360renos - Home Improvement & Decor

How to make your home stand out when selling

We can help your house sell quickly and at a good price -- even in a slow market.

It takes a lot more than sparkling windows, scented candles and chocolate-chip cookies to sell a home in today's market.

Improvements should be made so that the property shows well, is consistent with the neighborhood and does not involve capital investments.

Beyond any doubt, the best investment you can make is new paint. Painting can make a room or an exterior façade look brand-new, and totally transform the look and feel of a room or the entire residence. It is always wise to be somewhat restrained when choosing colors for a home-staging paint project. Avoid choosing colors that are too individual or flashy and favor neutral colors and schemes. This does not mean painting everything white, however.

Use subtle color schemes to accentuate the home's strengths and minimize weaknesses. Dark colors, for example, tend to make a room feel smaller, while lighter colors and pastels can make a room feel bigger.

There is another benefit to painting as well: the process of preparing the interior or exterior surfaces of a home for painting automatically allows us to go over the entire area receiving paint in great detail, and this can often expose items or areas requiring repair. It seems you always discover where the caulking has let go, where the wall is dinged.

It is always preferable that we discover and deal with these items before the real estate agent (or worse, the prospective buyer) points them out to you!

Dave - 360renos




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Friday, December 23, 2011

Great Article by Mike holmes

 Take a word of advice from Mike Holmes, Canada’s most veneered general contractor of all times.
It amazes me, after doing my television show all these years, that I’m still seeing homeowners making the same knucklehead mistakes over and over. The big one — the one that starts a chain of events ending in disappointment and frustration — is the notion that they want the renovation done “fast” and they want it done “cheap.” And let’s face it:, in the renovation game, fast and cheap add up to just one thing — crap.
Mike Holmes
Mike Holmes
Before you start flipping through the Yellow Pages and calling every contractor in the book, let’s get your expectations on the right planet. You should expect that in this day and age, skilled contractors are in high demand: good contractors are very, very busy.
This means when you do start phoning contractors, don’t be surprised that they don’t immediately answer their phones — they are probably standing on a ladder somewhere with their hands full when you call. Don’t take it personally or assume they are not interested in talking to you, but contractors won’t answer their cell phones every time it rings. Constant interruptions slow down a jobsite. For this reason alone, most contractors wait until they are away from the jobsite before they return your calls.
Depending on the volume of messages they get, it can take at least a few days to get back to you because your average licensed tradesperson is in business as an owner-operator. This means that they do all the work themselves and also do their own bookings. A slow response time is not necessarily a bad sign: it shows that they are in demand and it is a pretty good indicator that they are going to be well worth the wait.
It’s also important to understand that good contractors are booked at least two to four months in advance. If you feel you can’t wait, remember this: Bad contractors are always available right away — because they are not in demand, or worse, because they are more than willing to bump their current renovation in progress to get started on yours. Odds are, that situation will come back to haunt you when, halfway into your renovation, the same contractor will bump you in favor of his latest customer.
If a contractor says he will “try to fit you in as soon as he can” and to “please be patient,” take that as a sign that he isn’t going to take shortcuts on his current project just to get to yours that much sooner. High-quality work takes time. You also don’t want that same contractor to turn around and rush your job just to get to his next one.
Let’s talk about the other part of the consumer equation: cheap. No one wants to spend more than he has to on a renovation, but as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.”
How much is the right amount? That requires some work on your part, because it means getting as many quotes as possible. In the end, you may get a few extremely high quotes and a few extremely low quotes, and most likely you will get the majority of quotes that fall around the same price. Chances are, one of those middle quotes will be the right price.
The higher quotes sometimes reflect the skill level of the contractor or the price that the market demands for certain contractors who have a reputation for outstanding-quality work. Extremely low quotes often mean that the contractor doesn’t have the experience to properly quote the job, let alone know what it will take to do the job properly, or that he knows how to take shortcuts with your home in order to undercut the legitimate competitors.
So as you start planning your project, be prepared to wait for the right contractor and understand that there are ways to find the right price for the renovation you want.
Source: HGTV

Saturday, November 12, 2011

New 360renos.ca Brochure

Awesome new brochure designed and printed by the great folks at Sureprint.ca in Orleans


If your a Realtor, Interior Designer or Decorator, Home Staging and Property Scene specialist send me an e-mail if you would like a professional brochure that you can include in your client packages.

360renos offers many services which can help your clients who may be in need of a small fix repair or painting project that is needed to sell their home quickly.

My brochure outlines what we offer and my quotes are always free!

Dave

Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Saturday, November 5, 2011

LED Light Bulb Cost and Return on Investment

The LED bulb I bought was pricey at $29.98 but like CFL's they will come down over time and as more manufactures come on-line. I sure wouldn't want to re-lamp my entire home in one shot. I will do it though as existing bulbs burn out. 

Another area I was very impressed was the many varieties of LED bulbs available for the numerous applications out there. LED bulbs available as floods, PAR 20, GU 10, etc. I love it that my customers don't have to retro fit light fixtures to accommodate the new bulbs. I haven't seen any 3 way LED bulbs though.

