Any renovation requires a good deal of planning and crowns a more or less long-term process. We present projects of various sizes, which could give ideas.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Charlotte Legault had long dreamed of buying a house with character to renovate it, then rent it out. She thought of doing it in Lac-Saint-Jean, her region of origin, but it was rather in Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets that she embarked on such an adventure. His project became that of his entire family.
The conditions were special when the ancestral home went up for sale in August 2020. Usually working in the entertainment industry, but unemployed due to the pandemic, Charlotte Legault had temporarily settled near her brother to help him. on his farm and look after his children. She had already decided to return to full-time studies, remotely, when she submitted an offer to purchase the spacious home, located almost next to that of her brother. The idea of carrying out a project from A to Z appealed to her.
PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Charlotte Legault wants to encourage those who are reluctant to embark on a renovation project. “It’s possible, when you’re well surrounded,” she tried to demonstrate.
Suddenly I had time, savings and an amazing team. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I don’t know if I would have had the courage in other circumstances.
Charlotte Legault, owner
“During the works, things weren’t always rosy. There were difficulties, but now that they are over, I derive great personal value from them. »
The house needed love. But she had several undeniable assets. “It faces the river, it is large, the ceilings are high and it has character, lists the owner. It’s a great springboard project. »
The general contractor, excellent in finishing, is from the village. She is full of praise for the support her family members have given her. “I was captain, but I had a very good team with me. My hard core was made up of my brother, my parents, who live in Lac-Saint-Jean and who came on a regular basis, then my sister and her spouse, who live in Quebec, an hour’s drive from Saint- Pierre-les-Becquets. My father was my great ally in the adventure. »
By stages
The possession of the house was in September 2020. Charlotte Legault undertook, full-time, her certificate in business management offered remotely by HEC Montreal, while starting the work. She has planned everything in order to live there.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE LEGAULT
Charlotte did much of the work herself, with help from members of her family. We see her digging a trench for the pipe that will supply the gas stove, with her sister Alexandrine, her brother-in-law Ashley and her nephew Clement.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE LEGAULT
Denis Legault was a great ally of his daughter Charlotte in the adventure. In particular, he knocked down partitions on the ground floor.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE LEGAULT
Here is a glimpse of the old kitchen. Part has become a large pantry.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE LEGAULT
The ground floor has been transformed. The new kitchen has been moved into what was previously the master bedroom.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE LEGAULT
Charlotte Legault was challenged by the idea of transforming the heritage house. She did this with the help of her family and community members.
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“I went there as a priority before the winter, she explains. We started with the straightening of the floor, on the ground floor, then the insulation of the attic. The second floor was barely heated, because there was only one power outlet. We discovered, moreover, that he was not isolated. I made the difficult decision to insulate on the inside, thus sacrificing wooden slat walls in bedrooms. The electricity has been redone, and wall heaters have been installed to make the floor functional. »
He also pressed to replace the oil heating system with a heat pump, so as to benefit from subsidies. “During the winter, I took a short break,” she says. I tackled the ground floor in the spring of 2021. A load-bearing wall was demolished, a beam was added, the kitchen was moved to the old master bedroom. »
We made major changes, at a pace that allowed me to study full time and start working again in the performing arts.
Charlotte Legault, owner
It was important to her that the kitchen, dining room and living room, heated by a pellet stove, were in a large open area. “I absolutely wanted to have a room where people could gather around a heat source, rather than a TV. »
She would have liked to take advantage of the two fireplaces, which date back to the time of the construction of the heritage residence, which had belonged to a judge. But that was not possible. The pellet stove meets her expectations, since she rents the house when her work takes her abroad.
PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Charlotte Legault has forged strong ties with the former owner, Lise Carignan, whose knowledge of the house proved invaluable.
Along the way, she forged a strong bond with the house’s previous owner, Lise Carignan, who wanted to move into the rental unit attached to the main house.
“She really helped us,” says Charlotte Legault. She knew the house inside out. She often brought us small dishes. We have a garden together and she takes care of the house when I’m away. »
The budget could not be strictly adhered to. She spent about $75,000, but considering the scope of the work done, she was not disappointed. “It’s crazy how many renovation options there are in the region. I took the hardwood for the floor from a wood shop, I have a lot of furniture that was used. I had underestimated the mutual support that such a project can generate. »
In short
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Charlotte Legault wanted her home to be a gathering place for her family. The space on the ground floor was opened up by knocking down several walls.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The dining room is open to the living room. In the background, you can see the pellet fireplace, which warms the atmosphere.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The wooden surface of the large island brings a lot of warmth to the kitchen, notes the owner. “The idea came from a cabinetmaker I was working with,” she explains. He found a large piece of red maple wood. It’s a nice nod to the floor, which is silver maple. She also opted for a gas stove.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The fireplace, which is in the new living room, is now in use. A pellet stove has been attached to heat a good part of the ground floor.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The house now has an entrance, thanks to the move of the kitchen to the former master bedroom.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Another part of the old kitchen has become a spacious pantry. This explains the presence of a sink.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
There is also a place to read or watch TV.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Upstairs there are five bedrooms and a new bathroom. The beautiful red pine hardwood floor was a great find. Bringing it back to its former glory and luster took a lot of effort.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
A bedroom has been sacrificed, upstairs, in order to fit out a bathroom.
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PHOTO PAUL DIONNE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
One of five bedrooms upstairs.
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- Start of work: September 2020
- End of works: November-December 2021
- A must: A pellet stove for a warm interior
- Another must: A hardwood floor on the ground floor
- The biggest challenge: The load-bearing wall to be demolished, then the beam to be installed, on the ground floor
- Bad surprise: The floor was not insulated.
- Nice surprise: The magnificent ancestral floor in red pine, upstairs
- Another nice surprise: Mutual aid in the village. People donated wood and materials.
- Budget: $75,000