Reflective Glass

In the last moments before we left our beloved Applewood Farm, I walked around from room to room drinking in every square inch. There was a hole in my heart that day because not only were we leaving what we thought was our forever home, but the first place that actually felt like home to me in a very long time. Other than bittersweet memories, the only thing I could physically take with me that day, was the mirror hanging in the bathroom.

That mirror now hangs in the main floor bathroom of Glenaura and I have come to realize that it is one of my most cherished possessions. It is really nothing special, it is just a handmade frame with plywood backing and twisted old wire to mount it, the glass has imperfections and a little of the paint flakes off every time I give it a good clean........ but it is has reflected our lives since that day........ all the changes and life lessons that makes where we are today in this home that much sweeter.

And it is sweet. And finished.

http://glenaurafarm.blogspot.com/

One Year Ago.......

Split Screens always show the true transformation, and as we started this project approximately a year ago, I thought it was fitting to have a flashback.

Landscaping

I realized it has been awhile since I posted, things have definitely slowed down in the reno department, but work has definitely continued on the outside space. The grass is growing around the house, the deck is filling up with flowers and furniture, the veggie garden is thriving and our "north side" landscaping project is almost complete.

Our original plan was to create a stone patio on the only side of the house where we did not build deck, however we switched gears wanting to create a space for shrubs and perennials and we are glad we did. Other than adding some more greenery, setting the flag stone into the mulch a bit more and creating a flat surface with sand and grade correction for the hose and reel, we are done.

The old house has come a long way in a year.

Another Check on the To Do List.

The deck is done and looks incredible, Jay definitely knows what he is doing and it is shown in his attention to detail and insane craftsmanship - thanks for a job well done!

We decided not to do a top row of pergola boards, for a couple of reasons. When we did the initial plans for the house, removing the small window (for code reasons) from Hanna's bedroom, changed the look of the front of the house, we had the option of doing a dormer or even a wrap around porch - but we opted out of both, in retrospect we should have gone for the dormer. The front of the house has always been a bit of a thorn in my side, driving up to the house it seemed to be lacking something, looking very plain and well, quite frankly *blah*. There is no way I wanted a covered porch (which would have solved the problem) because I didn't want to lose the lovely morning - mid day sunlight, winters are long enough without purposefully eliminating natural light - therein came the decision to build the pergola. It allows plenty of light in the windows and adds a certain architectural appeal to the home that it was lacking, but from the far distance - it is hard to see the definition of the profile, so my bareness factor isn't completely remedied but much improved. So rather then spend more money on lumber, the single row boards will more than suffice!

So, now comes the rest of the outdoor space projects some of which include building the grade up around the deck to conceal the piers, laying grass seed, building flower, toy storage and garbage boxes, the all important patio furniture selection and then the rock garden on the north side of the house........it is shaping up to be a busy season!

Since I know that a lot of you have appreciate the financial honesty, I will share the deck material costs with you, I am not sure of the exact cost of installing the deck piers as it was bulked in with the cost of contractor's bill, but the lumber and hardware was "approx" $5000.00, no that does not include labour - but that is one figure we are keeping to ourselves ;)

Who's Ready For A Deck Party??!!!!

Wow - that is all I can say!

Here You Go Chris....

Chris is at work and is slightly excited about the progress this deck is making, so here are some midday photos.

I Can Almost Taste The Cocktails!!

After three days of work, the deck is really coming together! The footprint in laid out and the surface boards are beginning to go down, I was even able to have a sit and enjoy a coffee.
This weekend we are shopping for a new bbq and patio set ;)

Getting Started on the Deck!

The arrival of this incredible weather has enabled us to start work on our outdoor living space sooner than we anticipated. Chris has been working diligently at leveling out the terrain around the house and bringing topsoil up to encourage grass growth where the deck will end and lawn will begin.