So I did some math on the LED ROI because my curiosity got peaked upon reflection of the bulb cost. 


For a lamp that's on six hours a day, that would give us 12 watts x 6 hours x 365 = 26.3 kWh. At $.092 per kWh (mid -peak price) that's $2.42 a year to operate. Subtract that from $12.09 (incandescent cost) and that's a savings of $9.67 a year.

The bulbs packaging says it has a lifespan of 25,000 hours, it should theoretically last for about 11 years in this application. Over 11 years, we would otherwise have to buy 22 incandescents, for a cost of $16.50, or about $1.50 each year. With the annual savings of $9.67 in energy and $1.50 in bulbs, the LED will pay for itself in just under three years.

Not bad!

I could see these bulbs being very beneficial in commercial applications which need a lot of light. It would be a huge cost savings for them.

I'm definitely looking forward to being able to provide my customers with an alternative lighting solutions now.



Dave
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Thursday, November 3, 2011

New LED light bulbs are brighter and more efficient



I just installed our first LED light bulb in our home.


 Yes those same idea as a LED flashlight that has many little bulbs. Those numerous bulbs make a bright light shine from   your flashlight now work very well in a household bulb.




I'm very impressed with the new product for numerous reasons.


The 60 watt equivalent only uses 12 watts of electricity and emits a very warm soft white light. Very similar to regular incandescent bulbs.


It turns on at full intensity instantly which those CFL's sure don't. Sure great for stairways!


The LED bulbs can be used in dimming light fixtures which most CFL's aren't. And the LED dimmable bulb does not hum like a dimming CFL.


These bulbs are reported to last 20 plus years which makes changing the open concept 2nd story ceiling fixture less of a hassle.


One test will be our cold Canadian winters. How will they work in the porch light at -20C? As you know heading out on a cold winter morning it would be nice to have some light.


Dave
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Saturday, October 15, 2011

New Edinburgh - MacKay St Rec Room Project

We went from a home that had an unfinished basement and leaking foundation (which you can read in my previous post) to a great additional space for our customers family.


Enjoy the pictures of the progression of the project.



Drywall taping and mudding
Electrical panel and communications center closet finished.


Wiring for pot lights. Drop ceiling installation. Door installation
Pot light installation
Baseboard, door and window trim





Another couple of days and the carpet will be installed

Dave

Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Leaking Home Foundation

360renos was getting ready to start a New Edinburgh basement Rec Room project when we found 25' of leaking foundation walls.
A picture speaks a thousand words!





But we had the moldy and rotted materials removed, cleaned up, repaired and dried out over the course of two weeks.

Then we got to rebuild from the ground up and improve upon the existing structure.
New tar paper and the framing was upgraded to 2x4's from the original 2x3's


New upgraded R14 Roxul insulation and vapour barrier.

New drywall, corner beads and taping.

Stayed tuned for more when we finish completing the basement.

Dave

Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Cost Effective Home Renovating

When you buy a home, somewhere along the line you will be faced with the prospect of doing some home renovations. The good news however is, there are many ways accomplishing cost effective home renovations.
All you actually need to do is sit down, take a deep breath and begin to make a list of all the renovations you feel your home may need. At first, do not worry about putting a cost to these renovations, but rather make an accurate and detailed list of everything which you feel may be in need of renovation.

Once you have completed the list, try to prioritise it according to which of these renovations you feel are the most necessary taking into consideration the impact each of these renovations may have on the lifestyle of the homes occupants and on the look of the home as well.
When you look at this list and should you have been honest with yourself, you will soon realise that the renovations which are likely to have the most impact on the appearance of the home and more likely the comfort of its inhabitants are likely to be the more affordable and achievable ones.
Things such as a fresh coat of paint, cupboard renovations and even faucet and fitting renovations or replacements are guaranteed to have a great effect. These in reality are some of the smaller renovations which you may have chosen, but they truly have a great impact not only on living conditions but the value of the home as well.

More often than not one tends to want to tackle all of the renovations you wish done at once, but by breaking it down into a list and prioritising it, you are able to gain perspective and see that it is all possible in stages.

By handling the tasks one by one you reduce the initial cost shock and once you see the difference the smaller changes you make have made you will be more willing and able to take on the bigger ones.
Ezine Articles

Dave - 360renos


Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Swanson Lightning™ Levels


Great idea for those dimly light basements!

You would think that many more manufacturers would have figured  this one out a long time ago but Swanson put it on the market first.  Swanson Lightning™ Levels, from 6" to 48" that have little LED lights to light up the vials when you are having trouble seeing the bubble either at night or in a dark workspace.  Sears is supposed to carry them.





Dave Bennett

Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Paint a Brick Fireplace


 This is still a controversial decorating subject, but if you've got an ugly, dated brick fireplace, for goodness sake - paint it! I'm not talking about beautiful red brick, Georgian style fireplaces, I'm talking about dingy brown and grey, 1960s and 1970s units. 

Honestly, giving it a couple of coats of paint will completely lighten and brighten your room, and possibly even increase your home's value.

This brick fireplace with log storage was painted last year for a customer and still looks great today.

