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RenoBucks
BUDGETTING HOME UPGRADES
» Thursday 13 March 2008 | 4:30 pm
» BeanScene North, 1289 Ellis Street
An informal afternoon hour showcasing the people and ideas featured in Okanagan Home. Ready to renovate? Join us as master renovator and remodeller Mark Vinette shares his almost 30-years experience in getting home improvement projects done well, on time, and on budget.
» This is a free event. Refreshments will be available at a modest cost.
» Seating is limited, please reserve yours HERE
Sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO-FCCS, and in support of Project Literacy Kelowna
Expert Nails Down the Reno Budget
In this rising home marketplace, Canadians just can't resist the urge to renovate. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation surveyed 10 major centres in 2006 and revealing a whopping $17.3 billion poured into renovations, with about 40 per cent of the households nailing down renovation plans.
The Okanagan is no exception. Just try and find a contractor these days to get your home project underway. Some renovation experts are booked up a year in advance.
With that much time to think, it's a good idea to start planning now, says Mark Vinette, who has worked as a contractor in the renovation and remodelling business since 1980. Vinette will be the featured guest at RenoBucks: Budgetting Home Upgrades, 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13 at the Bean Scene North in Kelowna.
Owner of Active Installations, Vinette has seen his fair share of reno horror stories over the years. Often the problem comes when owners opt to cut corners, and find themselves in difficulty years down the line.
"You should always get two to three quotes, and get quotes with exactly the same materials so you know what you're comparing. If someone says they can do it significantly cheaper, then you need to start asking questions."
Vinette has seen cases where open wiring was left taped and hanging inside drywall - a clear indication an electrician wasn't used. He's also had to pull apart entire decks because the frame was rotting from below. Turns out the necessary flashing was avoided.
Vinette will talk about what you should look for in the written contract, ways to ensure worker safety, and how to help stay within budget, and within reason.
"You always want to give yourself a 20% cushion. Remodelling is not like new construction - there are always surprises."
RenoBucks: Budgetting Home Upgrades is a free event, and takes place at BeanScene North. It's presented by the Okanagan Institute in association with Wheat King Publishing.
Express is sponsored by the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, Wood Lake Books, UBCO Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and supports the work of Project Literacy Kelowna.
Okanagan Insitute at BeanScene North A hearty feast of lectures, presentations, workshops and showcases celebrating our culture and community. Produced by the Okanagan institute in association with Wheat King Publishing magazines: Okanagan Arts and Okanagan Home.
Expresss is a cultural tonic that refreshes the mind. Join us at BeanScene North after work on Thursdays for a free hour of stimulation that will get your synapses tingling with new ideas and fresh images. Designed for inquiring minds looking for, among other things, the wild blue yonder.
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