This year's spooky season is all about merging the macabre with the sophisticated.

By Sophie Flaxman

Published on September 13, 2024

As the nights grow longer and the crispness of autumn fills the air, the moment has come to transform your sunny summer retreat into a spine-chilling spectacle filled with eerie delights. But this season, don't limit your Halloween decor to carved pumpkins and the classic black and orange color scheme.

"I particularly love this time of year as it allows us to showcase our creativity with deep, rich colors, chilling decorations, and carved pumpkins,” says Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s trend expert. "This year, however, it seems some new trends are emerging."

Whether you're aiming for a haunted house ambiance or prefer a more refined approach, this year's Halloween decor trends embrace a balance between tradition and innovation, inviting you to create a space that’s as captivating as it is spooky.

Impress with Gothic Glamor

If you're looking to make Halloween feel a little more glam, look no further than gothic glamor. This style fuses the mystery and drama of Gothic architecture with the luxury and elegance of Victorian-era opulence, enabling you to balance eerie elements with high-end sophistication. “It’s a celebration of the macabre with an elegant twist,” says Johnson, who explains that a dark jewel color palette and rich texture are central to the gothic glamor trend. Think rich purple, ruby red, velvety black, and midnight blue in sumptuous velvet and silk draped across windows or embellishing your living room and table settings.

You're halfway there if you already own Gothic or Victorian-style antique furniture. Accessorize with antique picture frames, dark glassware, gold or silver accents, and macabre motifs, such as skulls, black roses, and gothic-inspired art. Set the mood with flickering candles that cast animated shadows and a hauntingly beautiful glow.

Play Up the Nostalgia Factor

According to Johnson, this year is all about celebrating the history and traditions of Halloween from 1920 to 1960. This trend is perfect for those looking to evoke the spirit of Halloween's past with elegance and a hint of mystery. “Think childhood nostalgia with caramel apple-scented candles, vintage decorations, and classic ghost motifs,” she says. Introduce old-school Halloween motifs around the house—witches, black cats, and jack-o’-lanterns—on die-cut decor, banners, and posters. Bring an authentic, eerie look with antiquities, such as weathered lanterns, wrought iron candelabras, aged books, and old-fashioned apothecary jars filled with creepy crawlies and witches potions. Handmade elements, such as carved wooden pumpkins and homemade garlands, echo the simplicity and craftsmanship of earlier times and expose a cozy and rustic side of Halloween.

Harvest Your Halloween Decor

Harvest Halloween decor from your back garden or local garden center. “Dark, moody florals paired with bare, eerie-shaped branches add a haunting beauty to planters,” says Amy Courtney, interior designer and founder of Amy Courtney Design. “Go for something like a smoke bush and big imposing planters to create a dark, dramatic feel.” Instead of lining your porch with the predictable yet iconic symbol of Halloween—the orange pumpkin—Courtney suggests decorating with gourds in shades of cream, sage, deep greens, and soft browns for an understated yet festive look.

25 White Pumpkin Ideas That Add Elegance to Fall Decor

Embrace Witchcraft-Inspired Elements

“Witchy and celestial aesthetics are really in for 2024,” Courtney says. “I loved hanging hats last year, and now they're back, but with an elevated upgrade.” She particularly loves the woven black vine iteration by Terrain by Anthropologie, which has elevated the trend. “Hang them from your porch ceiling and pair them with a broomstick and green pumpkins, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a magical Halloween setup.” Alternatively, drape 3-D bats across the front door to create a playful, spooky effect that sets the tone for the haunted house beyond.

Frighten with Fantastical Features

Escape reality by bringing your favorite fantastical scenes and characters to life this Halloween. The fantastical style is especially appealing in 2024 as it reflects a broader cultural shift towards nostalgia and fantasy, tapping into a collective yearning for adventure, mystery, and a curiosity for the unknown. To conjure an other-worldy atmosphere, Johnson suggests drawing on elements like ancient woodlands, fairy circles, and epic quests. Think deep green foliage, climbing ivy, and earthy textures that bring the enchanted woodlands indoors. Hint at a magical world with toadstools, mushrooms, twinkling fairy dust and lights, and figurines of mythical creatures. If one thing’s for sure, reality and fantasy collide with this trend, providing an immersive experience that captures the imagination and brings a touch of magic to Halloween decor.

