Well, for those of you old enough to remember the series Dallas, this cliffhanger was longer than the wait we had for who shot JR!
I apologize for the delay in wrapping up this renovation saga. The last time we checked in on my Condo, everything was in shambles, the carpets had been removed, the kitchen had been gutted, and yes the place was a mess. Let’s review some pictures again:
The plan was to get the renovation done in a month. This was taking place during Covid by the way. I can tell you that the first month came and went, and we extended the Airbnb for a week, time flies when you’re having fun. That week expired and the renovation continued. The Airbnb we were staying in was rented out for the next 6 weeks so we were out of luck. Plan B, well I didn’t have a Plan B so I had to find one and fast.
As luck would have it, Hotels seemed to be having an issue getting guests during this time, go figure! We checked into the Granville Hotel and they welcomed us with open arms. They asked us how long we needed a room for. We optimistically said 3-4 days. No problem sir, we can help you with that. Our stay reminded me of the movie The Shining, empty hallways and empty rooms, it was a strange time.
Well, 3 days became a week, became 2 weeks, became a month. We were the best guests that the Granville Hotel had ever had, in my mind anyway. They were fabulous hosts, and after a day they moved us into a lovely room with a view of the ocean and Yaletown. I was in my bunker now with a water view and was prepared for battle.
It wasn’t a battle, during Covid we had delays. At the best of times during a renovation you will encounter delays, it comes with the territory. Did we have any surprises, yes we did. The Kitchen cabinet colour didn’t come as advertised, which caused a delay of a few weeks.
What else, hmm, well we decided to change the doors in the guest bedroom without telling our cabinet guy! Don’t do that. He had to re-arrange the closet organizer to align with the new sliding doors, which we love by the way!
This is a list of everything we did in the Condo:
- Carpeting was removed
- Applied self-leveling concrete throughout for the new floor installation (Older Condo, floors were not level)
- Repaired drywall – the original installers must have been drinking when they originally built!
- Smoothed out the stipple ceiling (makes such a big difference)
- Removed original gas fireplace and surrounding tile
- Removed dark slate tile floor from kitchen/entrance & bathroom
- Installed new flooring throughout -engineered hardwood in main areas and tile in the bathrooms
- Installed 24 pot lights (yes that’s correct!) Had dimmer switches installed so we can control the brightness
- Removed the old Kitchen cabinets, and sold or donated old appliances. Cabinets weren’t worth saving
- Completely renovated both Bathrooms, removed the old tiles, drywall, flooring and fixtures
- Continuation from above. The tiles in the one bathroom had been replaced a year earlier. One of the big box stores which shall remain nameless had a contractor install the new tiles. These would have lasted another year at best, it seems he wasn’t a fan of using thinset – mortar. At best I would say he had about 40% coverage under the tiles, and very thin. Those new tiles would have fallen off sooner than later!
- Installed floor and wall tiles in both Bathrooms
- Closet organizers were installed in every closet to maximize storage and keep things organized
- For those of you who have viewed a property with me, you know I love heated floors! Installed radiant heating under the floor tiles in each bathroom. Probably my favourite feature!
- Added a walk-in shower with a glass enclosure
- New vanities and cabinets in the Bathrooms and Kitchen
- Installed new fireplace and surrounding tile
- The previous Kitchen had regular sized appliances. This made the kitchen appear smaller than it was, plus they were just big and bulky. We went with European brand appliances, Bosch Dishwasher (nice and quiet), 24 inch AEG steam oven and Induction cooktop (big fan), and a Liebherr Fridge.
- The previous Kitchen had cabinets at eye level looking out, this drove me crazy, felt like I was trapped. We removed all the cabinets but instead of blocking me in again (that wasn’t going to happen), we extended the countertop and added cabinets on the front side. You can see below.
I think that wraps things up. I’ll close with pictures of the finished product. Would I do it again, for sure. Did we have any issues, we did. It’s difficult to have a perfect renovation, just be prepared for a few hiccups along the way and you won’t be disappointed. Then you can relax and enjoy the finished product!!
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About the Author:
Thinking of Renovating, Me Too, Part 2, the Long Awaited Finale was provided by Regan Pyke, (I didn’t jump by the way) a Vancouver Realtor and a leader in the field of sales, marketing, and real estate investing. Regan can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 778-228-2448.
If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Kits, you know where to find me 😉
