Despite the Edmonton-Calgary rivalry, there's at least one import from our northern neighbour that appears to be a welcome addition to the local real estate market: backyard suites.

Renovated basements offer the dual benefit of extending a home's usable square footage and bolstering its resale value.

Shopping for furniture involves a lot of choices. For each different piece, there are endless size, fabric and colour options.

However, finding the perfect furniture for your home can be a breeze with some pre-shopping preparation and a bit of advice from the experts.

Imagine waking in the middle of the night to a familiar feeling in your bladder – nature is calling. As you walk into the bathroom, a warm blue light appears near the base of the toilet, guiding you on your mission. At the same time, the seat, already preset to a comfortable temperature, senses your proximity and silently rises. One push of a button later, the built-in sound system starts playing your favourite song – Taking Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

If the siding on your house has seen better days, the good news is there are a wide variety of products to choose from to replace it, each with its own pros and cons. Neil MacDonald, assistant store manager with Home Depot Canada's Beacon Hill location, says it's important to remember that while material cost is a major part of the equation, people also need to consider ease of installation, or factor in the cost of a professional install, when deciding on new siding.

Here is a comparison between the most common siding products (click to expand):

To the uninitiated, a "sun tunnel" might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie. However, for many present-day homeowners, this special type of skylight is proving to be the perfect fit.

When you're buying a new home, the last thing you need is to inherit someone else's problems. Even if you've done a walkthrough and taken a close look at plumbing fixtures, paint and ceilings, the potential for disaster might be lurking just beneath the surface – literally.

Long before Calgary culinary personality Julie Van Rosendaal fell in love with her Ramsay home, which was built in 1906, her mother declared it "Julie's House."

It's important to be honest with yourself about space needs, expectations, lifestyle and budget when looking to upgrade or renovate your small kitchen.

Both Steve Francis, owner of Aspire Renovations, and Karen Allbright, owner of organizational design company Calm Order, agree homeowners must plan well to ensure changes to the kitchen improve its function.

Thanks to Mother Nature's rotating extremes of freezing snow and thawing chinooks in the Calgary region, our rooftops require special attention. Like a solid foundation, the roof is essential to a home's structural integrity. Poor maintenance can result in major damage, inside and out.