Moving in a month!

We take possession of our new house in a month! A month! This time next month, I'll be cleaning out my apartment and sprucing up our new digs. I can't wait to move in, get settled and start enjoying the new home.

But, at the same time, we have only a month to get ready to move. We need to get estimates for knob and tube rewiring (we're going to use my purchaser's visits to do so, so we can hit the ground running). We need to finalize insurance details and send off more forms to the lawyer. We need to transfer our services and arrange for mail to be forwarded. We need to measure rooms and plan out where furniture needs to go. We need to start planning our decor. Oh yeah, and we actually need to pack!

I do, however, feel like we're making progress. Mr. Speedy and I have been clearing out our closets and donating any clothes that we haven't worn in the past year, to minimize the amount of useless stuff we actually need to move. We'll do the same as we start boxing up our stuff, too.

Our new mantra is to only keep, and buy, stuff we truly love, rather than stuff that we can make do with. This is great for reducing our throw-away consumption, but it also means that I'm agonizing over decisions! 

For example, I'm on the hunt for a new table and table runner. My new dining room is rather narrow and rectangular, with lovely glossy white baseboards and a built in wine cabinet. The existing wall colour, which I like, is a greenish-blue, and the light fixture is a funky round chandelier in a smoky grey. I want to replace our existing dark wood, round table with a long, rectangular model, perhaps in glossy white. I've been eyeing West Elm's parsons table, though have also had my eye on a few glass-topped models. I can't decide!

As for the runner, I recently saw the great Chilewich placemats and runners, shown, while shopping on the Danforth. It's kind of funky and modern, in an easy to clean vinyl, and I thought the circles would be a great match for the chandelier, and a nice contrast to the rectangular table and room.

But what colour? I'm worried the black will look too stark on a white table, but also fear the smoke will be a little blah. What do you think?

Catch up on the home hunt:

So we bought the house, now what?

More negotiations

Getting a home inspection

Making an offer

Home hunting makes me nauseous

How to know when the house is right?

Resources for first-time buyers

Our first showings

Crunching the numbers

Finding Mr. or Mrs. Right ... Realtor, that is

Home hunting: Exciting, terrifying, all-consuming

What do we want in a home?

Am I house crazy?

Poll: Mandatory energy audits

Well, the results are in, and the majority of Yourhomers aren't fans of mandatory energy audits.

Last week's poll looked at the Green Energy Act proposal requiring energy audits with home sales. As I've blogged previously, I'd like to know about the energy efficiency of a property before purchasing — but I don't know if it should be mandatory or the seller's responsibility.

It would appear that Yourhome readers, or at least those who vote, are more decided on the matter, with a whopping 71 per cent saying that energy audits should not be a mandatory part of selling a home. Just over a quarter, at 26 per cent, said mandatory audits were a good idea and the remaining three per cent said they didn't know.

This week, our poll stays on the green trend, asking whether you're planning any green renovations or upgrades within the next year.

Inspired by the dramatic eco-friendly renovations profiled today, I want to know your plans! Are you upgrading your bathroom with low-flow fixtures? Improving your insulation? Upgrading your on-the-way out fridge with a more efficient model? Or even changing up your palette with some low- or no-VOC paint? Let me know.

Cast your vote on the front page and check in for the results next Saturday!

And, once you've checked out those fab reno jobs, I encourage you to peruse our new navigation here on Yourhome, read up on Colin and Justin's gloomy to glam living room makeover and get behind the bricks with the Libfeld brothers.

A marker for all wood tones

I, like many others, have relied on the standard black permanent marker for quick repairs.

From hiding a nick in my heel to discreetly covering up a scratch on my coffee table or a friend's leather sofa, a quick colouring job makes everything almost as good as new.

Now, Sharpie has stepped up its game with wood tone series. The Sharpie Touch-Up Permanent Marker has been advertised to "Touch up furniture, flooring, doors, cabinetry, wood trim and picture frames with a few quick strokes."

Available in light wood, medium wood and dark wood hues, you're likely to find a decent, if not perfect, match for your banged up armoire or table.

The company recommends starting with a lighter shade and moving to a darker one if required, and using a cloth immediately after colouring to remove extra ink, as allowing ink to sit longer before wiping will result in a darker colour — which may help with matching, or create an unsightly blight on grandma's dining table.

Sharpie says the markers are for use on pine, oak, cherry, walnut and mahogany surfaces.

I haven't tried it yet, but I will definitely pick up a pack when I see it in store. I may be moving in the not-too-distant future, and it never hurts to have a back up plan for all those scratches, dings and dents!

Do you use permanent markers for touch-ups, or other creative uses, at home?

Is now the time to buy?

Looking at the recent headlines in real estate, it's easy to get confused whether now is the time to make a purchase in the Toronto market.

