Enter City's Live Green Toronto Awards: Good Ideas Need to Be Heard!

Image: Live Green Toronto Awards 2013

Who's #1? You Tell Us!

Enter and vote in the City's Live Green Toronto Awards

Deadline March 3, 2013

Credit: Live Green Toronto Awards

Nominations in the 2013 Live Green Toronto Awards are now open.

With video entries and the chance to vote for your favourites online, the City's Live Green Toronto Awards make it easy for you to participate in the search for Toronto's greenest youth, individual, group, small business and corporation.

Winners of a 2013 Live Green Toronto Award will receive $2,500, courtesy of award sponsors, and a chance to tell their story on CP24.

Nominations and voting open January 21. Enter early, vote often and share!

Details at Live Green Toronto Awards.

Live Green Toronto is hosting their annual awards to showcase Toronto greenest. We found over the years that there are so many great green ideas and initiates in Toronto that need shouting from the rooftops.

As members of Live Green Toronto we would like to encourage everyone who has a green idea to enter the awards. Deadline is March 3, 2013.

Good ideas need to be heard!

Martina Ernst
President/CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Voting is open for #CityofTO's Livegreen Awards! Think you belong up there? Make a 90-second video and submit quickly! bit.ly/Wbthqh
— GreenLiving (@GreenLivingPage) February 11, 2013

Your Home Renovation Begins TODAY

Image: Second Story Addition by Wo-Built

A second storey was added onto a bungalow and over the garage.

The first floor was gutted and rearranged into open plan concept.

So the leaves are falling, the mercury is dropping, and the last thing on your mind is that major home renovation, addition, extension, demolition, or new build. Time to rethink your timing.

Don’t wait until Spring to start planning your new build or kitchen; home addition or extension.

Fall is the best time to start looking at a major building or home improvement project. As with most things in life, it’s best not to procrastinate. And getting a jump on everyone else in terms of planning has many advantages.

• 1. Planning and design. You do not want to rush the planning and design phase of your building project, especially an addition, luxury kitchen upgrade, etc. Taking your time to design what’s going to work best for your house and budget pays of big time.
• 2. Choose your contractor and sub-trades. Get them while they’re not as busy as thy will be in the Spring. Best to negotiate when their schedules are fairly light (as is their cash flow). The old “supply and demand” adage applies here.
• 3. Budgeting and financing. By getting a jump on your home or small business renovation project, you have an opportunity to adjust your budget and/or apply or additional financing should you find your original estimates were off.
• 4. Treat your partner / family with a huge Christmas present. By arranging next season’s home improvement project now, you can surprise your companion and/or family at Christmas with a truly unique gift that literally keeps giving for years to come.
• 5. An investment for this year. Although you should check with your financial advisor and/or accountant, it’s quite possible you can write off a portion of your renovation (especially if it’s for an office, small business, or your run a home-based business).

As always, you want to work with a design and build contractor who works together with you as your advocate: a company who wants more than to get another project; rather, a satisfied customer. Wo-Built is just such a design & build contracting firm.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: How to Turn Your Bungalow into a Dream House Mansion

wobuilt.com/blog: What to Do When You Outgrow Your House? Move or Be Moved?

wobuilt.com/blog: Five Things to Remember when Making Your Old Bungalow New Again

BMO Financial Group News Releases: BMO Home Renovation Survey: Nearly Half of Canadians Planning Home Renovations This Fall
- Most popular Fall renovation projects include bathroom, kitchen and bedroom
- More than half plan to spend less than $1,000; one-third expect to spend up to $5,000
- Canadians relying mostly on savings to fund renovations; taking a DIY approach to save money
Marketwire - Oct. 29, 2012

Five Things to Remember when Making Your Old Bungalow New Again

Photos: Before and After Bungalow Renovation Project: Second Storey Addition
A second storey was added onto a bungalow and over the garage.
The first floor was gutted and rearranged into open plan concept.
2012 @ wobuilt.com

It is not always easy to make the move from an old bungalow to a new house, especially given sky-rocketing prices in the GTA’s real-estate market. The answer: renovate instead of moving.

Here are five tips to make sure your new bungalow renovation is the house of your dreams.

Let’s face it: there’s very little chance you’re going to move out of an old bungalow somewhere in Toronto into a stunning example of new architecture somewhere else in the city. Even with ultra-low interest rates, the economics are just not there given the GTA’s red-hot real estate market.

But why put yourself into all kinds of debt when you can increase the value of your house? Whether you want to update a builder’s bungalow or build a ranch bungalow addition, a major renovation can really raise property values by combining old and new architecture. Here are five tips to keep in mind before embarking on the project.

