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.

A Fireplace For Your Cottage Basement

Is your basement in your cottage or chalet feel damp and cold. Does it feel like no matter how many heaters you put down there you just can't get it to feel more comfortable? Do you worry about people having to sleep down there because their always cold and uncomfortable?

Well there is probably a lot of reasons for this and to fix it right you will need a major renovation that takes time and a lot of money.

Now if you don't have the money or the time to do that type of major renovation right now then there is one thing that could help in the short term, something that will make your basement feel more comfortable while you save up for your major renovation.

You can add a fireplace in the basement.

Now you can't simply put any kind of fireplace in the basement. The simplest kind of fireplace to install with the simplest chimney venting is a gas fireplace.

Gas fireplace venting doesn't have to rise up and out of the roof of the building like a typical fireplace, gas venting can go out the side wall near the unit as long as it ends up being a couple of feet above the finished grade outside.

To make the installation of the gas fireplace simpler you can have a stand alone gas stove installed. This kind of fireplace does not require you to do anything to the walls or floors around it. It can actually be placed anywhere in the room and be perfectly safe.

Gas fireplaces work on remotes that have built in temperature gauges, that means that they work just like your furnace. You set the temperature and the fireplace will regulate itself to that temperature (if left on), your basement is turned into a space that has a regulated temperature that is warmer and more comfortable. It also gives a focal point to the basement, a gathering point where people want to be together. They come with built in fans to help push the warm air around the room as well.

If you have other problems like leaking foundations or flooding problems in the basement then this won't fix your problems and that should be addressed first, but if it's just a simply problem of a cold and damp basement then a fireplace could be an easy fix.

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.

Easter Is The Start Of Cottage Renovation Season

As the thanksgiving long weekend approaches a lot of people will be heading up to their cottage to open them up for the start of COTTAGE SEASON!

What some of them will find will be damage from the winter that will need to be repaired.
While others once they are there will look around and realize that the place is really in need of some major repairs/renovations if they plan to keep using it.

This is the start of the spring cottage renovation season, were my phone and email start going off like crazy in the next month and an a half.

This is the nature of being a contractor that services cottage country, it's very quiet until its not...

If you are thinking about renovating your cottage this spring then the sooner you start calling around to find a contractor the better your odds are that you will actually find one that isn't completely booked for the entire spring and summer.

It doesn't matter if you are thinking about doing a bathroom renovation, a basement conversion, an addition, a major face lift to the outside of the cottage, building decks or docks, mostly the same contractors do most if not all of it. And once that long weekend comes they not only start getting really busy working on peoples cottages but also pricing a lot more work for later in the year.

Remember that there are only so many good quality contractors up in cottage contractors, so if you really want work done this spring/summer you need to get a hold of them soon, they will need sometime to get you a proper quote, pricing and schedule you in for the actual work.

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

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Make Your Cottage Basement Into Something Enjoyable

Do you have a raised bungalow cottage in the Bruce Peninsula and are wondering what to do with your damp dark basement?

Well lets turn it into something usable and amazing! A block basement in the Bruce Peninsula is usually built right on top of the rocks near the water,what does this mean? It means that the basement is usually not built into the ground on all four sides of the cottage.

Typically the cottage is buried on the side were the septic system is installed and the rest of the building is basically out of the ground,

What does this mean to your dark and damp basement? It means that we can cut holes through the outside block walls and install windows and doors. Immediately your basement becomes light, airy and ventilated. Oh and USABLE!

To take care of the dampness you need to use spray foam insulation, a heating system that circulates the air thus bringing new fresh, dry air inside and removing the damper air.

Now that your basement is light and dry all you have to do is the finishing's! You can raise beams, move stairs, add plumbing, add electrical and with some insulated flooring to keep your feet happy you are done it. Your new basement will feel just like any other part of your house that you already enjoy.

What you need is a contractor with the vision to help you turn your old cottage into something special that your family and friends would be happy to come and enjoy with you.

If your looking to upgrade your basement into something more then just a place to store life jackets and kayaks send me an email and we can talk greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
.
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.