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Category: Interior Renovations

  • The Rear Extension That Checked All The Boxes

    The Rear Extension That Checked All The Boxes

    How a pandemic-era multi-trade reno turned two first-time renovation clients into lifelong advocates — and what that says about how we work.

    ⚡ TLDR

    Kasper and Claire came to BVM Contracting with a home in Toronto that needed everything done at once — rear extension, kitchen, electrical, HVAC, bathrooms, front door — during the height of COVID. We delivered a complete renovation and home extension experience, navigated a permit process that included a neighbour complaints and late-stage HVAC engineering requirements, and handed over a home Claire described as “absolutely beautiful.” Three-plus years later, we’re still their first call — and they’ve sent more than one client our way.

    Home Addition & Renovation Project Information

    Location: 19 Wrenson Road, Toronto, ON
    Scope: Full multi-trade renovation and rear extension — rear extension, new custom kitchen & millwork, new flooring, new trim, new paint, full electrical upgrade, new HVAC system, new bathrooms (multiple floors), new front door, rear deck
    Project Started: September 2020
    Completed: January 2021
    Project Value: Inquire Here

    The Project That Started With Everything

    Some renovations and home additions are targeted. One kitchen. One bathroom. A fresh coat of paint and call it done.

    This wasn’t that.

    When Kasper and Claire first contacted us they didn’t yet have drawings, which is usually where we start our conversations. Our first conversation happened as a result of of a referral from a close friend of theirs who recently completed their renovation project, but not with us. Their friend regretted not going with us and turned into one of our biggest advocates through their poorly managed renovation experience.

    They bought a property at 19 Wrenson Road, which was in their target neighbourhood within walking distance from the local school they wanted their kids going to and checked almost all of the boxes for them. They knew going into buying the home they would need more space for their growing family. With 2 kids and both Kasper and Claire working from home during COVID the space was going to get small really quickly.

    They decided right from the start they were going to complete a rear extension, with an interior renovation to the existing main and second floors to add a powder room on the main floor and create a completely new primary bedroom complete with a new ensuite. This would turn a cramped 3 bedroom/1 bathroom home into a more functional 4 bedroom/2.5 bathroom home.

    They also had a time constraint, Christmas. They wanted to be moved in by then, which made the planning process that much more important to get right.

    We’ve been doing this since 1997. Complex home additions and interior renovations is what we’re built for. But we’ll admit: 2020 was a year that tested everyone in construction. Supply chains were uncertain. Trades were stretched. Getting materials to site on time required planning well ahead of what pre-pandemic schedules ever demanded. We needed to plan ahead, and that is what we did.

    Bottom line: Every major project is a coordination test. This one passed.

    How Efficient Planning Got This Project Done In Time

    Kasper reached out in July 2020 once they had the purchase and sale agreement signed for 19 Wrenson Road. They were referred to us by their close friend who they knew had recently completed his own renovation project.

    They wanted to get his feedback about who to go with but his answer wasn’t the team he actually used. It was the team he should have went with, us. We gave their friend a scope of work that looked expensive on paper but was accurate to how much the project was going to actually cost. He decided to go with the lower estimate, and ended up spending more than what we originally estimated.

    We gained a life-long referral by pricing things true to what the project actually costed!

    Reaching out in June 2020 for a September 2020 start date was already a very tall task, but to start from scratch with no drawings was going to take very efficient planning to achieve.

    We didn’t waste any time and used one of their site visits prior to occupancy to measure up the house with our architectural design team, which formed the basis of the design work. These design drawings allows us to plan the extension to avoid committee of adjustment, which would have increased the time to get a permit in hand. We completed the zoning review and Ontario Building Code review all at the same time once we confirmed no variances would be triggered by the rear extension.

    While the design was in for permit we made sure to build Kasper and Claire’s scope of work concurrently to make sure they knew the actual costs of their project (versus waiting for the permit drawings to be in hand).

    We ended up getting the permit mid-September and already had the scope of work and contract signed off to start the work.

    What Happened During Construction

    Every home addition project runs into issues that need experienced eyes to review and this project was no different. We had to make adjustments to the layout based on additions to the design from the clients and their interior designer. Usually we can add these into the designs before starting, but with how quickly we had to get the permit we had to do some of the work while construction was ongoing. This led to a mudroom being added, additional millwork being completed, some custom tile work, and ultimately a more functional design.

