Enough of COVID...what are you doing to the house?

[mimico_polak]

Is there 12 ga wire in there or 20A fuses replaced 15's on 14 ga? You could check resistance on fuse but it could have been a corrosion/contact issue as well.

Are you sure you want to renovate, not start again? By the time you gut, rewire, board, add an addition, etc, you are into a lot of money (and potentially time). Maybe keep the cottage as it is while your parents are around as it seems ok but tired and start again once it is your cottage.

This was the plan. They wanted to build it up and make much larger so that the whole family goes. However, they’re in their 70s and I don’t have the $ to take on that project.

Gutting, wiring, and cosmetic updates I can handle….total gut job…zero chance right now.

They considered signing us onto the title, but then they’re on the hook for approx 150k in capital gains. And those need to be paid one way or the other. If it was just signing us on, I’m happy to pay all those fees. But dropping 150k on capital gains is beyond my ability at this stage.

 

[mimico_polak]

Can anyone recommend an architect? Need to look into something and I’m not able to do it.

 

[GreyGhost]

Can anyone recommend an architect? Need to look into something and I’m not able to do it.

I made a phone call and left a message for one I like. If he is interested, I will pass his contact info along. He is a full-blown architect. I think many of these renovation jobs get done by designers who are a lot cheaper. Hell, our current house plans were prepared by a designer with a BCIN. I don't know where the line is that requires a full-blown architect.

 

[mimico_polak]

Thanks @GreyGhost I did some research and the price I got from the modern homes is apparently ‘way out to lunch’ but who knows.

I’ll need a few more quotes before I can say that for sure.

 

[jc100]

So we kind of like this… Cafe Induction Double Oven Range - Stainless Steel - Self Cleaning - 5 Elements

Only problem is the supply chain issues seem to have hit appliances a little too. So…it’s available in places like BadBoy but not Rona/Home Depot/Lowe’s (we’ve had pretty good after sales service from all three before) but I’m a bit reluctant to buy from a place I don’t know well and that might not have too much after purchase support in case this is a (very expensive) lemon. I’d prefer to buy from Costco but they don’t have this model. These are also MAP priced and I’d like to see if there’s any haggle room if possible too.

Cafe is the higher end branch of GE and I don’t know a lot about the brand but it seems to be a consumer products top pick.

 

[GreyGhost]

So we kind of like this… Cafe Induction Double Oven Range - Stainless Steel - Self Cleaning - 5 Elements

Only problem is the supply chain issues seem to have hit appliances a little too. So…it’s available in places like BadBoy but not Rona/Home Depot/Lowe’s (we’ve had pretty good after sales service from all three before) but I’m a bit reluctant to buy from a place I don’t know well and that might not have too much after purchase support in case this is a (very expensive) lemon. I’d prefer to buy from Costco but they don’t have this model. These are also MAP priced and I’d like to see if there’s any haggle room if possible too.

Cafe is the higher end branch of GE and I don’t know a lot about the brand but it seems to be a consumer products top pick.

Bah humbug. Wifi connection and an app for my stove is asking for issues. Wonder how long before one gets hacked and burns down a house (much less likely with induction).

I have never heard of Cafe, that would worry me. I like the oven layout.

Edit:
I see is is a GE spinoff and cr likes it. Slightly better feeling but still moderately concerned. CR focuses on performance out of the gate and has little information on longevity. It's a bleeping stove, I want it to keep working until I decide to change it for some reason. Far too many modern appliances are beyond economical repair after a very short lifetime.

 

[jc100]

Bah humbug. Wifi connection and an app for my stove is asking for issues. Wonder how long before one gets hacked and burns down a house (much less likely with induction).

I have never heard of Cafe, that would worry me. I like the oven layout.

Edit:
I see is is a GE spinoff and cr likes it. Slightly better feeling but still moderately concerned. CR focuses on performance out of the gate and has little information on longevity. It's a bleeping stove, I want it to keep working until I decide to change it for some reason. Far too many modern appliances are beyond economical repair after a very short lifetime.

wifi is low on the list of must haves for us…quality is the main criteria. The consumer reports mention is a big plus and it’s also mentioned as a top pick on other sites. From what I can find of user reviews it looks pretty solid too but these days you never know.

 

[48Connor]

Finished putting in Ikea cabinets in my laundry room last weekend. Had to do some custom work on the upright to join the two 12" cabinets together to store long stuff, but it turned out alright.

Gonna put in a tile backsplash this winter when work slows down.

 

[jc100]

Finished putting in Ikea cabinets in my laundry room last weekend. Had to do some custom work on the upright to join the two 12" cabinets together to store long stuff, but it turned out alright.

Gonna put in a tile backsplash this winter when work slows down.

What’s the quality of the cabinets like? Thinking of doing this for my kitchen reno.

 

[GreyGhost]

What’s the quality of the cabinets like? Thinking of doing this for my kitchen reno.

I havent touched them in a few years but they were surprisingly good. Better than the expensive "custom" stuff my parents bought that was banged out on a Cnc machine with a blind or drunk person on QC. Sure you can get better than ikea but not fornthe same money.

 

[48Connor]

What’s the quality of the cabinets like? Thinking of doing this for my kitchen reno.