So here's the plan, the East side (front) and South side of the house will have 10' wide full length deck wrapping around to the West side (entry) where the deck will be approx 4 1/2 ' wide with a pergola on the East side to not only add a shady escape, but mostly to add and eye pleasing attribute to a currently blank canvas. All will be done in pressure treated deck board and expertly crafted by my brother Jason, we are SO lucky to have been able to hire him for this project!
If all goes well, construction should commence on Monday!!

EceEnergy Audit - Totally Worth It!!

Well, a nice surprise met us in the mailbox today! A $5000 cheque from the Federal Government! So, we got back far more than we thought we would and not only that, but the Ontario government matches that $5000 with a cheque that should follow in about a month. Yippee!! I think our deck is easily paid for and maybe a nice patio set.

So, all my belly aching about our poor rating was not worth it. Our house seems to be quite energy efficient based on our winter heating and hydro costs, so between that and the all mighty buck, we are quite happy with our renovation choices.

The Smell of Spring!

With spring in the air (almost), we are getting anxious to start up our little farm. We have been organizing some of the things in the barn setting some items aside to be included in our family yard sale, some designated to the burn pile and some being reassigned a place in our lives.

Chris has been adamant about building me a tack room in the barn, I resisted at first using the excuse of extra time and supplies needed for the project however, now that it is taking shape I am finding it to be a much needed space for some of the items that just don't fit in the house and that I don't have the heart to part with. So aside from the obvious saddles, bridles and grooming equipment, my grandfathers desk will have a new home.

Our chicken coup is also taking shape! I won the battle that earned me a larger space for our birds and put the order in for 10 Plymouth Rock laying hens and 12 White Rock meat cockerels! April 9th we should have 22 fuzzy peepers for a certain little girl to adore. We also intend to get some ducklings, but that will happen later on in the spring.

The glorious mud kept us entertained this morning and the deck piers around the house peaking through the melting snow has reminded us that we need to start making deck plans!!!!

Back Splash!

After the arduous task of selecting a back splash, we stumbled upon this amazing tile store in Barrie called Desert Tile, wow, they had a great selection and my perfect fit!! The colours pull out the flecks in the quartz countertop and cupboards. The painter is coming later this week to do touch up paint and I am finally getting to "girlifying" Hanna's room so stay tuned for pics!

The Energuide Rating

Well, I am disappointed to say the least. After having gone through the EcoEnergy Audit and performing a HUGE amount of renovations, our score was lacking.

The original house scored a 69% efficiency and now we score a 75%.... not even in the "Most Efficient" category. I am not sure how foolproof the test is and what the possible variables could be for a faulty test, because I mean we have EnergyStar rated windows and doors, and the entire house is sealed with spray foam insulation, what does it take to create a thoroughly efficient home?

I think I will do a little research into this.

And This Is What We Should Have Done In The First Place!!

I wince at the cost of labour when it comes to tiling, but man oh man our guy knows his stuff. As you know, the jacuzzi originally had a painted pine tongue and groove as the surround, we never liked it and resisted but caved........ so maybe the malfunction of the tub was for the greater good, because the tile "entombment" looks awesome! It still needs grout (and I am still on the fence about that damn tile colour we chose) but it made the world of difference!

Before

After

EceEnergy Audit - Part Deux

Today we completed the second stage of the Energy Audit offered by the federal and provincial governments. The process itself isn't as riveting as I had expected, I was under the assumption that this "fan" you hear about would suck all of the dust and pet hair out of my house and collect in a nice tidy ball on this contraption....... no such luck, you barely hear or feel it.

The initial audit rated the original house at a 68% on the EnerGuide scale provided by Natural Resources Canada, that is based on how much air can by pulled through your house. When Chris was present for the first audit, the fan moved quite quickly, this time - not so much, however until the magic numbers are punched into the sophisticated computer software, we will not know our exact Energuide rating and how the renovations we have performed have improved that number.

So, we have submitted our figures and now we wait and see how much we will ultimately qualify for in rebates, as our auditor put it "Now all you have to do is take the cheque to the bank".