• 1. Make sure it’s just a "renovation." Even if you’re effectively building a new house where the old bungalow once stood, you want to be sure structurally-sound elements from the old architecture are preserved and incorporated into the new design. This way your project will technically be a renovation and not a “new build.” Your contractor should know this.
• 2. Be prepared for the unexpected. Old houses harbour many secrets. It’s not until walls and floor coverings are opened up that years of sub-standard handyman repairs might be revealed. Removing and/or correcting these can often add extra time and cost to your project. An experienced design and build contractor should be prepared for this and suggest a suitable contingency fund be included in the budget.
• 3. You get what you pay for. Beware low-ball quotes that sound too good to be true, or contractors who claim they can do high-end design and build quality for bargain-basement prices. Once your old bungalow has been ripped apart, you will be in no position to renegotiate terms with your contractor, and what seemed cheap at the outset can balloon "unexpectedly." Remember: you are ultimately trying to increase the value of a house and raise property value…what you don’t want is a barn renovation (unless you live on the outskirts of the GTA, in which case a barn renovation might be just the thing to increase your property value).
• 4. Don’t try this alone. No matter how handy you may think you are, a major renovation is almost certainly beyond anything you’ve ever tackled before. From the permit process with the city to demolition logistics and a myriad other considerations that probably wouldn’t even cross your mind, bungalow additions or rebuilds are not to be trifled with. Call a professional. You will be glad you did.
• 5. Have confidence in your design & build contractor. It’s no use getting involved with someone you don’t "feel right" about. Remember, you will be working with this person for weeks; and, you will be living with the results of your relationship with them for years! Talk to a qualified, experienced design & build contractor who specializes in combining old and new architecture. Ask for references and follow-up with them. A trustworthy professional will always be willing to have their past work and working relationships with former clients scrutinized.

The bottom line is simple: there’s no reason you can’t update your existing bungalow (or backsplit, sidesplit, etc.) by combing old architecture with new designs to create the home of your dreams and a renovation that raises the value of your property.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Collage: Wo-Built's Renovation Projects: the Ranch and the Tower
Interesting Bungalow Additions with Architectural Merit.
Credit: MS Office ClipArt: Silhouettes

links:
wobuilt.com/blog: How to Turn Your Bungalow into a Dream House Mansion

wobuilt.com/blog: What to Do When You Outgrow Your House? Move or Be Moved?

Extreme Heat and Drought: two more reasons for taking charge of your life with Peapod Life

Photo: Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering
most of the country lie flat on the ground Monday, July 16, 2012, in Farmingdale, Ill.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Seth Perlman
Source: Yahoo! News: Drought worsens crop damage, raising world food, fuel worry

It’s official: North America is experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in decades. It is being widely reported that the impact on food prices will have a major impact on an already beleaguered economy.

Peapod Life believes the time may be approaching when individuals and families will have to rely on themselves to ensure they have ready access to fresh produce and other foodstuffs. And, as admirable as urban and rooftop gardening efforts are, they can do little without Mother Nature’s cooperation.

Indoor ecosystems by Peapod Life benefit from a controlled environment all year ‘round. Peapod Life ecosystems are sheltered from extreme heat and cold, and constantly re-use and recycle their own water and nutrients, requiring a fraction of the inputs of traditional agriculture.

Because Peapod Life is not a greenhouse or a solarium but shares useable living space, the ecosystem’s environment is your environment: there is no disconnect between your life or your Peapod Life. This maximizes efficiency and ensures conditions suitable to produce food are constantly maintained.

The type and quantity of produce you can grow with Peapod Life depends on your existing indoor space and/or the availability of space to build a Peapod Life addition.

Contact Wo-Built, The Vision Builder, to see how your residential and/or commercial property can be upgraded with Peapod Life. Take charge of your life and future food security today.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Indoor Landscapes: Companies See the Light of a whole New Level of "wow, cool!"

Image Montage by Wo-Built: Indoor Landscapes
Image Credits: Travels with Zen-Aida +
Plantscape - Interior Plant Service, Indoor Office Landscaping

Companies are beginning to embrace the notion of indoor landscapes with more enthusiasm, and it’s no wonder why. The business case is compelling; the players impressive; the wow-factor seductive.

eFig, a U.K.-based non-profit trade association of interior landscapers, have collected a number of reasons why organizations of all sizes and types should invest in professionally installed and maintained plants. Their list of benefits cites various researchers and studies that back up each claim.

The benefits of indoor landscapes to business begin with making a positive impression in reception and sales areas, to reduction in stress, sickness and absenteeism in employees, and an increase in overall productivity. But business leaders should be weary of that word: maintained.

There is something else at work in the mad rush to green interior spaces. It has something to do with what you might call the “wow, cool!” factor; not to mention landscape designers’ determination to “turf” existing notions of what’s “doable” indoors. Consider the following installations.

Image Montage by Wo-Built: “Turf” your notions about what’s “doable.”
Above Left: Grass floor key part of Hassell’s design for PTTEP’s new 46,000 sqm Headquarters.
Image Credit: HASSELL: Projects - PTTEP Headquarters;
Above Right: Grass walls by Heather Ackroyd & Dan Harvey transform church.
Read more: Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture,
Green Building: Living Grass Walls Completely
Cover the Interior of London's Dilston Grove Gallery!
Image Credit: Ackroyd & Harvey: Dilston Grove

That’s all well and good, but there’s a problem. Plants are alive. And, like all living things, they are dependent on their environment. Traditional / conventional buildings are notoriously “sick.” Adding some plants may improve things on one level, we may be creating more problems than we know.

Living walls costing tens of thousands of dollars in plant replacement costs; putrefying soil having detrimental effects on indoor air quality; inappropriate water usage causing more harm to plants than good. Interior landscapers will say anything is doable—even maintainable—but is it really sustainable?

