This is the journey of buying and renovating our “Aging in Place” home on Lake Scugog (about an hour from our current home).
These are the photos from the original listing, but we were lucky enough to buy it before a sign even went up thanks to our amazing real estate agent Pearl Carrigan. Looking for lakefront in the Kawartha’s? There is no one better, Click HERE for her contact info and current listings. She made our dreams come true, imagine what she can do for you!
These are the original house drawings supplied by our amazing neighbours John and Natalie and Dayton and Susan…
May 22-24th, 2021 – We reached out to Caplan’s Appliances to get pricing and ran into the greatest sales guy In Ed Quinn. Not only did he respond on the long weekend, but set up a zoom call and helped us get all our appliances ordered (including a kick ass WOLF stove). It does not end there, he also made suggestions and helped us get all the Lynx appliances ordered for our outdoor kitchen. It will be a while before we get them (thanks COVID) but it will look amazing.
June 19th we got the preliminary working drawings and things look great. Next stop…permitting.
July 19, 2021 – We ordered our Magic Windows Window Wall and doors yesterday and they will be about 14 weeks for delivery.
July 20, 2021 – We just heard from the City of Kawartha Lakes and our permits are approved and will be picked up tomorrow. We are now ready to move forward.
October 14th, 2021 – Making progress. Sunroom, soffits and eavestroughs removed in preparation for roof removal.
October 23rd, 2021 – Up to check on the septic system. Lorne found the old system, and the new will be ready to go in over the next couple of weeks. While up, we stopped into the Lindsay Design Center and saw bathroom & kitchen cabinets in the warehouse (Jo still loves them :-). Also dropped in a photo of the view. It never gets old being on the water.
October 28 & 29th – the roof is coming off and we are making progress.
November 26th – We have a second floor…floor! Main cross beam in and floor joists laid. Next week, second floor walls and trusses. We heard that our Magic Window walls are being delayed a couple of weeks, so likely arriving the same time as the other exterior doors and windows. A special thanks to CPE Structural Consultants Limited who hustled to engineer the beams over the Window walls and french doors in the basement. The whole project is looking better each time I’m up.
December 13th week – The roof is sheathed and the shingling has been started and it’s starting to look like what I had in mind.
December 23rd/24th – Just got a few photos from John (one of our great neighbours) showing the new windows going in. The cut outs in the concrete and brick are for the Magic Window walls that should be installed in the next couple of weeks. New windows are going in all around and the bay window is here and ready to go in. Some of the views are looking out from inside and some from the new upper floor. What a view for a bedroom. Looking great!!!
January 2nd, 2022 – Things slowed down over the holidays but will be ramping back up in the coming week, We are expecting to have the the doors, bay, and Magic Windows installed shortly. Next up will be meeting with Jeremy (our builder extraordinaire) for a walk through with the trades as we prep for furnace and ducting, electrical and plumbing.
January 7th, 2022 – The bay window and front doors have now been hung, a temporary set of stairs installed, the magic windows rough opening has been framed in and we are ready for them to be installed. Next week the trades get in and start their magic.
January 12th, 2022 – Exciting news. The Magic Windows are being installed on Monday and I just ordered a boat to add to the dock. Looking forward to warmer weather and getting back to the water (both living and sailing).
January 18th, 2022 – The first Magic windows went in (a day after the snowstorm), with the rest going in the next day.
January 21st, 2022 – We are scheduled to meet Mike our electrician from Mariposa Electric, and the plumber to walk through, spec out and measure things up.
January 26th, 2022 – We are planning on moving in mid-April, so listed our Thornhill home and sold it in less than 3 days. Thanks Jeff Tabachnick for making it happen.
January 28th, 2022 – Ducting is going in. The basement stairs are removed and floor is broken up for plumbing tie ins and also to pour footing for main beam post to sit on. Looking good.
February 4th, 2022 – Wiring is going in. Pot-light holders and vapour barrier in. Plumbing (drains so far) being added. Met Lisa of Brock Built-In Specialists today to price and book the security system and central vac by Beam. She made some great suggestions and we’re hoping to get her crew in to install in about 2 weeks or so (after the other trades).
