Posts by Lou
Renovations: Return on Investment – Part 1
When it comes to renovations, we always advise our clients that they are renovating their home for themselves, not for the next person who may purchase the home down the road. Choosing to renovate because you think it will yield more money when selling the home isn’t always a good strategy. Why? Because the person…
+ Read MorePractical Kitchen Cabinetry Choices
Functional Kitchen Cabinetry Choices When it comes to kitchen renovations, sometimes we are only able to increase the square footage of the space slightly. With this in mind, it can be the cabinetry selection that makes the biggest impact on a homeowner’s overall enjoyment of their newly renovated kitchen. Kitchen cabinets of the past were…
+ Read MoreProject Spotlight: Accessible Bathroom Renovation
Our client, a Canadian Forces veteran wanted a bathroom that better fit his needs. He is wheelchair bound yet extremely independent, and it was important for him to remain that way. The existing bathroom was typical for a home 50+ years old. It was small and dated, and the tightness of this space made it…
+ Read MorePlanning A Renovation Project: How Long Does It Take?
“How long does a renovation take?” is a question we have often been asked over the years, and our response is always, “there are two parts to the process – the planning stage, which includes design and the building permit, and the construction stage.” This article discusses how long it takes to plan a project. …
+ Read MoreProject Spotlight: Renovation With A Tight Timeframe
When Nadia and Jonathan first contacted us, they had just agreed to buy a home, and they wanted major renovations completed before they moved in. They knew it was a tight timeframe, and they wanted to know if it could be done. Naturally, we said yes and explained to them the process that needed to…
+ Read MoreSecuring Time On Your Builder’s Schedule
This past Sunday, we were at BILD’s Destination Renovation at The National Home Show in Toronto, volunteering our time to answer homeowners’ questions about renovation projects. During the course of the day, we spoke with a few homeowners who were planning a house addition or significant renovation this year, and were already working with an…
+ Read MoreInspire Homes Named Finalist For Best Renovation Award
For the third time in six years, Inspire Homes has been selected a finalist for the BILD Renovation and Custom Home Awards. This year, we are a finalist in the under $75,000 renovation category for our Mississauga Bathroom Renovation. The project involved a full renovation of a large master bathroom, to create a more functional…
+ Read MoreStay Or Move During Renovations?
Stay Or Move During Renovations? Several years ago we had an initial meeting with a young couple who were planning a second storey house addition and main floor renovation. They asked if they could live in the basement of the house during the project. Our answer was: “Absolutely not!” We were ultimately selected to design…
+ Read MoreHouse Additions: Leaving Two Exisiting Walls
House Additions: Leaving Two Existing Walls You can see it happening all over Toronto, and in suburbs with older homes such as south Mississauga and Thornhill. Homeowners and builders are demolishing most of a house, but leaving two exterior walls in place. They then proceed to build a substantial house addition and refinish the entire…
+ Read MoreChoosing A Designer
Choosing a Designer At least once a month, we get a call from a homeowner who is planning a renovation or a house addition project, and are already working with a designer or an architect. They are dissatisfied, and they want us take over the design work for their project. How can homeowners avoid coming…
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