Display a Halloween Village

Halloween villages are flying off the shelves this season, becoming the latest must-have piece of Halloween decor. The miniature-themed displays feature intricately designed haunted houses, graveyards, and spooky figurines, making the perfect feature for a mantel or window sill for passers-by to admire. “Create a glowing Halloween village scene, but make it extra spooky,” says Courtney, who suggests adding moss, backlighting, or even a smoke machine to heighten the creep factor and truly bring the scene to life.

The importance of representations and warranties

Representations are statements a buyer or seller makes about specific facts. Warranties are contractual promises made to one another regarding the existence or accuracy of specific facts, often relating to the contract. 

What do they look like? 

Representations and warranties are usually made by the seller. Here are some common examples: 

1. Legal right to sell the property 
The seller promises they have the legal right to sell the property. 
 
Action: Check the title to ensure the names are correct and accurately spelled. Be aware of issues like estates, corporate sellers, or other legal encumbrances. 

2. Residency status for tax purposes 
The seller confirms they are not a non-resident for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada).  

Action: Make note if you're meeting the seller in person or they are signing the contract from out of country. This can affect the timing of fund transfers, the ability to transfer title, and have tax implications on the buyer. 

3. No other legal claims to attached or unattached goods 
The seller assures that no one else has a legal right to the included goods. 
 
Action: Ask the seller about any debts, payments, or contracts related to items like alarms, furnaces, appliances, and water softeners. 

4. Compliance with land use and municipal laws 
The seller states that the property complies with municipal land use bylaws and any restrictive covenants. 
 
Action: Obtain a copy of the Real Property Report to ensure all structures are accounted for and comply with regulations. 

5. Proper location of buildings and improvements 
The seller promises that buildings and improvements are correctly located and comply with relevant laws. 
 
Action: Review the Real Property Report to check for any encroachments and ensure compliance with covenants and bylaws. 

6. Disclosure of material latent defects 
The seller discloses any known hidden defects in writing. 
 
Action: When touring the property, look for signs of defects and ask questions about any abnormalities. 

7. Disclosure of government notices and permits 
The seller discloses any government notices and whether they have permits for any work done. 

Action: Ask the seller about any notices and ensure they have permits for any developments on the property. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Kahane Law Office, so they can assist you with your questions. Call Kahane Law at 403-225-8810 or email at realestate@kahanelaw.com. 

By Brian McKechnie Global News

Whether you’re ready for it or not, fall has arrived. As the days get shorter and the temperature more brisk, it’s time to put away the lawn furniture and get your house prepared for what’s in store over the next six months.

Here are some tips on things you should do now to help make your home more comfortable during fall (and winter). If you’re not comfortable handling any of these tasks yourself, hire a professional to ensure you don’t get hurt or cause unnecessary damage to your home.

1. Clean your eavestroughs and downspouts

Anyone who watches Mike Holmes knows that water is your home’s worst enemy. As leaves begin to fall they will undoubtedly fill your eavestroughs and downspouts, blocking water from making it off your roof and away from your house. While time-consuming, cleaning them out regularly until all the trees in your area are leaf-free is a good idea to help stop water from finding a way inside.

Full gutters and downspouts are also an invitation for critters, who will nest in them before eventually attempting to get into your attic and potentially causing a lot of damage.

If you’re not comfortable cleaning them yourself, check with contractors in your area, as many offer services to do this for you. There’s also many products on the market that can be installed on your eavestroughs to keep leaves and critters out while still letting water through. Check with your local home improvement store or a local contractor for recommendations on what works best on homes in your area.

2. Caulk around windows, doors and other openings

Caulking around windows and doors prevents cold air from getting in and your conditioned inside air from getting out. Even if you did this in the spring, it’s a good idea to do a perimeter check to see if you need to add more caulking in spots. Having a good seal around these openings will not only make your home more comfortable, but will also help you waste less energy and save you money.

