Our Summer 2024 issue is now available!
Established at the turn of the century with the purpose of manufacturing German engineered windows and doors that would outperform the competition, today Innotech Windows & Doors continues to reach beyond industry standards.
Our latest issue is currently out on newsstands. A digital issue can be purchased from our store here.
A company whose creative offerings are often extraordinary elements in Calgary’s custom homes, Sculptural Design provides a unique and personal perspective with signature features.
Our latest issue is currently out on newsstands. A digital issue can be purchased from our store here.
After Eight Interiors goes that extra mile in providing the best value and up-to-date flooring solutions available.
Our latest issue is currently out on newsstands. A digital issue can be purchased from our store here.
For over 50 years Contempa has brought its own brand of top-notch service and range of premium products to Calgary's custom homes.
Our latest issue is currently out on newsstands. A digital issue can be purchased from our store here.
Danver creates the calibre of outdoor kitchens that are stylish, durable, and captivatingly creative.
Our latest issue is currently out on newsstands. A digital issue can be purchased from our store here.
Formica brings durability and innovation to all vertical and horizontal surfaces in your home.
Our latest issue is currently out on newsstands. A digital issue can be purchased from our store here.
Urban Edge
North Pointe Homes brings style and integrity to the soothing setting of White Mud Ravine.
This issue is now available at your local newssstands such as Chapters, Indigo, and others.
The digital issue can also be download at our store here.
An Elegant Arrangement
Trademark Renovations proves their appeal with an inspired new build in Aspen Estates that targets style and creature comforts.
This issue is now available at your local newssstands such as Chapters, Indigo, and others.
The digital issue can also be download at our store here.
A Cut Above
Baywood Estate Homes takes lakeside living to the next level with interior views that reveal astounding layouts from above and below.
This issue is now available at your local newssstands such as Chapters, Indigo, and others.
The digital issue can also be download at our store here.
The Ins & Outs of Home
Ultimate Renovations displays its consistent, award-winning talents in yet another award-winning home.
This issue is now available at your local newssstands such as Chapters, Indigo, and others.
The digital issue can also be download at our store here.
Creek Stone Fine Homes
Creek Stone Fine Homes hits its mark in a play that depicts how a renovation of Farmhouse flair can embrace the heritage of a community.
This issue is now available at your local newssstands such as Chapters, Indigo, and others.
The digital issue can also be download at our store here.
Visit your local newsstand and grab the latest issue from Best Home. A digital version can be downloaded directly from our store here.
Our next issue will be available on newsstands on July 1st. Digital issues can be downloaded on Magazine Cloner, Press Reader and through our online store.
By: Suzie Wilson
Regardless if it’s your first or nth time buying a house, one thing remains the same, and that is you need to get the most bang for your buck. After all, you want to make sure that your property is exactly what your family needs or what potential renters want. However, an economic downturn can throw curveballs on what should be a straightforward enough transaction. Consider the following steps, brought to you by Best Home Magazine, to ensure that, recession or otherwise, your home purchase is a breeze.
Determine what you can afford.
When you’re on the market for a home, you likely already know that you can afford it. Exactly how much you can afford is another story. As a rule, CNBC notes you should keep the 30/30/3 rule in mind to determine affordability. For starters, your monthly mortgage payments should be, at maximum, 30 percent of your income. This is especially important in a recession when mortgage rates are lower and the temptation to spend more is real.
Next, it’s smart to have 30 percent of the property value saved up in cash. This is because you need to pay a downpayment to get the best possible mortgage rate, as well as a handful of other fees. Note that investment properties generally require higher down payments than properties that you, the owner, will occupy. This can be as much as 15 to 25 percent on an investment property loan—a far cry from the 3.5 percent required for a primary home on an FHA loan.
Finally, it’s smart to keep your home purchase at no more than three times your annual income. To simplify the math further, make use of an online mortgage calculator to give you a clearer picture.
Make location a priority.
For most real estate experts, location is the most important factor in choosing property. If it’s a home for you and your family, you will definitely want it to be in a safe neighborhood, as well as close to schools, the office, and myriad conveniences. If it’s a rental property, most of the same will attract potential renters.
Home prices do vary from area to area. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the current home prices of the housing market you prefer. Researching home prices online will, in fact, give you a better idea of what you can afford while also eliminating much of the legwork, so you can narrow down your options.
Work with a realtor.
Whether you’re an old hand at property investment or a first-time buyer, know that you are infinitely better served when you work with real estate professionals. They can provide much-needed guidance from start to finish. And they’re an absolute must if you’re planning on buying a distressed, foreclosed, or as-is property to flip or as a rental property. They’ll help you negotiate the best starting price so that you have plenty to invest in the necessary fixes for the home. You not only avoid buyer’s remorse, but your home-buying experience will be a positive one.
