The Things You’ll Want to do Before Any Move

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The Things You'll Want to Do Before You MoveFor some, moving locations, homes, businesses, towns or even countries, can be a stressful and traumatic move. We assume that you’re leaving a little piece of your heart in wherever you live and it’s understandably hard to say goodbye to any chapter. Then, on the other hand, we have our friends who may have been racing out the door the second they knew that they had another place to live.

But, not so fast. We know that there are lots of exciting moments in your chapters ahead, but first, there is some work to be done. In order to not only do the right thing and leave your current homestead in its best state but also to maximize your return on investment, there is a little bit of a to-do list that you should follow. Victorian Foundation Repairs has your one-stop guide to the things you’ll want to do before any move. Read on for more information:

  • Put together a plan. Moving is no joke and there’s no reason to create your own stressful situations if you don’t have to. Whether you live alone or with a big family, have a meeting and discuss who is packing what and when, who is responsible for what chores, etc. Also, just make sure that you’re on the same page emotionally. Remember that you’re all in this together and if one of you gets annoyed, all of you will most likely quickly become frustrated.
  • Book your removalist. Finding a moving company that you can trust and rely on is crucial to making sure your move goes smoothly. When you’re checking reviews, make sure you look at the bad ones, and the good ones. Even the best companies usually have a few bad reviews; look at how they responded and if they offered the customer anything as a resolution. If in doubt, trust your gut! There are plenty of great companies out there. Don’t risk it on someone who is cheap, you may end up paying more later on in damages to items.
  • The almighty packing adventure. We recommend that you tackle organization and packing before you deep clean your property for a multitude of reasons, some of which can be really satisfying. Here’s betting that you find a valued object that’s been missing for many years, hidden deep behind a bed or a chair. Packing also helps you immediately de-clutter. It’s a well-known fact that moving is stressful and so if you don’t have a surefire reason to pack something, you might prefer to put it in the pile for ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.’
  • Figure out where the aforementioned items are going. There are tonnes of options around the area. We’ve written about them before and will continue to do so on a regular basis. This is a much better way to allow your items to move on without continuing to any landfills.
  • Finally, it’s time to deep clean. This is where the aforementioned plan comes in to play. When done right, you can rotate either through rooms, by person, or by task. There are no right or wrong answers, only what feels the most comfortable for you. All we ask is… don’t wing it. Checklists? Great. Tips in one common place? Yes. Communication at all times, including around which materials to use to clean? Bonus points.

All of these are just pieces of the puzzle in what truly should be one of the most exciting moves – no pun intended – of your life currently. While times may be unique right now, the Victorian Foundation Repairs team will always be there for you and your loved ones, not just reinforcing the structure of your current or future home, but also always answering any questions you may have to make you feel safe and comfortable.

How to Handle Renovations When Times are Uncertain

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How to Handle Renovations When Times are UncertainRaise your hands if you believe that home renovations are easy, simple, fast and cheap. If you’re raising your hands right now, the team at Victorian Foundation Repairs wants to know what your secrets are and how you’re so enthusiastic. For the rest of us, there are different words that are associated with home renovations. Some that come to mind are stressful, long, expensive, complicated, ever-changing and more. There’s nothing wrong with these words, but they are realistic indicators of what you’re going to experience if you choose to change up your home or your business. We’re not saying it won’t be worth it – hopefully, it definitely will be! – but as with most good things, it will take hard work.

That’s all during normal times. But no matter where you live right now, what phase you’re at in your life, what challenges you’re coming up against or how things have had to change, the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly impacting many different industries and all of our lives in different ways. But pandemics don’t get the team at Victorian Foundation Repairs down and they shouldn’t get you down either. That’s why, today, we’re talking about how to handle renovations – even when times are a bit uncertain.

First things first, is it necessary right now? If there are leaks in the roof, problems with the foundation, mould in the walls or other items of this calibre, there’s no time to waste and contractors will understand. They’ll rush to your defence in a timely manner, taking into consideration the different adjustments they’ll have to make while working in your home. These most likely include not being in the same space as you, wearing protective gear, and disinfecting everything around them.

Conversely, if it’s not necessary right now, it’s time to exercise some patience. This can be even more difficult, but if you’ve had your heart set on aesthetic updates to your home, you might just have to wait a little bit longer. There’s nothing wrong with this. You’re probably not socializing much or hosting giant get-togethers, this additional time just allows you to complete your project right… in fact, you might be able to do it better and more creatively.

We also recommend that you plan ahead. Even if you know that a project needs to be parked for a few months, still maintain ongoing contact with your contractors and consultants. You should do this for a few reasons. You’ll want to continue the conversation around what you’re looking for and in the loop about costs and plans. But you also want to do this for the benefit of those that you’re working with. Guesses are good that their calendars are going to fill up quickly in the back half of this year and you don’t want your project to be put on the bottom of the pile or on a large waiting list.

Questions? Projects you need completed? Reach out to the Victorian Foundation Repairs team by phone or email.

A Calendar for Home Check-ins

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A Calendar for Home Check-insLet’s be honest, we could all do with tips and tools to keep life as routine as possible right now. You might have been the most disorganized person of all time prior to COVID-19, or even regardless, and now you’re craving lists and plans to make you feel as accomplished as possible at the end of the day. The Victorian Foundation Repairs team welcomes you with open arms! You’ve found your people – those that relish order and process; it’s the only way that we continue to be the best in the business. Of course, we love the creative process and pushing ourselves to new limits when working with new materials or determining the best ways to reinforce the foundation of your home. But it would be utter chaos if we didn’t return on a regular basis to the ethos and the strategy that make the Victorian Foundation Repairs team exactly who we are. There will be posts when we flex those creative muscles with you… this is not one of them.

Cleaning your home may seem like a mundane chore right now or it might just seem like kismet timing that you finally have the hours that you missed to complete everything that you’ve been meaning to do for so long. That can either cause pride or stress (or, let’s be honest – every emotion in between!) Take a breath. Know that you’re doing all that you can. Carve out a little bit of time on a regular basis to take care of your home and be strategic about what you’re taking care of. Here are our thoughts:

Daily:

Sanitize: The COVID-19 virus can live on surfaces for up to three days, but a global pandemic shouldn’t be your excuse for not cleaning down the counters. You may live alone or with a giant brood, the germs are still there and they are quick and easy to annihilate.

Weekly:

Dust: This differs all over the world, but spring fever and allergies are definitely a thing. Even if you’re not spending a tonne of time outside right now, having a light layer of dust on your furniture and floors is the easiest way to end up with a cough or sneeze.

Laundry: Believe us, we’re all about comfort and wearing what works best for you. But not doing laundry shouldn’t be the reason that you can’t wear your favourite jumper while you’re spending time at home. Think about it, it takes a couple of hours tops and will be done before you know it.

Dishes: Don’t become the household that defaults to throwaway plates, utensils and napkins. You’ll feel ten times better if you’re sitting at your table (or on your couch – no judgment) with a beautiful plate of food in front of you.

Monthly:

Check the outdoors and specifically the base of your home for foundation issues (see how we slipped that in there). Gutters before leaves pile up, pipes in case the weather gets too cold and water freezes and any plants or flowers that have seen better days.

Look at that! Far easier than you thought, right? Reach out to the Victorian Foundation Repairs team with any questions and stay safe out there.

Checking in on our Communities During COVID-19

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Checking in on our Communities During COVIDThe Victorian Foundation Repairs team believes that there are baselines in customer service when it comes to operating a business. For some, they’re lower and for some, they’re obscenely high. While we like to assume that we veer towards obscenely high, all that matters is that we’re proud of our values and the greatest one is that we put our customers first. You have an abundance of options when it comes to companies that reinforce your foundation through restumping, reblocking and underpinning and you picked us! We love that about you and we want to show you how much we appreciate it. That’s not just through the materials that we choose, the speedy timelines that we follow or the craftsmanship that we’re proud of – it’s the person-to-person connection with each and every one of you.

COVID-19 is affecting all of us – all over the world. For some, it may be directly. For others, it may be a family member. And for still others, it means that your daily routine is impacted in more ways than one. Maybe you can’t take your children to daycare or school, so they’re home with you all day. Maybe you yourself can’t go into your place of work and you need to get creative about ways to add value to your employer within the confines of your home. The bottom line is that we’re all in this together. Key word – together.

The Victorian Foundation Repairs keeps hearing the term “the new normal”. Who knows what that means? Chances are, travel, interaction, commerce and the hobbies that we’ve grown so fond of, won’t look quite the same in the coming months or even years. But you know what, we’re fortunate enough to be growing and learning in an age with a plethora of resources and opportunities. Here are some of our favourites to keep you inspired, educated and enthused about the coming days. We’ve got each other and we’re going to get out of this just fine.

  • Read your local news on a daily basis. It’s most likely the most objective; larger outlets can have a bias that will cause you nerves or anxiety in a number of different ways. Your local writers and newscasters are closest to your community, giving you a sense of comfort.
  • Carve out time every day to connect with at least one family or friend. For some of us, this is the most connection that we’ve had with those closest to us! – and that’s wonderful. Technology means that in many places, a heartfelt conversation that can change someone’s day is just a couple of clicks away.
  • Learn a new hobby and get excited about it! A new language? There’s an app or books for that. Cooking? You may just become the next famous chef, just by spending a little bit of time in the kitchen. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it stretches your brain.

Part one of two this month, readers, so check back to learn more and more about ways to keep your home safe and comfortable and yourselves happy and engaged. We’ve got this.

Keeping Your House Clean This Season

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Keeping Your House Clean This SeasonThere’s a reason that they call spring the season of cleaning. It’s a fresh start. For much of the world, the weather is getting warmer and many are shaking off their winter blues. For us, it’s quite the opposite, but fall still has a warm and welcoming vibe that many look forward to year after year. This year happens to be a wee bit different – with the widespread growth of the coronavirus. That said, it doesn’t change the enthusiasm that the Victorian Foundation Repairs team have to share every bit of information we have or find, to make sure that we’re all set up for the most success.

And that, our friends – starts with cleaning. Here are the Victorian Foundation Repairs tips this season to ensure that your home is spick and span and a place where you not only feel safe coming home to, but you also are happy to host everyone in your circle of family and friends with no qualms at all. Read on for more information:

  • Make it a regular practice. We’ve discussed this before and for good reason. It’s easy enough to clean your home once and think that it will be good for an extended period of time. It’s also easy to blur your eyes here and there and bit off the easy chores that only take five to ten minutes to complete. We’re here to dissuade that practice. That five to ten minutes not only makes your home clean and comfortable now, but it also ensures that further on down the line, you don’t have to spend thrice that amount of time for the same chore when dirt and grime continue to build up. It’s all about attitude. If you have a positive one and put regular chores (be it daily, weekly, monthly) on your calendar or set an alarm, there’s no way to get around it. You’ll feel much better when they’re complete and can even plan a reward for yourself as an incentive.
  • Do it as a family. It doesn’t matter how big your household is or how it’s designed; if everyone in your household understands the importance of regular chores, it makes everyone’s lives easier. Science has even shown that if you integrate chores into your younger family members’ lives at an early age, there are a multitude of behavioural benefits that you’ll see later on down the line.
  • Do your homework on the different products that you plan on using. There is no shame in going all-organic, and there is equally no judgment if you’re someone who believes strongly in the power of Clorox. Either way, if someone was to ask you a question about the products that you’re using, you should be able to answer it. They’re cleaning your home – one of your greatest investments – after all.

We know that it’s not the most fun check off of the to-do list but believe us – the Victorian Foundation Repairs team believes it to be one of the most worthwhile. Questions or need tips? We’re here whenever you need us.

March Home News

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We know that there is a lot going on in the world right now – the word Corona may strike a chord with some of our readers. It’s a terrible pandemic and here at Victorian Foundation Repairs, our hearts go out to everyone impacted. Know that we’re here as an evergreen team of resources – be it related to your foundation, your home, or the best way to take care of your general property, while we figure out exactly what this thing looks like. That sounds vague, but the beauty of the Victorian Foundation Repairs team is that we always want to come to the table as your biggest advocate when it comes to your dream home. And for both our newcomers and our returning fans alike, we bring you the March instalment of home news. Looking for the latest trends in interior design? Tips on how to reinforce your foundation using only sustainable materials? You’ve come to the right place. Read on for the most current information this month:

11 Daily Habits to Keep a House Clean and Tidy

We’re sure that the word “clean” is top of mind for the vast majority of us. While germs are frequently passed from person to person, they can also easily live on many of the surfaces that we see throughout our homes. Instead of being constantly worried, this article will help with a number of quick tips on your to-do list that will put your mind at ease. Some are obvious – make your bed in the morning! It will look better if nothing else; others are more creative, get the whole family involved. This instils not only a sense of responsibility but also a sense of pride in your home. Check out this link for more information.

Host the Best Backyard Parties

The weather is getting cooler, but that doesn’t mean that you need to completely negate your outside areas as canvases for prolific get-togethers. In fact, it means that you can get even more creative and still enjoy the great outdoors before it gets just a bit too cold. From food to drinks, to outdoor activities, we quite like this article as your one-stop-shop, next time it’s your turn to host your neighbours or your family and friends. Visit this site to learn more.

How to Inspect Your Own Foundation

It’s been a while since we’ve shared an article of this type, but it is our bread and butter. Victorian Foundation Repairs is best known for our unique and tried-and-true methods of reinforcing what makes your home… well, your home. Restumping, reblocking, underpinning – all are buzzwords that we’re very familiar with. But they can be very confusing or fuzzy to many of our prospective customers or blog readers. People don’t realize that their foundations need to be reinforced, and on a regular basis, no less! So, how do you know? What are the tell-tale signs to look for? Never fear, we’re here to share. From cracked ceilings to sloped floors, this article can help. Click here if you think this information is right up your alley.

Questions? We’re here. Stay safe out there.

Reinforcing Apartment Buildings

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Reinforcing Apartment BuildingsWe live in all sorts of homes. Note that the Victorian Foundation Repairs team said “home” versus house. That’s because, depending on the size of your family, where you live or a myriad of other factors, there’s no longer a right answer as to the proper size or shape of your home. The Victorian Foundation Repairs team loves this so much because it means that whenever we get to reinforce the foundation of your home, we never know what we’re going to deal with. We might be walking into the perfect plot of land that needs little to no work. We also might be walking into a total nightmare… and we’ll love it either way. It stretches our brains, it makes us work even better as a team, and in the long haul – it just continues to teach us the knowledge that ensures we remain the best in the industry when it comes to restumping, reblocking and underpinning.

There are obviously differences and exceptions when we work on different sorts of plots of land. A big thing here is – how much will the home weigh? Are we talking about load-bearing that’s spread around a large plot of land, or a very tall building that doesn’t have a ton of width or length? This is where we really need to buckle down, think about the right materials and processes, and most importantly – think about you. There is no bigger asset to the Victorian Foundation Repairs team than our customers, and today – we’re focusing on those that live in apartment buildings.

How does one specialize in supporting the foundation of apartment buildings? You know that there are many more people involved, many more families that have different ways of living and that are coming and going at more frequent intervals. We know one thing – apartment buildings and condo complexes aren’t going anywhere. In fact, we’re only going to see more and more of them as the world’s population increases.

The big difference here, between homes that have fewer stories, is that you want the stumps or the parts that really support your foundation, to go far deeper into the ground. When they do, you know that if the common culprits like weather, soil shifting or even events like earthquakes, won’t have nearly as much of a detrimental effect as they would if you didn’t have the stumps at such a deep depth.

They say that all good things are built from the ground up and that all good things take time. We’re not sure if that’s the case all of the time, but we do know that the foundation is a big reason why buildings of this size and stature can take longer to (literally) get off of the ground. But hey, this is a job that you want to have done right, correct?

If you’re looking for more information as someone moving into a new structure, or are a builder who is looking to embark on the journey of starting the next local apartment building – let the team at Victorian Foundation Repairs know.

How to Maximize the Space of Your Property

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How to Maximize the Space of Your PropertyThere’s an interesting psychological aspect to choosing, renting and buying a new home. There’s euphoria about this next step or chapter in your life. And there are ultimately many different stressors that also come along. Too often, you just want to get the process over with, so you choose a property without asking the really important questions that can impact you in the long run. But, honestly – how are you supposed to know? We’re sure that you’re being inundated by multiple different opinions about what you really should be looking for and why. The Victorian Foundation Repairs team is here as the single source of truth. We have no agenda, besides simply offering you the advice that can help you be as serene and happy throughout this process is the biggest win of all for us. Over the next few months, we’ll tackle those questions that you should be asking – as they relate to your foundation – and as they relate to your property at large. Today, we’re talking about maximizing space.

Many homes or properties are staged when you first see them. This is strategic because it helps you envision what furniture or décor would look like in the space when you finally move in. This is a double-edged sword because it can inspire that look and feel that you’re going for, but it can also be deceptive about what can be fit in the room. Some rooms look larger with furniture in them; some rooms look smaller. There’s an easy way to evade this. You can do so by taking your own measurements and trying to look at all spaces with a clean and basic eye. The same is true for your backyard and any landscaping that you might be pondering.

We’re just as partial to your backyard space, as we frequently help price out and install components like verandahs and decks. They’re a win-win, that’s for sure… but they can eat up a valuable chunk of the yard if you’re not aligned with others living in the home about how that space will be used.

That brings us to our most important question and call out for the day… know exactly how your space will be used. If you have a valid reason as to why you need to knock down a wall and create a larger hosting space for your friends and family, well, we think that’s wonderful. Conversely, if you’re in a rush to buy a place, and you see that certain areas aren’t conducive to your daily routine, we strongly recommend that you hold off. Yes, those that work in construction, real estate and home renovations can be passionate about making decisions quickly, depending on the market, but at the end of the day – your biggest investment should be in you.

Questions? Let us know! The Victorian Foundation Repairs team is always here to start this very important conversation.

When Contractor Relationships Go Wrong

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When Contractor Relationships Go WrongYou put a lot of faith into relationships with those that come into your home. For many, a home becomes an additional child, because let’s be honest – you frequently put just as much work into a home as you do into one of your offspring. You care about it just as much and often; it costs just as much money. There’s nothing wrong with this. You should be incredibly excited to have a new home, and we’re sure that you want to give it the tender loving care that it deserves. To that point, you bring in the best. You [hopefully] do your research. You look into the contractors in the area that are going to do the best job and for the best price. It can be tough, but, hopefully, it’s worthwhile. That is… if you do it right.

Unfortunately, (and never if you work with the Victorian Foundation Repairs team) there is always the possibility that the contractor that you work with simply won’t make the cut. It may not be a good fit personality-wise. It may be a question of the work costing far more than you anticipated. It also may be a question of the work taking far longer than you thought. Regardless, you should never feel bad about cutting a contractor loose if he or she is not living up to your expectations. There are just a few things that you need to know:

  • Do your homework in advance. We know, we know, we say it all of the time. But in this context, it’s extra important, because you’re letting someone into your home and honestly, being very trusting that they’ll live up to their word or their marketing. You’ll feel extra safe and comfortable if you have conversations with loved ones who can truly vouch for those that are helping you enhance your dream place-to-live.
  • Get everything in paper. We live in a digital age and believe us – we’re all about saving trees. But don’t take that as an excuse to not get everything in writing. Email, form online, printed copy… it doesn’t matter. You want your contract, the timeline, all costs associated and who to call if you’re not happy with the work being done. If any contractor pushes back on this, you should know that he or she is not the right person to work with.
  • Don’t feel bad about pushing back. Too many of us are shy or confused when it comes to the work being done on our houses. That’s why questions are so important. Believe us, they should expect questions about their work – the process, the materials, etc. If they get cagey about such thing, again – you’re not working with the right people and should reach out to the Victorian Foundation Repairs team immediately.

As noted above, reach out. We have our customers’ interests at heart, and that’s why we share articles like this on our blog. If we can’t take care of the work for you, we can surely point you in the right direction.

Kicking off the New Year with Home News

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Kicking off the New Year with Home NewsOh, 2020. We have a good feeling about you. We shared it in our previous post, but we have a feeling that the feeling of being excited about a new year will continue for weeks to come. Enough about feelings. We’re on to the facts. The fact that the Victorian Foundation Repairs team is and will always be committed to sharing information about what’s important to us with you. It was in our New Year’s resolutions after all. The buck doesn’t stop with us doing a good job at reinforcing the foundation of your home. We like to go above and beyond and that means that once a month, we’ll always search the Web or search our memories for the best conversations that we’ve had about the work in the home renovation industry that really piques our interest. If it piques our interest, chances are good that it will pique yours. So, if you’re new – (first of all, peruse the previous articles on our site about home renovations) welcome! And if you’re a veteran, you know that you can read on for the best of the Web this month:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan to Repay Taxpayers for Home Renovation

We’d be fools if we weren’t gossiping in a slight way about Meghan and Harry. After all, they continue to make headlines about leaving their roles within the Royal Family and basically redefining what their lives will look like. A big question here was about the taxpayer dollar and how exactly they plan on making their money. Well, while many conversations and negotiations are still occurring, it’s important to read articles like this one. Meghan and Harry recently renovated their current home – Frogmore Cottage (Windsor), which was paid for by taxpayers’ dollars (pounds, if we’re being precise). While you might have seen a different outcome with different individuals, these two are dedicated to the people of their country and will be paying back the entire amount. You can read more information here.

Edible Landscaping

Edible landscaping? Sounds simply like the plants that you purposely add to your garden or your yard in order to supplement a healthy meal. Well, that’s no longer simply the case. In fact, more and more of landscaping schemes are becoming partially or fully edible. Flowers, plants, fruits, vegetables – you name it, it’s becoming the focus. There are many benefits associated. For one, you’re saving a lot of money at the grocers. For another, your landscaping’s aesthetic is even higher and more valuable. And finally, it’s a great habit and time well spent… either for you on your own, or for you and your children. Check out this link here.

15 Home Decor Trends

And as always, we must head to the inside of your humble abode. If for no other reason, then to remind you that teams like that of Victorian Foundation Repairs make sure that your interiors are as comfortable as possible. Ah, the above-mentioned New Year. 2020 will bring a dozen or more great techniques and trends to up-level your home and put it ahead of its game. Check out this list – no spoilers here – from Good Housekeeping.