Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADT (NYSE: ADT), a leading provider of security, automation, and smart home solutions serving consumer and business customers in the United States, has partnered with twin TV hosts and designers Drew and Jonathan Scott, to deliver a home makeover to a deserving family. Today, ADT announced that the Moffitt family of Southern California will receive a $250,000 home makeover from ADT, designed by the Scott brothers, along with a professionally installed ADT smart home security system.

The Moffitts entered the ADT Pass the Protection contest that asked families to share what they wanted to protect and why for the chance to win a home makeover and ADT smart home security system. Grand-prize winners Jeff and Amber Moffitt are parents to six children, including three adopted children, two of whom have special needs and require round-the-clock care. The challenges of raising six children amid the ongoing pandemic were made more difficult when the Moffitts were forced to evacuate their home earlier this year, on account of the earthquakes that struck Southern California. After sharing their incredible story in their entry, ADT and the Scott Brothers partnered to assist them in a redesign of their home, which will include expanding their kitchen to fully accommodate their family and converting their garage into a therapy space.

Along with the home renovation, the Moffitts will receive a professionally installed ADT Command & Control smart home security system that includes indoor and outdoor cameras, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a video doorbell, and smart lock. The smart home functions and ADT Control app will help provide the Moffitts with greater security and peace of mind. The family will also receive three years of ADT professional monitoring and home automation services.

Jeff and Amber are such a wonderful and selfless couple, and working with ADT to surprise this deserving family has been incredible, Drew Scott said. Collaborating with the entire family to help design a house that will give them much-needed extra space, including a therapy room, makes this project extra-special, Jonathan Scott added.

Drew and Jonathan surprised the family via a virtual video reveal and visited their home in-person to do a walkthrough and finalize the renovation plans.

We are beyond excited to be selected as the winners and the kids are over the moon - especially about the therapy room, Jeff Moffitt said. We cant thank ADT and Drew and Jonathan Scott enough for giving us the house of our dreams when we needed it most, Amber Moffitt added.

The Moffitts story is one of resilience and compassion and good news when we need it most, said Shannon Hendrickson, Vice President of Marketing at ADT. We are delighted that ADT could partner with the Scott Brothers to give the Moffitt family a home makeover and an ADT smart home security system to help their family stay healthy and secure in a space that meets their needs.

To follow the Moffitts renovation journey, go to https://www.adt.com/passtheprotection.

About ADTADT is a leading provider of security, automation, and smart home solutions serving consumer and business customers through more than 300 locations, 9 owned and operated monitoring centers, and the largest network of security professionals in the United States. The company offers many ways to help protect customers by delivering lifestyle-driven solutions via professionally installed, do-it-yourself, mobile, and digital-based offerings for residential, small business, and larger commercial customers. For more information, please visit http://www.adt.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

ADT Media RelationsPaul Wiseman561-356-6388paulwiseman@adt.com

See original here:
ADT and the Scott Brothers to Provide Home Makeover to Deserving Family - GlobeNewswire

The Cal-Wood fire in Boulder County destroyed at least 20 homes on Saturday and damaged two more.

County officials on Sunday released the addresses of the homes that were destroyed and damaged. Weve mapped them below so you can better understand the fires toll.

MORE: She thought the evacuation was a precaution. Then the Cal-Wood fire erased her familys Boulder County home.

Nearly 9,000 acres burned and thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as the fire raced down Lefthand Canyon from near the Cal-Wood Education Center near Jamestown on Saturday afternoon.

In addition to the houses and two undeveloped lots destroyed in neighborhoods north of Lefthand Canyon Road, two privately owned structures burned near Heil Valley Ranch, a Boulder County Open Space property popular with mountain bikers.

The Cal-Wood fire is the largest by acreage recorded in Boulder County history.

Heres a look at the burn area:

Support local journalism around the state.Become a member of The Colorado Sun today!

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We've mapped out the 22 homes that were destroyed or damaged by the Cal-Wood fire - The Colorado Sun

Like a kind of Grand Designs with more trips to the library, Restoration Australia has returned for another season of genteel Victorian houses, crumbling cottages and rambling pastoral homesteads, and the brave (or foolish) homeowners working to rescue them.

