Could a laneway home be up your alley?

For some Calgarians, a laneway house is a realistic way to achieve the elusive dream of home ownership.

Laneway houses are fully independent, small-scale dwellings that face onto an alley, typically found in the backyards of existing homes. Often referred to as "urban cabins," they are an alternative way to add density to established inner-city neighbourhoods.

While the buzz around laneway homes might be new, the concept is not.

Thriving community of Sunnyside is beloved by residents and developers alike

A community with an undeniable entrepreneurial and artistic character, Sunnyside is a place where anything can happen, and often does. Together with its western neighbour, Hillhurst, it makes up the funky, inner-city village known as Kensington, with its inspired restaurants and popular watering holes.

Events like the annual summer-time favourite Harry Potter Festival frequently transform the streets. During the Harry Potter Festival, muggles and wizards alike can try on a wand for size or flip through a "Marauder's Map" at Flourish & Blotts (the one-day only rebrand of Pages Bookstore), have tea leaves read, or scoot across town by departing from platform nine and three-quarters at the Sunnyside CTrain station.

The benefits of small-space living

When software developer Mike Surbey and occupational therapist Kaitlyn Bernardin got married earlier this month, they were already ensconced in a 498-square-foot, one-bedroom condo just off popular 17th Avenue S.W.

The young couple — he's 32 and she's 29 — along with their cat, love their open-concept, efficient space in Grosvenor's Smith project in the Beltline. The smaller living space is the perfect fit for their lifestyle.

"We don't accumulate a lot of stuff and it is really easy to clean," said Bernardin.

Alykhan Velji talks top design trends for 2018

Whether planning a design overhaul or revitalizing a favourite space, award-winning designer Alykhan Velji has his finger on the pulse of what's up-and-coming in the design world. With that in mind, here are three of his predictions for Calgary's top design trends in 2018.

For Sue and Jason Bissonnette, East Village condo investment was too good to pass up

Forty-somethings Sue and Jason Bissonnette love to travel and experience new things. They own vacation properties around the world, including a three-season recreation trailer at B.C.'s Moyie Lake and two timeshare properties in the Caribbean. When they're not travelling, they spend most of their time hanging out in Airdrie, where they own a two-storey, 2,000-square-foot home that they share with their two kids – a 19-year-old daughter and a 22-year-old son. Always on the lookout for new investment opportunities, the couple couldn't resist exploring the options when they were introduced to Knightsbridge Homes' N3 condominium project. They were attracted to its East Village location – steps away from the downtown core and the LRT – and the car-free lifestyle. A Car2Go membership, furniture package from Ikea and a Biria urban bicycle sweetened the deal. In the end, the Bissonnettes purchased a 498-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom condo on the 14th floor.

Tips for hot tub buying and ownership

Having a hot tub at your home is a great way to relax with family and friends, while also providing some real therapeutic benefits.

"It's always been a health and wellness thing," said Drew Christy, a client care specialist at Rocky Mountain Pools & Spas in Calgary.

Christy says the social aspect of owning a hot tub is often the first thing that appeals to people, but later they find themselves mostly using the spa for relaxation.

Katherine Moore found the perfect fixer-upper in cozy, mid-century, Montgomery bungalow

Katherine Moore was a "maker" long before the trend became cool. She's into canning (peaches are her delicious specialty), creates soap from scratch, designs clothing (she's a designer by trade) and re-finishes furniture. But perhaps her greatest love is making her garden beautiful.

So, when she and her husband David Foster, who loves to tinker and build things, were searching for a home, they had a small, but significant, wish list. The home had to be a little fixer-upper with huge potential and a big yard for Katherine work her garden magic.

The 2017 Calgary Fall Home Show offers tips, tricks and inspiration for every type of homeowner

"The show for every home." That's how Marketplace Events show manager Teri Salazar describes the Calgary Fall Home Show, which runs from Sept. 21 to 24 at the BMO Centre.

"It doesn't matter if you have a condo, a new build, a fixer-upper or a McMansion, if you want to do a simple update or a complete renovation overhaul, we have something in the show for everyone," she said.

There'll be some 350 exhibitors at this year's show, which Salazar says has been refocused to highlight those aspects exhibitors and attendees have been looking for, including more sources for inspiration.

"This show will be better than ever," she said.

Staging your home for a successful sale

While many people are likely reluctant to spend extra money on their home right before they sell, the act of staging a house for sale is important when it comes to drawing in potential buyers. Staging can make a home look far more desirable and appealing, which can often be the difference between no offers and a done deal.

Here are some of the best staging tips to ensure your home puts its best face forward for potential buyers: