You’ve waited and now here it is the exciting cliff hanger conclusion to questions from the BC Home and Garden Show.

I’ve heard horror stories from people where the final cost of their home is much more than they expected to pay; do you offer any measures to protect the home owner?

This is a story that is all too common in the home building industry and one that we have a solution for. We at Wallmark Homes offer a fixed price guarantee, ensuring that the price that we agree upon is the price that you pay no if ands or buts. We do this by listening and working with you, your specific needs and wants regarding your home. We then use our over 25 years of experience and price your home down to the dollar.

Does this mean I have to decide on everything before the home is started?

Not at all. Throughout the building process you will work with our in-house interior designer in our custom design center. She will not only help you pick the finishing’s that are in within the budget but also use her considerable designing experience to help you create a custom home around your taste.  The added benefit of the design center brings many of the design choices under one roof making it easier and more comfortable making the tough decisions. And you guessed it; this is another part of our Constant Consultation program.

After you have finished building our home is that it?

Not even close. Wallmark gives every homeowner 2-5-10 warranty coverage. This protection covers the home for up to 10 years depending on the issue. We have a dedicated customer care team that will be there to answer any of your questions and get any problems fixed as soon as possible.

Where do you build?

We build custom homes in Vancouver, Burnaby, the North Shore, West Vancouver and all over Greater Vancouver. All you need to do is let us know where you’re looking to build and we will take it from there.

I have a lot in Vancouver; can I build a laneway home on it?

Right now that depends on the zoning that your lot is currently on. At the moment laneway homes are only allowed to be built on RS-1 or RS-5 lots, however, the city of Vancouver is looking to amend that and open up laneway homes to almost all residential lots in Vancouver. Read more about building a laneway home in Vancouver here.

Can you direct me to the food court?

Sure can, just head down this isle until you get to the other side, turn right and then left and there you have it.

These were just a handful of the questions that we got while at the BC Home and Garden Show. If this didn’t answer yours, or if you ‘re looking for more information, contact us today we love to chat.

The BC home and Garden show begins on Feb 20^th and will inspire all that attend up until the 24^th.  With over 60,000 attendees expected this year, it is quickly shaping up to be one of the biggest Home Shows in BC and with all the fantastic exhibitors and events planned throughout the show it is  easy to see why it’s one that cannot be missed.

“But my home already looks great, there’s no reason for me to go.”  Not true, not true at all.  Many exhibitors will be using this home show to demonstrate new technology, new techniques and even brand new products.  You wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to be the first on your block robotic chef would you (product may not actually exist, but you’ll never know if you’re not there).

Still not your thing, well how about some great food and great drinks.  On the concourse level there’s a beers and bites lounge where you’ll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy specially selected beers paired with some great street-food (bacon wrapped hot dogs anyone).  So even if you already have your home decorating ideas all planned out, this will give you the opportunity to plan those much needed breaks.

Maybe your idea of a break doesn’t include specially crafted beers and bacon wrapped hot dogs, well there’s a lounge for you too.  BC Home and Garden magazine has designed an area for you to take a break from buying the latest and great sham-wow, put your feet up and flip through a magazine all while enjoying a great glass of wine.  Located next to the main stage you will need to be careful that you don’t find yourself stuck there all day watching some of the great shows, or maybe plan to get stuck and spend the day lounging with some drinks and food.

With over 425 exhibitors there will be something there to peak your interest.  One exhibitor you can’t miss is the Custom Vancouver Home Builder Wallmark Homes.  We will be bringing some of our top experts in to answer all of your tough questions.  Everyone from people from our construction team to the interior designers will be there.  With over 25 years of experience building new homes in Vancouver, Wallmark Homes has built a team of industry experts.  So when you’re there make sure to come by say hello and ask us about building a new home in Vancouver.

For more information or to buy advanced tickets go to the BC Home and Garden site.  If you have any questions about building a home in Greater Vancouver don’t wait until the Home Show and give us a call today, 604-420-5220.

A Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system is an essential part of any new home. As new Vancouver homes become more and more insulated from the outside, getting a fresh consistent air flow becomes increasingly more difficult especially during the fall and winter months when cracking open a window is no longer an option. This is where the Heat Recovery Ventilation system comes in play. The HRV unit is responsible for filtering new air in, maintaining air pressure and aiding in the preservation of heat during the cold months.

The HRV unit is able to accomplish all of this by taking old, warm, stale air that is already circulating throughout the house and using that air to heat an internal main cell before flushing the air outside. Once the cell has been heated; new, fresh, however, cold air is drawn into the system and heated via the main cell, maintaining a 70% – 90% heat recovery range. Then the air is sent down to furnace to be brought to the specified temperature and distributed throughout the home. In addition to heating via the main cell the air passes through several filters and grates designed to remove excess moisture, dust and debris giving you the cleanest air possible.

There are many benefits to having a Heat Recovery Ventilation system working in your new Vancouver home. Air quality is greatly increased as it is constantly being filtered and refreshed. People suffering from allergies and asthma will notice that they will feel fewer symptoms due to decreased particles floating throughout the air. Condensation will be minimized and almost eliminated altogether as the HRV unit works to remove excess moisture. Bathrooms will be less musty smelling and moisture will be greatly reduced. The cost of heating your home will also decrease since you will no longer need to open your window to get fresh air losing heat.

As you can imagine with such a complex machine, maintenance is a must to keep it running at optimal performance and to preserve the warranty here is a list of some of the items that needs to be done:

-Each and every one of the filters and grates should be either changed or cleaned monthly to allow them to operate at peak performance and to keep the unit from over working and burning out.
-Ensure that the air intake vents are clear of debris and that there are no machines or gas containers nearby, because even though the fumes will get filtered they cause unneeded strain on the unit.
-Understanding your control pad and the settings needed for your home will help you from over working the system. —Drains in the HRV unit will also need to be maintained on a monthly basis by removing any debris that has built up, failing to do so could cause the unit to back up with water and eventually flood into your home.
-Over time the unit will also need to be balanced, so that the intake and exhaust pressures and rates are the same to prevent the machine from malfunctioning.

Performing the tasks listed above will help preserve the functionality of the unit but more importantly the system will need to be serviced by a professional every 6 months to a year (check the manufacturer’s manual). This will keep your warranty from becoming void and costing you money if it breaks.

All and all whether your are building a luxury custom Vancouver Home or on to your Vancouver  home and Laneway home a Heat Recovery Ventilation system can greatly benefit you and your family by improving the air quality of your new Vancouver home and saving your money.

For over 20 years, Wallmark Homes has been building custom luxury homes in the Vancouver metropolitan area including surrounding areas like West Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver and Coquitlam. We have added a brand new video to our YouTube channel where we will be bringing you video shorts that outline how we work, what we do and give you insight into how unique our homes truly are.

The Wallmark Team invites you to check out our videos, share them and tell us what you think. We know that not everyone is able to get out to see every one of our homes and all the detail that goes into them which is why we have dedicated resources to bringing our homes to you. We are are dedicated to making everything about our homes easy and convenient from the info-gathering stage to the build and final walk through. You can find us here, on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

We have a variety of virtual tours on our website as well as our videos on YouTube where you can see the stages of the building process, get to know the talented people that make up the Wallmark Homes Team and hear from people just like you on why they chose Wallmark to build their new homes in and around Vancouver. Our home building experience and dedication to the craft have helped us build a strong reputation for building some of the best green and luxury homes around. We hope you’ll check it out and let us know what you think!

The team at Wallmark Homes is always on the lookout for the latest information and news to share about the housing industry for both builders and buyers in Vancouver. We recently came across a couple of interesting articles we felt were worth sharing with you that discuss predictions for Vancouver’s housing market for the upcoming year.

