Our Blog | Shakespeare Homes and Renovations

Jan 15 2024

Kitchen Renovation Cost in Canada

Planning a kitchen renovation? Whether you’re upgrading for better functionality, energy efficiency, or aesthetics, understanding the costs involved is essential. From budget-friendly updates to full-scale remodels, this guide explores different renovation levels, key cost factors, and budgeting strategies to help you make informed decisions.

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Dec 14 2023

Ageing in Place: Renovations to Help Seniors Live at Home Longer

At some point, ageing homeowners will be faced with a choice: do they stay in their home known as “ageing in place” or find new accommodations? Once the kids have grown up and moved away (or if there never were any children), some might be more than happy to move into a smaller space that requires less upkeep. For others, however, the idea of moving out of their beloved home where they formed so many memories will seem unthinkable. But as passing years bring a decline in mobility and self-sufficiency, they may find they have little other choice. To help seniors continue to live at home for as long as possible, some renovations can prove invaluable.

Bathroom renovations for seniors

This is often the part of the home that causes the most concern. Among Canadian seniors, falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations, with many of them occurring in the bathroom. There are some options to help avoid injury, however: Grab bars are a well-known means of helping seniors by providing necessary support when moving, or as something to grab onto in the event of a slip.

Tub/shower seats are useful for those with balance issues, allowing them to sit
while bathing or showering. They also allow both hands to be free for washing.
Accessible tubs or showers make it easier to enter and exit the bathing area.
Showers without a curb can allow access even with a walker, and tubs with a side
door make entry and egress safer.
Toilet seat extenders make toilets effectively higher, making sitting and rising less
difficult. There is also the option to install new, taller toilets.

Accessbility Kitchen renovations for seniors

While kitchens may not be the first spot one thinks of in terms of renovating for safety, convenience is certainly a concern. Is there room for a walker? Can essentials be reached from a wheelchair? Here are some renovations to consider making the home as senior-friendly as possible:

Under-the-counter space is an important consideration for wheelchairs and walkers. Without sections of the counter to provide space, seniors might be unable to get close enough to the counter to engage in normal activities like food preparation.
Lower cabinet levels might be necessary for full accessibility. This can even prove useful for non-seniors who can’t quite reach the top shelves without a step stool.
Drawers instead of shelves is another good option for everyone, not just seniors. They are not just easier to use, but also easier to keep organized.
Rounded corners help keep everyone safe from bumps due to diminished perception, or, worse, falls.

Increasing accessibility around the home

There are a variety of places throughout the home where a renovation might be useful or even necessary for continued safety.

Floors might need to be levelled out to prevent falls and might also need to be textured to avoid slips.
Lever-style door handles can make life considerably easier for those coping with arthritis.
More and better lighting can help prevent accidents around the home for those with reduced vision.
Stairlifts may become necessary for those who have difficulty navigating the stairs.

Safety and convenience are the two major concerns for those who want to stay in their home for as long as possible. Making a few simple adjustments can help ensure that ageing in place is an easy option for you to stay home for years longer than what might otherwise be possible.

Jan 24 2023

6 Home Renovation Cost Saving Tips

Home Renovation Cost Savings: Renovations are an excellent means of adding value to your house if you plan on selling, but even if you don’t wish to sell, renovations can make your home more comfortable and functional. One common issue with renovations, however, is the tendency to let them get out of control, which can end up costing you a lot more than you had originally intended.
Here are some home renovation cost saving tips to keep more money in your wallet, or help your bathroom, Kitchen, or home renovation dollar go further in North Vancouver:

Create a Budget and Stick to It

We’ll start with the most obvious: you need to have a firm idea of what you can spend and then, most importantly, you must stick to it no matter what temptations you face. Having a budget doesn’t mean doing everything as cheaply as possible, it means determining what you can spend and where you want to spend it.
If you start with a spreadsheet that includes all your anticipated expenses, you can visualize where your money is going and make adjustments to prioritize the things you want most.

Take Your Time

It’s exciting to redo your home, or even just a single room. You will no doubt want to jump right in, anxious to see the results. But take your time and enjoy the planning stage. If you are planning to do several rooms, start with one or two to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Rushing often leads to regret but aside from that, starting small means you are better able to deal with unexpected expenses. If you are working on multiple rooms at once and something goes wrong, it might be beyond your budget to deal with. Planning, and

Do It Yourself

This isn’t for everyone but if you are able to do some of the work yourself, it’s one of the easiest ways to save money. Even if you don’t consider yourself very handy, you can help to prepare the workspace. After all, when you are paying workers by the hour, every bit of work that you can do will save you time and thus money.
Of course, if you have the skills to do more than the basic tasks, this will save you even more.

