HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Ontario > Ottawa-Gatineau > General Discussion


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Jun 28, 2009, 5:45 AM
Awatto Awatto is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 43
Housing Renovations & Makeovers

Hi all,

I am interested in purchasing an older home in Ottawa to renovate, a process which would include aesthetic changes (interior/exterior) and improvements to the energy efficiency of the building. I wanted to reach out to individuals on the forum interested in sharing their experiences in the process.

From Ottawa, I live in Texas. Last month a fellow Texan allowed me to stay at the house in the Glebe he and his wife lovingly restored over the course of the past 3 years. That stay was the catalyst - I wanted to do the same.

Has any forumer renovated an older home in the city? I would appreciate the opportunity to have a dialogue. Urban development in my home city is a great interest, like others on the forum. I want to make a positive contribution to the streetscape of wherever it is I buy and renovate.

My neighbourhood focus is the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Centretown, New Edinburgh, the Market, Sandy Hill, and from Hintonburg all the way to the edge of Westboro. Happy to hear from all, no matter where their reno.

If this project is a pleasant and at least a breakeven experience, I would like it to be an ongoing set of projects for me. I suspect many forumers here would like to do the same - and perhaps already do.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Jun 28, 2009, 4:23 PM
rocketphish's Avatar
rocketphish rocketphish is offline
Planet Ottawa and beyond
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 12,212
Here is the blog of a currently ongoing whole house renovation of a nice older little Arts & Crafts style house on the corner of Fairmont Ave. and Fuller St. in Ottawa (Civic Hospital area). Parts of this story have been published as an occasional series in the Ottawa Citizen, but this blog is their entire tale. It makes for very interesting reading.

http://renovation-adventure.blogspot.com
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Jun 28, 2009, 6:33 PM
Awatto Awatto is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 43
This blogs looks like a terrific resource. My parents owned an investment property on Fairmont when they moved to Ottawa in the 1970s and it is enjoyable to read about a couple renovating on the same street 30 years on.

I like the Civic Hospital area. The homes are very attractive. I never got a feel for where you could walk to - is there a mainstreet or do you have to make the longer walk to Preston?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Jun 28, 2009, 7:00 PM
Jamaican-Phoenix's Avatar
Jamaican-Phoenix Jamaican-Phoenix is offline
R2-D2's army of death
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Downtown Ottawa
Posts: 3,576
Well at our place near Holland Ave., we've proofed the basement from flooding and put some lovely interlock for the path in the back. Now we're going to make a simple wooden patio for the back to go with my mom's new patio set and nice big BBQ. Over the past year, we've slowly been transforming the wasteland that was the backyard into a lovely summer space.
__________________
Franky: Ajldub, name calling is what they do when good arguments can't be found - don't sink to their level. Claiming the thread is "boring" is also a way to try to discredit a thread that doesn't match their particular bias.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Jun 28, 2009, 8:11 PM
Awatto Awatto is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 43
Waterproofing is an interesting investment - I do not have a feel for what the return on that in a resale scenario is. Was waterproofing badly needed to prevent damage to the house? Do you know what year the home was built?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Jun 29, 2009, 2:00 AM
Kitchissippi's Avatar
Kitchissippi Kitchissippi is offline
Busy Beaver
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 4,358
Quote:
Originally Posted by Awatto View Post
I like the Civic Hospital area. The homes are very attractive. I never got a feel for where you could walk to - is there a mainstreet or do you have to make the longer walk to Preston?
The Civic Hospital area is really close to the West Wellington/Parkdale Market/Hintonburg mainstreet. Unfortunately, the Queensway forms a bit of a barrier and you can only walk there using a handful of streets. There's a pedestrian bridge at Harmer that many people don't know of.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Jun 29, 2009, 4:21 AM
Jamaican-Phoenix's Avatar
Jamaican-Phoenix Jamaican-Phoenix is offline
R2-D2's army of death
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Downtown Ottawa
Posts: 3,576
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitchissippi View Post
The Civic Hospital area is really close to the West Wellington/Parkdale Market/Hintonburg mainstreet. Unfortunately, the Queensway forms a bit of a barrier and you can only walk there using a handful of streets. There's a pedestrian bridge at Harmer that many people don't know of.
I use that bridge since it's mere doors away from where I live.