Hosted by architect Stuart Harrison, its easily watchable, occasionally delightful television. We root for the country husband-and-wife teams who roll up their sleeves to give old beauties some TLC. We cringe when hubris or inexperience leads to baffling misses, like last seasons stainless steel mesh cocoon. We revel in millennial renter schadenfreude when unexpected structural issues start to bleed money, and nod knowingly at a well-restored wrought iron veranda (having learnt about the intricacies of Italianate motifs moments earlier).

But the limitations of its historical inquiry can sometimes prove frustrating. Series three began earlier this month in fraught territory: Milton Terrace, an 1879 townhouse in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge bought for $4.2m in 2015 as part of the Baird governments controversial sell-off of harbourside public housing. We now watch its new property developer owners spend millions more turning several spartan, subdivided government housing flats into one four-storey slice of Mayfair-inspired global glam.

The protests that greeted the sale and evictions are briefly addressed by the show, but like in The Blocks 2018 overhaul of St Kildas Gatwick hotel, the grim subtexts of gentrification and inequality are largely sidestepped. Offsite, Harrison meets with historians and heritage experts who fill us in on the buildings past, from the merchant whose original 1820s residence was subsumed into the Victorian-era terrace, to the 1900 plague outbreak that first prompted the government to take ownership.

But what about the stories we dont hear? We are invited to marvel at the giant sandstone blocks of Milton Terraces ground-floor kitchen an iconic feature of colonial Sydney architecture but are stopped short of reflecting on the transformative effect such quarrying, building and occupation had on the land and life of the Gadigal nation. How Sydney Harbour, ground zero of British colonisation, was once dotted with giant shell middens that were ground up and fired to create the lime mortar holding many of those sandstone building blocks together. Its bitterly poignant to consider the heritage that was torn up and built over to create the two centuries of colonial heritage now protected by reams of planning restrictions and passionate community advocacy.

Last Sundays episode descends on an 1876 home in Inverell, New South Wales: a postcard-pretty country town full of handsome old buildings that mirror the economic windfalls of 19th and 20th century mining and agriculture booms. But would it also be worth noting that it sits half an hour down the road from the site of the Myall Creek Massacre? Its a footnote that adds an important, if painful context: the mineral and pastoral wealth that gave rise to the towns charming architecture were made possible by violent dispossession just a few decades earlier.

The program has showed it is capable of tackling these issues at least to an extent. In season two, a secluded Tasmanian property dubbed Hunting Ground is found to have been named for the mobs of kangaroos that once thrived there. As a curator at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery tells viewers, such abundance which had been embraced by settlers seeking food was no accident, but the result of years of fire stick-burning by the valleys First Nations people. We dont find out what became of them.

There is also another, broader undercurrent to the celebration of built heritage: in this country, it has long been used as a symbol of civilisation and tool of colonisation, with the supposed absence of permanent structures pre-settlement held up as evidence of terra nullius. Of course, its now accepted that this is a convenient and Eurocentric myth, laying the groundwork for what Bruce Pascoe describes as colonial amnesia. And there are certainly efforts to explore and revive Aboriginal architecture today a contemporary recreation of historical winter dwellings from south-east Australia by Wiradjuri architect Samantha Rich and Kaurna artist James Tylor is currently showing as part of Canberras public art biennial Contour 556 and DESIGN festival.

Throughout the series, Harrison and the shows subjects reflect on the idea that these restorations arent just a private act of improving ones real estate investment, but a kind of public service and contribution to their community. I would tend to agree but set against the sidelining of Juukan Gorge and the Djab Wurrung Embassy (to name just two well-known examples), one cant help but be reminded that even in 2020 there remains a disconnect in this country over the kinds of heritage we value and protect.

Such a reckoning is a lot to ask of Sunday night light entertainment, and questions of sovereignty might be straight up incompatible with any show tied up in Australias 21st century real estate culture. But by stopping short of this bigger picture, theres a risk that its more than just the walls scoring a fresh coat of whitewash.

See more here:
Restoration Australia: an easy watch about heritage glow-ups or another coat of whitewash? - The Guardian

(Twitch/TheDadGaming)

Welcome to the club.

Its the first message that greets you upon visiting The Dad, a nod of acknowledgment that may seem like little more than a cool tagline that is, until you realize what being a member of the club actually means. Being a dad is an experience like no other. Its beautiful and stressful and exciting and exhausting all at once. It comes with challenges that only other dads can understand. Being a member of the club means being surrounded by people like you, and people very unlike you but with one important thing in common: fatherhood. It doesnt take long to realize just how deeply members of The Dad community care for each other, and that level of support extends far beyond things strictly related to fatherhood. When a member of our community celebrates, we all celebrate. If one of us needs help, the response is so enormous its almost deafening. And when we experience a tragedy, we mourn together.

On October 7, one of our own tragically passed away. RJ Barry was a father, gamer, and a valuable member of The Dad Gamings Rocket League community. RJ loved playing Rocket League and Call of Duty, racing 4 wheelers, skateboarding, but most importantly, the 29-year-old loved his friends and family. Particularly, his daughter Vivian.

The loss of RJ hit The Dads gaming community hard RJ had been an active member of The Dads Rocket League group since February, participating in weekly Tuesday game nights and befriending dads around the world. RJ was a skilled gamer, regularly making the playoffs and winning tournaments. But more importantly, RJ was a great friend and an amazing dad.

Jon Melo was just one dad who RJ befriended through The Dads Rocket League group, as the two dads played regularly on the same team (and somehow, lost regularly on the same team). Of course, the one week the two separated, both made the semi-finals before RJs team went on to win the tournament. We always said were going to win it together, Melo recalled.

Honestly I cant say enough about him, Melo said. He just was such an easy-going person and always there to listen to you if you needed someone. A lot of dads on here would say he was one loving outgoing fun guy to play with and was always positive.

But for gamer friends and non-gamer friends of RJ, there was one constant: That man loves his daughter and he would do anything for her, Melo concluded.

The loss of RJ left gamer dads near and far both shocked and saddened. But with the enormous grief that came with the RJs passing came something beautiful a community coming together to mourn and celebrate the life of a friend.

A post shared by Garrett Van Ginkel, The Dad Gaming Rocket Leagues admin highlighted the true nature of what it means to be a member of The Club. Its about far more than gaming and memes its about having a place to celebrate lifes wins and grieve lifes losses, and never having to do either alone.

Garretts touching post explained how after RJs passing, members of the community came together to honor their fallen teammate. Together, the group came up with ideas to honor RJ, who played by the name Tartarus. We will be holding a 1 minute moment of silence at kick off of the first round of play, Garrett explained.

During the moment of silence, each team of 3 loaded in with only 2 players to symbolize that we were all missing a player, Garrett told The Dad.

And silently, beautifully, the incomplete teams paid their respects.

We are permanently retiring Team 21, Garrett continued. It was a common team for him to be on due to his rank, and it was the last team he played for in our tournaments. Moving forward, it will be known as Team Tartarus.

Watch the moment of silence:

The group even moved their efforts outside the confines of the internet. Garrett explained, I have set up a PayPal account to take donations for his daughter Vivian and his family. We will be promoting it on stream during the tournament, and have it displayed on the overlays so anyone that tunes in will see it. Once all donations are in, I will personally write a check to his family for the full amount in the PayPal account. The email address to donate is: [emailprotected]

As dads, we want nothing more than to be there for our kids, to take care of them. In RJs memory, the group is collecting money which will go to a trust in Vivians name. Though the trust will provide financial assistance to Vivian one day, it represents so much more than money its emblematic of the true nature of being a dad. If theres a problem, you try to fix it. If you cant fix it, you do everything you can to help, and you do it with a whole lot of love.

RJ will be forever missed by both his friends and family, but he will always be remembered and he will always be a member of The Club.

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Couple Finds Century-Old Bootleg Whiskey in Walls During Home Renovation - The Dad

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NEW BERLIN (CBS 58) --The annual NARI Home & Remodeling Show will be slightly smaller this year as the coronavirus pandemic keeps more people at home and interested in making improvements.

NARI Milwaukee is hosting its home and remodeling show Oct. 16-18 at State Fair Park. Around 70 NARI Milwaukee members will host exhibit booths. Last year, more than 100 members staffed exhibit booths. The home and remodeling show has exhibitors for all types of remodeling and home improvement products and services.

Were excited to connect homeowners who are eager to get their home improvements underway with local contractors. By hosting a safe and accessible show, were helping reopen the economy and support area small businesses, said Diane Welhouse, executive director of NARI Milwaukee, in a news release. Nearly 80% of our members are small businesses with fewer than 10 employees so the annual show is important to them.

With people staying at home more during the pandemic, NARI members have said that business is good even though some segments of the economy are seeing significant declines as a result of COVID's effect on business.

Todays home is working overtime as adults and children are using it as their restaurant, office, classroom, entertainment spot and vacation destination, Welhouse said in the release. NARI Milwaukee members report many homeowners are looking to improve, repurpose and expand their space due to these increased demands.

The show will have a limited capacity with one-way aisles to enforce social distancing. All exhibitors and attendees will be required to wear face coverings, in compliance with a statewide mask mandate.

I had the chance to speak with Michael Maples, general manger of "Renovations Group" out of Hartland. He took me on a tour at a home in New Berlin.The houserecently underwent a major renovation project, including an 1100 square-foot addition, raised roof, and new kitchen cabinetry. Maples says the upcoming NARI show is invaluable. It's a way to ask the experts to help you formulate a plan. But he says you need to do some research before you attend. You should know what your budget is along with a general idea of what you're wanting.

For all the information about this weekend's NARI Home & Remodeling Show, just click here. Keep in mind there are some COVID restrictions you need to know about before you show up to the event.

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This weekend's NARI Home & Remodeling Show a good tool to tackle renovation projects - WDJT

The Building Industry Association (BIA) of Clark Countys Remodeled Homes Tour looks a little different this year. With the COVID-19 pandemic at the forefront of the communitys mind, the BIA Remodeled Homes Tour is coming to Clark County in a virtual fashion complete with pandemic inspired renovations, lending tips and more.

We really wanted to show up for the community this year, Chair of the Remodeled Homes Tour Elizabeth Gomez said. A lot of people like to tour homes and get inspired...so we decided to do a virtual edition of the tour this year.

Starting on Thursday, Oct. 15, and continuing through Nov. 1, the BIA of Clark County will release remodeling videos for free to their website and social media pages. The remodeling videos released will cover a wide range of topics on the subject. Gomez explained how she wanted the tour to cover multiple topics because there are many different ways and styles to approaching a remodel and she wanted the viewers to know their options.

According to Gomez, because the pandemic is causing people to spend more and more time at home, renovations are on peoples minds. She mentioned that there has been a drastic increase in the number of remodeling projects this year, and she wanted to ensure homeowners got a tour this year to know what they can do.

People have had the time to assess what is working for them, what isnt and what they can change (in their home), she said.

In a normal year, the remodeled homes tour allows guests to walk through homes with newly remodeled kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and more. Seeing the renovations could give homeowners ideas on how to renovate their own homes. While in person viewings are on hold for the year, Gomez said there are a couple of benefits with holding the show online. Most notably, smaller renovations will be highlighted more. For example, Gomez and her contracting group Bridge City Contracting, are highlighting a smaller bathroom renovation this year.

Bathroom renovations are usually near the top of a list when talking about remodels. This year, Bridge City Contracting is taking COVID-19 inspirations into the bathroom with ultraviolet sanitation and Washlet toilets.

Im not sure if people would drive to see someones master bathroom (in a normal year), Gomez explained. But the online tours provide a way for people to look at projects that really deserve attention and it provides a convenient way to do that.

Last year, local contractors focused on adding basements and multi-room overhauls during the Remodeled Homes Tour. In 2019, Bridge City Contracting joined the tour for a second year and had the theme of functionality and flow in their Battle Ground renovation which included a cup warming drawer and built-in espresso bar in the kitchen.

This year, the tour will feature over six homes in the Clark County area. With each home having its own aspect of renovations, viewers can expect to see kitchens, bathrooms, master bedrooms and more on the tour.

Along with this, Gomez explained that the tours leading sponsor, Columbia Credit Union, will be hosting a video on the aspects of financing a remodel. Other topics include why you should hire a contractor, and how to save time and money. Gomez said that hiring a contractor saves both time and money because there will be less mistakes to fix and professionals on the job.

Kitchen remodels can be a fun way to spice up your downstairs entertainment space. Last year, Bridge City Contracting added a full espresso bar to a kitchen during a renovation.

The theme for Bridge City Contracting in this years Remodeled Homes Tour is Self Care and the theme makes itself known in their bathroom renovation. Gomez explained how Bridge City Contracting looked at ways to reduce stress in a year when stress is affecting everybody more than normal. Their bathroom renovation included a freestanding spa and soaking tub, a spa shower with body sprays and heat warmers built into the floor. Gomez said that, in a normal year, most people would put me time on the bottom of their list. However, with the pandemic causing stress and people spending more time at home, me time has become more of a priority. I remember pre-COVID how a lot of people would regard a bathtub as a luxury item instead of a necessity whereas now a lot of people are realizing that self care is essential.

