Update: Autumn 2014

In the throws of some sweet renos.
This round is currently delightful, as it is still constructing the Basement Suite (like a mini-house inside our house! META), and fixing the sh*t we didn't totally do right the first time refining previously in-progress, "90% complete", or "final" rooms (Main floor Bath, Family Bath, Kitchen, Library, Dining Room, Living Room). Wouldn't it be a different world if we all didn't make mistakes & everything was perfectly formed the first time? Haha... how are we possibly supposed to know everything there is to know before forging forth & getting messy? We forge ahead & do it anyway... failing, making mistakes... shameless... all in the trust of that divine mistress Process to infuse her gifts of inspiration, innovation, and courage. It's a sweet spot. We are not afraid. Besides, you don't get to judge us. Viewing home, nay, life, as a work-in-progress is not only freeing but it is good. This is just part of our awesome.
So we're messing about with tweaking these spaces, and wondering still about where we will end up next while painting, furniture tetris, co-ordinating trades, and appreciating the day to day grind with a relaxed attitude. Winter is coming... feelin' the chill... getting a little tired of workin' so dang hard... so we're warming this home with more mature tones (Library, Kitchen, and Main Bath), and "finishing" projects (Living Room, Dining Room) to soothe our souls. Hunkerin' down! Stay in tune near 2014 year-end (if all goes to plan) to catch our next update... she'll be a doozy.

Assessment

A year & a half into the Fray:
Purchasing in the most desirable neighbourhood in Saskatoon was a no-brainer. Worst house on the best block (due to strange cosmic twists of availability) true to Profitable Real Estate 101 guidelines. Although renovations stresses are high while we rehab this ole beauty... the investment is looking like a relatively sound one, that is as long as the Province continues it's trend of plundering resources like it's going out of style (hanging head in shame, here... Canada... y u so bad guy? *sigh*).














On the left, we have 2009 values assessed @ $262,900 (after the 2006 boom).
On the right, 2011 values assessed @ $520,200 (before purchase/renovations).

We hate to talk about dollars & cents publicly, but want to log the facts for preservation. Don't hold it against us. Looks like we are almost on track with those important Structural and most-influential/expensive renovations taken care of (pending Up Bath). Good, because we're sooooooooooo damn broke! Ha......... ha........ oh.

Future Goals:
Well... we're pretty focused on present goals... but the end result will dear god hopefully eventually look like this (from where we started):

Type: Residential

Style: Single Family, 2 1/2 storey

Bedrooms: 4 + loft

Bathrooms: 3 full

Garage: Double detached

Basement: 1 bedroom Suite

Size: 1,923 sq.ft.

Year Built: 1919

Description: Beautifully renovated charming character home in prime Nutana location, walking distance to University of Saskatchewan, Broadway shopping district, and river. Chef's kitchen, Library, Formal Dining Room, main floor Bath and Laundry, 3 Bedrooms and Bath on 2nd storey, and spacious Loft on 3rd storey (5th bedroom). Energy upgrades include 200amp electrical, solar grid, tankless water heater & hi-efficiency furnace, upgraded insulation, doors and windows. Features Hardwood floors and 9' ceilings on main and 2nd floor, natural gas fireplace in Living Room, a/c and alternative cooling ventilation system, and restored exterior facade. Yard boasts professionally designed permaculture-based landscaping, and an insulated double Garage with wood stove and Greenhouse with amenities that meet Garden-Suite codes. Bright and modern 1 Bedroom legal Basement Suite with soundproofing, Laundry, separate entrance, and patio renting @ $1250/mo. Basement also has access to shared Laundry, Utility, Rec Room, 4th Bedroom, and wine cellar. 

Urban Farming.b. (Philosophy)

Our History:
In our twenty-something years, "getting back to the garden" was taken literally to heart... and we moved to the Farm. We not only moved our little family, but we moved our friends too. There were legendary gatherings, parties, weddings, making babies, and a general time of innocence & confidences.

