Bonneville Homes Build: A Behind the Scenes Look
Before any of our events open, there’s a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into making these shows the ones you know and love. For starters, the GTA Home & Reno Show presented by RE/MAX and the National Home Show presented by RE/MAX and co-located with Canada Blooms have a full home built in less than a week. This year for both events we’re working with Bonneville Homes to build an amazing home tour which we are excited to share with you at the show. But before that, let’s geek out and take a closer look at exactly how these homes are put together—it’s a very interesting process!
The Planning
Several months before each Show we choose a builder based on renderings and the ability to work within the tight timelines of each event. Once the builder has been chosen we receive engineered drawings that are presented to the city to obtain a building permit. The sequence of events and timing is key to a successful show opening and we must ensure that that all products, material and labour arrives exactly on time. Any deviation in the supply chain will have major negative affects on each subsequent step.
Before the house gets moved from Bonneville headquarters in Quebec to the GTA a police escort must be arranged with backup plans for and inclement weather conditions. All material handling equipment must be prearranged including forklifts, overhead crane, if required, and boom trucks. All skilled trades must be reserved through the appropriate labour unions including carpenters, drywaller’s, painters, and electricians.
Meanwhile at Bonneville Homes…
In order for the home to be built accurately, every single detail has to be checked and double checked—the door widths of the building, the ceiling heights, fire exits. Bonneville Homes takes this information and starts building the home in their factory by hand. The building process takes around 7 – 10 days to complete.
Building at the factory makes it a quicker process once it arrives at the Show to put together. It’s also a quicker process in general to build a home from scratch this way. Since the majority of the build is in a temperature controlled facility there isn’t as much hold up during the winter months to get major building completed. Read a little more about the Bonneville Homes here!
Before the house is ready to leave, electrical and plumbing are installed into the walls. The home is now 80% complete, and ready to leave the factory. It’s wrapped, placed on a truck, and shipped off to the shows! Onsite the final 20% of the build will occur, these are things like mudding, taping, and painting.
Moving the Home into the show!
Temporary construction fencing and scaffolding have to be put installed as well as other necessary safety precautions. Once we start building, the team will often go 24 hours a day for 6 days straight at the GTA Home & Reno Show, and 9 days straight at the National Home Show. During this time material will arrive as required including landscaping material and all of the furnishings and finishes to create the Home.
Landscaping, furniture, design, oh my!
This is the category in which you know best, it’s the final stages of getting the Bonneville Home all dressed up and ready to show! There’s still a lot of heavy lifting that happens in this stage, literally, patio stones aren’t light…
The landscaper will require bobcats, stone, sand, mulch, and all plant material to make the home as fabulous on the outside as it will be on the inside. Several elements of design are always included to maximize outdoor living. The landscaper works very closely with us to ensure clear exits as well as crowd control.
The Interior Design team is always close by waiting for the moment that they can get inside and turn the home into a masterpiece. The design team works with the builder to maximize feature home experience! Every single tile, faucet, appliance, and furniture that was decided well in advance is now ready to be installed.
The Final Stages
Now that we’ve walked you through a Show Home build it’s time for you to visit one of our upcoming shows to see the final home on display! The next time you tour a home at our shows you’ll have a better idea of just how much work goes into completing the home on time for show opening.
Learn more about the ‘Axelle’ Bonneville Home which will be on display at the GTA Home & Reno Show presented by RE/MAX (Feb. 16 – 19, 2018) landscaped by Curb Appeal Concepts, and furnished by Leon’s.
Learn more about the “Angeline’ Bonneville Home which will be on display at the National Home Show presented by RE/MAX and co-located with Canada Blooms (Mar. 9 – 18, 2018), landscaped by Curb Appeal Concepts, and designed by Bedfordbrooks Design.
See you at the show!
