Remodel + Renovation Archives

21Oct

Putting Off a Home Renovation? Here Are 4 Tips for Getting Started

[Fool.com - October 13, 2021] Here's how to get a home improvement project off the ground. In the course of the pandemic, many people have taken to spending more time at home -- especially those whose offices have been shuttered over the past 18 months. It's not surprising, then, that many homeowners have been renovating their properties, whether by adding square footage or reconfiguring their existing setups. If you've been thinking of renovating your home, you may have encountered some barriers along [...]

Remodel + Renovation, Vancouver Real Estate

16Dec

Prices surge for B.C. recreational properties as people ‘re-evaluate their lifestyle’

[Vancouver Sun - December 8, 2020] There is a surge in interest and prices for recreational properties across B.C., especially Whistler, Kimberley and Cranbrook. Vancouver landscape architect Paul Sangha has long created gorgeous gardens and outdoor spaces for homes in the city, but this year, he is juggling a dramatic switch for his services in far-flung, recreational properties. It’s not just at Whistler, he said. “That, we would traditionally get. But now it’s jumped to Bowen Island and Pemberton, and then also [...]

British Columbia, Canada, Recreational Properties, Remodel + Renovation

28Nov

10 Changes You Can Make For a Healthier Home

[Best Health Mag - November 18, 2020] Expert Jamie Gold shares the small changes you can make to your home optimize your physical and mental well-being. It’s hard to find a trendier word these days then "wellness." The pursuit of optimal mind and body amazingness is baked into everything from the turmeric lattes we’re supposed to be drinking to the forest bathing we forgot to do because we were too busy counting our steps and wondering if showering counts as self-care. That [...]

Home Design + Decor, Remodel + Renovation, Vancouver Real Estate

28Nov

Builders aim to pandemic-proof new homes

[Western Investor - November 27, 2020] Outdoor elevators, touchless doors, zero-recycled air and changes to open floor plans among design reactions to COVID-19 Vancouver developer Qualex-Landmark is among the first to implement a number of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in two new residential projects, part of a trend that is gaining traction across North America. “Just as the Spanish flu gave us the vanity room, which originated as a hand-washing basin immediately inside the front entry of a home, [...]

COVID-19, Home Design + Decor, Remodel + Renovation, Vancouver Real Estate

20Sep

How the pandemic has put flexibility front and center in home design

[Washington Post - September 17, 2020] Six months ago the coronavirus pandemic turned the entire nation into homebodies. Now architects, builders and interior designers are addressing the pain points that emerged when our homes became our offices, schools and entertainment venues. It’s a little too soon for completely new model homes to be built that take the new normal into account. Still, incremental changes in floor plans and interior design have been made that point the way to the future. “While there are [...]

COVID-19, Home Design + Decor, Remodel + Renovation

29Aug

Physical distancing is changing how we use our homes, backyards and public spaces. Designers are taking note

[Globe and Mail - August 8, 2020] In early April, about a month into the COVID-19 lockdown, Daniel Rotsztain, an artist, writer and cartographer living in Toronto, built what he calls a “social distance machine". Imagine a giant hula hoop, jutting two metres in all directions, worn around the neck like an Elizabethan collar, minus the Shakespearean ruffles. As Rotsztain filmed, his friend Bobby Gadda donned the contraption and tried to walk around downtown streets, sidewalks and parks. Invariably, his device bumped [...]

COVID-19, Home Design + Decor, Remodel + Renovation

10Feb

BC Home + Garden Show: Find everything you need to know for your next big project

[Vancouver Sun - February 9, 2019] The BC Home + Garden show, February 20 - 24 at BC Place is brimming with projects to revamp your living space, big or small. It doesn’t matter how many times it’s happened before: Every time the BC Home + Garden show opens, show manager Tyson Kidd feels a mix of excitement and satisfaction at a job well done. “We really try to keep ourselves dialled in to what’s fresh and exciting,” he says. “We work [...]

Home Design + Decor, Remodel + Renovation

22Oct

Planning a Move this Winter? Tips on How to Successfully Downsize

[Source: Next Step Organizing Services, October 22, 2017] Whether you're moving from a a big family home to a Yaletown condo or moving in with a partner, downsizing is necessary. Moving from a large home full of your stuff to a small space can be challenging, and while it's easy to say "just eliminate the extra stuff," doing it is not so easy. Here are some tips to make the transition as smooth as possible. 1. Be Prepared! Make a plan: create [...]

Home Design + Decor, Remodel + Renovation, Vancouver Real Estate

18Oct

“Breaking Bad – News” – Big Changes Ahead

[Source: Synergy Mortgage, October 18, 2017] Stringent NEW Canadian Mortgage Rules take affect January 1st, 2018. Office Of The Superintendent Of Financial Institutions (OFSI) has finalized NEW mortgage rules applicable on all federally regulated banks. The new rules officially start January 1, 2018. This will dramatically change the lending landscape. The new rules apply to all bank mortgages and will make borrowing more difficult even for clients who have substantial down payments, strong income and excellent credit. Alternative lenders with relaxed qualification [...]

British Columbia, Canada, Economic Outlook, Mortgage Education Centre, Remodel + Renovation, Vancouver Real Estate

13Apr

Remodel vs. Renovation: What’s the Difference?

[Source: Realtor.com, February 13, 2017] You say potato, I say potahto. Remodel vs. renovation … same thing, right? While the terms remodel and renovation are used interchangeably all the time, they are actually very different animals. So exactly what is the difference between a remodel and a renovation? The key difference is how deep the changes go. A renovation means you’re updating an existing structure with cosmetic changes, whereas a remodel involves changing the structure through demolition and construction, explains Jason [...]

Home Design + Decor, Remodel + Renovation