Amidst what appears to be a strengthening economy, comes a welcome 2011 forecast for Canadian Housing in from the folks at Royal LePage Real Estate Services. In an article released on January 6th,  they quote Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, as saying “Trends in the housing market continue to be driven by the lingering after-effects of the recession. Canadians realize that interest rates are unsustainably low and that homes will become effectively more expensive when mortgage rates return to normal levels. We will likely see more price appreciation in 2011 as some buyers complete transactions in advance of anticipated higher borrowing costs.” According to the release, Vancouver home prices are expected to increase 3.7% this year with inventory growth at 8%.

Additionally, the January issue of New Home Guide boasts a headline of Vancouver House Prices Continue to Rise. Citing the same release from Royal LePage, they mention that the biggest gain in house prices came from single-family homes on Vancouver’s West Side with average price gains on two story homes at 9.8% over the same period last year. Condos are also performing astonishingly well on Vancouver’s East Side with an average gain of 7% resulting in an average sales price of $484,500.

If you are considering building or buying, now is the time! We have our first Home Building Seminar of the new year this weekend, if you want to join us it’s free.  Just register here for your seat!

Wallmark Showcase Home: West Vancouver, Esquimalt

One of the most affluent cities in the British Columbia, West Vancouver is the picture of perfection with sweeping views of the city of Vancouver, the ocean, beaches and local landmarks Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park. Tucked into the base of the North Shore Mountains, most of the land is residential and the elevation of the land allows for most of those properties to take advantage of the gorgeous views which have made West Vancouver so popular.  Wallmark Homes is known for building homes in the Greater Vancouver area but did you know we also build custom homes in the areas of West and North Vancouver? The new year marks the beginning of our new showcase homes series designed to inform you of the many options and possibilities that can be found in a custom built home involving everything from architectural detailing to the latest in materials and home building technology.

Wallmark Esquimalt Ocean View, West Vancouver

Unique Architecture and an Incredible View

Our first showcase home of the year is located in the Esquimalt neighborhood of West Vancouver.  Tucked into the rolling hills of Esquimalt, this home is a combination of modern architecture and materials that were designed to blend effortlessly into the natural surroundings and provide comfortable living for the homeowner. Exposed solid wood beams extending outside of the home on through the main living area provide a striking visual statement when combined with natural stone and loads of custom made, energy efficient windows.

From the moment you walk through the front door into the entryway, you’ll notice immediately how the hand picked beams make the eye travel to the wall of french doors that open to a wrap around covered porch that was built to take advantage of the stunning west coast vistas.
The panoramic views make for an ever changing, living wall of art everyday.

Wallmark Homes is a certified Green Built homebuilder and this West Vancouver home is a great example of our Green Promise. The doors completely open the entire the back wall to let the outdoors in and take advantage of fresh air to circulate through the house during the summer months. Solar bronze skylights offer natural lighting throughout the day which dramatically reduces utility costs as electrical lighting is typically not necessary. In addition to the other earth friendly features of this home, geothermal heat helps to keep the occupants warm while cutting down significantly on energy consumption and emissions.

All elements of the home were carefully considered to tie in with the clean architectural lines and take advantage of the home’s prime location in West Vancouver. An elevator provides easy access between the three levels of the home and make transporting groceries a breeze. A gourmet, state-of-the-art kitchen boasts water views and provides a central gathering place for friends and family whether they are enjoying the views from the porch outside, or cozying up to the custom made fireplace in the living room. The Wallmark Custom Homes Team worked closely with the homeowner to take their modern vision and make it into a reality they are thrilled to come home to.  If you are interested in building a custom home in West Vancouver or anywhere in the Greater Vancouver area, we invite you to take advantage of our next Home Building Seminar on January 29, 2011. Registration is free and you’ll be given a wealth of information on building a new home that you can put to good use while mortgage rates are still at historic lows.  To see more about this fabulous showcase home in West Vancouver, we invite you to take a virtual tour on our website or contact us anytime!