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Best Countertop Store Victoria BC

Last year my best friends went through a massive renovation. They live in Saanich so the house was from the last 60’s. I lived there for a while back in 2006. It needed a reno back then bad.

But they only would have had the money to do about 35% of what they wanted. Instead they waited until last year when the time was right financially.

It was smart move. Their home looks like a million dollar dream home inside.

New hardwood floors, mouldings, and a brand new kitchen are some of the highlights. Especially the kitchen and the granite countertops they bought from Abstract Stone.

Abstract offers marble, quartz and granite. My friends choose a really nice black granite. They weren’t sure about this decision in the beginning because of how blemishes might show if they don’t care for them. But Brendan Carson the owner was very helpful and educated them on how to properly care and get the most out of their countertops.

I was just over there last weekend for a get together. I always marvel at what a fantastic job Brendan did cutting and fabricating their countertops. My friends are tough to please and they’re happy with how they turned out as they had some custom cuts and fabrication requirements.

But their needs were exceeded.

So if you’re looking for countertops in Victoria, check out Brendan at Abstract Stone on Glanford.

March 13, 2014 Home, Victoria Read more >

Who Is The Best Realtor In Victoria?

A few years back I was helping a friend trying to sell his home. He had bought back in 2002 and his home in Langford almost tripled on price.

He was well ahead of the curve buying out in Langford. I for one never saw that place grow like it did. I lived out there in 2000 and thought it was too dead. Boy was I wrong!

But my friend knew what he was doing. He saw that if the Greater Victoria area was going to grow, it could only grow north. Central Saanich has little in the way development and thus it’s not a very busy place.

The Westshore on the other hand was starting to grow and had plenty of land to be developed. Combine that with lots of big box retailers and the Westhore is booming.

Can you tell I’m bitter I didn’t buy at the time he did?

None the less he felt it was time to get out and that housing prices weren’t going to rise much of the next few years. So he’s going to buy land in the Mill Bay area in hopes of making a really large profit in 20 years.

However he was stuck in choosing a Victoria realtor. He’s lived in Victoria his whole life so he knows over 20 realtors. But he felt like finding someone he didn’t know.

So he asked for my help. I have the same issue. I know plenty of realtors. But we wanted  to look for someone new.

I suggested an old golfing friend of mine from back in my days as an assistant golf professional and Victoria Golf Club. Todd has always been great with people and even though he came from the golf world, he knows a lot about real estate.

My friend met with Todd once and was sold right away. He enjoyed how comforting, well connected and knowledgeable Todd was. This helped as him home sold in a matter of weeks. Mostly thanks to his large connection.

So if you’re looking for a realtor in Victoria, give Todd Mahovlich a call.

February 20, 2014 Home, Victoria Read more >

Who is the best used cars dealership in Victoria?

A few years ago I had an old Honda Accord. It was a great vehicle but it was old.

Like all old things it started to break down more and more. Then one day it finally really  broke down! I mean really broke down.

I had a big issue though, I was broke. I couldn’t buy anything else or fix it. So I rode my bike everywhere. This was good for my overall fitness as I lost a lot of weight.

But then last year something happened. I was riding my bike out of my driveway and as I glanced down at my gears, I ran into my neighbours car!

I smashed her taillight which cost me $100. I was pretty pissed and was getting frustrated with biking everywhere.

So I looked at my bank account and felt I had enough funds to buy a something from a used cars Victoria dealership. Like any person with a bike, I went straight to the internet and was happy to see lots of places had their stock online.

There are plenty of places to buy a vehicle from, but I went with Gold Star Auto Sales in Colwood. Harold, the owner, was great to me and worked well within my budget to find me a car that suited my needs.

I recommend them to any friend that’s looking for a used car in Victoria. That’s why I wanted to blog about it today. So check them out. They have all of their vehicle stock online for you to see and they answer emails promptly.

 

February 11, 2014 Auto, Victoria Read more >

What Are The Best Pubs In Victoria BC?

I love going out with friends. Especially in Victoria. There are so many pubs to choose from though. I can say that I usually go to the same five or six pubs.

Here’s a list of my favourite pubs to enjoy some food and drink at.

The Games Room At The Sticky Wicket

The Sticky Wicket has been around for ages. It’s a great place and that’s why it’s been able to last as long as it has.