Self care and me time arent the only ways the pandemic has changed the aspects of home renovations. According to Gomez, a lot of new features in the homes are centered around cleaning and sanitation. In the bathroom, the contractors installed a Washlet toilet complete with toilet paper free sanitation, heated seats and even an ultraviolet cleaning and sanitation feature.

Renovation techniques and norms being influenced by the events of the world arent a new thing, Gomez explained. Each year, home renovations are inspired by culture, art, fashion and politics. One year, the biggest thing was smart technology such as light bulbs controlled by phone applications, voice assistants and thermostats connected to the internet. Along with this year's pandemic inspired rooms, Gomez said one renovation was themed around Halloween as the tour takes place at the end of October.

Each and every contractor featured in the online tour works and builds in Clark County. Bridge City Contracting is one of many contractors in the BIA Group Remodelers of Clark County. All of the remodelers (on the tour) are a local group of craftspeople that support each other and support the community, Gomez said.

Me Time was one of Bridge City Contractings main inspirations this year. With more people spending time at home, more people are realizing the importance of self care. Renovations could include the addition of a sauna and/or a spa shower and tub.

The tour is completely free to view online at biaofclarkcounty.org/get-involved/rocc/remodeled-homes-tour/ and on the BIAs Facebook page at facebook.com/BIAofClarkCo.

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Remodeled homes tour comes to Clark County in virtual format - The Reflector

Just this month, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article titled, Dying in a Leadership Vacuum. In the piece, its noted that, throughout the world, leaders had to make hard choices as to how to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. Under this presidents alarming lack of leadership, the Journal noted that the United States has taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy.

This tragedy is the America we are experiencing today and the country in which we live and take pride is not the America we all deserve. The country is more divided politically, socially and emotionally than ever before. Basic values around race, equality, the merits of science just to name a few have all been called into question.

There are no winners in this rhetoric. When our leaders seek to divide us by our differences, we all lose. The notion of unity and being united is woven into the fabric of America yet here we are, standing fractured, farther apart than ever before.

As we look out over the next four years, we need a leader who can unite. This requires a leader who listens, who is empathetic, who is kind. While these qualities seem like basic traits, we must not take them for granted after the last four years.

Thats why I am voting for Joseph R. Biden as the next president of the United States.

Biden understands what it means to struggle through adversity and loss, and he understands the support everybody needs to soldier on through their own hardships to arrive whole on the other side.

Continued here:
Restoring leadership in the White House requires a change - Buffalo News

OWEGO (WBNG) -- The Owego Hose Team is tackling another restoration project in an effort to preserve Owego's history.

Owego was once home to the oldest operational steam fire engine in the United States. The Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine dates back to the 1800's, but it has not been functional since the 1980's. This early version of a fire truck used steam to pump water through hoses.

"In the old days, things were a little bit different," said Owego Hose Team Treasurer John Loftus. "Steam-powered, horse driven, and this one back in the 1800's was actually pulled by hand."

The project will be done in three phases, and it could take a couple of years, costing upwards of $100,000. However, the hose team says they have a purpose, all in hopes of inspiring a new generation of firefighters.

"We're all preserving history for not only what we remember when we were kids, but for our kids and our grandchildren going forward. It's really that pride we have for our community," said Loftus.

The hose team will be hosting fundraising events for the restoration. The "steamer" will be restored in Hope, Maine. To read more about the project, head over to their website.

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Owego Hose Team takes on new restoration project - WBNG-TV

Television shows such asThe Blockcan make renovating look easy, but when it comes to costs financial and emotional theres much to consider before taking the leap.

Financial and mental aspects are very much interlinked when it comes torenovations, says PRD Real Estate chief economist Diaswati Mardiasmo. They go hand in hand.

There will always be some sort of financial and mental stress inrenovations, it is inevitable, however thorough research and preparation can mitigate this to a certain extent.

Dr Mardiasmo says renovators need to prepare themselves for extra costs, time delays, unexpected paperwork and hurdles that usually require immediate solutions.

Your ability to jump those hurdles, will depend on how prepared you are. According to Dr Mardiasmo, research and preparation are key.

Intensive, deep-dive research can mitigate these issues to some extent.

