Should You Borrow Money Now For A Renovation?

Home renovations can be an exciting endeavor, transforming your living space into the dream home you’ve always envisioned.  And home renovations can feel daunting, especially in today’s environment where interest rates are currently higher than we’ve seen in 15 years. We were recently speaking with a homeowner who was looking to do a $100,000 renovation…

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2022 Construction Costs

Much has been written and said about price increases in the past two years.   2020 saw the price lumber start to rise, peaking in spring 2021.  As an example, a 2×4 piece of lumber increased from $3 each, to over $10.  Since then, then price of lumber has come down, but the cost of other…

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How To Prepare For Your Upcoming Renovation

How to Prepare for Your Upcoming Renovation   With the weather warming up, renovation season is also heating up across Ontario. Since many of our readers are getting ready for spring and summer home remodelling and construction projects, our team at Inspire Homes has compiled a list of our top renovation preparation tips to help…

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Q & A: How Long Does A Renovation Take?

Q & A: You ask. We answer. This month, we’re answering the question “How long does the average renovation take?” This is a question we get frequently asked. The short answer is, it depends. The average time for a renovation will depend on type of project, size of space, age of house, type of materials…

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The Ideal House to Buy and Renovate

With today’s competitive real estate market and low inventory of homes, many first-time and move-up buyers are opting to purchase fixer-uppers with the intention of renovating. Not only is this an ideal way to purchase a property at the lower end of the market price, but it’s also a great way to customize the space…

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Building Material Choices: Impact on Renovation Timeline

Material Choices & How They Impact Your Renovation’s Timeline One of the questions that we get asked a lot at Inspire Homes is, “How long will my renovation (or house addition project) take?” Our response is always the same: “There are two parts to the process – the planning stage, which includes the design and…

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6 Benefits of Lowering Your Basement

Have you ever dreamed of having a full-height, finished basement for additional living space, but don’t have the headroom to make this a reality? If so, you are not alone. Many homeowners in Toronto encounter this issue, especially since most basements in older homes were originally intended for mechanics, cold cellars or fuel storage, like…

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5 Reasons Why You Should Live In A Home Before Renovating

There’s no doubt about it – buying a new house is an exciting time! Many homeowners can’t wait to put their own stamp on their new home with fresh paint, updated flooring, new lighting and other customizations. But, if you find yourself with a fixer-upper, you can bet that you have larger renovations on your…

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8 Things to Consider Before Renovating Your Bathroom

Nothing evokes a sense of relaxation like a spa-inspired bathroom. At the end of a long day, it’s the ideal space to retreat to for serenity, solitude and a long soak in the tub. Many homeowners dream of having a bathroom like the ones they see in the pages of design magazines – which is…

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Renovating? Ask Yourself, “Why”?

A couple of months ago, our colleague Bryan Sebring at Sebring Services asked us what is the most important tip that we could give a homeowner who is about to embark on a renovation project. The answer was simple: Ask yourself, “Why?” Specifically, why are you considering a renovation in the first place? Of course,…

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