8 Ways to Maximize a Small Place in Style

Posted on August 14, 2018 by admin01

You don’t always need a large space to create a stylish room, in fact sometimes a smaller place can look better in comparison to a large room, when styled correctly. After all, it is still possible to paint a beautiful picture on a small canvas!

Keep reading to learn some ingenious tips and tricks on highlighting your small room/lot and initially maximizing its size by barely doing anything at all.

1) Firstly, this one is very helpful to decrease cramped living spaces, also it is guaranteed that, if done right, this will practically always look good. Mount your TV. It is known that media consoles are some of the biggest space wasters in a room, and by mounting your television you are initially regaining precious floor space which you could definitely put a more purposeful use to.

2) Next, this tip is very helpful if you love having family and friends over. It is recommended that you incorporate a sofa bed, or day bed into your space. On a related note, try to integrate more dual purpose furnishings into your living space. For example: an ottoman which can be also used for storage.

3) Then, mirrors are known for visually enhancing your space and tricking the eye into believing the room is larger and lighter.

4) Next, outfitting a small space with large furnishings can make your room look larger as opposed to using many small furnishings which can ultimately make your small space look cluttered, crowded, and messy.

5) Another great furniture tip is awesome to use in any home, and is also perfect for if you love having friends and family over. Get an expandable dining table. That way you are not taking up excess room in the area when you don’t need it.

6) Keep curtains and walls light. This way the room appears larger. Additionally, by hanging curtains a couple inches higher than usual, this leads the eye up, makes the room itself look more elegant, as well as gives the appearance of taller ceilings!

7) Small rugs can tend to visually break up the floor, therefore, large rugs are the way to go to maximize the space!

8) Invest in low seating options. By using low seating, you are making the ceilings look higher. Just add in a couple throw pillows and blankets to make it comfy!

Thank you for reading these tips on how to maximize your living space in style!

Let us know what you think, and if you have tried any of these or have any additional tips of your own!

Hot Products Used in New Home Construction

Posted on August 7, 2018 by admin01

There is no doubt whatsoever that everybody wants their house to be physically appealing, and to have that house on the street that everybody envies. There are many hot new products being used in new home construction, some of which are being incorporated into our properties here at Sunlight Heritage Homes.

Firstly, geometric patterns and designs for flooring are currently in the spotlight. They give your space a newly needed edge and design without the unwanted appearance of a cluttered space. They can transform a simple room into something stunning so they are definitely something you should consider if you are looking to update your living spaces. These types of flooring are very popular in bathrooms, however they can be incorporated into living rooms and bedrooms using hardwood, as seen below.

It is no secret that high ceilings, large windows, and open layouts are the key to modern living; a look which a majority of people are striving to achieve. With the continuous flow of light emerging from those gorgeous tall windows, the room is struck with soft sunlight, giving the home an ethereal glow.

Also, to take a step further, installing solar paneling windows would be an excellent idea in order to take advantage of all that incoming sunshine. By doing this, you are saving money by harnessing the power of the sun to your own advantage which you could then use towards lighting and heating as well!

Additionally, speaking of light, unique lighting fixtures are also a must. They add charm to your room and serve as an excellent focal point as well.

Next, a great way to spice up your living spaces is to add a bit of bold coloring. Whether it is the wall color or wallpaper, or some bold furnishings, they will add to your room and help curate a color scheme, this way, you can make any plain room into something fun and exciting.

This one is a personal favorite because of how effective it is; heated floors. This is an excellent feature to incorporate into bathrooms because nothing is worse than stepping out of the shower to be to be greeted by arctic temperature tiles meeting the soles of your feet, and I guarantee that once you are accustomed to heated floors, you will wonder where they have been your entire life.

Those are just a handful of the hot products used in decor and new home construction today!

Let us know if you have incorporated any of these into your living spaces, we would love to hear about it!