And Awatto, I'm not certain, but I shall try and find out tomorrow.
__________________
Franky: Ajldub, name calling is what they do when good arguments can't be found - don't sink to their level. Claiming the thread is "boring" is also a way to try to discredit a thread that doesn't match their particular bias.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Jun 29, 2009, 5:17 AM
rodionx rodionx is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Centretown
Posts: 283
You might find this link interesting. The guy hasn't been updating on his progress, but he's got some good pictures of renovations in progress... http://uberor.com/category/my-house/

As for waterproofing, it's essential for someone who plans to live in the house long term, but if you're renovating for sale, it's not so clear whether it would justify the expense. Case in point: my house in Centretown is about 85 years old and was extensively renovated in 2002. The guy who renovated it did a nice job on the living areas, but he didn't do anything about the water in the basement/crawlspace. I showed up for the open house and there was enough standing water under the basement stairs to sail a toy boat in. I was going to make my offer conditional on the owners paying half the cost of waterproofing, which would have run into several thousand. However, I got caught in a bidding war and ended up paying a bit more than the asking price. So there you go. It didn't make a difference in that case. The owners themselves seemed baffled that I even cared.

Bottom line is that people buy houses based on emotion more than common sense, and nobody is going to fall in love with a house because of its great drainage. For what it's worth, I did subsequently solve about 80% of the problem by installing guttering and repairing the concrete and asphalt around the foundation. Lots of work, but quite cheap and you don't have to dig down and disturb the hard packed soil around the foundation.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Jun 29, 2009, 10:10 PM
Dado's Avatar
Dado Dado is offline
National Capital Region
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 2,521
I grew up in a never-ending home renovation and extension project, which we did largely ourselves to both save money and to get things done perfectly. I've done it all from digging out holes for foundations (found an old stream bed and 'basin' carved in the bedrock) through framing, insulating and electrical to drywalling and roofing. But beware that it can be all-consuming. Weekends and holidays can end up being given over to the renovation. And things can often end up not being finished.
__________________
Ottawa's quasi-official motto: "It can't be done"
Ottawa's quasi-official ethos: "We have a process to follow"
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Jun 30, 2009, 1:48 AM
Awatto Awatto is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 43
The notes on waterproofing are very useful. You get to an important question - what investments yield the best return. I actually do not know for myself right now what markup I can expect from finishing a bathroom versus waterproofing the basement. I have family members in the construction business who will provide a big help here.

Our first home to be a simple job, complexity can be layered with additional jobs. That means cost restraint as well. It occurred to me today that I want expand our search to Vanier and Vieux Hull, places some have an adverse reaction to it as a neighbourhood - I don't.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Jun 30, 2009, 2:17 AM
Kitchissippi's Avatar
Kitchissippi Kitchissippi is offline
Busy Beaver
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 4,358
I think district 42 (Hintonburg-West Centretown) still has some of the best reno potentials, and will be a very desirable area soon. Houses like this one would have fantastic curb appeal if the porch and balcony were restored properly (I detest enclosed balconies, they just end up being junk rooms).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Jun 30, 2009, 3:27 AM
Awatto Awatto is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 43
A properly done balcony and porch makes a huge difference to the curb appeal. There was a duplex in New Edinburgh that was listed up until a few days ago that had a similar opportunity to improve the balcony. That area of Hintonburg is one I know pretty well and agree will be coveted.

Being in Texas has given me a great appreciation for a couple of things, among them the benefit of a nice porch. Another is a metal roof, which combined with a facade of Texas limestone looks terrific. You see it commonly in Austin and the Hill Country. I pasted a link as an illustration.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_t8-Y4w1UKrc/Se...png?imgmax=800
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Jun 30, 2009, 4:04 AM
rodionx rodionx is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Centretown
Posts: 283
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitchissippi View Post
I think district 42 (Hintonburg-West Centretown) still has some of the best reno potentials, and will be a very desirable area soon. Houses like this one would have fantastic curb appeal if the porch and balcony were restored properly (I detest enclosed balconies, they just end up being junk rooms).
Agree on district 42 as well, and I'd also include the part of Centretown west of Bank street. Slimmer pickings, but there are still some grotty properties left.

That place on Breezehill looks pretty good already. I say go for a rathole, and you'll get a better return on your labour. How about a 100 year old ex-rooming house in Chinatown? It says it has seven bedrooms and two bathrooms. You'll want to get some good rubber gloves. Good location - it's right off Rochester, which already has quite a bit of development going on.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Jun 30, 2009, 10:06 PM
eemy's Avatar
eemy eemy is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 4,456
Quote:
Originally Posted by Awatto View Post
A properly done balcony and porch makes a huge difference to the curb appeal. There was a duplex in New Edinburgh that was listed up until a few days ago that had a similar opportunity to improve the balcony. That area of Hintonburg is one I know pretty well and agree will be coveted.

Being in Texas has given me a great appreciation for a couple of things, among them the benefit of a nice porch. Another is a metal roof, which combined with a facade of Texas limestone looks terrific. You see it commonly in Austin and the Hill Country. I pasted a link as an illustration.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_t8-Y4w1UKrc/Se...png?imgmax=800
The only problem with a metal roof is the noise during the rain.
Reply With Quote
     
     
End
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Ontario > Ottawa-Gatineau > General Discussion
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 3:48 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.