Reuse Materials When Possible

Renovating your kitchen doesn’t have to mean changing every part of it. Updating your cabinets can be done by refacing or even replacing the doors while leaving the rest of the cabinet body as-is. Even if you can’t reuse any existing materials, you may be able to find something suitable in salvage yards, or in leftover materials from a friend or neighbour’s project.

Watch for Sales

Some of your big costs are going to be finishing materials, fixtures, and appliances. Knowing what you want ahead of time and watching prices can be key to home renovation cost saving while still ensuring you get what you want. If you are planning in advance for a renovation, that might allow you to take advantage of the sales that come up at certain times of the year. Black Friday, appliance sales and other sales events can provide you with some serious savings.

Keep the Same Layout

Changing the layout of a room to relocate a sink or bathtub can be expensive. Moving a wall or window can be even more so. Unless you are making significant changes to improve a room’s functionality, you might want to consider leaving the existing footprint untouched.

These are just a few tips to help keep your expenses down when renovating your home. There are numerous hacks that you can take advantage of to save money while still getting the result you want. Keep an eye out for cost-saving opportunities and you’ll be much more likely to stay within or even below budget.

Talk To An Expert

When you have done hundreds of home renovations, you learn a few things, including where to save and where saving money might be a mistake in the long run. Renovation and building contractors who have been working in North Vancouver for a long time also have great connections with local, and sometimes not so local suppliers, and will know where to get the best materials at the best price. As major buyers, they may even have the inside track on sales or discounts that regular consumers will not get.

If you are planning a home renovation in North Vancouver, West Vancouver or Burnaby, please don’t hesitate to talk to the team at Shakespeare Homes. We would happy to discuss your vision and how we can help you save money when you renovate your home.

Sep 22 2021

Commercial Renovations on the North Shore

Are you a tenant, commercial property owner or manager thinking about commercial renovations? Numerous benefits can be had by renovating your building using modern techniques, resulting in an increase in long-term value for the building. Our team of professionals can handle virtually anything you have in mind, with the knowledge and experience needed to make your renovation project a success.

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May 31 2021

How Much Does a Bathroom Renovation Cost in Canada in 2022?

Kitchen and bathroom renovations are typically the two most popular options, with bathrooms coming out slightly ahead. Not only do bathroom renovations offer you a chance for an improved lifestyle and aesthetic, but they can also offer a return on your investment of 75% to 100%.

Bathroom renovation cost will vary significantly based upon the work you want done and the materials you choose, but the average cost surpasses $13,000 and can go quite high if you get carried away. We are moving past the supply chain issues and high lumber prices that plagued the last few years, so in some places, some costs may have come down. However, at the same time, we are seeing the highest inflation in decades. In order to make the best decisions for your budget, it is therefore important to have a firm idea of what you are seeking and how much you are willing to spend, and decide what is important and what is not important to you and your family.

Remodelling the Bathroom

At the high end of things, a complete remodel of your bathroom means completely redoing the bathroom, changing the layout to create an entirely new space. Almost anything you desire can be done, such as replacing a bathtub with a shower, or making changes to the plumbing to relocate the toilet or shower. This is essentially remaking the bathroom from scratch to turn it into whatever you envision.

This kind of renovation can easily run $15,000 and up.

Partial Bathroom Renovation

If you are looking to update the look of the bathroom without necessarily spending as much as you would on a 3- or 4-piece reno, you could always consider a partial renovation, which would involve updating a single element, or perhaps two. This can give you the feel of something new at a lesser cost and with less work.

For a partial bathroom renovation, you may decide to repaint the walls, or retile the floor. Replacing your fixtures may appear to be a small change but can also have an impact.

This type of renovation can often fall into the range of $5,000 but may be considerably more depending on which element(s) you change. Installing a steam shower, for example, may only cost $2,000 to $4,000 depending on included options, while a custom walk-in shower may start at $8,000 or more.

Bathroom Renovation Cost for a Standard 3- or 4-Piece Bathroom Reno

Many people will choose this popular option when renovating their bathroom, as it falls between the two extremes while allowing for a significant change or upgrade. This type of renovation will typically include the replacement of multiple aspects of the existing bathroom without requiring a change to the overall design or layout.

This is a good option when you want to significantly update your bathroom or switch up the style. It can include any or all the following:

Retiling the floor and/or shower walls.
Installing a new vanity
Changing/ upgrading shower fixtures
Changing the lighting
Painting the walls
Replacing the toilet
Installing a bidet
Changing the baseboards

This type of renovation will often fall between $10,000 and $15,000.

Putting an exact price on your bathroom renovation cost is difficult, given the number of variables and options. What is certain, however, is that there is tremendous value in the renovation, both for your daily life, and if you choose to sell your home in years to come.