In essence, buying property in a recession is not that much different from buying at any other time. But it’s also likely that you will have to take extra care and additional steps to protect your investment. Ultimately, it’s this care that will ensure the best possible purchase.
LEDUC, AB – On Wednesday, May 12th, 2021, BarrierTek initiated a first of its kind in Canada, large-scale burn experiment. The company performed a full-scale field test at a local fire training facility designed to demonstrate the efficacy of BarrierTek products – a made-in- Alberta invention that promises to defend wood structures – against nature's most devastating force, fire. Further to this, the demonstration provided empirical results that will greatly benefit the wood construction industry and enhance the work of fire prevention professionals on a provincial and national level.
The large-scale burn experiment provided a comparative analysis between two three-story wood buildings – one constructed with BarrierTek fire-proof coating and the other, untreated standard construction. Both buildings were identical in construction and were ignited with an equal amount of fuel-load. Untreated wood buildings are at risk of catastrophic fire both during and after construction and this experiment demonstrated that structures treated with BarrierTek coatings eliminate that risk. BarrierTek treated structures do not allow fire to leave the point of origin, dramatically reducing fire damage and posing absolutely no threat to the surrounding community or any adjacent buildings.
"At BarrierTek, we deeply care about the safety of our communities and we are passionate about influencing the built environment by developing high-performance, fire-resistant products. This experiment is our chance to show the industry and our communities that fires are a preventable tragedy and an opportunity to change the wood construction industry for the better. We hope that this one-of-a-kind demonstration will give the industry, code developers, and the general public a sense of real-life impact and demonstrate how each building is assessed for damage," says Mike Baker, CEO of BarrierTek.
Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, this demonstration will be broadcasted as a virtual event. Government officials, industry professionals, business leaders and the general public are invited to observe the demonstration virtually on June 16th at 11:00am. For more information about the event and to register, please visit: https://www.barriertek.com/sciencevsfire
B-roll footage and photography from the experiment is available exclusively to media at: https://www.barriertek.com/media/
North Pointe Homes features The Aurora at Craford Rise that hosts its own distinctive Farmhouse flair next to White Mud Creek Ravine!
A hot real estate market is seeing more Canadians get into cottages this season, but a summer staycation of cold drinks and family movie nights requires a few upgrades.
A few additions can make the simplest of cottages more comfortable through any summer heatwave. Cottages with an Internet connection can easily become a summer home, especially for Canadians working remotely yet craving a change of scenery after a year of pandemic life.
"The way you outfit your cottage can make the difference between a luxury getaway and roughing it," says Meaghan Wilkinson, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing with Hisense Canada. "Consider these appliances and electronics a smart re-investment of the money you would have spent on a hotel and flight this summer."
Hisense Canada suggests the following pieces to help bring the cottage into modernity:
· Dehumidifier — Usually the humidity is what pushes summer temperatures into discomfort for many Canadians. A dehumidifier helps air conditioning units run effectively and efficiently while making the air less heavy to breath. They will also help keep the air in the cottage fresh, and fight back against the musty smell that can invade over the dormant winter months.
· Portable air conditioner – Portable air conditioners are easy to setup with powerful cooling capacity without being noisy. They are also easy to move from room to room, keeping sleeping temperatures comfortable at night.
· Second fridge – There are never too many cold drinks in the summer heat and a second fridge can free up some space in the crammed kitchen fridge after stocking up for the week. Place it in a shed or boathouse, or out on a covered deck, to keep the cold drinks close by the action.
· Smart TV – Bring movies to life with more than a billion colours in 4K high definition. Smart TVs sync with smart home devices and have streaming services built right in – meaning less cords and outlets required. At a Wifi-enabled cottage, a Smart TV brings all the entertainment options you can desire for those rainy days or chilly nights.
· Soundbar – New movie releases are skipping the box office and streaming at home, and a soundbar brings movies the audio they deserve. Connect to a music streaming app on the Smart TV or via Bluetooth for an even better dinner playlist.
"The whole family will appreciate the added comfort this summer," says Meaghan. "Keep everyone safe and entertained inside with longer cottage trips this year.
Featured in our upcoming issue due out in June.
Consider craftspersons - When you're wanting something new for your home, think about locally made. Think about artists that are working and building in your area. Consider Etsy, where you can search by location to find a local maker. Farmer's markets. A lot of furniture stores will showcase goods from local makers. Antique malls don't only just have vintage stuff; sometimes they have locally made. Also Instagram. Facebook Marketplace. Even Amazon lets you search for local artisans in your region.
