Hiring an inspector to go over a home top-to-bottom before purchasing it is a must. Along with avoiding future headaches and hefty repair bills, it also puts the ball in the buyer’s court if a fault (or faults) are discovered. Hold the current homeowner responsible, lower the asking price, or move on to another home; homeowner protection starts with hiring the proper inspector to [...] Read More
Some among today’s Generation Y – also known as millennials – may not own a home in their lifetime. Young homebuyers in today’s housing market have a much tougher financial struggle compared to the baby boomer generation; for example, an average detached home in Greater Vancouver sells for just over $900,000, even in what experts describe as a buyers’ market. Wages have not risen at [...] Read More
April is New Homes Month throughout B.C. and Canada, and for CHBA BC and all its members – 30 days devoted to helping homebuyers answer the question of whether to buy a new or older (resale) home. While a brand-new abode typically includes a larger asking price, British Columbia’s homes come armed with the latest in construction design, technology and more, including energy efficiency, [...] Read More
B.C. builders continue to shine across the entire country. Two British Columbia-based home builders were among the winners announced April 8 at the 2013 Avid Awards for Best Customer Experience in Canada. G.D. Nielsen Developments Ltd. and Portrait Homes were both honoured with Avid Awards at the ceremony, which was held in Calgary, Alta. this year. The awards take into account the THBE (Total [...] Read More
Builders are creators. They start at ground level and erect a skeleton, flesh it in then finish with a living, breathing entity, whether a single-family home, multi-family community, resort or renovation project. The exceptional talents of British Columbia’s residential construction community were the focus of the 21st Annual Georgie Awards® gala, held February 23, 2013 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. It was a [...] Read More
You can already read BC Homes with one touch. You can choose to read it on your cellphone, laptop, tablet, e-reader or home computer – it just depends on what mood you’re in when it’s time to see what’s new with BC Homes. You can also read BC Homes in full colour with our print edition too, of course. When the Canadian Home Builders Association of British [...] Read More
Are you about to engage the services of a house designer? Is it as simple as Googling designers? Well, it can be I guess, but this alone may not produce the desired outcome when it comes to designing your dream home or completing renovations. So… what should you consider in selecting and hiring a house designer? It will come as no surprise when I say [...] Read More
Years ago, I took an interior design and marketing course with the legendary Gene Dreyfus who impressed upon me the importance of designing a home for the intended market. “For example,” he said, “give most bachelors a microwave and a fridge with an ice-maker and they’ll be happy.” Empty nesters, on the other hand, will want significantly more countertop, a central island and full-height [...] Read More
Ann Eynon loves coming home. At just under 1,000 square feet, her North Vancouver laneway home is new, energy efficient and feels spacious with its open-concept design and one-and-a-half stories of living space. “I don’t think I’ve been happier (than now) in a long time,” she says. “I think (multigenerational) living is the thing of the future. There’s no strata, it’s so quite and [...] Read More
A new RBC poll shows that more than half of British Columbians (56 per cent) describe their current housing market to be a buyers’ market. That number is high compared to the national sentiment leaning towards a balanced market (40 per cent nationally; in B.C., 30 per cent), according to the 20th Annual RBC Home Ownership Poll. On whether it makes sense to buy [...] Read More
Transparency is key in today’s online world, where consumers reign. And that’s what sets Intermind Design Inc. apart from other design-build companies, along with their fresh approach and commitment to design by considering each client’s individual needs. Intermind Design does what is unheard of in many cases: They offer transparent budgeting, wherein a client’s budget for a project is open to all past and [...] Read More
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