Creating Pet-friendly Designs for A Home

Decorating your home is a fun, creative, and expressive process of putting yourself into your living space—but what about the furry members of your family? When laying out and decorating your home, there are some key elements that you can slightly alter or improve to make your home more pet-friendly, durable, and easy to keep looking and feeling fresh. Not only will you benefit, but your pets will feel more at home, too. Here are some ways to make your home design pet-friendly. Continue reading “Creating Pet-friendly Designs for A Home”

Building A Safe Home for Social Residents

Throughout that year, I went through 70 TCHC buildings with the people who lived in them. Some buildings, in neighbourhoods across Toronto, were pleasant, orderly apartment blocks and townhouse rows — indistinguishable from the private housing surrounding them. Others were crumbling wrecks, rife with infestations and crime. Continue reading “Building A Safe Home for Social Residents”

Why Hiring A Random Guy Off The Street Is Not A Great Renovation Strategy

This week let’s talk about how Canada’s hot housing market helped drive the economy to a very healthy first quarter. Who are we kidding. If you live in Toronto and you keep one eye on the city’s real estate market, you’ve probably already read Toronto Life’s story about the couple who bought a “crack house” and spent more than $1-million on renovations. If you haven’t seen the article yet, boy, do we have a treat for you. Continue reading “Why Hiring A Random Guy Off The Street Is Not A Great Renovation Strategy”

Renovations that Won’t Necessarily Add Value to Your Home

Some home renovations yield a 100% or higher return on investment, such as replacing a dented garage or front door with a new, insulated and more durable model. Many home renovations like finishing a basement offer more than a 50% return on the investment. At the other end of the spectrum are home renovations that return only a fraction of the cost when you put your home on the market, and there are a few home renovations that actually have a negative ROI. Here are nine renovations that won’t necessarily add value to your home and may even hurt it. Continue reading “Renovations that Won’t Necessarily Add Value to Your Home”