http://www.laurellanerealestate.com/

Laurel Lane Renovation Consultants, Halifax, NS (2026)

06/05/2024

Due to calming inflation rates, the Bank of Canada has decided to drop their overnight rate. This is the first rate reduction we have seen since 2022.

We, personally, welcome this reduction as we have a rental property on a variable rate. How is this rate reduction effecting you? Let us know in the comments!

05/30/2024

Exciting things are happening with development in Halifax! If you own a property on peninsular Halifax, or on the water-side of Highway 111 in Dartmouth, your property may have just gotten a whole lot more valuable! In an effort to ease the housing crisis we find ourselves in, Halifax council recently approved a slew of changes to zoning by-laws allowing for increased density in HRM's urban core.

Stay tuned for more information as it is released and feel free to reach out with any questions you have. We will do our best to answer them.

05/17/2024

When purchasing a property, either as a personal residence or investment property, it is important to have a good understanding of the life expectancy of the various systems that make up your property. Knowing how long these systems will last will help you plan accordingly for their replacement. Whether these systems are at the beginning, middle or end of their life will greatly influence the amount of money you need to set aside for their replacement each month and can have a huge impact on your bottom line. Also, knowing when to repair vs replace is important and can save you time and money in the long run.

For a printable version of this checklist, leave a comment and we will send you one. Also, stay tuned for Part 3: Interior Systems Checklist.

05/06/2024

It is said that the average person makes about 35,000 decisions in a day. Anyone who has renovated a property knows you can make that many in an hour when planning and executing your renovation. The amount of decisions that had to be made when simply tiling this tub surround is shocking, from tile size, color, placement and layout, schluter choices, grout choices and so on. If you are renovating for investment purposes, the quantity and importance of your decisions increase substantially. You have to make decisions not just based on what you personally prefer, but what will appeal the most to the broadest market? What will give you the best ROI? What will save you the most time but still deliver a quality, functional product in the end? And so on. With over 20 years of experience buying, selling, renovating, leasing and marketing properties, we have the knowledge and experience you need to help you make the right decisions and feel confident about them. You don't have to learn the hard way! As I always tell my daughter, "Work smart, not hard".

If you are planning a renovation and need help at any stage, get in touch with us today.

04/22/2024

Attention homeowners in : in an attempt to address the current housing crisis we have in this province, the Government of Nova Scotia has launched a new program to help incentivize homeowners to create more housing, with its focus being affordable housing and housing for seniors.

If you own your home and are considering adding a secondary suite, reach out today and lets chat about it! This is a great opportunity to kick-start your real estate investing goals and, I mean, who doesn't love free money? We can help with initial questions, the renovation planning and process, as well as the leasing of the unit upon completion. Let's get you started on your road to financial freedom today!

04/18/2024

When purchasing a property, either as a personal residence or investment property, it is important to have a good understanding of the life expectancy of the various systems that make up your property. Knowing how long these systems will last will help you plan accordingly for their replacement. Whether these systems are at the beginning, middle or end of their life will greatly influence the amount of money you need to set aside for their replacement each month and can have a huge impact on your bottom line. Also, knowing when to repair vs replace is important and can save you time and money in the long run.

For a printable version of this checklist, leave a comment and we will send you one. Also, stay tuned for our interior systems checklist.

04/12/2024

Thanks, Cristina! We can't wait to see your finished units and are so excited to see you and your husband achieve your real estate investment goals. You are going to have some very lucky tenants in the coming months and we are thrilled you are adding new, desperately needed units to a severely depleted rental market.

If you are thinking about adding rental units to your existing property, get in touch with us first. We can help you make smart, cost-effective decisions from start to lease.

04/04/2024

If you are planning a renovation, either big or small, get in touch and find out how I can help you make smart decisions and save time and money, while designing a beautiful, functional space that will appeal to your target market, command top dollar and give you the BEST return on your investment.

04/02/2024

We help sellers, landlords, renovators and investors through the process of renovating a property with an investment minded approach. With over 20 years of experience in the process of buying, renovating, leasing and selling properties, and a lifetime of passion for it, we have a developed a keen sense of value when it comes to renovating and preparing real estate for profit, and a great eye for potential. We place a strong focus on design, while maintaining the lowest costs possible, to generate the biggest return. We look forward to being able to share that knowledge with you as you invest in real estate, and your future.

*Please note: $6800 is material costs only*

03/27/2024

Although not a new idea, fire blankets are becoming a much more popular choice to traditional fire extinguishers for home owners, and for good reason. I have always provided my tenants with a fire extinguisher which must be kept in the kitchen, as per their lease, but have recently opted to switch to fire blankets. There are several reasons for this:

1) Easy to use and store: Fire blankets are so easy to use, a person of any age and ability is able to use them in case of a fire. They are also smaller and easier to store.

2) They last much longer than traditional fire extinguishers, with many having no expiration date. We have found, however, that some manufacturers recommend that they are replaced every 7 years. *Please check with your blankets manufacturer and follow all recommended guidlines.*

3) Unlike fire extinguishers, some types of fire blankets are reusable. *Please check with your blankets manufacturer and follow all recommended guidlines.*

4) They are a fraction of the price of fire extinguishers. An average in-home extinguisher can run $50-$70 each! Fire blankets are typically $20-$30 each, with most companies offering an even deeper discount on volume orders of two or more.

5) They are mess free! There is no huge mess to clean up like a traditional extinguisher. Just make sure you let them cool down first before touching them after use as they can get hot.

6) Most importantly, fire blankets are safe to use on all types of fires. Just remember to shut off the source of the fire before using a fire blanket when applicable and if possible, such as a burner on a stove.

*Please note: there are companies out there selling fire blankets that do not meet Canada’s standards of safety. Please ensure you are purchasing your blankets from a reputable and certified company, such as 72 Hours or Prepared Hero.*

What do you think? Will you make the switch to fire blankets, or have you already? If you've ever had to use one, what was your experience? Let us know in the comments!

03/25/2024

Spring is here! Now that winter is over, it's the time to start thinking about spring maintenance in and around your rental properties, and that includes the business aspect of it. In today's final part of our three part Spring Maintenance Checklist Series we are addressing tenant maintenance. Tenants are the backbone of our business and can make or break it. It is important to stay on top of maintaining not only their units, but the rules and your relationships with them.

In Part 2 of our Spring Maintenance Checklist series, we addressed items to check and tasks to perform on the exterior of a property and Part 1 addressed the interior.

If you have any questions or can think of something we missed, send us a message or leave a comment below.
Happy Spring!

03/21/2024

Spring is here! Now that winter is over, it's the time to start thinking about spring maintenance around your rental properties. Winter can wreak havoc on a property and the sooner you find and address potential problems, the better.
In Part 2 of our Spring Maintenance Checklist series, we are addressing items to check and tasks to perform on the exterior of a property. Part 1 addressed the interior, and Part 3 will address tenant checks and communications.
If you have any questions or can think of something we missed, send us a message or leave a comment below.
Happy Spring!

Laurel Lane Renovation Consultants

06/05/2024

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