Their ok. Like all Ikea furniture the melamine finish chips as soon as you touch it with a drill to attach handles or screw the cabinets together. Found no matter the size of drill bit or tape over the hole, it would chip a little.

My kitchen cabinets are from Home Hardware and are definitely a step above Ikea - painted mdf doors and melamine cabinet but seems to be of higher quality. No idea the price difference, they came with the house when it was built.

Might not be a big deal to you but for me a big thing is the white cabinet frame itself looks cheap. All the pre drilled holes for shelves really standout against the whiteness.

They do however go together super easy and look great when installed

 

[Hardwrkr13]

Finished putting in Ikea cabinets in my laundry room last weekend. Had to do some custom work on the upright to join the two 12" cabinets together to store long stuff, but it turned out alright.

Gonna put in a tile backsplash this winter when work slows down.

Were these made to order given your size request? I have a couple projects where something like that would work well.

 

[crankcall]

Ikea is GREAT value for the money, I did an Ikea kitchen in one house, would consider again. They have several lines, the painted finish is very good, the natural wood is a UV cured topcoat. Very hard to beat the price and convenience.
They make little plugs to put on all the predrilled holes so you dont have to look at them.
Its a melamine box with a nice door, but you get soft close hinges and self close drawers , Blum hardware, and once you figure out the first box they go together very quickly.

 

[nobbie48]

Ikea is GREAT value for the money, I did an Ikea kitchen in one house, would consider again. They have several lines, the painted finish is very good, the natural wood is a UV cured topcoat. Very hard to beat the price and convenience.
They make little plugs to put on all the predrilled holes so you dont have to look at them.
Its a melamine box with a nice door, but you get soft close hinges and self close drawers , Blum hardware, and once you figure out the first box they go together very quickly.

Nothing beats custom built but it can be hard to get away from the designer crew that wants to take over your life and wallet.

If you don't like the Ikea colours there are companies that do repaints.

There are also cabinet makers that use Ikea dimensions so all the nifty Ikea accessories fit.

One nice thing about Ikea is that if you find that you don't use a particular accessory it can be removed and a more useful one installed.

Our cupboards are custom and there was one box I wanted to take over for my self serving interests. A pull out set of shelves was needed to make it really work.

The first problem was the concealed hinge protruding into the space and taking away available width. The hinges were replaced with ones that eliminated the problem. OK, they were slightly noticeable if that was going to be an issue. It wasn't for me. Paint hides most sins.

The second problem was the available widths of shelving left a big space down one side. I bought the next larger size, cut the shelves in half, removed an inch from the middles of the pieces and welded everything back together.

It looks OK and if and when I get time to nit pick I will grind, polish and clear coat the welds.

 

[mimico_polak]

I've seen better finished / completed IKEA kitchen cabinets that stuff that the 'experts' installed in some instances. 100k kitchens with no soft close hardware...bad finish...bad alignment...ridiculous.

My friends are in construction installing granite counter tops around the GTA and southern Ontario...they all recommend IKEA kitchens / cabinets for the value.

What's custom kitchen exactly? an extra 2-3" of space where you don't need a filler piece? I'll lose the 2-3" of space anytime if I can save the amount of money these guys charge.

Each house we bought the only thing we changed is the front doors as the boxes were all in good shape. A few grand for new doors as repaints were almost the same price, and we're in a new kitchen for a fraction of the price. Mind you I have a cousin that does it for us. And as he's stupid busy we can never call him for an ASAP job. But when we have time...it's all his.

 

[GreyGhost]

What's custom kitchen exactly? an extra 2-3" of space where you don't need a filler piece? I'll lose the 2-3" of space anytime if I can save the amount of money these guys charge.

My parents "custom" had dovetailed drawers. The machine setup was way off and there is ~1/16" gap at the root of every dovetail. I would have rejected everything. The company that made them should be incredibly embarrassed if even a single drawer made it out of the factory like that yet alone every part.

The upside to custom is high layer count plywood instead of a sawdust product. Their old kitchen was a sawdust product and lasted 30+ years though before they decided to refresh so although the ply is "better", if it works the same and has the same useful life, so what?

 

[danp]

What do you guys think of the Ikea Pax closet system? I got a small walk in closet which is hard to keep tidy and was thinking if I installed that it would help.

 

[mimico_polak]

What do you guys think of the Ikea Pax closet system? I got a small walk in closet which is hard to keep tidy and was thinking if I installed that it would help.

I have no issues with the IKEA PAX or any of their systems. They serve a function and in all honesty it makes sense for me.

My MIL's PAX shelving failed and fell apart...because she overloaded the shelves by a large margin. No fault of the IKEA shelving. But they did give us free hardware, and I purchased an additional 2 shelves so now she's good to roll for a while.

 

[Relax]

What do you guys think of the Ikea Pax closet system? I got a small walk in closet which is hard to keep tidy and was thinking if I installed that it would help.

I love them. They come in different heights and you can get them without the doors for a built-in look at much less than a custom closet. Lots of accessory shelf/drawer options for organizing.

 

[jc100]

What do you guys think of the Ikea Pax closet system? I got a small walk in closet which is hard to keep tidy and was thinking if I installed that it would help.

Had some in our house for 10+ years now. Zero complaints! The wife and I customized each side of our walk in for what we wanted!