Home Improvement Blogs – Kelowna

Own a lakeside vacation home or short-term rental with canoes or kayaks for your guests? These lake house must-haves are huge draws, but you'll need a storage plan that works for long periods when you're away and keeps your equipment safe between guest visits. Winter storage is key for houses in colder climates, such as British Columbia.

This guide shows you exactly how to keep your canoes in great shape at your vacation property, whether they sit unused for months or are frequently used by rental guests. These practical tips will help you protect your investment and keep your water amenities ready for action.

How to Store Canoes & Kayaks: Quick Tips

• Proper canoe and kayak storage between guest stays can dramatically extend the life of your

Many people buy a luxury waterfront home for its location, so it's essential to make the outdoors as accessible and enjoyable as possible. Depending on location and access to amenities, there are a few key changes many property owners can make to see a marked improvement in their space and usage options. Keep reading for a closer look at a few lake house backyard ideas and design tips.

Landscaping & Design Ideas For Your Lake House

• Prioritize landscaping and layout by enhancing natural beauty with gardens, trees, and stone paths, while considering low-maintenance options like ground covers and drip irrigation.
• Maximize the view and relaxation with outdoor seating areas such as patios, gazebos, pergolas, and lounges—using weather-resistant,

Found out the previous owner did some home renovations without a permit? Don't panic. This happens more than you might think, but it's still something you need to address.

Unpermitted work isn't just about missing paperwork. It affects your home's safety, value, and can cause major headaches when you're ready to sell. Let's look at what you should do if you discover work done without a permit.

What Does Unpermitted Work Mean For New Homeowners?

Finding work done without a permit by the previous owner creates several challenges for homeowners:

• Your property might not be as safe as you thought
• You could face fines from your local city building department
• Your home insurance might not cover damages in areas built without a permit

Seeing tiny invaders in your home in the beautiful Okanagan Valley? Those little dots on the counter or weird bites on your skin might mean you've got bugs. Every pest leaves clues, from carpenter ants (very common in BC) to sneaky bed bugs hiding in mattresses. The warm, dry Kelowna summers and cold winters create unique pest patterns here that you won't see in other parts of Canada.

Need to take back your Kelowna home from these tiny troublemakers? Let's dive into the simple ways to kick them out for good.

Quick Household Bug Tips

• Look at the bug's size and shape: ants have obvious segments, bed bugs are oval and reddish
• Seal up cracks around windows and doors right away
• Mix peppermint oil with water to make bugs hate your home

Want to boost your home's value without wasting money? Focus on smart upgrades that buyers actually care about. 

Whether you’re preparing to market your home for sale or simply making the home more liveable, the right changes can provide value in multiple ways. Let's look at improvements that give you the biggest bang for your buck.

Quick Tips for Value-Adding Improvements

• Stone veneer, new siding, fresh paint, and energy-efficient HVAC systems can return 90% or more of their cost
• Smart thermostats, Energy Star appliances, and low-flow toilets save money on utilities and are major selling points for modern buyers
• Custom storage, finished basements, and dedicated home offices make your home more livable now (and more marketable later)

When homeowners embark on hardscaping projects, they're not just altering their outdoor living areas but investing in their property's future value and utility. However, the path from idea to completion isn't always straightforward. Homeowners must consider both the aesthetic appeal and the practical implications, from the initial cost to the ongoing maintenance. What are the hidden challenges and rewards of hardscaping? Let’s find out.

5 Tips For Hardscaping

• Hardscaping enhances property value and outdoor functionality with features like patios and retaining walls.
• Installation costs vary widely, generally between $2,000 to $10,000, depending on materials and design.
• Concrete, natural stone, pavers, and brick are common material

Some homeowners opt to renovate their existing home instead of buying a pre-construction home. If you're thinking about extending your home, it’s essential to understand the many costs involved. It's not just the size of the extension that matters; complexity and location also play significant roles. Plus, making sense of permits and unexpected expenses can seem overwhelming. To make informed decisions, it’s worth digging into what factors shape these costs and uncovering some budget-friendly strategies while you’re at it.

Home Extension Costs to Know

• Single-storey extensions typically range from $200 to $500 per square foot.
• Second-storey extensions can cost $210 to $480 per square foot, with higher expenses often coming from the first

Kelowna, BC, boasts some of the best, most scenic driving ranges in the Okanagan Valley. Golfers can work on their long game or perfect their putting at the area’s top driving ranges, which are often attached to Kelowna’s best golf courses. Many of these driving ranges allow you to polish your game with the help of a professional instructor, ensuring your next round of golf is successful. Discover the best driving ranges in Kelowna to develop your skills and have some fun. 

Where to Start With Kelowna Driving Ranges

• The Golf Centre in Kelowna offers modern features, Srixon full-flight range balls, and golf lessons with a certified CPGA instructor.
• World Beat Family Golf provides affordable practice options with varied basket sizes and

Roofing maintenance is important for maximizing a roof's service life. Different types of roofing materials are maintained in different ways. Here are different roofing materials and how to maintain them for a longer life, as well as general tips to put your roof in a good spot to last a while.

Metal Roofs

Metal roofs are often among the easiest-to-maintain types of roofing material. Metal roofs are smooth so that leaves, pine needles and organic debris often roll off the roof into the gutters. Gutters for metal roofs need to be cleaned regularly because they can fill easily. Low-slope metal roofs may need to be cleaned periodically. Homeowners with a metal roof should have their roof inspected once every two years to ensure that the screws that

In the midst of buying a new home, many buyers will start to make plans for home improvements. These plans usually require a lot of DIY work. To get the work done, homeowners must have tools. These tools are critical for the first year of homeownership.

Hammer and Nails

Hammer and nails are truly the most essential of all the tools. Without a hammer and nails, a new homeowner may find it impossible to do even the most basic tasks, like putting up pictures on the wall. Hammer and nails will be useful when installing decorations, putting up shelves and putting together furniture in the new house.

Nails come in various sizes, and homeowners who want to be prepared must have nails of all sizes on hand. Over time, many homeowners accumulate more