Reno Stories

Tania and Diane lived in a three bedroom row house with their son Oscar and their friend Karyn. They wanted to renovate their home for sale. Their plan was to then purchase a larger home in partnership with long time friend Shannon and her daughter and realize their ultimate goal of sharing a home in a communal living arrangement.

The scope of work included a full first floor gut: removing load bearing walls, redirecting HVAC, plumbing and electrical, leveling floors and a completely new kitchen. In addition they wanted the main washroom redesigned to create more space, all new windows and paint throughout and some exterior polishing. Budget was paramount as they needed to maximize the return on their reno dollars in order to position themselves for the next purchase in a booming sellers market. They planned to start the renovations mid July and be done before Diane, a teacher, returned to work in September – roughly an 8 week time line.

To minimize budget uncertainty, they asked us to give them “Allowances” or budget placeholders for the items they were supplying like appliances, cabinets, fixtures, flooring, counter tops, door hardware and etc. They also asked us to provide all the necessary drawings and engineering specifications and to obtain the required building permits for the project.

Some decisions were made during the project that increased the scope of work by about 20% which extended the time line a bit but final city of Toronto building inspection was passed on Sept 25 and they moved back in the next day. In the end they listed the house for $799,000 and sold it for $1,050,000 – 31% percent over asking! They were well on their way to obtaining their goal.

Click the link below to the Toronto Life article that features them and learn about the details of the home they ultimately purchased and how. Theirs is the fourth story in the article.

Marlene was busy. She was President and CEO of a national energy corporation. Traveling constantly hotel room to hotel room, she wanted her home to be a place of respite: a place to unwind, recharge and refocus. And she didn’t have a ton of time to figure out all the details.

She owned a small, poorly lit, 1930’s three bedroom semi with one small bathroom and a moldy, low basement. She wanted light, space, storage and comfort. She needed new everything: windows, doors, floors, walls, stairs, mechanicals, kitchen, laundry, bathrooms…everything.

Marlene decided to trade 3 small bedrooms for one large master suite and a guest suite, both with their own ensuite baths. She wanted skylights in the master and 2nd floor hall above the stairs and a sun tube in the master ensuite. We suggested lofting all the second floor ceilings and installing transom windows high in all the second floor interior walls to allow natural light to pass from room to room. We provided drawings, engineering and the necessary permits.

We open-concepted the first floor and underpinned the basement. She got a huge master suite, three new bathrooms, lots of light, space and storage.  She got custom cabinets and built-ins throughout. New front and rear exterior faces and porches and a beautifully landscaped back yard.

She got her dream of a home respite and we got the satisfaction of helping her realize it.

In many ways Rachel and Eric’s story is my story. I first worked with them 17 years ago when Rachel was pregnant with their first son Max. They were starting their family and renovating their first house. I was working as part of the crew that did the demolition framing drywall trim and painting.

I was lucky enough to be the only guy working the day Rachel went into labor. I actually drove her to her doctor’s office just in time. Their Max was born that night. My second son, also coincidentally named Max, was born 9 months and one day later.

Their family grew with the addition of their second son, Noah. (Kris and I added our Malachi to keep pace…) They needed more space and decided to renovate their basement. Again I was the only guy there from the crew when their Max fell into a door edge and cut his forehead. The Nanny couldn’t drive. I drove her and Max to the hospital where he got his first stitches.

Chapter 3; Rachel and Eric bought their second home and hired me to do the reno with my own crew. A third child, a daughter Zoe, was in the works for them. A fourth son, Levi, for us. The house was four bedrooms and 3.5 baths on Bayview Hts with a large lot with lots of room for their growing family. But it needed work: bathrooms, kitchen cabinets, lighting, waterproofing, flooring, walls removed, drywall, tile framing, the interior full Monty.

They hired Marty Shoom to do the design and architectural work. His impeccable taste and meticulous nature matched theirs very well. We started the demo on December 6th. They worked very closely through the holidays with Marty and me, navigating the surprises and challenges that often arise when walls and floors get removed. There were late nights and early mornings going over details and attack plans with Eric and holiday favors from subcontractors and engineers.

On February 6th, two months after they took possession, we helped them move in with a new “to the studs” fully functional main bathroom, a new powder room, all new flooring on two floors, new electrical, waterproofing, drywall and etc. all done.

There was still, what I affectionately referred to as “The Exponential Punch List of Meticulous Excellence” to work through. But the finished products, the warm, loving home they made, and the relationship we formed, were well worth the extra time and effort.