My House Design/Build Team is a Finalist for Nine 2012 GVHBA Ovation Awards:
recognizing excellence in new home and renovation design, construction, accessibility, sustainability, affordability, energy efficiency and heritage restoration.
Award winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on Saturday, April 28th in Vancouver.
The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association represents the residential construction industry in the Greater Vancouver Area.

2012 Ovation Awards MyHouse Press Release

At Last Year’s Ovations Gala, we had the pleasure of bringing some clients of our winning projects along with us to the awards presentation event. A wonderful time was had by all AND the Homeowners took home their awards!

Clients shared in winner’s renovation celebration
Posted April 28, 2011 08:00 AM by Peter E. Simpson, President & CEO, GVHBA

Everyone has heard stories about home-renovation dreams turning into nightmares. As always, there is a positive flip-side to be celebrated.
On April 15 the GVHBA Renovation Council presented its second annual renOVATION Awards, recognizing excellence in renovation design and construction across Metro Vancouver. FortisBC was the presenting sponsor.
During the course of the pleasant evening, 26 awards were presented to deserving professionals for their superb home-renovation projects, including condo makeovers, green renovations, accessible renovations and heritage restorations.
My House Design/Build Team President Graeme Huguet, like other winners, took his team on stage to accept the four awards presented to his company.
Here’s the thing. Huguet also took his clients, whose broad smiles said it all. They were absolutely delighted with their award-winning home makeovers.
Now that’s a renovator/client relationship to be celebrated.
http://www.gvhba.org/post/318103-clients-shared-in-winner-s-renovation-celebration

B.C. show not only packs star power, it offers innovative products, designs and technology – not to mention ideas to turn your thumb green

By Peter Simpson, Special to The Sun
February 10, 2012

Housing junkies take notice. Following an appearance at the Vancouver Convention Centre last year, Western Canada’s largest consumer home show returns to BC Place on Feb. 22 for a five-day run.

The convention site, albeit an outstanding host, served as the B.C. Home & Garden Show’s temporary home while the stadium was given an extreme makeover, including a retractable lid.

If you haven’t yet visited the new-look stadium, the home show will be an ideal event to experience the improvements. I can see why the B.C. Lions expressed such a glowing endorsement of the venue.

The show will feature more than 425 exhibitors showcasing a wide range of home-related products and services. I am always intrigued by the innovative design and technology that debut at the show.

Over the years, I have swiped from the home show many ideas I can incorporate into our own home or outdoor space. And, whether I need it or not, I always purchase a little sumthin’ from an exhibitor or two, risking serious eye-rolls from my long-suffering, yet amazingly accommodating wife.

When the lovely Carolyn became The Missus, she was well aware I was an unrepentant housing junkie. Actually, the tipping point came when, without meds of any kind, she agreed to be married at the home show, among thousands of strangers. The bonus is we get to celebrate anniversaries at the show every year.

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., B.C. homeowners are expected to spend about $7.6 billion on home renovation, improvement and repair this year, 12 per cent of the Canadian total.

The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association Renovation Council will have a prominent presence at its popular Renovation Gallery, presented by FortisBC. Showgoers can view award-winning home renos and discuss their dreams with renovation contractors, designers and suppliers.

You won’t want to miss the 1,450-square-foot display home showcased by Karoleena Homes. The Kitsilano, like many innovative show homes featured at the show in the past, is a factory-built beauty.

The show offers lots of star power, as well. Celebrity contractor Bryan Baeumler of HGTV’s Leave It To Bryan will be there (I wonder how the Beav feels about that show title). The popular Hillary Farr from the W Network’s Love It Or List It also promises to be a crowd-drawing headliner.

For the gals, there’s Tomboy Tools’ Lori Mitchell, who says her secret to releasing the inner diva is found in the tool box, prompting her menacing slogan, “pick up a hammer and let your ponytail fly.” The amicable Mitchell will also share her home-improvement techniques for women.