Wo-Built loves “wow, cool!” And we would never have created Peapod Life if we didn’t believe in the benefits of indoor landscapes and healthier spaces. But we also know life comes with strings. We don’t overpromise. And with all-glass designs, you can count on the fact that transparency is our business.

Peapod Life is unique. It’s not about forcing living landscapes into sick buildings or dead spaces in the hopes of healing or resuscitating them. We build autonomous living spaces from the ground up, with an eye on creating fully integrated indoor ecosystems that are beautiful, cost effective and sustainable.

Peapod Life is based on biomimetic design & build philosophies. Our mission is to create sustainable indoor ecosystems supported by living structures that maximize the benefits for all life, especially our clients. Forget about what’s doable. See the natural light of what’s actually livable. Peapod Life.

Yeah, with Wo-Built, you could say it’s time for a whole new level of "wow, cool."

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Get Peapod Life™ Indoor Garden Living Space for your Non-Profit or Community Organization at Cost

Peapod Life designs indoor garden living spaces for many applications.
Ask us how you can acquire Peapod Life™ at cost for your group,
non-profit or other organization that serves the local community.
2012 @ peapodlife.com

"Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of commitment to a community. When people plant corn they are saying, let's stay here. And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another."
- Anne Raver
Source: The New York Times: Home & Garden: Growing

Peapod Life™ is announcing an exciting offer for non-profit and other community groups in the Greater Toronto Area. Now you can get Peapod Life for your organization at cost.

As part of its community outreach program aligned with a social mission to increase food security for suburban and urban neighbourhoods, Peapod Life is offering organizations an opportunity to build fully useable community spaces that have integrated indoor vertical gardens, solar power and more.

The urban gardening movement is experiencing a renaissance in Toronto. Peapod Life supports all efforts to green rooftops and utilize other available green spaces. Our approach to healthy living brings the benefits of fresh air, natural light and organic gardens indoors, 365 days a year.

Peapod Life recognizes the need for indoor community centres for neighbourhood gatherings, meetings, young people, learning, spiritual development, meditation and worship, and a host of other uses. We believe such centres are ideal for Peapod Life’s approach to living structures that support life.

Be it the slow food movement, urban garden sharing, or food swapping programs, we believe Peapod Life represents the ideal space for grassroots initiatives revolving around food security and healthy living.

Imagine your neighbourhood or community with its own Peapod Life building, providing essential space for young and old alike to participate in whatever activities near and dear to their heart, at the same time producing organic fruits and vegetables all year round.

Peapod Life is committed to the future of neighbourhoods and communities: with strong bonds and grassroots efforts to improve everyone’s standard of living: from energy and food security to health and overall happiness and well-being.

That’s why we are offering Peapod Life to not-for-profit and other community groups at cost.

Contact us for more details.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Health & Wellness Professionals: You wouldn’t let just anyone Run your Practice; Why let just anyone Remodel your Premises?

Image Mosaic: “Health and Wellness Professionals Trust Wo-Built”
Image Credits: Microsoft Office Clipart: Kids playing doctor and patient;
Healthcare clinic waiting area; Band-aid

“The groundwork of all happiness is health.”
Leigh Hunt, English Poet

Beyond medical, dental, and chiropractic care, health and wellness today includes diet, nutrition, exercise, psychology, even spirituality. From naturopathic, homeopathic, and Chinese doctors to physio-, massage, and acupuncture therapists, wellness professionals are leaving the ‘clinic’ to work in Yoga studios, spas, high-end gyms, even trendy aesthetics salons. Health and wellness has truly become a ‘holistic’ affair.

It’s only logical that ‘mind, body, spirit’ practitioners and their premises are being held to the same high expectations established by the medical field. This begs the question: should a wellness practice of any kind risk their reputation and/or litigation for the sake of saving a few thousand dollars?

The days of the cold examination room or the dingy downtown office are numbered. People demand a comfortable, healthy and aesthetically pleasing environment. Spas and salons understand this very well, as do yoga and martial arts studios. Space has a look and a ‘feel.’ Poorly designed and/or cheaply constructed spaces simply have a bad vibe to them. This reflects poorly on you and your practice.

Even the traditional doctor and dentist are beginning to understand that they own a business; and, like any business, they cope with competition and benefit from efficiency. Space defines efficacy. Well-designed and built spaces increase productivity and improve clients’ overall experience. This reflects well on you and your practice.

The Greater Toronto Area is ranked among Canada’s most stressful cities. As a wellness professional you will appreciate Wo-Built’s top-drawer design and build services which recognize your practice may be a business, but you are only human. We do the work on your premises in the shortest time and with the least stress for you.

The bottom-line: we are nothing without our health. Wo-Built could mean everything to the health and wellness of your practice.

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
Check our four elements of healthcare facilities design which would ensure flexibility and adaptability without increasing the initial capital costs:
Medical Facilities - Building Image and Branding of Your Spaces

Success Strategies for Women and Trades: Forum

Comic Strip: Wobinna & Friends: The Joys of Shop Class!
Illustrations and story by Dawn Palfreyman
2012 © wobuilt.com

Save the date
March 6, 2012
Women Trade Forum
An event for those who want more strategies to accelerate women’s employment in non-traditional trades.

