“Honey, where do you want to eat tonight?”

“I don’t care. You pick.”

It’s an age-old conversation heard across North America. If you have found yourself in the middle of an indecisive argument before ending up at your regular hotspot for the third week in a row, here are some local Saskatoon pubs to check out this weekend.

• The Rook and Raven – A locally owned and operated gastropub, this happening spot has been a go-to spot in Saskatoon’s downtown since opening in 2011. Known for its friendly service, fair prices, and quality food, The Rook and Raven is a great place for a night out or a quick lunch.
• Winston’s – A traditional English-style pub in the heart of downtown Saskatoon, Winston’s is a must visit if you enjoy a variety of craft beers and authentic English food. Located in the historic Hotel Senator, you will feel transported when you walk through the doors.
• Congress Beer House – Congress is known for its wide alcohol selection and locally sourced ingredients. They make their own burgers and have taken pub food to a whole new level. Grab a pint on a Friday night and enjoy the cozy atmosphere.
• The Yard and Flagon – Located in Saskatoon’s Broadway district, the Yard and Flagon is an Irish-style traditional pub with good food and a wide selection of tap and bottled beers. Their rooftop patio is the perfect place to relax after a long week.
• Hose & Hydrant – This fire station turned pub is a great place to go on a Thursday night in Saskatoon. Why? Its ½ price wings on Thursdays. Beyond that, the fire station atmosphere creates a fun, exciting place to enjoy delicious food and great company.

So, the next time you’re feeling indecisive check out one of these top rated Saskatoon pubs.

Having a second property can look different depending on your stage of life. Some people choose to purchase a cabin or summer home. Others, who are usually more advanced in years, may choose to purchase a timeshare or second property somewhere warm for the winter. Still others might choose to purchase a second property to rent out for extra income.

There are some important questions you will want to ask yourself before you decide to purchase a second property, such as, “can we afford a second mortgage?” or, if the Saskatoon property is a rental space “am I ready to deal with potentially difficult tenants?” It is important to seriously consider the financial cost before purchasing a second property to make sure that it won’t add financial strain to your life.

Another important thing to consider is what type of second property you will purchase. A holiday home and a rental property have different value for mortgages and other financing options. Knowing what you want to buy is an important step in figuring out whether or not you can afford to purchase a second property.

The other important factor is looking into the various financing options such as HELOCs, home equity loans and conventional mortgages. Talking with a financial advisor can help to shed some light on what the best financing options before you start to browse.

If you are ready to purchase a second property, or a first property, come talk to us at North Ridge Realty. Our realtors would be happy to help you find the perfect new home in Saskatoon!

One of the biggest questions you will ask yourself when deciding to purchase a new home in Saskatoon is “how am I/how are we going to pay for it?” Currently, there are two main options for paying for your home (assuming that you do not have the savings to pay for the whole home outright). These options are a conventional mortgage or a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Here are some differences between the two financing options:

1. Mortgages are structured – Typically, a mortgage has a fixed time period (amortization), fixed payments, and in some cases a fixed interest rate. HELOCs on the other hand are entirely open. Interest rates with a HELOC fluctuate with the prime rate, there is no fixed time period, and no set payments which can be a great option if you want flexibility.
2. HELOCs can be re-borrowed – A HELOC allows you to take money out of the line of credit multiple times, which offers the ability to borrow against the HELOC for home renovations, emergencies, or the down payment on a second property. Mortgages are a one-time loan that cannot be re-borrowed (unless a second mortgage is taken out).
3. Mortgages are stickier – With conventional mortgages, there are penalties for paying it off early or for paying more annually than a set percentage of the mortgage (usually 20%). With a HELOC, you can pay off the loan as quick as you want and there are no limits to how much you pay at a time, however, if you miss payments on either structure there may be repercussions.

If you’re looking at purchasing a new home soon, talk to your banking institution about your financing options and then come talk to us.

Rosewood is a community located on the South-East end of Saskatoon just north of the interchange for Highway 16 and Boychuk Dr. The community is a bustling hub, built to help preserve and protect an area of wetland located just east of Boychuk Drive. Eventually the community will hold 12,000+ residents in a variety of housing situations including condos, townhomes, single family homes, and rental suites.

Once the community is completed it will reach all the way to the new Costco on Zimmerman Road. The area with Costco, dubbed the Meadows Market will also feature other businesses such as Marshalls, Visions Electronics, McDonalds, Scotiabank and others. The area will be a commercial hub where residents of Saskatoon can access all their essential needs in one area.

Having only been around for a few years, the Rosewood Community Association is hard at work getting recreational sports leagues started and developing a sense of community for Rosewood Residents. They have started an annual community garage sale which will take place on August 25th this year. They currently offer yoga, barre classes, and babysitting courses at a small fee and have drop-in sports programs which are free with a community association membership.

Rosewood is a community that is ready to explode in Saskatoon as the hottest place to live. Get yourself into the up and coming neighbourhood before it’s too late. Talk to our professional realtors about opportunities in Rosewood!

