At least 36 per cent of Metro Vancouver’s 531,000 households say they are either in the midst of or are planning a home renovation, according to surveys conducted by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. And, under municipal building bylaws and provincial building codes, the majority of home improvements require some form of building permit. Read the rest of this entry »
“Honest contractors say trust is a two-way street.”
Adisreputable driveway paving crew has been bulldozing through Vancouver neighbourhoods this spring, offering cut-rate, no-tax deals for homeowners who pay up front. “We received 10 calls in three days on these guys,” said Lynda Pasacreta, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of the Lower Mainland. The complaints relate to shoddy workmanship, low-grade materials and jobs left uncompleted, sometimes with the original driveway in pieces and the contractor long gone. Read the rest of this entry »
British Columbia homeowners hug the environment tighter than most Canadians: surveys show that a majority of us would spend more for green products, and actively seek them out. For consumers and professionals in the home makeover industry, however, the resulting manufacturers’ claims, the sheer volume of greenness, can be confusing. What does green really mean? Read the rest of this entry »
It is the messy little secret of many homeowners, even those with Garage Makeover Ideas impeccable taste and well-ordered homes: the garage, the last frontier, the place that is supposed to hold the car if you could find enough room for it. For some people, the disarray of their garage is so discouraging that just the thought of tackling the problem is paralyzing. But the benefits are astounding. Read the rest of this entry »
Forty-three per cent of homeowners in Greater Vancouver are planning a renovation this year, up from 30 per cent in 2006, according to a spring survey from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Yet the survey also shows that more than a third of households go over their planned budget for their renovation. This means it is very important to answer the first of our five big questions: “How do I pay for a renovation?” “Sometimes a credit card is a good financing method,” is the surprising advice from Susan Wong, manager of lending services for Credit Union Central of British Columbia. “It is all about
the travel points,” she quickly adds. According to Wong, some homeowners set aside money to purchase the materials, yet buy them with a credit card to accumulate air mileage points. Read the rest of this entry »
While we were putting together our second annual Buyers’ Guide, we were astonished about reports of Metro Vancouver homeowners who take incredible risks with their renovations. These owners are rolling the dice with perhaps the largest investment of their life, often facing breathtaking odds for doubtful gains. The risks involve hiring underground contractors to dodge taxation; undertaking renovations without municipal or industry building permits; and failing to notify insurers when renovations have been completed. Read the rest of this entry »
We all dream of bathing in a bathroom with a huge lavish warm hot bath with an oversized closet. Well, only few of us are fortunate enough to enjoy such a dream in reality. In most cases to make our living rooms more spacious we often have to cut down the area of the bathroom. In fact, most bathrooms do not get the privilege of occupying huge space. Read the rest of this entry »