Remodel Blog

You might often hear the words “remodel” and “renovation” being used interchangeably, but there is a stark difference between the two. If you’re planning a home improvement, it’s important to know how a remodel differs from a renovation so that you can better communicate with your interior designer and builder on what you’d like to achieve. Here’s how to tell the difference. Remodel To remodel something is to create something new or alter something to a new state. For instance, a kitchen remodel might include tearing down a wall to open up the space or moving the sink to a different side of the room. In a remodel, something has to be altered. If you were to turn an unfinished basement into a rental unit, this would be an example of something being remodeled from its original state. Some common remodel projects include: Finished basement or attic Secondary basement suite Second story addition Property damage repairs New deck New roof Sunroom or enclosed porch Kitchen add-on Bathroom aging in place remodel Historic preservation Bedroom to home office remodel Fireplace installment Renovation A renovation generally refers to restoring something to its original condition without changing the purpose. This could include any upgrades or repairs to an existing room. For example, in a bathroom renovation project would likely see old flooring replaced and new paint applied. It might also include tearing out old cabinets and outdated shower units and replacing them with new ones. Common renovation projects: New paint or wallpaper New flooring Upgraded cabinets or hardware New vanity New window treatments Upgraded staircase Trim replacement Upgraded shelving and closet renovations Energy retrofits and new lighting Games room or home theatre New driveway, walkway, or patio The Pros and Cons of Remodeling A remodel is an excellent way to transform an outdated or unused room into something new. With a remodel you’re basically working with a fresh canvas where you can tear down walls, add new features or build an entire new room from the ceiling to the floors. But if you’re on a tight budget, remodeling can often be more costly than renovating, depending on the labour and materials it will take to complete the project.  A remodel can also take a lot longer than planned. And since most remodels involve some form of construction aspect, if you don’t plan accordingly, you could be stuck living without a kitchen or bathroom for quite some time. Fortunately, with a little planning and an expert remodeling crew managing the project, most of these concerns can be greatly mitigated. The Pros and Cons of Renovating As mentioned above, a renovation is the better choice if you have a tight budget to adhere to. You don’t have to do a lot to make a big impact, especially if you have a professional designer and renovation team on your side. Simply swapping out older features with new ones, changing up colours on the floors and walls and adding some modern décor can transform a room in a matter of days. Simple energy saving swaps can also help to save you money over the long term. The only downside of a renovation is that it’s easy to get carried away. If you don’t set a proper budget from the get-go and hire a company who knows how to stick to it, you could end up spending tens of thousands of dollars more than planned. That’s why it’s important to do your due diligence and hire a company with a proven track record of finishing projects on time and on budget. How To Choose The Right Contractor Not all contractors specialize in both remodels and renovations. That’s why it’s important to know the difference between a remodel vs. renovation when you start looking for a professional for your project. When you find a general contractor in your area, don’t settle until you get a couple of bids from other companies first. Make sure you compare the plans and specifications as well as the labour and material costs before deciding. You should also make sure that you can trust this company before hiring them. So look at their reviews online, call some of their past clients, and do the necessary due diligence to ensure they are the right fit for the job. Why Choose The Renosgroup? At the Renosgroup.ca we offer everything under one roof. From small renovations to major remodels and even mobility modifications, our team can handle your project from beginning to end. You only need to hire us and we’ll supervise all the contractors required to get your job done right on time and within your budget. We’re ready to help you with all your renovation and remodeling needs. Contact us today to learn more about all of our services. We also offer free in-home consultations which ensures you are presented a reliable cost estimate from the onset.  To get in touch to schedule renovations, you can fill out an online form or give us a call at (613) 727-9427.