We moved past our homesteading experiences and evolved our ideals into an urban setting. We were still committed to farm, but our foundation of beliefs had grown past self preservation and into reaching a broader audience to produce a potentially higher impact on the Planet.

The Urban Farm reaches a greater amount of people in our community through: being visible with our food-producing yard, and integrating our own successes with reliance on others. It is a model based upon reducing carbon emission (staying local), creating a safe & supportive environment (by an invested community), and transforming how we live & how we sustain ourselves on a day-to-day basis (sustainability).

There is an outrageous amount of faith leaping involved when you wake up in the morning.

Residing in this Urban setting, we are reaching out for people to make a commitment to sustainability right now. The most common barrier we hear from city-folk is that they can't begin their ideal healthy life without a chunk of land (common phrases amongst leftover hipster thirty-somethingers: "we're just waiting to find the right land to make our homestead", "can't wait to start living off the grid when we find our forever land!"). Move away from the idea great amounts of land are necessary to "get back to the garden", and begin sustainable practices wherever you are now. Apartment balconies, Community Gardens, Food not lawns.

Learning is steep, mistakes are rampant, embarrassment is inevitable, things break, humility is egregious, tears, laughter ensues, love isn't lost, gratitude begins each day again.

Urban Farming.a. (Urban Foraging)

Urban Foraging:
We make friends with our neighbours who have neglected or plentiful fruit trees & rhubarb bushes (or other delicacies & treats), harvest for them, gift in return some baked goods, and use the remainder for our table. This has been catching on as a trend with people like Out of Your Tree Saskatoon, along with other trends in Urban Foraging & Guirilla Gardening/Seed Bombing.

The trees (with the man being a previous Arborist) receive some care, the land-owners receive tasty treats & full clean-up, and we lower our food-costs & keep our diet healthy (who doesn't want to eat applecake & ice cream for breakfast? weirdos, that's who).

We have a small freezer in use for a limited time until it is cold enough outside, and we transfer our foraged bounty to the outside freezer: an old dresser inside the front porch.

It's true, folks, this labour is extremely time consuming (harvesting, coring, prep. baking/canning/dehydrating), but we just LOvE and nomnomnom.

Philosophy.a.

I figure you can have it cost-effective and quality but not on time (us), not cost-effective and on time but not quality, or quality on time and extremely not cost-effective. Choose your battles.

History.a.

1909 Nutana

History:
This photo found in the City's archives is pretty cool. Our house is just out of the shot... but our neighbours' houses are there! Coolness. The off-Broadway Hose & Hydrant is the "water tower" this photo was taken from, and you can see the now-shell of the Refinery middle left on the corner of 12th and Dufferin.

Next Up:
We're an impatient little family waiting for the Kitchen floor and cabinets to install tomorrow... then I'm staying up late (thanks to this incredible iced coffee recipe) to move furniture... which these days, is an exiting Friday night! Hahaha... *sigh*

Energy.a.

It is seemingly counterintuitive, to make this move into a bigger house. And you would be correct to assume, and we are guilty. Boo! Yet, our family's commitment to living a reduced-footprint lifestyle is still present, and even boosted by the Erleichda house project. Let me illustrate the paradigm shift.

Transportation:
We walk, bike, and take public transport. By being centrally located to our daily activities (work, school, groceries, leisure) we are able to eliminate the need for a personal vehicle. In our winter climate, this is a harsh decision to make, but we have been inching into this trend for years, and have no qualms about the extra time, effort, and un-comfortability involved with longjohns, feather eskimo jackets, and down mittens. Our day to day transportation needs are met with reduced carbon emissions.

To cart supplies to and fro while we renovate, we purchased a reasonably efficient vehicle, and use it solely for house projects. Our trips are carefully organized to be few and far in between (a mindset learned from living on the Farm as well as our past City experiences being on foot; have stripped away many superfluous needs. For example when you only have two arms & a backpack, the amount that can be carried is limited).

Energy:
By insulating exterior walls that have older insulation (shredded newspaper and woodchips!) we reduce the useage of energy from the grid. The first renovation we performed was insulating the exterior Basement walls (January), and we can feel the difference as well as see it on our energy bill! By making these changes, we effectively reduce our need for more resources in the future.

