Friday, December 13, 2013

Scotiabanks Home Renovation Poll results

The new Scotiabank’s Home Renovation poll.

In a new poll commissioned by Scotiabank about home renovations in Canada showed some very interesting results for the construction and renovation industry.

The number one item on Canadians minds for renovations was the bathroom at 38%, followed by the kitchen at 33%.

Of some concern is that people who are planning to renovate are planning to do nearly half the work themselves at 45%.

Only 2 out of 10 people that are planning to do renovations in the next 12 months plan to do the entire renovation themselves.

The top sources for inspiration and ideas for renovations comes from television at 35%, followed by friends and neighbours at 34%.

84% of Canadians that are planning renovations in the next 12 months are planning to hire a professional to do some or all the work for them.

Overall the poll was positive for the renovation industry in Canada; some of the more disturbing results are people attempting to do more of the work themselves instead of leaving it qualified professionals. I’m not saying that homeowners should not be allowed to work on their own homes but when the top two items on most people’s list are bathrooms and kitchens it makes contractors like me a little nervous to have homeowners playing in area’s that require a lot of different trades and skilled companies for the project to come out right.

For example here is a list of trades that you should and usually require on a typical bathroom or kitchen renovation:

1. Plumber
2. Drywaller
3. Electrician
4. Cabinet maker
5. Tiler
6. Painter
7. Glass company (mirrors and showers stalls)
8. Carpenter
9. Mechanical contractor (for moving ductwork, installing gas lines, stove hoods)
10. Counter top manufactures

With all of these trades required to have a proper renovation completed why wouldn’t you spend money on a general contractor do all the organization, planning and to receive a warranty at the end. The other thing most people don’t realize is that you should have a permit every time you touch the plumbing in a house whether it is in the bathroom or in the kitchen. To receive a permit the building department requires detailed drawings of the work proposed, a general contractor will help you with that also.

For all those people out there planning to renovate their homes, I urge you to contact a general contractor to help with serious renovations that involve kitchens and bathrooms. The cost of them will be offset by the speed in which the job gets completed, the quality of the finished product and the advice they bring so that you are not wasting money on things you do not need or want.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Information for this blog was found in issue #6, 2013 of Homes and Cottages magazine.

2 comments:

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