With prices slipping, the housing market in a "correction", the new renovation tax credit and low interest rates, proponents are saying now's the perfect time for new buyers to enter the market, or for existing homeowners to upgrade — so long as you plan to hold on to the property for a little while.

Others say prospective buyers should hold off, as the market has further to fall, with many predictions forecasting the beginning of a rebound in 2010.

And, the other side argues that with all the current economic uncertainty, it is a shaky time to enter the market and people should hold off for more stability.

Meanwhile, housing starts fell in January and the city has plans to bump taxes for homeowners by four per cent.

What do you think? Should renters like myself be pumping up that down payment fund? What advice would you offer to new buyers?

Read more on this topic:
Canadian new home prices slip again
The take on the tax hike
Homeowners face 4% tax hike
Loss of confidence swamps housing market
Housing starts down 11 per cent in January
New tax credit for home improvements

New reno tax credit a money-maker?

Yesterday's budget announcement (get the full details here) included a few incentives for first-time home buyers and renovators.

If the budget passes, first-time buyers will be eligible for a 15 per cent tax credit to help with closing costs — such as legal fees and land-transfer taxes. The credit will apply to up to $5,000 in costs, and, to a maximum of $750, will come off of taxes owing. Additionally, first-time buyers can borrow up to $25,000 per person from a RRSP without paying tax or interest if the money is repaid over 15 years.

Much is being made of the temporary reno tax credit. (Government details on the credit are here.) Homeowners (renters aren't eligible) can get a 15 per cent tax credit — up to $1,350 in tax relief — on projects completed by Feb. 1, 2010.

Not all projects are eligible — that new home theatre system for the Super Bowl just won't cut it, nor will routine repairs and maintenance. The credit would apply to improvements such as kitchen, bathroom or basement renovations or building an addition or deck.

In an interesting twist, the Star's Ellen Roseman writes in her column that the reno tax credit will "be a money-maker for the federal government."

She writes that the government could gain tax revenue and a paper trail for home improvements that were previously done under-the-table. To qualify for the tax credit, homeowners must supply receipts for the work done.

She also writes that the credit is unlikely to spur major spending, saying it is unlikely to encourage new projects among people concerned about job security. Rather, she says, it will likely only speed up projects that were already planned.

On thestar.com, 62 per cent of respondents said the credit won't persuade them to fix up their home. Thirty-two per cent said it would spur home improvements.

What do you think? Will the tax credit encourage you to take on a new project? Could this become a government money-maker?

Time to shop for an emergency kit?

Thankfully, I was not among the thousands who lost electricity on Thursday night. But the prospect of 24 hours without power in this freezing cold has certainly made me question whether I'm prepared for such an unfortunate event — and the answer is no.

I have a handful of tealights around my apartment, and, if hard pressed, I could perhaps find some matches.

I know I own a flashlight. I have no idea where it is.

I have a feeling that's not really sufficient to keep me warm and light my way in the event of an extended power outage.

As for food and water, the pitcher in the fridge may not be enough to hold us over, and a half-eaten box of crackers is the only snack not requiring some degree of preparation currently available in my pantry.

Had I been in the east end, I would have had minimal light (unless I happened upon my elusive flashlight) and little food that didn't require preparation. Not good.

So, I'm going to take this outage as a wake-up call and finally stock a proper emergency kit, starting with proper candles, matches and snacks like granola bars. At least I already have the blankets and playing cards!

Check out tips for on surviving without electricity in our power outage primer.

Do you keep an emergency preparedness kit? What do you think a good kit should contain?

What tips do you have for staying safe (and entertained) during a blackout?

(Shutterstock image).

Getting your home ready for the holidays

For many, myself included, the upcoming holidays mean decorating, cleaning, shopping and entertaining. But the festive season can also motivate people to tackle maintenance and decor tasks before family and friends come to visit (read up on how to create the perfect guest room here).

In last week's poll, 13 per cent of Yourhome readers said they planned to complete some repairs around the house before the holidays, while 32 per cent said they aim to complete renovations and an ambitious 10 per cent said they would be doing both. The remaining 45 per cent said they have no pre-holiday home improvement plans.

Personally, I'll be doing some repairs —  fixing things like my drippy sink, which probably should be done anyway — before I go away for the holidays, but I'll be saving any painting or other work for a less stressful time of year.

For inspiration on working to a deadline, check out our Room For Improvement series, where writer Denise Holtby and her husband are documenting their efforts to complete a full bathroom renovation in two months.

And, be sure to vote in this week's poll, which asks when you start decorating for the holidays. Do you take a cue from the shops and pin up your holly besides ghouls and goblins? Or do you wait for December to polish up the ornaments?