February 18, 2022 – I rented a truck (smallest they had left!) to take up a few skids of plumbing supplies (toilets, tub, faucets etc.). The drain lines are in and were inspected, so now finishing basement concrete work then lower level walls, HVAC and electrical.
March 1, 2022 – Looks like security and vac system are going in next week and insulation to follow.
March 5th, 2022 – We stopped by at Overridge BBQ‘s to buy a BBQ for the top deck and at Homestead Furniture & Appliances to get a Mattress and some great Kawartha Rocking chairs. We drove up and dropped off a couple of toilets and checked out progress. The basement is framed in and I now have an office, Mitch a bedroom and we have a good sized family room. The gas main is in, the furnace and HRV are hooked up so heating can begin once insulated. Also added the bathroom tile, cabinet, and counter colours that Jo has picked out. Looking good.
April 7, 2022 – Met with Terry our painter extrordinaire who’s getting all the interior paining done, and Richard from Studio Stairs who was in to measure for our stairs to go in in about 2 weeks.
April 13 & 14, 2022 – I spent a couple days up at the house as the new well pump system was installed, cable run into the house, fireplaces installed, flooring delivered, met our new cleaning lady, saw the flooring down and our kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities delivered, discussed the backyard layout with Kyle and more…
April 18th, 2022 – My #1 Brother-in-law Dan and my nephew Nicholas jumped in to install the cabinets when COVID took down our kitchen installers. We made a day of it and have them set up so appliances can go in on Wednesday. The builder and his crew, the tilers, painters, electricians and plumbers are all hard at it to get us in next week. These guys are the simply the best.
May 10th, 2022 – Closed on our old place so we only own one home now. Looking forward to getting settled into the new place.
May 11th, 2022 – Lots more progress. A great job by Richard and the crew at Studio Stairs in getting the stairs and railings in to a very tight spot. Jeremy and the boys are doing well with the siding going on and making a huge difference. Terry Davis is a fixture in the house now, moving from room to room painting trip, accent walls and touching things up and hiding the flaws. We love these guys.
A few notes of progress… Jeremy and they guys are working on the deck (just awaiting glass), Stewart MacDonald has done a great job in getting the HVAC and gas piping all in and now we really love him for getting the Air Conditioning unit in and hooked up. Thanks to Mike @ Mariposa for the electrical hook-upon the A/C and he has the generator coming this week for install. Terry got the rest of the painting done while we were away and the place looks great.
We got a bit fed up with the front yard looking like a war zone, so I rented a skid steer, got about 18 yards of topsoil and cleaned things up a bit (above) until we get the “official” landscaping work done. Toys for the big kids in us 🙂
We switch the “Dock in a box” order from grey planking to beige as we’ve been delayed several times due to manufacturer back orders. Rod Kavanaugh from Nautibuoys has picked it up and we are hoping to get it installed in the next week or so.
Eric and John have been working with Lindsay Design Center and the counter installers, to get our kitchen finished. A few screw ups in ordering, combined with back orders and delays in installing have pushed it all later, but we are getting there and their work is great.
Lastly we picked up a couple kayaks and Jo and Mitch got out one day after work for a paddle. What a life…kayak after work and before dinner !
July 5th, 2022 – The railing is in, the glass panels go into today and siding is starting on the lower level. We are now racing to the finish. we got the cat set up and launched on the weekend and WOW is it fast. With the great wind we have here I’m sure it’s only a matter if time before we see if it can really hit 16 knots. We picked up a Hurricane 187 deck boat to tour around in and tow the kids. I think we need a bigger dock if we want visitors 🙂
July 7th, 2022 – Jeremy and the boys have been doing the siding, adding glass to the deck railing, and a hundred other things. Looking forward to Cole getting out with some topsoil this weekend to cover the side yard (over septic) and prep for seeding. On Monday we’ll have Ed from All Ontario Hydroseeding out to do their thing. Looking forward to some grass 🙂
July 12th, 2022 – Terry Davis finished up the last of the painting (a bit of trim here and there) after doing such a great job on the house. If you want to check out his work just go to https://www.instagram.com/terrys_painting/ or check out the photos above. From prime to finish, walls, ceilings, floors, trim and even the stairs, it’s all amazing.