Besides windows and doors, caulking around vents (such as your dryer and bathroom exhaust fan) and cables and pipes that run outside of your house is also a good idea.

3. Check/replace weather stripping

Weather stripping loses its effectiveness with age and needs to be replaced every few years. Do a visual check of the stripping around exterior doors and windows (including your garage door) and replace if it appears worn or cracked.

4. Inspect your roof and chimney

You’ll be very thankful if you catch a problem with your roof now before water starts dripping on your head in the middle of a November downpour. The average lifespan of an asphalt shingled roof (the most common in North America) is between 15 and 20 years if installed properly. Factors such as critters, severe weather and whether you’re in a highly populated tree area will speed up the deterioration process.

From the outside look for signs of worn, loose or missing shingles and shingles with mold or rot on them. Check eavestroughs for granules from the shingles (a sign of heavy wear) and ensure that your eavestroughs and flashing (the metal lip between your shingles and eavestroughs) are securely attached. If you have a metal, tiled or roof with solar panels it’s best to have a professional do an inspection.

You should also inspect around vents for missing caulking and broken seals and do a visual check of your chimney to ensure there are no crumbling bricks or bird or squirrel nests inside.

From inside your attic check the underside of your roof for water damage and holes. Also make sure there are no nests in your attic insulation and that vents in your soffits are not blocked. (Soffits connect the overhang of your roof to the top of your exterior walls and help vent unconditioned attics. Keeping these vents clear is important in having a healthy home).

If you are not comfortable going onto your roof or into your attic you should hire a professional to inspect it. If you do find signs of an infestation call animal control or an exterminator immediately.

5. Put your air conditioning unit to rest

Removable A/C window units should be removed and properly stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions before winter in order to protect the unit and help keep cooler outside air from getting inside.

Whole home A/C units should be powered down from the breaker in your main electrical panel. If you have a safety shut-off switch located outside by the A/C unit that should be turned off as well.

There is much debate over whether you should completely cover a whole home A/C unit for the winter. A cover that goes all the way down to the bottom can trap moisture inside the unit as well as invite critters to nest. A better option is a short cover, which protects the unit from debris and leaves getting inside the top while letting the unit “breathe” (a piece of plywood cut to size on top of the unit works well, too).

6. Shut-off and drain outside faucets

The faucets you use outside in the summer to wash your car, soak your garden and hose down your kids are susceptible to freezing. If proper care is not taken to shut-off and drain these lines before winter, it can lead to pipes and faucets bursting or cracking and can create a huge, potentially expensive, disaster.

All faucets that exit your home should have a shut-off valve located inside. These shut-offs are usually located close to where the faucet exits the basement to the outside, but can also be located further back in the home closer to where the pipe for the faucet branches off from the main water source. If you don’t have shut-off valves or can’t find them, contact a licensed plumber to have them installed.

Once the water is turned off inside, open the outside faucet to let it completely drain. If the inside shut-off valve has a drain plug — a small cap on the side of the shut-off — open it while the outside faucet is still turned to the on position (make sure to have a bucket under it when you open it as water will come out). Once all the water has completely drained from the line, close the drain plug on the shut-off valve and turn the outside faucet back to the off position.

If you have access to the run of pipe that goes outside, adding pipe insulation around it is bonus protection and will also help keep condensation down in the summer months as well.

7. Clean and inspect your furnace

Even if it was pumping out air conditioning to keep you cool, most people neglect their furnace during the summer months. Now that you’re about to turn the heat back on and spend most of your time breathing the air it pushes around, it’s recommended you do some general maintenance to keep it running in top form.

The first thing you should do before kicking on the heat is to clean or replace your furnace filter. This not only helps the quality of your inside air, but also keeps your furnace running more efficient (and the more efficient your furnace runs the less money you waste heating your home).

If you have a permanent filter, follow the directions on how to clean it and only use the recommended cleaning solutions (you breathe the air that passes through the filter so cleaning it with harsh chemicals will only contaminate the air and could be potentially dangerous, especially if the cleaning solution is flammable).

