Home renovations are big business in Canada, outstripping even residential real estate transactions. EiEiHome.com has tapped into the flourishing home renovation industry by establishing a vast database of contractors and connecting them with Canadian consumers.
In its fifth year of operation, EiEiHome.com has built a critical mass of contractors, who advertise their business and services to potential clients in rural, mid and larger cities across the Canadian marketplace.
EiEiHome.com is one of the fastest growing online brands for consumers spending on home improvement and restoration in Canada.
EiEiHome.com Director of Sales & Marketing, Chris McDonald, told The Epoch Times that home renovations are a $70-billion industry in Canada—$20-billion more than Canadians spend on new home and condominium purchases every year.
“The renovation industry is at an all-time high in Canada,” said McDonald.
“EiEiHome.com is a fully interactive, content-driven website that lets homeowners search and connect to qualified and reliable contractors and home service professionals across Canada.”
Along with providing contractors with an effective way to reach new customers, EiEiHome.com offers features like logo display, video and portfolio uploads, page traffic monitoring, unlimited profile updates, Google Map links, and the ability to respond to clients’ reviews.
“Contractors can go online and register for free,” he said. “They can then choose to purchase additional features or links that really showcase their services to potential customers, like video or great before-and-after shots of their projects. Whether you’re a single contractor or a large business, we’re a very effective way to reach home and condo owners aged 25 to 60, looking to renovate or redecorate their residences.”
Customers also benefit from EiEiHome.com’s rating system and contractors reviews enabling them to make more informed choices when choosing their service provider.
It isn’t just the technological features available to contractors that has made EiEiHome.com a top choice for online renovation information. The site features helpful articles that are syndicated across various media such as The Epoch Times, Toronto Star, Metro, and The Toronto Sun.
“Our technology makes it a lot easier, cheaper and faster for consumers to renovate their homes, said McDonald. ”Our user experience is built for mobile, tablet and desktop, which is where people are going now to do their research. The trend is that 77 percent of people planning to do restorations go online first. They can literally turn their phones or keyboards into home renovation tools with EiEiHome.com. Not only is this more accessible, it’s also a more environmentally friendly way to do your project.”
McDonald attributes the home renovation boom to factors such as soaring real estate prices in Toronto and Vancouver, low interest rates, and home renovation shows like Property Brothers, Home to Win, and Love It or List It.
“The average person who buys a home in Canada spends close to $10,000 in renovations during their first year,” said McDonald. “Usually those are cosmetic renovations like painting, decorating and other minor repair or upgrade projects.”
“Renovation spending is also being fueled by very low interest rates, which enable consumers to use those savings to update their homes. Along with low rates, many people are choosing to stay in their current homes to avoid the cost of purchasing. They’re finding that when you add the cost of moving, land transfer taxes, and other expenses, it’s cheaper to update their current home. We’re here to help and make the renovation experience a positive one.”
EiEiHome maintains a strong social media presence with regular updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. It also publishes up to 10 weekly articles on everything from bathroom renovations to landscape design. EiEiHome.com is also busy forming strategic partnerships with other Canadian companies. For example, it’s developing an online contest for home renovators with a national supplier of home restoration supplies. “It’s a great contest that is all about creating a positive experience for our users. Prizes include gift cards for supplies and a relaxing five night stay at a Fairmont Hotel, so our winner can relax during the renovation, said McDonald. ”Another partner is All Canadian Self Storage, so while the contest winner is renovating their basement or room, they can put their furniture in storage.”
With the median price of detached homes in Toronto and Vancouver hovering around the million-dollar mark and showing no signs of abating, the home renovation boom is likely to continue to grow in major cities across Canada.
“This spending is a very important economic driver, accounting for 3.6 percent of the Canadian GDP—and growing,” said McDonald. “EiEi Homes is an important part of that trend and a really valuable service to renovators and contractors alike.”
Neil Sharma is a Toronto-based freelance journalist
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