Petr Basel — one of our Mission Partner Families — has a diverse professional background. Since immigrating from the Czech Republic in 2009, he has worked in hospitality, ran his own videography business, driven bus around Vancouver, and now has a full-time job with the city of Mission. But more recently, he’s created a side-business in the field of home care and maintenance as a way to build up his savings.
It all started when he was living in Whistler many years ago and cleaning windows. He enjoyed the work and found it to be profitable at that time, so he decided to try his hand at it once again in his new Mission community. Within months, the business (Mission Window Washing) took off and Petr found he was having to take bookings weeks in advance. This quickly led to expanding his services to gutter cleaning, as well.
“I added gutter cleaning because it kind of goes hand in hand with windows,” explains Petr. “In the Spring, I plan to add pressure washing for homes, roofs, and driveways.”
“With this new business, there’s so many homes and buildings to clean, and the advantage is I can be home for dinner and not on the road.”
— Petr Basel
Transitioning Career
While Petr loved his 6+ years of work as a self-employed videographer and photographer, he found it challenging to pursue new contracts in a highly competitive market. There were days where work was plentiful, then times where he’d have no work for months. On top of that, many of his contracts required him to spend a lot of time traveling and away from his family at home.
“With this new business, there’s so many homes and buildings to clean, and the advantage is I can be home for dinner and not on the road,” says Petr.
The Challenge of Home Ownership and An Unexpected Opportunity
Petr says that he loved his time living in Whistler and Vancouver, but found that the soaring real estate prices made it feel impossible to try raising children.
“We liked it in Vancouver, but rent was going up every year,” explains Petr. “We started at $1300 for a tiny old one bedroom. Within five years, it had gone to $1750. For us, this was quite a lot.”
Discouraged and faced with the prospect of an unattainable housing market in Vancouver, Petr considered moving as far away as Smithers to pursue home ownership. But everything changed when he learned about Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver and was able to secure a house for his family in Mission.
“I had no idea Habitat was here, at first,” explains Petr. “When we learned about it, we applied. It took some time, but we got very lucky and received housing in Mission. It’s unreal. We have some really good neighbors. We have a playground right in front of our door, and a safe place for our kid. Coming from our one-bedroom tiny apartment to a three-bedroom townhouse with a garage – that’s something we couldn’t imagine.”
“I’m very thankful for everything, and try to volunteer my time.”
— Petr Basel
Changed Lives Change Lives
Grateful for the opportunity, Petr now actively volunteers his time with Habitat whenever he can, and cleans gutters for some of the other Habitat homes in Richmond and Mission at a discounted rate. Every chance he gets, he spreads word about the work that Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver is doing in the Lower Mainland.
“We need more of this for everybody. Housing is a huge issue now,” says Petr.
As Petr continues to see success and growth in his business, he remains dedicated to spreading awareness about affordable housing solutions and contributing to the well-being of his community. His story serves as an inspiring example of how housing stability can make such a difference in an individual's journey and how that can make an even bigger positive impact on the lives of others.