Cost Per Square Foot: Inaccurate and Dangerous

Homeowners are constantly asking us the price per square foot for finishing a basement, building a custom home, or adding an addition to their house.  Every week we get these calls from homeowners in the Greater Toronto Area.  We like these call.  We love talking to people. We like helping people. Our answer always is…

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Renovating Your Condominium: 6 Things To Know

Condo renovations are on the increase in the Toronto area. Condominium construction in the Toronto area started in the 1970s and boomed in 1980s.  These units are approaching, in some cases, 50 years of age.  They are due for updating and sometimes a large scale renovation. Older units are generally larger and are often in…

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10 Reasons to Hire a General Contractor

You’re planning a renovation – perhaps a kitchen, or a bathroom, or maybe you’re planning to finish your basement into useable living space.  Should you hire a general contractor to do the work?  Or should you hire all the various individual trades such as the drywaller, electrician, plumber, etc.?  Surely it will be cheaper to…

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$35,000 New Home / Home Renovation Giveaway

The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), along with RenoMark, is holding a contest to celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Toronto Star’s ‘New In Homes’ section. For 35 weeks, BILD will be accepting entries, and will then award a $35,000 prize to one lucky winner.  The money must be used for a new…

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Construction Cost Calculator: Friend or Foe?

We live in a time where consumers are turning to the internet first when they are searching for information. And when it comes to home renovations and custom home construction costs, it’s no exception.  The cost of custom home construction and home renovation is a popular internet search term, and many websites claim they can…

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Financing Your Renovation Project

Financing your renovation or house addition project is an important consideration, that should be addressed early on in the renovation planning process.  The project won’t go very far if you can’t pay for it. We’d all like to have the cash available to pay for the renovation project, but often this is not the case,…

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4 Insurances Every Renovation Project Needs

When you’re planning a home renovation, or building an addition to your home, don’t forget about insurance.  There are three  insurances you need to check before starting the work, and one after the work is complete. 1. Builder or Contractor Liability Insurance If you are hiring a builder or contractor to do the renovation or…

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Home Renovations: Return on Investment

Many homeowners look at return on investment when making a renovation decision.  They want to make sure that whatever money is spent on a renovation today could be recovered if the home was sold tomorrow. It is important to look at whether a renovation makes financial sense.  However, few custom renovation and remodeling projects, completed…

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Project Spotlight: Schomberg House Renovation

Recently, we had the pleasure of renovating a 1960s bungalow, which had fallen into disrepair.  The new owners of the home, located in Schomberg, north of Toronto, had a clear vision for the type of home they wanted. The interior of the home was to be finished in a New England cottage style. The homeowners…

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