Success Strategies for Women and Trades

Showcasing and enhancing best practices
Illuminating ideas to accelerate change

Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Centennial College, Ashtonbee Campus
75 Ashtonbee Rd., Toronto, ON, M1L 4N4

Coordinated by the Women’s Access to Trades Network**, and hosted by Centennial College, with support from the Province of Ontario and Canadian Women’s Foundation.

Who should attend?
This event will benefit all those who want more women working in the non-traditional trades:

• Employers seeking more women and skilled workers
• Labour groups looking to include more women in trades and apprenticeship
• Tradeswomen looking for more compatible workplace
• Groups accountable for equity, diversity, labour force development, productivity, poverty reduction
• Colleges, training centres looking to increase women in trades programs
• Secondary schools seeking more career options for girls
• Women looking for better paid jobs

What will the day offer?

• Success strategies in recruiting, training and employment
• Conditions for success -what we need to do more of
• Opportunity to envision what needs to change for more change to occur
• Update on status of College of Trades
• Emerging opportunities for change – a provincial women’s access to trades network

Why are we doing this now?

• Advancement on this issue is still a work in progress
• The demand for skilled trades’ workers is increasing
• We need to collaborate, link up and scale up in order to achieve a critical mass of women in trades
• Women need access to the full range of well paid jobs. It’s in our social contract.

Women’s access to trades is about…
women’s equitable participation in the economy.

• And reducing child poverty.
• And improving labour force development.
• And increasing productivity in a global economy.

**The Women’s Access to Trades Network is a collaboration of organizations dedicated to accelerating women’s participation in non-traditional trades to increase women’s access to good jobs and decrease their risk of poverty. Members include MicroSkills, On Track Career and Employment Services, The Centre for Skills Development and Training, George Brown College, YWCA, South Asian Women’s Rights Organization, Centennial College, Canadian Association of Women in Construction, IBEW Local 153 Women’s Committee, Skills for Change.

links:
about.com: Non-Traditional Employment for Women: Chipping Away At the Glass Ceiling
By Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com Guide

WIL National Mentorship Program: 2012 · Vancouver · Toronto · Montreal: Toronto Mentorship Program Application Packages

itabc.ca: The British Columbia Industry Training Authority: : Women in Construction Trades: A Strategic Plan to Promote Women
Prepared by The Women in Leadership Foundation, WIL, November 16, 2007

alis.alberta.ca: Career Planning - Education - Jobs: Women in Non-Traditional Occupations: Stories to Inspire

swc-cfc.gc.ca: Status of Women Canada: Statistics: Women in Canada 2010-2011 - A Gender-based Statistical Report

statcan.gc.ca: Statistics Canada: Women in Non-traditional Occupations and Fields of Study
"As was the case for occupation, women have made fewer inroads into non-traditional fields of study in the trades. The top five trades in which men had earned a trades certificate accounted for 79% of men in the trades in 2006. In these top-five male-dominated trades, women accounted for 2% of those with trades certificates in mechanics and repairers and in construction trades; for 3% of certificates in the precision production trades; for 7%, in transportation and materials moving; and for 10%, in engineering technology."
by Kathryn McMullen, Jason Gilmore and Christel Le Petit

employmentjourney.com: Women in non-traditional trades and technology: raising awareness
"Trade HERizons is a program coordinated by Women’s Network PEI. The aim is to encourage women to consider a career in trades and give women the support needed to make that transition."
by Gloria Welton

thecentre.on.ca: Local skilled trades training program helps women achieve their dreams
by mcdonaldm

skillsontario.com: “Women in Non-Traditional Roles – Putting Our Skills to Work”
Putting Our Skills to Work - Women Working in the Skilled Trades and Technologies

theglasshammer.com: The Glass Hammer is an online community designed for women executives in financial services, law and business.

wobuilt.com: Community: Mentoring: The Wo-Built Career Advancement Program
Our mission is to help women enter and succeed in the skilled trades. We hope to open more doors and provide more opportunities for women who strive for a career in the building/finishing trades.

wobuilt.com/blog: Helping Women in the Building Trades

A New Year, a New Adventure in Building

"... we will never forget the great experience of our renovation and the truly exceptional folks that made it happen!”
Carla Ciallella

Wo-Built’s New Year’s Message to You: Relax. Have an Adventure!

In 2012, Wo-Built is relieving people’s misgivings about major residential and commercial renovations. It begins with our newly renovated and re-launched website, www.wobuilt.com.

We occasionally get to see the results of a beautiful home renovation, but the “disaster stories” we hear through the grapevine seem to leave an impression. Along with sticker-shock from being sold what doesn’t actually exist yet, “the building nightmare” seems thoroughly established in our minds.

The alternative—moving—comes with its own headaches, hassles and costs. You may get taken to the cleaners (or discover “nightmares” hidden behind the walls, under floors, in the basement, etc.).

At the start of a New Year, Wo-Built encourages all Toronto homeowners and even real estate investors in the GTA to take a bold step into the unknown: a stress-free adventure in building.

A major home, commercial or investment renovation should be fun, and we make it so! We listen to you, handle the issues and explain the solutions with clarity and transparency. We keep you in the loop.

Above all, we are your advocate: we fight for you at every step of the process, to ensure you get the best possible outcome for the budget we have to work with, with absolutely minimal impact on you.

The end result is always, “Wow! Look what I built with Wo-Built’s help!” There’s nothing better for us.

