Risa Gagner

    Home renovations are not for the faint of heart, and I speak from experience. My husband and I are currently living in the home we are renovating and this takes an extra-special kind of perseverance and teamwork. We have been home builders before, and we have also taken care of minor renovations in our previous residences, but this time our current home requires updating in every sense. By the time we are done almost every aspect of our home, both inside and outside, will have been renewed, refreshed, or restored. So why, why, WHY go through the hassle of living through demos, dust, perpetual mess, and things being shuffled from room to room?  

1. You love the neighbourhood.

Sometimes you are already living in your favourite neighbourhood but your home has become dated or the floorplan no longer meets your needs. Sometimes a simple refresh in style or making your square footage suit the stage of life you are in is worth the time and effort to stay where you are, and it usually saves you money in the long run. The kitchen, primary bedroom and ensuite are worth updating if you plan to live in your home for longer because these are the top three rooms where renovation money is seen as a great investment. Maybe you would like to remove or add a suite. Maybe you need a home office instead of a playroom. If you love your neighbours and love the street that you live on, then it is worth the effort to make your home fit and reflect your new stage of life. Save all the hidden costs of selling your home and buying somewhere else, and put those savings into your renovation fund.

2. Your older home needs to stay competitive in today’s market.

Our home was built in 1981, before hot water on demand, heat pumps, air conditioning, and surround sound was a thing. My husband and I know that we love these conveniences in a home, and that to remain comparable to new homes on the market down the road that we would be smart to put our house on equal footing by installing these upgrades. This is not the fun and glamorous part of a renovation. A lot of money goes into the hidden guts of your house that nobody really sees, but that every future buyer will wish for and expect. If you can, make the upgrades early on so that you can enjoy them yourselves for the years you are living there.

3. Rebates!

In an older home there are often areas where multiple inefficiencies are costing you money. Drafty windows cause heat loss during the winter months, generating a higher heating bill, and cause your HVAC system to work harder in the summer when cool air escapes. Older appliances were built to last forever but they usually consume much more energy to function. Window companies, solar energy suppliers, fireplace retrofitting, and energy-efficient heat pumps are often advertised with rebates to offset the purchase cost.

4. You understand the value of “sweat equity.”

My husband and I enjoy investing our time, labour, and skills instead of cash when it comes to increasing our property’s value. Obviously, there is no getting around the cost of hiring professional plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians when they are required. It is always cheaper to do something right the first time! I believe in obtaining permits for property renovations that require them. Still, there are so many ways we have contributed our muscle, creativity, and time into projects that will see a future return. We have scraped and resurfaced ceilings, painted rooms, installed flooring and trimwork, hung doors, tiled bathrooms, installed underground irrigation, and landscaped. We didn’t learn everything all at once, and we are perfectionists so it all takes time, but we work well together as a team and enjoy seeing the results of our own hard work. The extra money saved is a very happy side-product, too!

5. You have a good eye and know when a house has “good bones.”

Not everyone has an eye for detail or the ability to spot potential. Some people cannot see past a mess or a terrible paint colour or reimagine furniture placement. The house my husband and I bought last year sat on the market for a while. It was visibly dated with the “wrong” colours, outdated and mixmatched flooring choices, and old appliances. It was a mix of ‘80s and 90’s with an addition to the floorplan that left one specific room in the middle of the home wondering what exactly it was supposed to be! I am sure many prospective buyers saw it online and didn’t give it a second thought. On a boring Saturday I went to its Open House purely because there were only two in the area that day. I knew immediately when I walked into the house that it felt like “home.” Looking around, I saw that our creativity and hard work would have to be applied to every inch, but I knew it was a solid house on a beautiful street in an incredible neighbourhood. I could see the potential. The yard was stunning and the light was wonderful. I even knew exactly what to do with the weird room in the middle of the floorplan … and now my 9’ dining table looks like it was meant for that exact space.

There are so many unique neighbourhoods that make up the picturesque and ultra-livable area of Greater Victoria. There is literally not a bad cocktail in the bunch! What neighbhourhood/cocktail pairing would you make?!

It is THAT time of year again … when property owners around our province are finding envelopes from BC Assessment in their mailboxes and learning if the assessed values of their homes and land have changed significantly during last year’s cycle. Most property owners are concerned that their property taxes will increase along with an increase in assessed property value, but this is not automatically the case. We also share a concern when property values drop signifcantly. I recently attended Victoria Real Estate Board’s 2026 BC Assessment webinar and would like to share what I learned.

Our BC Assessments are determined July 1st of the previous year, and depend on the physical condition and permitted use of the property as of October 31st. A provincial mass appraisal system considers present use, both orginal cost and replacement cost, property location, a comparison of selling price of land and improvements with similar properties, revenue/rental value, and both functional and economic obsolescence of the current property. Such physical factors like size, age, condition and quality of any buildings and improvements, the shape and topography of the land, and the availability of services are also factored in. 

The basis for current market value is determined by the highest and best use of a property. Assessors must determine the answers to the following four questions: What is physically possible at this site considering location, geotechnical and slope variablities etc? What is legally permissable with respect to zoning bylaws, community plans, and restrictive covenants? What is financially feasible? What is the maximally productive use for the property? Depending on the class of property being assessed, one of three approaches to appraising its value will be used. For example, a direct comparison approach is used to appraise value for Single Family Dwellings based upon what similar properties have been recently selling for. An income approach to assessment is used to appraise commercial/industrial properties that generate income. Thirdly, a cost approach is used to assess those property types that don’t typically trade, such as airports and mills.

There are 9 property classes legislated in BC and assessed every year. Our property tax rates are set by bylaw each spring by our municipal taxing authorities and submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs for review. The property tax that is payable by property owners every July 1st is the assessed value of the property multiplied by its property tax rate. If your property’s value increases more than average compared to other properties in its property class, then likely your property taxes will also increase. If your property’s value change is lower than the average change for its property class, then your taxes are likely to decrease. If your property’s assessed value change is similar to the average change for its property class, then likely your taxes will not significantly change.

In 2025, the total property value of the assessment roll decreased 2.5% in British Columbia. The good news is that on Vancouver Island the total value of all property values assessed increased 1%. Assessment does change by community and on Vancouver Island both Single Family Dwellings and Strata Properties held pretty stable, between -5% to +5%. In Greater Victoria, Single Family Dwellings trended downwards a slight 1.2% on average. Currently, according to BC Assessment, the hot spots on Vancouver Island that saw the greatest increases in assessed property values are Uclelet (+5%), Zeballos (+5%), and Alert Bay (+7%). 

This interesting chart highlights the changes in the assessment values of single family homes by community in Greater Victoria.

Contact BC Assessment at 1-866-825-8322 to speak with someone about your property assessment concerns. You can also call your local BC Assessment Office by using the phone number printed on your Property Assessment Notice. Your assessment will be corrected if the appraiser is in agreement with you that an error was made. If your concerns are not satisfied then the next step is for you to file a written Notice of Complaint with your local BC Assessment Office to seek an independent review. This year, because January 31 falls on a weekend, the last date to submit your written request is February 2, 2026.

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