As you know, on this blog we like to highlight when builders make an effort to give back to the community. One builder who consistently does so is Minto, with their annual CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) Lottery Dream Home.

Every year, Minto puts their nose to the grindstone to come up with a CHEO Dream Home that will blow visitors away. This year is no exception.

The 4,833 square-foot open concept, called "Stirling III", is shown above in an artist's rendering and is one of Minto's exclusive designs in the development of Winding Way (a neighbourhood in the south west of Ottawa.)

This year's Dream Home features four bedrooms, a full outdoor kitchen by Capital Appliance & BBQ, a Four Seasons sunroom, Dell home office, RONA workshop, and a hot tub from SubZero Hot Tubs & Pool Tables.

The kitchen, located in the home's centre, sets the tone with its dynamic dark cabinetry and splashy red countertop. This theme is continued in the home's basement, which houses the Signature Audio Video home theatre, Fitness Depot exercise room, Palason games room, and a cozy sauna.

The home also comes fully furnished by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, and with picturesque landscaping by Artistic Landscape Design.

If you're in Ottawa, you can visit the Dream Home at 9 Tradewinds Drive in Winding Way located south of Prince of Wales Drive between Woodroffe and Merivale. Hours are Monday to Friday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

For more detailed information about the home and other prizes feel free to visit the Web site at www.dreamofalifetime.ca. 

Here's to hoping this year's draw raises lots of money for this worthy cause, as it always has in years past.

A couple months ago, we looked at simple ways to improve the curb appeal of a house you're trying to sell, and then we discussed some easy ways to spruce up the interior for sale as well. 

But we get a lot of questions from readers about whether there is a secret list of renovations that truly pay off when it comes to upping the resale value of your home. Well it's no secret, but there is definitely a list and though some of these will double up on my earlier advice, feel free to use this top ten list as a guide for future reno planning!

1) Painting

I've said it before, but it bears saying again: if there is one thing you do before putting your house on the market, do this. A new coat of paint does wonders for the look of your home and can increase your resale value by as much as 300%, according to realtors. Now that' return on investment.

2) Kitchen Renovations

Kitchens sell homes, so it makes sense that sprucing yours up will help you sell faster. Just remember to keep your budget in check, as kitchen renos can easily go sky-high price-wise. Also, remember to keep the price of the renovation comiserate with your asking price. There is no point in adding a 70 thousand dollar kitchen to a house worth only three times that amount, for example. Real estate agents say that a kitchen reno, done right, can add as much as 120% to the value of your home. 

3) Bathroom Additions

This one's easy: If your home only has one bath (or 1.5) and has more than one person, you can always benefit by adding a second full one. These renos can run up a tab as well, but you should see a payback of up to 130% when you sell.

4) Bathroom Remodeling

It's not so fun to think about, but the fact of the matter is that we spend a lot of time in the bathroom! It should come as no surprise, then, that making the room more comfortable and stylish can add appeal to your home. Realtors claim that a well-done reno of the main bathroom can increase your resale value by up to 120%.

5) Finishing the Basement or Attic

These are not projects for the lighthearted to take on, but they can be very rewarding if done properly. By finishing a basement or attic, you can add up to 30% more square footage of living space without having to build any extensions to the home. The downside is that these renovations are cumbersome, costly and only add 80 to 90% to the home's value on average.

6) Window and Door Replacement

Nothing scares prospective buyers away faster than old, ratty looking windows that are drafty and generally in disrepair. Putting in new windows and doors can give the whole house a facelift and convey to visitors that your home has been well cared for. Payback should range between 50 to 90% on this investment.

7) Deck Improvement or Addition

There is not much you can do outside renovations-wise to significantly improve the value of your home. Building or adding to your deck is the one exception, a project that can add up to 90% to your home's resale value.

8) Adding Rooms

Adding on to your house can be extremely difficult and expensive, but square footage is always king. You'll need to balance the cost of the reno versus the value that the extra space will bring. These projects can add as little as 30% to your home's value, or as high as 80 if they're done correctly.