Windows and doors, especially the aluminum framed ones this house is sporting, are terrible, and where necessary are either framed, insulated, and boarded up (Basement) to eliminate, or scheduled to replace. As a simpler fix, caulking the frames and jambs of exterior windows and doors has already eliminated drafts. Sealing the windows with an insulating barrier is also great for those inefficient ones.

Closing off vents and keeping the doors closed in rooms that are not in use is another easy activity to reduce energy consumption. Place a draft-stopper (a rolled up towel) at the base of the door to seal the deal.

Replacing the thermostat with a programmable one allows us to decrease the heat at night while we are snuggled under the covers, and set programs that jive with when we are at home and away, further reducing our need for energy. In the hot hot heat of summer, we have an exhaust fan mounted into the Loft which effectively cools the entire house (with a little creative window-opening here & HVAC knowledge there) so that air conditioner is obsolete.

With the luxury of a Sunporch & Bunker, we have eliminated the need for a freezer in the winter months. The indoor location keeps our bounty away from neighbourhood cats, and is more convenient than an out-of-doors location.

http://www.nakedenergy.co.uk/

We've had an Energy Audit conducted pinpointing the areas of this particular house that can use upgrading to maximize efficiency. It's true, however, that a nearly 100 year old house on the Saskatchewan prairies has unique climate challenges to consider, and not all forms of energy reduction available are applicable to this home. There are plenty of alternatives being invented presently, or becoming available. More on this later...

Waste:
By taking time & care when deconstructing, we are able to salvage as many materials for reuse/donation as possible, reducing the amount of waste to hit the landfill.

Instead of purchasing unsustainable or over-processed products for our reconstruction, we source out alternatives. For example, the wood boxes for the Kitchen cabinetry are a greener alternative to over-processed MDF (as well as their quality ensuring a longer life).

As an alternative to purchasing new elements, we have sourced out used or remnants (hardwood flooring in the Kitchen from a Warehouse Outlet that features remnant stock). Kijiji, Garage Sales, Friends and Family... all great sources to find what we wanted (Doors, hardware, tools) not only for less cost than retail, but with option to trade/barter. Redistributing goods has been a load more effort and time than kickin' it over to Home Depot, but well worth the effort in reduced packaging/waste and meeting people in the community too! Our range (aka "Bessy"), Kitchen hardware, bamboo floor in the Library, as well as the man's tools all were sourced from the community at large. It is an amazing attunement that happens when you tap into networks of people to meet your needs, rather than ye ole traditional consumerism!

Choice:
The way I see it, is it's all just a matter of choice (do we buy the IKEA bedframe? Or source one out through Garage Sales this summer? Or build one ourselves? Or teach ourselves to sleep on bamboo mats on the floor?), and reducing the ignorance that comes with those choices (how far will that IKEA bedframe need to travel to get to us? Do we have the time to look at Garage Sales this summer? Would we be able to build a bedframe that suits our style? How sustainable is Bamboo?).

By making the choice to refurbish an older home instead of building a new one... to take an existing object and transform it into a more efficient home in a consciously sustainable manner... we choose to continue exhibiting our eco-savvy paradigm.

Present and History

Present Kitchen:
Location: Basement
Luxuries: electric stove, mini-fridge, sink
Favourite Quote: "It's like camping with all your stuff..."

According to Revenue Canada we live below the poverty line. Truth is, we live like Kings (save the political debate or economic rant for another blog). This is our present Kitchen, and we grumble about it being a flight of stairs from the Dining Room.

Present Living Room, Dining Room, Library:
Location: Main floor Living Room
Luxuries: all our daily possessions within an arms reach.
Favourite quote: "Well... it's bigger than Pearl..." (Pearl is our '78 VW microbus)

When we moved from our twenty-something 600 sq.ft. bungalow (which Yes, by the way, was always disgustingly tidy) we didn't think we had a lot of stuff. We purged our environment of unnecessary items regularly, confirming intent of our superior minimalist lifestyle. 223 was neat and everything had it's place. Then we took everything out of it's place and put it into this 1900+ sq.ft. 2 1/2 storey with a double garage, and there is no place for the stuff... it's all over the place... a clutter-a-thon (as if the bungalow was a Tardis somehow much bigger on the inside that on the outside)... where did all this stuff come from? Oh hubris!

