Do you really need to live in a space before you renovate?

The short answer:

Yes.

It can be really tempting to jump right into renovations when you’re dealing with an old or outdated home, however, it doesn’t always lead to the best results longterm. In this post we’ll be sharing why Dave and I are glad we waited before we started working on Steep Hill Cottage and why we recommend it to folks that are considering renovations of a new home or cottage.

Steep Hill Cottage entrance when we first moved in. I gussied up the rough looking entry with a couple of hanging begonia planters. The worn out front door wasn't very efficient but it inspired the door we made for the cabin (shown below).

REASON TO WAIT #1

THE DISCOVERY PHASE IS SO INFORMATIVE

Getting to know your new home takes time and by living in your home and seeing how it functions during all four seasons, your priorities will become very clear.

For instance, you might realize that although your kitchen looks outdated, it’s actually functional, whereas, your entryway is a more pressing space to revise in order to serve your lifestyle best.

If you love to entertain, hosting friends and family early on is a good idea too so you can get an understanding of how the space will accommodate guests.

It’s also very likely that if your home is older there will be infrastructure updates that need to be addressed and by living in the structure throughout the course of a year those will make themselves known.

STEEP HILL EXAMPLE: We thought the kitchen would be a difficult space to work in being small and lacking counter space, however, the open cabinets and lack of preciousness made it a highly functional kitchen. For the rebuild we’re planning to keep the space quite open and use materials that are meant to be worn in and used without too much worry about DAMAGE.

The open Steep Hill Cottage kitchen cabinets inspired us to keep the shelving open in the rebuild for easy visibility and function.

The Steep Hill Cottage Kitchen complete with peeling wallpaper along with a plywood cover panel on the dishwasher and counter. This little space wasn't glamorous but served us well and didn't stop us from making many a delicious meal.

REASON TO WAIT #2

EXPERIENCE THE LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE SEASONS

Understanding how the light impacts the different spaces in your home is critical and plays an important role in how you might decide to use each one.

Winter light is also much different than summer light. Hours of sunlight, tree foliage and orientation are all important variables when it comes to planning out lighting in different areas of the home.

Light also impacts colour significantly so understanding how the temperature of the light in the room(s) you’re renovating is key to choosing the right palette.

STEEP HILL EXAMPLE: We found that we naturally gravitated to the Muskoka Room because OF THE VIEW AND THE FACT it Is so open and bright, however, the lack of A HEAT SOURCE and INEFFICIENT windows meant that it was only REALLY enjoyable during the summer or on sunny mornings throughout the rest of the year.

This led us to plan for a small stove in the room (IN ADDITION TO RADIATORS) and TO upgrade all the windows to the best quality we could afford.

A corner of the Muskoka Room in the summer.

REASON TO WAIT #3

ESTABLISH THE GLOBAL VISION FOR THE SPACE / PROPERTY

It’s tempting to approach a renovation one room at a time but we strongly encourage folks to think more broadly about their goals for an entire home or property before starting on any remodelling. You may still tackle it one room at a time, but the end results will be so much more impactful and long lasting if you consider the project from a global perspective.

This involves assessing and mapping out the entire experience you have from the first point of entry through to the end of any given day. This will also involve, establishing a palette for the whole home (and any outbuildings) the includes all materials, paint colours and finishes that will be used throughout the space.

STEEP HILL EXAMPLE: We started with the garage/Workshop and then built the Sleeping Cabin to live in during the cottage rebuild, WHICH WILL THEN HOST guests for years to come. This was the perfect opportunity to test out all the materials, colour palette and finishes we are planning to use in the main cottage and eventually, the boathouse. When we’re done the property will encompass 4 main buildings that ALL have a cohesive & HARMONIOUS style.

The Steep Hill Garage and Workshop on a late winter morning.

The Steep Hill Sleeping Cabin on a sunny summer day.

REASON TO WAIT #4

ALLOW YOURSELF TIME TO SAVE MONEY & MAKE THOROUGH PLANS

We’ve come to realize that the planning phase of a project often takes about the same amount of time as the execution phase. Rushing through tends to only lead to mistakes, costly delays and things that need to be redone later (we know from experience!). Whether you’re redoing a single room or building a new space entirely, there are so many details to think through, sources to track down, and questions to answer.

Waiting to renovate also gives you time to save up some contingency funds for instances when you run into unexpected issues, which are inevitable no matter how well you plan every detail.

Steep Hill Cottage in winter. The snow melts where there is heat loss through the roof, which you can see is evident through the ridge of the living room.

STEEP HILL EXAMPLE: We’d originally planned to rework this space using the existing walls and roof, however, after a couple of winters it was clear that the roof would require SERIOUS STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENT AND A NEW INSULATION SOLUTION IN ORDER TO REMAIN VAULTED. THE BEST OPTION WAS TO REPLACE IT ENTIRELY RATHER THAN PUT A LOT OF OUR TIME AND BUDGET INTO WORKING WITHIN WONKY FRAMING AND INEFFICIENT SUPPORT.

ThIS Room was originally set up as a second space with a couch but we found that we missed having a proper dining area and Table space to work at. This experience led US to turn this room into a dining and entertainment space.

So that’s a peek at the Steep Hill Cottage we’ve lived in for the past 3+ years and a look at what’s to come. We’re so glad we didn’t waste time, money and energy on cosmetic changes that would only have to be undone.

Thanks for reading and please let us know if you have any renovation questions in the comments!

WHY WE RECOMMEND WAITING BEFORE RENOVATING