A One-Stop Guide to Renovation Contracts

July 8, 2022
Two people sit at a desk with documents, one signing papers. Nearby are a small wooden house model, a hard hat, blueprints, keyboard, and a computer mouse, suggesting a construction or real estate meeting. The scene could easily illustrate a guide to renovation contracts, as it captures the essential elements of the planning and agreement process in property development or remodeling projects.

A One-Stop Guide to Renovation Contracts So, you’ve decided to take on a home renovation. You’ve determined what renovations you want done and landed on a rough budget. You’ve also started looking for contractors, but you’re having trouble deciding which ones are right for your renovation, even though you’ve done your due diligence getting recommendations and thoroughly interviewed possible…

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Renovating Your Home for Energy Efficiency: Explained

June 22, 2021
A gray two-story house with white trim, large windows, a balcony, and a sloped roof is surrounded by green trees and sits on a grassy lawn.

Renovating Your Home for Energy Efficiency: Explained What is an energy efficiency renovation? An energy efficiency renovation improves the energy performance of your existing home. Undertaking an energy efficiency renovation on your home is an investment that delivers a multitude of benefits that you will enjoy immediately, and it can also increase the value of…

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How Design Can Make a Small Home Feel Bigger

January 12, 2021
Spacious cabin living room with high vaulted ceiling, large windows, stone fireplace, gray sofa, rustic wood furniture, and an open kitchen with island lighting, overlooking a sunny outdoor deck.

How Design Can Make a Small Home Feel Bigger The 2020 CHBA Home Buyer Preference Survey, powered by Avid Ratings Canada, showed an interesting trend in the size of homes that Canadians are expecting to buy. The study asked recent buyers what size of home they’d be looking for if they were in the market again. It…

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What Homeowners Are Looking for in a Kitchen Renovation

December 14, 2020
Modern kitchen with glossy blue cabinets, stainless steel appliances, white countertops, a large island with white chairs, pendant lights, and a decorative bowl on the island. Greenery visible through the window creates a welcoming atmosphere—features that consistently rank highly in homebuyer preference studies such as those conducted by Avid Ratings, making this an ideal Kitchen Renovation inspiration.

What Homeowners Are Looking for in a Kitchen Renovation The importance of a well-designed and highly functional kitchen is very clear. Over the six years that the CHBA Home Buyer Preference Study, powered by Avid Ratings Canada, has run, kitchen features have maintained top position as the highest ranked group of features, in every year. Yet…

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2020 Renovation Trends: Personalized Wine Cellars, Anyone?

February 18, 2020
A luxurious wine cellar with walls lined with bottles. Two tall, illuminated columns and a spiral staircase are featured, creating a warm, elegant atmosphere—a true example of the latest renovation trends. Personalized Wine Cellars like this one are becoming increasingly popular as standout reno trends in Canada.

2020 Renovation Trends: Personalized Wine Cellars, Anyone? Keeping up with the Joneses of home design and renovation trends is a great way to help make the most of your home’s staying power. Over many decades, we’ve seen design ideas appear only to fall flat fast (carpeted bathrooms?!). But we can’t help but believe that so…

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Love Your Backyard

August 12, 2019
A modern backyard features raised garden beds, a wooden pergola, a greenhouse, a small shed, gravel paths, a fire pit, and a grassy lawn, all enclosed by wooden fencing with trees in the background.

Love Your Backyard We’re halfway through summer… is your backyard begging to be used? Whether you have a compact yard or an expansive space, you can make your backyard your own personal oasis. Outdoor spaces can be as inviting, comfortable, and stylish as interiors, with the added benefit of fresh air and nature. Before taking…

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4 Kitchen Features Designed for Entertaining

July 18, 2019
Modern kitchen with dark cabinets, open wooden shelves displaying pottery, a stainless steel stove, patterned tile backsplash, white subway tile walls, and a large window above the sink.

4 Kitchen Features Designed for Entertaining The kitchen is the heart of the home and a natural gathering place. Homeowners are embracing the kitchen as an entertainment area and looking for ways to make hosting easier and more enjoyable for all. Whether you’re planning to renovate your current kitchen or are buying a new home,…

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Five Fabulous Floors for your Home Renovation

March 29, 2019
Modern open-plan interior with a floating wooden staircase, black railings, skylight, large indoor plant, hexagon tile floor, and a dining area visible through a wide doorway.

Five Fabulous Floors for your Home Renovation Nothing ties together a room better than fabulous flooring. Feel like your space needs an upgrade? Get some inspiration from these finalists of the 2019 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence. Snazzy Tile Timberworx Custom Homes incorporated high-end finishes, especially the accent floor tiles, to give this bathroom a grand…

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Upgrading Your Flooring? Consider This

March 11, 2019
Modern kitchen with a central island, three chairs, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, pendant lights, a clock on the wall, and wooden floors. Bright and clean design with natural light.

Upgrading Your Flooring? Consider This There’s more to upgrading your home’s flooring than simply choosing the material you like and having it installed. The perfect flooring will look good and be practical. Here are three things to consider when choosing to update your floors. Consider the room  Amsted Design-Build, Ottawa, ON: “Personalized Planning In The Kitchen” (Finalist,…

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