‘WITHOUT A HITCH’
Inside a nearly seamless reno
Like winning the lottery, a nearly seamless renovation is hard to come by.
Extended timelines, budget complications and homeowner horrors like mould in the ceiling or structural issues have long been the reality of renovating. So when asked, renovator Philip Coe said the unique aspect of a largescale renovation he completed in Manotick was that it went well — “really well.”
“It just went off without a hitch,” said Coe, who owns residential renovation firm Revision Built. “During renovations you discover things as you are demolishing, you see things you didn’t know existed and how that’s managed is important.
“Successful renovations happen because of experience.”
He credits proper planning and “reliable” team members for their success in transforming an almost 4,000-square-foot home from an old-fashioned and partitioned space into a modern and functional living environment. They did this in just two months. Of course, a seamless renovation isn’t to say it was perfect. There were just “no real issues” — at least not anything Coe couldn’t solve. He worked in the trades for 20 years before starting his own company and built and maintained many relationships.
Coe said that if necessary, he had friends willing to drop everything to help. It’s because of that he was able to solve any problem that popped up, ensuring the project would stay on time and on budget.
Before the renovation, the large home looked like a relic of the past. Its textured ceiling, floors with salmon-coloured marble tiles with black accents, and dark brown walls spoke of the design sensibilities of the early 1990s.
“The house had a lot of potential. On the positive side, it was spacious and had nice windows, but there were many things I didn’t like,” said homeowner Sasha Sadilova.
When Sadilova and her partner Sadiq Hasnain bought the house, they knew right away it needed a complete makeover.
The retired couple met Coe at a home show in Ottawa and told him about their tight deadline. They wanted to move in by Christmas.
“Neither of us believed it could be done,” said Sadilova when the project began that October. “I never trust anybody. I’m a very skeptical person … but what he did was beyond our expectations.”
The scope of work was large. One of the biggest concerns was demolishing supporting walls on the main floor, which required the expertise of a structural engineer and permit approval.
Coe made use of his contacts and received approval quickly.
Additionally, the large staircase in the foyer had to be replaced and tile and carpet had to be swapped for hardwood, among other aspects.
Hasnain was skeptical, too. He experienced bad renovations before and knew all too well that things could go south, fast. “You never know what you are going to come across but the way (Coe) managed the project and the way his workers did the work and the quality we saw was reassuring.”
In addition to Coe’s employees, he worked with a lot of local and family-run businesses — much like his own — to complete the project.
“I find people you can rely on,” he said.
“When you have the right network and you plan properly, you eliminate many potential problems.”
Much like his partner, Hasnain’s doubts subsided and like Coe promised, the couple moved in to their newly renovated home just before Christmas Day last year.