Addition, major renovation, high-end kitchen … you name it, it can be done. With real estate red-hot in the GTA and interest rates low, why wouldn’t you take the plunge? As your builder-with-a-difference, we work with you (not against you), listen to you (not talk down to you) and keep you in the loop (not keep you up all night). Wo-Built makes residential, commercial or investment building projects a fun adventure to last a lifetime.

Learn more at Wo-Built’s freshly redesigned website for 2012: www.wobuilt.com.

Wo-Built's Team
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Screenshot: Wo-Built Inc. - Your Design & Build Champion
Inspired Design + Adventure in Building + The Wow Factor
2012 @ wobuilt.com

Building Value in Your Home in Uncertain Economic Times

Collage: Build Value in Your Home
Illustration Credits: MS Office ClipArt
House with red roof & Red dollar sign
2011 @ wobuilt.com

"Price is what you pay. Value is what you get."
- Warren Buffet

If all the media hype around “uncertain economic times” is making you shop around for the lowest possible estimate on your building, addition, or major renovation project, you may want to think again.

Any financial planner will tell you one of the safest places to put your cash is in your home. With low interest rates and red-hot prices in Toronto, adding value to your home is a smart financial strategy.

Be advised: buyer beware. “You get what you pay for” is doubly true when it comes to building projects. Ask yourself (or better yet, ask your contractor): how can they promise so much for so little? What does a low price tag say about the quality of materials and labour used? A quality builder delivers real value. Quality is also the original eco-knowhow. Longevity and efficiency mean you save money over time and increase resale value. Adding the latest green technologies will add even more value over time.

Then there’s the question of design. We’re not talking fly-by-night fashion trends, here. You may have to live with your design decisions for years to come. You want a designer who understands this. The truth is good design saves money. Standard cookie-cutter layouts waste square footage. Smart design makes better use of space, and well-designed spaces work as good as they look.

Last but not least, there’s the whole process. A building project (especially an addition) can present challenges you may not have anticipated. Beware estimates that promise low costs with no contingency plans. You may be signing yourself up for more than you bargained for (and less of what you deserve).

You want to choose a design and build contractor who inspires confidence and delivers value, not the short-term high of "getting a deal." The money you think you’re saving today will cost you much more down the road; meantime, you’ll have to live with what you paid for.


Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

You can read other related articles here:
wobuilt.com/blog: What to Do When You Outgrow Your House? Move or Be Moved?

wobuilt.com/blog: Aspects of Longevity of Design: How to Design Timeless Spaces

wobuilt.com/blog: Construction Statistics and Economic Indicators: Signs for Future Projects

wobuilt.com/blog: Adding Value to Your House – How About Adding Value to Your Life?!

wobuilt.com/blog: Top Renovations That Increase Home Value

What to Do When You Outgrow Your House? Move or Be Moved?

Collage: Relax during a renovation? This could be you!
Image Credit: MS Office ClipArt: home, living room, couple, relaxing
2011 @ wobuilt.com

What to do when your family, tastes, and or other needs outgrow your current home: buy a new home, build a new home, or remodel your home. Explore different options to create your family dream home.

Many people believe there is only one way to "trade up" in the world of real-estate: to move. Fair enough: there’s an entire industry — and a very vocal one at that — focused on gearing us to think in terms of selling our home, finding a new home, getting a new mortgage, moving, etc. The fact that there are middle-men (i.e. from real estate agents to mortgage brokers) at every stage of this process all "taking their cut" is a little factoid of information rarely mentioned. Still, it’s an understandable approach to the dilemma of what to do when your family, tastes, and or other needs outgrow your current home. And certainly, one need only look around the Greater Toronto Area to see the real estate sales cycle in full swing.

Another popular route is to build a new home from scratch. In the contemporary scenario, this usually means a move to the suburbs (or "suburban hell" as I like to call it), where "reasonably-priced" lots are still available. Of course, from a GTA perspective, this means going to areas west of the city like Mississauga, Oakville, and Milton. Or, perhaps north to Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, or Newmarket. Possibly east to Scarborough, Oshawa, Peterborough. If you’ve ever wondered why all the houses in any particular subdivision in any of these cities all look the same (including older areas in Toronto, from downtown to Etobicoke to North York), it’s likely because all the designs came from one builder’s binder of cookie-cutter plans. If you ask me, cookies belong in lunch boxes, not neighborhoods. Besides, visit any decent bakery (i.e. in the city) and you’ll see how appealing a spread can be when there’s a good mix of decorative cookies on offer — a selection that’s a bit more creative than "chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin or peanut butter."

So what about the least well-known yet possibly most economical route? That is, of course, to build a dream home on the lot that’s available already underneath your existing home. The advantages are numerous. For starters, you don’t have to move to a different location. If you like your neighborhood, neighbors, location, etc. why pick up and transplant your family to a completely new one? Many people living in Toronto near the lake — East York and the Beaches, for example — want to stay in the area, what with the proximity of the Danforth, subway, etc. — and only need to upgrade their older house. Secondly, you already own the lot beneath your home (at least partially, if you still have some mortgage left to pay on it). At the very least, you will be able to leverage its current market value without having to go through the hassle of selling and the expense of paying an agent.

