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Part 3 – Hiring a Designer

In Part 1, we looked at renovating or relocating. In Part 2, we decided to stay, but made a priority list of what we should renovate that would be not only fiscally responsible but best practise for your home. Now, we enter part 3; Why You Should Hire a Designer.

Do any of the following statements […]

By |May 18th, 2014|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Part 3 – Hiring a Designer

Part Two – Making That List

Last month we examined some options around renovating your exiting home or relocating to a new address. There were some tears, there were some laughs, and maybe you have since decided to pack your bags, sever your losses and pursue other dwellingships. If that is the case, we wish you only the most sincere happiness. If, however, you have decided to sweat it out and renovate your exiting home so that it becomes all that you have ever wanted and more, then this article is for YOU. Welcome to, Making That List. For the purpose of this article, we will look at the following hypothetical wish-list as an example:

New kitchen
Mud-room closets/cubbies/tile flooring
New deck
New roof
Painting the living room and all trim

There are a number of considerations when prioritizing your home reno wish-list. The first, as you may have guessed, is budget. It will be with reasonable certainty that a kitchen reno will be the most costly one you will ever do (short of that indoor basketball court or tiered water-fountain). Mainly this is due to the cost of finishes and appliances and the fact that your kitchen is a pretty major showpiece and not a space where you want to skimp. On the other hand, in terms of bang for your buck, the kitchen always comes through. A new kitchen increases your home’s value, your own enjoyment of cooking and entertaining, and let’s face it, gets plenty of envy from the friends and family. So if you have the money and the time (Between 5-10 weeks and any number of dollars over a few thousand), then it’s pretty safe to assume a kitchen reno will not be regretted[1]. However, as life often dictates, sometimes we have to think in terms of domino effect and the dreaded future; enter necessary renovations for consideration. Has your roof been replaced in the past 15 years? Are you finding little scraps of asphalt shingles in your lawn? If the answer is a reluctant yes, then you may have to consider spending your money on your roof. No, it will not be the envy of your friends, and no, you won’t even really see the work once it’s done, but left undone can quickly amount to tens of thousands of dollars in repairs in the long run. The same applies to any points of entry in your home; windows, doors etc… Are they drafty or damp? Does the floor in your entry always seems wet? Do you feel cold just sitting next to the window? Again, if the answer is yes, you may have to spend your money on less-fun things like windows and doors, new insulation, or entry-way flooring[2]. Nothing worthy of a big reveal, but much like the leaking roof, damp walls and floors can result in costly, extensive damage to your home’s structure and your family’s health. Finally making the priority list, and easiest on the wallet as well as the nerves, are the smaller projects such as painting or staining. While few people actually enjoy the painting process, there is no denying that there is little else that gives as much return on investment as a 60-dollar gallon of paint. And what better time than these rainy, in-between season days than to finally take care of those tired walls and beat-up baseboards?[3] The only thing left to decide, is what color? Which brings us to next month’s article, Why Hire a Designer? Stay Tuned!

[1] Assuming you have implemented a fluid, attractive, and efficient design J
[2] Main Renovations uses a variety of industry-recognised spray-foam, and injected cellullose applications for both older and newer homes that is non-invasive and requires minimal mess and destruction to your existing walls.
[3] On the other hand, if you are terrible at it, or just know you’ll never get around to it, then feel free to allow Main Renovations to tackle this work for you. […]

By |April 20th, 2014|Home Maintenance, Kitchens|Comments Off on Part Two – Making That List

To Renovate or Relocate?

Chances are, you bought your current home when you were in a different place in your life than you are now.  Maybe your marital status has changed, maybe the total number of people in your house has increased or decreased, or maybe you simply feel you are sick and tired of tripping over your bike […]

By |March 13th, 2014|Uncategorized|Comments Off on To Renovate or Relocate?

Organizing Your Home

It’s cold, it’s dark by 4, and the thermostat does not summon much enthusiasm for the outdoors.  What better time to start clearing out those over-stuffed closets and treacherous basements?

Often clients approach us to help with redesigning a basement or laundry room, but in fact aren’t really sure what their needs are.  Why? Because they […]

By |February 6th, 2014|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Organizing Your Home

Winterizing Your Home

All across the Northern Hemisphere it has already started – from the Holiday decorations and markets to the adverts for shovels and winter tires. How did this happen? How did summer slip us by so quickly? How will we survive another six months of biting, relentless cold and shoveling and car-scraping? Well the short answer […]

By |October 28th, 2013|Home Maintenance, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Winterizing Your Home

The Homeowner’s Toolbox

 Buying or renting a new home is an exciting event, no matter how many times you do it. And no matter the extent the improvements or esthetic changes you intend to make, every homeowner should possess some basic, reliable tools in order to do so safely and effectively.
Before we get into the actual list […]

By |June 21st, 2013|Uncategorized|Comments Off on The Homeowner’s Toolbox

Good Fences Make for Good Neighbours

For most of us, the snow and ice have finally melted which means, among other Spring and Summer delights, BBQ and patio season. If you are like us, nothing beats firing up the barbie and lounging over drinks and burgers under the glorious, long awaited sunshine. Now, if you are fortunate enough to […]

By |May 28th, 2013|landscape, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Good Fences Make for Good Neighbours

Paint!

This weekend found me, not unusually, with paintbrush in hand, applying a very “Easter-y†shade of lavender to my daughter’s bedroom. In case anyone is keeping track, this would be the seven go-zillionth coat of paint I have applied to any surface.
Paint is an amazing medium for sprucing up almost anything: furniture, floors, walls, […]

By |April 29th, 2013|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Paint!

Kitchens!

So, we were having dinner with some friends over the holidays, (champagne is a food group, right?) and they were showing me their new kitchen. Lovely as it is, they complained that their former kitchen, with less than three linear feet of old, ugly countertop and original cabinetry was more functional than their bright, shiny […]

By |January 19th, 2013|Kitchens|Comments Off on Kitchens!

The Flip

Ahhh, the flip…You’ve all heard of them, some of you may have seen them on television; a charming, attractive team of designers and builders snatch up a home for next to nothing, buys some kitchy-cute panelling at a vintage shop around the corner, refinishes a claw-foot tub, and voila!  A cool hundred G’s in their […]

By |January 11th, 2013|Flipping, Uncategorized|Comments Off on The Flip