The holidays have come and gone, but winter’s still here! Why not make the most of the coldest months with some seasonal sports? Skating and hockey are beloved pastimes in Burlington—and part of the reason for that is the number of incredible rinks in the city. From scenic outdoor skating spots to arenas that offer intensive hockey training, there’s something for everyone who wants to strap on a pair of skates.

If you’re looking for a rink this winter, here are five of Burlington’s best…

1) Appleby Ice Centre

Burlington hockey players, figure skaters, and ice-sport spectators are all fans of Appleby Ice Centre, and it’s easy to see why. This state-of-the-art facility is home to four sizeable indoor rinks, along with well-maintained change rooms and a popular concession stand. While the arena is over a decade old, it’s contemporary look and feel have held up well over the years. There’s also plenty of space for spectators (with over 750 seats), which is a good thing given the presence that the Burlington Cougars have here!

2) Rotary Centennial Pond

With its downtown, waterfront location and impressive natural beauty, Spencer Smith Park is a true Burlington gem. Even in the winter, this gorgeous space shines—and that’s thanks in part to Rotary Centennial Pond. This 10,000-square-foot water feature freezes over in the winter months, providing a scenic spot for some free skating. Discovery Landing provides a great view of the pond, so you and your family can scope it out before taking a spin around the ice. 

3) Stoneridge Ice Centre

We couldn’t create a list of top skating spots in Burlington without including Stoneridge Ice Centre. This hockey training centre is home to two rinks and two mini pads, which are ideal for players of different skill levels. But it’s even more impressive for its use of green technology. Stoneridge is the first arena on the continent to embrace Order of Magnitude Energy’s “private utility” power model, which will allow for energy with low emissions. 

4) Aldershot Arena

If you’re looking for a facility that’s just as good for hockey and ringette as it is for public and figure skating, Aldershot Arena is ideal. Located on Townsend Avenue, this skating hotspot boasts high-quality ice surfaces, plenty of parking, and well-maintained change rooms. It offers both scheduled and drop-in skate times, and on-site staff members are always happy to answer any questions you might have. 

5) Burlington Pond Hockey Training Centre

This hockey training centre, fondly known as “the Pond,” is the ideal place for aspiring young players. From camps and private lessons to little leagues and tournaments, the offerings here are bound to make your little ones passionate about Canada’s favourite sport. Instructors at the Pond also focus on the fundamentals—like power skating and stick handling. When it comes to the facilities, you’ll find great ice, a shooting pad, and areas for birthday parties and other celebrations!

As 2019 draws to a close, we want to send a big thank you to our clients, friends and family who supported our team through the year. It has been an incredible 12 months, and some of our highlights include: settling into our new renovated office, adding a more members to the team, connecting with the community at our food truck event, supporting charities that hold a place close to our hearts, and, of course, working with our incredible clients as they purchased and sold homes.
 
2019 was an interesting year in the real estate industry as we saw the Waterdown-Burlington-Hamilton markets bounce back from a sluggish 2018. Average home prices increased across the board in condos, townhouses and detached homes– and this is a trend we predict will continue in 2020. In fact, Re/Max is forecasting the average home sales price will rise 6% in 2020!
 
We anticipate Waterdown/Burlington/Hamilton will be a seller’s market in 2020, now that buyers have learned how to work with the stress-test and found new ways to finance homes. There continues to be a push of buyers from the east searching for more affordable options while still having access to amenities at their fingertips. Downsizers are trending towards condo living, opening up much desired inventory in the detached home market. There is currently a development freeze in downtown Burlington that could delay future development in the area even further if it is not lifted. The industrial sector in Hamilton has picked back up and the economy is expected to be impacted positively in the coming year.
 
The hottest neighbourhoods in Hamilton for 2020 include Leckie Park, Waterdown West and Fifty Point. In Burlington, in-demand neighbourhoods include Brant Hills, Central and The Orchard.
 
We are looking forward to the coming year and anticipate it will be an exciting year in real estate! Thank you again for all your support over the past years. We are honoured to be working within this incredible community!
 
All the best, and Happy New Year! 
Drew and Jayne Woolcott

The holidays are on their way, and it’s time for Burlington residents to get into the spirit. ‘Tis the season to spend time with family and friends, which means getting out and about. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of places to celebrate across the city. From bright lights to tasty treats, there’s so much to see and do—and so many ways to connect with loved ones.  

