Real estate/ Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

For most of us, purchasing or building a home will be the biggest investment of our lives. This section is about knowing what to look for in new homes to get the best value for your dollar, or what to look for in a building lot for the same reasons. What to look for in a location: Being close to where you work a...

For most of us, purchasing or building a home will be the biggest investment of our lives. This section is about knowing what to look for in new homes to get the best value for your dollar, or what to look for in a building lot for the same reasons. What to look for in a home location: Being close to where you w...

...realestateagents and moving companies, older buyers can turn to senior moving services for convenient start-to-finish help during the moving process. Shopping for houses probably isn't what you imagined you’d be doing in retirement, but for many seniors, buying a new home is the first step toward increased financia...

...realbonus, and another indication of a conscientious builder. Insulation: It's hard to tell how well insulated a house is without ripping open a wall, but it's not a bad idea to ask the agent for details about the construction; with luck there may be some info at your disposal. Attics are easier to check; look for p...

This article was originally published in ecoHouse Canada , Winter 2014/15 issue. Kyle England is an architect with William Dewson Architects, www.dewson.com. Farnham Avenue House is a single-family detached residential infill project. Some of the eco-friendly design aspects are time honoured such as, verti...

A market study by AVID Ratings Canada for the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) surveyed 12,000 homebuyers across Canada to see what Canadians are looking for when they go house shopping. We were pleased but not at all surprised by the results - here they are: The top 10 assets that homebuyers value: 1. W...

Originally published by our print affiliate SAB Magazine Jury comments: This house has a light environmental footprint that derives from the philosophical approach taken by both the client and the architect. It combines responsible siting and construction strategies with low-energy consumption and net zero water use...

...reality that we are facing is that climate change is making storm events more frequent and much worse. While buildings that follow high performance standards like LEED and other programs can help reduce the rate of climate change, how else can we adapt? Why do we need to build more resilient homes? How do we buil...

It is not illegal to sell an unbuildable lot, so buyers beware. Any number of roadblocks can prevent you from building the house you want, or any house at all, so before you make a purchase make sure you can proceed with your plans. Issues to consider before making an offer: Zoning: First check that you are allowe...

Choosing between buying, building or renting 1. Building a new home. Building a sustainable and energy efficient house is not necessarily more expensive than building a house simply to meet provincial building codes. Many new home starts have achieved far superior performance while still coming in the same or lowe...

The Skygarden House is a winner of the Canadian Green Building Awards and is a great example of the kind of transformation and performance enhancement that is possible with dilapidated houses in urban cores. *** The renewal of this beautiful century old, 225 m2 single family residence on a small urban lot in Toron...