Jan Turner Richmond Public Library

The Internet is full of tips for home renovations

Rising housing costs and low interest rates are prompting homeowners to put renovation projects on the front burner. Home Show pamphlets have long been discarded so where does one begin?

The Canadian Home Builders' Association is the perfect springboard at www.chba.ca. The association, "the voice of Canada's residential construction industry," has been in operation for over 60 years. Its mandate is to ensure professionalism within every aspect of the industry. The site is very user friendly. The "Renovating Your Home" section guides you through from the planning process to completion. Beginning with the Golden Rules for renovators, it offers very practical advice on a wide range of projects with links to reputable contractors, suppliers and products.

For something closer to home, check out the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association at www.gvhba.org, an affiliate of the Canadian Home Builders' Association. Its renovation section is accessible through Consumer Resources with articles, tips, local events and links to renovation resources.

Explore the web sites of major suppliers and manufacturers from newspaper or television advertisements, or type the name of your favorite supplier into a search engine like Google (http://www.google.ca). Company web sites not only offer advice on various aspects of a product but also allow you to shop virtually and save time when you do visit in person. In selecting light fixtures, for example, I visited www.norburnlighting.com to choose the fixture then to view the product from various manufacturers. Other useful commercial sites include B.C. Brick (http://www.bcbrick.com), which shows various cultured and natural stone options, and Home Depot's (http://www.homedepot.com) "Know How" section illustrates do-it-yourself guides for a wide range of projects.

You may well be in for a "bonus" as Revenue Canada (http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-e.html) offers tax credit for certain renovation projects. For qualifying criteria, search for "GST/HST New Housing Rebate" for substantially renovated homes, major additions, and conversions.

If you can't beat the booming construction industry, join the party! For more on this topic, see the "Search the Web & E-mail" link on the library's Online Resources web site at www.yourlibrary.ca/online.cfm.

This column and its links can be accessed from the Internet version of the Richmond Review, found on the Richmond Public Library's website at www.yourlibrary.ca.