What was the scope of the project?

An addition to the house 1984 Bungalow. Adding a Second Story on to their bungalow in Oak Bay.

What were the clients hoping to achieve with this reno?

They recently bought the house and downsized significantly and they found that their new house wasn’t
enough room. It was about half the size. That frequently visited. They needed a guest bedroom and bath area along with a library for all of their books. They were both english and language teachers so they owned thousands and thousands of books.

Describe the house before the project:

1700 sq feet 2 bedroom house.

Describe the house after the project:

2 story 2300 sq 3 bedroom with a bonus upstairs den/library.

How long did this project take?

It took 3 months for design engineering and permitting, and 4 months for construction.

Describe the relationship between client and contractor:

From our initial meeting, it was clear that this was going to be a great relationship. It seemed like more of a friendship than a business relationship which has lasted well beyond the project.

Some of the things that made it a great relationship?

One of the first connections we had was our over the University of Victoria. They really liked that I was an engineer as well as a general contractor, it gave them a sense of security of the quality of the work.The communication between us was one of the strongest points of the relationship and really helped with the success of the project. We had set up long and frequent meetings from the beginning which built a strong bond. It was very easy from my side to deliver information to them that they needed to have. When changes happened inside the project, which they always do, they would calmly look at all the reasons why and give themselves time to make the right decisions. It was a very comfortable situation for us and they made a huge effort to understand our (Alair) side of the equation.

What made this project successful?

The key trades (major trades suppliers) were also able to form a great relationship with clients which meant everyone was performing well on the job.

Were there any challenges to overcome?

There were lots of challenges with bylaws and building code requirements from the city. The realization of some of the structural tie- ins and realizing this after taking the house apart. Things were not quite the same in the actual building as they were on paper.Another challenge was with the clients living on site, inside of a major construction site, we had to take extra care and precaution to accommodate their safety and well being.

Key Takeaways for you from this project:

It was a great reminder of the value of formulating a level of respect and understanding at the very beginning at the onset of these relationships. Doing a home renovation can become a very stressful endeavor when the right amount of communication isn’t in place. It was also another great reminder of the huge difference working with the right trades vendors make. It’s amazing how much smoother that project goes when your team is well formulated right from the get go.