Top Ways To Settle Into Your New Home

Posted on August 2, 2018 by admin01

Moving into a new home is a challenge that can be both exciting but overwhelming at the same time. With mountains of boxes and bubble-wrap, you may be overcome with panic as to where to begin with making your new place feel like home. Here are some helpful tips as to where to get started on your journey of becoming a new home-owner.

This is more of a safety precaution, but it is very useful and should definitely be put into consideration. Securing all your locks. It is a possibility that the previous homeowners as well as who knows who, own copies of the home’s keys, or know the pass-codes, so it would be a clever idea to call up a locksmith to change the locks, or simply change all the opener codes.

While it is not considered the most fun, it is one of the most useful. Take care of the bigger stuff first. By unpacking the larger items such as the chairs, beds, couches, etc, you are allowing your new place to slowly feel more like home, since you will have a place to sit, sleep, and so on. Plus, if you do this first, you’re getting the base idea for your home complete, and all you have left are the small items.

Another good way to start settling in your home is to, prior to placing all your items down, you should clean the area, and do any repairs. It would be easier to do this in an empty room as opposed to an already filled, decorated room. An example would be walls; they would be much easier to repaint when there is nothing in the room yet.

You don’t have to unpack everything in one day, so only unpack the essentials the first day. This includes things such as: kitchen appliances- toasters, coffeemakers, utensils, plates, pots, mugs, toiletries, and so on. This will make your transition a lot smoother, and more comfortable, especially when you don’t wake up frantically the next morning because you have work and don’t remember where you packed your favorite coffee mug.

Take a look at all safety devices. This includes fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure they are all working- have batteries, far from expiration date, etc, solely for the safety of you and your family.
Change your address, meaning, transfer all your services, financial companies, utilities, etc, to your new address. This way you won’t miss anything such as bills, and you won’t have items you purchased online delivered to your old address.

While there are many more ways to settle into a new home, these tips should definitely be put into consideration. This is a new beginning for you, so make the most out of it and have fun!

Let us know what you think about these tips, and whether or not you have any important tips that we may have missed!

The Maddox – Model Homes

Posted on August 2, 2018 by admin01

Located in our newly released, Fox field Trails Phase-4 community, is our Maddox model.The Maddox is a brand new elevation situated in London, Ontario, with an elegant as well as modern floor plan, featuring 4 bedrooms along with 2-1/2 bathrooms totaling to a square footage of a whopping 2802 SF.

The main floor is an open concept layout displaying a dining room, living room, breakfast area as well as a kitchen along with a walk-through pantry. The living room is open aloft featuring elevated ceilings which allows for a grand fireplace and large windows for more light to bypass, and perhaps allowing a luxurious 2-tier chandelier to swing from the ceiling.

Additionally, what makes this house so special is the impressive glass features that it possesses. When you step through the front doors, you are greeted with an office inclusive of 2 large panes of glass that are both clear and frosted for privacy when needed. On the second floor en-suite, there is a gorgeous walk-in shower with 2 glass walls not to mention, a free standing tub giving you the ability to soak in a nice hot bath after a long day of work.

When you purchase one of our new homes, (Which now all include an asphalt driveway), you will receive $20,000 design center credits, and to find out about more great features this house holds, visit our website and talk to our agents in order to get your dream Sunlight Heritage Home!

Contact one of our agents at: 226-271-2260

The Basics to Landscaping Your Yard

Posted on July 31, 2018 by admin01

Landscaping plays quite an important role in the physical appearance of your home. It is the first thing people see when they see your property, and some good or bad landscaping can make or break a home’s whole look, as well as increase or decrease its overall value.

Here is an example of how landscaping can make a big difference.

As you can see, the homes look way different when they are nicely landscaped. But then you may be thinking, “I want to landscape my home but I don’t want to hire a designer”, well there are some easy ways to make your home look nice, without the help of anyone. These are some ways to landscape your home depending on your lot and other contributing factors.

The first thing to remember is, do not ever neglect your front yard. As stated by HGTV, many people often mainly focus on the backyard, forgetting the front yard, however that is where everyone’s first impression of your house develops.