    We ideally work with the client and the interior designer BEFORE construction to avoid having to make these changes on the fly (which lead to additional cost) but Kasper and Claire were more focused on the timeline than what the incremental costs were to make their house a home. With every project we always try to lead with the assumption that everything in the scope will be fixed price before our clients sign contracts, but sometimes we have to adjust our processes to suit the needs of our clients and their timelines.

    We ultimately were able to get Kasper and Claire moved in for Christmas, with some minor finishing work completed in January 2021 to close out their project in the New Year. They were grateful at the pace of the project completion and sticking to their move-in timeline. Experienced project management and solid planning got this project over the finish line on time (and slightly over budget due to the changes made during construction).

    When the City Has Questions, We Have Answers

    Here’s something most homeowners don’t hear enough: a closed permit is as important as a finished renovation. It’s your legal record that the work was done to code. It protects your home value and your insurance. And if it’s left open, it becomes your problem — not ours.

    The permit path at 19 Wrenson had a few sharp corners. First, partway through the final inspection process, the city inspector flagged that an HVAC engineer drawing was outstanding — specifically related to a sizing change on a return air component. This came in September, well after the physical work had been completed. Our office tracked it down, confirmed it had been addressed, and moved the permit forward.

    Then came the neighbour complaint. A neighbouring property submitted a complaint to the City about a gap between the existing brick and the new rear addition. The City’s position was that the Senior Inspector had to personally follow up on all complaints before signing off on the permit. Vince went to the site the same day to assess. The gap was on the neighbouring side of the property line. We worked through the process. And when the inspector took another look, his conclusion was clear: the gap was as per plan, not a deficiency.

    Kasper’s note when the permit cleared: “Seems like our neighbour’s complaint was unfounded (not surprised).”

    We coordinated the final documentation — structural engineering reports, insulation installer IDs, footing foundation reports — and the permit was officially closed in December 2021.

    Bottom line: Permit navigation isn’t glamorous, but it’s part of what you’re paying for — and we don’t leave clients holding open permits.

    What Kasper and Claire Actually Got

    On January 21, 2021, Colleen sent the final invoice. Kasper responded within the hour.

    “You guys were a treat to work with, very professional and accommodating to our every need.” — Kasper Chmura

    That’s a sentence worth sitting with. Not because it’s a compliment — though it is — but because it came from a couple who had just lived through a full multi-trade reno during a pandemic. These weren’t easy circumstances. There were deficiency items to resolve. There were supply delays. There was the stove breaker issue that required our electrician to troubleshoot a GE dual-fuel range with an unusual wiring configuration the appliance company itself took two visits to understand. At every point, our team showed up and worked through it — immediately, with answers and solutions.

    “Renovations are always a stressful process but this was by far one of the most well managed and efficient jobs we’ve experienced. You were all friendly and professional and we are so happy with the final output. Very excited to be in our new home for the new year, so thank you!” — Claire Robbins

    Bottom line: The real measure of a renovation isn’t the day of handover — it’s whether your clients are still proud of the work months later.

    The Support That Comes After

    Here’s where the 19 Wrenson story gets interesting. The same evening we sent the final invoice — January 21, 2021, 8:26 PM — Claire messaged: “Kasper just tried to give you a call but we just walked down to a flood in our basement.” Ryan replied thirteen minutes later. Vince was on site first thing the next morning with fans. That wasn’t a fluke. That’s how we operate.

    Over the following three-plus years, the team continued to be Kasper and Claire’s first call:

    • February 2021: Stove breaker tripping — our electrician troubleshot the GE dual-fuel configuration and found a real solution

    • March 2021: Bidet leak in the upper bathroom — plumber dispatched the next day

    • March 2022: Snowmelt leaking into the basement while Kasper and Claire were in Aruba — we let ourselves in with their permission, ran fans, and followed up with a full waterproofing assessment (even though this wasn’t part of our scope)

    • May 2022: Sliding screen door on the rear deck wasn’t tracking correctly — we got the manufacturer’s service team on it

    • July 2022: Fridge delivery with a water/ice dispenser hookup the delivery company wouldn’t do — we connected them with our plumber

    • June 2024: Fire alarm units going off in the middle of the night — we diagnosed the cause and sent a step-by-step cleaning guide within hours

    None of this was invoiced. None of it was legally required. Every bit of it was the natural consequence of building a real relationship with clients — one where they trust us enough to call, and we trust ourselves enough to show up.

