A Vancouver Construction, Contracting & Interior Design Blog

Welcome to the Klondike Blog. Our goal is to capture our experiences and knowledge about the current state of design and construction as it stands today. As new ideas are developed and industry standards evolve, we are seeing the introduction of new materials, products and attitudes towards how we should be design, build, renovate and decorate our spaces. We hope you enjoy our blog!

In the News

Klondike Contracting Nominated for 5 GVHBA Ovation...

Posted on March 30th, 2012

Klondike Contracting is thrilled to be nominated for 5 GVHBA Ovation Awards this year! Our Design Build team has done an amazing job bringing our client’s dreams to reality. We could not be prouder of our team collective creativity, hard work & exceptional transformations!

Nominations include:

Best Kitchen and Greatroom Renovation
Best Bathroom Renovation: Under $35,000
Best Condominium Renovation
Best Renovation: $100,000 – $299,999
BC Housing Award for Excellence in Creating Affordable Housing

The Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA) Ovation Awards exemplify it’s contractors for their commitment to design and construction excellence. The Awards Gala will take place on Saturday, April 28th at the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel, located at 1128 West Hastings Street in Vancouver. Tickets are available at a special rate if purchased before April 1st, 2012, so don’t delay in reserving your tickets and tables! Purchase your tickets by calling GVHBA at 778-565-4288 or buy them online at www.gvhba.org/ovationawards.

We look forward to celebrating everyone’s success at this year’s Awards Gala!

Renovating Green Pays Back!

Posted on September 13th, 2011

Get Tax Free Government Grants for home renovations! Canadian homeowners can reduce their carbon footprint, meet provincial goals, and save money!

Homeperformance.com has announced a few ways Canadians can save. For example, $5,000 in home improvement grants from the Canadian government’s ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program, which is in effect until March 31, 2012.

The LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program also provides rebates in addition to the $5,000 available in Canada ecoENERGY grants – for a total of more than $12,000. BC homeowners can qualify for up to $7,000 and more in home energy grants through the BC government’s LiveSmart BC rebate program, which is in effect until March 31, 2013.

Click here for the shopping list of renovation rebates from the Governments of Canada.

Renovations just became more affordable and eco-friendly! Call us today to see what we can do for your home.

Condo or House: What are you buying?

Posted on May 11th, 2011

TD Canada Trust published their 2011 TD Canda Trust Condo Poll, surveying approximately 1000 Canadians that have recently purchased or were thinking about buying a condo to see – why more and more Canadians have chosen to buy a condo as their first home.

Well their conclusion was as simple as the question asked – Affordability! More young Canadians see purchasing a condo as the best way to break-into the real estate market.
65% of respondents under the age of 35 said that the biggest attraction of purchasing a condo was its lower relative cost in comparison to single family homes. However, two-thirds of young urban Canadians who bought or intend to buy a condo, say that if they had more money, they’d prefer to buy a house.

What preempted the trend of condo’s becoming the new starter home?

1) Lending rules have become more strict-especially for first time home buyers.

2) 2008 recession had a negative impact on business growth, employment rates and Canadians’ general standard of living.

3) Many young professionals are working in city centres and are looking to live close to where they are employed.

4) Some of the most dense condo markets are located in Major cities such as Toronto, and Vancouver – where housing prices are among the highest in Canada

Klondike has award winning designers and contractors ready to help you with your next condo project. To browse through the services we provide visit our Services page. For more information about our professionals visit our Team page and see if there is a designer or project manager that suits you. For some local Vancouver Renovation and Design inspiration visit our Residential Portfolio gallery.

renOVATION Award Winner: Klondike takes Best Renov...

Posted on April 19th, 2011

2011 renOVATION Award winners were announced this past Friday at the second annual GVHBA renOVATION Gala. The awards are presented to those that achieve excellence in the design, renovation and construction community here in the Greater Vancouver Area.

The awards featured 65 finalists in 26 categories – including Best Kitchen, Bathroom, Green Renovation, Condominium Makeover, Heritage Restoration and much more.

Klondike’s Bachelor on 6th, an industrial style loft renovation, was chosen as the Winner for the Best Renovation Under $100,000.00 thanks to the design and project management of Jacqueline Pasquali from our talented design team.

Klondike was selected as a finalist for various categories by the GVHBA adjudication panel such as: Best Kitchen Renovation- $40,000 – $79,999, Best Kitchen – $80,000 – $119,000, Best Renovated Room and Best Renovation – Under $100,000.

Klondike has award winning designers and contractors ready to help you with your next renovation project. To browse through the services we provide visit our Services page. For more information about our professionals visit our Team page and see if there is a designer or project manager that suits you. For some local Vancouver Renovation and Design inspiration visit our Residential Portfolio gallery.

2011 KC Sun Run: Burning enthusiasm, buildings, an...

Posted on April 18th, 2011

Members of the Klondike team came together this Sunday to put their best foot forward in the 2011 Vancouver Sun Run. The Klondike team was part of approximately 50,000 people in attendance that helped event organizers raise $50,000 for the Raise-a-Reader program and $70,000 for the Harry Jerome International Track and Field Classic.

: 2011 Vancouver Sun Run: Picture from Vancouver Sun

: Fire on Sun Run Route

From a rather frigid start out of the sun and an apartment fire along Beach Ave. to an ankle injury of one of our most promising runners due to strewn trash on the course, this foot race wasn’t finished with out a bit of excitement. In the end, our team completed the race with smiles under blue skies and hankering for the ultimate breakfast.

All pictures credited to the Vancouver Sun

How is New Home Construction Fairing in 2011?

Posted on March 14th, 2011

Photo from www.vancouvercondosandhomes.com

According to an article written in the Vancouver Sun yesterday, the CHMC has announced that New Home Construction is performing better than expected across Canada due to strength of the markets in a few provinces, BC being one of them. With a stable 23% increase in housing start-ups in Vancouver since the new year, New Home Construction is on the incline from last year.

What are the obstacles to New Home Construction growth in Vancouver?

HST: 12% value added tax on a large purchase is something that could potentially make or break your decision about whether that home renovation or new construction project is affordable. obvious deterrent from proceeding with the work.

Canadian Economy: Yes, the recovering Canadian economy still weighs heavy on many of us making large financial decisions. With the prospect of increasing lending rates and more strict mortgage stipulations, a new home or home renovation may seem out of reach.

Why has Vancouver been performing better than expected?

Resale Market: The housing market in Vancouver is considered ‘balanced’ where supply and demand continue to keep each other on par. The slight rise in demand has been partially attributed to new buyers attempting to buy before lending rates are expected to raise in the 3rd quarter of 2011.

Job Creation: Vancouver continues to provide some of the highest job creation figures among all Canadian provinces. With more people employed or in stable working conditions, buying or renovating a home is more feasible investment.

Click here for the Klondike Contracting Renovations homepage for information on how we can help you on your next home renovation. Click here for our Request A Quote form for an estimate on your upcoming Design, Construction, Renovation or Maintenance project. Click here for information about New Home Construction in Vancouver.