New Homes
New Homes
Good renovators rely on word of mouth
Finding the right renovator is key to getting the results you want. The sooner you get a professional involved, the more you can benefit from their knowledge and expertise.
With a little legwork, you should have no trouble finding the company that is best suited to your project.
Look first to names listed within the Manitoba Home Builders' Association. Membership in the MHBA is a solid indication of professionalism. Members have access to training and the latest information on all aspects of renovation.
They also agree to adhere voluntarily to the RenoMark Code of Ethics, which sets out a framework for fair and honest business practices.
Although the MHBA cannot make recommendations about a specific company, there is a comprehensive a list of members who may be suitable for your project online at www.homebuilders.mb.ca From there, you can check the websites of individual renovator members.
All MHBA renovators belong to the RenoMark program. At www.renomark.com one can find out what puts these renovators a cut above the rest.
Ask around for recommendations. Many renovators do little, if any, advertising. They often don't have to, as the "word" travels from one client to the next. Most people are happy to talk about their own renovation experiences and tell you what they think about their contractors. Ask friends, family, co-workers and neighbours who have had work done recently. Look around your neighbourhood for projects in progress and talk with the homeowners.
Visit home shows to meet renovators. Home shows can provide a great opportunity to check out local contractors. The annual Kitchen Bath and Renovation Show features the Ask a Renovator booth, where visitors book private 15-minute appointments to talk further about their planned renovation projects.
Check advertising by renovation companies. You can also look in newspapers for advertisements, review flyers that come to your door, check building material stores for business cards or brochures, and browse the Yellow Pages. Making certain that your renovator adheres to the RenoMark Code of Ethics is key to a successful project.
Investing a little time in finding the right renovator is well worth it. When you begin with a list of professional renovators, the next steps are easy --SEmD interviewing, checking credentials and hiring the company that's right for your project.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Construction sector acting to fill skills gap
Real Jobs, Real Money.
That was the title of a promotional piece and seminar hosted by the Nova Scotia Homes Builders' Association. The purpose was to let young people know there are numerous good jobs for people who want to work in residential construction.
The Labour Market Indicator statistics for Manitoba recently forecast a pending shortfall of 12,400 workers in construction within the next six years. The combination of growth in the industry and retirements will mean we will encounter employment needs like never before.
Personally, I think the shortages are already here, never mind six years from now. After all, just look at what is happening throughout Manitoba.
New housing starts in 2010 were their highest in the past 23 years.
Current and future Manitoba Hydro projects indicate tremendous opportunity. The airport terminal rebuild, the new Bombers stadium, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, CentrePort, Ikea, roads, bridges and other large projects are happening right now.
The Our Winnipeg report calls for a population increase of 180,000 during the next 25 years. The infrastructure work to accommodate that growth will be huge.
The Manitoba Construction Sector Council is an agency that is addressing the needs of the industry in a positive manner. It is committed to the welfare of the construction industry and ensuring that the current and future workforce is professionally trained and prepared to tackle the needs of the industry.
During this past year, representatives of the MCSC visited more than a dozen high schools and spoke about careers in construction. On May 11, more than 1,300 students and 150 teachers descended upon the Red River Exhibition grounds to attend the Construction Career Expo and learned in a hands-on manner about various trades, skills and job opportunities.
The Pre-Employment Construction Training Program has been operating for three years and is designed to recruit and train individuals for general and specific skills that would enable them to start work immediately. Their advanced skill set and safety training would automatically place them a cut above most. Four more sessions are already scheduled for the coming year.
Building Supervisors for Tomorrow has proven to be one of the more popular courses for existing employees, preparing them for long-term supervisory roles within their respective companies.
The Manitoba Construction Sector Council is preparing tomorrow's employees today.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Sunny forecast for new home construction
THE Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation released its projections for Manitoba and Winnipeg this week and all signs point towards a continued strong market for new home construction.
From a provincial perspective, 2010 saw a huge increase in starts from the economic downturn that we all experienced in 2009. In fact, the 5,888 starts last year represented the most in the past 23 years. Of course, that kind of growth cannot be expected to continue every year.
The CMHC projection for this year is 5,225 starts with an increase to 5,400 in 2012. The Manitoba Home Builders' Association has maintained that anything over 5,000 represents an extremely good year, so the growth that is called for over the next two years is very good news.
Despite the moderate decline projected, the numbers in Winnipeg remain consistently strong. The 3,244 starts in 2010 represented a 60 per cent increase over 2009. Again, no reasonable person would expect that outstanding pace to continue.
However, the projected start numbers for 2011 only indicate a decline of 71 units. Single-family detached starts continue to increase year over year.
The small decline in starts is borne entirely by multi-family production.
The 2012 forecast calls for 3,200 total units.
The very small drop in starts this year appears to be occurring outside of Winnipeg. Without having to investigate any trends or economic patterns, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the flooding of both the Red and Assiniboine Rivers this spring had a significant impact in the surrounding areas.
Protecting everything you have must take priority. Neighbours helping neighbours was the order of the day. Although it's next to impossible to make up for lost time this year, look for those areas to make up those numbers in the near future. The demand is simply too high.
The MLS resale projection numbers spell good news for the new home market. A vibrant resale market enables sellers to move up to that new dream home they have been planning.
With the recent release that mortgage rates are expected to remain unchanged for the rest of this year, it remains a great time to build your new home.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
