June 2020

All posts from June 2020

It’s Time to Start Investing in Local Design

by Bevony on 24 June 2020 Comments Off on It’s Time to Start Investing in Local Design

With the COVID 19 pandemic putting a lot of restrictions on how we go about life. More and more local businesses are seeing a demand in their services. This is true for local design companies. While companies are offering virtual services, having zoom meetings, and the like, some people still want that personal touch. They still want to sit in person and touch swatches and look at live colors instead of over a screen. And as such, customers who had previously engaged with companies further away are changing to work with local design companies. 

What Are Local Design Firms Doing

Local design firms are seeing the difference in the last few months, especially now when there is reopening of many places and things. In some places, there are restrictions against leaving a province. There are also restrictions on leaving the country. So more people can be allowed out within their own neighborhood. And so people have the opportunity to work with the locals they may have never known about before. 

Start Investing in Local Design

No matter the size of your home, whether two to ten bedrooms. Creating a cohesive look that is representative of your style can be tricky. If you need help to:

  • Plan a functional space
  • Design a new space inside your home
  • Rearrange your existing pieces or
  • Just source amazing decor and furniture, a professional will help you do the best job. 

With globalization looking unsustainable a the moment all we have left is our immediate communities. And it is important that we support our local ecosystems. There doesn’t have to be a disconnect between manufacturing and design anymore and global lockdowns are pushing to change this. 

With a slow down in everything thanks to COVID-19, design shows have been either canceled, rescheduled, scaled back immensely, or even moved online. As designers have gotten some time to breathe, many of them have come up with new ideas and new ways to work with the current restrictions. Now they can spend more time creating the ultimate design for you than rushing from show to show trying to market themselves because right now the markets are right in their hometowns.

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BevonyIt’s Time to Start Investing in Local Design

Stages of New Home Construction for The Lower Mainland

by Bevony on 17 June 2020 Comments Off on Stages of New Home Construction for The Lower Mainland
Stages of New Home Construction for The Lower Mainland

Lower Mainland has similar stages of construction for new homes as Vancouver. These are pretty similar to those anywhere in British Columbia and usually includes five stages. Each stage will take a different amount of time and there are many factors that affect this time. So we won’t assign a time period as to how long each phase will take. Note that some people may have their homes complete in just a matter of months while others may take up to a year. It all depends on the scope of work, the location of the project, and the size of the home. There are often unforeseen delays that can affect the timeline of a home’s construction as well. 

Pre Construction 

This stage includes everything from thinking of custom building to buying a property. During this stage you will be deciding on your house plan, working with an architect, and choosing a builder. All the initial permits required to break ground must be prepared at this point. Some areas may require site testing to determine if there is a water table. 

Foundation 

At this stage, the ground is broken and the framing of the house can begin. Some local government inspections may be required at this point in the home building process. 

Framing 

At this stage, your home is being created from the ground up. The house will start to take shape and if there is a basement in the design this will be installed. Doors and windows are typically installed at this stage. During this phase of the home building process, the construction will undergo multiple inspections. 

Interior and Exterior 

At this phase of the home building process, your house is really looking like a house. The walls will go up than electrical and plumbing installations will be done. Finishing is done on the electrical and plumbing installations at this point in time. During this phase, there are still ongoing inspections being done to the building periodically. 

Hand-Over 

This is the most exciting phase for the homeowner. The builder at this point ensures that all tasks have been completed and that the home is complete. The keys are handed over to the homeowner once all checks have been made and the house is deemed ready. 

If you are thinking of building a new home in the Mainland Area, please do give us a call. Our specialty is custom homes in Lower Mainland, Vancouver, and British Columbia. We can help make your dream a reality. 

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BevonyStages of New Home Construction for The Lower Mainland

Townhome Availability in Vancouver

by Bevony on 10 June 2020 Comments Off on Townhome Availability in Vancouver
Townhome Availability in Vancouver

Vancouver home prices have seen a modest growth of 1% for 2020. This city still stands as the most expensive place to live in Canada. With the current health crisis, the supply of real estate has been further depressed. Some weary sellers are pulling their listings from the market and as such prices can get even higher. What will you find for sale in Vancouver? 

