"Let's just say it was on the ugly side and needed lots of work both outside and in," says Brian McWhirter, who partnered with Big Mac Renovations to resurrect the two-and-half storey home last August. "It was really in need of a severe amount of cosmetic work, especially inside."
At the same time there was some good news, McWhirter says.
"Structurally, it was in great shape for a house over 100 years old. It had good bones in the fact that everything was solid. The floors were level, and the foundation was in good condition. The roof was also only two years old, and the furnace was usable, even though it dated back to the late 1980s," he says. "That's why I bought the house -- I saw the potential. I knew the cosmetic issues could be fixed."
Cornerstone Real Estate's Steve Joyal, the realtor who sold McWhirter the five-bedroom home, says his business associate understates just how big the task was.
"It was pretty daunting," he says. "The backyard was all black mud, there were actually holes in the walls, and the windows were in very rough condition. I almost couldn't believe that Brian bought the home. It was obvious that it was going to be a real challenge to bring back to life."
McWhirter concurs, but with a caveat: "I knew that we had a lot of work to do, but everything was in place. It was just a matter of working with what we had (the solid structure) and bringing things like the drywall, windows and finishing back up to speed."
As it turned out, the initial estimate for drywall proved to be, to put it mildly, insufficient. It also turned out that none of the existing windows could be salvaged.
"Without question, the biggest project was the drywall -- we used far more than we thought we'd have to (on both the walls and ceilings), and the windows were also in rough condition," recalls McWhirter. "We ended up having to remove the windows to bring the drywall in to the upper (level); the stairs were too narrow to bring it upstairs. We also replaced all the windows. Most of them are double-hung for easier cleaning."
The 1,561 square-foot home's exterior also turned out to be more work than expected.
"Doing the siding was also a monstrous job," he says. "When we arrived there, the exterior was originally a fake isobrick (paper-like) exterior. We simply went over it with vinyl siding to save time. Isobrick actually acts as a good vapour barrier, so it made sense to reuse it."
Fortunately, there was other good news. Although the original oak flooring in the living room and dining room was badly worn, it still wasn't so far gone that it couldn't be sanded down and refinished.
"We then stained it dark brown to give it a nice warm look, and then went with an earth-tone colour scheme to keep the interior look contemporary," McWhirter says. "We were also to keep the original (black, latticed metal) heat registers, eight-inch baseboards and door trim to retain a portion of the home's turn-of-the century styling. In the end, everything came together pretty well."
The final piece of the main-level puzzle was the kitchen, which was also gutted. It now has cherry cabinets (with a smart blue glass-tile backsplash), beige/brown linoleum floor, stainless steel sink set in a smart black/beige/grey arborite and a stackable washer and dryer in a corner closet by the back door. All stainless steel appliances are new, and will be included in the sale of the home. There's even a powder room off the kitchen.
Upstairs, it turns out that there are two levels -- one with three bedrooms and a bathroom, the next (accessed by a winding staircase) with two more suprisingly large rooms, one with a closet, one without. The bathroom also features an original, refinished clawfoot tub and new cherrywood vanity with black granite top and cherry-trimmed mirror. The result is a home loaded with charm, both old and new.
"This home not only has character, but it also offers excellent value for the square footage -- just under 1,600 square feet -- with a full basement that can be used for storage," says Joyal, adding that the home is being listed for $146,000. "It will make a great home for area residents looking to upgrade, university students or families of new Canadians looking for a solid, affordable place to live."
Whoever buys the home, says McWhirter, will get a home that's ready to go in every respect.
"Both the back and front yards are sodded, there's a sliding gate and parking pad in back, and a newer electric panel with 100-amp service. The basement is also fully functional, and you also get a state-of-the-art, 24-hour alarm system that has two years of monitoring paid for," he says. "It was a lot of work to bring this home back to life, but now that it's finished, it's very gratifying. I've never been part of a renovation that required so much detailed work, but it was worth it."
There will be an open house at 449 Sherbrook St., Sunday, Jan. 18, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Details
ADDRESS: 449 Sherbrook St.
Renovators: Brian McWhirter, Big Mac Renovations
Size: 1,561 sq. ft. (plus full basement)
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 1.5
Price: $146,000
Contact: Steve Joyal @ 955-3900
open house: Today, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Key Features: Completely renovated from top to bottom; original refinished, dark-stained hardwood floors: five good-sized bedrooms; kitchen with cherry cabinets, new stainless appliances and stackable washer/dryer (included in price) housed in corner closet; main bathroom has old-style, refinished clawfoot tub; full basement; enclosed front porch; alarm system.
