Your naked backyard is costing you money
If you’re like us, you decided to purchase a newer home that happens to be built on a smaller lot, and you’re likely staring at your neighbours at some point. Maybe it doesn’t bother you, maybe it does. Hey, we all can’t afford an Estate property. Lets face it, newer homes have their ups and they have their downs. Most newer homes have beautiful open-concept layouts and are designed for today’s modern families and are more fitting to the way we use our homes today. Gone are the days of the separate Kitchen or sunken living room, or ugly cabinets or floors. Home builders like Great Gulf Homes, Branthaven Homes, Country Homes and Mattamy homes have been offering some great home options for a few years now. And, of course, the upgrades they make available to purchasers are simply delightful, and yes, at a premium price. Here’s the problem… most buyers of newer homes spend their time, money and effort improving the inside of their houses and in some cases they might be better off focusing some attention on the outside as well. Many buyers agree, one of the biggest problems with a newer home is the lack of privacy. A fix to this issue is actually fairly easy and budget-friendly… plant some trees!! That’s right… Improving the privacy of your new home is as simple as planting some trees, just most people fail to do it as most are focusing on countertops, floors, etc. Those that do, enjoy the benefits for many years to come and you can always do that other stuff later! Add Privacy + Add Shade Planting trees in your backyard will not only increase privacy, once matured, they will also add some shade to help keep energy bills low during the summer. This is why newly built homes with premium lots are some of the most valuable ones on the market today. Privacy Raises Resale Value Most trees mature in about 4-5 years, which really isn’t that long. If you plant a tree today, the next owners of the home will certainly appreciate you did that. And chances are it will sell at a higher value than if it wasn’t upgraded with privacy trees. There are lots of buyers who are looking for turnkey properties they won’t have to put much more time or money into and most buyers now want that ready-to-use outdoor space, so you should definitely consider this investment. This is one that you’ll enjoy too! Types of Trees for Privacy The best types of privacy trees are ones that grow tall and grow fast. They should also be easy to maintain. You don’t want to plant trees that will shed too much come Fall as the upkeep can be frustrating. If you need help, talk to our friends at Terra Greenhouses for some ideas and options on what work best in your area, with your needs and with your lot. They have many wonderful options! If you own a home that isn’t that old, remember, newer homes usually lack the backyard privacy desired by buyers. So take a look in your backyard. How would you rate it out of 10? Increase your home’s privacy and its resale value by simply planting some trees this year. Yes, it really is that easy!
What to do in Oakville during March Break
Don’t fret, we have your guide to all the fun things to do with your family during this year’s March break in Oakville. Time to grab the kids, pack the car and get your fun on! Let’s go! Bronte Creek Provincial Park Head on over to Bronte Creek Provincial Park for their oh so sweet maple syrup festival. The festival runs every weekend in March from 9:30am to 3:00pm. They even run a guided tour where you learn all the ways people use to collect and make maple syrup. There are plenty of maple syrup treats to try throughout the tour and you can even visit their on-site farm and check out all the animals. But to save the best for last, you can hop on their wagon ride and roll into their famous Pancake House and enjoy delicious pancakes and sausages served with (you guessed it) pure maple syrup! Now that’s the stuff, who’s drooling? For more information, go here. http://www.brontecreek.org/ Dinner and a Show The Berenstain Bears will be live at The Oakville Centre! Enjoy this classic children story, but now in an upgraded musical form! On Monday March 12th, 2018 at 2pm, you can see the whole Berenstain family on stage singing and dancing their little bear hearts out. This will be sure to entertain your whole family! And if you are hungry, don’t worry, I got you covered too. Why not grab a bite to eat before of after the show at the nearby restaurant Paradiso? Paradiso specializes in both Greek and Italian foods and you will leave with a very happy tummy! What a great way to spend the day with great food and a fun show. Check out Paradiso’s lunch menu here. http://oakville.paradisorestaurant.com/Menus/LunchMenu/tabid/116578/Default.aspx and grab your tickets to the Berenstain Bears show here. http://www.oakvillecentre.ca/whats-on/berenstain-bears.html Indoor Skydiving If you are looking for something a little different and an activity that will be super memorable, why not give indoor skydiving a try at IFLY? You can bring kids as young as 4 years old to experience this indoor skydiving experience so it is perfect for the whole family. If you want to learn flips and tricks, their expert team offers training packages and camps where you can be the next Don Kellner (if you don’t know who that is, Don has hold the Guinness World Record for the most parachutes decent – a total of 43,000 jumps! Holy moly!) Whether you are a beginner or a pro, the staff at IFLY will take good care of you and show you how to skydive every step of the way. It does get busy here, especially during March break, so best to give them a call and make reservations ahead of time. Find out all the details here. https://www.iflytoronto.com/ The city of Oakville has so many fun and neat places to check out like trails, waterfront parks, and even harbours. There is definitely no shortage of unique and fun things to do in Oakville during this March break. If you’re heading to Burlington, there’s a bunch of things to do there too – check out our top list HERE. Now, get out there and enjoy!
4 March Break Family Activities in Burlington Ontario!
Hey Burlington! Start planning your March break activities now so you can have a stress-free week with the family. We made it easy and provided our top 4 activities to check out with your family during March Break 2018! Here we go! Royal Botanical Garden Spend the afternoon with the fam jam and learn all about frogs! You will learn everything about these cute amphibians and be able to visit the frog pond and see some exciting wetland species. While you are visiting the frog exhibit, why not check out the beautiful and serene gardens and trails at the Royal Botanical Garden too? Great fun for the whole family. Learn more about this unique event and the botanical garden here. https://www.rbg.ca/frogs Brant Street Pier If you are familiar with Burlington, you have probably been to or at least heard of the iconic Brant Street Pier. The pier stretches 137 metres over Lake Ontario. Did you know, there are special light shows at the Brant Street Pier throughout the year celebrating special holidays and events? During March break, you can see the Spring Colour Light Show from 6:30pm to midnight. Grab a blanket and some hot cocoa and enjoy the beautiful light show. Find out all the details and schedule here. https://www.burlington.ca/en/live-and-play/brant-street-pier.asp Museums of Burlington The Museums of Burlington has a rich history, one of the houses was inhabited by one of Burlington’s earliest settlers. Not only can you tour the museums and learn the rich history, they also run events and camps throughout the year. If you have any Harry Potter fans in the family, you have to check out their amazing March Break House of Witchcraft and Wizardry camp. Kids will decorate magic wands, learn to improve their magical skills and they will even get sorted into their magic houses. This full day camp is for kids from 5 to 12 years old. Too bad they don’t run an adult version of this camp! Learn more about this fun camp here. https://museumsofburlington.ca Cineplex Family Favourites Movies Looking for something low key to do during the March break with the kids? What about grabbing a big bag of popcorn and watching a family favourite movie at your local Cineplex. The Silver City theater in Burlington will be showing My Little Pony: The Movie on Saturday March 17th at 11:00am for just $2.99 and you get 25 scene points! And the best part, a portion of the proceeds goes towards supporting WE Charity. Win win! Can you believe all these fun things you can do right in your backyard? These are just a few of our favourite family activities during March break in Burlington. There are a bunch of things to do in Milton too – be sure to check those out HERE. We would love to hear what you did with your family during March break!