Types of Real Estate Available for Sale

You will find many a condo on sale in Vancouver. If you are looking for a single-family home, you will be able to find your fair share of those as well. That is of course if you can afford it. But if you are searching for a townhome, you may be up for an uphill battle. There are multiple reasons for this. 

In Vancouver, we can see clearly, that there is a difference between what people want and what they can afford when it comes to real estate. Vancouver has not built a lot of townhomes historically and this affects the market in more than one way. 

Within the past few years, there has been new zoning in Marpole for example that just allowed the building of townhomes. Other than availability, there is also the price factor. Buying a single-family home is too expensive for most families and buying a small condo won’t provide adequate space. 

Families may have some hope in the future for purchasing two and three-bedroom townhomes princesses less than 2 million and ranging in size from 631 to 1840 square feet. The last decade shows that a lot of families have left the city of Vancouver due to the cost of real estate and their inability to find appropriate housing at affordable costs.  This solution will provide families with the opportunity to get a home that is bigger than a condo but still more affordable than the typical single-family offerings in the Vancouver area. 

Change is the new constant in the current real estate market. And all stakeholders are feeling this currently. We are all weathering the storm and hoping for the best outcome, always ensuring that safety is the priority. Some of you must still brave the Vancouver housing marketing during this crisis. Here at SilverBeam Homes, we can help.  If you are wondering “will Vancouver house prices ever drop“? Maybe it is time for you to look at alternatives.

Get in touch with us today, and let us know what your needs are. We can help you navigate these changes both safely and effectively. 

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BevonyTownhome Availability in Vancouver

Home Renovations On Track but Crawling Slowly

by Bevony on 3 June 2020 Comments Off on Home Renovations On Track but Crawling Slowly

With the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of industries have ground to a complete stop because of the stay at home measures put into place by governments all across the globe. The local renovation market in Vancouver has been affected by this but projects are still ongoing. How is it different from before the pandemic?

In the past couple months, there has been a drastic shift. There was the initial shock to all stakeholders but all have now established a new rhythm. The discovery phase is pretty much the same. The meeting of the client, talking about floorplans, sharing images, etc. While working virtually is not new to a lot of designers, for most of them it is the first they are working virtually even with clients that are just around the corner. 

The Virtual Discovery Phase 

Renovations tips

The design industry relies heavily on the platform Zoom for its virtual meetings during discovery. Since this is a very personal industry, experts are finding themselves using up to 10 minutes to get the call to work. The process really takes more time, more preparation, and more planning. Everybody involved understands this and that is really important for a seamless process going forward. 

There are of course challenges of not doing this part of the process in person. When it comes to conveying textures and colors here is where we see challenges. Computer and phone lighting and angles can affect the perception of both parties. This challenge is met by design or renovation teams purchasing extra samples and having these delivered to their clients ahead of time. Again this causes an extension of the timeline. 

Scheduling meetings and making sure that everything is properly labeled helps to make it easier for clients to be walked through the process of the virtual meeting. 

Sometimes clients have to be taught how to accurately measure their spaces. So that the design process could begin. All in all, more preparation is needing, more planning and so the renovation time is being prolonged but work is still underway. 

Limitations Brought on By Social Distancing

Most sites only allow one trade to present at a site at any time during the COVID pandemic. For larger projects where it is possible for trades to keep their distance, multiple trades are allowed on-site at one time. The challenge in Vancouver is that most spaces are smaller. So all construction projects are looking at longer periods. 

General contractors have gotten on board with the new site rules which also include regular hand washing and disinfecting. And of course, there is the mask-wearing and keeping of distance. People in our perception have really been adjusting very well to the rules. 

What Types of Renovation Tasks Have Been Affected?

Everything from small tasks as repainting and carpeting is all taking longer than typical. People have to be schedule, keys have to be handed over with no contact. Some have to deal with the booking of elevators if they are working in a condo. All these things take up more time. So while workdays are not longer, simple tasks are taking longer and stretching out the timeline for completion of a project. 

The good part is that everyone affected understands. And while a long wait time can be frustrating for all involved, we have so far learned to be more patient and to work together towards the end goal of a completed renovation project. 

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BevonyHome Renovations On Track but Crawling Slowly