While there are many factors to consider before deciding whether to embark on a renovation process, according to senior interior designer at SJS Interior Shilpa Mohan cost is the most important.

You want to ensure you spend enough money to attain your desired outcome, without overcapitalising on your property, says Ms Mohan.

Try and do some research on recently sold properties in your area that have undergone a renovation and to see what price they sold for.

You should also consider whether you intend, or need, to live in the property during the renovation.

Keep in mind that if you engage a builder, they usually move a lot quicker if you dont live at the property, says Ms Mohan.

But living elsewhere might cost you extra if you have to rent another property.

To avoid financial and emotional shocks, its important to start preparing for a renovation months in advance.

The timeline really depends on the amount of work you are doing and whether you need any approvals, says Ms Mohan.

You should be thinking about the design process, the time for approvals to be finalised and lead times on materials, furniture, fixtures or fittings that you need to source for your renovation.

You should also be prepared for it to be a long and emotional process.

Renovations arent always easy, so be mentally prepared for it by planning adequately beforehand.

Renovations can be classified as cosmetic, code-assessable and structural, according to property developer Ian Ugarte, of Small Is The New Big.

Cosmetic renovations involve minor changes like repainting or refinishing floors, and usually dont require approval. Code-assessable renovations may involve removing internal walls or changing layouts, and may require sign-off from a private certifier. Structural renovations involve expanding the floorspace of a home upwards or outwards, and need council approval.

When considering a code-assessable or structuralrenovation, Mr Ugarte says you should first ask yourself some key questions.

What am I trying to achieve with thisrenovation? Am I trying to add value to my property to sell, or just create a more beautiful home in which to live? If Im trying to add value, does it measure up?

Ideally, arenovationshould increase the value of the property by 1.5 times the amount youre spending.

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Next, ask yourself how much you have available to spend on arenovation.

Will you need to dip into the equity in your property, if possible, to fund therenovation? Have you allowed for additional costs, like the costs of going through the planning process, if youre considering a full structuralrenovation?

Another factor that must be taken into account is the potential for the building costs to blow out through variations to the scope of works.

To avoid this, its advisable to not only compare at least three quotes for therenovationplans, its also advisable to get another builder, tradesperson or building professional to cast their eye over the quote/s to ensure its a realistic reflection of the costs involved to carry out therenovation, Mr Ugarte said.

That way, when you lock in a price, youre more likely to be able to avoid any changes in price from unexpected variations.

When considering arenovation, you also need to prepare mentally for the challenges this presents, such as the level of inconvenience or disruption and if you will find it sustainable.

For example, if yourrenovationsdont require you to move out, you will need to be prepared to live in clutter, mess and chaos, Mr Ugarte said.

Likewise, you may need to rely on neighbours and friends for access to bathroom facilities, or even use a temporary on-site toilet.

Scheduling delays and cost blowouts can also cause stress and frustration.

To avoid derailing, try to manage your expectations and anticipate that everything wont just go to plan.

Remember, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

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How to financially and emotionally prepare for a renovation - Domain News

If your washing machine is on the blink and you're looking for appliance repair, be wary new evidence reveals that you can't always trust Google when it comes to finding a reliable local appliance repair person.

A months-long investigation by CBC's Marketplace found questionable business practices such as fake Google Maps addresses and bogus company names are plaguing the appliance repair industry.

In some areas, as many as 50 per cent of the local appliance repair companies returned in a Google Maps search appeared to be fake. Fake company names and locations change all the time, so a phoney company listing that appears on Google Maps one day may be gone the next, the investigation found.

"I think it's unethical, and I think as a customer you deserve to know who you are dealing with you shouldn't have to be second-guessing," said Joseph Renaud, an Ajax, Ont., resident who unwittingly called a fake local company when trying to fix his tenant's appliance.

Marketplace uncovered similar tactics during an investigation of the locksmith industry earlier this year.

And now Marketplace has learned the owners of one company, Omega Appliance, appear to be linked to fake appliance repair and locksmith listings popping up in major cities and towns across Canada.

The owners of Omega Appliance refused an interview, but through their lawyer they told Marketplace that "Omega has never created its own fake locations since those are part and parcel of the external professional corporations' services in promoting Omega and advertising its services."

Experts in online searching question why Google hasn't been doing more to combat fraudulent map listings.