The winter months can make many of us feel stressed out, depressed, and irritable. But one way you can kick those winter blues is to start planning your next home renovation. If you’ve been thinking about remodelling or upgrading a few areas of your home, there’s no better time to get started than now! Being cooped up at home gives you plenty of time to sit down, think of what you want, crystalize your vision, and begin the planning process step by step. Once you have all of the planning done, you can book in your contractors and have the renos done before the summer arrives. Here are some tips for getting started! Get Clear on Your Budget Your budget will determine just about everything, so it’s the most important place to start. Sit down and work out how much you can put aside, and what it is that you want or need to be renovated. Whether it’s a new coat of paint for the house or a major overhaul, write them all down and prioritize your needs versus wants. Then compare those to the amount of money you can spend on the renos. You should know exactly what that number is so you can be realistic about what you can include in your renovation and which areas might have to wait. Gather Ideas and Inspiration This is always the best part of planning a renovation. With your budget and framework done, you can now start to gather ideas and inspiration to refine your vision and figure out which elements you want to include. You’re essentially creating a wish list. During this process, it’s important to keep an open mind and remain realistic about affordability because it can be easy to get caught up in dream concepts that are way beyond your budget. So once you have some solid ideas of the scope of the project, you’ll want to get informed about associated costs by speaking with the contractor. Or you can also find guides online that can help. This is the part where you may have to really prioritize and make sacrifices. During this stage, you’ll be working out a lot of the details, so you should expect to go back and forth as you figure it all out. Design Layouts If you’re planning on having a major renovation done, then you will likely need to consult with a professional to draft up design layouts and detailed drawings that will map it all out. However, if you’re just focusing on minor renovations, most builders will be able to plan it all out by simply communicating with you, understanding what you want and then creating a plan based on that. Choose Your Contractor Once you’re ready to get going, you’ll need to sort out which team is the best fit for your needs and who you should hire. Reach out to a few reputable contractors to learn more about their experience, terms, quotes, and make sure to ask for examples and references. This will give you a clearer insight into their previous projects and whether clients were satisfied. Also, make sure they’re licensed and insured so that you’re protected and won’t be liable for any damages or injuries during the renovations. You can easily search online to view testimonials and learn more about a company. Or ask around through your family, friends, and other networks for recommendations. Get a Detailed Breakdown of the Quote Comparing quotes from different contractors is all part of the process, but you should always ask for a detailed breakdown. The contractor should be willing to provide a list of all of the expenses for each part of the project so that you can review the prices. This is important for both major or minor jobs, especially if you are on a tighter budget. You can learn which areas you can shave down or you can swap out different materials that are cheaper to lower the cost if need be. Your contractor should be open and willing to help you with this. Book Your Dates Finally, after giving the green light on the project scope, details and costs, it’s time to book your dates and get started. Sometimes, certain projects can begin in the winter and then get completed in the spring, but this might not be the case for you. It all depends on the renovations you need. Talk to your contractor to discuss when the best time might be to begin, and what works with your schedule. Renosgroup.ca has you covered for all of your home renovations needs in Ottawa. Whether you have something minor or major in mind, our crew can make it happen. Contact us today, or give us a call at (613) 727-9427. to learn more about how we can help transform your

As Canadians, we only get a short window of opportunity to tackle home renovation projects during the summer. That’s why we recommend planning your summer renovations in the spring or even earlier so you can book in your contractor and get it completed before the summer rush. Though it can be overwhelming to think about, it’s also important to keep in mind that the longer you ignore an area of your home that needs attention, the more drastic and costly it can be to repair or improve it down the road. If you’re thinking about upgrading your home this year, here are some popular renos for you to consider for your summer project. Kitchen Overhaul After the busy holiday season and long winter months, the kitchen can endure a lot of wear and tear. Plus, it’s where homeowners tend to focus their attention on improvements because it’s the most used and valuable room in the home. This means it’s always worth investing in to maintain, upgrade, and redo whenever it’s starting to look worn and dated. You can modernize your kitchen by replacing just a few staple features like the counters and cupboards, or if your budget permits, you can redo the entire space – replacing the flooring with attractive tiling or hardwood, adding a new backsplash, energy-efficient appliances, and more. A modern kitchen upgrade can drastically improve efficiency and function while creating a space that you can feel proud to show off when you’re hosting friends or family. Adding an Extension Aside from the kitchen, adding