RENOVATIONS: BC renovation market continues to gain ground

It was a budget that had home-improvement wannabes gasping and builders green with envy when they were told about a $6-million renovation of a Vancouver home.

Every doorknob throughout the ultra-customized home cost $500 while the nine electronic toilets were $4,000 apiece, said Peter Simpson, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association, which hosted a recent home renovation seminar.

The more than 300 attendees, undoubtedly there to collect tips about planning their own, considerably more modest projects, provided further evidence that not all segments of the economy remain in the doldrums.

While other industries may have slowed, British Columbia's $7-billion-a-year renovation market continues to gain ground, particularly in the Lower Mainland, which gets about two-thirds of those reno dollars annually.

"The renovation market has been rising steadily for the past dozen years in B.C.," Simpson said. "A lot of the housing stock is aging and because of where we live, many of these homeowners prefer to fix up their homes with new kitchens or new bathrooms, or there might be mobility issues so they are configuring the main floor. Most renovations are done to improve the living environment."

In the case of the $6-million renovation, the homeowners -- a husband and wife and two children in their 20s -- were doing exactly that by returning the aging home to its former glory, and then some.

The family, who declined to be interviewed, bought the house two-and-half years ago and immediately embarked on what has to be one of this city's most ambitious renovations.

The contractor that won the bid was Artisan Construction, which has been winning awards both provincially and nationally since its startup 10 years ago. The company was founded by two brothers, Darren Repin, 37, and Brent Repin, 39.

The elder Repin says one of the big challenges with the renovation was meeting strict planning regulations that required the home's heritage features to be either maintained or recreated.

That meant, for instance, that when the single-pane, leaded-glass windows were ripped out, they had to be replaced by the same style of window, upgraded to double glaze.

The rot around the window sills was so bad, Repin said, you could easily put your finger right through.

The 1920s three-storey Tudorstyle home, on a park-like 85-by-200-foot lot, had seen better times. Artisan gutted the entire 6,000-square-foot home and upgraded it with new everything, from plumbing to electrical, while maximizing the floor space so every area had a purpose.

Although technically a renovation, considering the amount of work that went into the project, it is practically a new build, said Repin, noting even most of the structural support beams had to be replaced.

But what makes this renovation stand apart -- aside from the $6-million price tag -- are the astonishing finishing touches throughout. The master en-suite has an integrated steam shower, heated mirrors so they won't fog up, a sound system in the shower and travertine flooring.

The extensive millwork throughout the home is solid walnut, including the custom doors and high baseboards. The one exception is the den/media room downstairs, where African mahogany was used. And while the millwork is impressive it's those small, often overlooked details that elevate this renovation from what is typically seen. Repin points out the frameless pot lights that go for $400 a pop require the entire ceiling to be skimmed in order to attain perfection. The trim around a typical pot light, Repin explained, could hide any mistake but by using frameless pot lights there was no room for error.

Downstairs, an entire room is devoted to the home automation system that controls all the audio, video, heating, security and even blind controls.

That system allows the homeowners to set a mood for each room, like presetting the dining room to a "good night scene that has the lights automatically dimming at a specific time."

The home has an entrance to impress, featuring a 14-foot ceiling, unique hand-blown glass chandeliers, and a massive fireplace adjacent to the entrance closet.

"This house is so customized there wasn't a lot of stuff in it you could you buy off the shelf," said Repin, estimating in the two-and-a-half years to complete the job about 100 tradesmen have passed through its doors.

"Everything is the best of the best."

Repin credits all of the team for achieving the client's vision, and includes architect Eric Cheung of Pacific Architectural Inc., interior designer Bridgit Saverey of Balance 3 Living Design and landscape architect Masa Ito of Ito and Associates.

Simpson said anyone considering renovating needs to do their homework and make sure they are hiring professionals and have everything spelled out in a written contract.

But he said with the harmonized sales tax looming he's sure that some homeowners will make the mistake of giving in to temptation and doing cash deals.

"A lot of the renovations are underground and we definitely believe when the HST comes in it will feed the underground market even more," Simpson said.

"The problem is you have unscrupulous contractors knocking on people's doors offering to do it without taxes. It's human nature to try and save, but it's the worst possible thing you can do."

Simpson said he's heard many horror stories of contractors ripping off clients in these cash deals and with no contract in place there's little recourse for them.

"I talked to one guy who owned a business and should have known better. He hired a guy to extend his kitchen and gave the guy most of the money up front. The guy banged down the wall and disappeared. Now he [the owner] is paying double to get it fixed."

Repin said he would recommend homeowners consider hiring a professional as an insurance policy because if anything went wrong without a contract the homeowner would be liable.

He also said having a well-designed, thought-out plan before beginning a renovation saves money in the long-run.

"People don't spend enough money on hiring proper interior designers or architects so you can get a perspective of what it will look like," Repin said. "If you do that you'll get much more accurate pricing if you have a detailed plan of the work."

Simpson said homeowners should also seek three estimates for the job and provide contractors with a detailed plan that includes the specifications on what kind of finishes are requested.

For more tips on how to do a renovation properly, visit gvhba.organd The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., at cmhc-schl.gc.ca.

("The $6 million dollar reno: 'We can rebuild it'" prepared by Kim Pemberton/Vancouver Sun)