We are still in a holding pattern with the short list and waiting for updated scopes and sample contracts. We have one response and have had some back and forth with the other candidates and are expecting to get the details today so we can make a choice and get the ball rolling. I am currently on the hunt for salvaged lap (aka bevel of clapboard) cedar siding from the … [Read more...] about Week 6: Hunting for Salvage
Week 5: The Shortlist
Holy stressful. With all of the quotes in it was time to go over them with a fine tooth comb and try and compare apples to apples. It was pretty much impossible. To make the final decision easier we broke the project into two phases and are asking 2 builders to quote on the main construction phase. Because we don't have drawings or clear plan for finishes yet, most of the … [Read more...] about Week 5: The Shortlist
Character Merit Benefits
We got our response from the city this week telling us that our humble house has "Character Merit"! This is an important step for a number of reasons unrelated to our egos and love of old houses. The City of Vancouver has some planning policies in place to encourage the retention of houses deemed to have Character Merit that we now qualify for provided we don't remuddle the … [Read more...] about Character Merit Benefits
Week 4: Waiting mostly
Slow week. We are waiting for Builder 5 to get us his rough quote and we should have it by Tuesday making it a bit over 2 weeks since he visited. We got a very detailed pre-construction budget from Builder 4 on Friday so Saturday was just going through that one and trying to line it up with the others. It is the highest yet so we are just trying to figure out why. Are the … [Read more...] about Week 4: Waiting mostly
Unbuilding vs Demolition
The construction industry is responsible for one third of the waste in the Metro Vancouver region and the region is working very hard to reduce that with new bylaws. If your home is pre-1950 you need to recycle 75% to 90% of the material depending on whether your house has character designation. If your home is pre-1910 you need to salvage at least 3,000 kg of wood. This … [Read more...] about Unbuilding vs Demolition