Dave Bennett
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Handy Weather & Renovation Tool

Handy Weather Tool from joneakes.com and his Home Improvements news letter.

As the weather flirts around below and above freezing, it can get quite difficult to know just what you can do and what restrictions the weather might put on your projects.


Now is the most critical time of the year to use the database that I developed last year together with CTV.  If you go to the Weather page on CTV.CA, check out your local short and long term forcast, then scroll to the bottom, you will see this little box that allows you to choose your project, then your material and it will tell you immediately any critical weather restrictions for that specific material:  must stay dry x hours -- no freezing weather for x hours -- minimum and maximum temperatures for application and curing -- and more.  



Dave Bennett
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca





Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Renovator's council chair favours renewing Reno Tax Credit


The proposed resumption of the Home Renovation Tax Credit was big news lost in the uproar that followed the unveiling of the Conservative Party's 2011 budget, but we are likely to hear a lot more about it.

The old program had been very successful, managing a rare marriage of stimulating an economy while promoting more earth-friendly ideals.

The Canadian Revenue Agency said more than three million Canadians -almost a third of the owner-occupied housing market -took advantage of the program, each saving an average of $700. Added to the 2011 budget ostensibly at the request of the New Democratic Party, the tax credit is a good bet to reappear when a federal budget is finally approved.
The chairman of the Canadian Renovator's Council, Mike Martin, was happy to hear it may be continued. "From what I've been hearing it's a great program. I am very happy they were going to extend it," he said.

In addition to chairing both the Canadian council and the Ontario Renovator's Council, Martin runs Luxury Renovations, an award-winning Ottawa-based company.
While the renovation program had been accused of not helping lower-class households or being too complicated, Martin said the program held no surprises.

"You have to go about it the right way, you have to follow all the guidelines to a tee."
Martin said there was benefit to making small changes as well as large ones.
The program would allow for up to 15 per cent of the cost of renovations to be claimed, to a maximum of $1,350, against a homeowner's taxes.

While the gain for the taxpayer is evident, Martin says the inherent structure of the program will provide a boost to the renovation industry.

"The best part about it is they have to show receipts from the contractor and that deters the underground economy," he said.

The council estimates 75 per cent of home renovations are done under the table, a fact he attributes to the implementation of the HST. "The underground economy is devastating our industry."


From the Ottawa Citizen




Dave Bennett
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Renovation priorities are the first step


Article by Hammer & Nail 

For many homeowners, renovations can make for a long-term process that takes place in stages over a number of years. Decisions are driven by what needs to be done, how much money is available, and personal preferences.
Old bathroom faucets can be both outdated in style and water-efficiency. New faucets that meet WaterSense criteria reduce water usage by up to 32 per cent without affecting performance.

If you will be renovating in stages, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association says it makes sense at the outset establishing long-term priorities. Among the considerations it recommends:
- Decide how long you plan to stay in your home. Five, 10 or 15 years? More? The answer to that question will influence the renovations you undertake, the time frame for the work and the amount of money you will want to spend.

- Evaluate your overall space needs, now and for the future. How will they change over time? Do you have children whose needs for space may change? Do you have aging parents who might move in with you in the future? Can you find extra space within the existing framework of your home, in the attic or the basement?

- Evaluate the condition of your house. Go through it with a renovator or home inspector, listing repairs and replacements that might be required over the coming years.

- Make a list of your renovation objectives. Divide the list between the things you need in the short term (a new bathroom, for instance) and the things you would like to have (perhaps incorporating a spare bedroom into the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.)

- Develop a financial overview. Your renovator can advise you on the approximate costs of repairs and renovations. You can also contact suppliers and subcontractors for information. Next, determine where the money will come from, and how much you can afford.

- Be prepared to make trade-offs. Experienced renovators advise homeowners to find the balance between lifestyle improvements and repairs/ replacements needed to keep your home in good shape.
For instance, you may want to redo the bathroom and include a skylight to brighten it. But if your roof is in poor condition, it may be better to repair it and install a skylight first, and renovate the bathroom later.

- Consider the impact of a renovation. If you plan extensive renovations over time, careful planning will help to minimize inconveniences and disruptions to your household.

- Build into one phase what you need in the next. By planning ahead, you will get the best out of your renovation dollars and save money in the long run.

For instance, for a few extra dollars, your renovator might be able to install the connections for a future bathroom in the basement while renovating an existing bathroom on another floor.

- Put your plan in writing.



Dave Bennett
Owner 360renos
phone 613.429.5000 
mobile 613.282.2124
email dbennett@360renos.ca
www.360renos.ca

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Will Navan make it into the Top 5 Finalists?

KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE 2011  


Will Navan make it into the Top 5 Finalists?
Watch CBC Hockey Night in Canada 
Saturday March 19th 10:30pm for the revealing of the Kraft Hockeyville Top 5 Finalists


IF WE MAKE IT


VOTE FOR NAVAN
(Unlimited voting and calling)


from Saturday March 19th11:00pm to Monday March 21st11:59pm
Toll free # 1-866-533-806

www.krafthockeyville.ca