Saturday, May 29, 2021

Welcome to the Carnegie! Fantastic 2 Bed 2 Baths & Den Condo with 975 sq. ft. For Rent!

 



If peace and serenity are what you’re looking for, look no further! Welcome to the Carnegie, situated in one of Vancouver’s finest neighbourhoods, Kitsilano. This fantastic 2 bedroom 2 baths & den, 975 SQ FT home offers a very functional layout featuring a gourmet kitchen set up with a granite countertop/ breakfast bar and separated dining space from living room with a cozy gas fireplace. After a long day’s work, relax in your wrap-around private serene patio/garden space. Huge patio, south facing and enclosed with a barbecue grill included. In-suite washer and dryer. Separate dining area. The den area makes a perfect office or baby room. Situated on the Arbutus Greenway, you are within walking distance to many shops, cafes, restaurants, Granville Island, the seawall and Kitsilano beach!

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Housing rental scams confusing amid ‘desperate unprecedented times

Rental scams in Vancouver and across Canada have been on the rise for years, but COVID-19’s slow-down of in-person property viewings and interactions with landlords may make it even harder for people to figure out what’s legitimate online.

A recent article published by Vancouver is Awesome narrates an incident where the scammer even met the Burnaby residents in person pretending to be the landlord of the unit advertised on craigslist and then later fleeing away with their money.

Don’t Wait for Keys to be Couriered:

No company/landlord will send you keys to the property without meeting with you or having you see the home. If someone offers to send you keys in exchange for money, it’s probably a scam. We have heard plenty of horror stories about people who sign a lease and send a security deposit, but they are still waiting for keys to the property.

These craigslist rental scams are no new stories, so the renter must be alert and aware. Here are some tips to be armed with the correct information, so renters can be sure that they’re protecting themselves and their wallets by looking out for red flags.

If you are dealing with a property management company in BC while searching for a new place.

Here are some tips:

  • Do extensive research via google and social media platforms
  • Do a license check through the real estate board of the British Columbia(REBC)
  • Do not send any money before signing an agreement

If you are dealing directly with the landlord

Here are some of his tips:

  • Ask references from the landlord
  • Ask for proof of ownership, such as land titles or a city property tax assessment, or ID.
  • Avoid any money transfers and cash payments that are not traceable and do not pay upfront.

With all of the stresses searching for a new home and moving to bring, the fear of falling victim to a scam is extra worry renters don’t need.

The best way to protect yourself from rental scams is by renting through a reputable property management company like First Stay Realty Inc. With many property owners and tenants’ services, our team of experts works diligently to protect owners’ investments and provide tenants with a smooth, worry-free rental experience.

For more furnished/unfurnished rental properties in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, visit https://firststaybc.com/.


Saturday, April 3, 2021

Best Packing and Moving Tips: How to Make Relocating Less Stressful?

 


We often need to shift places because of professional or personal reasons. Moving places can be stressful and packing and moving everything safely is no doubt the most hectic part of the entire process. Here are some of the moving and packing tips and tricks that will make your relocation easier. Hiring relocation services in Vancouver British Columbia will make things a lot easier after following all these tricks and tips.

So, if you are planning for relocating and are desperately in need of packers and movers to help you with the moving process comfortably, hire the best ones who can offer you a safe and convenient movement of all your belongings.

While the professionals know the best way to do their job, there are some packing and moving tricks and tips that can be followed to make the entire journey hassle-free and easier. These will help you easily transfer your belongings without having to worry about damages. Read on to know more.

  • Start as early as possible

Start packing early. In this way, your everyday task will be simplified. For instance, starting from the rooms that you rarely use, move towards the area in the order of increasing movement. Avoid chaos, and spread your work according to the number of days.

  • Pack smartly

When you shift from here to there, packing the right belongings is the most essential thing. The simple ways to pack while moving is considering the things such as the items packed by you, how efficiently the items are placed in the boxes, how many categories you have divided your packages into, and how well they are placed in the vehicle, all of them play an essential role.

Smart packing starts by creating an inventory or a checklist of everything that needs to be packed and checking all the items that are packed already while moving house. Don’t throw the inventory away because you might need it while unpacking the luggage.

  • Mark every bag that will be packed

After finishing with the packing work, let’s move ahead. Ensure to mark the boxes as “linens”, “fragile”, “accessories”, separating liquids and electronics from each other, so that nothing gets damaged. In this way, you’ll not only sort everything while unpacking things but this will also save your time and do something more important.

  • Do not use duct tape, instead of a packing tape

Duct tapes are the ones on which a person shouldn’t rely. It doesn’t work the best while holding heavy materials tightly. So, it is recommended to use the packing tape, as it stays for a longer time and is reliable as well.

  • Use anti-static packing bubbles

Keep the electronics away from the things which can lead to electricity. Since anti-static bubbles are safe with electricity products and don’t produce them, they are perfect to keep electrical belongings. These can easily be bought from a store near you.