9) Improving Home Office Space

With more and more people working from home, the home office has become a new home-selling space. A well-designed room with plenty of outlets, calm colours and other office-specific improvements can really help prospective buyers envision the space. Payback can be as high as 70% for this type of reno.

10) Energy Efficient Retrofits

When it comes to renovating to save money on power consumption, you should always be wary that you're not making all the capital outlay... only to save the next owner thousands of dollars on heat and hydro. Some improvements like quality insulation and energy efficient furnaces will add value right away. Others, like photovoltaics, take a long time to pay for themselves, and may not appeal to all homebuyers either. Tread this road with caution, unless the reasoning for your renovations is to be Green as in Earth-friendliness, not Green as in rich!

If you found this list helpful, why not email it to a friend, or save it to your browser's favourites so you can come back to it later? We hope to see you back here soon!

In the last installment of our helpful series on foolproof ways to find a reliable contractor, we suggested looking up online directories published by relevant trade associations to get the names of contractors who are running legitimate businesses. 

Today, we'll look at a secondary source of reputable companies: Online Paid Directories.

Paid directories, as you would probably have guessed by the name, are services that can provide information about vetted contractors in your area who specialize in the type of work you require done. 

The downside to these types of services in comparison to Association Directories, for example, is that the contractors are not necessarily good simply because they appear in a paid directory (they did pay to appear there, after all.) However, I have found that most contractors who run a tight enough ship to pay for inclusion in these types of services are usually the kinds of contractors you will feel most comfortable dealing with (ie: the type who will finish your project without going bankrupt!)

So, without further ado, here are the top three Paid Directory Services tat I have come across on the web:

-Handy Canadian / Handy American

This site, which has a Canadian service at handycanadian.com and an American one at, you guessed it, handyamerican.com, lets your search by project type and region, and returns a healthy list of companies for most sections.

-Service Magic

This is probably the best known of the paid directory listings online. It also has both Canadian and American regions grouped together on the same site, and offers a great number of types of contractors for most regions.

-eRenovate.com

This site is a great one because it offers a great collection of listings, as well as articles and advice pieces from experts on many different renovation types. eRenovate also administers a verification program that aims to ensure all its contractors are legitimate and trustworthy. (One caveat: This site is Canada-only at this time.)

Local Variations

There are certainly others, but these are three of the biggest (and so tend to offer the most contractors in their respective directories.) Of course, these types of services also vary in effectiveness by country and region, so you should definitely supplement my suggestions here with a Google search that goes something like "Find a Contractor in MY CITY AND PROVINCE / STATE." 

You'll almost surely get a few local-focused directories as well, which can be just as useful as the bigger ones I've listed here. 

For example, a search like that for here in Ottawa uncovers a great locally run paid directory called HomeFocus.com, which has a veritable wealth of information about Ottawa contractors in any field you can imagine. (They are also expanding to other Canadian markets, but their strength is still clearly in Ottawa, where they started.)

When you're on the hunt for your dream home, sometimes those old rose-coloured glasses can cloud your vision and make it difficult to see straight. But we should never forget that a home is a huge investment, and whether you're buying a new home or a resold one, there are certain things you need to consider before you fall in love with a property. 

Here are the best 7 tidbits of advice we could come up with for finding a dream home that doesn't disappoint. As always, let us know what you think of them and if you'd add any others in the comments!

1) Always Do Your Research

Whether you do it online, in newspapers or in person by visiting homes or model homes (with a realtor or without), it always pays to do your homework. This may seem like obvious advice, but all too often home buyers get so caught up in the excitement of purchasing a new home that they may skimp on some of the hard work. Don't be one of those.

2) You Can Pick Your Nose...

Always look for the cheapest house in the best neighborhood, because homes can be improved, but neighbours can't! When you buy for the area first, you are more likely to get the utmost bang for your buck in the long haul. This doesn't mean you should buy a house you hate in a burrough you love, but it's something to keep in mind nonetheless. 

4) Location, Location, Location

Like neighbours, a house's address is pretty fixed, too. You can change pretty much everything about your home after you buy it, in fact... except where it is located. Buying a home you love in an area that is inconvenient, dangerous or less than ideal is a short-sighted plan. Find a region you love first, then look for a home within it.

