What Makes A Holmes Approved Home Better? Mike Holmes I didn’t get to where I am by cutting corners. I’m not that kind of risk taker. And neither should you when it comes to your home. Buying a new home is exciting, but it also makes a lot of homeowners nervous. I don’t blame them--they’ve probably seen the horror stories.
And after working 30 years in the industry, believe me--I’ve seen more than my share too. Usually I get called in to fix a bad job, or to help homeowners that have been screwed by a contractor, or a home inspection that missed all the red flags. I’m used to this—it’s what I do. But when I get called to fix major problems in a house that’s only one or two years old, I’m really not happy.
A new home shouldn’t need big repairs. I remember when homes were built to last generations. People would buy their first home to raise a family in--and then eventually to grow old in. Now, many of them are already planning to move out before they’ve even moved in. What’s this mean? That turnover is fast. And when turnover is fast we lose focus on quality. Think about it. If you know you’re leaving a house after five years, would you care about durability? Longevity? Strength? No. You care about resale value. And what is resale value driven by most? The eye candy. The flashy finishes. Things like granite countertops, crown moulding, custom cabinetry, fancy bathroom and kitchen fixtures. Don’t get me wrong—I love this stuff too. Who doesn’t? But it’s all worth nothing if everything behind it, below it and above it is garbage.
Do you know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars—if not millions—in beautiful, state-of-the-art, custom finishes I’ve had to tear out and throw out because the structure behind it was mould infested, dangerous, or completely wrong? And that’s wasted material, wasted money, wasted time—one big waste. If what’s behind the surface is wrong, what’s on the surface will not last. That’s why I’m all about educating the homeowner. Teaching them ‘why’ instead of ‘how’. Why it’s better to invest in a stronger, protected foundation than in hardwood floors. Why you should care more about your home’s energy efficiency than it’s curb appeal—energy efficiency is the new curb appeal. The focus should be on making sure your home is airtight, watertight, and resistant to mould, moisture, termites, and even fire.
We have the right products, the right building methods, the right materials and the right builders to build homes right, from the ground up. We’re putting it all together in Holmes Approved Homes. A home built with PinkWood is mould, moisture, termite and even fire resistant. Walltite ECO spray foam and Roxul ComfortBatt insulation reduce drafts, reinforce the entire structure of your home, provide sound proofing, moisture proofing, and in some cases even fire proofing. Schluter® DITRA Underlayment keeps water away from the wood subfloor and locks tiles in place, so they won’t shift or crack.
My job is to minimize risk for homeowners and homebuyers. And that’s exactly what the Holmes Approved Homes program does. It makes it easy for homebuyers to find a new home they can trust. We give them the proof that it’s built right. Every Holmes Approved Home is inspected at least six times throughout its construction.
My fully trained Mike Holmes Inspectors document what they see, so you know exactly what’s behind your walls. The goal of the Holmes Approved Homes program is to push the industry forward, increasing the overall standard and quality of the homes we build. Partnering with reputable builders, we are building homes that are more durable, more energy efficient, more sustainable, and that maintain the overall health of the families living inside them.
As builders, we shape the world around us. We have a direct impact on the lives we touch. And that’s something all good contractors and builders think about every day on the job.