In this age of superficial apartment-to-condominium conversions, the words of realtor Bill Thiessen are a breath of fresh air.
According to the urban realtor, one of his latest projects -- a quaint little nine-unit apartment block that's being turned into a condominium complex with bachelor, one- and two-bedroom condominiums at 228 Bertrand St. in St. Boniface -- is about as in-depth as retrofits go.
"The developers really wanted to do this one right," he said. "They've done a lot of under-the-surface stuff because they wanted to make it an efficient, low-cost place to live."
Indeed, the list of improvements to the complex already is impressive, from the walls on out.
"For starters, the walls between the suites -- which are eight-inch-thick cinder blocks -- were stripped of the drywall and old insulation," said Greg Cramer of Franclo Holdings, project manager of 228 Bertrand's retrofit.
"New Roxul (natural fibre) insulation was put in, polyed, and then we put Green Guard insulation over top with the shiny side out to ensure there weren't any thermal breaks, and to ensure as much heat as possible bounces back into the building. There's also a new high-efficient boiler and new 80-gallon hot water tanks, which will have their water preheated by the boiler. That feature will save owners money as less energy will be needed to heat the water."
Improvements to the building don't end there.
"The roof was redone in 2008; its insulation value is R45," added Cramer. "Everything was also rewired, so the electrical system's in good shape. We also put in new dual-pane, low-e windows to make the suites even more energy efficient."
Likewise, the suites -- which feature huge windows in the living room and dining room that let in loads of natural light -- were also redone throughout. Thiessen said no area was left untouched.
"One of the most impressive things about these suites -- the two-bedrooms are about 800 square feet in size, with the one-bedrooms being about 650 sq. ft. -- is their finishing quality. The first thing I noticed when I walked through them is that there's no vinyl, there's either hardwoods (engineered laminates in the kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom) or tile (in the bathroom). That's something you don't see very often."
Everything in the kitchen is brand spanking new as well: brown cappuccino thermofoil cabinets with under-mounted lighting, tan laminate countertops, tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances. Meanwhile, the bathrooms have been stylishly retrofitted with beige ceramic tile floors, tile shower surround (with cement wall with waterproof membrane behind) with glass tile accents, glossy white vanity and white one-piece fibreglass tub/shower unit.
"To be honest, I was really blown away by the quality of the finishes," said Thiessen. "The developers have done a very nice job. You don't always see finishes of this quality at this price point (bachelor unit $99,900, one-bedrooms $159,900 and $169,900 for two-bedrooms).
"All the spaces -- the kitchen, dining room, living room and bedrooms -- are generous, too. And it's going to be a quiet place to live with the cinder-block walls, (hollow core) concrete floors and new windows."
The driving force behind the project, owner/property manager Mona Hallard, said there was never any question about doing every aspect of the retrofit beyond normal specifications.
"I treated this project as if I was going to live here," she said. "I think you have the ethical and moral obligation to provide the best possible product for buyers."
Thiessen said that attitude is music to his ears and a major reason why he decided to take on the project.
"My take on these folks is that they're not quick dollar kind of people. I could see they weren't cutting corners and were doing their level best to do this retrofit right," he said.
"For that reason, I think this is a small project that people are going to love. Not only have the developers done a great job, but it's a killer location, dead-ending on St. Boniface Hospital on a quiet street that's only five minutes from downtown, and is close to the city's south end."
With its display suite ready for viewing and the project slated to be completed by late October or early November, Thiessen said prospective buyers can expect the condominiums of 228 Bertrand to deliver great value.
"Condo fees are going to be very reasonable at about $165 per month, all you'll have to do is pay hydro," he said. "The suites themselves have excellent layouts and are so nicely finished. It's going to be a great spot to call home."
For more information on 228 Bertrand, call Bill Thiessen at 255-4204 or 946-5638.
