Fully updated 3 bedroom bungalow with beautiful & bright nanny-suite — with an oversized garage for sale in Faircrest Heights (Alta-Vista)!
Fully updated three-bedroom bungalow with a new garage, patio and lower level. Everything has been updated and improved, including the electrical, plumbing and heating systems, with the home’s original character maintained and refreshed.
Be sure to scroll below the photos to see full Homeowner Notes of upgrades with renovation photos. Click to Jump Directly
The airy, new lower level features a heated floor, an independent ventilation system (HRV) and large modern windows. It has been thoughtfully designed providing excellent occupancy for a family member, nanny or possibly an income-paying tenant.
The new garage has been integrated with the existing metal roof which has a lifetime guarantee.
2026 Woodcrest Road – Homeowner’s Notes (as provided by home owner)
Background and benefits of the renovation
The property was purchased in the spring of 2018 for $540,000, with the intent to create a multi-unit property for personal use. Construction plans were approved by the City of Ottawa later that summer with renovation work commencing shortly thereafter. However, in the spring of 2019 circumstances changed resulting in the homeowner having to relocate to Toronto. The pending move did not change the nature (i.e., design or execution quality) of the renovation, which was completed in August 2019. The homeowner acted as the general contractor throughout the project.
Key benefits of the renovation, as viewed from the homeowner’s perspective, are summarized below:
- Foundation and water infiltration – A key concern with this home, and one common to Ottawa properties in general, is water infiltration. In fact, the property was purchased at a discount due to its history of water infiltration. To address this, the basement was entirely cleaned-out and sprayed for mold prior to construction. The existing reverse-grade garage was removed and a new garage with proper elevation run-off was integrated into the design of the home. A new foundation weeping system was installed, with discharge to the city’s sewer system (as permitted by the Building Inspector). The latter is important, as it ensures water effluents do not freeze as they remain below grade. The exterior foundation wall was finished with Aqua-Bloc rubber, Platon and polystyrene rigid insulation (R8). For additional insurance, a backwater valve and sump pump were installed, and the block foundation was reinforced with carbon fiber and Kevlar to guard against lateral sheering at the frost line. The result is a stable foundation with a 25-year guarantee against water infiltration. (Photos are provided in the Appendix.)
- Structural improvements – An emphasis of the renovation was ensuring the longevity of the home. To facilitate this a number of structural upgrades were undertaken including: floor joists and t-joints were reinforced; first-floor planking was reinforced with glue and screws, and under-mounted plywood in hallway areas; and, 5/8 inch plywood was added to the existing paper-based exterior sheathing, strengthening the walls while providing a solid base for the installation of the new LP Smart-side wood-fiber siding. The basement addition was constructed with 2×6 partitions in all common areas. Double 5/8 inch Fire X gypsum, with sound glue between layers, was applied to all basement common areas and ceiling spaces. And exterior basement walls were strengthened (and insulated) with closed-cell spray foam. High-strength TORX screws were employed in all structural applications.
- Comfort and air quality – The renovation was designed to create an independent basement unit with appropriate sound separation. Independent HVAC systems for each living unit was an important element of the separation. The upper floor has new ducting and is heated and cooled by a high-efficiency forced air furnace and AC; the basement is heated by a two-zone hydronic floor system that runs off a common hot water tank, with fresh air provided by a HRV system. Heating the home from the ground up has a noticeable impact on comfort, creating even temperatures in both the winter and the summer. Natural light has been optimized by adding a large egress window in the basement and a sky light in the garage. The latter extends light into the common laundry area via a full-glass, fire-approved entry door.
Property Valuation
The wonderful part of being a human is that we are each a measuring stick (concept-formation, or thinking, begins around the age of four as that is how long it takes us to begin to measure our existence as a function of time – the difference between concepts and percepts being the differentiation of time). Accordingly, this home will be valued differently by each of us.
Useful perspectives to assist in valuing the home include substitute or comparable properties – which is difficult given the extent of renovations made to the home – and renovation expenditures. The latter are helpful in that they provide insight into the nature and quality of work undertaken. Of note, the costs illustrated in the figure below do not include the time of the owner which amounted to approximately 3,800 hours.
The above costs are not directly relevant. What is relevant is the purchaser’s assessment of the utility that underlie the costs. For while the homeowner sets the floor price of the property, it is informed purchasers that establish the ceiling price (under normal market conditions). The seller wishes to receive a fair price for home, which requires normal market conditions. It is for this reason that bids on the property have been delayed – i.e., to give potential buyers time to properly inform themselves of the home’s benefits and, ultimately, its value. Toward this end, please spend time reading the appendix of this document.
Key deficiencies and related actions
- Southern Fence – This involves two components, one related to the long-run side of the garage roof and one extending from the patio to the back of the property. The homeowner will construct the wooden garage component, which is required to control snow run-off on the neighbor’s adjacent driveway, before closing. The latter has been paid for with Fence-All (see cost summary above) and is expected to be installed by the end of October.
- Soffit trim – This is a bit complicated. The eaves trough system on the home is custom built, incorporating a 6 inch commercial gutter on a 5 inch fascia. As a result, the gutter hangs down below the fascia creating a gap. In the past this gap was covered using J-trim and lots of caulking. This was a less than ideal solution. The correct solution is to use a custom piece of aluminum bent into three elements. I ran out of time in terms of installing this, and instead painted the gap for now (with highly visible front porch area of the home receiving a J-trim and L-trim compromise). Before closing, the three-sided trim will be installed on the remaining parts of the home.
- AC caulking – caulking is missing on the outer area of the ABS conduit used to house the AC wire and tubing. It is treated with spay foam on the inner side. The outer area will be finished with putty before closing.
- Basement kitchen cabinets – corner cabinet and final alignments – Again, a bit of a complicated area. The Home Depot corner cabinet are designed to work on an overlay basis. However, the upper cabinets have been designed as inset cabinets in order to integrate properly with the basement windows. As such, the fitting is tighter than normal. The options are to add a third hinge to the upper cabinet (strengthening the alignment) or to scrap the double-hinged approach being utilized. Doing the latter however would reduce the overall access to the corner cabinet. One of the two fixes is required, and input from the new owner as to their preference is warranted. Beyond this, some minor tweaks are required to align other cabinets for appearance purposes.
- Main kitchen faucet – The upstairs faucet leaks when on spray mode. It appears a new washer is required for this Swiss product. The options are to get a new washer or replace the faucet entirely. One of these solutions will be provided before closing (based on the preference of the new owner).
- Stair trim details – Minor pieces need to be glued into place in three areas around the basement stair trim (around the door and on two stair treads). This will be done before closing.
- Basement shower caulking – We noticed a leak when using the basement shower. It appears the caulking is incomplete. This will be sealed and tested before closing.
- Basement bathroom toilet water line trim – Trim to added prior to closing.
In addition to the above, the new owner should consider snow stops on the north side of the building – particularly now that an egress window has been added to that side. A reference for Interlock, the roofing system employed on the home, will be provided.
Finally, there is a small area of sewer system that lies under the front steps which has not been updated. This can be monitored via a camera feed for roots and other potential obstructions. A similar test was run in August of 2018 (by Complete Plumbing – see cost figure above), with no issues noted. It makes sense for this monitoring to be undertaken every two years or so.
Respectfully,
Brad Sampson
Click to below view PDF of Narrated Renovation Pictures (provided by Sellers):
2026 Woodcrest Road Expenses and Commentary APPENDIX
