A STORY OF OUR HOME RENOVATION JOURNEY

A STORY OF OUR HOME RENOVATION JOURNEY

Apr 2020 – Dec 2021 (…hopefully!)

In April 2020, we decided to renovate our raised bungalow in order to better suit our growing family.  This is a blog that tells the story of the challenges faced and the decisions made along the way.

If you’re thinking about doing a renovation of your own, then hopefully our journey will help to shed some light on the process – or perhaps even help you to make a choice here or there.  If not, then I hope at least that you enjoy following along with our journey.

If you have any questions at all or have any feedback, please reach out to hello@portcreditmortgages.com.

Our Current Progress

The reno as of June 11

IMG-20210714-WA0002

(click to see the entire project gallery)

The PC Reno Posts

  • We bought our house in the fall of 2013. It’s a raised bungalow, built in 1959, it has good bones and it’s never given us any trouble. We’ve made a few changes over the years, but it

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    05 May, 2021

  • The decision on whether to renovate or to buy is a tough one and it can have significant implications on your life one way or the other.  So we figured, rather than follow along our journey through th

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    19 May, 2021

  • To say we were fully decided on the reno is not really fair.  If I’m honest, that door never fully closed until we put the first deposit down on the reno and there really was no going back.  One of th

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    02 June, 2021

  • With the plan in place, the next thing to do would be to agree on a design and firm up the total project cost.  Upstairs, we wanted 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms and a laundry room.  On the main level, an

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    16 June, 2021

  • It can be hard to visualize the finished product with only the flat technical drawings.  One of the great things about working with someone like Sarah is that she is also able to provide a 3D wal

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    23 June, 2021

  • There are so many aspects of a renovation that require a keen eye and thorough understanding. Some people have it within themselves to visualize a functional layout and a beautiful design – we certain

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    30 June, 2021

  • A major renovation is a huge financial undertaking and long project.  While the build itself is the bulk of the cost and time, it’s easy to overlook the expenses and lead time required just to get the

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    14 July, 2021

  • Now that we had the main design in hand and the logistical stuff sorted out, we shifted our attention to some of the more fun details of the build.  The first item on the list was the millwork.   For

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    28 July, 2021

  • The exterior of the house sets the tone for the personality of the home and can act as a starting point for the interior design to build upon.  It’s also really important to get the curb appeal right

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    11 August, 2021

  • Anyone that has done a major renovation will tell you that it always takes longer and costs more than expected.  So you expect that it will take longer and cost more, and it still takes longer, and co

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    15 September, 2021

  • If you’re doing a home renovation, you’ll have a lot of money going out the door.  Thankfully, the federal government is highly motivated to cut emissions – a significant portion of which come f

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    09 December, 2021

  • Once the big jobs like the framing, plumbing and electrical set the foundation for the build, things get exciting as you can start to visualize the end product.  When the larger details, like windows,

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    12 January, 2022

  • Nearly two and a half years after we initially started the conversation, our renovation is complete. We knew going into it that it would take longer, cost more, and that we would run into issues along

    Author Imagejoshmiszk@gmail.com
    10 September, 2022

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