It’s the wonderful time of the year where the sun is shining, and the kids are out of school, the air is warm, and ice cream is an every night affair. When summer hits, it can be difficult to come up with activities that don’t require you to spend a lot of money (although going to the movies to get some air conditioning is sometimes necessary).

If you have a big family, we suggest you save movies for Toonie Tuesdays at the Rainbow and instead check out some of these free things to do in Saskatoon:

• Walk the River – The River Valley is beautiful in the summertime. If take an evening or afternoon stroll along the river, you may just see something you’ve never seen before (like an Aqua Car). Make sure you check out the Broadway Bridge Painted Rock collection and try to find Mario or the Transformers symbol.
• Nutrien Playland at Kinsmen Park – Although certain elements of this park do require money (the train, carousel, and Ferris Wheel), the playland itself is free to roam. It includes fun kid-friendly activities such as a splash pad, climbing area, and sand play area.
• U of S Museum of Natural Sciences – Located on the University of Saskatchewan campus the Museum of Natural Sciences is full of interesting artifacts. On their website they have a printout for a Museum Scavenger Hunt which will likely keep the kids entertained for a few hours at least.

Summertime is meant for family bonding, if you take advantage of these places and use a bit of imagination, you will definitely have a great summer.

Deciding to renovate your Saskatoon home is a huge decision with a lot of factors involved. If you’re thinking about renovating your home, our first suggestion would be to talk to the experts at North Ridge Renovations to get your free estimate. Our second suggestion would be to read these tips and prepare yourself to renovate your home:

1. SET A BUDGET – The first, and most important, step in renovating any part of your house is the budget. Deciding your spending limit will help keep your expectations in check and sticking to your budget will make the financial strain of renovating manageable. When you have a budget grounding your perspective, it will hopefully keep you from overspending.
2. GET ADVICE – Before you start busting down walls or tearing up carpet, take some time to get advice from contractors, renovation experts, and/or friends who have recently renovated. Take advantage of free estimates from renovation companies and collect a variety of opinions on cost, time, and overall stress.
3. TRUST YOUR GUT – Once you’ve made a decision, stick to it. Second guessing yourself can increase the cost of renovating by holding up the progress, paying for the new materials, and potentially the de-installation of the original choice (This isn’t HGTV with unlimited resources). If you’re an indecisive person, ask someone you trust to give their opinion – either you will agree with them, or you’ll disagree. Either way, you’ll gain a clearer perspective.

Whether you’ve just started contemplating renovations or if you’ve been planning for a while, we hope these tips will help you enter the renovation season with confidence and certainty to create the Saskatoon home you’ve always dreamed of. Looking for a change beyond renovations? Let’s chat.

Summer time is upon us and that means that backyard BBQs and campfires. If your Saskatoon backyard is looking a little less than ready for those summertime get-togethers, we have a few simple and inexpensive DIY projects to help create your very own backyard oasis. We hope you are ready to host all the summertime soirees this year.

• Outdoor Entertainment Table – This table is a stellar idea for anyone looking to host a backyard BBQ. Multipurpose drink storage allows you to make the most use of the space in your backyard.
• Palette Table – Palettes are a great way to build outdoor furniture. They’re cheap, durable, and when painted in a bright colour – absolutely stylin’. This DIY is great because you can tweak it to fit your size needs and your personality.
• Brick Bench – We love this DIY because it is so customizable. You can make it as tall as you want, as long as you want, and you can really let your personality shine through your fabric choice. Feeling inspired? We suggest painting the bricks.
• Palette Bar – Making another appearance on our list is palettes. This DIY bar is great if you love having buffet style summer BBQs, or if you want to show off your bartending skills (margaritas anyone?).
• Easy Pergola – Pergolas are a great way to create some shade and add some awesome aesthetic to your backyard. If you like to be super thrifty, this option is even better because it claims to be “super frugal.” Customize your Pergola with lights, vines, or fabric.

If you want more ideas on how to DIY the perfect patio check out this list with 100 DIYs for the backyard and get ready to enjoy your Saskatchewan summer in style. Need a home with a bigger yard? Come talk to us!

If you missed our blog post with the first three points, check them out! Because moving is such a big life transition, we felt that our tips couldn’t be contained into a single post so here are three more tips to make your moving day/week a breeze.

1. Put ‘em Together – The easiest way locate things post-move is if you keep similar items together. Instead of having three books in the living room boxes and twelve in your bedroom box, make a book box and put them together. Unpacking will be much simpler when things are organized.
2. Overestimate your box needs – We tend to think that we don’t have “that much” stuff in our homes, that is until we need to pack everything for a move. Don’t get caught in the days leading up to your move scrounging around the local supermarkets for spare boxes or cramming everything imaginable into the already overstuffed boxes.
3. Clean out the Fridge – Try to make your last grocery trip two weeks before the move, this will force you to use up as much of your food as possible making moving a bit lighter and who knows you may find something you forgot you had in the freezer (like extra cookie dough). This is especially prevalent if you are moving a long distance as some food will not survive a longer journey (and throwing out food would be a waste of money).

We hope you’re feeling a bit more prepared for your next move. If you’re thinking of moving, and haven’t purchased anything yet, check out some of our North Ridge Homes for Sale.