When you need to buy online, do the research on where things are coming from - Really understand the origin of whatever piece you're buying, do your best to purchase from makers who are as close to your home as possible. The fastest way to do this is to call the company and ask them for information on the product, but most product pages have info on where the product is made. Deeper research can be done on the manufacturer simply by googling.
For example - If you're purchasing a mattress, there are so many companies, and they have these FAQ pages and hotlines where you can find out a lot of sustainability information. More and more companies are adding this info because people are asking the questions. Candon called and asked about manufacturing locations; "If I'm a customer in the Seattle area, where would my mattress be coming from?"
Think about the purity of materials you're bringing into your home - When you really want to consider a sustainable home, you want to think about natural materials. Ones like wool, bamboo, cotton, and linen. Make sure you're avoiding materials that are harmful like vinyl and fire retardants. Things like your furniture and bed sheets are a good start, but also things like interiors of your upholsteries are worth considering. Choose silicon over vinyl. If you're considering remodeling your home, avoid the use of artificial wood products, which are not biodegradable. Consider real wood, and if it's local, all the better.
Avoid chemicals that are harmful - We mentioned fire retardants already, but there are many chemicals in our built environments and in the products we purchase that eventually leech into our living environment. We want to avoid those as much as possible. There are a few ways to do this - There's the UL spot database: these list items that have high levels of air quality. Consider it a consumer report for indoor air quality and health where you can search thousands of products. There are also other indoor air quality certs on the market. Talking about mattresses again, they may have an indoor air quality cert listed on their website, for example, CertiPureUS.
Focus on company transparency, not the numbers or even the certifications. - If I as a consumer am willing to spend the time to do the research, I expect to get real answers from the companies that I'm asking these questions to, and I know to avoid companies that won't give me the answers, or don't know the answers. There are so many companies readily offering this information, on their websites or over the phone, and those are the ones we want to support and whose products we want to purchase.
The fact that the company is doing what they can to disclose the information is more important than the numbers here. At this point in our sustainability journey as a society, it's about transparency from company to consumer. If all else fails, start there.
Challenging market conditions have added additional importance to home renovations since the start of COVID-19, both for those looking to stay and those selling, according to RE/MAX's 2021 Renovation Investment Report
More than half of Canadians renovated their home in 2020 with the intention of living in it, with 29 per cent renovating to enhance their lifestyle for non-essential reasons (aesthetic and/or recreational purposes) and 29 per cent doing so for essential reasons (safety and maintenance)
Only 16 per cent of Canadians said they renovated to increase the market value of their home in order to sell within in the next one to three years
Toronto, ON and Kelowna, BC, April 6, 2021 – A new report by RE/MAX Canada is shedding light on shifting consumer trends in home renovations and the perceived return on investment (ROI), as impacted by COVID-19 and historically tight market conditions. The RE/MAX 2021 Renovation Investment Report found that more than half of Canadians renovated their home last year for personal/non-ROI purposes, with three-in-ten (29 per cent) choosing to renovate for non-essential "lifestyle" reasons, such as recreation-inspired projects.
A Leger survey conducted on behalf of RE/MAX Canada found lifestyle impact to be the top reason for renovating during the course of the pandemic, ahead of motives such as making essential renovations to accommodate life in lockdown (17 per cent), or to increase the value of the home with the intention of selling in the next one to three years (16 per cent).
Despite the trend of home renovations for personal use and enjoyment, 59 per cent of Canadians still said they always consider the return on investment that a renovation will have on their home's overall market value, so while there is a current renovation trend based on lifestyle aspirations, practicality is never far from the surface.
"The notion of the home as an investment continues to be an important consideration for Canadian homeowners; however, they clearly value the home for what it is meant to be: a place to live and enjoy spending time," says Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western Canada. "The pandemic has influenced virtually every aspect of our lives, including what Canadians want and need in a home. The uncertainty also compelled many sellers to move to the sidelines or renovate their home to accommodate current quality-of-life needs, which has further tightened market conditions."
This lack of inventory is expected to be a continuing factor in the spring housing market. In its market outlook for 2021, RE/MAX identified seller's market conditions in 82 per cent of regions, with a spike in demand for single-family dwellings putting additional pressure on already limited supply.
