Are you considering renovating your home?

Come to the Renos Done Right Seminars and Trade Show on September 26, 2009 in Nanaimo. This one-day, free admission show is hosted by the Canadian Home Builders Association, Central Vancouver Island. While you take in this informative show, make sure you stop in to visit Drummond House Plans’ BC Distributors, Richard & Vivian Martin who will be available in booth #29.

For more details on the exhibitors and speakers topics “From how to be green to saving some green and everything in between”, please visit the CHBA-CVI website.

See you there!

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Fridays are not always the same…  This one, is a particular “positive Friday” !  Since I was very busy and out of the office most of the week, I decided to go through my e-mails and found this one who really made my day !

“Dear Mr. Girouard (Dan Girouard is our production manager),

I would like to express my thanks for the efforts Johnny Graziani did on changing our house plans.

While the modifications to our plans were not much out of the ordinary, we ran into some unexpected administrative discussions with our town in getting the needed permits. This required additional modifications to the plans with a very quick turnaround time. Johnny made sure that he understood our needs, worked within the limitations of his staff and assisted us in getting preliminary versions of the needed changes so we could work with the town as quickly as possible. Johnny could easily just told us that his schedule was fixed and we would have to wait until his team could complete the work efforts. But instead, he worked with me to understand what the minimum we needed was and how he might be able to get this done quickly.

It was truly a pleasure working with Johnny and the resulting plans match our needs perfectly. I hope all the people in your organization are as pleasant as Johnny to work with.

Kind Regards / Viele Grüße,

Thomas Voshell
Director Industry Solutions
Constituent Services
SAP Labs
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004 USA
www.sap.com “

We can get recognition from our industry partners but nothing matches that kind of comments to me !  Thanks for your e-mail Mr. Voshell and I want to congratulate our modification team, Johnny, and Dan who does a great job managing all the production team.

To answer your question, Mr. Voshell, I am sure all the people in our organization are as pleasant as Johnny !…  Except myself, sometimes !!!   ;o)

Have a great week-end everyone !

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Dear future homeowners, home builders, home renovation builders,

Come and meet Drummond House Plans‘ residential design expert Mr. Richard Martin, at these 2009 Home Shows in British Colombia, Canada:

March 27-29: Comox Valley Spring Home Expo, Sports Center

April 3-5: Tri-City Spring Home Expo, Port Moody Arena

April 17-19: Victoria Spring Home Expo, Juan de Fuca Recreation Center

April 24-26: Langley Spring Home Expo, George Preston Recreation Center

May 1-3: Campbell River Spring Home Expo, Strathcona Gardens Arena

May 8-10: Powell River Spring Expo, Recreation Complex Arena

Drummond House Plans - Home Expo

Drummond House Plans will also be attending these great home shows in New-Brunswick, Canada:

March 20-22: The 2009 Moncton Home Show, Moncton Coliseum. Come and meet Mr. Denis Cormier from the new Drummond House Plan Agency in Moncton.

April 24-26: Salon de l’Habitation Richelieu d’Edmundston, au Palladium.  Come and meet Mr. Daniel Lepage and Mrs. Annie Lajoie from our new Drummond House Plan Agency in Edmundston.

We’ll see you there!  And until then… take a minute to have a look at our new website: www.drummondhouseplans.com and give us your comments!  Take advantage of our free house plan search!  Send us your criterias, and we’ll get back to you with a plan selection that will meet your requirements!  Send your request to: searchrequest@drummondhouseplans.com and if you place your order before April 30, 2009, you’ll get 20% discount on your plan purchase!

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Last Monday, I posted this messsage on my personal blog from one of our many satisfied customers )

Good Afternoon,

We recently purchased one of your designs and are currently in the process of having these plans approved by our local building inspector.  We thought we would share some comments he had about your design. 

We are going to be doing our own construction and we were very impressed by the detail provided in your plans.  Our building inspector indicated that he has never seen such complete and detailed plans and that it was a pleasure to review.  Your plans will not only be a hugh benefit to us as we begin to build but it obviously has facilitated the approval process.

Thank-you

Linda Lindsay, Flinton, ON

(original content posted on www.yvescarignan.com)

Considering the fact that the Ontario Building code is very strict, including the BCIN, we are very pleased with that kind of comments from our customers.  So, Ontario customers, get the peace of mind with Drummond’s plans !

