Everyone wants a warm and cozy home during the cold winter months. However, no one wants to deal with the reality of the high-energy costs.

Here are 5 ways you can reduce your heating bill this winter:

1. Turn the thermostat down

One of the eaiests ways to reduce your heating bill is by turning down the thermostat to 20 degrees, by doing so you can save up to 4%. 20 degrees might seem a little cold but after some time you will get used to it. It has also been proven that sleeping in colder temperatures is better for your body.

2. Use your ceiling fan

Most people only think about turning on the ceiling fan once it gets really warm out. However, if you were to reverse the switch so the fan was to blow upward instead of down, the hot air will come down and circulate more efficiently.

3. Let the sun shine in

Believe it or not, opening the curtains of south facing windows can help give your home a heat boost. Once the sun goes down be sure to close your curtains in order to keep the heat you acquired from escaping.

4. Limit the use of kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans

When using kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans not only do they pull out the unwanted smells and smoke, but they also pull out the wanted heat. Try and limit the use of these fans only when really necessary.

5. Bundle up!

This one might seem like a no brainer but… bundle up even when indoors! Bundling up isn’t only for the outdoors; make sure to wear socks and warm sweaters all day long. Snuggling up on the sofa with a blanket when watching a movie is also a great way to stay warm during cold winters.

It’s time to cozy up! Fall is here and Winter is quickly approaching .

You what that means- a lot more cold nights warming up at home!

That is why Modular Home Addition is showcasing at Toronto’s Fall Home Show 2014 ! It is the perfect everything-to-do-with-homes exhibition that cocktails inspirations and information for creating an ideal hibernating escape. Find out the coziest and most efficient ways to renovated your home to protect you and yours from the chilly, and often unpredictable, Toronto weather.

Here is the 411 on this 5 day exhibition of home sense, fun and renovations and exactly where to find Modular Homes Additions:

Toronto Fall Home Show 2014
Modular Home Addtion’s Booth – #1040
Thursday, September 18 ^th to Sunday, September 21 ^st

The Exhibition Place, Better Living Centre

It’s time to give your house a little lift, a little nip, a little tuck and voila! It’s back to life again!

Remodel your house into a place that welcomes your guests in, and leaves them talking about all those little details that they wish they thought of first… after they are out!

Here are some ideas to remodel your home into a place that is worth remembering :

Stairs for the Novelists!

“Harry Potter – Inspired Book Nook”

Add space into your house by building in a little reading nook under your staircase. A perfect little corner in your house that you can have all to yourself!

https://brooklynberrydesigns.com/under-the-stairs-play-rooms-and-reading-nooks/

http://itsyourho.me/2013/11/27/understairs-reading-nook-pittsburgh-pennsylvania/

“Walk down a Library”

Embrace your inner nerd by “decorating” your stairs with all the novels your have read and plan to read. It looks like décor on the outside, but on the inside it is your own reading trophies!

http://halou.me/incredible-bookcases

https://www.decoist.com/2012-10-19/40-under-stairs-storage-space-and-shelf-ideas-to-maximize-your-interiors-in-style/

Kitchen’s that Go Against the Norm

“Go Verticle”

There is a standard- go against it! Rather than remodeling your kitchen cabinets horizonatally with cupboards that open out, build in dual-access cabinets that slide out! That way you have access to all the goodies inside and it appeals to the splendid eye for its modern touch!

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/23/5a/14/235a1434fe26615436aaab2bc0415116.jpg

“Counter-space additions”

Fighting over counter space? Add a little and make a big difference! A sliding counter-space is your kitchen’s knight in shinning marble!

http://i.pinimg.com/originals/23/5a/14/235a1434fe26615436aaab2bc0415116.jpg

Floor additions… Inside the house!

Turn that extra open space you have on top of your stairs into a playroom or yoga space! By adding a floor on top of those stairs, you open up more domestic opportunities. You can do more with your home than you know!

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-after-from-ceiling-space-to-playroom-183004

Those are some intricate and fun ideas that Modular can help make happen!

Happy Remodeling!

Jose and Tanya Costa, and their 12 children, celebrate their official move-in today!

Today marks a special day for the Costa family where they take their first official steps into their new built home.

Modular Homes is happy to be a part of this pro-bono project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity GTA.

Building this new home for this lovely family of 14 has been touching and rewarding! Their long awaited home is now echoing with their heart-melting smiles and laughter.

We wish the Costa family a future home that is warm and filled with love – just as we have intended it to be as we build it!

Habitat Partner Family of 14 open the doors to their new home and a brighter future

Toronto, ON – On July 30, 2014, Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (Habitat GTA), in partnership with Modular Homes, will celebrate the completion of the Costa family home by presenting the family of 14, with keys to their new home located at 828 Runnymede Road, near Jane St. and St. Clair Avenue West, in the Runnymede area of Toronto.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jose, Tanya and their children into their new home and community,” says Ene Underwood, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area. “Homeownership will now allow the Costa family to provide a stable, loving environment for their family.”

Jose and Tanya Costa can’t lay claim to monetary abundance, but consider themselves rich with 12 children. However for Jose and Tanya, providing for their family, including four children under the age of twelve with special needs due to autism, has been a challenge. Since Jose immigrated to Canada from Portugal, and Tanya for the U.S.A, the two have worked tirelessly to provide for their family. The main problem is, their house is falling down around them. While they were willing to move, they didn’t know of any other place that would take them. For a family of 14, renting is not easy.

“Purchasing a Habitat home will change all of our futures. We will not only have a home of our own, but we will continue contributing to Habitat’s mission by helping build homes for other families in need of a better future.”

Through the support of corporate sponsors, Habitat GTA was able to provide this affordable home with the donation of the exterior of the home by Modular Homes. Habitat GTA volunteers then completed the interior and landscaping of the home.

Event Schedule

What:	828 Runnymede Rd Home Dedication
Who:	Habitat for Humanity GTA, Modular Homes, and the Costa Family
When:	July 30, 2014, 10:00 a.m.
Where:	828 Runnymede (Jane St. and St. Clair Avenue West)

***MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND AND INTERVIEWS WILL BE AVAILABLE***

Please visit habitatgta.ca for more information on Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area.

For more information or media requests, please contact:

Melissa Grosser

Charming Media

416-294-5499

melissa@charmingmedia.ca

Wine- connoisseur or not, this is a wonderful idea! Just remove the middle plank and insert a trough. Then fill it up with ice and loosely spread the bottles throughout! This is a wonderful way to keep the bottles chilled while adding that intricate detail to your picnic table.

Credit Idea and Photo: http://easydecorho.me/2013/10/22/remove-the-middle-plank-of-a-picnic-table-insert-with-a-trough-and-fill-with-ice-for-chilled-bottles-not-for-wine-in-my-family-but-would-be-great/

Sub a kitchen painting for a Mug Shelf! Looks great, welcoming and your guests will love it!

Credit Idea and photo: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/06/75/ce/0675cec19d4c1cb70d0e495fa1bd8d64.jpg

Fill up your stairs! Add some of your own personality to your modern stairs by filling them up with all your favourite books, magazines, records, and whatever else your heart desires!

Credit Photos and Ideas:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/284008320224106714/

Lights in a Bottle! Don’t throw away those after-party bottles- keep the party going! Add lights into those bottles for an added inviting vibe to your parties and get-togethers.

Credit Photo and Idea: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/455356212317420287/

Or do the same in Jars! Here is an idea for Patio Lanterns:

Credit Photo and Idea:

https://www.etsy.com/in-en/listing/52651300/mason-jar-party-lights-diy-lantern?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=pagetools&utm_campaign=share

Coffee Table… Or is it? Here are some vintage ideas for coffee tables:

A Window!

Credit Idea and Photo: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/193725221444066385/

Crates for a coffee table!

Credit Idea and Photo:

https://www.musely.com/tips/coffee-table-idea-using-crates/4431587

It is an abomination! So many options, but which contractor to choose?

Is a Modular Home Renovation really better?

Quick answer is- Yes. Three reasons:

1. Speed
2. Flexibility
3. Control

Extended explanation:

Modular Home prides itself on its ability to add a second floor to your home within 3 days. How is this possible? The wonder of being “modular” is that most of the parts to your home additions are already made and ready to be assembled when it arrives at your home. Walls – pre-made. Windows- built in. Roof- pre-made. Floors– ready and waiting. With most of the home structural components stored at our Toronto warehouses and with all the preplanning in the works, you can expect to settle into your humble abode in 3 days time!

Lets expand on the concept of “preplanning.” This application allows for your dream home to come true! As a “modular” it is not limited to any static ready-made structural systems. Structural flexibility is viable. Only after collaborating and planning closely with you, the pre-building and ready to assemble modular systems are developed to best suit your home needs. This significantly reduces stress, headaches, and countless issues that tend to occur with new homes or renovations.

Modular’s “One Stop Reno Shop” exemplifies how much we value preplanning. It is our approach for planning while providing you with the complete control and awareness of incurred costs. We work closely with you in developing the design to any of your home additions, where all costs are carefully calculated and outlined for you prior to the additions. For added control and comfort, we provide accurately written quotes and ensure that all regulation and permits are arranged prior to construction. To add to that sundae, the cherry on top is our membership to the “BILD – RENO MARK” professional association. That ensures that in working with us you are guaranteed a 2-year warranty on all structural work!

You have finally decided you want to add a second story to your bungalow, or add an extended addition to your home, where you find yourself overwhelmed with concerns and questions such as:

What do I need to consider?

How much will this cost?

How long will it take?

Must I find a temp-residence to hide away from all the construction?

Modular Home Additions provides you with a free consultation to construct a quote with a detailed report. It will outline all the tasks and cost you can expect with builing your dream and unique home addition.

The wonderfully convenient property of our service is that it is modular, therefore it is like putting Lego pieces together. Once you have decided to top up your house, you must apply for a permit, which we take care of, and once it’s issued the Lego pieces come together.

Everything is done offsite therefore you get to live inside your house. As you live in your home, you can watch the modular pieces being put together within about 3 days. That’s right, within 3 days you can have a 2 ^nd floor built and ready to live in!

Construction time is reduced because of our pre-construction which already covers over 50% of your home. With the walls, windows, floors, doors, and roof prepared in our Toronto factories, it is just a matter of putting all of your dream home addition pieces together.

Revamping, adding and constructing to your exiting home does not have to be a headache. Put the paranoia away and let us show you how to make your dream home additions come true within days with our free consultation.

More questions? We’d love to chat! Give us a call at 416-759-4663!

We want to thank Matt Gurnery of the National Post for this wonderful feature on Modular Home Additions this week! We are honoured!

“Modularization….is a different process. The components are still made rapidly inside large facilities (like the one I arrived at unannounced), with machine precision and in climate controlled environments, with all the attendant advantages of speed, quality and cost effectiveness. Waste is minimized, energy saved, and safety enhanced” To read the full article, please click here !

Thank you again to Matt Guerny!

Yesterday’s event was nothing less than a touching and memorable way to set the course for Spring and the upcoming warmer months. The Costa family, in our pro-bono project for building this wonderful family a new home, greeted Modular Home Additions with high gratitude and appreciation.

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (HFH DTA), we have marked the beginning of constructing its largest home to date. A family of 14 that previously lived in a five-bedroom home with only one washroom, now eager and relieved to finally reside in a new beautiful house of 8-bedrooms within their budget.

Jose and Tanya Costa, with their 12 children, each wore hats with the Modular Home Additions logo proudly as Habitat GTA welcomed them while announcing all the wonderful new features their home and community will hold. Media also gathered for the event to celebrate the wonderful occassion!

Now more so than before, we look forward to building this new home for this touching family. After seeing at face value how wide-eyed, eager, and blissfully happy each of the 14 family members were as they absorbed the skeletal view of the house, leaving to their imagination as to what the final product will look like, we are confident to making their dreams turn into their reality!