    Bottom line: After-care isn’t a service line — it’s what happens when you actually care about the people whose homes you’ve touched.

    Ready to Start Planning Your Project?

    The 19 Wrenson renovation is proof that complex, multi-trade projects — done right, during difficult conditions — produce clients who don’t just move on. They refer you. They post reviews. They call you years later when something needs attention. And they trust you enough to send their friends.

    If you’re looking at a renovation that touches more than one system in your home, the coordination and communication that goes into a project like this is exactly what separates a well-managed renovation from a stressful one.

    Want To Start Your Home Addition Planning Journey?

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  • A Familiar Home With Different Dreams: 104 Midland Home Addition

    A Familiar Home With Different Dreams: 104 Midland Home Addition

    A post-wartime Scarborough bungalow transformed into a four-level forever home — because moving was never the option.

    ⚡ TLDR

    104 Midland Avenue was a storey-and-a-half post-wartime bungalow with pinkish-red brick and a layout that had run out of room. Alicia and Ryan Broome inherited the property from a family member and came to BVM Contracting with a specific vision: transform it into a purpose-built, four-level forever home for their growing family — without leaving the neighbourhood they loved. Eight months later, Alicia called it a staycation. The Toronto Star called it a strong makeover story. We called it a good day’s work.

    Home Addition Project Information

    Project Type: Home Addition — Second Storey Addition + Basement Underpinning + Full Interior Renovation

    Location: Scarborough, Toronto

    Scope: ~900 sq ft added on new second floor; four cohesive levels including underpinned basement, remodelled main floor, new second floor, and renovated bonus room above garage; custom Swede kitchen; HVAC redesign

    Timeline: ~8 months from breaking ground to handover (construction started January 2024)

    Budget: Inquire for pricing

    Before and After

    [PHOTO — Before: Original storey-and-a-half bungalow at 104 Midland Avenue — post-wartime pinkish-red brick exterior, original footprint with room above integral garage]

    [PHOTO — After: Completed 104 Midland Avenue — second storey addition fully integrated with original structure, new roofline visible]

    The Home That Couldn’t Be Left Behind

    Some projects start with a spreadsheet. This one started with a family memory.

    104 Midland Avenue was a post-wartime storey-and-a-half Scarborough bungalow — classic pinkish-red brick, a room perched above an integral garage, the kind of house that holds decades of history in its walls. When Alicia and Ryan Broome had the opportunity to purchase it from a family member, the decision wasn’t just a financial calculation. This was a place they were emotionally attached to. A place they wanted to create their own memories in.

    But they also had a young family — two boys, growing careers, and a clear-eyed understanding that the existing layout wasn’t going to serve them for the next few decades. Selling was never seriously considered. The question was never whether to transform the home. The question was how.

    Their vision was specific and ambitious from day one: create four cohesive, purposeful levels that the whole family could enjoy. An underpinned basement. A fully remodelled main floor with a custom kitchen at its centre — a real entertaining space. A brand-new second floor addition — roughly 900 square feet — to hold all four family members’ bedrooms with room to breathe. And the existing bonus room above the garage, reimagined as a dedicated rec room where their boys could hang out, play, and have a space that was genuinely theirs.

    Bottom line: When clients come to us with a clear vision and a deep reason to see it through, that clarity becomes the foundation the entire project is built on.

    [PHOTO — Construction / Framing Phase — addition structure taking shape above existing bungalow]

    Framing underway in early 2024. Adding a full second floor to a post-wartime bungalow starts here — and it has to be done right.

    Four Levels Built on Planning

    By January 2024, our team was on site. Framing and plumbing rough-ins were underway in the first weeks — the unglamorous, foundational work that determines whether everything above it performs for decades.

    The underpinning came first and consumed a significant portion of the early project timeline. Underpinning an existing basement is exacting, technical work: you’re increasing the depth of the foundation beneath a standing structure, and there is no margin for error. It’s also the kind of phase that earns its value quietly — homeowners won’t see it, but they’ll benefit from it for the life of the home. Once the underpinning was complete, the project moved forward without interruption.

    The kitchen installation had some finishing-phase coordination complexity — custom kitchens at this level always do — but the overall timeline held. The one planned scope change came from the clients themselves: the basement, initially intended for a full finish, was pulled back to a minimal state so the budget could be allocated toward higher-finish areas upstairs. A disciplined call, and one the family can revisit on their own timeline. The HVAC redesign was where the technical heavy lifting earned its keep. Adding 900 square feet of new living space and remodelling every level of an existing home without rethinking how the whole building breathes and heats is one of the most common — and most expensive — mistakes in addition work. We obtained the custom HVAC permit in March 2024 and designed a system built to serve the entire home, old and new square footage together.

    The major budget win on this project came from the decision made before construction even started: utilize the existing structure rather than tear down and rebuild. That single choice — staying with the bones rather than starting over — is what made a four-level home transformation achievable at a budget that would not have covered a comparable new build. Underpinning and a full second-floor addition on a post-wartime bungalow is not a small undertaking. But it is meaningfully different from a ground-up build — and our team has the experience to execute both.

    Bottom line: A great addition doesn’t just build up — it rebuilds the whole system so the finished home performs as if it was designed that way from day one.

    [PHOTO — Custom Swede Kitchen — finished and installed]

    The kitchen at 104 Midland. Designed for how this family actually lives. Built to be the heart of the home.

    The Feature We’re Most Proud Of (It’s Not the Kitchen)

    The kitchen is stunning. But ask our team what this project’s standout feature is, and the answer surprises people.

    It’s the bonus room above the garage.

    That room existed before we touched the building — a slightly awkward space sitting above an integral garage that didn’t quite fit the rest of the original bungalow. A less thoughtful approach to this project would have absorbed it into the addition as a spare bedroom, or finished it minimally without a clear purpose.

    Instead, our team worked with Alicia and Ryan during the planning and design phase to think carefully about their family’s actual needs. Two young boys. A home built for the next two decades. What those boys needed — what any kids in a home this well-designed deserve — was a space of their own. The bonus room became the rec room: a separate level where they can hang out, play, and do what kids do, completely apart from the main living areas while fully integrated into the home’s four-level flow.

    That’s what a planning process built on real conversation produces. Alicia and Ryan trusted our team to push back on assumptions and give honest feedback about what would make the space work. That planning investment — made before a single nail was driven — is why the finished home feels intentional from every angle. And why Alicia, a year after moving in, still referred to it as a staycation.

    “Still feels like we’re on a staycation lol.” — Alicia Broome, homeowner, 104 Midland Avenue

    Bottom line: The best features in a home aren’t always the most expensive ones — they’re the ones that fit how the family actually lives.

    [PHOTO — Bonus Room / Rec Room above garage — finished space]

    The rec room above the garage. Repurposed from an awkward leftover space into the boys’ own level. This is the feature our team is most proud of — and once you understand why, you’ll agree.

    When the Work Doesn’t Stop at Handover

    Eight months of construction. Handover complete. For most contractors, that’s where the relationship ends.

    Not for us.

    After Alicia and Ryan moved in, the first winter revealed what Ontario winters always reveal in new construction: humidity management challenges as materials settle and the HVAC system calibrates to real-world conditions. At 104 Midland, winter conditions led to some drywall and trim areas that needed attention. In addition, working in an existing structure always means encountering existing conditions — and we addressed those head-on as they surfaced.

    Our team reacted quickly. When Alicia flagged moisture in the furnace room bulkhead in the summer of 2025, we sent our HVAC contractor Russell Summerfield from Ontario Mechanical Services to investigate within a day. The diagnosis: a dirty furnace filter and a humidistat that needed adjusting — standard post-construction calibration in a new HVAC system. We investigated, diagnosed, and resolved it the same afternoon. No runaround. No “that’s not our problem.”

    Colleen coordinated every subsequent trade in sequence: drywall, flooring, caulking, and paint touch-ups. Each item tracked and addressed in order. Alicia’s emails throughout the warranty period reflect a client who felt genuinely cared for — cooperative, flexible, and appreciative.

    The clearest indicator that the relationship survived the hard parts? Ryan Broome’s brother recently engaged BVM Contracting for his own basement renovation. That referral didn’t happen because the construction process was friction-free. It happened because when things came up, we handled them.

    “Thank you for all your help with coordinating the repairs to our home and checking items off the list.” — Alicia Broome, homeowner, August 2025

    Bottom line: The warranty period isn’t a liability — it’s the opportunity to prove that the relationship matters more than the final payment.

