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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 1999-07-21, Page 5News Businesses opening and expanding By Susan Hundorttttark Expositor Staff While a professional home • inspector - will not recommend whether or not a -client sho ld buy. a Nouse. 'Steven Papple says he has' "wrecked a couple .of deals': by itemizing the work that needs to be done on a house. The Seaforth native. who is also a trained plumber. is beginntang his own business as a.home inspector from his parents' Egmondyille home: " A'e are at arms length from realtors and unlike .reapers. who are dependent on that Else or six per cent commission from the•Sale-of a house. we're the only -people with, an unbiased opinion about -.the condition of a house.- he says.. Papple saes he became interested in home inspection when he was selling his condominium in London and watched a home inspector go through •it. "1 w anted a bit of a change in my life and i thought I could do.that. I thought it Would he nice. to help people make•an important decision . like buying. their first house." he `3y; Home, inspectors -are- mit' reculated hs the government :n Canada but.-Papple,sas he•s taken the re.quiredd courses -through. the Ontario! association of Home Inspectors!. v hick upholds certain standards for home inspectors. He sa. s home inspection is --a rei'at'::yely-nes Industry in Canada but that it's more common -jra titanareas such as -London and Windsor. Honie inspectors. for fees' ranging'trom S225 to S350a provide. clients wiAh a complete evaluation of.a' house from the roof to the fourdatron.inclu•ding all of the Ctructure. plumbing. ^eatinC air conditioning electnyal-sy tem and lot grading Extra•charges apply to.other 'tests like "water, testing, canyon monoxide testing and corribust,ihle gas rtracing He say.: '.home . buyer** corrsiderir•¢.oider houses ;:quid henerit: most. from home inspection since the more p res;ous owners have. define their own work on a holise `that's not necessarily up..tc tee." the more likely j.' dangerous A• ; : ;saber: he sass he's c-. ut.do-it-yourself • ;orneowners.that 'keen scar" tU- see." A!te! an'Inspection. clients en a list of thework reeds to',be done to maintain the house and. Pappte.sa)s•sornetimes it a wiser financial decision te give up the dew npayment. and walk away from a house. than td bu) it and make the ' • repairs that need to be'done: 'A lot of first time home h4)ers don't realize that. if thej'•re sarounging•for.the down payment. they may not he able to afford the new roofthey're going to need.in two sears." he says. Sumthing Special opens Chris•Bruxer•is giving up .the home day" care business G /- r- V$' "DIRECT TO YOU" Sumthing Special's Chris Bruxer and opening .a shop- for • home-based vendors' and craftspeople on Seaforth's Main Street. Sumthing SpeciaL located on the corner of Market and Main Streets: ss i l l rem, space and display the products of.. 23 -local vendors with room for about 10 more. • Productsincludecandles. wood products. baby . blankets .and • cos'ers. camas bags: glass engraving. stained glas .. cermics. wedding decorations. natural soaps and& hand creams:. antiques. ,gift baskets. cooking. utensils, toys and • • Tupperware. - Because she has sold Jocus toys for two years and more recently Tupperware out,of her home. holding open • houses .for a. number of. vendors and'attendiri•craft • sho s. Bruxer says it wasn't difficult to till her •shop with vendors when she decided 'this spring to go ahead :with the business. + `'1 didn't have to do any advertising. I knew. all 23 people and I've been .told more people will probably approach me forspace once 1 open up July 6. It's amazing how many creative people and entrepreneurs there are out there work"ing.out of :their ownrhomes.she says.. "This shop givesthe home=based. peoples a chance . to get their stuff out there." she adds.. . :She, says she always adsertised trer-Cttrtstuias . open houses as "one-stop shopping" and thdt'•s what she'll continue to offer in her store. . She says she was given the confidence to open a shop on Main -Street by all the positive comments she's heard at local craft shows in Stratford and. Clinton, about how nice Seaforth's Main . ' Street looks. ' "When people drive thiough Seaforth. there's lots to catch their eye and t1ley're sopping to shop. People are sera impressed with Seraforth's downtown. she sass. Bruxer also plans to hold classes in -the store. with serious vendors • and craftspeople teaching classes in chocolate -making. making ACIIIIMIXXIXtPUNVIS -WE NAPE iT ALL FOR °ice" (: fit. aEAT CASUAL UMW' • M10- • Fsa Oshissls • Pals • WAN Ansi • tlrlww roI a4 A UAUTTSTIh6 110, IMPRESSION SusonHundertrnork photo stained glass . and .entertaining. • - - Sumthing Special will he open Tuesday to Friday trom 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stedman's adds travel agency When Stedman's head •office began -offering store owners the opportunity to open travel 'agencies to revitalize the struggling companv-.:Seaforth owner Dave Deighton jumped on it. Both- he and his •wife Michelle took the week-long _training in March outlining the .basics of .using the computer to book flights and reservations at hotels and • resorts and began reading the ;'material sent by,', the professional .support staff in Winnipeg to run the travel agency:. . And. they'replanning to someday take advantage of • working holidays fors travel agents -when contentions are planned to allow agents to experience and learn'about countries and.. resorts to recommend tolocal travellers. Deighton says opening the travel agency this spring has been like Making a career change without le -axing his old job. • "«:e still base, to keep on top of the store business but the travel agency has made it 7 all more exciting he says. He says Seaforth; hasn't hada travel agent in town for five years and local people leave-beets=thfi ileal -to -see --a new travel agency open. "The response has been tremendous. We've booked a lot of trips already to Europe for .the summer and "many people arse • waiting- for .August, when the brochures for Caribbeanholiday s will .;come out. he says.- adding that he had no idea how manylocal people travelled before opening the agency. He says the travel agency is also bringing -in many new ctistomers they've never seen before. Deighton adds'that one of the benefits of being a travel agent in a small town' is that everyone knows everyone else Ind he can refer those planning a trip to the people he knows have travelled where they want to go. to Simply the tiaras t= 4140 : W'e're getting sales help from our. customers." he says. One of the Deightons' biggest challenges as travel agents right now is booking flights for -Jan. 2. 2000. • "Everyone wants to'trasel during the Millenium but nobody ss ants to be on an airplane -Jan. 1 in case there are -any problems with computers and the Y2K hug Almost- every flight is already sold out for Jan. 2." he says. adding that cruises are --very- popular also for the year 2000... He says the hpponunity to open the eras el, agency ironically occurred just as their daughter Amy. sshm is going ihto Grade 12: began researching becoming a travel agent as a career. "If that's What she decides. we can keep it all in the family.' he says. 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