Moving to a new home can be an enormous task that is exciting but also induces the desire to rip out all of your hair. It is a great way to purge your belongings and get rid of things you don’t need or use, but certain aspects of moving require significant time and effort. Here are some tips that we think will help make the transition to your new Saskatoon home super easy.

1. Colour code your labels – If people are helping you move, this tip is a necessity. It works best with coloured stickers or markers. Each room is assigned a colour, then as the boxes and bags are unloaded your helpers will know where things are going so that your kitchen utensils don’t end up in the bathroom. Just make sure you have legends posted around the house and if you’re super organized coloured paper on each door/wall.
2. Don’t procrastinate – The biggest stress of moving is when it’s two days before moving day and you still haven’t touched the downstairs closet or the kitchen. Pack as much as you can as early as you can, so the final days leading up to the move can be dedicated to cleaning and packing those essential items.
3. Pack an essentials bag – Nothing is worse than finally being moved in to your new home and having to tear open every box to find your pajamas or toothbrush. Packing an overnight bag with clothing, bathroom essentials, and other items you know you will need the first few days will help keep the stress levels at a minimum.

Stay tuned for the next 3 tips to help you feel like moving is almost the same as taking a vacation. If you’re ready to start your moving journey by finding a new Saskatoon home, talk with us.

Do you want to live in a neighbourhood that has activities constantly? Do you love playing pickleball or watching movies outdoors in the summertime? Stonebridge is the place for you. Located on the south end of Saskatoon, living in Stonebridge gives you quick access to Circle Drive and Downtown.

With amenities such as Walmart, Home Depot, and Sobeys, you know that your needs will be met. Moreover, many local businesses are located in Stonebridge from Chiropractors to Advertising, Wealth Management to Automotive – Stonebridge truly is a one-stop neighbourhood.

When you venture beyond the commercial areas you will find numerous parks, walking paths, and beautiful ponds, the perfect place to spend your evenings. Stonebridge is one of the more established newer neighbourhoods, and even has a community associate which runs programs such as yoga, pickleball and youth soccer.

As the most populated neighbourhood in Saskatoon, you can be certain that Stonebridge is a worthwhile place to live, over 11 000 people think so! As an ever growing and developing community, it is truly a neighbourhood of possibility and opportunity.

Once you experience the community of Stonebridge, you will never want to leave. Check out our available homes, or head over to North Ridge Developments if you’re looking for townhomes or apartment style condos. We think you’ll love it as much as we do.

There are blogs about anything and everything. Some are useful and others not so much. We’ve compiled a list of the top Canadian DIY blogs that will blow your mind while providing useful money saving tips for decorating and renovating your Saskatoon home.

• Dans Le Lakehouse: Tanya is a DIY-er who is gaining hype across the country for her insane DIY projects including painting a car, turquoise kitchen renos, and home restorations. Her videos are easy to follow and super creative.
• Poppytalk: Jan and Earl, the duo behind Poppytalk, have attracted over 9 million followers with their clever DIYs, Ikea hacks, and Jan’s glamping creativity. Poppytalk has been featured in Wired, Design Sponge, Canadian Living, InStyle and Inside Out magazines.
• Rambling Renovators: Jen, the creator of this blog, is unique because her site features an entire section dedicated to garden and patio DIYs. If you’re looking to vamp up your backyard this summer, Rambling Renovators should be one of your first stops.
• Echoes of Laughter: As a native Nova Scotian, Angie, the creator of Echoes of Laughter, has a unique coastal style in her DIY projects. Her site also contains a vast array of recipes.
• Making it in the Mountains: The simple DIYs for upcycling and home decor projects on this site will spruce up those nooks and crannies and make your home Instagram worthy. Kristi, the writer of the blog, loves farmhouses and vintage charm – which really shows up in her DIY and home renovation projects!

Fall in love with the old, the new, and the DIY. There is no way you will be able to browse these sites without finding something that inspires you to update the decor of your Saskatoon home! Looking to purchase a new home? Get in touch.

If you are thinking about moving to/within Saskatoon and you need to sell your current home, the “to-do” list may feel long and overwhelming as you prepare to move and sell your home all at once. Here are a few things you will want to consider doing before you list your home:

1. Compile Documents – Receipts for repairs and updates, instruction manuals, and other important documents pertaining to the house should be compiled and kept together. These documents can be helpful in enticing potential buyers and will also make sure you don’t accidentally take something important with you to your new home.
2. Clutter Clear Out– Now’s the time to sift through the boxes in your storage room and declutter your clothing closet. Donating the clothes you no longer wear will make moving lighter as well.
3. Clean Crevices – Taking the time to do a top-to-bottom clean of the entire house will really help the listing, it will also make the moving out clean up significantly faster.
4. Cultivate the Land – The exterior of the house is just as important as the interior, taking the time to clean up the landscaping, weed the garden, and prune dead branches will increase the curb appeal.
5. Capture the Magic – Take the time to get pictures when everything is spotless (and kid free) to give your home the best chance of a quick sale.

If you’re looking to list your Saskatoon home, North Ridge Realty here to help you find your dream home. Get in touch today and start preparing for your home selling experience.