Renovating The Inherited Family Cottage

Have you inherited an older cottage from your family, a cottage that gave you so many wonderful memories throughout your childhood?

The memories you have are wonderful but when you take possession of it and walk through the place you and your partner realize something; 

• the cottage is very small.
• the cottage is very old.
• the cottage is starting to fall apart.
• the cottage just doesn't work for you and your growing family.
• the cottage is missing a lot of the modern things that you and your family have come to rely on.
• there's parts of the cottage that aren't safe for children.
• the cottage cannot be used when it gets colder.

The best thing you can do is find a contractor that you can work with, a contractor that won't lie to you just to get work, someone that will tell you exactly what you don't want to hear.

First things first. The cost of fixing up the cottage, making it bigger and winterizing it could cost as much or more as building a brand new cottage!

But the reason that you have the old family cottage isn't because of a financial decision it is more a sentimental one. That means that the cottage has more value to you then to anyone else. So tearing it down is not an option for you.

So renovations and additions it is, that is the only way to keep the cottage that your family has had for generations and still make it livable for you and your family.

The good thing about renovations and additions is that they don't all have to be completed at one time. They can also be done in a way that still allows you to use the cottage, probably in a limited capacity but still enough to make more family memories.

Most young families don't have the budget to fix up the entire cottage at one time. So a fazed approach into renovations and additions is what most people opt for. 

The order in what you do the work is more personal choice then anything. Usually safety is the first priority. You should repair or replace anything that posses a threat to your children or your health like rotten wood or mold. Or foundation problems that could lead to structural damage over the winter months.

The addition per square foot will cost the most out of all the work but it does give you something that the rest of your renovations or repairs doesn't; more space. Most cottages are small, the only way to get more space is to add more square footage to the cottage.

For major renovations and additions you need to work with your contractor, they can help you get drawings and plans that you will need to get permits and approvals from the local municipality.

Construction is expensive, so the better your plans the better chance you will have in maximizing every dollar and getting exactly what you want.

Plans will also allow you to keep the character of the family cottage while updating it and modernizing.

If your wanting to give that family cottage an update then email me and let's see if I can help.

greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Hire A Licensed Professional To Renovate Your Bruce Peninsula Cottage

Recently I asked a local community group about creating a preferred contractors list for building, fixing, renovating and repairing their cottages. This is something I have been involved in before in different places and different groups.

The reason for the group is take the guess work out of finding a reliable tradesmen to fix whatever you need fixed.

The logic is that as a group you have more purchasing power then as an individual. That might not make the job cheaper but it does give you comfort that the person you hired will want to do the job right because of all the other people that potentially need their services that you the homeowner know.

Now this sounds like a simple thing, to create a list of people and companies to do work for your neighbors, it usually is, except in cottage country.

What is different in cottage country? Well there are a lot of "handy people" who charge for services that they do, whether that is repairs, maintenance or just keeping watch on other peoples cottages. A lot of these people charge cash, as in they are avoiding paying tax, avoiding telling the government that they are running a business.

Now not paying tax might seem like a great thing because you spend less money as the homeowner, but it also has a lot of problems associated with it;

• Insurance. Any trade or construction company that you hire to work at your cottage or home should be fully insured. This is so that if they damage your home then you are made whole. If they do not have insurance then your own home insurance will be void as well, meaning if the home was to be destroyed from fire or structural damage you wouldn't be covered at all!
• WSIB. Companies require wsib for their employee's. Individual contractors that are working for you the homeowner do not require it. But they do require personal liability insurance and insurance to protect them if they get injured. If they don't and they get really hurt or worse their family could sue you the homeowner for compensation because it happened at your home. Also if someone didn't have insurance and got hurt at your home you the homeowner are considered the contractor,that means that legally you could be charged with negligence for not making sure that the person was working safely.
• Warranty. When cash is exchanged that means that there is no warranty. Now if someone is doing some simple maintenance maybe you don't care about maintenance, but for larger jobs like a new deck or windows where there is a lot of money involved you want a warranty. When you spend a lot of money you should expect a warranty.
• Resale. Cottages have risen in value in the last decade everywhere. The amount of people looking to buy cottages have never been higher. Nothing raises your cottage value like a good renovation. Nothing hurts your cottage value like a bad renovation. Buyers now are more picky hiring home inspectors and they can also ask if the work on the cottage was completed in a legal manner.

Now as properly insured and registered company that employ's professionals for all aspects of the cottage renovation process I spend a lot of time explaining to homeowners why I have to fix someone else's work. The damage that is caused by people who don't know what they are doing is worse then you can imagine. 

I recently had to repair a wall that was full of carpenter ants. The wall was so wet and damaged that we had to completely remove the wall and build a new one, why? Because the guy 5 years earlier who installed the new siding failed to put a proper flashing/drip edge between the siding and the deck above. This allowed the water from snow and rain to run down the siding, hit the deck and run behind the siding into the wall cavity. In 5 years the entire wall was destroyed.