"I think it decreases consumer trust in how to find businesses," said Mike Blumenthal, an American search engine consultant and Google Maps local search expert. "It is well within Google's capability to aggressively monitor and shut down fake businesses."

When Renaud went to fix his tenant's stove earlier this summer, he reached out to Ajax Appliance Repair, thinking it was a local company located a few minutes' drive away in his community just east of Toronto.

"Their name came up [in a Google Maps search] and they had really good reviews," he said.

WATCH | During its investigation, Marketplace also tracked down where all those missing socks go.

Renaud called and booked an appointment after he was told the initial service fee was $75. When the technician arrived, he said the problem was the bake element, and Renaud was quoted about $400 for the part and labour.

"Something just didn't seem right I just thought, 'This sounds like way too much,' " Renaud said.

While he took some time to think about it, the company emailed him the quote and he noticed it came from a different firm altogether, Omega Appliance.

When Renaud told them he had contacted Ajax Appliance Repair and not Omega Appliance, the Omega employee responded: "Ajax Appliance Repair is Omega Appliance."

Renaud discovered that Omega Appliance is based in Concord, Ont., about 50 kilometres from Ajax,and has poor reviews and complaints about it lodged with the Better Business Bureau.

He found reviews about confusing business names, expensive repairs and appliances breaking down shortly after being repaired by a technician.

On the HomeStars website, which calls itself "Canada's largest network of verified and community-reviewed home service professionals," Omega Appliance has negative customer reviews averaging a 0.7 rating out of 10.

Ajax Appliance Repair, with many five-star positive reviews, does not exist. When Marketplace visited the location given on the Google Maps listing, they found that the address is a strip mall.

Renaud told an Omega employee that if he had known he was using Omega Appliance, he would not have agreed to a service call.

"It seems very odd to me that they would use a fake address and say they are local," Renaud told Marketplace in an interview, "and there's no physical store at all."

Renaud said he felt misled and that "there was a discord between what they were advertising and actually what was showing up at the property."

The Marketplace investigation has determined, through an analysis of listings on Google Maps and interviews with individuals who have knowledge of the company's business practices, that Omega Appliances seems to be the main company behind most fake appliance repair companies located around Toronto, southern Ontario and even across Canada.

Many of the calls made to fake Google Maps appliance repair companies lead to one call centre in Concord that is owned and operated by Eran Gurvich and Ilay Avnin, who also own FC Locksmith, a locksmith company.

FC Locksmith was featured in a Marketplace investigation in January 2020 that linked that company to more than 80 fake Google Maps locksmith addresses and reviews in the Greater Toronto Area.

Gurvich and Avnin refused repeated interview requests, and responded to Marketplace via their lawyer, Jonathan Weingarten, who said his clients' companies do not create their "own fake locations" since those are "part and parcel of the external professional corporations' services" hired to promote Omega and advertise its services.

Marketplace has found that Omega Appliance uses fake company names and locations as a means of advertising and marketing for its own Concord-based appliance company, Omega Appliance, just as it did with its other company, FC Locksmith.

An Omega employee told Renaud via email that "we service different areas and advertise with the area name and local number."

In a podcast on wealth management, Gurvich discusses FC Locksmith's advertising techniques and its growth into appliance repair.

"We had no idea what we were doing. And all of a sudden, we found a formula, and from there, it was kind of a copy/paste."

Gurvich said the formula that they found"in terms of the advertising, is suitable mainly for mobile services ... now it was easier to get bigger. And naturally, soon enough, we started to touch some other industries: appliances repair services, garage door services."

Outside Ontario, the company acts as advertisers for local companies, Gurvich said."We have established local companies that can execute the work for us, and we act as ... advertising."

The phoney appliance repair companies always appear to be "nearby" the customer in a Google Maps search. In Toronto, they use local location names such as Upper Beaches Appliance Repair, Leslieville Appliance Repair and Yonge and Lawrence Appliance Repair. In Calgary, one of the company names they use is Evergreen Appliance Repair. And in B.C., one of the locations is named Surrey Appliance Repair Pros.

The Google Maps address for the Yonge and Lawrence Appliance Repair is actually a Starbucks coffee shop.

In Calgary, the address for Evergreen Appliance Repair is a Shoppers Drug Mart. Surrey Appliance Repair Pros is a Scotiabank in Surrey, B.C.

When Marketplace called in Upper Beaches Appliance Repair and Leslieville Appliance Repair for an appliance repair, an Omega technician came to the door.