If you’re hoping to avoid cabin fever this holiday season, check out our top five events in Burlington…

1) Burlington’s Lakeside Festival of Lights

Until January 8th, enjoy the magic of the holiday season at Burlington’s Festival of Lights! Head to Spencer Smith Park any evening between 4 p.m. and midnight to see incredible, twinkling scenes. This festival, which features 60 light displays, is nothing short of enchanting. It’s also great for family members of all ages, making it the perfect after-dinner activity. Best of all, this Burlington attraction is free! Take our advice and catch it while you can.

2) Holiday Labs for Kids

Do you have creative little ones at home? If so, you’ll want to check out an upcoming series of holiday workshops at Apple Mapleview Centre. On December 19th and 21st, don’t miss the art lab, where kids will learn to make holiday emojis. A similar photography event will take place on the 19th, while one devoted to making music is set for the 22nd. For children between 5 and 12, this is the perfect opportunity to get creative—and learn to use fun technologies like iPads and GarageBand.

3) Oh Christmas TEA

Do any of the members of your family have a sweet tooth? If so, you’ll want to visit Chickadee Family Cafe on December 23rd. Gran’s Tea Time and CAKEbar will be serving up some warming beverages and sugary confections from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition to high tea, there will be plenty of fun activities to enjoy. These include cake decorating, colouring, and all kinds of fun in the cafe playspace. Admission is $30 for one child and one adult. 

4) Winter Lights at the Rock Gardens 

Nothing says “Christmas” like beautiful lights, which is why we simply had to include another bright display in our list. As part of its seasonal festivities, the Royal Botanical Gardens is offering a whimsical stroll through a winter wonderland. You’ll find over 100,000 mini lights, 3000 string lights, 200 LED fixtures, and even an arctic fox ice sculpture! This beautiful setup will be displayed in the rock gardens—every Friday to Saturday until January 5th. Admission is just $10 per person, and $15 at the door. 

5) Magical Family New Year’s Eve 

Looking for a place to ring in the new year with your kids? Head to Marquis Gardens for a Magical Family New Year’s Event. You’ll enjoy an incredibly tasty dinner (including BBQ sirloin filets) along with some live tunes from DJ Central. There will be a bar for mom and dad, plenty of juice for the kids, and a countdown to remember! We can pretty much guarantee that when the balloons drop, every member of your family will feel the excitement. You’ll pay $61.75 to attend, and $37.50 for each child (ages 4-10).

Interested in learning more about life in Burlington? Curious about some of the beautiful homes on the market here? Get in touch—we’d love to show you what makes life in this community so great!

Give your home the modern edge it deserves.

Adding energy-efficient features can help improve the value and function of your home, and benefit the planet too! Green home features are, undoubtedly, the way of the future. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to save money on their energy bill while helping the planet at the same time?

Keep reading to learn about some of the best ways to upgrade your home with environmentally-friendly features, all while adhering to a modest budget.

Insulate the Attic

Who would have thought that something as simple as insulating the attic would help cut energy costs and benefit the environment? In as little as one weekend, you can have your attic fully insulated and start saving costs on your energy bill almost immediately.

This insulation will help maintain the internal temperature of your home, keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Without insulation, chances are your furnace or central air system will be constantly fighting the losing battle of regulating the internal temperature.

Green Landscape Design

The right landscaping strategy can absolutely help the environment. Plants and trees can help improve the quality of the air, offer your home shade from the sun in the summer and provide shelter for wildlife. Not to mention that a stylish landscape design can greatly improve curb appeal.

Add the following to the landscape of your property before listing your home for sale:

• Flower gardens
• Trees
• Walkways
• Mulch
• Bushes
• Bird feeders
• Bird baths

Further improve the eco-friendliness of your lawn and garden with all-natural fertilizer, soil, weed control and insect control products.

Water Conservation

Sometimes turning off the tap while brushing your teeth just isn’t enough to conserve water. The installation of features like low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators can greatly help limit the amount of water being used, while not affecting the functionality.

Watch for sales at your local home improvement store and seek assistance if you’re unsure of how to do the installation yourself. Most of these features are easily installed, but you’re better safe than sorry.

Solar Power Features

Solar power has become increasingly popular and common in modern times. There is a wide variety of solar-powered features that can be installed in your home.

• Security lighting
• Exterior lighting
• Water fountains
• Glow stones
• House numbers
• Generator
• Pool heating cover
• Window blinds

Of course, you can always install solar panels on the roof of your house. Although these can prove to be a significant investment, they offer a wonderful long-term benefit.

Heated Driveway

Forget using salt to melt the snow away during long, cold Canadian winters. Heated driveways melt the snow as it falls and ice as it builds up, eliminating the need to shovel or sprinkle salt. Not only can salt be harmful to your vehicle, but it can cause harm to the environment as well.