    Ready to Start Planning Your Home Addition?

    The 104 Midland Avenue project is proof that you don’t have to move to get the home your family needs. A well-planned addition — one that thinks through every level, not just the square footage you’re adding — can completely transform how a family lives without sacrificing the neighbourhood, the school, or the roots they’ve already put down.

    The families that are happiest with their home additions are the ones doing it for the right reasons. If you’re sitting on the fence about whether an addition is the right move for your family, start with an honest conversation about what your family actually needs — not just what’s missing, but what the space needs to become. BVM has experience across every project type: custom new builds, additions, renovations, underpinning. We can give you a straight answer about which path makes the most sense for your specific situation.

    Book Your Free 20-Minute Project Consultation: Schedule here

    📞 647-401-HOME | www.bvmcontracting.com

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  • His Childhood Home, Reimagined: How BVM Contracting Transformed a 90s Scarborough Interior Into a Masterpiece

    His Childhood Home, Reimagined: How BVM Contracting Transformed a 90s Scarborough Interior Into a Masterpiece

    When a BVM investor trusted us with the home he grew up in, the stakes were personal — and the result will be extraordinary.

    ⚡ TLDR

    Alan Masters grew up in a 1990s Scarborough home that hadn’t been touched since it was built — compartmentalized rooms, outdated everything, no flow for modern family life. After investing in a BVM Contracting custom home project and watching how we operate up close, he trusted us with his childhood home. The result: a full interior transformation featuring a 20-foot open-concept main floor, ultra-custom kitchen, herringbone hardwood, new stairs and railings, three full bathrooms, a gas fireplace, custom millwork, wainscotting, and all-new windows and doors throughout — a complete reimagining of a home that already meant everything.

    Project Information

    When an Investor Becomes a Client

    Alan Masters wasn’t a stranger to BVM Contracting when he called about his home. He was an investor in our Phyllis Avenue custom home project in Cliffcrest — one of our signature builds — and through that project he spent enough time in our world to understand exactly how we operate. He watched how we handled the budget, how the team communicated, how problems got solved. He saw the finished product.

    So when his father passed away the home felt empty but also ripe with opportunity to turn his childhood home into a legacy for his family.

    This wasn’t just a renovation. Alan’s father had been ill for some time, and Alan had been caring for him in the home. The house hadn’t been significantly updated since it was built in the 1990s, and if Alan and his partner Justine were going to build their life here, it needed to become theirs — while honouring the family history inside those walls. That’s a weight most renovation briefs don’t carry.

    We also run in many of the same circles as Alan, and he is mutual friends with several families whose homes BVM Contracting has built or renovated. He had seen our work firsthand and understood the level of quality we bring to every project. That combination — direct investment experience, recommendations from friends whose homes we’d built, and a deeply personal reason to get it right — made 132 Atlee one of the most meaningful projects we’ve taken on.

    Bottom line: The best clients come from trust built over years, not sales calls. Alan already knew what we could do — and that’s what made this project possible.

    One Steel Beam. An Entirely Different Home.

    Walk into a typical Scarborough home built in the 1990s and you’ll find the same layout: walls everywhere, a small kitchen tucked off to one side, a living room that feels cut off from the rest of the house, a front foyer that leads nowhere interesting. It was functional for its era. It’s not how families live today.

    The centrepiece of our main floor transformation at 132 Atlee was a custom 20-foot W8x24 structural steel beam — engineered and installed to eliminate the load-bearing walls separating the kitchen, dining area, family room, and front foyer. When those walls came down, the entire character of the main floor changed. What had been a series of small, disconnected rooms became one cohesive open-concept space with sightlines from the front door all the way to the back of the house.

    For Alan and Justine, Ryan noted there was a mix of emotions when construction began — the excitement of transformation alongside the nostalgia of watching the home they knew come apart. That tension is real in every major renovation — we’ve been through it with families in Scarborough, Leaside, and the Beaches. What carries clients through it is clarity about what’s coming on the other side. Our team stayed close throughout the process, making sure Alan and Justine could always see where the project was headed — because the answer, in this case, was genuinely extraordinary.

    The new main floor is designed around a custom kitchen built by Jim Popoff’s team: the undisputed focal point of the space. Paired with herringbone hardwood flooring throughout, JennAir appliances, a new gas fireplace replacing the old wood-burning unit in the living room, and tile in the front foyer that will anchor the entry — the main level will be something people talk about when they walk through the door.

