House & Home

UPGRADES THAT INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME

4 Improvements buyers LOVE

BY CHRIS LOW

As the pandemic races on, home renovations are on the rise. Reconfiguring your home is a smart approach to the uncertainties of the real estate market. However, the key is knowing what changes to make to increase your home’s value when that time does come.

Upgrades that add more physical space make your home feel more spacious.

Regardless of price point, buyers appreciate space. Whether potential buyers are upgrading to a larger house, or downsizing, ample room to fit their lifestyle is always top of their must have list.

• Finish your basement. You are adding more heated living space, and that has the potential to place your house in another price bracket.

• Letting more light in with an open concept is always inviting, leading potential buyers to envision how they can live in the space. Adding style to key rooms is cost effective.

Kitchens are the heart of the home - from family suppers, to homeshooling, and the occasional girls night in. From a buyer’s perspective, they will be happy to see functional and updated kitchen and bathrooms rather than a space that needs a full overhaul.

• Bathroom and kitchen fixtures can be swapped out. New, matching faucets and handles gives a cohesive look. This budget friendly upgrade can have a big impact on buyers.

• Paint in a neutral style. A subtle neutral can flow with everything and the buyer can easily imagine living in your space. Light colors add freshness and style.

Make your home more efficient, as these features can have a significant impact on home value, especially with our extreme winters and summers.

• Energy efficient and upgraded windows are sure to catch a buyer’s eye, help keep out the winder drafts, and block the sun’s heat.

• Appliances with the Energy Star symbol are reputable and desirable. They are a positive buying influence when it comes to resale.

Upgrades that cater to current trends, that will withstand the test of time.

While certain features will appeal more to certain demographics, keep in mind these upgrades can fit in with your needs, as well as potential buyers in the future. • Accessible laundry rooms offer convenience, and we are seeing more laundry rooms on the main floor. Even though we may prefer not to do the laundry at all, this eliminates heading down to the basement and the unnecessary steps.

• In addition to having a small footprint, stand up showers can lead to better space utilization. This design allows bathrooms to feel more spacious and leads to a larger open area in the room.

Before you shell out big bucks for custom updates in your home, having a solid understanding of what renovations yield the highest return for the money is key. Still, there is some value in adding personal touches, even if it’s the fact that you’ll get enjoyment from your renovations while you’re the homeowner. 

CHRIS LOW

Chris Low Remax 204-573-5699 chrislow@remax.net westmanrealestate.ca

A proud history of service to the Westman Industry

The story of McCarty Construction is one of family, hard work and the love of building things. Since 1970, Matt McCarty has been strongly committed to the building and construction market. It was a natural fit when Matt started McCarty Construction in 1976. Building and maintaining relationships with their customers has been at the heart of their business. McCarty built some of Brandon’s very first homes on Wilnor Bay when it was a new development in the late 1970s. He later pivoted his business in the mid-1980s to focus on the renovation aspect of the industry. Following in his father’s footsteps, Justin McCarty joined the business in 2004. Justin and foreman Kevin Johnson currently leads the renovation department. In 2015, Stefan Bouchard joined the team, and now leads their framing department. The crew’s experience and common sense approach to construction allows them to perform a variety of

projects. Specializing in all areas of renovations and new building projects, their team of 10 brings a wealth of knowledge. They are no strangers to the construction landscape in the community and have partnered on several projects including Brandon Neighborhood Renewal Corporation, Massey Harris Building, Brandon School Division, Crane Steel and J & G Homes just to name a few.

Today, McCarty Construction is focused on bringing in the right people and continuing to build in the Brandon and Westman area for another 45 years. For 3 years running, McCarty Construction has been recognized and one of Brandon’s Top 3 Contractors that is awarded by the Brandon Sun. “Thank you everyone!” says Justin. Justin and his business partner Stefan are in the process of purchasing the company, allowing Matt more time to kick back and let them run the show. For more information for your next project, contact Matt at 204-729-6712 or mccartyconstruction1@gmail.com. They are your go to guys for everything from the foundation on up. 

CRAFTING CUSTOM CREATIONS TO SUIT ANY SPACE AND STYLE.

McCarty Construction 204-729-6712 Mccartyconstruction1@gmail.com

“Where it all began, where we are now!”

TAKING GERMS TO THE CLEANERS

BY HUNTER PLOSZAY PHOTOS BY STUDIO 78

It comes as no surprise that our lives have changed over the past year. With COVID-19, everyday interactions with how you do business and go about your day have been turned on its head. Nikki’s Cleaning is here to lift some of the burden (along with some dirt and grime), to keep your home, offi ce, or commercial space clean and germ-free. People have a lot on their minds at the moment but being safe and having a clean living or working area shouldn’t be a worry.

Nikki Chubaty and her husband, Jordan Chubaty have been leaving behind a streak-free shine in the Westman area for over four years. Nikki and Jordan met in high school in Brandon and eventually reconnected some years later. They are celebrating their fi rst marriage anniversary in April. Being an Assiniboine Community College (ACC) business graduate, Nikki knew she was going to need to be in tip-top entrepreneurial form and start her own business. Jordan, who was working in the drilling industry in Alberta was put to task and thought it was time he joined his wife’s endeavour. The duo decided the cleaning business was what they wanted to do. The result—the birth of Nikki’s Cleaning! Working with your partner can be diffi cult but true love never fails. Nikki and Jordan poured their intertwined souls together and worked out of their house for three tough years as they balanced their business/life aspect of running a new business. March 1, 2021, is the fi rst anniversary of Nikki’s Cleaning in their new commercial space and they are sweeping away the competition in the cleaning game.

Nikki and Jordan and their fi ve-person platoon of eager cleaners break off into separate groups to take care of over 130 active clients a month around the Westman area. Armed with locally made Prairie West cleaning supplies, sanitizing products, industrial vacuums, and even pressure washers, Nikki’s Cleaning has everything you need to clean and sanitize any size home or commercial space—no matt er how tough the job may be. Utilizing the Housecall Pro app, Nikki and her squad enters the client’s space (wearing their face-masks during Covid-19 of course) and follow the plan laid out in the app by the client. Therefore, the client knows exactly what has been done and when the clean team leaves their premises. QUICK, QUALITY & CLEAN is the name of the game. After a top to bott om cleaning, all the germs on touchable surfaces have been destroyed, leaving the client with peace of mind and Covid-free too! Nikki’s Cleaning has big plans for the future and with some restrictions loosening and more people being out and about, there is no bett er time to get a quote on cleaning! Nikki and Jordan are hoping to expand into Winnipeg, Portage La Prairie and Dauphin. Nikki’s Cleaning is proud to keep the Westman area bright and clean. 

Nikki’s Cleaning 399 Park Ave East, Brandon, MB Phone: 204-441-5676 Text: 204-400-3676 info@nikkiscleaning.ca nikkiscleaning.ca