Things like improperly installed windows void the manufactures warranty immediately. The same as improperly installed siding and shingles. The cost of material has never been higher, installing it improperly shortens its life span. 

One other thing is that professional companies spend time educating themselves on new techniques and new products. The construction industry has never changed as fast as it is now, with new products coming out to help homes last longer and survive the ever changing weather that is affecting us, these products have very specific ways that they need to be installed or they will fail.

So in the future when you are looking for repairs, renovations or even to build a new cottage look for a professional company that is insured and that will do the work the right way. Yes you will have to pay tax, but you will also be protected in more ways then one.

Rob Abbott

Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc. 

Cottage Renovators Bruce Peninsula

Nothing transforms your cottage like a large renovation.

But a large renovation must be done right or it could turn into a nightmare.

Because of that you need a contractor that is not only good at renovating cottages, they are also good at designing, organizing and planning.

Your contractor doesn't have to be an interior designer but they should know the latest trends, how they are completed and what will make your cottage function and feel better and more family friendly.

Older cottages were built for function more then comfort and fashion, but as times change so does the need for what cottages have become.

Cottages now are used 12 months of the year and are considered a second home not just a place to go on the weekend to enjoy swimming in the lake. People want to be comfortable when they go to the cottage, they want to be able to feel like they are at their own home, they don't want to wake up feeling cold and dirty and dreaming of sunday afternoon when they can drive home.

The need to hire a contractor that can sit with you as the homeowner and re-design the interior of your cottage, the exterior of it, change the bathrooms, the kitchen or even the basement into something that makes you feel like you never left home is at a premium.

Great Lakes Custom Homes is that kind of contractor.

Building and renovating cottages on the Bruce Peninsula is something that we take pride in, something that we are exceedingly good at.

If you are thinking about renovating your cottage send us an email at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Let us make your cottage more your home and less like the 70's era camp that it looks like.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Winter Is The Best Time To Renovate Your Cottage

Winter is not the nicest time to be at the cottage for you, especially if the cottage is older, drafty and lacks a proper heat source. This doesn't make for an ideal time to enjoy yourself, but it is an ideal time for you to have your cottage renovated.

The best time to renovate is when you are not there, not needing to use the place, this allows your contractor to get in and fix, repair or renovate everything they need to without you in the way. It actually cuts down the cost because they don't have to remove all their material and equipment every time you come up to use it on the weekend. The job can start and finish without a lot of delays.

Now sometimes in the winter, work can be slowed or delayed because of the extreme weather but because you won't be using the place until the spring it won't affect you the homeowner.

With modern technology of text messages, pictures, videos, phones calls and emails there's no reason that you can't monitor what is happening at your cottage.

Tile and flooring can be purchased anywhere and shipped to the site along with plumbing fixtures and windows. There's almost nothing that can't be done on the internet or through email to help plan and choose your finishing's for your cottage.

But you are running out of time to secure your contractor for this winter, if you don't do it soon you will miss the winter window and have to settle for a spring renovation when you want to use the place.

Start calling around for those cottage renovation contractors now.

If you are looking to renovate your cottage email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc,.

What Parts Of Your Cottage You Really Need To Renovate

Renovating whether it is in your home or at your cottage is expensive, the cost of material and labour has steadily risen every year, especially the last couple of years. Because of that you need to be smart with your renovations, no matter how much money you have everyone has limits to their budgets. The best thing you can do is prioritize what you want to get out of your cottage and what you need to have repaired or remodeled. This will help you get the most out of your renovation budget no matter how big or how small it is.

Cottages are different then the home you live in, they are not used all the time, that means that they are closed up for long periods of time. The way you use your cottage will determine what you need to focus on. If you don't use it in the winter then the heating system isn't as important as other parts of the cottage.

Roof

The roof is one of the most important parts of the cottage and is usually the one thing that is neglected until its to late and the rain is coming in.
There's no reason to finish anything inside your cottage if there's a chance that it could be ruined by an old leaky roof.
If you don't want to re-roof then you can opt for a steel roof which will last as long as you own the cottage.

Electrical

Old cottages have old electrical. Fuses are not only annoying to change when they blow but they can also be dangerous as people will keep upsizing them so that they don't blow them as often. This can lead to electrical fires.
Updating electrical panels and wiring will help when you go to renovate, if you plan to add lighting, heaters and plugs then you need more room in your panel and maybe a bigger panel overall.

Plumbing

Old plumbing can be just as damaging as a leaky roof when they fail. Re-do the plumbing, especially if you are planning a bathroom or kitchen renovation. The cost isn't great but the new plumbing will last a life time.