July 14th, 2022 – Yesterday we had counters and sinks installed and Skylar was back to install a hose bib at the side of the house, the basement toilet and the shower door (looks amazing) in Mitch’s bathroom. Today Eric (the Great) from Reliance (he also does home inspections) install the drains and faucets and finished things up. We are really getting there
July 25th, 2022 The guys at Latitude Countertops did a great job of installing the counters (Made of Dekton) last week and the backsplash today. Nice to see the kitchen almost finished (just some lighting to do). Mike is due back this week to set up and test the Generator, install back yard lights, set up soffit lighting controls and the odds and ends.
The amazing team at Clarke Brothers Aluminium installed our eavestroughs over the past 2 days and did a great job. They even did the under deck drainage so we have a dry space when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Sept. 27th, 2022 We met with Bryce Kramer of The Landscape Company to go over the landscaping of the property. He was referred by our friends Chris and Cathy and did a few jobs for them that look amazing. He’s putting together some pricing and the work won’t start until the spring, but we’re so excited to be in this last last leg of the journey.
May 26th, 2023 We are moving on phase 2 of our project…the Landscaping. Bryce was out to start laying things out and more machinery and crew are showing each day. You can tell it’s a worksite by the outhouse on the front lawn.
June 13, 2023 The retaining walls for the back yard are blocked and backfilling will begin soon. the idea is to make sure the yard is stable and replaces the messy patio stones that were there in the past. This as well as the shoreline work (if ever approved by Parks Canada) is aimed to avoid erosion into the lake. Years of informal back filling along shorelines has resulted in more debris ending up on the bottom of the lake. We hope to stop that and protect our lake.
July 8, 2023 We are making slow progress and had to bring in some younger labour to get the job back in track. 🙂
July 24, 2023 The Pergola was delivered on Friday and was installed today by Marcin and his crew from SixStarPros. They did a great job and I can see us enjoying the space even in… not so great weather.
Appliances due to be installed on Tuesday by Frank and his crew. Ken finishing the last parts of the shed today with the garage door due this week and bunkie to start late this week.
August 1st, 2023 Ken and Keith have started the Bunkie. This time it’s a bit smaller than the shed that was there, and 100% on our property this time 🙂 The “other” Keith and the Landscape team have been finishing up the stone work around the lower deck, and side stairs. They all started the driveway edging. This removed soem of the breakage along the side and will give us a couple more feet in width.
August 2nd, 2023 The driveway is getting trimmed up nicely, as is the garden in front, and the path to the shed. Backyard has the “Scugog Sunset Viewing Area” taking shape and the Bunkie progressing quickly. We’ll be ready for the next invasion of the Austrians any time they want to make the trip 🙂
August 9th, 2023 Topsoil is getting spread, fire-pit stone work is finished (but the bowl). Frank finalizing gas and electrical to kitchen and bunkie (that was wired by Mariposa) today and ken making great progress on the bunkie. Now it’s some small stone parts, sod, planting and the teary good byes.
August 14th, 2023 The plumber hooked up the sink today, front yard sod done, a few boxwoods to be planted, some mulch to be done, a few last stones and the kitchen doors to be hung and we’re done but the heaters.
September 2023 The bunkie is finished. The fold up/down stairs are installed and Ken has finished the stairs at the side (to the garage) and up to the upper deck. A coat of black stain in the spring (once the pressure treated beams, stringers and joists are dried out) and that will be done.
We also got our Parks Canada permits for the shoreline work and Bryce/Steve and the crew will be here to do that work in the coming month or so.
Until then, I want to thank everyone involved that made this 2 year project evolve into the home of our dreams. You all played an important role and we could not have done it without you. Thanks for putting up with all our “on the fly” changes, providing lots of laughs, and the occasional tear as we watch another sunset and can’t imagine living anywhere else. I love it when a plan comes together.
Final Photos & Flyby …Thanks to PEARL, the best real estate agent, neighbour and friend!