  • Security and safety

While packing and moving, the major concern should be safety and security. An expert hack tells you that while packing everything, make sure to take extra care of fragile stuff. Also, make sure to go through all the items if they are packed in the right manner and are stored well.

A safe packing can only be ensured with leasing services in Vancouver. They will not only help in packing and moving your valuables but will also help to unpack every box at the relocated destination. Get all the benefits at affordable prices. Go ahead and make your relocation process easier with the help of experts.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Smart Solutions to Make the Most of the Space You Have

One of the biggest complaints people have about their houses is that there’s not enough storage space. In fact, a lack of space is the number one reason people decide to purchase bigger homes.

But if buying a house isn’t in the cards for you right now, there are plenty of steps you can take to better utilize the space you do have.


Clean it out!

This may seem like a no-brainer, but the best way to create storage space is to get rid of things you don’t need. This is easier said than done for a lot of people. If you’re someone who likes to hold onto everything and has trouble deciding what to throw out, here are some helpful tips to clear out common household items.

  • Clothes: A helpful trick for getting rid of unworn clothes is to hang everything in your closet backward, with the hanger hook facing toward, instead of away, from you. As you wear items throughout the year, hang them back up the correct way. At the end of a year, whatever is still facing backward should be given away. Additionally, you should clean out your drawers between seasons. If you haven’t worn an item for an entire season, chances are, you won’t wear it next year. Anything with unintentional holes or stains should be thrown out, and anything that Doesn’t fit should be donated or sold. A lot of people like to hold onto clothes that used to fit them with the hopes of losing weight in the future. If you truly don’t want to part with these items, consider boxing and putting them in the attic to make room in your drawers.

  • Toys: If you have kids, you know how quickly toys can accumulate and take over your house. Plus, even if it isn’t consistently played with, it’s hard to convince a child they no longer need a particular toy. If something hasn’t been touched in a while, move it out of the room and into a temporary storage space. If it goes unmissed for a period of time, you can safely take it out of the house for good. You can also tell older children that you’re planning to give their toys to other children who need them — they should be old enough to understand this concept and may enthusiastically clear out other toys they no longer play with.
  • Papers/Perishables: If you have piles of junk mail, letters home from school, old art projects, and grocery lists eating up room on your countertops, don’t worry — you’re not alone! In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to let things pile up. Take time to go through those piles and get rid of what you don’t need. If you can’t part with some of these paper items, consider clearing out a drawer or investing in a filing cabinet to store them. You can also put especially keep-worthy school art projects inside a bin in your attic.
  • Miscellaneous Junk: We all have infamous junk drawers in our houses. These drawers hold everything from old birthday candles, safety pins, and broken pens to ripped gloves and old pot-holders. Chances are, you could throw out everything in these drawers and never miss them.

    But they’re still worth going through a few times a year to make sure you aren’t missing anything important. Everything else can be thrown out or put into small containers/plastic bags and stacked back in the drawer to make room for other items you actually need.

Pack it away

The key here is to put away everything you’re not using during a particular time of year. For instance, winter jackets, snow boots, sleds, and snow blowers have no use taking up room in your closet or garage during the summer months.


Move these items to more permanent storage when they’re not being actively used. These are the best places to store items you’re not currently using:

  • Attic: If you have attic space in your home, make sure you utilize it. Everything from winter jackets to holiday lights can be stored in the attic when they’re not being used.
  • Under the bed: Putting clothes under your bed when they’re not being worn keeps them out of your way but close by in case you want to wear them.
  • Shed: If you have a shed in your yard, you should store all outdoor/landscaping items in it, rather than in your garage. Garages can quickly become overcrowded if they accumulate too much.
  • Storage unit: According to Cost Helper, the average storage unit costs $40-$50 per month for a 5-by-5-foot unit and $75-$140 per month for a 10-by-15-foot unit. If you can afford it, storage units are a great asset that can allow you to save space in your home.

Invest in Smart Storage

If you’re struggling to find space in your house, luckily, many options exist to organize and save room in the storage spaces you do have.

  • Vacuum-sealed bags: These bags compress clothes, pillows, blankets, and other soft items to help them fit into tighter spaces. You can stack and store them away in closets or under beds and you have the added bonus of knowing your items will be protected from outside damage.
  • Stackable storage bins: If you find you’re running out of space in drawers or closets, consider organizing your items into plastic bins. Unorganized messes can take up more space than clutter organized into containers.
  • Shelving and cabinets: Adding closed or open shelving units throughout your home can take care of storage and also provide an attractive feature if used in the right way. But if you don’t want to add shelves into high-traffic areas, consider putting them in laundry rooms, garages, or other less-seen areas of your home.
  • Hidden storage: You can add hidden storage spaces in numerous places in your home, including on staircases and inside furniture like coffee tables and ottomans.