Wipe down your light switches, dust your lamps and give your baseboards a solid dusting.

2. CHECK OUTDOOR LIGHTS: 

Make sure all of your outdoor lights are working. It gets darker earlier and the weather conditions can be treacherous. 

Make sure you can see your walkways clearly.  Check your outdoor garage lighting.

3. CHAULK YOUR SHOWER: Caulk your shower. Mold and grime get into the crevices and pose health dangers.

Check to make sure your showers and bathtubs are adequately caulked to prevent water damage.

4. CLEAN RANGE HOOD: The stove and oven are getting a lot of use during the holidays. Your range hood funnels out fumes and odors out of your home.  Not only is a dirty hood unsightly but it can be dangerous.

5. CHAULK TOILETS TO THE FLOOR: Caulking your toilet to the floor minimized odors.  It also keeps your toilet secure.

6. CHECK FLASHLIGHTS: Winter is known for power outages. Now is a good time to check all your flashlights and batteries.  Make sure you have plenty of extra batteries on hand.

With nightfall arriving early in the Winter make sure you're prepared for those extra hours of darkness.  Keep a few extra flashlights on hand. 

7. STORE WATER: Now is a great time to stock up on drinking water.  Winter time pipes freeze.  If you're in a warmer climate you still want to ensure you have plenty of drinking water on hand in the event of an emergency.

Be prepared and keep water on hand.  Most grocery stores have water dispensers that allow you to fill your own jugs.

8. STORE CANNED AND DRY FOOD: Winter brings with it storms, power outages and nature can interrupt our daily life.  Make sure you have canned and dried food on hand in the event of an emergency.

9.CHECK ATTIC INSTALLATION: 

Make sure your home is well insulated. Proper insulation can help lower your heating bill.  One of the biggest culprits of a high heating bill is inadequate attic insulation.

Take a moment and check your attic for these 10 common attic insulation defects.   You can also hire a professional to assess your attic.  It's a great investment for peace of mind.

Taking measures to adequately insulate your attic can pay you great dividends.

Unrelenting demand for Fraser Valley detached and townhomes continued in November SURREY, BC – For the fifth consecutive month, demand for real estate in the Fraser Valley showed no signs of waning. Overall property sales for the month of November again set a new Board record.  Sales records were also broken in September and October; and since July, all activity including new listings, has continued to be inordinately high.  The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 2,173 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in November, an increase of 54.7 per cent compared to the 1,405 sales in November of last year, and an 8.3 per cent decrease month-over-month compared to the 2,370 sales in October. The Board received 2,217 new listings in November, a 28.0 per cent decrease compared to October’s intake and an 18.1 per cent decrease compared to the 1,877 new listings received during the same month last year. For November, it was the second highest volume of new inventory in the last decade. Chris Shields, President of the Board, observes, “We’re running out of superlatives. We expected November activity to moderate due to the season, but the desire for family-sized homes and their benefits continues to dominate. Since the summer, we’ve seen the strongest demand in our Board’s 99-year history specifically for single-family detached and townhomes."   "For example, in Cloverdale, demand for detached homes exceeded supply; and in four of our communities the sales-to-actives ratio for townhomes was 50 per cent or more. Meaning, for every 100 active listings, 50 were selling."   November finished with 5,847 active listings, a decrease of 14.9 per cent compared to October and a decrease of 13.2 per cent year-over-year. November’s total inventory was the fourth lowest for the month in the last decade.   Baldev Gill, Chief Executive Officer of the Board, adds, "It’s impressive how consumers – in very high numbers, the highest ever – have adapted to the shifting realities and appreciate our industry’s adherence to strict safety measures. REALTORS® are working very hard currently serving their buyers and sellers using technology and innovation and the numbers clearly show that it’s working."   For the Fraser Valley region, the average number of days to sell an apartment in October was 34 days, and 25 days for townhomes. Single family detached homes remained on market for an average of 32 days before selling. MLS® HPI Benchmark Price Activity Single Family Detached: At $1,061,500 the Benchmark price for a single-family detached home in the Fraser Valley increased 1.4 per cent compared to October and, increased 11.5 per cent compared to November 2019. Townhomes: At $570,100, the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley increased 0.2 per cent compared to October and increased 5.8 per cent compared to November 2019. Apartments: At $435,900, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley increased by 0.3 per cent compared to October and increased 4.6 per cent compared to November 2019.