Taking the RENO Plunge???????

Are you thinking of taking the Renovation Plunge? I know I am. It looks real easy when I'm lying on the couch watching HGTV. But a safer and more thoughtful approach would be to attend one of the forums below. Get the facts before you start so you end up with a 'Divine Design' instead of a 'Holmes on Homes' disaster.

City offering home renovation forums

From April 20 to May 2, the City of Toronto is hosting free forums on home renovations. City staff and representatives from other organizations will cover a variety of topics, including:

• planning additions or alterations to your home
• permits and other approvals
• property standards
• healthy renovations
• fire safety
• energy efficiency
• water conservation incentive programs
• recycling construction materials
• heritage preservation
• financing
• working with contractors.

The forums will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on:

• Thursday, April 20 at Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.
• Monday, April 24 at the North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St.
• Tuesday, April 25 at the Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr.
• Thursday, April 27 at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall
• Friday, April 28 at the York Civic Centre, 2700 Eglinton Ave. W.
• Tuesday, May 2 at East York Collegiate, 650 Cosburn Ave.

To register, members of the public are asked to call Access Toronto at 416-338-0338. Further details are available at www.toronto.ca/reno.