If you are looking for something simple, the best thing to start with is just keeping your grass clean and cut. Make sure you keep your grass short, but not too long. It is suggested that you cut down to 1/3 of its original length to ensure healthy grass. Too long means too much moisture, and too short attracts too much sunlight. Also don’t forget to weed your yard because they can spread fairly fast, which does not look very nice. As a result this can drastically change the appearance of your lawn, from messy to well kept.

Landscape with the shape of your home. Take into consideration the size of your home, since the main goal of landscaping is to effectively display your house. If you use small flowers on a large house, they will not be noticed as much, so consider shapes and masses when developing a plan. Use large items that can be seen from the distance, but do not cover windows and doors. Group plants together and use some variation and repetition, while going along a color scheme as well, otherwise too many colors can overpower the yard.

Consider maintenance. If you are landscaping your yard to appeal to potential buyers, try to make it look both nice, and low maintenance, because an extravagant garden may have strong curb appeal however many people would not like to think of themselves spending hours taking care of it. Some low maintenance items to consider include:
- Mulch beds
- Lavender plants
- Crushed stone
- Perennials
- Ribbon grass
- And more found here!

Next, a helpful tip is: do not plant hedges, trees, and plants too close to walkways. It is recommended that you plant them so that you have approximately 2 feet of free space around the walkway. This ensures that the plants won’t grow onto the pathway, thus restricting the pathway.

This is an important one, and it is, make the entrance obvious. Don’t tell me you’ve never came across a house where you had absolutely no clue which door was the front door. Trust me, you do not want to be the owner of one of those. It just makes everything confusing because your guests do not know where to go. As a result, make the main entrance the focal point and have your landscaping focused on highlighting it.

To conclude, those are just some of basics to landscaping your yard, every lot has potential, and with some time and hard work, yours can look incredible as well.

Let us know what you think of this post in the comments below, and tell us if you have tried any of these, or if you have any additional tips that we may have missed.

Adding Style To Your Home On A Budget

Posted on July 24, 2018 by admin01

It is not always necessary to spend thousands of dollars to give your home a stylish touch. There are many ways you can decorate your house when you are on a budget, and it can look even better than some of the furniture stores you see today.

Some suggestions include: shopping second hand, seeing what family members have that they do not use, garage sales, antique stores, and more.

If you are hoping to redecorate your home but you are on a tight budget then don’t worry about hiring someone to come in and help you. There are some awesome sites on the internet such as Pinterest, that have lots of DIY ideas that allow people to create fabulous items on a low budget, which you can also personalize to your own liking, that can end up looking like they’re right out of a furniture magazine. You can also see room design ideas online as well, which can be very helpful. This is also where your family and friends can come in to assist with the helping of moving items and building them, which overall can become a fun experience for everyone.

Chunky X Media Console

You could even hold a party to help you with the efforts of painting, laying tile, or anything else you have in mind. Friends and family are always willing to come and help with a design and/or decor project and if you provide the food and drinks then they usually will never say no.

When you are on a budget it is hard to find the best pieces and you have to be flexible. You can shop at second hand stores and find really nice furniture, paintings,
rugs, and more. Sometimes what you may find will need a bit of love but they make for great pieces. If you are willing to shop used, you will be surprised at some of the awesome items you can find at these places that you can use that will make your home look fabulous!

You can go to furniture stores and find defective furniture that is still brand new for very low prices. Some of the furniture might have a scratch that is barely noticeable at an excellent price.

Strategies for Updaing Thrift Store Finds-11

3 Strategies for Updating Thrift Store Finds!

When you are on a budget, you have to think cheap but be creative and it can look like you paid a good penny for it.

Tell us about some of your success stories for adding style to your house on a budget, we would love to hear about them!

Monthly Maintenance Tips for Your Home

Posted on July 24, 2018 by admin01

Considering owning a house is one of the biggest investments somebody can make; caring for and maintaining it is a must, in order to keep it in tip top shape and to avoid any additional expenses that could have been prevented.

