Nova Scotians have many blessings: Peggy’s Cove, Celtic music, and big men wearing small kilts. But did you know that homeowners in the province are also able to get government grants to make home improvements?
Homeowners in Nova Scotia can get more than $35,000 in government grants and rebates (and check out the additional rebates at the end of this article).
The RRAP (Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program) was set up by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to encourage homeowners to create “secondary suites” in their homes, and rent them out to low-income seniors and people with disabilities.
The $24,000 is a forgivable loan – as long as the program requirements are being met (i.e. you’re renting to a low-income senior or person with a disability) you don’t have to pay back the loan. And at the end of 15 years, you can rent to whoever you want.
- GST/HST New Housing Rebate (1.5% of GST/HST)
Don’t let the name of this one fool you – this is not just for new-home builders. The New Housing rebate is meant to defray part of the GST/HST paid on a new house OR substantially renovating an existing house.
Assuming you’re doing $100,000 worth of renovations to your home, you would get back $1,500 through this rebate.
Nova Scotians have an especially sweet deal with this rebate. In all other provinces, homeowners can only get this rebate if the value of their home is below $450,000- but this doesn’t apply to Nova Scotians.
This is a pretty straightforward program: convert your furnace and water heater to natural gas, and get a $2,000 rebate.
With this program, homeowners can get up to $1,500 in government rebates when they make energy-saving improvements to their home. Examples of improvements include improving the insulation in your home, installing energy-efficient windows, and replacing your old furnace.
- Genworth Financial Energy-Efficient Housing Program or CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance Refund (10% of mortgage insurance premium)
Canada’s two main mortgage insurance outfits (Genworth Financial, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), will take 10% off your mortgage insurance premium if you buy an energy efficient home, or do energy-saving improvements to your current home.
Assuming you have a $400,000 mortgage on your home, you could get back $1,100.
- ecoENERGY Retrofit Grant ($5,000)
The federal government will give you rebates for doing energy-saving renovations to your home, up to a maximum of $5,000. The amount you get back depends on what kinds of home improvements you make. Examples of renovations that pay include installing an energy-efficient furnace, installing better insulation, and sealing drafts in your windows and doors.
Show Me the Green – 3 Steps to $35,100
Now that you know about these grants, what do you do next? Follow the steps below to quickly and easily claim your rebates:
- Find out how to apply for the seven grants and rebates
ShowMeTheGreen.ca has a brief description and simple steps to follow to apply for each of the grants and rebates mentioned in this article. Click on the links to each rebate above (but read steps 2 and 3 first!)
- Save your favourites
When you’re on the Description page for each grant and rebate, click on the little “Add to Favorites” button that’s next to the rebate title. This will save a copy of the page for you to get later.
When you’re finished saving all of the rebates, click on “Show Favorites”. You’ll be asked if you want to print all of the rebates, or save them to your computer.
- Follow the steps
Each rebate includes the steps you need to take to submit your application to each rebate program.
That’s it! Pick and choose from this list of grants and rebates, or be ambitious and go for them all.
hi, my husband and i just bought our first home one year ago. unfortunetly we need a new septic system and was wondering if there is anything the government can do to help us. we are expecting our first child together in march so we don’t have the funds to go it alone. please email me any information you have.
thank you for your time
christena webster
Hi Christena,
You should look into the Nova Scotia Environmental Home Assessment Program. You can receive a grant of up to $3,000 from the Nova Scotia provincial government for repairs to your septic system.
Find information on that grant here.
Hope that helps,
Mark
Editor, ShowMeTheGreen.ca
Hello Mark , My old fram house in Wallace N.S. has a rubble sand stone basement. The back wall has been replaced with a new sill and cement wall. Now the front wall is caving and must be replaced this summer, is there a grant to help me ..my house is 150 years old. Thank you , Cynthia Fromstein
Hello Cynthia,
If you renovate your basement to replace the wall AND make it more energy efficient (by, for example, putting in insulation), you might be able to get a government grant.
