The Alair Advantage: Renovations in the Bow Valley
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think, RENOVATION. For many it is the tale of HGTV budget overruns and the one week completion timeline… As a contractor who takes pride in meeting deadlines, hitting our budgets, and having the highest of standards when it comes to quality, we know what it takes to execute a renovation at any scale. First step is figuring out if a renovation is right for you and which considerations you need to take when you are on the hunt for a fixer upper, or if you’re debating about updating your current home!
Why renovate? It is my opinion that most of the population are in one camp of thinking. They are the ones thinking “who would EVER want to renovate…”. The other camp are the ones who are either crazy enough, or understand the reasons behind them and all of the potential upsides. These are a few reasons we have people come to us that are up for the challenge!
- Carpet on the walls! It is amazing how a couple of decades go by in a home and suddenly you realize shag carpet on your walls is no longer a thing. It’s not always that dramatic, but styles and trends really do shift over time. Golden Oak was all the rage in the 90’s and 2000’s. Now, the majority of renovation calls we get are from people asking us to get rid of it! Cosmetic upgrades are absolutely the most common cause for reno fever.
- Triplets! When you find a home, you love and start to build memories in it, obviously that tends to create an attachment to the home. perhaps when you bought the home, you did not plan to have a family. Or maybe you blinked, and your family grew more than you had planned on or expected! Now you have a home you love, but it does not fit your growing families needs. Re-arranging the layout, converting a portion of the walk-in closet into a nursery or adding square footage to accommodate these changes are calls we get all the time. The other side to this is, once the chaos subsides and the kids are grown up and moved on, you get to take that walk-in closet back, AND the bedroom next to it for the ensuite with a massive custom tile show of your dreams!
- Right Lot… Wrong House… City lots have gotten significantly smaller over the years. This is a massive consideration for people to want to live in the older, mature neighborhoods of a city. With the 40-year-old Oak trees and expansive, private backyards, you just do not get that in most newer developments. The only issue is it also comes with a 40 yr old house.. Now this is only a problem if you are opposed to the idea of renovating. If you are not, then this is an exciting opportunity! An opportunity to remodel the existing home. Make it like new. Make it yours. AND get the lot of your dreams.
- Calling all investors! Nobody wants to do the dirty work. If you are willing to put in a little bit of sweat equity (or pay someone to do it), there can be great returns on that investment. People have created great wealth through various real estate ventures. Many of these people started by building equity into their own house in a good location that needed some elbow grease. Some look at an old house as a lot of work. Some look at it as potential dollar signs!
Now that you understand WHY you might want to renovate. Now what? One of the first questions we ask early in the process is “how do you live in your home?”. What are your family dynamics? Do you entertain? WHERE do you entertain? Living room? Basement? Kitchen? Do you prefer the kid’s rooms near yours? Or shall we stick the teenagers in the basement? We start to build a WISHLIST vs NEEDS list. We start with the Needs. Say for example, you entertain in the kitchen. Everyone always ends up gathering around in this space regardless of how many snacks you put on the living room coffee table. Issue is the kitchen is tiny! Well now we are going to run through our construction minded checklists: We need to delete this wall to open the space up. Is the wall load bearing? Are there any major plumbing or HVAC systems run through the wall that we need to be cautious of? If so, what is the alternative route? Even if we remove the wall, will there be space to accommodate the new larger island and still fit a dinner table?? Once the NEED is understood and a plan is in place, we look at the WISHLIST or WANTS. The wants are typically the aesthetic details and finishes. This is what people love getting excited about (and so do we). We just know how beneficial it is to look at the WANTS after the NEEDS have an action plan.
So, if you are doing some dreaming on your own before you get a contractor involved, what are some of the most common obstacles or constraints? Here are a few of the typical culprits.
- Structural or load bearing points. As exciting the idea of waltzing into a space with a sledgehammer and just “OPENING IT UP,” is, we should consider a couple of things first… Like is this wall holding up the ceiling? Here is a fantastic link to a clip which can help point out these bearing points. How to Identify and Remove a Load Bearing Wall | Ask This Old House – YouTube
- Plumbing and Mechanical Locations. Depending on the scope of the renovation, this may be more or less difficult. The biggest reason plumbing can be an issue to move is accessibility. To move plumbing or add a location, you need to be able to access it! This could mean opening the basement ceiling drywall and coring through floor joist and studs. Doable! Just requires an extra level of creativity! And potentially an extra level of cost! A qualified contractor or plumber can certainly help here.
- Asbestos. A plethora of health concerns and budget restrictions can make asbestos a bit of a bummer on your Pinterest hopes and dreams. Asbestos is a material that was used as a strengthening compound in an assortment of building materials from 1920-1990. It is incredibly strong, but unfortunately it is not good for the human body. Especially when airborne. Something to think about when looking to “open it up.” Here is a video on suspect areas in your home to look for asbestos. Where to Find Asbestos in your Home or Building – YouTube Make sure you get these areas sampled by a professional before you head in with the sledgehammer.
Bottom line is, renovations are not necessarily taking the easy road, but the potential upsides are endless. Consider these thoughts as a starting point when beginning down the renovation path. Finding the right fit as far as a professional team is the next step. Finding the right contractor is a bit like courting a new partner. You are going to be in a relationship with this person or team for months! You need to make sure you can trust them and that your goals are aligned. Make sure they are transparent with their process. That they take the time up front to understand your needs and the risks that can come with them. If you spend the right amount of time to find the right team for your project, your success rate potential goes up exponentially! Now you are off to reap all the renovation rewards.
