A snow day here in the Valley and an opportunity to briefly document the past six weeks that have taken us from moving in, to finishing touches, to holiday entertaining, to fixing glitches, and onward to settling in with big satisfied grins.
As it turned out, we had five days between the issue of our occupancy permit (the official word that a home can be inhabited) and the arrival of our holiday guests! We had to move in while accommodating the trades guys who still had finishing work to do.
Most of the open floor space was covered in boxes and we knew it wasn’t all going to fit. Three trips to Valley Recycling, Two trips to Open Arms Charity, an open come-and-grab session, and we had scaled back considerably.
Tip: keep re-assessing what you truly need and want – you don’t need anywhere near as much as you think you do. Six weeks later and we haven’t missed a single item.
Over the holidays, we hosted three overnight guests for two weeks and found there was ample space and privacy for everyone. Christmas supper was a sit-down meal for 10 plenty of room around the table.
Rick and, camera shy, Wayne have been patiently fixing and adjusting this and that and have spent more time under our house than they would care to remember. Thanks guys!
There were plumbing issues under the house, but not because of the cold and the absence of skirting, as some would surmise. The original local plumber, contracted by Kent Homes to do the on-site work, didn’t do his job properly. Graham Cluff and his plumbing team came to the rescue on no less than four occasions and set things right. For electrical, plumbing and heating, we can’t say enough good stuff about Graham and his crew. Call Graham at 902 582 7831 for your next project.
Third generation roofer, Gilbert Boudreau is super proud of his roofing business. Kent Homes appreciates his skills so much, they send him all over New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Gilbert drove from Cape Breton to install snow guards all along our metal roof on his way home to NB! Planning a roofing project? Gilbert’s your guy. 506-961-1737.
Metal roofing is incredibly long-lasting and pretty much maintenance-free, but it does have a down side. Snow and ice slide off in large, damaging (and potentially dangerous) chunks. Snow guards keep the snow and ice in place so it can melt and break up before it slides off.
Total Energy installed our propane heating stove, on demand hot water system and cook stove. There were a couple of screw ups. After all, everyone makes mistakes. But taking responsibility for them and solving the problems, is what wins trust and future recommendations. Patti and Chris have done that!
Since coming on board, Matthew Wood from Kent Homes has been on top of making everything right. This week, he brought in Adorne representative, Mark MacDonald, to solve the dimmer flicker dilemma. New dimmers are on there way. Thanks Matthew and Mark!
Flash forward to the present… and we are happy – really, truly happy with our home. The use of space, the harvested daylight and electrical lighting, the built-ins, the design, the setting and location are perfect for us in every way!
This is the final post for Mod House Design – Canning NS. Many heartfelt thanks to everyone who has followed, messaged, visited or approached us in the coffee shops. Just when I’d think it was silly of me to continue writing, I’d hear from someone about how useful or interesting it’s been for them.
Laura Maillett at Kent Homes reports that there have been several inquiries from people who’ve seen my blog or passed by our home, and are looking to do something similar. This isn’t a tiny house movement, but perhaps we’ve opened up the possibility of living with what one needs and loves in small, efficient, personalized homes that look great and don’t cost a fortune. :*)
You did a wonderful job with this home. It’s so inviting and warm! Congratulations!