The Cost of Renovating

When we initially took on this project, we had options - we could have torn down the original structure and built new, but any quotes we received for building new, started at $200/sq ft and that was only base finishes........ laminate floors and counter top, standard tubs and shower inserts etc. etc...... not what we wanted and certainly not the budget we were thinking of. So after seeking the opinion of a home inspector and contractor, we decided to salvage the original structure to be able to concentrate our hard earned dollars on the finishes that we wanted. However, when you are taking on such an endeavour the costs are not purely tiles, windows and paint. There is the cost of drafting/engineering any structure changes or additions, permits, equipment rentals etc etc etc. So, as a point of interest we will share the true cost of this project. Happy reading!

Home Inspection $378.00
Energy Audits $500.00
Hydro One Upgrade $960.75
Blueprints $441.00
Appliances $5151.92
Home Depot $3441.41 Lights, knobs, bathroom vanity, faucets, kitchen sink etc
Home Hardware $8986.70 Kitchencraft Cabinets (Maple in Espresso/anti slam)
Home Hardware $4226.20 Silestone Countertop (Quartz in Ivory Coast)
Home Hardware $1179.73 Water Softener & Misc
Rona $980.33 Toilets, lights
Dufferin Flooring $3774.93 Tile
Ikea $1614.30 Bathroom vanity, medicine cabinet, furniture
Canadian Tire $134.00 Sump Pump
Centre Grey HH $41485.20 Materials For Build
Fleshcon $1045.25 New Foundation Concrete
Stephens Rental $840.00 Waste Bin
Shouldice Block $966.69 Blocks for New Foundation
GW Masonry $1426.00 Mason work in showers and stone fireplace.
Brampton Hardwood $3529.72 Hardwood Flooring
B&R Stoveshoppe $3628.01 Propane Fireplace
Andex Steel $2536.88 Steel for Roof
Northern Heating $10620.41 Furnace, Air Exchanger, Duct work and installation
Harrison Interiors $9667.35 Spray Foam Insulation
Eagles Painting $6720.00 Interior priming and painting
D.V. Electric $9920.40 Complete wiring/switch & outlet covers/pot lights
M.T. Ceramic $3914.66 Installation of ceramic tile
Paul's Carpetry $4080.91 Carpet installation upstairs
Fines HH $745.67 Deck Piers
Barry Vaine Wood $5741.25 Maple Stairs and railing
Kinsmen Eavestrough $835.80 Seamless Eavestrough
Orangeville Glass $2599.00 Shower glass
Russell Drywall $4678.00 Labour to install & treat drywall
Mulligan Builders $71880.00 Labour
Mulligan Builders $18686.00 Management Fee

Grand Total of $237,316.47

Yup, ouch.

We are about $25,000 over budget - sort of - as we didn't have to do certain things in the original quote (ie:septic) and added some projects (ie: spray foam), so really we didn't come out too badly.

As for deadline, the start date was July 6 with an estimated completion of September. They came "most days" other than the entire month of September and we spent our first night at the house on November 23, the contractors were not done until December 16 and still not everything is completely done as of this moment, though our builder is done his part. We still have the backsplash tile in the kitchen, the jacuzzi tub tiling and, of course, the all important outdoor space which will include 3 sides of deck and pergola as well as other landscaping. So, although done is not done, it is done enough to be enjoying it......and that we are!

Preparing For The Final Payment!

The last basement window went in today, so that means that our builder is pretty much done and is working on preparing our "final" bill to receive payment. We have a few things we hope to get done as an aside from work our builder is/was doing, such as a backsplash in the kitchen, re-tiling the tub upstairs and of course in the spring/summer a deck, a rock garden, a vegetable garden, interior barn configurations for small animals etc. etc. etc., all in good time!

So, in the next week or two, we are considering sharing some of the numbers of this big amazing renovation, we realize real figures are usually not spoken about, but it is something we are always interested in and it shows the reality of home improvements and the costs involved.