With summer here, lots of families have renovations on their minds. Here is a list of design and planning advice most often given to clients by professional renovators:

• Know why you want to renovate. What problems are you trying to solve? Most renovations begin with practical issues. For instance, your bathroom may be cramped, you need more storage space in the kitchen, or there is nowhere for the children to play or do homework under your supervision.
  

If you are in the market to buy a new home – don’t overlook that fixer upper! 

For many first time home buyers, they face the duel challenge of not having a big down payment and higher home prices.  Often, the only homes that younger buyers can afford are ones that are in need some renovations.

But just how do you budget for renovations when you’ve maxed out on the down payment?

How do I increase the value of my property?

That’s the question on every homeowners mind.  There are two key survival strategies.  The first is to think long term, have a plan and stick to it.  History shows that this plan of action can pay off.

The second tactic is to outperform the market.  This means ensuring your property increases in value at a greater rate than those in your surrounding market.  One way to do that is through renovations – but not all projects are created equal when it comes to generating a return on investment (ROI)...