There are many precautions that you need to take into account each season in order to guarantee a healthy, trouble-free home.

Here are a few helpful tips regarding each season, to keep your home clean and caution-free.

SPRING

Clean out your gutters because it is likely that they they are clogged with leaves and grime that would have accumulated over the course of the previous seasons
Check for damaged window screens, spring is insect season, and you probably don’t want them inside your home.
Clear up dead plants from the exterior of your home or they can grow into the cracks along your house and cause a lot of damage.
Inspect your roof for leaks since it rains a lot in the spring, and a damaged roof could potentially be a problem.
Check if your paint is still in good condition, since it protects your shingles and exterior from rot and water damage.

SUMMER

Check up on your deck/patio, it may need some re-staining and a good wash, also keep an eye out for loose boards and nails.
Clean your garage, the accumulation of dust and grime in the garage is often neglected, so it would be smart to give it a nice clean if you want to extend its life.
Check grout in all your rooms; kitchen, bathroom, etc. This is in order to keep the tiled surfaces looking much better.
Clean your pool, pool maintenance is necessary in order to keep the water clean and safe to use.

FALL

Purchase winter gears; shovels, salt, etc. That way you are prepared for when winter strikes.
Change batteries/check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
Check how your chimney is doing, it might need repairs or cleaning, and that is necessary if you are planning to use it in the upcoming cold weather.
Check your heating and air conditioning systems. If you have central air, cover the outside unit. Check for leaks in doors and windows.

WINTER

Regularly clear snow and icicles, especially above doorways because this can become quite dangerous.
Check out your basement. Usually, like garages, if basements are primarily used for just storage, then they can often become overlooked, thus accumulating mold, mildew, dust, dirt, etc.
Check your snowblower. Make sure it works in advance, you don’t want to be stuck with a driveway full of snow.
Test your electricity, you definitely don’t want that going out on a cold day.
Test all locks, deadbolts, tighten doorknobs, handles, etc. Just safety precautions.

Thank you for reading these seasonal safety precautions, they will definitely aid you in keeping your home clean and safe.

https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/maintenance-and-repair/repairing/checklist-for-a-trouble-free-home

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/realestate/home-maintenance-checklist

Keep Your House in Tip-Top Shape: An Incredibly Handy Home Maintenance Checklist

Decorating Tips and Home Design

Posted on July 17, 2018 by admin01

We can all agree that everybody wants their house to look nice, and it is actually not that difficult to accomplish. There are many ways you can spice up your living spaces, such as using pops of color or contrasting wallpapers and designs!

Here are some things that you can incorporate into your living spaces to make them more appear more stylish.

Firstly, authentic textures and natural characters are very in at the moment.

So, incorporating things into your home, such as brick or stone, and wood paneling can freshen up the look of your room. Additionally, depending on how you would like your room to look, the colors you choose to work with is quite an important factor to consider. Using light colors can make your room appear larger, and more inviting, whereas dark colors absorb light, thus giving the impression of a smaller room.

Next, pops of colors can really change the appearance of a room for the better, if used correctly of course, and by adding small things, you can give a plain room a whole new look. By having a room with generally one color, such as white, as you can see below, adding any other color will create contrast thus making the room more exciting. Colored paintings, rugs, flowers, throw pillows, paint, and many more items to choose from can all change the way your room looks, and tie it all together.

Thirdly, another great way to make a statement is to use various wallpapers, you can easily bring personality to any room by throwing on a cool pattern or texture. Statement walls are especially popular right now and can refresh a room; the bathroom, bedroom, living room, it really works anywhere you’d like.

By using different wallpaper designs and colors, you can set the entire theme for the room as well, so the walls play a very important role in determining the feel and atmosphere of the room. The pink room featured above gives off a funky, hip vibe using pops of hot pink and floral designs, where as the light grey walls featured to the left, is more of a calm, soft atmosphere. Again, colors and patterns are very important factors to consider.

