Do you have a renovation project in mind, but you don’t know where to start? To inspire you, The Press suggests a selection of its best tips for succeeding in your project, on time, while respecting your budget.
How to make a house renovation plan?
How to avoid disaster?
Those who embark on a reno project for the first time are often terrified or reckless, notes journalist and author Jean-Benoît Nadeau. A little help to avoid disaster.
How to organize yourself to do work?
To plan. This is THE key word for successful work. Well before hiring contractors, labor, giving contracts and buying everything you need, it is crucial to think, make lists and above all, if you are renovating together, to discuss. Checklist and order of priorities before getting started.
Professions at a glance
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
If you don’t work in the industry, it’s not easy to know what type of labor to call on for contracts or bids for renovation or construction projects. Since our collaborator Stéphanie Lévesque regularly works with different professionals, she asked them questions that come up often.
What is the budget for a house renovation?
Why does it often cost more than expected?
How can you decode all the information when something unexpected happens? There are several variables and essentials to know. Is it really possible to calculate efficiently to get an idea of the renovation budget? Yes, but you have to know about it, answers entrepreneur Stéphanie Lévesque.
Are cost overruns normal?
PHOTO ARCHIVES GETTY IMAGES
Prevent cost overruns!
In renovation, additional costs are unfortunately commonplace. What are the reasons ? How do we know if they are justified? How to protect yourself and avoid paying abusive invoices without going against the law, without going against the legislation in force? Expert advice.
Renovations: expense or investment?
Expand the kitchen, redo the bathroom, finish the basement, dig a swimming pool, transform a room into a pantry or invest in dream landscaping? All means are good to feel good at home. But what about the impact of this work on the value of the property? Renovation, expense or investment? State of play.
Kitchen renovation
Bathroom renovation
Basement renovation
Everything you need to know about small miscellaneous jobs around the house
“Become a Pro” Series
How to do renovation work yourself on a house?
With the explosion in material costs and the labor shortage, it is more than ever time to take charge of certain maintenance or renovation work on your home. Become a pro and take action with tasks accessible to everyone, with the help of entrepreneur Stéphanie Lévesque.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Changing the toilet is within everyone’s reach.
Energy efficiency and ecological renovation
Healthy and eco-friendly cooking
Do you want to have an ecological and healthy kitchen? Making eco-responsible choices does not cost more, reassures the first. If you’re renovating, do you really need to throw everything out and start again? asks the second. It’s not a complicated science, you just need to pay attention to certain points, assures the third. Here are three visions to fuel your reflection.
Renovate without throwing everything away
Demolish. Throw. Rebuild. This polluting practice, well established in the construction industry, is now being called into question. How can we renovate our homes without turning completely reusable construction materials and materials into waste? Possible solutions for buildings in Quebec.
The many advantages of buying local
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
A kitchen and a dining room were set up in the Via Capitale du Mont-Royal agency to make the space user-friendly, but also to inspire clients to carry out green renovations. This showcase on ecological renovation was produced in collaboration with the L. McComber-living architecture and Écohabitation agency.
Motivated by the desire to encourage local businesses and reduce their environmental footprint, many are turning to local purchasing in construction and renovation projects. This sensitivity, far from being new, is gaining momentum. Here are some inspiring examples.
Bringing a century-old house back to life
Several reasons prompted Étienne Vigneron to buy a century-old house in very poor condition, in Waterloo, in 2019. His limited budget weighed heavily in his decision, as did his desire to give it a second life, by leveraging his expertise in the construction of highly energy efficient houses. A story to read for inspiration and tips for saving energy in the long term.