5) Compromise is Key

The sooner you come to terms with the fact that the perfect home does not exist, the easier this will be for everyone. Unless you're commissioning a custom home to be built on land of your choosing, there will always be a few things you don't like about every property you visit. Give and take a little, and aim to find the home that satisfies most of your needs and wants, not all.

6) Don't Fall In Love, If You Can Help It

No, I'm not talking about Cupid's Arrow, and Yes, this is easier said than done, but it is always best to stay as emotionally detached as possible when looking for and bidding on a home. This is, after all, a business, and there is no room in the deal room for emotion. 

If you do lose what you thought was your dream home when a deal falls through, don't fret, another one that's even better for you will come along soon!

7) Beware The Handy-man's Special

It might be refreshing to walk into a home that has been gutted and redone from top to bottom, but always remember to look closely at renovations to make sure they don't exhibit any signs of unprofessionalism. 

As we mentioned in our post about home inspections, professional inspectors are always wary of such renos, saying that they nearly always have code errors and other problems that could cause headaches down the road. Look out for crooked walls, oddly wired appliances and anything else that just doesn't seem right. Better to turn your back now on a house that looks great, but really isn't, than to look the other way and have issues down the road.

When looking to buy a new home, most people know the importance of hiring a good home inspector to make sure all is as it seems before they put all your money on the line. 

(If you are looking for a reputable inspector in Canada, you can try the directory at MyHomeInspector.ca, or the home inspector section of HomeFocus.com. In the US, the American Society of Home Inspectors online directory is a great starting point.) 

But of course, when prospective homebuyers are looking at many different homes, trying to decide on the best one, even if they want to be look out for red flags, it's just not practical to bring in an inspector for every property they fancy. 

So for this reason, we thought we would pick the brains of some experienced industry professionals to try and suss out the best ways that these home shoppers can watch out for trouble homes. Enjoy!

Advice from the Pros

We spoke with two established home inspectors in Ottawa, Ontario: Neil Card from Barrhaven Home Inspectors Inc. (pictured above left), and Francis Caza of Closer View Home Inspection Services (above right), and both had some really great tips to share.

When asked what prospective home buyers should watch out for when touring a home for sale, Card says they should always keep moisture and vegetation in mind.

"The biggest issues with homes are always water and tree damage," he says, "Get the water and trees away from the home and you'd have no problems. Homeowners should look out for hedges and plants up against the house, as well as big trees that are close to the home. As a rule, the circumference of the root system of a tree is double that of its branches, so they should keep that in mind always."

 

Card also says that improperly installed eavestroughing is a common problem with homes. 

"One of the biggest and most common problems I come across in my inspections is a minor one that has to do with downspouts," he says, "often they drop directly down onto the driveway, which in the winter can lead to snow and ice buildup and dangerous slippery conditions. It can also cause damage to the foundation of the home.  It's a minor thing to fix and very inexpensive, and it's better to fix it now rather than waiting 5 years, and then you need foundation repairs or a new roof."

 

Both Card and Caza recommend that every potential home buyer take a trip or two down to the basement to look for evidence of foundation problems and flooding. 

"Using all your senses, you should walk around the entire home outside and then in the basement and look at all the parts of the foundation," says Card. "Look for cracks in the walls, especially around the windows. Smell for must and mildew that might indicate flooding has occurred. Be wary if there are two dehumidifiers in the basement."

Caza agrees 100%. 

"The main concerns in basements is obviously moisture. You should always check all walls for any visible discoloration or evidence of water damage."

Renos Gone Awry

Another red flag that you should be aware of, according to both inspectors, is home renovations that look as though they may have been done by a ... less than professional individual. (Obviously these must be DIYers who didn't take advantage of our exhaustive guide to reno resources!)

"One thing that concerns (inspectors) is that in a lot of areas we'll find renovation work in homes that must have been done by the home owner or some other non-professional," says Caza. "This is especially worrisome when the renos involve plumbing and electrical work."

Card agrees that this can be a real problem. 

"I always look out for 'handyman' work. I can tell when a job is professionally done, and when we've got a 'handyman house' on our hands... which can be very scary," he says. "The home owner maybe didn't know what they're doing or what's going on, they do what they think is right, but it's often all wrong."