an extension to the home is the second most popular way to enhance space and boost the value of it. If you need additional room for your growing family or a home office where you can get work done, you could create the space you need instead of enduring the aggravating process of moving. If you’re considering an extension, don’t leave your plans until the last minute. This type of project requires a good amount of planning and professional expertise to ensure it’s safe and aesthetically pleasing. Make sure to get your plans sorted well ahead of the summer months with a professional contractor who knows what they’re doing. Revamp the Basement Has your basement seen better days? It’s a common area that homeowners tend to ignore until more space is needed. Instead of using it to store away old boxes and work-out equipment, why not transform it into a space that serves a better purpose? An entertainment hub, a yoga studio or an extra play area for the kids – whatever you prefer, you can customize it to suit your lifestyle. Make Your Home More Accessible If you or a family member has a mobility issue and can’t navigate around the home easily, it might be time to consider having a mobility renovation performed. No one should feel limited or confined in their own home. Whether it’s a senior family member or a child with a disability, our contractors can provide what you need – wider doors, lower counters, lower bathroom fixtures, handrails, non-slip floors, shower and bath seats, brighter lighting, and much more. Spruce Up the Patio With a limited window of warm weather to enjoy, the backyard tends to become an extension of our home during the summer months. So it’s important not to neglect it. If your outdoor space is looking beaten and battered after the winter season, consider sprucing it up with new interlock for the patio, replacing the deck, and livening up your landscape to make it clean, eye-catching, and inviting. The Bathroom As the second most used room in the home, the bathroom can also endure a lot of wear and tear, especially with the added heat and moisture. If you’re noticing any moldy spots, broken tiles or old faucets that are starting to drip, a bathroom overhaul could be in order. Whether it requires a deep overhaul that includes the plumbing, or just a facelift, it’s another excellent return on investment. Updating your toilet to a low-flush model, swapping out old tiles and faucets, adding a lavish vanity and bowl sink for a touch of luxury, and installing a glass shower enclosure can works wonders for enhancing the entire space. Repaint One of the easiest ways to renew the look of your home is with a fresh coat of paint. Add some new colours to your bedroom, feature wall or kitchen to make it appear more inviting and cheerful. It’s a simple way to elevate your interior and exterior spaces.  No matter what your home reno needs involve, our expert crew at the Renosgroup.ca can make it happen. We are dedicated to providing professional, quality workmanship and friendly customer service for all our clients throughout Ottawa. Contact us today, or give us a call at (613)727-9427 to learn more about our home reno services or to get a quote.

Ready to freshen up your home interior with a new kitchen this new year? Whether you’ve just purchased a fixer-upper, need more space, or want to modernize your space, investing in your kitchen is always a worthy project to take on. Aside from being the most used room in the home, it also boasts the best return on investment if you plan to sell in the future. Here are some good reasons to get started on your renovations now. Boost the Value of Your Home Ask any realtor and they’ll tell you just how important the kitchen is when it comes to the value of your home. It’s what buyers look at and asses the most when considering a purchase. If you are planning to place your home on the market, getting started on your renovations now can get your property ready to view in time for the summer rush. Even if you’re not considering a move in the near future, updating your kitchen now is one of the best ways to invest in your home since you’ll use it every single day. Easier to Schedule Contractors Winter tends to be a slow season for contractors which makes it an excellent time to take advantage of for your home projects. Without so many other homeowners to compete with, you can easily schedule the contractors when you need them. With less work slated, they’ll have more time to focus on planning and designing your dream kitchen. Better Prices Winter is also a better time to take advantage of reduced rates for your reno projects. Special discounts and offers are more common during this time of year. But they tend to hike back up once the spring arrives. Use the winter months to source better prices and discounts on inventory for windows, lumber, appliances, cabinets, and other materials that you might need. Approval for Permits is Faster If you’re planning a more elaborate design, you may need a permit, depending on the layout and where you live. Lucky for you, winter is less busy for government agencies, which means you’ll be able to obtain your permit much faster than waiting until the spring and summer months. The Mess Can Be Contained Many homeowners tend to leave their home renovations until the spring and summer to avoid living in a dusty construction mess for an extended period of time. But clean-up methods have come a long way. Contractors can contain dust, fumes, and debris more easily using negative pressure fans, plastic zip doors, and sealing off areas thoroughly. So if you’re concerned about the cleanup, don’t be. Plan It with Vacation Time If you’re planning to go on vacation this winter, it might be the perfect time to schedule in your renovation so you can be a way for at least the brunt of the construction process. This can let the contractors focus on their work without having your days disrupted