Assessment

Taking stock:
With a small budget suited to loving "vintage" & being able bodied, we are committed to refurbishing this neglected home into a suitable family nest and investment. Most projects will be by our hands; we take pride and joy in actively creating our environment.

Our second turn-of-the-century home, we have experience living on-site through a series of major renovations, and hopefully prepared for leaning into un-comfortability.

The facts:
This is a lot of house for our family of three... five if the felines get a say (which, of course, they do). Floor plan below indicates present structure which we will try to preserve in essence of budget, but not compromise style.

Order of business:
Observe. Contrary to what I say to everyone who asks about renovations & my better judgement, we are not going to live in the house for six months before making drastic changes. We have six weeks from move-in before construction begins... I'm on hypervigilant alert to cram the nuances of this dwellings' feng shui and make quick confident decisions.

Fourtunately, we have a kickass Contractor. We obtained 5 quotes on preliminary drawings and onsite visits, and (once again, going against what I say to others about how to decide upon quotes: obtain at least four & choose a mid-range quote) we chose Mark with our gut instinct at the lowest bid. He's quick, but thorough, and trying to build a company for himself; young with apprenticeship and trying to prove himself.

CAD our floorplan. For Phase I of this renovation, we are reconstructing walls in the Kitchen (main floor) and future Master Bedroom on the 2nd floor; three of those walls being load bearing.

Floor Plan: Phase I:
Removing the wall between a bedroom and the Kitchen on the main floor decreases our property by one bedroom (out of 7) but we gain the space for a larger, more attractive kitchen. An intelligent renovation: Kitchens and bathrooms add the most value to a house.

The Main floor bathroom is also getting a mini-makeover. The awkward hallway from the Dining room will be remodelled to have access to the Bathroom from the Kitchen area only (and the doorway off the Dining Room filled-in). This provides a great flow to the whole main floor.

To increase this positive flow of the main floor, two doorways off the Dining Room that lead to the Kitchen (oh weird old character homes!) will be removed and a double doorway in the centre of the wall constructed. This is the load-bearing wall of the house and will require structural mathematics to be configured (good thing the man has Engineer pals).

The 2nd floor will get a makeover as well, by creating a double wide opening in the wall between two bedrooms (losing another of the 7 bedrooms here...), we open up a Master Bedroom... where the people who pay the bills sleep! This will allow room for a closet-area (rare in turn of the century homes) where one of the bedrooms used to be, and by moving the bordering bathroom wall we will create a larger 2nd floor bathroom as well (eventually... this is in Phase II).

Next up:
Create a calendar (or better known as "Project Management"). For Phase I we must co-ordinate with Mark, and do some heavy household thinking, for we must choose which projects take priority in accordance to our budget and available time. This is a "schedule" that will change almost daily... and we are prepared to roll with it. Being tight on time doesn't mix well with tight on money and wanting quality workmanship! So... time is our chosen flexible element.

Open a bottle of wine & get some good sleep!

Purchase

Purchase: November 2011

Type: Residential

Style: Single Family, 2 1/2 storey

Bedrooms: 7

Bathrooms: 3

Garage: Double detached

Basement: Concrete

Size: 1,923 sq.ft.

Year Built: 1919

Description: Classical character home in prime Nutana location, walking distance to University of Saskatchewan, Broadway shopping district, and river. 4 bedrooms on 2nd storey. Loft on 3rd storey. 3 full Baths. Original hardwood floors. Suite potential.

The summarized dying words of Albert Einstein, spoken in an 8th century Bohemian dialect, was lifted for the title of this house from the fictional work Jitterbug Perfume, a novel by Tom Robbins: Erleichda, loosely translated, is "lighten up".