For the guys, there’s the Ultimate Man’s Backyard, sponsored by The Province. This manly man exhibit will feature an outdoor kitchen, putting green, and a hot tub large enough for the whole team.

Graeme and Tammy Huguet, the award-winning hubby/wife renovation partners from My House Design/Build Team, and parents of five daughters, will be on stage to share their family’s experiences with home makeovers, including tips on how to survive living in a construction zone.

Presented by Kenorah Construction & Design, Designlab can help homeowners figure out their personal style before starting a renovation. Through mood boards, quizzes and hands-on help, showgoers’ style will be dissected into the anatomy of good vs. bad design. Sounds like the ’60s.

On display will be more than 9,500 square feet of attractive and inviting gardens. You might want to pack a camera. Local landscaping experts will be on hand to share their insights on how to turn barren mounds of dirt into blossoms and blooms. With a little help, anyone can develop a green thumb.

Don’t miss The Vancouver Sun Gardeners’ School presentations. No garden discussion worth its salt would be complete without experts Brian Minter, Art Drysdale, Carolyn Herriot, Ciscoe Morris, Vancouver Sun’s own Steve Whysall, and a large supporting cast of local specialists.

The Outdoor Entertaining Stage will be the place to learn how to turn up the heat on your patio or deck and take your entertaining to a new level. The presentations by local culinary experts will focus on trends in food, cooking, beverage pairings, outdoor décor and party planning.

The kind-hearted folks at Habitat for Humanity will explain their initiatives at their interactive display. Consider adding a dollar to your show admission to help support this worthwhile cause.

This year, I will be participating in the HGTV stage presentations. Certified Aging In Place specialist John Quinton and I will tag-team to talk about how homeowners can efficiently and cost-effectively adapt their much-loved homes to accommodate current and emerging mobility challenges.

More than 10 million Canadians, roughly a third of the country’s population, are aged 40 to 59. The leading edge of the baby boom generation turned 65 last year, and there is much to consider and plan for the housing needs and expectations of this silver tsunami. Indeed, time flies, doesn’t it?

Tickets to the home show can be purchased online.

Visit www.bchomeandgardenshow.com to purchase tickets and view details on show features, dates and hours of operation.

You can’t beat the B.C. Home & Garden Show for fun, excitement, ideas and limited-time offers that can’t be refused.

Peter Simpson is the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association.