Presumably, you picked the property you live in for a number of good reasons. If some of your needs have changed over time, a simple addition might be just the thing. Of course, if your home choice was limited by your economic status at the time, perhaps you could consider something a little more involved than a simple addition: a complete re-design. It is a little-known fact that you can tear-down the vast majority of an existing home and build something almost completely from scratch in its place (maintain a few basic elements) and have it qualify as a renovation. This has significant benefits over building a house entirely from scratch. Plus, as already mentioned, your new dream home is built in the neighborhood you know and love. This option is especially attractive to anyone living in an older bungalow in East York, The Beaches, along the Danforth, Etobicoke, even Oakville. Lakeside properties that have houses which were designed to be "cottage-like" are now prime candidates to be transformed into lakeside dream homes — close enough to downtown Toronto, preserving the cottage feel, but with all the benefits of a brand new home.

The point is this: in today’s real estate market, you may be able to sell high, but that means you also have to buy high. Alternatively, you have to go where you can buy cheaper and be stuck in suburban hell in a home that looks like everyone else’s, while adding some extra time into your morning commute. Or, you can take advantage of low interest rates and rising property values to make an investment into your lifestyle and the property value of your existing home. We’re not talking about a "lipstick and rouge" job, either. With some professional design consultation and creative use of space, you might be amazed at the value a "complete renovation" can add to your quality of life — house and home.

In other words, why just move when you can be moved?

Attila Lendvai
VP of Strategic Development
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
moneysense.ca: MoneySense Magazine: Homes: Renovate or relocate
If you’ve run out of space at home, you have a big decision to make. Should you move? Build an addition? Raze and rebuild from scratch? MoneySense costs out the options.
By Bryan Borzykowski

moneycentral.msn.com: Is it time to remodel -- or buy a new house?
Keeping up a home for 30 years may cost you up to four times its purchase price. Is it smarter just to buy another home every 10 years? Here's how to decide.
By Liz Pulliam Weston

realestate.msn.com: Why build? Move an older house instead
Moving and fixing up a reclaimed home sounds like a real bargain. But it's not a simple job. Here's how two friends did it and came out ahead.
By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

cmhc-schl.gc.ca: Renovation and Home Purchase Report - Major Market Highlights
"Forty-two per cent of households in ten Canadian markets renovated their home in 2010."
This publication highlights the key trends, analyses and statistics from CMHC's Renovation and Home Purchase Survey, conducted in ten major Canadian centres. The survey provides information on prior year's renovations in all ten centres. Intentions to buy or renovate a home are highlighted in five of the centres, so you can learn more about Tomorrow's Customers Today.

headstartforbaby.com: Can I Afford to Buy a Bigger House for My Growing Family?

Wo-Built Signs a Partnership Agreement with Snider Homes

Collage: Working Together
2010 © Snider Homes, Wo-Built Inc.

We would like to share exciting news with all of you. Wo-Built Inc just signed a partnership agreement with Snider Homes. You may know them as S.M. Snider Interiors and Exteriors, a company that has been providing quality renovations for over 31 years and you might have seen their motto "We work from the heart, not the pocket book".

We have been looking for a long time to partner with a company to be able to push our community efforts into a higher gear. It was important for us to find a company that has the same high ethical and community values we have and we believe we have found the right fit.

As we have indicated in previous postings we finance our social mission through our projects, we provide mentoring for women on our sites and for us to be able to help more women we need to be able to design and build more large scale projects. We now have access to resources on an ongoing basis to match larger projects and therefore are able to train and mentor more women to be successful in the trades.


Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

links:
About Snider Homes:
Snider Homes - formerly known as S.M. Snider Interiors and Exteriors - Kitchens, Bathrooms, Basements, Additions - Based in Toronto and the GTA - Contracting company offering renovations for your home and business. Oakville renovations. Forest Hill renovations. Markham renovations. North York renovations. Richmond Hill renovations.

About Wo-Built Inc.:
Wo-Built Inc, a Design and Build general contractor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Our mission is to be the leading quality building company that is sought after for its innovative design and construction and is recognized for using the projects as a means to helping women, the community and the environment.

Can Renovation Help You to Refresh Your Branding?

Screenshot: The Globe and Mail: Eaton Centre to get $120-million makeover
by Cigdem Iltan
Image: The Eaton Centre renovation will include environmentally friendly dining areas.
by Giannone Petricone Associates
Published Jun. 18, 2010
Credit: theglobeandmail.com

In April we posted Can Renovation Give You Good ROI? Ask Kijiji in which we stated that your commercial space is part of your company's image and a coherent branding will help persuade your customers to hire you or buy from you.

In the news on Friday June 18th the Globe and Mail published a story about the Eaton Centre getting a $120-million makeover. The reason for this renovation project: "to make the building bright, clean and inviting" to meet the "shoppers’ increasing expectations" and to compete in "a changing retail landscape", in other words to improve the Eaton Centre’s appeal and branding.

Analyzing the article it seems that the owners Cadillac Fairview have not only included art (artistic light fixtures by UnitedVisual Artists, new ambient lighting and interesting tiling patterns) but have also included a very important element: being more energy and green conscious. As part of the makeover the Centre will include "environmentally friendly dining areas equipped to reduce waste" and to produce "savings in electricity and water".

Talking in general terms, being environmentally conscious and green is important to many potential customers in all areas of business. Any new branding projects and renovations will have to include green elements and have to be genuine about them. For us we will always consider reuse, reduce and recycle as a starting point.

We can only hypothesize; according to the article the Eaton Centre is making a substantial investment, the biggest since its opening 33 years ago, but their ROI calculations must have been favourable.

An interesting sidebar comment in the article underscores the importance of renovation for your business. "Nino D’Arena salon manager …said she noticed an increase in business after her salon was recently renovated".

So, can renovation give you good ROI? The article seems to affirm the statement and we encourage all business owners to consider renovations to update their branding efforts.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build
(416) 402 2679
wobuilt.com
facebook.com/wobuilt
twitter.com/wobuilt

links:
torontolife.com: Shop Talk: How the Eaton Centre is spending its $120 million in make-over money
...Here’s what shoppers can expect from the transformation...
by Carley Fortune

thestar.com: Toronto Eaton Centre set for $120-million upgrade
First major revamp since it opened in 1977
by Dana Flavelle

Wo-Built Inc. Is on the Move!

Collage: Wo-Built Inc. Is on the Move!
Photos: Olga Goubar
2010 @ wobuilt.com

As our company is expanding, so will our offices. On May 15th we will be moving into our new office space located at 1287 St. Clair Ave W., in the heart of Corso Italia. Over the next few weeks we will be in a flurry of activity with the designing, painting and the setting up of our new office space. (What Wo-built does best!)

Last week members of the Wo-built team received a tour of our new office and the surrounding neighborhood. We also took the opportunity to visit a few of the neighboring businesses for lunch and coffee and to speak with some of the residents in the community, please see the pictures above. We were delighted with all the diversity that we found in our new neighborhood.

Our entire staff is quite excited and looking forward to settling into our new digs and exploring our new community more thoroughly!

Stay tuned for further updates on our adventures in our new hood!

Lonya is the staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

Affordable Housing Opportunities in Toronto: the City’s Plan

Screenshot: Housing Opportunities Toronto:
An Affordable Housing Action Plan (PDF)
Housing Opportunities Toronto HOT Action Plan 2010 - 2010 -
a comprehensive 10-year strategy for meeting
the affordable housing needs of Toronto's residents
Credit: toronto.ca

Anyone who is interested in affordable housing in Toronto should read the City’s proposal for action for this new decade (2010 – 2020).

We are looking at this document very carefully to see if we can be part of the building of new and the renewal of the existing housing stock. These are large scale projects that would allow us to train women in the building trades and at the same time help the community.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc.

About HOT Action Plan
A new Toronto Housing Charter is a key component of the Housing Opportunities Toronto HOT Action Plan 2010-2020, adopted by City Council August 5, 2009.
The Toronto Housing Charter - Opportunity for All is the first of its kind in Canada. The Charter is designed to guide Council and staff in their efforts to assist those who often face challenges finding affordable housing, from newcomers and single parents to seniors and those with disabilities.
HOT contains 67 recommended actions to be undertaken by the City of Toronto and the federal and provincial governments. It calls for new investment of $484 million annually for the next 10 years to help 257,700 households struggling with high housing costs or inadequate accommodation.
HOT will serve as a roadmap to guide federal and provincial investments, as well as public and private sector activity.
Credit: toronto.ca: Housing Charter Highlights HOT

Toronto's Lakeshore Community: A Neighbourhood in Transition

Lakeshore Village Business Improvement Area Map

Created by: Survey and Mapping Services (WS), March 2006

Settling into our New Locality

Lakeshore Village BIA
The Lakeshore Village BIA was recently expanded and now runs along Lakeshore Blvd. from Twelfth Street to the west and Dwight Avenue to the east. This area was formerly known as the New Toronto Businessmen's Association, which was incorporated in 1948. In 1982 the BIA changed its name to the Lakeshore Village Business Improvement Area, and they implemented a streetscape improvement plan that included the installation of decorative lamp posts, planters and over 100 trees. This infrastructure is in place today and has been paid for and maintained by the local merchants.
There are over one hundred and fifty businesses in the Lakeshore Village Business Improvement Area with an excellent assortment of businesses, restaurants, shops and services that cater to the local community.
Website: www.thelakeshore.ca
Credit: TABIA: Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas

When Wo-Built was looking to expand, we had the entire city of Toronto at our disposal. So with this vast area to choose from coupled with the fact that our business is not local but GTA-based, how did we come to settle on the Lakeshore area? Aside from the fact that the price was right, the Lakeshore area, a very quaint corner of the city seemed to be a bit of an enigma. Although it had a long-standing reputation for not being one of the better communities in Toronto, it seemed that the neighbourhood lived side by side with majestic homes, seedy apartment complexes and neat family homes. It lacked the big-box stores, the trendy coffee houses or the fast-food franchises that most other neighbourhoods seemed to be built around. Instead it boasted the serenity of a lakeshore, quaint little shops and family eateries - everything Wo-Built needed to have a successful base. It was TTC accessible and had a number of necessary amenities such as banks and variety stores for basic every-day needs within close proximity.

Having been here awhile, it appears that this community is in a tremendous transition and with transition comes opportunity. Where some storefronts seem to be sporting an "Out of Business" sign, there can be seen a smattering of new businesses. Ethnic eateries, entertainment spots and a few dry-goods shops are inching their way into the area to complement the already long-established businesses. And with an ever-changing demographic there appears to be much room for growth.

