There are a couple of things on the horizon that are going to affect homeowners looking to renovate.  The incoming British Columbia HST and the ending of the Federal Home Renovation Tax Credit (as of February 1, 2010) are going to negatively affect the cost of home renovations as well as the amount of money that you are able to claim in tax credits.  Ecowest is informing homeowners daily about these changes and is strongly encouraging anyone who is looking to renovate to do so this fall before these legislated changes take effect.

Aug 10, 2009 - The new Ecowest.ca site is launched!  Our previous site, though satisfactory, did not properly convey the kind of branding and messaging that we wanted.  We pride ourselves on delivering the best home renovation experience in the industry and our website needed to convey that commitment.  For many of our customers, the website is the first chance that we have to make a positive impression and to illustrate how we are different than every other renovation company in the Lower Mainland.

Our ultimate goal is to use our website to build, enhance and maintain relationships with our current and future customers. The following are some of the new features of our site that we hope you will enjoy:

As of March 30, 2009, the federal ecoENERGY program announced a 25% increase to the homeowner rebates offered for home renovations that improve energy efficiency. According to the ecoENERGY website, "as part of the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan, an additional $300 million is being invested in the ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes program. This will allow as many as 200,000 more homeowners to participate in the program over the next two years, generating an estimated $2.4 billion in economic activity across Canada."

Looking to do those home upgrades but concerned about the cost in the current economy?

January 28, 2009 - The federal government announced yesterday a new tax credit of 15% for up to $10,000 in home renovations, effective immediately. Add that to the federal and provincial grants for improving your home's energy efficiency and the savings you'll see in energy costs after a home upgrade, and you'll agree that now is the time to get those renovations done!  Here are a few links that talk about this and other exciting programs that can help homeowners save thousands of dollars: