Selling your home and moving can be a stressful time, especially when you have small children. We made a huge move just over ten years ago. We sold our home in England, sold our furniture and set off on an adventure. Our choices of new homes, Canada or France. We chose Canada because we don't speak very good French. Probably not the best way to base such a huge decision, however I am glad we did, otherwise we would not have ended up where we are, doing what we do now. We had no contacts here, and did not really know what to expect. We had read a couple of books, and looked at homes on the MLS, and so off we flew.

The first few days in Ontario we spent relaxing, before heading off in our hired van to look at the homes we had seen on the MLS in England. Most of them where in Lindsay, Peterborough, Fenelon Falls area. They looked really great on the internet, however not so great in real life. After driving around for days looking at not so nice home after not so nice home, (not saying that these are not nice places to live, just the price range we were looking was not for us) and wondering if we had just made a huge mistake, we decided our two boys needed a break from travelling. Looking at the map the nearest town we knew was Orangeville, a place we had stayed at a few years previously. It had a growing infrastructure, a hospital, was close enough to the city but far enough away, so that was where we headed.

We stayed in a hotel and met some really great people, who knew other people, who could help us find and buy our first home. So that is what happened. How we came to call Orangeville home. On the whole, it was not a stressful time, rather an enjoyable part of our life's journey. Everything that happens to us as people makes us who we are. So if you are thinking of moving, stay calm, enjoy the old memories and look forward to the new ones. Listen to people who have knowledge where you do not, seek advice and ask questions.

If you are moving to a new town, it is so important to join a local organization, to help integrate yourself into the community, or volunteer at  your kid's school (if you can). In small towns where people grow up together, it can be hard to feel a part of the community if you are not open to change. Adapt and be a part of things, it will really help you feel more at home. Look forward to challenges rather than fear them, they will only help you grow as a person. If something doesn't work, its ok, at least you tried!

To most of us, electricity is simply flicking a switch or turning a dial to light up a room, cook supper or get instant entertainment. We take it for granted -- that is, until there's a power failure and we have to scramble to find flashlights, candles and matches in the dark.

Making your home safe and comfortable takes a deeper understanding. Let's start by remembering that the electricity we receive in our homes is part of a powerful, intricate system made up of power lines and generators. It generally enters our homes through power lines to a main switch at 120 to 240 volts. The main switch is clearly marked with an "on" and "off" position and controls all the power in the house.

All lighting or general use circuits in a home are protected by either "circuit breakers" in newer homes or fuses in older ones. You should always disconnect the power by moving the main switch to the "off" position when changing fuses or doing electrical work around the house. Never open the door of the main switch -- if you sense something is wrong, call your electricity supplier.

The panel box or fuse box from the main switch is the one that splits the power into circuits that go into all the rooms in your home. If you overload a circuit, say by plugging too many things in, the fuse may blow or the circuit breaker may trip, stopping the flow of power to that particular area.

In the basement
If you're looking for the breaker panels or fuse boxes in a home, you'll usually find them in the basement. They require little if any maintenance. Fuse boxes require the right type and size of fuses. Overloading circuits could cause power loss, or even lead to a fire.

If you detect rust in the fuse box, or if a fuse repeatedly blows for no apparent reason, if there is overheating, discoloration of fuses or flickering lights, contact an electrician to solve the problem.

Fuse changing

• Use a flashlight if the area where the fuse box is located is dark.
• Never change a fuse while standing on a wet floor.
• Unplug appliances on the overloaded circuit and turn off the main switch.
• Install the proper size fuse--most lighting and general use circuits are fused at 15 amps.
• Keep the fuse box or breaker panel cover closed to protect children and prevent dirt from accumulating.

Look after your cords

• Pull the plug when removing from electrical outlet. Pulling on the cord will wear it out and may create a shock hazard.
• Keep cords away from heat and water, which can damage the insulation and create a shock hazard.
• Never run electrical cords under rugs, through doorways or anywhere subject to excessive wear. This may lead to a fire hazard.
• Never break off the third prong on a plug so it can fit into a two-prong outlet. This will create a shock hazard.
• Regularly inspect all cords and plugs. To avoid fire, short circuits or shocks, discard all cords and plugs that are worn or damaged.
• Plugging several cords into an outlet, or using an extension cord as permanent wiring, indicates that your home wiring is outdated for your needs and that you should have more outlets wired in.
• Prevent pets from chewing electric cords by rubbing the cords with a bar of strong laundry soap.

