The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Page THE HILLS HOMESTYLE Wednesday January Revamping bathrooms not costly This article Is provided by local realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association OREA for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market When it comes to revamping bathrooms todays consumers have more choice than ever before Modern sinks and tubs come in a wide array of colors shapes and price ranges with something to suit virtually every taste and budget However if you have a small bathroom and a limited budget you dont have a lot of options when it comes to remodelling Short of knocking down walla there isnt much you can do to in crease the physical size of a small room If you fit into this category but want to give your bathroom a new roomier look dont despair By using just a few simple and fairly inexpensive tricks you can make your bathroom appear much more spacious As you begin to plan that new look keep in mind the old adage that simpler is better This cer tainly holds true for small rooms Excessive decoration and bold overpowering patterns can dwarf a room making ft appear much smaller that it really is Try to avoid choosing loud wallpaper or too many ornate ac cessories Remember you want a clean uncluttered look Color is another factor to con sider Dark colors may make a room seem more cozy and in viting but they make it appear smaller as well Bulk dark medicine cabinets and vanities can also emphasize the smallness of a room appearing to gobble up more space than they actually take You should also keep in mind that darkcolored flooring or floor tiles with large busy patterns can make the floor space of a small bathroom appear to shrink LIGHTER AND BRIGHTER Try using lighter colors on the walls and ceiling A monochromatic scheme can open up a room Basic colors like cream or white look attractive and allow you greater versatality when it comes to choosing ac cessories If you have dark decorative wall tiles with large patterns you might want to con sider replacing them with something simpler perhaps plain tiles with an attractively patterned border Clear or pastel shower curtains with a light airy pattern can help open up the room Use of area rugs as opposed to walltowall carpeting also helps create space because the smaller rugs visually break up the floor space Installation of a pedestal sink can create more room both visually and physically The only drawback of course is the loss of storage space that a standard vanity unit provides If storage is not a problem this may be the route you want to take Sleek and stylish pedestal sinks are cur rently very popular BE CREATIVE Many older smaller bathrooms have wallhung sinks If you have one of these units you may want to think twice before replacing it Though often small in size these sinks can be given a new look when fitted with attrac tive skirting this covers the ex posed pipes and provides extra sight storage space Corner sink units are another spacesaving option for a small bathroom or These units can fit easily into a comer taking up much less room than a conventional fullsize vanity MIRRORS AND LIGHTING Mirrors are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to visually increase space in a small bathroom You may want to con sider installing a large wallhung mirror or purchasing a good- sized cabinet with mirrored panels Bright lighting can also help to open up a room A skylight for in stance can create the sense of being in a larger room A luminous ceiling is another op tion However these two alter natives may be more expensive than those previously mentioned Talk to the experts at your local building centre to get a better idea of the amount of work these projects would involve as well as the costs This article provided by local Realtors and the Ontario Real Estate Association for the benefit of consumers In the real estate market Wouldnt It be wonderful to be able to gaze into a crystal ball to find out what types of problems or benefits you might encounter with the house youve just decid ed to purchase Wouldnt it be helpful to know if the foundation Is really as sturdy aj it looks or if the plumbing and wiring conform with current standards A home inspection will give you the opportunity to have the house examined closely qualified professionals for overall sound ness and any possible faults in essence a top tobottom physical for your future home These inspections are a fast easy and relatively inexpensive way to find out just how your future home measures up A home inspection can also give you a good idea of what to expect in future home maintenance costs Experts will tell you whether the roof will need replacing in two years or ten or if the furnace is really likely to last another winter or two Theyll also let you know if the wiring and plumbing systems meet cur rent standards When you consider that a home is probably the single largest purchase youll make in your lifetime it makes sense to do as much preparation work as possi ble A thorough home inspection may also save you from making a big mistake If there are a lot of major problems requiring Im mediate attention you may want to reconsider the deal or renogotiate with the