WATCH | How one companyis linked to a network of fake locations and names on Google Maps:

Upper Beaches Appliance Repair used the address of a local jewellery store. Leslieville Appliance Repair is a Food Basics grocery store.

With fake company names and locations changing all the time, consumers may see different results in Google Maps every time they search.

Weingarten, a lawyer based in Maple, Ont., said Omega Appliance hires outside companies to promote its services online, just as it did with locksmith locations.

"Omega has never created ... its own fake locations since those are part and parcel of the external professional corporations' services in promoting Omega and advertising its services," he said via email.

WATCH | How some firmsuse fake reviews to lure you in:

Weingarten did not provide the name of any external professional corporation used by Omega Appliance and FC Locksmith.

"Most of the locksmith and appliance services around the world are mobile and not done in a specific store," he said. "Therefore, the true relevance of quality of service to clients is not the location of the business but the location of the service, which is at the clientele homes, all performed by local professionals."

As for customer complaints, he said they are treated with respect and "on many occasions, even when the complaint is found to be unjustified, the customer is fully refunded the cost of the services."

Mike Blumenthal, an Olean, N.Y.- based Google Maps local search expert and consultant, warned in the previous Marketplace investigation that fake listings are prevalent in the appliance repair, locksmith and garage-door repair industries.

Blumenthal said that, in some markets, as many as 85 per cent of local Google home services listings could be fake.

The practice appears to create an illusion of competition that he said causes harm on many levels.

"Why would Google leave up fake listings?"

"Google thinks that they're not seen very often and in the aggregate, they're not," Blumenthal said, "but the reality is that Google has 95 per cent of local searches" and that affects a lot of people, looking for local services.

"Google is not doing their job," he said.

Google's failure to invest more resources in fighting fake listings hurts consumers, local businesses and ultimately, Blumenthal said, trust in Google itself.

While Google does have rules regarding fraudulent listings, Canada's regulations have not yet caught up.

Marie-Christine Vzina, senior communications adviser for the federal Competition Bureau, said while there is nothing in the Competition Act specifically regarding fake online company names and locations, "the Competition Act prohibits anyone from making materially false or misleading claims to promote a product or business interest."

Vzina said the bureau encourages anyone who suspects deceptive marketing activities to file a complaint via the bureau's online form, as "ensuring truth in advertising in Canada's digital economy is a priority for the bureau."

When the bureau receives a complaint, the information is examined to determine whether an investigation should be launched.There are two potential enforcement routes under the act to address false or misleading representations and deceptive marketing practices: the civil or criminal courts.

Under the criminalcourt system, there is a potential penalty of a fine of up to $200,000 or a jail sentence of up to one year.

In thecivil route, the court could order a person to cease the activity, publish a notice and/or pay a monetary penalty. For thefirst occurrence, an individual could be liable for a penalty of up to $750,000, while a corporation could be liable for a penalty of up to $10 million.

Google told Marketplace it takes fake business locations very seriously, monitors closely for scams and fake listings will be removed.After Marketplace alerted Google to the fake locksmith locations we discovered, it seems Google took action most fake locksmith listings no longer appear in Google Maps.

A Google Canada spokesperson said: "In response to the issue reported to us, we are now auditing all appliance repair listings created in Canada and are in the process of removing any that we find to be fraudulent."

While some fake appliance repair listings have already been removed since Marketplace alerted Google, they will often pop up again, sometimes under different names or using different addresses.

All this leaves consumers somewhat on their own when trying to find a reliable local appliance repair service.

Blumenthal said that until Google figures out a way to stop fake listings for good, the best way to find a local business or service is to get advice from others you trust, via word of mouth and neighbourhood or community social groups.

1. Check the address. If the business is not at the address provided on Google Maps, you may find a vacant lot, grocery store, drugstore or even a parking lot.

2. Do you see only glowing five-star Google reviews? It could be a sign that these are fake reviews, and a fake location and company.

3. If you see reviews where users claim the business is fake, misleading or not at that address, it might be a fake location listing.

4. If you suspect a fake listing or company location, alert Google.

1. Open the business's Google Maps profile

2. Scroll down and click or tap "Suggest an edit."

3. Select whether you're looking to change details or request a removal.

4. Fill out the form and click "Submit."

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Looking for local appliance repair? Why you can't always trust what you find on Google Maps - CBC.ca