since you can enjoy lounging on the beach while the work is being done. Free Up Your Spring and Summer Months Why leave your renovations to the warmer spring and summer months when you can enjoy them instead? Having to skip out on cottage weekends or vacation time to oversee a renovation project is never a fun way to spend your time during the sunnier seasons. While you’re cooped up inside, use the winter days to get your renos out of the way so you won’t have to waste any time on them when it’s finally nice outside. Assess Your Kitchen’s Needs Whether you were hosting holiday parties, cooking Christmas dinner or baking up a storm, the holidays are when we tend to congregate around the kitchen the most. And as we head into the New Year, it’s an ideal time to think about all of the features in your kitchen that were problematic or irritating. Maybe it was a lack of storage space, a cramped layout, or wonky outdated appliances. Whatever it includes, you’ll have time to sit down, contemplate what areas need improvement and how to design your new and improved kitchen to function better for you and your family. When you’re ready to get started on your new dream kitchen design, our expert team at Renosgroup.ca can help bring your vision to life. Get in touch, or give us a call at (613)727-9427 with us today to learn more about our services and to get a quote.

Winter is upon us, which means most of our time will be spent hibernating inside trying to pass the time until Old Man Winter loosens his grip. Until then, take this opportunity to start thinking about home renovation projects that can help brighten your home and your winter blues. If your interior is feeling dark and outdated, here are our top renovation projects that will brighten up your home to create a lighter and more enjoyable interior. Maximizing Natural Light with Glass Glass is the best material for brightening interiors. So take advantage of it! Consider reconfiguring your windows to maximize natural light. This is also a great way to lower monthly energy bills since newer windows are manufactured with superior insulating properties, making your home more energy-efficient. Skylights can also be a good addition to certain areas where windows aren’t practical in your home. These can be installed almost anywhere, including the bathroom, bedroom, and even the kitchen, depending on your layout. If you’re looking to create a partition in your space without blocking any natural light, French doors are an excellent option for creating a barrier without stifling the sunshine. Include Reflective Materials Aside from glass, other materials can help to reflect light and bounce it throughout your home. A good example is wood flooring. Darker stains can absorb light, but lighter hues with a glossy finish can amplify the light from your ceiling and windows, brightening darker spaces. Placing mirrors on the wall across from any windows is also very effective for dispersing light in dark interiors. Modern Kitchen Reno The kitchen is the “heart of the home”, which means it’s a big piece of the interior design puzzle. It’s also the most used room in the home, and often where guests and family congregate to chat and mingle. If dark and outdated cupboards, counters or flooring best describe your kitchen, make it a priority for your to-do reno list. Incorporating brighter and reflective materials, such as granite or marble for the counters, white subway tiles for the backsplash, and light wooden flooring and cupboards can transform your entire home into a modern, minimalistic, and beautiful looking space. An updated kitchen will also increase your home’s value significantly if you ever plan on selling in the future. Knock Down Some Walls There’s a reason why open concept floor plans are included in most modern layouts today. With more confined interiors being limited on space, open concepts remove any unnecessary partition walls to invite in more light. This is one of the quickest and most effective ways of brightening up space and bringing life back into your home almost instantly. You can use other features to act as semi-partitions if you wish to break up your layout a little. Bookshelves are a great example of this. Removing a wall can dramatically improve the overall function and flow of your home. It also makes it much more enjoyable when you can still be included in the conversations from the living room when you’re hosting and preparing dinner. Bathroom Update As the second most used room in a home, you can’t neglect the bathroom. Whether it’s the master suite or a guest suite, bathrooms usually need a redo every few years since they endure quite a bit of wear and tear. Consider updating old amenities and faucets and stick with a lighter palette for the walls. If your bathroom is smaller in size, a glass-enclosed shower and a floating vanity can be a welcomed addition for opening up space. To add some depth, modern wallpaper patterns are incredibly popular today for creating some unique texture without looking too 1980s. Replace Exterior Doors Old exterior doors can not only hinder the sunlight from entering inside, but they can also detract from your curb appeal since they get noticed first. They can also impact your energy bills if they’re cracked and worn. Modern exterior doors today are energy-efficient, incredibly durable, and come in a variety of attractive designs to compliment your exterior while maximizing your exposure to light. Take a look at your front or back door to see if this might be what you need. When you’re ready to breathe some light and fresh air into your home, contact us at the Renos Group. We’re a family-owned renovation company serving the Ottawa area for years. We can tackle just about any home reno project you need, from the kitchen to bathroom and everything in between. Get in touch, or give us a call at (613)727-9427 with us today to discuss your ideas and to get a quote!