vendor Some lending institutions now re quire a home inspection before approving a mortgage CONDITIONAL CLAUSES Home inspections are general ly done following completion and acceptance of an offer to pur chase As a buyer it is up to you to request that a conditional clause is inserted in your offer noting that the purchase is con tingent on satisfactory comple tion of a building inspection Once the offer is accepted it is then up to you the buyer to make ar rangements for an inspection When shopping for an inspec tor try to find one licensed in a buildingrelated field such as an architect contractor or struc tural engineer Your realtor can probably recommend several to choose from You may also want to ask your friends for referrals to good inspectors Call the recommended firms and get a few price quotes Also make sure you ask about the firms qualifications and how long theyve been in business Ask for references and check to see if they guarantee their in spections Do they also provide pest detection for carpenter ants and termites If certain types of pests such I as termites are a problem in the area you may even want to call a local exterminator to do an addi tional inspection of the property A thorough inspection lasts about two to three hours and should include all aspects of the house wiring plumbing founda tion and overall structure roof the heating system windows and doors To help you get the most out of your inspection its a good idea to write down questions in ad vance that you may want to ask the inspector Most inspectors in vite their clients to accompany them as they go through the house This is an excellent op portunity for you to learn as much as you can about your pro spective investment so make sure you take advantage of it If you dont understand something thats being explained dont be afraid to ask questions Remember youVe paying for this service SUMMARIZE Once the inspection is com plete the inspector will probably sit down with you and summarize his findings Inspection firms generally supply written reports complete with cost estimates for immediate and future repairs These reports are extremely helpful because they help you remember what was said during the inspection or even years down the road you can still access the information The cost for home inspections vary with the size of the home its age and condition as well as the geographical area Survey Completed Friday January MORTGAGE RATES ANNUAL INTEREST SIX MONTH ONE YEAR TWO YEAR THREE TEAR FOUR YEAR TOE YEAR TRUST COMPANIES Canada Trust NA 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 Municipal Trust NA 1275 1250 1250 1250 1250 Trust 1250 1250 1250 1250 1175 CHARTERED BANKS Bank of Commerce 1250 1250 1250 1250 Bank of Montreal NA 1250 1250 1250 1220 Bank of Nova Scotia NA 1250 1250 1250 1250 Royal Bank 1250 1250 1250 1250 Toronto Dominion 1325 1250 1250 1250 1250 This survey was prepared to help the Herald readers track weekly Bank and Trust Company rates Home inspections good investment Ahh Peace on earth at last or at least here at 14 Croissant Crescent The twins are actually doing their homework Em is at the local high school starting her French lessons and for the first time in what seems like weeks the house is free of relatives So as planned I headed up to the attic to start my caulking and weatherstripping project I got a great pamphlet from The Hydro and it said ihc best time to caulk the attic is in the winter because its not too hot up there and its also easier lo feel the spots where warm airscoming in i from below i I was surprised to that up lb 5 per cent of ihc air leaks in a house arc right in the Anyway Em and I want to insu late up there so we had to do this caulking and weatherstrip first had to laugh though remem bering whal just happened I Em and the kids will never let me live it down Wc were up there just last week storing the Christmas dec orations when my foot slipped die joists and I put my Toot right through Belindas bed room ceiling What a mess with Belinda screeching and plaster in the hamster cage Then the next day Em was on the phone one of her cousins talking about something Great Aunt Hilda had done which annoyed me and she said Phil was so mad Eihel He just went through the roof Then she realized what she said everybody the iwins includ ed burst out laughing And then of course Ethel had to have an explanation Anyway I got a great caulking gun for Christmas and went to ihe mall to get the right stuff I went alt out and got ihc type of caulk ing which lasts aVleasi 10 years According tq the pamphlet caulking and weatherstripping arc sort of like ihc same dog but with a different tail caulking seals edges ihatTncci but dont move and you weatherstrip when one surface moves like at ihc bottom of a door It was easy And I have to say Im looking forward lo cutting down on our healing bill Up lo 25 per cent The Hydro said I could use the money Itll pay for a sheet of plaster board and some paint for Belindas ceiling This newspaper in conjunc tion with Ontario Hydro is bringing you Phils Basement to help bring home ideas on how to save energy To receive the brochure Caulking and Weatherstripping call Ont ario Hydro at I HOO2639000 and tell them Phil sent you