1. Get it your way. When you buy new, you get to call many of the shots. From choosing the lot, the colors, the materials, the amenities and the fixtures, you’ll end up with a new home that reflects your…
Fresh Standards Being Instituted in New Homes – Builders Ontario The home building industry has been through significant changes and advancements in the last couple of years. Just a few years back, we at ICFhome.ca – new homes builders in…
The folding toilet that saves water and space in the bathroom: Gareth Humphreys and Elliott Whiteley, who are students at the University of Huddersfield, may have invented the toilet of the future or solved one of the age-old debates: Seat Down…
Why You Should Spend More Time Thinking About Steel Frame Homes Lightweight steel framing is a practical, code approved solution to a few of the challenges that builders face today when using wood in framing homes. Although the idea of steel…
Yes, you do! There is always the risk of fire, theft, or home intrusion. Whether at home during the day, asleep at night, or away, you will feel safer knowing that you, your family, and your home are protected. A…
You’re buying a new house. You’re thrilled and relieved. But if you’re like most new-home buyers, you’re also confused. What, precisely, do you need to know — and how hard is it to find out? First on your need-to-know list…
There are several ways to reduce your homeowners insurance cost and premiums when in the process of building a new home. In fact, it is easier to do this when building a home rather than buying a completed home. The…
Everyone likes making an entrance, and your front door is one of the first design elements that guests see when first arriving at your home. You want your door to be inviting and aesthetically pleasing to match your home’s exterior. The…
The kitchen industry is seeing a shift away from the almighty all white kitchen trend which has swept the industry over the past couple of years and is now seeing a move towards natural materials, brass accessories, monochrome minimalism and…
Solar water heater is a device that is designed for heating water directly by using the energy from the sun. The solar water heating system consists of the following pieces of equipment: A solar collector. An insulated storage tank. Electric…
How Price Per Square Foot influences your decisions when building or buying a new home What is a price per square foot for new homes these days? In one form or another, this question is one of the most asked…
Ice and icicles on your roof may be cute, but they can tear off gutters, loosen shingles, and cause water to back up into your house. As snow continues to pile up on people’s roofs this winter, homeowners are up…
Ontario builder advice Hardwood • tile • vinyl • engineered Comfort, durability & resale Flooring What You Need To Know – Your home décor starts on the floor Flooring is one of those decisions people think is mostly about colour,…
Solar water heaters can reduce annual water heating bills by 50% to 80% Water heating can constitute 15% to 25%, or more, of the energy use of a home. The approximate annual cost to operate water heaters ranges from $300…
Ontario new builds permits + inspections budget control builder reality 10 Steps to Building a New Home in Ontario: The No-Surprises Guide (2026) “Building a new home” sounds simple until you’re three months in, your decisions are stacked like pancakes,…
What is formaldehyde? Formaldehyde is a colourless gas. At elevated concentrations, it has a strong, pungent odour and can be irritating to the eyes, nose, and lungs. Formaldehyde is released into the home from a variety of indoor sources.…
What 10,000 Pinterest Boards Have Taught Me About Human Delusion After 45 years of building custom homes, I’ve developed what my wife calls a “special kind of patience” and what my therapist calls “occupational PTSD.” I’ve built everything from modest…
A gallon of paint can cost as little as $15 or well over $100. What’s the difference? The paint can labels are not very informative. Many companies don’t list their ingredients. Even when they do, you have to be a…
Ontario | ROI | What actually pays back Curb appeal vs comfort vs cosmetics Repairs that prevent bigger bills Best Home Improvement Repairs for Your Dollar: The Fixes That Pay You Back (and the Ones That Don’t) Every homeowner eventually…
By Diane Swanbrow News and Information Services With high winter heating bills on the horizon in much of the country, a new U-M study shows that the total energy used during the life of a typical home in the U.S.…
Austrian designer Klemens Torggler came up with a spectacular sliding door system. Evolution by Klemens Torggler The designer’s Evolution Door slides open without the use of tracks. As you can see in the photo above and in the video below (in slow motion),…
OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Feb. 6, 2014) – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) expects the number of housing starts to stabilize in 2014 and 2015. Support from improved economic and demographic fundamentals will be tempered by a combination of a modest…
Buying a home? Avoid These Common Buyer Mistakes! For most of us, buying a home is the single biggest financial transaction we will make. It’s exciting and fulfilling, but it can also be overwhelming, even downright frightening. The pitfalls are…
What you need to know about roofing shingles If you’re buying a tract-built house, the chances are close to 100 per cent that the roof will be asphalt shingles, the most cost efficient roofing material currently available. The builder will…
Imagine you’re having a new house built. Workers prepare the building site then a 6-metre tall crane-like gantry is brought in and installed on rails either side of the house. The machine rolls back and forth extruding fast-drying concrete and…
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