Use electrical appliances carefully

• Before buying, make sure it has a certification mark or seal ensuring electrical safety when the appliance is used properly.
• Follow all the manufacturers instructions.
• Never use any electric appliances around water. Even if your hands are wet, or you're standing on a wet floor, you cold get a shock or other injury. For example, be careful when using hair blowers and radios in the bath area.
• Don't pry toast from a plugged-in toaster with a knife or a fork. If you want to avoid a shock, unplug the toaster first.
• Never touch plugged-in appliances when your hands are wet. Always unplug them before cleaning.
• If an appliance sparks, overheats or stalls, pull the plug and have it checked by a service person.

Other safety tips

• Never touch power lines yourself or with any equipment. Take extra care when working near them. Before doing any digging, call your local hydro company to locate underground power lines. Cutting through one is dangerous and could black out an entire area.
• When planting trees around your home, make sure they won't grow up into power lines. Don't attempt to prune or fell any trees near power lines yourself. Call your local hydro company. A tree falling into a power line can be very dangerous.
• Power tools should have a three-prong plug or double insulation. Keep them in good condition and never use power tools on wet grass or other wet surfaces. If you need an extension cord, use a proper, three-prong, grounded cord.

REALTOR^® is a registered trademark of REALTOR Canada Inc., a company owned equally by The Canadian Real Estate Association and the National Association of REALTORS^® and refers to registered real estate practitioners who are members of The Canadian Real Estate Association. Used under license.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association

Just like you take a car for regular tune ups to ensure it continues to run smoothly, your home also needs some special attention. There's a lot more to keeping up a house than cutting the grass and clearing snow from the driveway. Ensuring your home "looks" good and is in proper working order, not only makes it more attractive and comfortable, but it can also increase the market value of the property.

Homeowners who plan to move within a few years are often reluctant to invest time and money on improvement projects that may not pay them back. But unless these improvements are very specialized, any project you choose - from fixing leaky faucets to installing new energy efficient windows - will start to pay you back in energy savings and comfort long before you sell.

The wisest improvements you can make to any home are those that keep it running smoothly and bring it up to the standards of other homes in the immediate area. And these don't need to break your budget.

Easy maintenance, repairs
Start with simple repairs that don't cost a lot and you can do yourself: securing loose tiles, adjusting a door, installing a lock, repairing a leaky faucet or pipe, and so on.

It's also a good idea to locate and read your gas, electricity and water meters on a weekly or monthly basis. This will help you gain an understanding of seasonal increases and decreases in consumption and enable you to take measures to become more energy and water efficient. The savings could be substantial.

You should have your furnace inspected and serviced annually to ensure there are no problems and change or clean the filter regularly. Also, inspect the smoke and carbon dioxide detectors around your home. You want to be certain that these will work in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Bigger upgrades
While replacing leaky faucets can drastically improve a bathroom's appearance and cut down on water usage, sometimes it takes a lot more than that to bring an old bathroom, for example, to an acceptable standard.

A bathroom tune up can pay big dividends. The first items to replace should be the fixtures -- the sink, faucets, vanity, bathtub, shower, and toilet. This is where you will add value and save money by opting for a water-efficient fixtures and energy-saving devices.

The floors, walls and accessories are not an essential part of a bathroom tune-up, but you can save time and money when you do the complete overhaul at once, rather than one piece at a time.

If the decor in your home is bothering you, don't decide right away to rip everything out. All it may take to make your home look more attractive and in better repair are small improvements such as: refacing cabinets and counter tops, changing the colour scheme, repainting, hanging new wall coverings and installing new lighting.

Other good major home improvements include replacing old carpets and flooring with new, more durable products; adding a garage or a carport if your home does not have one; installing central air conditioning; repairing or adding a fireplace; upgrading your basement space; replacing old windows with new energy-efficient ones; adding terraces, wooden decks and fences that add privacy; and investing in landscaping that adds value and is easy to maintain.

REALTOR^® is a registered trademark of REALTOR Canada Inc., a company owned equally by The Canadian Real Estate Association and the National Association of REALTORS^® and refers to registered real estate practitioners who are members of The Canadian Real Estate Association. Used under license.

Source: Ontario Real Estate Association