I would look into the following grant programs:
ecoENERGY Home Retrofit program
Nova Scotia Energuide for Houses Program
Nova Scotia EnerGuide for Houses Assistance Program for Low- to Modest-Income Households
Hope that helps,
Mark
Editor, ShowMeTheGreen.ca
Hi
I am a seperated mom, (husband is a deadbeat)
meantime my furnace is an original 1946 to the house, I remodified it in 93 or 94 and it was 97% efficiant but I’m affaid it has seen better days and do not think it will last much longer. I have a hole in the eves where birds and bats like to reside and cold air blows through and goes under my bathtub, and out of a cubby hole freezing the bathroom, I’m surprized the pipes in there did not freeze,however this blows a cold breeze down stairs,and makes for cold toilet time, the two porches are so cold that the dog can’t stand it in there and the front one got so cold that the heater exploded a couple of winters ago (gravity fed furnace, water) also windows need replaceing some panes are broke and they leak air around them and most have mildew that I cannot get rid of and some I cannot even open. Some electrical needs replacing and some of the water pipes are also 1946 and getting thick with sludge and rust and junk.
Right now I am mortaged and paying all bills myself oil and electric are through the roof (literally) so can I get some help please, my MLA is Richard Hurlburt if that matters at all.
Thanks for reading, looking forward to your reply
Hi Elsa,
Are there specific renovations to your home that you are thinking about doing? Many government rebate/grant programs are for specific energy-efficient improvements to a home (such as replacing a furnace).
If you could let us know what you plan to do, we can try to give you some advice.
Mark MacDonald
Editor, ShowMeTheGreen.ca
I have a friend who is unemployed in Ste Croix NS who is applying for the RRAssistant Program. She wants to pay herself as contractor for the repairs to be done on the suite even though she is not a certified contractor. Can she do this? If so, what accountability has to be maintained/submitted for the work she hopes to do? She is hoping her mother will live there. If her mother dies before the 15 year limit to re-rent is up, are there special circumstances where she can rent it out again? (She has a B&B operation in the rest of the house.)
Thanks!
IF WE WANTED TO REPLACE OUR ELECTRICAL PANEL(100AMP WITH FUSES TO 100AMP WITH BREAKERS) IS THERE A PROGRAM FOR THIS..WITH A COMBINED INCOME OF 31500
Hi,
I just bought a house that is approximately 100 years old in May of 2008. I was wondering if there are any Government Grants out there that can help me with a new roof and maybe some new windows. This house is in immaculate condition as I have done enourmous amount sof repairs to it since I bought it. I have gyprocked it throughout and added new hardwood flooring doenstairs and carpeted the whole upstairs. Would like to have a couple of more things, that I have previously mentioned, done to it also so that it will last me another 50 years at least. Could you please direct me into the right direction to apply for these grants. This is the first home I have ever owned and I am 59 years of age.
Thank you
I have an 86 year old aunt with modest income who recently had to re-shingle her roof. Is there a grant program that will help her with the cost? Patsy.
Hi,
I heard there were grants available to re-roof your house. If so, where can I find the information?
Thanks,
Marsha M.
I have a 1976 mini home.I have the permit to put a new pitched roof on it,with added insulation up to R20. I also plan to put new windows doors and siding with strafoam insulation. Grants would be a great help, am I eligible for them and if so how do I go about applying and getting them
thanks Wayne
A 70 year old friend need to re shingle her roof and if there are grants available or rebate programme pls advise Thanks Eric
what grants are available to improve the heating of a modest home in rural Nova Scotia or to make it more efficient family home with two small children(3 and under1)? Received a grant to put new sills last summer 2009, house has no basement.Plan to raise my young family there.
i live in an older home , 1945, built by my father, i need insulation, a new roof, 6 new windows, my wife is handicapped and can not make it up the stairs so i,d like to convert the back porch area to a full bath , only problem is the money is needed up front which is impossible for us, is there any grants that would pay for this , if not we have to sell our home after being born and brought up in it, any info on this would be greatly appreciated
also we need a new furnace , friends tell us to claim bankrupcy and walk away, this is our home , i,ve worked since i was 16, raised 4 children on one income and this is how the so called golden years end, still struggling to make ends meet, can anyone give us some light at the end of this dark tunnel
My wife and I are both retired, and living in our home and hopefully will be for another 10-15 years.Over the past 2 years, we have updated our furnace and water heater to more efficient ones, have replaced the roof,renovated the bathroom, installing more water efficient toilet and shower, and 9 years ago put on new vynil siding(with styrafoam insulating)and all new doors and windows. This was all done with our own funds. As these funds are becoming drained, especially with our resent losses to our investments, I am wondering if we qualify for any grants to have our driveway and wall re-done? Both are failing, and one can’t be done without the other. As well, the earth behind our garage is falling into it, and we are told we need a retaining wall (which the builder told us we did not need when it was constructed in 2000)Any info you can supply me on this would be appreciated.
hello what grants if any are still available i just bought a mobile home and i am totally renovating it from windows to changing the walls to 6 inch insulation
Hi I would like to ask this question…..i am living in my first home and i’d like it to be my only home…any way my roof is in terriable shape..I need a new one bad. It has been raining here in our area for what seems like for ever , but my roof is leaking every where. I am starting to lose my walls and already my basement flooded, I am in a program with pricewater house to help me repair my credit….I went this way instead of banrupcy…Please tell me to go and get information to get help..right now i’m swimming to the computer to write this.
My wife and I have an unfinished basement we wish to finish. What tax incentives and/or rebates are available on a five year old house in Bedford, NS?
Me and my girlfriend bought a house around 5 years ago. Its turned out to need alot of work. We now have roof leaks, electrical problems, and hard water causeing our pipes and taps to go. If we want to stay in the house we have to fix it, and if we want to sell it we will have to fix it. I’m wondering if there is any grants we could look into to get some of the work done that it needs? My job was up and down the last 2 years so i went back to school and now can’t afford to fix anything. Any help would be great thanks.
I am curious if there are any grants or assistance to have a new well drilled or dug?
Currently I am living in Musquodoboit Harbour with my common-law wife at her parents home. The house currently houses 6 people, myself and my common-law wife, her sister and her husband, and their parents, one of which is on disability.
Currently the well is approximately 6 – 8 feet deep, consisting only of 3 crocks, 1 of which is actually above the ground. The water that it is pumping is only surface water which has a very bad odor and is very badly coloured.
Not suitable at all showering or bathing, let alone drinking.
Overall I am just looking for some direction to go towards with finding a bit of assistance in having a usable well, any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you all for any help.
Looking at doing some major repairs to a 50 year old cottage, to make it a permenent home. Are there any grants or assistance available.
Where can I find the link for any roof grants. Ours is in desperate need and is now leaking. Low to moderate income. Any help would be appreciated. Live in Nova Scotia
I recently saw an ad on tv talking about $5,000 grants for installing new windows. When I googled it, the website I found said the grant was over March 31, 2011. Is there another grant available?
Hi I am trying to build a campground with bunkhouses and tenting and I want to use shipping containers that I can refurbish and use solar power for energy, what kind of grant and help could I receive thank-you, Mark
Could you please inform me if there is a cost rebate for reshingling my home(recently paid $6000.00 for materials and labour)
Thank You:
My husband and I just bought our first home in Halifax. All of the windows need replacing, as well as the doors. We would like to replace the existing windows with the most energy efficiant possible. Our budget is tight; I’m currently on maternity leave and will not be returning to work full time.
I am wondering if we need to replace all windows at once to receive maximum rebates, or can we do them one at a time.
Also, my husband is a carpenter and is able to install the windows himself. Are there any incentives for doing the work ourselves?
Thanks!
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Hello – as with another poster, I’m wondering about grants for having a new well drilled. I’m a divorced mom with 3 children, and after having my roof and furnace replaced within the past couple of years, I can’t really afford $5000-$7000 for a drilled will (which we desperately need). I’ve searched the web for information, but can only find grants for septic systems. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
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have purchased an old house has rock /stone foundation … needs repaired badly … any suggestions on how to go about this … thank you
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Do you or your spouse have to pay back grants/forgivable loans if you pass away?
My roof is leaking, am low income, single mom.
Is there a grant I can apply for to help me with the costs?
I just purchased a house, and the exterior is wood siding that needs repainting. I was hoping that there might be a grant I could access to put on vinyl siding or repaint. Can you please advise?
I am looking to up grade my electric panel and install new energy efficient windows and doors also to add insulation to basement and exterior walls etc what grants are available for us to apply for thanks Ken
looking to up grade windows ,doors ,insulation and electric panel is there any grants that can be applied for