Ottawa Hull, ON

Buyers look for every indication that a prospective home has value. One indicator is bathroom and kitchen plumbing fixtures. People love fancy taps. special heating racks for towels, whirlpool and jetted tubs, showers with multiple shower heats and jets. What about toilets?

Have you heard of Toto plumbing fixtures? Are you selling in an up market and want your bathroom to stand out among the competition? Look for the Japanese bathroom fixture brand Toto. We have all heard how the Japanese have got plumbing done the right way. Well, the Toto toile is an example of this. They are enormously popular in high end homes and motels. It may be a case of "Snob-ism" but

A Toto may give you a Royal Flush

Photo credit: TOTO Toilet

I have lived in a city my whole life. The concept of wood fire for winter heating is just foreign to me. Still, my railroader father had a number of expressions that would make you thing we lived on a farm and that all kinds of bad things would happen. He used to say things like - "Take you out to the back 40" (meaning something like take you out to an undeveloped area where things could happen and no one would know - like shooting the dog (which we did not own and did not have a gun). Going to get spanked behind the woodpile was another threat. We did not have a fireplace let alone a wood pile. Imagine how damaging that would be when you live in a city. You will never have an affinity to rural areas. Still, I have lived my whole life so far without facing the danger of the wood pile or of the back 40.

I took this photo this summer at my friend's lake where wood piles and outdoor biffies are common.

Photo credit: Truth to Taking You Out to the Wood Pile

If your friend or family member is buying a first home, here is a housewarming gift that is useful and humorous. Buy a small tool box. Get the latest Yellow Pages and add a pre-paid cell phone. Put the Yellow Pages and the cell phone in the tool box and tie a ribbon around the box. Voila.

Instant Tool Kit

It is funny but also useful as everyone can use a telephone and eventually start to fill the tool box with tools. Have some fun giving a gift but remember not to clutter the new home with stuff that has no purpose.

Photo credit: Ottawa Carleton Yellow Pages @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/23389883@N04/3780787945/

I remember buying my first home. The papers were signed and there we were...home owners. I didn't sleep a wink that night. Now I couldn't just call a landlord to take care of the mainetenance or any problems that would arise. We were now the almighty landlords, so it was all on our shoulders. But once I wrapped my head around a good cup of tea the next morning and thought about all the pluses of owning a home—the freedom to change it as per your own style; pride of ownership; ability to sell and make a good return on investment—then, I realized the decision was the best decision I could've made!