Both inspectors say that with their experience, they can usually spot such unprofessional renovation work in a single pass, but that home buyers can probably get an idea as well if they pay attention to things like crooked walls and doorways, poorly fitted doors or (more scarily) electrical outlets and switches in unusual places.

No Substitute for a Professional Inspection

Even though these tips from the pros may help you spot problem homes earlier in the process, both Card and Caza made a point of urging all prospective buyers to take the time to find and hire a reputable inspector when they find a home they love. 

"At the end of the day, there is a lot to see in a home and you don't know what you're looking for unless you're trained specifically for that purpose," says Card. "Something may look fine to the untrained eye, but on closer inspection may not be working, for example."

"Home inspection is very cheap when you look at the cost of buying a home - the few dollars you're paying is peanuts when you consider how much it could save you."

While this opinion is obviously slightly biased, I have to agree with the logic. If you're going to be making one of the biggest investments of your life, it obviously makes sense to spend the money (usually $200-$300) to ensure that you're not buying a money pit!

At least with these helpful hints, you'll be able to better narrow your choices and avoid those homes-from-hell earlier on. Then when you've decided to put in an offer on the home of your dreams, be sure to hire a professional to really scour the place. 

For what it's worth, if you're located in Ottawa, I would definitely recommend either of the gentlemen I spoke with for this post, as both really impressed me with their knowledge and helpfulness. You can reach Neil Card of Barrhaven Home Inspectors by phone at 613 421 4001 or by email here. Francis Caza of Closer View Home Inspection Services can be reached by phone at 613 913 9020, or by email here.

 

Do you have any more helpful hints on how to spot a bad egg home during a quick walk around? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments as usual!

Whether you were trying to spruce up that old home of yours for resale, or looking to make your new house a little more homey and a little more personal, you've probably been bitten by the renovation bug at some point.

When the urge to revamp strikes, you could always call reliable contractors and get estimates to have them take care of the project (hopefully seamlessly.) 

But if that's not in the budget, or you prefer to do things yourself, you might find yourself in need of guidance on how to make your vision come alive. (Or else you might end up with a scene like the one depicted in that "unmotivation" poster above!)

In this post, we're going to provide you with five of the best resources we've found online for teaching you how to do almost any renovation or repair project on your home. So get out your pen and paper and write these sites down, so you'll know where to find them later when you just can't wait to start knocking down walls!

1) The DIY Network: 

This comprehensive site, which is run by popular home improvement network HGTV, is completely dedicated to providing easy-to-follow video guides for any do-it-yourself project you can think of, including home renovations. From Installing Cabinets to tricky Plumbing and Electrical jobs, this site has videos to tackle whatever you're trying to do.   

2) The Green Home Guide:

As concern for the environment grows (as well it should), it is becoming more and more common for homeowners to be worried about the green-ness of their renovations. If you fall into the eco-conscious renovator category, you won't want to miss this excellent site. 

It is provided as a free resource centre by the US Green Building Council (Creators of the LEED standards for green homes that is also promoted by the Canada Green Building council north of the 49th, and has been mentioned on this blog before.) It is all about ways to make your home renovations as green as possible.

3) CMHC Renovation Planner:

I'm sure you've heard old adages like "measure twice, cut once" and "an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure." (And then there's "don't use too many cliches in your writing in order to keep it fresh", but I digress.) The point is, with a renovation, like any other endeavour, it can really pay of to plan carefully before you start tearing down walls and replacing fixtures. 

Luckily, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Commission (CMHC) provides the most in-depth guide I've seen online for choosing and executing renovations based on need, cost and return on investment. Definitely worth a read.

4) eHow Building and Remodeling How-Tos

In this age of web 2.0 collaboration and wikization of the web, I would be remiss if I didn't include the foremost for-the-people-by-the-people how-to resource online, eHow. This site is a sort of grassroots organization similar to wikipedia, where anyone who signs up can write or edit articles on myriad different subjects. The only difference is that on eHow, articles must be guides for completion of specific projects, and members can vote these up or down so that, in theory, the cream rises to the top. These are also supplemented by a number of expert-written guides. 