It may seem unconventional, but there are reasons to do your home renovations in the winter season rather as opposed to the busier months. Learn how to save money and reduce stress by having your home renovations done in the wintertime. Faster Permit Process There are only so many officials working on processing permits for any given area. If you apply for a building permit in the spring and summer, you can expect a delay. Even if you put in a permit in the fall, you might still have to wait for the remaining permits to be processed that are backed up from the warmer months. If you want your permit to go through quickly so that you can start remodeling right away, applying in the winter is your best option. Less Competition The busiest time for renovation professionals, designers, and manufacturers are during the warmer months. If you can wait till winter, there will be more available professionals to choose from. This will give you more options and better-negotiating power. And with fewer projects to work, on, the contractors will also have more time to focus on your home and may even get the project completed earlier than planned. Off-Season Discounts Many contractors also offer off-season discounts to offset their slower earning months. If you can wait till winter, you’re more likely to find a discount. You might even be able to save more by shopping around the holidays. Construction materials, furniture, and appliances tend to go on sale this time of year.  Foundation Work Is Easier If you’re looking to start an addition, the colder months are often better for excavating. The frozen ground and dry air are much easier to work with then muddy and humid soil. Paint Sets Better Have you ever tried to paint a wall inside your home on a hot or humid day? Hot temperatures can cause the paint to dry too quickly, developing bumps, blisters, and cracks. With too much water vapor in humid days, the paint can compromise the adhesion of the paint to the surface, resulting in peeling and bubbling paint. The winter is the ideal time of year to paint your home indoors. With a controlled indoor temperature and humidity level, the paint can dry evenly and set properly. Fumes Are Not A Concern Many people worry that a winter renovation isn’t safe for their family, however, this is a myth. Contractors have new products and technology that can control and contain the fumes and clean up the projects without ever having to open a window. There’s also been a lot of progress with VOCs. Most indoor, water-based paints are now low-VOC or no-VOC. So if you plan to renovate in the winter, you won’t have to worry about inhaling harmful fumes or dust particles. It’s A Good Time to Install Hardwood Regardless of what you might have been told, you should have no issues installing your hardwood flooring in the winter. Moisture is often the biggest cause of wood flooring problems. Installing hardwood in humid conditions can make the floors swell which can cause gaps when the humidity drops. In the winter, the air is drier, and the humidity is more controlled which makes for a better installation.  It’s Easier to Vacate With the kids home in the summertime, it’s more difficult to vacate the home for renovations. But in the wintertime, you can time your remodel project around your holidays. That way everything can be done while you’re away on vacation. Your Home Will Be Ready for the Holidays If you start an early winter project, you might be able to have it all finished for the holidays. With social gatherings and family Christmas dinner around the corner, an updated home can wow your guests and make them feel more at home. Renovations Are Done Before Spring Even if you can’t get it done before the holidays, wouldn’t it be nice to have your new addition already completed before spring? That way you don’t have to worry about turning your home into a construction zone during the nicest months of the year. The work is already finished, and you can enjoy the warmer months as you wish. Avoid the rush hour traffic of renovating by pushing it out to the wintertime. You’ll save more money, get your project done faster, and can enjoy having all the work done before the warmer months kick in. If you’re ready to get started, set up an appointment today, or give us a call at (613)727-9427 to talk to one of our renovation experts about your next project. Our team at the RenosGroup can take care of all your renovation and design needs from design to inception.