“Meet Nick, Nick’s a tradesperson…” and Nick is about to save big on taxes this year when buying new construction equipment thanks to Canada’s “Tradesperson’s Tools Deduction“. Deduct the cost of eligible tools you bought to earn employment income as a tradesperson (or as an eligible apprentice mechanic) with this deduction. Do you want...
Cansolair is a company based in Newfoundland that’s developed a solar heater that’s built with recycled pop cans (and by “recycled” we mean basically opened, cleaned and painted, there’s no expensive smelting and recasting involved). It’s pretty fascinating as this video attests: How the cansolair pop can solar heater is manufactured More info here:
Ijeoma Ross has put together a great article that lists and explains the Top 10 renovations that give you the most bang for your buck (10 renovations with big returns). Here they are: 1. Bathrooms Renovators can get 90% – 105% of their bathroom money back when they sell their house. Adding an extra...
By Erik Kulakowsky, CA ( Kül & Associate … www.kultax.com ) At this point, the only way we’re getting rid of this tax is if the NDP get elected (NDP leader Andrea Horwath vowed to abolish HST should she win the next election), but since that’s never going to happen, might as well learn...
In Ontario, home owners don’t have to pay the 8% Ontario provincial sales tax on home renovations, they’re basically exempt thanks to current tax laws. However, with the introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) this year, home renovation contractors in Ontario will have to start charging the full 13% tax on any work...
When temperatures hit 34 deg. Celsius or 98 deg. Fahrenheit in Ontario this week, even the energy conscious succumbed to turning on their air-conditioning, when fans and keeping the blinds shut just wasn’t enough to keep cool. The result – an over-usage of power causing a large spanning blackout in the Toronto area: Tens...
At 1:41pm, an earthquake registering 5.5 on the Richter scale struck Ottawa June 23, 2010, at a depth of 19.2 km and lasting 108 seconds at the epicentre. If you live in an older home and heard cracking or breaking glass, check the house out for damage, being careful to watch out of leaking...
With the well-known housing boom in Canada’s western City of Calgary and highest incomes in the country, it is no surprise that Calgary residents spend more on home renovations than any other Canadian cities. An article from the Calgary Herald explains this further: Calgarians are Biggest Renovation Spenders: City Residents Fork out $13,265 Households...
Every year, the first sign of summer heat gets people talking. Complaining co-workers and requests to reduce your energy and water consumption is a re-occurring theme. There certainly comes a point when life seems unbearable without air-conditioning, however for the early days of summer, and for those without air-conditioning, try putting some basic cooling...
Information on the new Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule - The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a new rule aimed at protecting children from exposure to lead-based paint. According to the EPA, a million American children still poisoned by lead paint each year, putting them...
Fred Murray of Winnipeg was just hoping for a renovation rebate on the old house he bought, but when he ripped out some ceiling panels in his home’s basement, he discovered a literal treasure trove of money. Under (or over, depending on your point of view) 3 layers of previous renovation, he discovered the...
Home Trade Shows are a great place to find inspiration, new products and deals for your decoration and renovation projects. For a very reasonable price, you have the opportunity to meet the experts in person, view their work, get your questions answered, and maybe even set up a consultation. As shows grow in popularity,...
bidmyreno.com is a free on-line listing service for home and business owners looking for quality contractors at a competitive price. Simply post your project description and available plans for free and you’re done! Our system will post your project details for contractors to evaluate and only those interested will contact you. bidmyreno.com will clearly list...