Just recently they renovated the games room area of the pub. It looks a lot better and has a cool balcony where there are a few tables. You can pay darts up there and do some good people watching.

Bard and Banker Scottish Pub

Although the food is average here and the drink prices are the highest in the city, I still love the atmosphere this place provides. Walking into the main area reminds me of what the Titanic looked like. Lots of gold (or fake gold) light fixtures and staircases make it feel very elegant.

Most nights they have live music acts but hearing the voices of the patrons is enough to provide a lively atmosphere.

Canoe Brew Pub

Canoe Brew Pub (formerly Canoe Club) is another great atmosphere. It’s located in a very old building right on the Gorge. It has a huge pub area where live acts frequent the stage.

They probably provide the best pub food throughout the city. It also get’s special bonus points for having the best patio do drink and eat on during the summer.

The Beagle Pub

While the other pubs tend to be really big, the Beagle is very quant. It’s more of a local feel as it’s located in the heart of Cook Street Village. Lots of people live in the area and tend to stay around there to have drinks and food. Naturally the Beagle provides exactly what locals wants.

So there are is my list of the best pubs in Victoria BC.

What are your favourites?

 

January 29, 2014 Food, Victoria Read more >

The Best Doggy Day Care in Victoria provider

Logo LagreA few months back a close friend got a dog. However they didn’t think about the fact that during the days while him and his wife worked they would need someone to look after Snickers. Snickers is their dog name by the way.

So they went over their options. Leaving Snickers at home was an option but not a good one.

The other option was to look for Victoria Dog Day Care provider.

After heading to Google for a quick search they found a few businesses offering this service. They were overwhelmed with all the choices.

In the end they choose Ben Kersen and The Wonderdogs. Ben and his wife Nancy have been training dogs professionally for decades. They even train others who want to train dogs with their International Dog Training School.

They felt that Ben had such a great understanding of dogs. They figured his home and Doggy Day Care would give Snickers the best place to learn how to interact with other dogs and gain some training from Ben.

So not only did Ben help Snickers is his development, but he also helped my friends not have to worry about leaving Snickers at home and terrorizing the place.

The results have been great and Snickers is such a fun dog to play with. My friend and his wife feel at ease knowing that he has been well taken care of by Ben and Nancy.

And it’s with that being said I believe they are the best doggy day care provider in Victoria.

January 18, 2014 Uncategorized, Victoria Read more >

Best Victoria BC Dog Training company

I’m not a huge pet guy. But my old roommate owned a dog. It wasn’t very well behaved though.

After two weeks of living with her and her dog, I had to tell her she needed to get her dog trained. My sleep was lacking and the dog was annoying because it wouldn’t stop barking.

He thought about getting a dog training toy he saw online. After some reviews though he found that the cost was cheap but that you have to be there with the bog training itself. Since he worked a lot this wasn’t going to work as he had no time to train his dog.

His second option was to attend a Victoria BC Dog Training class. But the same issue arose when he thought about buying a dog training product online. He just didn’t have enough time in the day to go to the class.

Luckily Tomey K9 Services offers training sessions in the evening. Owner Dave knows that many people are busy during the days and that’s why he offers training sessions in the evening.

I had a chance to sit in on Dave’s training and was more then impressed. The results we’re impressive and fast. I was finally able to sleep during the nights and have friends over without having to worry about my roommates dog. This meant better overall work performance for me and a well trained dog for my roomie.

So if you need dog training in Victoria BC, be sure to check out Tomey K9 Services.

 

December 27, 2013 General, Victoria Read more >

Who Is the Best Victoria BC Insulation Contractor and Company

Last year my friends did a home renovation. The house is a late 1970’s.

I lived there for a year and half so I got to experience all of the seasons. In the summer the house was far too hot. Then in the winter it was too cold.

It was supper annoying. My friends knew this and did something about it last year.

They had a local company here in Victoria come in and do an energy audit. There were amazed to see how inefficient their home was.

Living in this city we are lucky to have not overly hot summers and not overly cold winters. But their house was not helping cool or heat their homes during the summer and winter.

Sure they could have bought a Victoria heat pumps from Red Blue Heating and Refrigeration. But that was more than they wanted to budget for. After all they were renovating the entire home. They spent a lot on having a company come in and refinish their hardwood floors. So the option of getting a heat pump wasn’t going to work.