Replaceable filters come in all different sizes and ratings. Ensure you’re getting one that is the correct size to fit your furnace and then choose the level of filter protection you want.

Filters are rated using the MERV system, or “Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value”. The higher the MERV rating the more particles the filter will remove from the air. If you have allergies or pets, a filter with a higher MERV rating will help keep your air cleaner. Of course, it’s not that simple as a higher MERV rating also means less airflow, which in turn could end up doing more harm to your furnace than good. Check with your furnace manufacturer to see what the highest level of filter you can use is before going for maximum protection. Filters should also be replaced every 90 days.

Doing a good vacuuming around your furnace and inside your floor and air intake vents also helps keeps air moving better so your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard. If you have pets (or have just moved into a newly built house) having your ducts professionally cleaned is highly recommended.

If your furnace is over 15-years-old you should have it inspected by an HVAC professional to make sure everything is still in proper working order before firing it up (HVAC stands for heating, ventilating and air conditioning). A good HVAC professional will be able to detect potential problems and will also be able to give you advice on running your furnace more efficient.

If your home is heated with baseboard or radiator heating, they should be cleaned and inspected for potential hazards as well.

And don’t forget to…

• Clean and inspect your fireplace

• Clean and inspect your dryer vent

• Change the batteries in your smoke detectors

• Check that carbon monoxide detectors are working properly

• Inspect fire extinguishers

• Inspect and test sump pumps

• Empty and store rain barrels

• Winterize outdoor lawn equipment

Justin Dallaire senior editor

This is the MoneySense Special Edition Newsletter, where we cover news headlines affecting Canadians’ finances.

The federal government announced two big changes to mortgage rules today. Both are aimed at making home ownership more affordable for Canadians, particularly those entering the real estate market for the first time. The new rules take effect on Dec. 15. 

First, the government is raising the cap for insured mortgages. Currently, Canadians buying a home with a down payment of less than 20% of the purchase price must pay for mortgage default insurance, which protects lenders. Homes valued at $1 million or more must have a down payment of at least 20%, and they’re ineligible for mortgage default insurance. Under the new rules, buyers will be able to purchase homes valued at up to $1.5 million with a down payment of less than 20% and get an insured mortgage. 

Second, the government is expanding access to 30-year mortgages. Currently, insured mortgages can have amortizations of no more than 25 years. (The exception is first-time buyers acquiring a new-construction home, who have been able to get a 30-year mortgage since Aug. 1, as part of changes introduced in the 2024 federal budget.) As of Dec. 15, all first-time home buyers will be able to access 30-year amortizations, regardless of the type of home, as will anyone buying a new-build home (including condos).
 
The government describes the changes as “the most significant mortgage reforms in decades.”

What does it mean for you?

Many Canadians view mortgage affordability through the lens of monthly payments—not the total cost of borrowing to buy a home. So, the new rules will indeed make home ownership more affordable for first-time buyers—though it may also lead buyers to pay more over the life of the loan than they would with a shorter mortgage.

Raising the cap on insured mortgages will “make it possible for buyers to purchase higher-priced homes with smaller down payments, and in some cases, give them access to more competitive mortgage rates as insured borrowers,” Penelope Graham, a mortgage expert at Ratehub, tells MoneySense exclusively for this newsletter. (Ratehub and MoneySense are both owned by Ratehub Inc.) “Spreading payments over a 30-year amortization period will also help improve monthly cash flow, which in turn helps with qualification ratios and passing the mortgage stress test.”

The Canadian real estate market has had a slow summer, in spite of three Bank of Canada interest rate cuts, in June, July and September. Surely, these cuts have lessened borrowing costs, and theoretically, should have sparked more home purchases (as ultra-low interest rates did during the pandemic). 

Graham believes the mortgage rules coming into effect in December may be the push buyers need. “Combined with [more] anticipated interest rate cuts from the Bank of Canada, today’s announcement could be the incentive buyers have been waiting for to re-enter the market.” 

