We all know the “location, location, location” adage. Its part of what buying real estate is all about. But, what actually makes a location great?

According to Jay Walljasper, author of The Great Neighborhood Book, a great neighbourhood is about community. It’s about knowing your neighbours, feeling safe, and having pleasant spaces to be together.

Walljasper’s book offers lots of ideas for making your neighbourhood a better place to live and for building a stronger community:

Know thy neighbours. Sit on your front steps and say hello as people walk by. Have a chat with the person who pumps your gas or the retired lady down the street. You’d be amazed at how people open up to a little friendliness.

Create a great gathering spot. A nice playground with benches and shaded areas is a natural place for residents to gather. Communities across Canada have worked together to raise money via personal and corporate donations to build spaces kids and adults love.

Make it an event. Whether it’s a neighbourhood barbecue, a Saturday street sale, or an organized trick-or-treating event for the kids, getting your neighbours together to do something fun builds friendship and community.

Walk more, drive less. Get out and enjoy the neighbourhood instead of sealing yourself off in a car. Encourage walking by lobbying the city to widen sidewalks, add crosswalks, and traffic calming zones.

Be neighbourly. Shovel your neighbour’s walk when they are out of town, offer an afternoon of babysitting to the single parent down the street, or welcome a new neighbour with an invitation to coffee.

Take back the streets. If you live in an area where crime is a problem, organize a neighbourhood watch and walk around. If you see anything suspicious, notify the police. Criminals are deterred when there are too many people around.

Shop local. Supporting your local merchants will ensure they succeed along with the distinctive flavour they add to your neighbourhood. If you don’t have shops in your area, it may be due to zoning restrictions. Lobby your city council to change zoning so that retailers can set up shop.

Take pride. Take care of your neighbourhood the way you take care of your own property. When you go for a walk, bring a bag to pick up litter. Plant flowers in public places. Spruce up the park swings with some fresh paint.

Take advantage. Enjoy what your neighbourhood has to offer. Hang out at the coffee shop, go for a walk or bike ride, relax in the park. A great neighbourhood is only great if you take time to enjoy it.

It takes work to make things better, but everything you do will pay off through your enjoyment of your community – and increased property values. For more ideas, consult The Great Neighborhood Book. It’s an excellent resource that could spark some greatness is your neighbourhood.

You may not need an expensive addition to expand your space. Increase your usable square footage with these ideas:

Renovate your basement or attic. Finishing unused areas in your home is the best way to increase livable space and add value. Create a play room, a home theatre, extra bedrooms, or an office, and consider adding a bathroom.

Use common condo elements. Your unit may be small, but you can live large. Hang out by the pool, meet friends in the billiards room, bring your laptop to the lounge, host an event in the party room, or serve dinner in the rooftop garden.

Rethink it. Work underutilized space to your advantage. Would your dining room be more workable as a home office? Use part of your hall closet for extra linens or pantry items. That unused bedroom could be a sizable walk-in closet.

Rearrange furniture. Place furniture to optimize the function and flow of your room. Remove bulky, crowding pieces and invest in low, sleek furnishings for a clean, uncluttered sightline.

Hide it. Avoid clutter and add space with storage solutions for closets, drawers, cupboards, under beds and behind doors. Specialty storage pieces are available for everything from your holiday décor to your iron and ironing board.

Make it look bigger. Create the illusion of space with light paint colours, uniform flooring, ample lighting, and minimal furniture and décor items. Strategically place large mirrors to reflect more space and light.

Go outside. Create distinctive outdoor rooms on your balcony or in your yard. Use weather-resistant furniture, screens, curtains, carpets, lighting and landscaping features to create areas for dining, lounging and entertaining.

Look up. If your ceilings are high enough, build more living space above your head. Create a funky new bedroom, an enchanting play space, a hidden storage area, or an unobtrusive office without major structural changes.

Open up. Older homes can be warrens of tiny rooms and cramped hallways. Remove non-load bearing walls to create a more open, usable space. Your new floor plan will be more airy and inviting.

Trust life, and it will teach you, in joy and sorrow, all you need to know. James Baldwin (1924-1987) Novelist

Never be afraid to take on a really tough problem. When you solve it, the benefits will be that much greater. Carl A. Gerstacker (1916-1995) Business executive

Put blinders on to those things that conspire to hold you back, especially the ones in your own head. Guard your good mood. Listen to music every day, joke, and love and read more for fun, especially poetry. Meryl Streep Actor

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1224-1274) Philosopher and theologian

Attitude by Charles Swindall

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what other people thing or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company..... a church..... a home. the remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 % what happens to me and 90% how I react to it!"