How building a garage can dramatically increase your home value

Driving has always been a way of life for Calgarians, and given the ubiquity of cars in in the city, garages are a must for almost every home.

Whether looking to build a home for the first time or renovating an old one, detached or attached garages are the options most builders choose. However, special builds also exist and can even include underground parking or tunnels, at costs upwards of $35,000 for a triple-detached unit.

The broad appeal of secret-room renovations

If you love those scenes from old movies where a wall opens to reveal a secret room, you can now put yourself squarely in the picture. Hidden rooms in houses – usually custom-built homes, rather than existing structures – are growing in popularity, and for good reason.

"The demand for these rooms is huge right now, partly because thieves aren't taking televisions or stereos anymore – they're going after your identity," said Sandy Scheiris, CEO of Nulock Builders Inc.

Calgary's established suburbs are full of vintage character and reno potential

There are tens of thousands of Calgary homes built from the 1950s through the early 1970s in what were then new suburbs. One thing many of those homes have in common is the need for updating to modern tastes.

When Lewis Cowie bought a home in Kingsland about six years ago, it was as if time had stood still in the classic, 1950s bungalow. Most of the home was still original, right down to the bathroom fixtures, so a major renovation project was in order.

Luckily, Cowie is a director with Corefront Custom Homes & Renovations, and his company was ready for the challenge.

The top home renovation apps for your next project

When searching for new property listings, we all know to turn to realtor.ca. But where do you go for support when starting a home improvement project? Before you roll up your sleeves or slip on your work boots, go high-tech with these top home improvement and renovation apps.

HGTV star Todd Talbot shares advice from 20 years in real estate at the Calgary Home and Garden Show

At the age of 22, Vancouver actor Todd Talbot bought his first home, paying his mortgage with the help of a rent-paying friend.

It was a unique occurrence among his theatre colleagues.

"(As an actor) you don't make a ton of money and you are pretty transient," said Talbot, who, as a teenager, appeared on the Hillside TV series with fellow Vancouverite and current Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Reynolds.

However, it was this initial foray into real estate – $190,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo two blocks from Kitsilano Beach – that sparked Talbot's second career as an entrepreneur, leveraging one piece of property for another, and then another, and eventually leading to ownership of several real estate companies.

Tips and tricks for DIY room painting

Before running a paint roller over any wall in your home, Ryan Tantzen, manager at Anilin Decorating Centre, says you should first "figure out your needs for the project."

"Whether you're looking to sell your home, or stay in it, will dictate those needs," he said.

The general rule of thumb? If you're looking to sell a house, it's advisable to use a light colour.

Renovations on a $5,000 budget

At first glance, doing meaningful home renovations for $5,000 is akin to those travel guides for "Europe on $10 a day": easier said than done. Yet, like the backpacker who squeezes every penny from their budget to travel the globe, affordable renovations are not out of reach if you spend your nickels and dimes wisely.

According to Bob Weir, vice-president of operations with Calgary's Reborn Renovations, making improvements with $5,000 certainly narrows your options, but it can be done.

Finding the right renovation company is much easier when you know what to how to research

Renovations can turn an almost-perfect home into a dream home, or can boost the value of a home for sale, making it stand out from the competition.

But how do you find the right renovation company or contractor for the job?

Alberta's most popular renovation projects

Canadians spent nearly $53 billion on renovations throughout 2016, according to Statistics Canada. And throughout the first quarter of this year, Canadians have already spent more than $12 billion on renovations.

According to ATB Financial's Economics and Research Team, home renovations in Alberta alone hit "a record high" of $1.78 billion during the first three months of 2017.

So, just where are Canadians – and Albertans, specifically – spending their renovation dollars?

Will a home makeover make you money?

There are many motivations for renovating a home: expanding the space, upgrading the look or even making the neighbours jealous. While they're all valid, the hope to enrich a house's value along with its appearance is one reason that's often cited. And though there's nothing wrong with that on the surface, it's important to dig deeper to see if a higher home value is really in the cards before taking the renovation plunge.

"It really depends on the type and purpose of the renovation," said Greg Macdonald, president and founder of Sage Appraisals in Calgary and a 23-year veteran of the appraisal business.

"I stress to people that the cost of improvements won't always equal the increase in market value. Developing your basement might give you a 50- to 75-per-cent return and the payoff for landscaping is minimal. With certain unique items, like pools, your return will be next to nothing."