"Canadian real estate has continued to perform above and beyond expectations, with an increased opportunity for sellers to see a strong return on their investment given current demand," says Christopher Alexander, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Ontario-Atlantic Canada. "As we've seen over the past year, strong seller's markets continue to dominate many regions across Canada, with homes selling in record time and at record prices. While the impact that specific renovations have on ROI will vary by regional conditions, the market has generally shown us that you can't go wrong with anything that improves your home in any way."
With this in mind, nearly one year after the start of cross-country lockdowns, Canadians are still making renovation decisions based on pandemic living, with over half (55 per cent) of survey respondents stating that they have already done or would like to do a home renovation within the next year. Of this group, 35 per cent say they would opt for minor renovations, such as painting.
RE/MAX brokers across Canada were also surveyed for the report and identified fresh paint and landscaping as two upgrades that yield a high ROI, despite being low-budget and minor in nature. This is in alignment with and good news for the nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadians who said they would want to keep their home improvement budget below $10,000, even if the guaranteed ROI was at least 10 per cent. Three-in-ten Canadians (31 per cent) would bump up their spending from $10,000 to just under $50,000, and only four per cent would consider spending more than $50,000.
Sixty-five per cent of RE/MAX brokers surveyed also claim that kitchen upgrades, including cabinets, countertops and appliances, yield the highest ROI for sellers, with 87 per cent of brokers naming the kitchen renovation as the top home improvement sought out by homebuyers.
Regional Market Insights
In Western Canada, Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria, homebuyers want the move-in-ready experience, with homes that are already entirely renovated being most in demand. Given this, sellers in these regions have the potential to see a large return on their renovation investment. In Greater Vancouver, outdoor improvements are one of the optimal ways for homeowners to get the best ROI, with landscaping among the top five renovations to undertake. It's also one of the most common renovations that homeowners in this region are taking on themselves, versus hiring a professional to do the work.
Throughout Ontario, RE/MAX brokers are reporting that listings are selling quickly, regardless of their condition or renovation status. Regions including Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton-Burlington, Niagara, London and Kingston/Napanee saw a strong shift toward outdoor upgrades and amenities in 2020, specifically the addition of a pool or larger exterior living area. Much of this demand was prompted by COVID-19 and the desire for more recreational space within the home – a trend that is not anticipated to be a permanent one. Bathroom renovations and new flooring are highly regarded as yielding the best return on investment. Across markets such as Mississauga, Thunder Bay, London, Barrie and Ottawa, painting is noted by RE/MAX brokers as the top renovation that homeowners are doing themselves, as well as one of the best ways to also see an improvement on ROI.
In the Atlantic provinces, RE/MAX brokers also placed importance on upgraded kitchens, but noted flooring upgrades as one of the best renovations for homeowners to get optimal ROI in regions including Fredericton, Saint John and St. John's. Meanwhile in Charlottetown, roofing upgrades and landscaping are two of the top renovations that can be done relatively quickly to improve ROI, along with painting, as echoed across nearly all regions surveyed. In Saint John, the finished basement is one of the most sought-after renovations by buyers and creating more open-concept spaces is noted as one of the top three ways for sellers to get the best return on their investment.
Consumers' Understanding of ROI
Only 51 per cent of Canadians claimed to have a thorough grasp of the renovation process and nearly half either don't know or disagree that they have the understanding needed to make ROI-enhancing renovation decisions. Furthermore, 50 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they expect their REALTOR® to advise them on the right renovations to take on if they expressed interest in doing so when purchasing a home. This reliance on external professionals to guide home-buying decisions is anticipated to continue.
Additional highlights from the 2021 RE/MAX Renovation Investment Report:
When it comes to the renovations that yield the best return on investment, Canadians see these as the best renovations to undertake:
70 per cent of Canadians state redesigning larger spaces, such as kitchens or washrooms
56 per cent of Canadians state minor updates, such as refreshing paint
55 per cent of Canadians state landscaping the outdoor space
50 per cent of Canadians state changing the home layout, including adding rooms or knocking down walls
32 per cent of Canadians state updating décor and furniture
49 per cent of Canadians prefer to contract out most or all of the renovation work
33 per cent of Canadians consider themselves to be very capable when it comes to home renovations, and don't need professional help
About the 2021 RE/MAX Renovation Investment Report
The 2021 RE/MAX Renovation Investment Report includes data from RE/MAX brokerages. RE/MAX brokers and agents are surveyed on insights and local developments. Regional summaries with additional broker insights can be found at remax.ca.
About Leger
Leger is the largest Canadian-owned full-service market research firm. An online survey of 1,540 Canadians was completed between February 4-7, 2021, using Leger's online panel. Leger's online panel has approximately 400,000 members nationally and has a retention rate of 90 per cent. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