BY PETER SIMPSON, SPECIAL TO THE SUN
NOVEMBER 5, 2011

It amazes me how safety-conscious parents constantly warn their darling children to not run with scissors, jump off furniture or stick straws up their noses, yet they allow some stranger to renovate or repair their houses without checking to see if he is compliant with WorkSafeBC regulations.
Falling off a six-metre ladder, then doing a face plant on to a concrete sidewalk, will definitely leave a painful mark, and might burden the homeowner with substantial health care and loss-of-income costs.
You see, if a homeowner hires a contractor who is not covered by Work-SafeBC, and a worker is injured – or worse – the authorities will likely place the responsibility squarely on the homeowner. Scary stuff, huh? Sure, I suppose you could take a chance that nothing will happen at your house, or would you rather learn how to protect yourself from a possible home-improvement nightmare?
To help homeowners demystify the renovation process and make more informed decisions, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association – in partnership with BC Hydro, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. and FortisBC – is presenting another of its popular home-renovation seminars.
To be held Nov. 22 at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, the seminar will guide attendees through the various stages of the renovation process, including design and planning, legal and contracts, selecting a renovator, municipal permits and inspections, and living through a renovation.
Presenters at the 90-minute seminar include award-winning renovation contractors, a construction lawyer, municipal building official, and a technical expert sharing the latest in green technology.
Condominium owners contemplating renovations to their units will learn about the special considerations often imposed by strata councils and their management companies. Approval is required for any renovations affecting other condo owners or common property in the building.
Attendees will also learn about Reno-Mark. To be accepted into this industry-led national program, contractors are obliged to abide by a 10-condition code of conduct. Infractions are taken seriously. If contractors don’t play by the rules, they risk being turfed from the program until they comply.
An exhibition area – featuring more than 40 RenoMark renovators and suppliers of home-improvement products and services – will be open from 5: 30 to 7: 30 p.m. to allow homeowners ample time to discuss their renovation plans with the experts before the seminar program begins.
Although builders consider a new home to be the ultimate renovation, what with all the new products and leading-edge technology available these days, folks are spending big bucks to give makeovers to their tired, poorly performing older homes. More than $7.8 billion will be spent on home renovation, improvement and repair this year in B.C., about $4.4 billion in Metro Vancouver alone.
With that much money at play, it is crucial that homeowners do their homework before they sign a contract with a qualified contractor. And they should definitely avoid the underground economy, where cash deals done under the radar run the risk of exposing homeowners to the aforementioned liability issues and close scrutiny from municipal bylaw officials and provincial safety authorities.
Although admission to the seminar and exhibit area is free, pre-registration is required. Register online at www.gvhba.org or call 778-565-4288. There was a full house at last year’s fall seminar, so register early to guarantee a seat. Public transit is nearby and there is ample on-site parking.
Please consider contributing a nonperishable food item or two for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. These days, more folks – including seniors and single moms – rely heavily on food banks.

The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA) has announced the winners of its second annual renOVATION Awards, honouring excellence in home-renovation design and construction. The awards were presented Friday night in Vancouver. Produced by the GVHBA Renovation Council, and presented by FortisBC, the awards program featured 65 finalists in 26 categories – including kitchens, bathrooms, green renovations, accessible renovations, condominium makeovers, heritage restorations, and outdoor living spaces. The winners were selected by an experienced panel of award-winning renovation contractors from Nanaimo, Victoria, Kelowna, and Redmond, Washington, and an interior designer from Whistler. “All winners and finalists should be proud of their achievements. These extraordinary home renovations are a testament to the superior design and construction work accomplished by renovation professionals throughout Metro Vancouver,” said GVHBA President and CEO Peter Simpson. “FortisBC was extremely excited to once again be the presenting sponsor of the renOVATION Awards. We look forward to combining the strengths of the GVHBA and FortisBC to help the residential construction industry in the Lower Mainland achieve innovative and successful results when it comes to their projects and energy requirements,” said Dan Noel, regional energy solutions manager at FortisBC. Media sponsors include Black Press, homeTRADER, Real Estate Weekly, The Province and The Vancouver Sun.
To view the complete list of winners and before-and-after photographs of their exceptional renovation projects, visit www.ovationawards.ca.

My House’s Wins Include:

Category: Best Green Renovation
Sponsored by SPERO Mouldings and Emerald Series Doors by Moulding and Millwork
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., Dunbar Heritage

Category: Best Heritage Renovation
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., Dunbar Heritage

Category: Best Exterior Renovation (Whole House)
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., West Coast Zen

Category: Best Condominium Renovation
Sponsored by Sears Commercial
My House Design / Build Team Ltd., South View

CLICK HERE to Read all the Details of this NEW Program: LiveSmart2011

Linda Jones Talks with Tom Lucas about Home Makeover Magazine, Design Inspirations & Designing Award Winning Projects.

Best Kitchen

Best Whole House Renovation Under $500K

Best Whole House Renovation Over $500K

Contact Us Now… It’s a Great Time to Start Planning Your Project!!

BY PETER SIMPSON, SPECIAL TO THE SUN NOVEMBER 6, 2010

Graeme Huguet speaks at a past Renovation Seminar while GVHBA President Peter Simpson looks on.

