Latest news with #renovations
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE PICTURED: Jennifer Aniston FINISHES dramatic renovations on $15M Montecito mansion where she'll 'chill' over summer
Jennifer Aniston has finished renovations on her $15M Montecito, California mansion she purchased last year. has obtained a photo of the dwelling after massive changes were made earlier this year. The biggest addition to the spread which sits on one acre is the new swimming pool which in the backyard where there was only a lawn before. Other renovations include fresh landscaping with cacti and a generous patio area where lounge chairs sit. In the main house there are new black-framed windows and updated balconies. This is where the star will 'chill out' this summer after a harrowing spring that included a break-in attempt at her $21M mansion in Bel-Air, California. 'Jen is happy to have a safe place to run to where she can let her hair down,' a source told last month. 'Though she loves Los Angeles because it is where she grew up, she is craving more of a country setting these days away from the noise.' Her Montecito neighbor include friends like Gwyneth Paltrow and Rob Lowe. Other neighbors in the Montecito area include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as Katy Perry. Zoe Saldana recently splurged under $20M on an estate there as well. And it helps that her friends are more than happy to spend time with her in Montecito. 'Her pals like Jimmy Kimmel and Jason Bateman will visit and keep her company and help her make it a home for the summer,' said a source. Having the gate of her Bel Air home did a 'number' on her, said a source. 'She is flipped out,' said the pal. 'It's a bad feeling knowing someone wants to break into your sanctuary. It's such a shame that happened.' Aniston bought the Montecito house from Oprah Winfrey in September 2022 in an off-market deal for $14.8M. The 4,320-square-foot home built in 1999 has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. And there is a pool house, cabana, or even a guesthouse. The backyard, formerly featuring manicured lawns, now boasts a sizable swimming pool, as seen in the latest photos. The swimming pool appears to be nearly complete. Surrounding it are large, white planter areas filled with vibrant plants. The property's exterior has been altered as well, notably with the replacement of blue windows by modern, white-framed designs. The upper-level balconies have also been renovated, now featuring dark metal railings. While renovations are still ongoing, outdoor furniture has been arranged on both the balconies and the raised patio overlooking the pool. Aniston's expansive house comprises several structures: an L-shaped main residence overlooking the swimming pool and gardens; a smaller building adjacent to the poolside patio; and a garage. It is not known if Aniston has decided to add or change any of the interior rooms. In August of last year, the home was pictured during a substantial renovation process. Aerial photos of her sprawling farmhouse showed she demolished the property's backyard to make way for an inground pool. Winfrey, a longtime Montecito resident, previously acquired the property in 2021 as part of a larger one-acre estate, paying $10.5 million. However, just a year later, Winfrey divided and sold the estate. Aniston purchased one portion for $14.8 million, while Winfrey's longtime friend, Bob Greene, acquired the other for an estimated $2.3 million. Aniston's new abode has 'picturesque ocean and mountain views, multiple terraces, landscaped gardens, and a massive motorcourt, all set on a private lot nestled among oak trees at the end of a long gated driveway,' according to Architectural Digest. The home has quite a bit of privacy on its heavily wooded premises, grassy lawns and a enough parking to easily accommodate fifteen cars. It's not the only home Aniston owns - she also has a $20.97 million mansion in Bel Air. In early a man who allegedly crashed his car through the gate of Aniston's home has been accused of harassment. Jimmy Wayne Carwyle, 48, is said to have driven his Chrysler PT Cruiser into the front gate of the star's Bel Air property. He has been accused of repeatedly sending Jennifer unwanted email, social media messages and voicemail since 2023. Prosecutors said he has now been charged with felony stalking and vandalism, while Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Carwyle also faces an aggravating circumstance of threat of great bodily harm. Hochman said in a statement: 'My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting those who stalk and terrorize others, ensuring they are held accountable.' Carwyle has been held in jail since his arrest with bail set at $150,000. He could face up to three years in prison if he is convicted. Jennifer was at home when Carwyle allegedly crashed into the gate. A public information officer from the Los Angeles Police Department told PEOPLE: 'There was a security guard on premises who was able to detain that suspect until officers arrived, at which time they took him into custody without incident. The resident was home at the time.' The authorities noted that while the suspect has sustained minor injuries, no one else was hurt in the incident.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Timmins temporarily closing pool for summer upgrades
An undated image of the exterior of the Archie Dillon Sportsplex in Timmins, Ont. (File photo/Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario) The City of Timmins is closing the swimming pool at the Archie Dillon Sportsplex this summer for maintenance and upgrades. The facility will be shut down during July and August for renovations, including a redesigned front entrance for improved accessibility, energy-efficient lighting upgrades, and regrouting of the pool to enhance cleanliness and safety. 'These upgrades will help the city provide a more accessible, enjoyable, and safe environment for all,' officials said in a release. Swimming lessons and programs will relocate to Gillies Lake Beach, which opens for the season on Saturday, June 28. Lifeguards will be on duty daily from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. in July and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. in August. Additional community events and lifesaving courses will also be offered at the beach. Updates on the pool's reopening and programming can be found on the city's website.
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
'It's frustrating and tiring': Another western Newfoundland daycare faces government delays
The Mi'kmaw Cultural Foundation in Stephenville is trying to open a registered child-care centre in a newly leased building, but it's stuck in a limbo period while waiting on provincial government approval to move forward with renovations. "It's frustrating and tiring. We are exhausted," Jeffrey Young, president and CEO of the foundation, told CBC News. Young applied for the child-care capacity initiative funding through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in early January. The funding program is designed for not-for-profit organizations, like the Mi'kmaw Cultural Foundation, to develop regulated child-care services where the need has been identified. He said there was a strong response from staff in the regional office, but he is stuck waiting for an approval from the minister's office for the next phase of the project. "It's been this ongoing … silence and no responses. We were initially told by one of the employees in the department to give it a six-month period for you guys to be open. That was in January. We are coming up on six months and we don't even have Phase 2 approved by the government," said Young. The approval would allow renovations, staffing and furniture purchases for the newly rented space, which already has multiple conference rooms, playrooms, two kitchens, bathrooms and access to the outdoors. Young said he has emailed and phoned the department's current and old ministers, and contacted opposition parties about his concerns. Just 24 kilometres away in St. George's, child-care operators face similar frustrations with governments this month, as they wait to open a registered daycare to accommodate an already long waitlist. Young says he is getting calls and emails every day from Stephenville residents wanting to know when the daycare might open. "We needed this daycare yesterday, not tomorrow. People are needing this service now. If the government don't speed things up, we are going to be losing people in our community, and maybe even our province," he said. "Because the services are not here. People want to go to work." While the Education and Early Childhood Development departments wouldn't do an interview with CBC News, Angela Sullivan, a communications director, sent an e-mailed statement. "The department carefully evaluates each submission to ensure a thorough and fair assessment process. The process considers overall project timelines, commitments to other child-care projects, and long-term viability of projects," Sullivan wrote. There was no mention of the specific southwest coast daycare delays. The Mi'kmaw Cultural Foundation was established over a decade ago to preserve and promote the Mi'kmaw culture in the province. Members work on community-based programming and focus mostly on youth. The goal is to open a registered Indigenous child-care centre and offer the service and employment opportunity within the Bay St. George area. "They are not recognizing the value of the programming we want to offer," said chairperson Ang Brockway. She says culturally relevant learning for children is always beneficial. "We want them to learn from authentic people in our communities who grew up on the land and know these things. We are really committed to offering that type of learning and environment." The Education Department says the government is focused on improving access to high-quality and affordable child care for families across the province, and it's trying to increase spaces to ensure families have access to child-care services. Brockway says her foundation is sick of broken promises and their application is very straightforward with no requests for new builds or massive renovation costs. "They have agreed to the reconciliation piece. They have put it out there that they are ready to do this work. But we are coming up against these barriers that make us think … are you really ready to do reconciliation work or are you relying on the people on the ground working to make everything happen?" Brockway said. "We could have [a] culturally relevant daycare, which is something our province is really lacking." As for Young, he is sitting and waiting for government officials to call so he can move on with the next stage. He says the organization has enough money reserved to rent the large building until the end of the summer.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Westboro Beach reopens with upgrades
Ottawa Watch Westboro Beach has reopened to the public after multi-million-dollar upgrades and renovations. CTV's Josh Marano reports.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Property expert reveals the surprising luxury renovation that could devalue your home
A property expert has revealed five renovations which can actually devalue a house. According to Joshua Houston, a property expert at WhatCost, while homeowners may expect these renovations to boost the selling price of their property, there are a number of reasons why they could end up doing the opposite. He listed the different upgrades before explaining why exactly they may not have the desired impact on a house. 1. Adding a swimming pool A swimming pool is often considered a luxury addition to a home, offering a convenient way to take a refreshing dip. However, according to Joshua, not everyone sees having a swimming pool at home that way. For many, rather than being a desirable feature, a pool is seen as being too expensive to run and maintain. In addition, Joshua said: 'It can also only be used during the warmer days of the year, which in the UK isn't many. This will put many buyers off as they might have to get rid of the pool if they choose to buy the property. The additional costs could devalue the property.' 2. Converting the garage While using the garage space for other uses, like a home office or garage, may seem like a great idea for some, not everyone agrees. Some buyers will specifically be looking for a garage, as they want an off road space for parking, or a significant amount of storage space. 3. Built-in electronics Built-in electronics may save space as well as looking slick, but they are not everyone's cup of tea. 'Certain electronics might be seen as a waste of space and running costs by potential buyers, and the process of removing them is much harder than non-built-in electronics,' said Joshua. This results in extra costs, which could easily devalue your home.' 4. Brightly-coloured home front A vibrant home front can be aesthetically pleasing and give a home a unique look. But, like everything else on Joshua's list, there can be caveats to this - notably what the surrounding houses and area look like. He explained: 'If your home sticks out too much in a sea of darker and more traditional colours, then this could be a problem. 'You'll have to find a buyer who likes brighter-coloured properties, and this tends to be rare, which devalues the home. 'Alternatively, a new buyer will have to pay to paint over, costing them more money, which will come out of the buying price.' 5. Removing a bedroom It can be tempting to transform a bedroom into something else - but homeowners would generally be ill advised to do so, according to the expert. This is because the more bedrooms a home has, the more expensive it generally is. 'We all take pride in our homes, but we also want to know that the money we're putting into improving our property is worthwhile,' Joshua explained. He added that the features that appeal to some will not be attractive to others, and this is something to bear in mind when selling a house. Joshua concluded: 'Having a desired property increases its value, so do everything in your power to get as much money as possible. Taking the above advice into account could end up saving you a lot of money.'