The site features nearly half a million different articles, nearly 5000 of which are on the top of home remodeling and repairs (the section linked to above.) There is also a burgeoning how-to videos section of the site as well, the Home and Garden section of which can be found here. Between this site and the DIY network, you should be able to find step-by-step instructions for completing whatever project you have in mind.

5) BEHR ColorSmart Color Chooser

As the former owner of a professional painting company, I may sound biased in saying this, but we all know that every reno ends with a paint job. And whether you tackle it yourself or pay a pro to take care of it, at some point you're going to run up against the age old question: "What colours should we choose?" 

Of course, if you're priming your home for sale (no pun intended), I had some advice on choosing appropriately neutral paint colours in a previous article about prepping the interior of your home for sale. But if you're renovating and choosing paint colours just for you and yours, then the sky is the limit. The problem with deciding on colours, however, can often be that it is difficult to visualize them in your home from those small swatches. 

Enter BEHR's excellent ColorSmart tool. With this utility, you can choose a model of room that is similar to the one you'll be painting, and then simply point and click to see how different colour combinations will look together. The site also makes suggestions for complimentary colours and the like. All in all, well worth checking out for anyone struggling with visualizing that final touch.

 

There is also a paid service offered on the same site that allows you to upload actual photos of your home and colour them using the ColorSmart system, instead of using computer models. I'm not sure this is really necessary for most people, but if it interests you, it's only 5 bucks a year for unlimited use.

Of course, this list could go on, there are hundreds of thousands of sites on home improvement on the web, but these are the five that we've found to be the most thorough and comprehensive of the bunch. 

What do you think, do you find them helpful? Are there any resources you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments, and I maybe lengthen the list to 10 at a later date. 

BUILDERS GIVING BACK 

It is often said that the homelessness problem in any given city, Ottawa included, is much worse than it appears. It's not just the stereotypical "homeless" we see lying on sidewalks in the downtown core who are under-sheltered. 

In reality, for each of these poor souls on park benches, there are several times as many people who are living with family, or in shelters, or even in crowded rental units, and often with multiple children and little money for other necessities like food and clothing. 

These are the somewhat more invisible "homeless" of our cities, and the ones that charities like Habitat for Humanity seek to help. And since homebuilders house people for a living, by definition, it is always refreshing to see builders step up to the plate and partner with Habitat to give back. 

That's what Ottawa builder Urbandale was doing this week, as they prepared to break ground on one of the local HFH chapter's two home projects for this year.

The two projects will house two families in need of help, in side-by-side homes in Orleans. One home has been sponsored by The Home Depot Canada, and the other by Urbandale.

The Urbandale home will house Angela Durant and her two sons Sherwin and Sheldon (pictured at left.) It will be built to the stringent R-2000 Environmental standard, which is a first for the National Capital Region Habitat chapter.    

Orleans (Otawa East) city councillor Bob Monette spoke at the ground-breaking ceremony earlier this week and encouraged the Durants to be hopeful for their future in the new home. 

"You'll notice the community you're moving into is a beautiful one," he said. "It's very safe and you'll feel very welcome here."

Indeed, as Platinum Sponsors, Urbandale has made a significant impact upon the future of this family, donating $75,000 towards the construction of their new family home. The builder has made this donation as part of its 50th Anniversary celebrations. 

As with all Habitat projects, the home, when finished, will be sold to the Durants on an interest-free mortgage that will be paid back in full. The family has also already begun the 500 hours of "sweat equity" required of participants in the program, helping out at fundraising BBQs, delivering flyers and the like.

Despite this generous donation from Urbandale, Habitat is still always in need of volunteers to help make their projects a reality. If you would like to participate in this build, either by doing a skilled trade, committee person or coordinator, they would love to hear from you. You can reach the Ottawa office at 613 749 9950 or via email here. 

If you don't live Ottawa, but would like to help this great hand-up-instead-of-out charity, you can find a chapter near you on their Canadian site here, or their American one here. 

Kudos to Urbandale for giving back to the community in such an apropos way.