Bathrooms and Kitchens

No matter if its your home or the cottage kitchen and bathrooms are always worth the renovation. Kitchen and bathrooms are used more then any other room in the cottage and renovating them always adds more value to the resale value so you never lose money if you invest in them.

Outdoor Space

4 season rooms, screened in porches and decks. These are the places that are going to be used the most and also where your going to make the most memories. Done right and they can make the cottage experience memorable.

There are always other things that you can fix or renovate in a cottage. You can renovate the entire thing if you really want too, but everyone usually has a budget, that means that you should prioritize what you want to fix. Start with the above mentioned and then if you have money left in your budget move on to some of the other rooms in the cottage that aren't used nearly as much.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Its Time For The Cottage Spring Inspection

The snow has finally melted!

It might not be bikini weather yet up at the cottage but it is time to head up to the cottage and do your spring inspection.

What is a spring inspection you ask? Its the time that you drive up to the cottage to make sure that its still there, especially after this long drawn out winter!

The usual suspects that you find are damage to roofs, windows and siding/facia.

Now these area minor repairs a lot of the time that you can hire someone to do or you can try and handle on your own. But maybe its time that you take a serious look at that old cottage of yours and decide whether its time to do a larger renovation then just a constant minor repair every spring.

I'm talking about biting the bullet and springing for new windows, siding, soffit/facia. You don't have to get all of them, but if your getting tired of the constant repainting of the old siding or the windows that leak water and don't open, then maybe its worth the investment.

Not only will new windows/siding free up your time in the spring, it will also help your enjoyment of your cottage. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see the lake, the trees and the animals outside through nice new energy efficient windows.

If your changing your windows/siding then you can for a little bit extra add some much needed foam insulation to the outside of your cottage. This insulation could give you an extra month at the cottage in the fall and a couple extra weeks in the spring, allowing you to be more comfortable and also lowering your energy costs throughout the cottage season.

So when you go up to your cottage for your spring inspection take a serious look at your cottage and decide if a larger upgrade is needed, something that will not only raise the value of your cottage but also raise the enjoyment of it.

Drop me an email if you would like to talk about some cottage repairs.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Government Rebates-Now's The Time To Renovate Your Cottage

Right now in Ontario there are very healthy rebates for renovating your home or cottage. There are rebates that are applied to the following;

• New windows
• Updating the heating system
• Increasing the insulation (the walls, ceilings)

The rebates are very healthy with thousands of dollars available for each area of the home or cottage.

Heating systems range from $2000.00 (for ductless heat pumps) to almost $20,000.00 (if you want to install geothermal heat pumps). That cuts the cost of a lot of those new heating systems almost in half.

There are rebates for window replacements and insulation upgrades as well.

If you have been waiting for the right time to renovate your cottage this it, it won't get any better then money wise then this!

These rebates might not last past the next provincial election so if you are thinking about fixing your old cottage up then you should start looking into it.

With these rebates you could take that old, poorly insulated, drafty cottage and turn it into something that is not only comfortable but well insulated and easily heated. This can also give you more time at your cottage as those cold spring days and those late fall ones are a lot more comfortable and easier to keep warm.

One of the big positives is that with the cottage real estate market being so hot you will get all the money back that you spend on it. So even as an investment renovating your cottage is a good idea.

If your thinking about renovating your cottage email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com and we can talk about what you need.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.   

Closing Up The Cottage Look For Needed Repairs

Even though the weather is still warm it is coming closer to the point in the fall that everyone will start closing their cottages for the winter. They will be shutting everything down until next spring or summer.

When you are doing your shutdown procedures for your cottage take a close look around, if you see anything that you believe needs to be repaired or replaced by the spring then maybe you should call someone this fall to do it.

Contractors are busy after the cottage season is over and they usually have work lined up for the foreseeable future, if you call them right away in the fall then they can come out rather quickly and give you an estimate on the repair.

They might not be able to do the repair for months or even until the spring but at least you will be in the line for the repair work. If you try to call in the spring and get it repaired you might end up with a scenario that you either don't get called back at all because they are too busy or they do come out and quote you but can't actually do the renovation until the middle of the summer.

Remember the good contractors are always busy, that means that you want to give them as much notice as possible when you are going to need renovations.

Don't worry that the renovations will happen when you are not there, you shouldn't have to be there to supervise the contractor, in fact its better that your not for everyone involved. Hire your contractor let them do their work when you aren't around and everyone will be happier.

Remember that in cottage country the motto for getting renovations completed should always be hurry up and wait. Hurry up to get the quote and then wait for them to be able to service you.

If you would like a quote on your cottage repairs email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes

It's Time For Fall Cottage Renovations

Well labour day has come and gone, the weekends have started to become quieter with less people around and the temperature starts to drop. These are the times when most cottagers start thinking about how long they can keep their cottages open before the weather starts to turn too cold on them. The other thing that cottage owners start to think about is Cottage Renovations.