Next, plants can give your room an earthy feel, and are quite popular right now.

There are are many benefits to having plants in your home as well, not only do they make your room look and smell better but they also:

serve as a mood enhancer
encourage stress recovery by lowering heart rate
filter airborne microbes, reducing 20% of dust in the household

And those are just some of the ways you can spice up your living space and make it more you.

Tell us about some of the ways you added some of these techniques to your home or what you think of them, we would love to hear about it!

New Home, New Tech!

Posted on January 24, 2018 by admin01

Everyone wants to save money, make life easier, and frankly, have cool gadgets in the home. While some features are more practical than others, consider these advances in new home tech for your new or remodeled home.

HOME AUTOMATION:

Advances in home automation make it possible for virtually everything in your home to work together—from lighting, energy use, heating and cooling, security systems, door locks, garage doors, pools, home entertainment, and more. The options are limitless and it can all be controlled—even remotely—from a single screen, touch pad, or smart phone (iPad, iPhone, Android).

Some companies today make products that do what many new technologies only promise to do: make life easier by combining all of your home automation controls into one touch pad. Control devices can be retrofitted with components that “talk” to your home’s electronics—from the thermostat and alarm to the home entertainment system.

SOLAR POWER:

We have all heard this one before, but we’ve been waiting for a breakthrough in residential solar, and here it is. A solar system can produce 20 to 100% of the annual power needed to run a home. In Ontario we even have government backed homeowner incentive programs to help get you started and with the incentives the electricity off the roof is close to the same as buying power from Hydro One. Add future rate increase(s) and the solar electricity gets cheaper every year.
Check out Solar Ontario for some more info.

INDOOR KITCHEN COMPOSTING:

While not quite as cool as home automation or outdoor media systems, indoor composting can be as easy as throwing out the trash—and a lot less smelly.
A home composter sporting a carbon odor filter and an automated grinder that renders garden-ready fertilizer in just two weeks is available in the Linkyo Kitchen Composter. The indoor/outdoor bin slips inside any standard 15-inch-wide base cabinet. Install it under kitchen countertops for easy access while working in the kitchen.

SUN TUNNELS:

Not every dark room is suitable for a skylight. The room may not have space on the ceiling or the attic may have obstructions. The Velux Sun Tunnel is a flexible tube that can navigate rocky paths out to the light and deliver into the room a small, round portal of light (14 inches or 21 inches in diameter).
These tunnels can bring light to typically dark areas of the house—closets, hallways, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. Plus, the design is a lot more elegant than the typical window-on-the-ceiling skylight.

WIRELESS SPEAKERS IN CAN LIGHTS:

Can lights are small circular lights inset in the ceiling. They add elegance to any room. Now you can have the advantage of combining can lighting with ceiling speakers.
The Klipsch LightSpeaker system, which won the innovation award at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, is particularly cool because the speakers are wireless and install like a light bulb—just screw them in.
You can program each system for two different zones, so you can listen to different music in different rooms. Let there be light—and sound!

SMART GRID APPLIANCES:

As you work toward making your house interconnected, master-controlled, and wireless, don’t leave out the washing machine.
LG and other companies are increasingly offering smart grid appliances that you can control from your smart phone or tablet computer—or even remotely. When you’re on vacation, you won’t need to wash a load of laundry back home, but with this new technology you can monitor the energy use of each appliance and diagnose problems from ANYWHERE.
You’ll also soon be able to determine how much electricity or gas your appliances are using. With this knowledge, you can adjust when you use your dishwasher or dryer based on your utility’s peak time. Peak times are high-usage hours, and utility companies charge more during those times.
Setting your appliances to operate in low-usage times IS smart! And wouldn’t it be cool to tell your laser robot vacuum to have the house cleaned before you get home.

Model B

Posted on January 11, 2018 by admin01

In our Sally Creek Town home neighborhood we have town home units with different models that we are offering. Model A, B, C ,D. These lots are located near the Sally Creek Golf Course. Back yard views facing the golf course greens.