In the end they decided they needed to improving the insulation in their home.

They then wanted to find out who the best insulation contractor in Victoria BC was.

Through some research they found that Victoria Insulation Systems was the best. Their pricing and quality was excellent.

Now when I go over to their house no matter if it’s summer or winter the temperature is far more consistent. Never too hot or never too cold.

That’s because they used blow in cellulose insulation. Cellulose is a plant fiber which is sprayed in the walls and roof cavities. It provides insulation and helps reduce noise along with reducing draught that can get into the home.

Unlike other insulations you spray it in so you can get a good amount of coverage in the walls or ceilings.

If blown in celluose sounds like something you’d like to try, please visit Victoria Insulation Systems’s website.

Victoria-Insulation-Contractors

December 19, 2013 Uncategorized, Victoria Read more >

Victoria BC Closet Organizers

If you’re like me, you hate walking into a closet with clothes scattered everywhere. It really bothers me. Especially when I can’t find a certain clothing piece or pair of shoes. Either because they’re misplaced or simply in a different closet because your bedroom one is so small.

Wouldn’t be nice to have all of your clothes nicely organized in one closet? Of course it would!

But no matter how long you spend on Pinterest or Google Images looking for ideas, there still comes the problem of actually creating that organized closet you desire. Do it yourselfer or not, sometimes it’s best to leave things to a closet organizing company.

I personally hire a professional whenever I can because I don’t like putting things together. I’d rather spend the money and not get stressed about putting something together.

So if you’re like me then you should give Mirage Closets a call. They specialize in custom designs for not only closets but pantries, offices and garages. They also know the home improvement industry as they are a division of Mirage Homes.

November 26, 2013 Home, Victoria Read more >

Best Coffee Shops in Victoria BC

You won’t find a chain like Tim Hortons or Starbucks in this list. Nope. Only the best local coffee shops based in Victoria BC.

I wouldn’t call my self a coffee drinker. But being in business I always meet clients over coffee. So I have been to my fair share of shops.

What follows in a list of my favourite. Remember that this is the coffee shop as a whole. Not a post on who has the best coffee in town.

Habit Coffee

I’m a huge fan of the Atrium location. Not just because I love that building, but I love the decor and layout. The decor shouldn’t work being as the Atrium is a very modern building. But it just does. Plus the large glass windows make it amazing for people watching.

Union Pacific

I am a sucker for modern architecture but I also love Victoria’s heritage and older buildings. Union Pacific is located in the design district of Victoria on Herald St in a beautiful building.

Wild Coffee

This place is another great spot for people watching. You can also get some nice afternoon sunshine. It’s quant and cozy which provides an intimate atmosphere.

As always, if I have missed your favourite or best coffee shop, post a comment below!

November 16, 2013 Uncategorized, Victoria Read more >

Best Golf Instructors in Victoria BC

Last week I arote about the best golf courses in Victoria. But what about being able to play those courses well? That’s what today’s post is about.

Having worked in the golf industry in Victoria for 10 years, I feel that I know who the  best Golf Instructors in Victoria are.

The golf professional community is tight knit. There are torunaments that happen throughout the year on the Vancouver Island Professional Tour. So everyone knows eachother and checks their ego at the door.

But no matter what, so teachers are better than others. And that’s what this post is about.

Although many instructors like Todd Mahovlich who has now become a Victoria Real Estate Agent have no moved on, there are still plenty of great teachers out there.

Here’s my list of the best in Victoria.

John Randle

John was an accomplished player growing up. He attended the University of Washington on a scholarship. He then played Professionaly on Tours all over the world. But now he shares his knowledge with golfers at Bear Mountain. The results don’t lie, ask anyone who has taken lessons from John and they will say how much their game improved.

Jeff Palmer

Jeff has travelled the world working in the industry and learning from some of the world’s top teaching instructors. Palmer’s approach to coaching his clients is a holistic one based on four main learning pillars: technique, dynamic motion, mental clarity and spiritual well being.

Arlen Wocknitz

Although his playing experience may not be as accoplished as John and Jeff, I saw first hand the amazing results Arlen achieved while working alongside him at Victoria Golf Club. His ability to work with a variety of students really stood out to me.

If you are looking for tips without seeing a golf coach in Victoria, check out my golf instruction blog.

October 22, 2013 Activities, Victoria Read more >