Finding homes in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and the Edmonton region of Alberta is what I do for a living. I think of myself as pretty good at it, but I learned a few new things about the process recently. The being in need of a home was not a person, but a cat who decided my home was a good place to live!
I like cats, and dogs too, but because both my wife and daughter have severe allergies, we’ve never been able to keep a pet. This sweet little cat arrived at our door and showed no signs of leaving, especially after we fed her. It seemed as though we’d have to keep her, even though my wife Paulette was covered with hives. What to do?
After the cat had been hanging around our house for a few days, becoming more skittish and scruffy-looking, I asked my cat-loving assistant if she wanted to adopt another cat. Regrettably, no, but she had a few suggestions. The cat has to belong to someone in your neighborhood, she said, so why not put a sign on the mailbox at the end of the street? Ring doorbells up and down the street and ask if anyone’s lost a cat. Put an ad in the local paper. Contact local vets or the local pet store to see if anyone’s reported a missing cat. Contact Parkland County Animal Control to report finding a cat. When I told her Paulette and our daughter Devan were on their way to deliver the cat to the Edmonton Humane Society, she was horrified. I was under the impression that the Humane Society tries to find new homes for cats. That’s true, she said, but many don’t find homes and are euthanized. I immediately phoned Paulette to get her to change her plans.
If the old legend of cats having nine lives is true, then this cat had at least one of her lives saved that day! Paulette had decided to take the cat to one of the veterinarians in town to see if they could help. The vet checked the cat and discovered that it had been tattooed. What’s more, the vet was able to match the tattoo information with the name and address of the cat’s owner. It turned out that the owner of the cat had recently moved to our neighborhood. The cat had not yet gotten used to its new surroundings. Lots of happiness all around when the cat was reunited with her family.
So, what did I learn from this experience?
You’ve just moved into your new home in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, or elsewhere, and you plan to enjoy and use your new property for many years. The last thing on your mind at this time is the expense and aggravation of unexpected repairs.
Did you know that each element in your home has a predictable life span, an approximate time limit to a trouble-free operation? If you know what this life expectancy is, you are in a better position to plan for the inevitable maintenance that comes with home ownership.
If the roof on your home has asphalt standard shingles, you can expect to have to replace that roof in 12 to 15 years after the home was constructed. An asphalt premium shingle has more than double this life span: 15 to 30 years. Wood shingles last only 10 to 20 years, while a slate tile roof, although much more expensive to install, is expected to last between 40 and 80 years.
What about home heating and cooling? Most homes in Alberta have forced air furnaces for heating; 10 to 25 years is their life expectancy. Central air conditioning will need to be repaired or replaced after 10 to 15 years, while window air conditioning may operate without problems for up to 20 years.
You might be surprised to learn that a hot water heater as young as 5 years may need to be replaced. After 15 years, it might be a good idea to replace it simply as a precaution since that is the end of its normal expected life span. Galvanized water pipes are expected to last between 20 and 25 years. If you live on an acreage with a well and septic system, expect to replace your well pump after 10 years and your septic/sewer pump between 5 and 10 years.
Budget for home appliance replacement also. Expect 5 to 12 years of use for both an automatic dishwasher and a garbage disposal. The range in your kitchen will generally run trouble-free for 15 to 20 years. In the laundry room, 5 to 15 years for a washing machine and 10 to 25 years for a dryer are standard.
The above information comes courtesy of Pillar to Post Home Inspections. Click on this link from their Living with My Home website for a detailed chart showing the life expectancies of other home components, as well as approximate repair and replacement costs.
Real estate’s number one criterion really plays out in Stony Plain. Located within Parkland County 8 km west of Spruce Grove and 17 km west of Edmonton, with easy access to all the amenities of both cities, Stony Plain retains its rural roots while offering modern transportation options via Highways 16, 16A and 43, as well as rail and bus links. Travel times: roughly ½ hour east to Edmonton (great for commuters), an hour to the Edmonton International Airport, 3 hours west to Jasper, 3½ hours south to Calgary, 4 hours north to Grande Prairie. Check out Stony Plain’s official website.
Quiet small town atmosphere, 14,000 friendly residents, safe and secure streets along with every convenience of modern life.
Many towns claim to cater to every taste and budget but Stony Plain truly does have something for everyone: condos and low-rise apartment buildings in Downtown Stony Plain, mobile and modular homes in Meridian Meadows, all the way up to luxury homes on acreage properties within town limits in Country Plains Estates.
From the former AlbertaFirst.com website (recently discontinued): “The Town has a pride in its history which began in 1881 when the first homestead in the area was documented. In 1892 the area was known as Dog Rump Creek until a post office was named for the region and it became Stony Plain. In 1907, Stony Plain's first Sheriff, Israel Umbach, made national headlines when he chained a locomotive to the railway tracks for non-payment of taxes and changed the course of history. In 1908 Stony Plain was officially incorporated as a town. Stony Plain's history is kept alive through its murals program, numerous historic sites, and the Multicultural Heritage Centre.” Interested in learning more about the rich history and interesting tales of this area? Check out Along the Fifth: A History of Stony Plain and District.
Twenty-six larger-than-life outdoor murals, historic buildings such as the Stony Plain Hotel which dates from 1906, quaint shops, and one-of-a-kind restaurants make it a treat to stroll through the downtown core of “The Town with the Painted Past”.
6. Multicultural Heritage Centre: So much to explore! Housed in two buildings, the Old Brick School built in 1925 and the Oppertshauser House which dates from 1910, this centre with its beautiful landscaped grounds and gardens features displays and exhibits of local history and pioneer life, a gift shop and art gallery, Wild Rose Library and archives, and the much-loved Homesteader’s Kitchen restaurant, famous among locals for its fresh pies! Also worth a visit is Stony Plain’s Pioneer Museum (5120 – 43 Ave) which hosts the Pioneer Harvest and Old Time Threshing Bee in September.
Summer festivals reflect Stony Plain’s strong rural traditions. Late May/early June features Farmers’ Days and Kinsmen Rodeo, complete with parade, midway, carnival games, arm wrestling competition and more old-fashioned fun. The Blueberry Bluegrass and Country Music Festival, attracting well-known names and world-class performers, takes place each July (celebrating 25 years in 2010), followed in August by the Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade goodies, and handmade craft items are in abundance every Saturday morning from mid-spring to early winter at the Downtown Farmers’ Market at the Stony Plain Community Centre (5008 – 51 Avenue) and at the Heritage Park Farmers’ Market (5100 – 41 Avenue).
Everything you can imagine! Sports of all kinds for all ages (soccer, hockey, baseball, basketball, golf, curling, skating, skiing, martial arts, BMX, you name it!), gymnastics, dancing, clubs of every description, and much more. For specific details visit the Community Connections section of my website and jump to the category of Sports and Recreation, or to individual activities such as Golf, Ball Sports, etc. But there’s more. Stony Plain also has an extensive parks and trail system running through town, and is just a few minutes away from the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre with its spectacular sports facilities, and the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area in Parkland County, as well as numerous other lakes and campgrounds.
Why would you want to live anywhere else?! Contact me now for real estate opportunities in Stony Plain.
Stop in at the Home Depot or Canadian Tire in Spruce Grove on any Saturday and you’ll know that doing your own home maintenance is big business in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and the Edmonton region. We all want our homes to look good and be up-to-date, and many projects are fairly easy and even fun to do, with a little instruction. A few words of caution however: If you do decide to do the job yourself, the finished product must look as though it was done by a pro! With that in mind, it makes sense to educate yourself about the requirements and standards for each job, and that includes getting proper permits and inspections.
Where do you go to get the information and help you need so you can do it yourself?
Happy renovating!
It’s time to sell, and you want to get as much value from your Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or Edmonton area home as possible. What “improvements” will make that happen?
Most people want to buy an up-to-date home. If you’ve been thinking of selling your home, you’ve probably heard this advice:
But these are mostly cosmetic touches. What if your property needs the real estate equivalent of open heart surgery? If you invest the money to do major repairs, like reshingling the roof, or to do major updates, like remodelling a bathroom, will you get your money back through a higher selling price?
The truth is – probably not. Renovating just before you sell is a risky proposition. Any improvements you make to your property may make it more attractive to buyers which may result in a faster sale – or even determine whether it sells at all. You may get a higher selling price than you would have before the renovations. But it turns out that most renovations will not increase the value of the property by 100% of the retail cost of professionally done renovations, with a couple of exceptions.
Ergil & Jackson Appraisals Ltd. in the 2010 edition of their Home Renovation Guide include an extensive list of renovations together with approximate costs, and the possible returns on investment in both percentages and dollar amounts. Their calculations are based on a hypothetical 1200 square foot bungalow located in the city of Edmonton and hiring out the work.
According to this guide, most renovation projects, small or large, will net you a return of only 50 to 75% of your investment.
So which renovations are the best compromise between making your home look its best and giving you a high return on your investment? Improvements that give you a return of at least 60% include:
Saving the best for last: There is one renovation that will give you your money back, and then some. Good old-fashioned interior or exterior paint, one of the easiest and cheapest renovation projects, especially if you do it yourself, could give you back up to 115% of your investment.
Check out Ergil and Jackson’s other suggestions and advice for keeping or increasing the value of your home.
A word of caution about renovations in general: Whether you hire someone or do it yourself, the finished product must always look as though a professional did the work.
For more tips on selling your home, check out the Sellers Guide on my website.
Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, Edmonton area Alberta real estate. Helping you find the perfect home, condo, acreage, or sell your treasured property.
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