As a young company we have come to appreciate the many benefits the Lakeshore area has presented. Our vision is that many more businesses take advantage of the tremendous benefits that the Lakeshore has to offer. We can visualize a fully-revitalized area with little boutiques of all sorts, local entertainment spots and eateries without losing its unique flavor. And as our company grows we can give back to the community by providing local employment through our social mission of training and mentoring of women as well as helping other starting businesses with their ventures.

As a new member of this community we were excited about getting to know our neighbouring residents through local events such as the Mimico's Party in the Park. The Lakeshore area is going through a great deal of revitalization, and Wo-Built Inc. hopes to be a part of this revitalization in a big way.

________________________
Lonya is the staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

links:
Etobicoke-Lakeshore Community Links
Lakeshore Toronto's Village by the Lake
Lakeshore Community Partnership facilitates and encourages investment from all sectors of the Lakeshore to foster stable employment, a healthy community and a vital economy.
Ourlakeshore.net is a neighbourhood revitalization initiative by neighbours, for neighbours. We have residents, business owners, and politicians working together to promote and improve New Toronto / Lakeshore Village.

technorati tags:
4 posts tagged wo-built
92 posts tagged etobicoke
507 posts tagged lakeshore
7 posts tagged lakeshore community
12 posts tagged lakeshore toronto
3 posts tagged tabia
18 posts tagged mimico
267 posts tagged local employment
646 posts tagged social mission
4 posts tagged wo-built
11 results for training and mentoring of women

Posts that contain revitalization per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!

Wo-Built Joins BILD

The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)

Wo-Built is now an official member of the Building Industry and Land Development (BILD).

BILD is the voice of land development, home building and the professional renovation industry in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Wo-Built has joined BILD because its purpose is to develop excellent communication between the building industry and government, to provide opportunities for its members and to protect the interests of the consumers.

BILD holds a membership of home-builders, renovators, environmental planners, subcontractors, architects and many other professionals associated with the home-building industry. As part of the home-building/renovating industry, we are proud to be an official member of BILD.

The Wo-Built Team

links:

Screenshot: BILD: Find a Member
Wo-Built Inc.: Renovator
Credit: The Building Industry and Land Development (BILD

bildgta.ca: the voice of the residential land development, home building and professional renovation industry in the Greater Toronto Area
newhomes.org: your essential online resource to finding and buying a new home
renomark.ca: find you a reputable renovator

technorati tags:
614 posts tagged BILD
459 posts tagged building industry
1,136 posts tagged land development
19 posts tagged building industry and land development
19 posts tagged renovation industry
4,530 posts tagged renovation
72 posts tagged Greater Toronto Area
4 posts tagged wo-built

Posts that contain Building Industry per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!

The Sponsors: Diversity Job Fair & Skilled Trades Forum for Women and Youth.

Presented by
Zack Steel in Partnership with the City of Toronto’s Access and Diversity Unit / Parks Forestry and Recreation

You are cordially invited to attend the Diversity Job Fair & Skilled Trades Forum for Women and Youth.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008, from 5-9:30pm, at
Nathan Phillips Square / Toronto City Hall, in the Rotunda 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2, @ Bay Street

The Sponsors:

City of Toronto - Parks, Forestry & Recreation

Wo-Built Inc

CAWIC

Canadian Youth Business Foundation

DiversityCareers.ca

Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute

On-Track for Women

For RSVP please contact Zack at 647-208-4423 or e-mail zackisit@yahoo.ca

For more information please visit http://www.wobuilt.com/pressreleases.htm

Correcting the Gender Imbalance

Businessteam
Image No: 0421469 from Canstockphoto.com
Copyright reserved

As an operations manager and client of several manufacturers in the GTA and Hamilton area I had the opportunity to observe changes in the gender imbalance in the technical sales field.

In the process of preparing a bid for heating upgrades for a high-rise residential building in Oakville, Ont., I met with five suppliers whom we had not dealt with before. The sales staff were quite efficient in informing me of my options and demonstrated the heating components they carried.

When I started my search for the product upgrades, I dealt with only one woman out of five representatives from all the companies contacted. As I kept working with the five vendors for the quotations, it came to my attention that a male sales representative was replaced by a female. It struck me somewhat surprisingly, in a positive way, that in other projects as well and with other vendors that women were replacing the male selling staff.

It really shouldn’t have been so surprising because in actuality the gender of the staff made no difference because the assistance I needed can be equally provided for by both men and women. They are both capable of finding and relaying the correct technical information, pinpointing the pros and cons of the deal and they both would guarantee reliable service and quality of their products. But I love the idea of more women in technical sales for manufacturing because there are more people like me - female customers doing technical work and the number of women in the industry is increasing. It just makes sense that they should also work in the supply chain too.

_______________________________________________________
Corina Popescu is the President and CEO of Westown Electronics Co., a commercial supplier of heating and energy control parts for high-rise buildings in the South-West of Toronto and Hamilton area. She can be reached at cory@westown.com or 905-624-8311 (toll free 1-888-224-8311)and through www.westown.com.

technorati tags:

25 blog posts tagged technical sale
1,108 blog posts tagged gender imbalance
No blog posts tagged Westown Electronics
No blog posts tagged Corina Popescu
25 blog posts tagged GTA area