07 Nov Fall 2019
With fall in full swing and the holiday season just around the corner it’s time to do a few last minute things around the yard in preparations for the winter.
#1 Clean and Stow Your Mower
If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, get to know it. If your mower sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer ($10 for a 10-ounce bottle) prevents gas from degrading.Add stabilizer to your gasoline can to keep spare gas in good condition over the winter, and top off your mower tank with stabilized gas before you put it away for the winter. Run the mower for five minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor.
Another lawn mower care method is to run your mower dry before stowing it.
1. When the mower is cool, remove the spark plug and pour a capful of engine oil into the spark plug hole.
2. Pull the starter cord a couple of times to distribute the oil, which keeps pistons lubricated and ensures an easy start come spring.
3. Turn the mower on its side and clean out accumulated grass and gunk from the mower deck.
#2 Remove Garden Hoses From Faucets
Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets. Leaving hoses attached can cause water to back up in the faucets and in the plumbing pipes just inside your exterior walls. If freezing temps hit, that water could freeze, expand, and crack the faucet or pipes. Make this an early fall priority so a sudden cold snap doesn’t sneak up and cause damage.
Turn off any shutoff valves on water supply lines that lead to exterior faucets. That way, you’ll guard against minor leaks that may let water enter the faucet.
While you’re at it, drain garden hoses and store them in a shed or garage.
#3 Drain Your Sprinkler System
Time to drain your irrigation system. Even buried irrigation lines can freeze, leading to busted pipes and broken sprinkler heads.
- Turn off the water to the system at the main valve.
- Shut off the automatic controller.
- Open drain valves to remove water from the system.
- Remove any above-ground sprinkler heads and shake the water out of them, then replace.
If you don’t have drain valves, then hire an irrigation pro to blow out the systems pipes with compressed air. A pro is worth the $75 to $150 charge to make sure the job is done right, and to ensure you don’t have busted pipes and sprinkler head repairs to make in the spring.
With all of those outdoor tasks checked off your list it’s time to enjoy the holiday season around Victoria!
As usual there are many fun activities to do during the holiday season including craft fairs, parades and different Christmas Light Up’s around the city.
Head on over to Uptown and be sure not to miss out when they light the 54 ft. Christmas Tree on Saturday, November 16th. Arrive early to snag the best spots for the Christmas Parade. Take advantage of the ENTIRE Boulevard! The Parade will loop the Boulevard, and don’t worry there will be enough time to make it back to Town Plaza for Santa to light the Tree at approx. 6:30 PM! Dress warmly and get yourself a warm treat from some of the amazing retailers.
Please note that Uptown Blvd will be closing at NOON on Saturday, November 16th in preparation for the parade.
Another one of our favourite spots during the holiday season is Christmas at Butchart Gardens. Visitors are immediately enchanted when entering The Gardens’ gates as they are greeted with tens of thousands of lights and a multitude of fresh evergreen swags and wreaths. Holly, ivy and winter berries line walkways and festoon lamp posts. Traditional holiday music, with carollers and concerts, fills the air. Over 4,000 poinsettias placed indoors throughout the estate add a festive flair. The Twelve Days of Christmas displays placed throughout The Gardens are a long time favourite. Accompanying features include an Interactive Light Tree and the ever-popular Christmas train scene.
Do you want to win a free admission for two adults and two kids to Christmas at Butchart Gardens?
Make sure to RSVP to our annual IMAX event where we will be showing a special screening of the 2018 release of the Grinch. RSVP to tracy@realtii.com by November 30th to be entered to win. For more details on this event keep an eye open for a special invitation coming to your mailbox soon!
If you received your invite already you’ll notice that this quarter we’ve changed things up a bit and instead of sending out our usual newsletter we’ve tried to use less paper in an effort to be more green. If you are interested in reading into the insights of what is happening in the BC Real Estate market please click here to read the stats.
As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the office via email, text or a phone call at anytime.
Wishing you a very happy 2019 holiday season from all of us at Realtii Victoria.