A surge in buyer demand may ultimately drive up home prices—a side-effect the federal government should be trying to avoid, given the high prices Canadians already face. So, the question remains: Is this a good time to buy a home in Canada? 

Detached

Detached home sales fell by 14 per cent compared to last year, as gains in homes priced above $600,000 were not enough to offset declines in the lower price ranges, which continue to struggle with low supply levels. In August, there were 2,011 detached homes available in inventory, with over 85 per cent priced above $600,000.

The improving higher-end supply compared to sales helped push the months of supply up to nearly two months. While market conditions are still tight, this is a significant improvement from the under-one-month supply experienced in the spring. Shifting conditions are relieving some pressure on home prices. In August, the unadjusted detached benchmark price was $762,600, slightly lower than last month but still over nine per cent higher than last year.
 

Semi-Detached

With 297 new listings and 172 sales, the sales-to-new-listings ratio in August dropped to 58 per cent, which is more consistent with pre-pandemic levels. This shift supported a rise in inventory levels, and the months of supply rose to nearly two months.

While conditions remain relatively tight, the boost in new listings has helped ease some of the pressure on prices. In August, the unadjusted benchmark price was $681,200, a decline from last month but nearly 10 per cent higher than last year.
 

Row

New listings row for homes priced above $400,000, contributing to year-to-date growth of nearly 16 per cent. At the same time, slower sales over the past three months have contributed to inventory gains. In August, there were 660 units available, a 75 per cent increase over the exceptionally low levels reported last year. While inventories are still low by historical standards, as with other property types, this shift is helping ease pressure on home prices.

The unadjusted benchmark price in August was $461,700, slightly lower than last month but over 12 per cent higher than last August. Monthly adjustments were not consistent across districts, with adjustments in the City Centre, North West, North, and West districts mostly driving monthly declines. Despite the monthly adjustments, year-over-year prices remain higher than last year across all districts and range from a low of 10 per cent in the City Centre to a high of 26 per cent in the East district.
 

Apartment Condominium

New listings in August reached 1,001 units, a record high for the month. The gains in new listings were met with a pullback in sales, causing the sales-to-new-listings ratio to drop to 60 per cent and inventories to rise to 1,476 units. Unlike other property types, overall condominium inventory levels were relatively consistent with longer-term trends for the month.

Rising inventory and easing sales caused the months of supply to increase to nearly two and a half months, not as high as levels seen before the pandemic but an improvement over the extremely tight conditions seen over the past 18 months. In August, the unadjusted benchmark price was $346,500, similar to last month and nearly 16 per cent higher than last year’s prices.

 

REGIONAL MARKET FACTS

Airdrie

New listings in Airdrie continued to rise this month compared to last year. However, with 242 new listings and 172 sales, the sales-to-new-listings ratio remained relatively high at 71 per cent. This prevented a stronger gain in inventory levels and kept the months of supply below two months. The tightest conditions in the market continue to be in the lower price ranges of each property type.

While conditions continue to favour the seller, they are not as tight as during the spring months, taking some pressure off home prices. In August, the unadjusted benchmark price was $553,300, similar to last month and nearly eight per cent higher than last year.
 

Cochrane

August reported 81 sales and 109 new listings, keeping the sales-to-new-listings ratio elevated at 74 per cent, enough to prevent any gain in inventory levels. With 144 units available, inventory levels are nearly 42 per cent below long-term trends for the month.

Persistently tight conditions continue to drive further price growth in the town. In August, the unadjusted benchmark price was $578,600, slightly higher than last month and over eight per cent higher than last year’s levels. Prices have risen across all property types, with the largest gains occurring for apartment-style properties.
 

Okotoks

A boost in detached sales supported the rise in August sales compared to last year. The 67 sales in August were met with 84 new listings, pushing the sales-to-new-listings ratio near 80 per cent. This prevented any significant shift in inventory levels, which remain nearly 47 per cent lower than long-term trends.

With just over one month of supply, conditions remain relatively tight. The unadjusted benchmark price in August was $622,700, similar to last month and over seven per cent higher than last August.