Alta Vista (Ottawa, ON)
By Valerie Zinger, Home Organizer
(House Proud Ottawa-Ontario-Canada)
There was an era when plasterers were hired during house construction to finish off the lath and plaster walls and to do decorative swirls and curls and strange designs on the ceilings.  If I had to guess the time frame, it would be around 1920 - 1970.  Do you know what I mean?  You can see some these designs in older homes in Sandy Hill, the Glebe, Ottawa South, etc. Some of them are beautiful and reflect real craftsmanship.  Others - well - not so much.   I was out with a buyer looking at homes built in the 1950s.  In the basement of one home the ceiling had been plastered - BUT - it was as though they had paid for the plaster by the truckload and were moved to use it all.  The ceilings were low, especially where the heating pipes had been encased.  The plaster, dried and hardened aft...
Comments 54
By Valerie Zinger, Home Organizer
(House Proud Ottawa-Ontario-Canada)
   When you think you have seen everything when house hunting, there is still more to surprise you.  A few years ago, I was looking for a new house.  I must have seen over 20 homes when lo and behold - a bathroom with a clear glass door.  I thought it was a joke.  Who would want to have the most private room in the house, clearly visible?  My only thought was that nudists lived in the house.  It would be bad enough that everyone can see how clean or dirty the room is BUT it would also be a huge surprise to dinner guests and visitors. If you think the clear bathroom door brings light into the rest of the house, you may be right.  However, privacy will always trump light when it comes to bathrooms.  I never went back to that house and thought it was a unique ‘feature'.  Later in my search...
Comments 26
By Valerie Zinger, Home Organizer
(House Proud Ottawa-Ontario-Canada)
Well, I have taken photos of the snowmen that are leaving for a better home and these are just two more.  Clearly there was a time when adding numbers to my collection was more important than adding quality.  They are serving their final purpose here by wishing you a Merry Christmas. 
Comments 11
By Valerie Zinger, Home Organizer
(House Proud Ottawa-Ontario-Canada)
Are your kitchen cupboards jam packed?  I was in a kitchen design shop yesterday (Laurysen Kitchens) and was shown a really cool set of kitchen cupboards for the wall in the kitchen that does not have a counter top.  They were only 6' high.  There were no cupboards extending to the ceiling.  The designer said that very few people wanted this design because they preferred more cupboards tp open space.  In fact, she said, people with 10 ' ceilings still want storage to the ceiling.  She said you would need a ladder to get to those cupboards.  What on earth are people keeping in those warehouse size kitchens?  When your house is on the market, Buyers will want to know if there is room to store their things in your house.  Even if you have enough cupboards space take out anything in the ki...
Comments 16
By Roch St-Georges, Real Estate Agent | Agent Immobilier
(EXIT Realty Matrix LTD., Ottawa, ON)
What happened in Alta Vista and Faircrest Heights, Ottawa during the month of April 2010? The neighborhood of Alta Vista in Ottawa saw a total of 7 sales in April 2010. The average days on the market of the homes sold in April 2010 in Alta Vista and Faircrest Heights was 15. The longest days on the market was 44 and the shortest was 3 days. The average price of homes sold during the month of April 2010 in Alta Vista was $563,057 an increase over last years $486,600 average during the same period.. The highest priced property sold during the month of April in Alta Vista was $740,000 and the lowest was $381,500. Compared with April 2009 homes in Alta Vista are selling much quicker this year. Average days on the market of homes in Alta Vista, Ottawa during the month of April 2009 was 62 da...
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Ottawa, ON Real Estate Professionals