That's right, after labour day comes and goes it is the official start of the fall renovation season. Depending on how you use your cottage this is when cottage owners start calling around to renovation contractors to have renovations completed before Christmas. Why Christmas? Because I guess its as good a date as any.

What you will find is that most contractors are already booked for the fall, they were booked for the fall by the middle of the summer because most people didn't want to renovate when they were still using their cottage so they booked their contractor ahead.

Don't make the mistake of settling for someone that you don't trust can do the job just because the other contractors are to busy. If you have to you should wait till the winter to get the contractor that you want to do your renovation.

Something's that you should remember is that it can take several months even when you find your contractor to start the renovation, don't be put off that they can't start for several months. Depending on the size of the renovation it can take several months to properly prepare for a major cottage renovation. There are supplies to be ordered, plans to be made, sub contractors to be notified, permits to be obtained and labour to secure.

If you are looking for renovations this fall/winter to completed drop me an email and I can see what I can do for you; greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Looking To Buy A Cottage But Need To Know The Renovation Cost?

In cottage country when you are looking to buy a cottage that is older the first thing that you think about is "how much is it gonna cost me to renovate this old cottage?" That is something that every person thinks about when they are looking to buy a cottage that has been previously "enjoyed".

What most people do is start calling around to contractors and asking them questions over the phone about what they charge and then they try to come up with their own price for what they think things will cost. Some people even try to convince contractors to come look at the cottage before they have even bought it. That sounds like a good plan except that in cottage country contractors are busy enough with renovating that they don't have time to come out and look at a cottage you haven't even bought yet.

What you need is a contractor that's willing to come out and look at the cottage or cottages that you want to buy as a consultant. When a contractor works as a consultant they are billing per hour to look at the home, find out what the renovation needs are and what the wants are of the home buyers for changes, designs and style. Then the contractor will be able to produce a budget on the potential costs of doing the renovations. These budgets are not a price from the contractor to actually do the work, they are a budgeting tool for the homeowner so they know what they are getting into if they buy the cottage.

The contractor is not doing this to get the renovation work, in fact a lot of contractors do not have the time to take on the renovation work that is proposed, they are their solely working as a consultant to help the homeowner decide to buy or not buy the property.

We at Great Lakes Custom Homes do this type of consulting work for potential cottage buyers. We will bill you per hour and produce a report with a budget so that you can understand what you are getting into if you buy a certain piece of property.

If you need help with renovation budgeting for your cottage purchase send me an email at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

We would be glad to help you.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

I Can't Find A Contractor On The Bruce Peninsula

"I can't find a contractor on the Bruce Peninsula," this is something I hear from people everywhere I go on the Bruce Peninsula, especially the northern Bruce Peninsula. The limited permanent population compared to the much larger summer population means that the contractor that are working in the area are fully booked.

Well, look no further. Great Lakes Custom Homes does operate in the area of the Bruce Peninsula as I personally own a place there, this allows me to service the summer population that requires good, quality contractors.

Great Lakes Custom Homes doesn't just build new homes and cottages we also construct garages,addition and renovations.

Fully licensed and insured we are hear to help you with your next project.

If you would like to chat about your next project or you would like me to come out and give you and estimate send me an email at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Bought Yourself a Cottage-Now Is The Time To Renovate

You've just bought your cottage, if your like most people you realize that the cottage is going to require some work, old cottages always need a helping hand.

What you should do is have anything major repaired right away that can't wait; roofs, foundations, water lines, toilets, sinks, well and septic system.

Having these things fixed will allow you to use the cottage over the summer if only briefly, this way you have a safe place to stay and you also get the chance to get a feel for what you want to do to the old cottage.

The best way to find out what needs to be done to your cottage is to use it and stay in it,this way you will know what works well for you and what doesn't work well for you.

Make a list of everything you want to change and everything you think will need repairs and start your planning and designing. This is when you should call your contractor, call them now so that come the fall and winter they can book you in to do the work. The summer season is the busiest time for contractors in cottage country and you don't want to have to try and hire one on short notice(it wouldn't happen). It's better to hire them to come and do the repairs and renovations in the fall and winter when you aren't using the place and they aren't that busy. Don't worry about not being there a good contractor can do most things over the phone or email with pictures and drawings.

If you retain a good contractor then you will be able to get them to come out and look at your cottage and give you advice on what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. Through email you guys can then hash out a plan and a price for the work that needs to be done in the fall.

This way the place is completed by the time you want to use it in the spring and you won't have to worry about living through the noise and dust of a renovation.

If your looking for renovations for your newly bought cottage send me an email and I will see if I can help you with it. The earlier you can schedule your renovations the better chance they will be ready for the spring.

greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.