DIDN’T PASS SMELL TEST
Handed a smelly townhome, couple launched delightful renovation
Stink led to home reno
When buying a pre-owned home, you inherit the good, the bad and the ugly. While each home comes with its own quirks and problems, some sellers try to gloss over these things in hopes of attracting a buyer.
One couple was looking for an affordable second home in Ottawa — they lived in a lake house more than an hour’s drive from work downtown and wanted something closer. They ended up settling on a townhome in Overbrook South.
The couple had seen the home on a warm day — the seller had opened all of the windows to create a cold draft throughout the house — and they didn’t pick up the overwhelming smell of cat urine that met them when they opened the door the next time as owners. The couple ended up choosing local renovation company Revision Built to get rid of the smell at any cost.
The homeowners originally thought that only a small portion of the floor would have to be removed, that it was an easy fix that they could move on from. The problem ended up being much bigger; over 60 per cent of the subfloor had to be removed and the entire front entrance, with some areas stripped down to their joists. The original project was turning out to be a much bigger investment than they’d realized, and so they decided to improve the floor plan and create their dream home.
“My original plan was get the cat pee smell out, let’s fix that nasty problem with the floor. And as we found more, the original idea of just taking out a little area of floor kept growing ... so before you know it, we had to do the whole floor,” said one of the homeowners. “That led to that whole vision that I had of oh, we can take down the wall, we can open it up. By working all of those aspects together, it came to be.”
On the main level, a wall separating the kitchen from the living/ dining area was removed, which immediately opened up the space. New cupboards, cabinets and an island replaced the old and a single post now contained all of the relocated wires and pipes.
An unusual layout greeted them upstairs: there were two large master bedrooms, each with an ensuite and tub. In the room the couple wanted to use, Revision Built redesigned the bathroom. They removed the tub, relocated the sink, enlarged the shower and added a 14-inch sun tunnel for natural light. They went to town with heated floors in both bathrooms, custom tile and glass showers, stone tops and upgraded fixtures.
“The way I look at it, the saving grace is just finding the builder that you can trust. Our line has always been ‘Oh, that’s a Phil problem.’ And it’s been so nice to be like, ‘no, I don’t have to worry about it because I know he will,’” said the other homeowner.
Philip Coe, owner of Revision Built, worked with the homeowners to create a modern design that suited both their tastes and needs. With a welcoming open concept layout and loads of natural elements, the cat-pee house has been transformed into a place the couple proudly calls home.