Renovations are a $74-billion business in Canada; it’s no wonder they make up a significant chunk of the entries in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Housing Design Awards.
And if you’re a fan of assessing renovation projects, here’s your chance to choose your favourite. A popular category in the annual awards program is the Ottawa Citizen People’s Choice Award. It’s voted on by the public in a series of rounds that narrow down the 184 finalists to a shortlist from which voters choose a winner.
What am I voting on?
Ultimately, you’re helping to choose what is the most popular or appealing project to the public. Entries range from new homes to renovations, to kitchens, bathrooms, basements, outdoor spaces and more.
How do I vote?
Because there are so many projects to choose from, voting is done in five preliminary rounds, grouped into related categories, with the top choices in each of those rounds making up the contenders in a final round of voting that coincides with the Ottawa Fall Home Show at the end of September.
Voting is done online with five days set aside for each round, from 9 a.m. Wednesdays to 11:59 p.m. Sundays. You’re encouraged to vote in each round.
Here’s a schedule of voting times and categories for the preliminary rounds:
Aug. 22-26: production homes, condos and the green production home of the year
Aug. 29-Sept. 2: custom homes and the green custom home of the year
Sept. 5-9: renovations and housing details
Sept. 12-16: bathrooms
Sept. 19-23: kitchens
Sept. 26-30: final voting
For the final round to choose the ultimate winner, voting can be done either online or in person at the home show. Awards for the People’s Choice and all other categories will be announced at a gala in October.
Housing details and whole home renovations are among the 11 categories and 39 finalists vying for your vote in this round. Here’s a sampling:
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