount if we both get it done….are you interested? Can I send them over for a quote today?”. Or have your tradespeople put flyers and business cards in their mailbox. When you’re in the garden, talk loudly to passersby about how rewarding and stress relieving it is to get out in the fresh air and Dutch hoe, hoping to be overheard.

LEAD THE CHARGE
A friend recently conveyed the story of her widowed 85 year-old neighbor, whose home is an eyesore. Instead of complaining, a few neighbors banded together and offered to help with the garden, and powerwash her deck. She refused, so one friend took her out for lunch while the others did a quick clean-up around the yard. This is certainly a good-karma approach, although you may not feel so generous towards a slum-lord.

CONTACT THE CITY
Likely your best bet is to call the City. According to Vancouver.ca, the City can help with “properties in poor condition, suspected hoarding, vehicles parked in the front lawn, visible mould in rental properties, home based businesses where customers are coming on-site, overgrown yards, illegal suites and illegal uses, operating without a business licence, and fences in disrepair”. You can request a property-use inspection by calling 3-1-1.

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Renovating on a Budget, Part 1

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Alaina Burnett

I recently finished renovating, top to bottom, a 25 year old home with my husband. While the home wasn’t THAT old, the original owners had never upgraded anything unless it was a necessity or an emergency. Looking back on what we accomplished in such a short period of time, I thought I would share some renovation advice that has served us well:

DO AS MUCH DEMO WORK YOURSELF AS YOU CAN
My husband commenced renovating the night we “moved in” (just a mattress on the floor), ripping up 2 different colors of cheap laminate in the bedrooms. I would have helped him, but I knew that from that point onward, our home would be a dusty construction zone. From there, we would remove more laminate, 400 square feet of tile, 300 feet of dirty pink carpeting, and several walls (NOTE: remove the drywall, but only remove the studs if you are sure the wall isn’t load bearing!). Oh–and all the cabinetry and appliances. If you have the time and a little expertise, handling at least parts of the demolition yourself saves a lot of money that you would otherwise have to pay another professional to handle. Also, it’s gratifying to see the progress you make from day to day!

CHANGING THE PLAN? YOU MAY NEED A PERMIT
If you are removing load-bearing walls, or making major changes to plumbing and electrical, you may need to obtain permits from your local City Hall. One benefit to doing your renovations with permits is giving reassurance to potential Buyers that your upgrades were done properly, when you decide to re-sell.

START WITH WHAT OTHERS WILL SEE
If you plan on renovating your home in stages and on-budget, start by looking at the EXTERIOR of the home—windows, cladding, roof, gutters. While these aren’t “romantic renovations”, upgrading and maintaining these items will protect your investment and pay dividends. With interior renovations, start with the areas where you live and entertain first. Create a living area that you will be proud to live in. As a general rule, kitchen and bathroom renovations can make the most difference, and add the most re-sale value to a home, provided they are done tastefully!

PAINT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Paint is probably the least-expensive upgrade you can make to your home—inside or out. For a timeless look, choose neutral colors. Bright, bold colors can make a statement, but they can look dated after awhile, and you may tire of them. You can always make color statements with accents such as throw cushions, rugs, and other accessories that can be easily changed out. Aside from the walls, paint made a huge difference to the look of our staircase, brick fireplace, front door and hot water baseboards.

CHOOSE FINISHES THAT SUIT THE HOUSE AND CURRENT (LIKABLE) DETAILS
Our home came with some charming ceiling moldings and a white plaster and marble fireplace, which we intended to keep. In leaving these features, modern kitchen cabinets, for example, would look out of place. We built our vision around the elements in the home that were charming and worth keeping—which is the point of renovating, instead of starting from scratch! Of course, if the home is an all-around dump with no redeeming qualities, then make sure you have a cohesive vision for the entire home—traditional, modern or contemporary.

HIRE PROFESSIONALS WHERE NEEDED
Sometimes, doing something yourself versus hiring a professional can mean the difference between Mickey Mouse and Masterpiece. Know when renovations are outside of your scope of knowledge. Generally, plumbing, electrical and major structural renovations should be left to the experts.

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Renovating on a Budget, Part 2--Vancouver Gems for Upgrading your Home

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Alaina Burnett

Posted in upcycling, renovations, design, art, bargain hunting

Renovating on a Budget, Part 2--Vancouver Gems for Upgrading your Home

Further to my recent blog, Renovating on a Budget, Part 1, I thought I’d mention a few “hidden gems” in Vancouver that have budget-conscious finishing touches. I’m omitting the obvious “Big 3”: Home Depot, Rona and Lowe’s. Note that I don’t have a direct affiliation to these stores—I’m just getting the word out!

AMAZON
You can comparison shop the “Big 3” vs. Amazon. Often, Amazon wins–if you can wait a day or two! We sourced bendable baseboards (surprisingly expensive), exterior door hardware, light bulbs, electronic doorbells, video security, and VERA, (our talking smoke/carbon monoxide detectors) online at lower prices.

JACK’S NEW AND USED BUILDING MATERIALS
Jack’s is on Still Creek Dr. in Burnaby. Aside from new and used doors, they carry demolition treasures–beautiful millwork and finishes from old mansions that have fallen victim to the wrecking ball in Vancouver. From chandeliers, to kitchen cabinets, to toilets and appliances, Jack’s is a scavenger’s dream. I purchased a new fiberglass door with a large glass insert for $120 (retail: $400). When it’s time to renovate our bathrooms, I will likely source a claw-foot bathtub here.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RE-STORE
Contractors and Do-it-Yourselfers will often donate leftover materials or scrapped finishes to the Re-store. Tax receipts are available for larger donations. The stores are volunteer-run, and raise money to build homes for deserving families. They have kitchen cabinets, art, furniture, construction tools and fixtures. I personally bought two light fixtures and some backsplash tiles for our basement ($3 per square foot instead of $8). Check out Habitat’s website for locations: www.habitatgv.ca. There are locations in South Vancouver, North Vancouver, and two locations in Burnaby. I had the best luck at the huge Enterprise St. store in Lake City.

DISCOUNT KITCHEN AND BATH CABINETS
This store, off of Lougheed in Burnaby, has designer-look sinks and faucets, and lots of cabinetry options, at very low prices. They have paired with some counter-top fabricators as well, so they are a one-stop shop for kitchen and bathroom cabinets. They are great for basement suite renovations!

UP-CYCLING WITH SELLUTION AND CONSIGNMENT CANADA
Up-cycling is the act of re-purposing or refurbishing something older instead of buying something new. Oftentimes, this means better quality workmanship, and a better choice for the environment! Stores like Sellution on Kingsway (I believe they have moved from their original Main Street location) and Consignment Canada on Pemberton in North Van have some cool furniture and art to add character and warmth to your home. You can even use stores like these to sell your current furniture, should you want a change! Even better, Sellution carries chalk paint by Van Gogh. It’s an easy-to-use, locally-made product that is low VOC and great for refreshing old furniture! I recently transformed an ugly cane coffee table into a shabby chic piece for our living room. Channel your inner Martha Stewart and see what you come up with.

RESTORATION HARDWARE OUTLET
Those in love with RH’s sleek style may not know that there is a Vancouver outlet at Morgan’s Crossing in South Surrey. Until recently, Tulalip was your only option for a deal—and that location has closed down! At the Morgan’s Crossing outlet, they oftentimes have 30% or 40% off the entire store, or they rotate the sale on certain categories of furniture. Note that everything on the floor is for sale, and you may have to arrange for delivery (they don’t order online for you, stock is added on Tuesdays and Thursdays)! Contrary to rumors, prices are in CANADIAN DOLLARS, and if you love something, buy it—it may not be there tomorrow.

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1637 GRANT STREET, Vancouver East, BC

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Alaina Burnett

I just finished uploading this Duplex for sale, 1637 GRANT STREET, Vancouver East, BC

This charming Craftsman-style ½ Duplex has it all! Just steps from Commercial Drive, yet quiet and private, it features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms up, a spacious living area with 9’ ceilings and 2 cute porches on the main, and a flex space on the lower level. Lovingly maintained, it boasts many recent improvements, including newer paint (inside and out), custom-ordered kitchen cabinet additions, and flooring upgrades to the upper and ground floors. The attached one car garage has lots of extra storage and space to tinker. A private patio in the rear of the property is the perfect place to entertain friends, BBQ, or create a garden oasis. Walk to shopping, dining, Britannia Elementary and Secondary, countless parks, community centre and transit.

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