Kanata North Featured Neighbourhood

Kanata North – MLS District 9008

Morgan’s Grant, Briarbrook, Brookside

Best known for being Canada’s largest Technology Park, Kanata North has a lot to offer its residents. It was first home to powerhouse company Mitel and began the development boom of the 90s. Soon joined by companies such as Newbridge,  Ciena, and Blackberry, Silicon Valley North expanded exponentially and workers began making their homes close to work. Even now 50% of employees live within 5 km of their workplace. Now the tech hub hosts big names Nokia, Sanmina, and Deloitte among 100s of other companies ranging from 2-5000 employees.

From education to healthcare to recreation, Kanata North caters to individuals and families alike. With the bulk of the population in Morgan’s Grant/Briarbrook, the area has seen many developments and expects much more.

Balancing work and home life is easy when surrounded by parklands and trails such as Beaver Pond, and South March Highlands. Other recreation includes The Marshes, and Loch March golf courses; and the new addition of the Richcraft Centre on Innovation Drive. Here you can find fitness facilities, a soccer field, basketball court, swimming pools, and many swimming and recreation programs for all ages. Also on Innovation is the Park and Ride that just opened in January 2017. This is a new transportation hub that has helped alleviate the traffic in the Eagleson P&R and is a bit closer to home for many residents.

As well as recreation, Kanata North boasts many businesses and services that have grown with the community. There are doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, dentists, plastic surgery, and even acupuncture available. Six schools from various school boards cater to the residents with several more just a bit farther in Beaverbrook. Several churches can be found in Kanata North and the surrounding area as well as daycare and retirement facilities. Local amenities also include large grocery stores, an LCBO, and hardware store. The local hotel The Brookstreet Hotel opened in 2003 and is a luxury 4-diamond hotel featuring a restaurant, fitness and spa facilities, and abutting The Marshes golf course.

As yet there are no condos in Kanata North but with the Kanata North Urban Expansion (KNUE) plan there will likely be some in the near future. Currently, the housing consists of predominantly of 2 storey houses, with some 3 storey, detached, and row unit homes. In 2016 properties sold ranged in price from $237,000 – $689,000.

Contact House Curious to help you search for the perfect house for you in Kanata North.

Transforming Your Home For Resale – Real Estate Agent Ottawa

Transforming Your Home For Resale- Real Estate Agent Ottawa

One of my favourite parts of my work as a real estate agent Ottawa is seeing the transformation that buyers make in their new home. It’s so easy for buyers to make improvements without spending a lot of money. The best time to act is right at possession time when excitement and pride of ownership is at its peak. I love to make suggestions as I show homes on how easily rooms can be improved. Structural repairs and big renovation projects are more costly and need to be budgeted for but here my 4 top improvements that are affordable and make a big impact.

• Paint – need I say more? Choosing the right colours and giving the space a fresh look goes a long way. If you don’t know where to start I definitely recommend a consultation with an interior designer to help you choose a paint palette. The cost of the consultation will outweigh the cost of the wasted cans of paint for colours that don’t turn out right.

• Backsplash Backsplash Backsplash – This is often overlooked. I am amazed at how many properties I sell that do not have a tiled backsplash. If there is not a current backsplash in the kitchen, it is quite simple to add one and can become a DYI project with so many tutorials available on the internet and in store demos. Even if you have to hire a tiler, it is quite affordable for small projects. Removing and replacing an existing backsplash is a bit more complex and might require hiring a contractor but can make a huge difference in giving the kitchen an updated look. There is a large variety of affordable tiles at home improvement stores and they don’t need to be expensive to create the desired effect.

• Cabinet update – Giving your kitchen or baths cabinets a fresh new look by painting, spraying or staining them goes a long way. Even though you might be planning on replacing them in the future this could buy you time. There is a great product called Renuit that can transform your kitchen. It goes a long way and is quite inexpensive but time consuming and must be applied properly. I’ve seen some great youtube tutorials that would be worth watching before starting. If your budget permits it, Home Depot offers a great resurfacing product for cabinet door replacement. You can order doors to match the exact sizes of the existing ones. If you are changing colours it is a bit tricky because the side panels will also need to match. They offer a full installation option also.

• Finishing touches – Your furniture and décor can make a great impact. Choosing the right style and sizes of pieces is important. It is important to forget the final touches. Drapes and area rugs finish a room perfectly. I LOVE area rugs. Don’t be afraid to go big. Most rooms that I see have area rugs that are too small for the space. A nice pattern or colour on the rugs make the biggest impact. Drapes should be the right length. If you can’t find them long enough in your budget, consider adding a border. I often buy several inexpensive pairs and cut and sew them and add a strip through the middle. This creates a custom look at box store prices. Ideally you should have two full panels to each side of the window and curtain rods should extend past the window. This way you are not covering up the window when you want light in and it also makes the windows appear wider than they really are.

Contact House Curious for a Real Estate Agent Ottawa today to assist you in selling your house today!