Road salt can affect the water quality, damage roadways, erode soil, harm nearby vegetation, and even affect wildlife. The salt can irritate and even burn the paws of dogs, raccoons, squirrels, and other wildlife. By switching to a heated driveway, you can skip the road salt and shovel altogether!

Real Estate in Hamilton and Burlington

For more information about listing your home in Hamilton, Burlington and surrounding areas, contact our experts at Woolcott Real Estate today. We can help you determine which environmentally-friendly features would best help update your home to sell quickly and for the best price possible.

Your new home is just around the corner!

Well, maybe not right around the corner, but with the right real estate team on your side, you’ll be on your way to owning your dream home in no time at all! While evaluating the various houses available on the market, you may notice that they don’t all meet your entire criteria.

In this article, we’re going to guide you through the things that you should never compromise on when buying a home. Read on for more!

Budget

Before you apply for a mortgage or begin looking at houses with a local realtor, it’s imperative that you do a complete review of your finances. This will give you a better idea if buying and owning a house is in the cards for you at this point in your life.

After doing some number crunching, you can create an in-depth budget based on income, debt, monthly bills and overall financial situation. If this budget allows enough wiggle room to save for a down payment, pay for a mortgage, upgrade and maintain a home, along with all of the other costs associated with life, chances are that buying a home might just be in your near future!

Once you have set a budget, it’s crucial that you stick to it. The only way that you would be able to compromise on your budget is if your income was to rise or a bill/loan payment were to be eliminated.

Once you have been pre-approved for a mortgage and are offered a maximum amount, you should still aim lower than that amount. The last thing you want to do is stretch your budget too far, which could result in overwhelming financial stress.

Condition

Compromising on the condition of your future home could lead to a costly mess down the road. not to mention lots of added stress and time spent dedicated to upgrades, renovations and repairs. Unless you are looking for a “fixer-upper” specifically, compromising on the condition of a home most often proves to be more detrimental than not.

This is especially true when it comes to the foundation of the property, roof, plumbing system, and electrical system. Our experts always recommend having an inspection performed, even if the seller has already had one done.

Layout

You have a vision for your dream home. Whether it be a modern and open-concept kitchen, a deluxe laundry suite dedicated to organization, or a living room that will one day host birthday and slumber parties, everyone has an idea of what their house should offer them.

Although many houses can be renovated and upgraded to meet your particular tastes and preferences, if the layout doesn’t offer the potential to do so, the house might not be worth investing in. If the layout will compromise your quality of life, it may be wise to move on.

Size

The size of your home and the layout go hand-in-hand. While renovations can be performed to create additional space, by removing dividing walls or adding an addition onto the back of the house for example, sometimes that space is still not enough.

This is especially true if you plan to grow your family in the future. What might feel like a lot of space to you and your significant other now could easily become cramped with the addition of new family members.

If the house you’re looking at has the potential to cramp your style and doesn’t offer enough room to grow, we don’t recommend making a compromise. Your happiness and quality of life is simply not worth it!

Location

The location of your house can set the tone for your quality of living. Some areas have houses that offer lots of space from neighbours, wide streets with many parking opportunities, more affordable price ranges and lots of nearby amenities, while others tend to be overcrowded or overpriced.

Not to mention that the location of your house determines your commute to work, nearby schools, distance from loved ones, and your neighbours. If the location isn’t feeling quite right to you or doesn’t work well with your lifestyle, we recommend skipping it and focusing on your prime location(s).

Your Needs and Wants

It can be very easy to get caught up in the little things. The wrong flooring, outdated bathroom or unmaintained landscape can give you the wrong idea about a house – but those things can easily be changed to meet your preferences. Before you start looking at houses, it’s important you determine what your needs and wants are. Your needs are the things that absolutely cannot be compromised on, while your wants are the places where you can give some wiggle room.

If a house seems to meet most or all of your needs, but is missing a couple of wants, it might just be the house for you. For more information about real estate in Hamilton and Burlington or if you’re looking for a local realtor, contact our experts at Woolcott Real Estate today.

Are you considering becoming a homeowner?

There are so many great benefits to owning a house. You get to enjoy your own space, make changes and upgrades as you see fit, customize the aesthetic to your personal preferences, maximize the landscape and outdoor offerings of the property, and so much more! Before you get started in the home-buying process, there are a few things that our experts at Woolcott Real Estate agree you should take into consideration first.

Let’s take a look at the top four things you should do if you want to become a homeowner. (more…)