Although new homes, with their leading-edge features, are considered by builders to be the “ultimate renovation,” home makeovers continue to be very popular. B.C. homeowners -many of them in Metro Vancouver -are expected to spend nearly $7 billion on renovation, improvement and repair this year. Spit ‘n’ polish expenditures can range from a few hundred bucks to millions of dollars. A well-heeled homeowner recently plunked down $6 million for an extravagant renovation. It was a sight to behold. Knowledge is power, and homeowners contemplating a renovation project can obtain all sorts of creative ideas from the Internet, specialty TV shows, newspapers and magazines, yet all but the most reno-savvy homeowners need a little help to demystify the renovation process. It is crucial that homeowners do their homework thoroughly before they sign a contract with a qualified contractor.To help homeowners make informed decisions, the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association -in partnership with BC Hydro, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation and Terasen Gas -is presenting its popular fall home-renovation seminar on Tuesday, Nov. 16 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Croatian Cultural Centre at 3250 Commercial Dr. Attendees will be guided through the various stages of the renovation process, including design and planning, legal and contracts, selecting a renovator, municipal permits and inspections, and living through a renovation. Presenters include prominent Metro Vancouver renovators, a lawyer who specializes in construction law and a senior municipal building official. The seminar moderator will be newly elected GVHBA Chairman Todd Senft, an award-winning home-renovation professional.
The exhibition area -featuring more than 50 RenoMark renovators and suppliers of home-improvement products and services -will be open from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., allowing homeowners ample time to discuss their design and renovation plans with the experts before the seminar program starts. On the agenda will be a discussion on RenoMark, an industry-led program designed to provide greater confidence to homeowners when hiring renovation contractors. To be accepted into this popular national program, contractors are obliged to abide by a 10-condition code of conduct. Is your contractor a RenoMark renovator? There will also be details on the construction of legal secondary suites, and how the harmonized sales tax impacts the cost of home renovations.
As homes start showing their age, more opportunities are created for fly-by-night operators to take advantage of trusting homeowners. Dealing in the cash-only underground economy to avoid paying tax, rather than working with a professional, tax-remitting renovator, exposes homeowners to liability issues and close scrutiny from municipal bylaw officials, provincial safety authorities and other regulators. I can’t stress this enough: If a contractor or worker does a sidewalk face-plant off a long ladder, and is not covered by liability insurance, or is not compliant with WorkSafeBC regulations, you can be held liable. You better be prepared to adopt the guy, as you might be looking after him for the rest of his life.

Although admission to the seminar and exhibit area is free, pre-registration is required. Register online at www.gvhba.org or call 778-565-4288. Public transit is nearby and there is lots of free parking. There are many folks out there who can use a little assistance, so attendees are asked to contribute a food item or two for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. Thanks for extending a helping hand.

According to the seventh annual national RBC renovation poll, the two most popular renovations are bathrooms (38 per cent) and exteriors, including decks and landscaping (32 per cent). Basement renovations increased the most at 21 per cent, up from 13 per cent in 2009. What, no kitchens? The poll, conducted by Ipsos Reid, found women are the most likely to say they were the first to identify the need or desire to renovate (63 per cent). More than half (55 per cent) of women taking on renovation projects expect their spouse or partner to do most of the work (fat chance around our home). Only 34 per cent of the respondents intend to hire a contractor and 31 per cent say they will do most of the work themselves. I wonder how that statistic changes after the do-it-yourselfers whack their thumbs with hammers a few times. More than half of B.C. homeowners (55 per cent) plan to renovate over the next two years.
GVHBA will soon launch its 15th annual Coats for Kids campaign in support of the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, a group whose initiatives help to provide a brighter Christmas for families in need. In addition to the GVHBA office, 33 association member companies at 46 locations in 13 municipalities will serve as coat drop-off points from Nov. 15 to 30. Visit www.gvhba.org for details. Last year, more than 3,000 coats were donated by kind-hearted individuals throughout the region.

Peter Simpson is the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association. E-mail peter@gvhba.org.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun