August is an interesting month. If you live in the southern hemisphere, you’re heading into warmer weather. And we bet that you’re ready for it. This was a particularly cold and wet one, with many just seeing storm and rainy day after storm and rainy day. First and foremost – don’t fret. We know that there are lots of ongoing conversations about climate change and what it means for us. What we know about our area(s) in particular, is that we’ve been spoiled the last ten to fifteen years, so honestly – we were probably overdue for a season like this one. That said, sun and hope are on the horizon. As are the favourite stories of the TFR Construction team that we aim to aggregate on a monthly scale. Sometimes they’re entertaining, sometimes they’re informative, we hope that they’re always engaging (bonus points if we hit all three). The common theme is that we’re thinking about your home and we’re thinking about ways to make it safe and comfortable. Both can be a challenge, but the TFR Construction team loves a good challenge. And we love sharing what we’ve learned with our readers – be them brand-new or old hat. Read on for more information:

Budgets are frequently not much fun. They take the design time, the maintenance time, the insurances that you’re adhering to them. All the while, you’re most likely having some degree of stress about what you’re doing and if your actions are affecting your personal bottom line. But they’re a necessary evil, right? Without budgets, we’d run amuck and never have any idea about the amount of money that we’re spending on certain things. Sometimes this is okay, but can you imagine the amount of people around the globe that just simply never check their bank accounts? It’s an astounding number. When it comes to your home, you definitely don’t want to mess with that. You could be caught in the crossfires of conversations with contractors, or you could come up short, when you haven’t thought through exactly what each part of your project may cost. Don’t worry, the TFR Construction team is on the case. And that’s why we found this article – one that we feel briefly outlines some of the best tips that you can have on-hand to build on a budget. It’s not easy and we know that. But we do hope that it’s worth it in the end. According to this article and to Barclay Mortgages, “The pandemic has turbo-charged some people’s ambitions to move into their dream property, with the popularity of large countryside homes and houses by the sea having surged. More than half (53%) of homeowners have brought forward their plans to find their ‘forever home’, according to Barclays Mortgages.” Some of the tips in this article are practical and others may take a bit of personal investment, but we promise that they’re all worth it. Check out this link for more information.

Oh, solid rock. The bane of our existence sometimes. It brings with it a host of different challenges, whether we’re installing a fence or a sport court (and many things in between). But sometimes it’s unavoidable, especially if you’re building a new home in an area where it simply happens to be the terrain. The terrain underneath your home is always something that you should think about because it’s not something that you can change (unless you have a tonne of money and time to think through all of the different impacts that may be possible)! We do run into it a lot and that’s why articles like this one are so important. Yes, it’s your job to know the ins and the outs of your property – especially before you sign on the dotted line. That said, it’s a lot of work and many decisions, so we’ll help you with this one. This article touches on the many opportunities and challenges when you’re building on solid rock. Here’s one that we’ve run into before, “Be sure to check the online map for the likelihood of radon. Blasting fractures rocks, which can funnel radon into your home. If you feel this might happen, you can deal with it fairly inexpensively using a passive radon collection and exhaust system.” They’re absolutely correct and this is great advice to follow, as is all of the other information in the article. Check it out and let us know if you have questions on this front, since it is something that we run into so frequently.

Finally, for today, we’re discussing a very important topic… house-hunting. Some people love it, some people hate it. But we’re guessing that if you’re doing it, it’s because it’s a necessary evil (ahem, passion) that you need to support. The TFR Construction team has heard dozens of stories about when this process has gone wrong. We’re guessing that you’ve seen a lot of them as well, given the influx of all of the shows associated. Let us know what some of your favourites are, but we love Fixer Upper, Property Brothers and Grand Designs. Keep checking back in to the TFR Construction blog, because we make it a point to share the shows that inspire us the most, every season. Regardless of what you’re watching, we know that there’s a vested interest in following the process of purchasing a home correctly. It’s hard, we know. But that’s why we’re here and that’s why we loved this article so much. You don’t want to make a snap decision, but you also do want to immediately be a homeowner. Well, there are alternatives. There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for an investment of this size, but you still have options. We’ll let you read the article in its entirety, but we love the idea of investing in a fixer-upper, buying a starter home or even just renovating your current home. It’s all possible, especially if you work with teams like ours. Here’s the full article.

Reach out to us with any questions!