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A Definition

The bi-generation house is the type of construction sometimes considered to facilitate access to property for young adults ready to assume responsibility, or oftentimes by parents or grand-parents who are in need of assistance (loss of autonomy or other reasons). Whatever the situation, this type of construction allows each to preserve their way of living and conserve a certain intimacy, all the while enjoying the advantages of co-ownership and the close proximity of family members.

The particularity of bi-generation homes is the combination of the practical aspect of two homes to appear as one single-family or conventional home.  This permits integration of this type of construction in sectors where conventional multi-family units are not permitted.

The main challenge in this type of design is to bring together two independent interior layouts to look like one single conventional home where both layouts need to be private and functional, while respecting the needs of all the occupants.  As we will see later, municipal regulations are also an important element with which people must deal, but the first thing to do is determine the needs which brought us to consider this type of construction.

Style and Design

The design of a single family home is a procedure which requires a lot of attention and comprehension on the part of the home owners as well as the designer who will accompany them in their project.  This step is even more important and the challenge greater when combining the needs of two families, including one or more family members with restrained mobility or loss of autonomy.

When considering such a construction, it is of prime importance to take the time to evaluate your requirements and to consider these from the family viewpoint as well as those of parents or grand-parents.  We must also take into account the years to come and possible future needs.  Aging home owners or those in need of assistance should evaluate what their situation may be in years to come and foresee now what type of layout will best suit their lifestyle for both today and future.  It is at this step that we must consider all the elements which will make this home a comfortable, peaceful and pleasing haven for its occupants.

The choice of a trusted professional is also a key element to success in this type of design.  You should ensure that all the needs of the future occupants are taken into consideration and that satisfactory solutions are put forth for each.  A good designer must equally be able to offer judicious advice to a future home owner while remaining within a pre-established budget.

Another of the many advantages is that even though it is a bi-generation home with the look of a conventional single-family home, it can be harmonized with a sought-after style.  Amateurs of Victorian-, manor- or contemporary-style homes, it is certainly possible to adapt this type of home to one’s preferences, to get away from the multi-family unit options which the future home owners may possibly have already considered.

Pooling together both families’ resources greatly facilitates the purchases and maintenance of such a home and the bi-generation home offers without a doubt tranquil proximity, security and well being, including the joys of family life.
 

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Adding a garage is not only practical – it also increases the resale value of your property. With planning, excavation, foundation, construction, electrical and other costs, a simple garage can easily cost upwards of $10 000. Such an important project requires some serious planning.

WHAT CAN YOU AFFORD?

Budget is the starting point with just about any construction project. A garage is no different. Start by deciding how much you can afford to invest in your new garage.

DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS

How you plan to use the garage is the largest factor influencing design. Will you use the garage for:

- Parking a vehicle or vehicles?
- Storage?
- Workshop?
- Additional accommodations?

Will the garage require;

Electrical outlets?
Windows or a service door?
Heating or insulation?

Take time to carefully consider all of the uses you want now and in the future. You may only have one car now, but down the road you might wish you had planned for a two-car garage.

DETERMINE THE SIZE

An unnecessarily large garage will cut the amount of useable space on your property, while one that is too small will limit its uses. When is comes to size, build as large as possible while still being practical and affordable. This will allow maximum flexibility for the future even if all the space is not used right away.

To better visualize the layout of your garage, do a sketch on graph paper including rough size dimensions. This will help when discussing the project with a professional.

DESIGN THE PLANS

Regardless of whether you purchase plans or have them custom designed; you will require them in order to receive the necessary building permits from your town or municipality.

OBTAIN PERMITS

Your plans will need to be approved by local authorities that will issue the appropriate building permits. Often multiple permits are required for electrical, structural, foundation and other work. Check with your local municipality for the complete regulations in your area. Remember that obtaining permits is not optional – it is a legal requirement.

PLANNING CONSTRUCTION

Your final decision is whether to hire a contractor or build it yourself. Although doing it yourself will save on labour, building a garage is a complex project that should not be undertaken by inexperienced individuals.

A contractor can manage every step of construction including permits and working with sub-trades like foundation and electrical. You may spend a little more, but the results will be worth it.

TYPICAL PROJECT COSTS WILL INCLUDE:

Plans and materials estimate
Permits
Financing costs
Site preparation, excavating and grading
Foundation / footings
Framing and carpentry
Roofing
Insulation
Windows and doors
Exterior siding
Electrical
Plumbing

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