    Bottom line: One structural decision — the right steel beam in the right place — unlocked the potential of the entire main floor. That’s the kind of pre-construction thinking that separates a renovation that looks good from one that actually works.

    Permit Issues, Phone Calls, And Decisive Action

    Before a single wall came down, the team needed three permits from the City of Toronto: a building permit, a plumbing permit, and a drainage permit. What should have been a routine process ran into a real-world complication (as they usually do with The City of Toronto) and the permit applications stalled.

    At the same time, Alan was out of the country on a trip.

    The typical approach — email chains, document portals, formal correspondence — wasn’t going to work. Alan is a phone call guy, and our team adapted immediately. We shifted to direct phone communication, walked Alan through exactly what the City needed and why, and helped him understand the documentation required to clear the issue on his end. Once Alan submitted the necessary paperwork, the permits cleared — all three arrived on the same day, March 25, 2026.

    Permits for a project of this scope (building, plumbing, drainage) covering structural work, fireplace conversion, and bathroom renovations require coordination with the City of Toronto’s Scarborough building department, a qualified architectural design team (Managed by BVM and The Constructible Design Co.), and responsive communication with the client. The title complication added a layer of complexity that required patience and clear guidance — and our team delivered both.

    Bottom line: Permit complications are not unusual. What matters is how quickly your team recognizes the issue, adjusts the plan, and keeps the project moving — without dropping the client in the process.

    Protecting the Budget Without Cutting the Vision

    One of the more instructive moments on this project came early, when Alan mentioned he wanted to add an EV charger to the garage. The issue: his existing electrical panel was 100 amps — inadequate to support an EV charger properly, and the logical answer was a full service upgrade to 200 amps.

    Our team got pricing from Toronto Hydro for the upgrade. The number came back too high for Alan to justify at this stage of the project. Rather than leave the EV charger conversation as a dead end, we proposed a smarter phased approach: install a separate 100-amp subpanel in the garage now, which handles any garage needs — EV charger, heater, workshop equipment — and leaves the infrastructure in place for a clean 200-amp upgrade whenever Alan is ready to invest in it. No permanent compromise. No sunk cost. A real solution that protected his budget without closing off the future.

    This is the kind of decision-making that separates a builder who understands construction from one who understands clients. The goal isn’t just to execute the scope — it’s to help clients make decisions that serve them well over time.

    Ryan also highlighted a broader lesson from this project about the planning and design phase: Alan invested the time to make selections himself — tile, appliances, kitchen details, paint colours — because he’s retired and could dedicate the hours required. For families with full-time jobs and kids at home, that kind of sustained decision-making is genuinely difficult. Our team consistently recommends working with an interior designer as a strategic investment, not an optional luxury. The clients who treat design and planning as a cost tend to have harder renovation experiences. The ones who invest in it properly get better results — and fewer regrets.

    Bottom line: Smart budget management isn’t about finding the cheapest option — it’s about finding the right option for where the client is today and where they want to be tomorrow.

    The Finishes That Will Make This Home Distinctly Theirs

    The full picture of 132 Atlee Avenue isn’t just a structural story — it’s a design story. Every major finish decision was made with intention, and the combination is what will make this home feel like Alan and Justine’s from the moment you step through the front door.

    The custom kitchen by Jim Popoff is the centrepiece: designed for serious cooking and real entertaining, with the full JennAir appliance package making it functional at the highest level. The herringbone hardwood floors throughout the main level add warmth and a design-forward detail that elevates the space beyond standard renovation territory. New stairs and railings connect the main and second floors as part of the visual identity of the home. Foyer tile anchors the entry and sets the tone before guests reach the living space.

    In the living room, the gas fireplace — replacing the original wood-burning unit — transforms the room into a year-round gathering space with none of the maintenance burden. Custom millwork and wainscotting bring depth and detail to the walls. And one of the most impactful decisions on the entire project: all-new windows and doors throughout the main and second floors, spray-foamed and re-drywalled as part of a full exterior envelope upgrade. The effect on curb appeal was immediate and dramatic — and the energy performance improvement will benefit Alan and Justine for decades.

    Three full bathrooms round out the scope, each refreshed as part of the second-floor transformation.

    Ryan’s prediction: when this home is photographed, the front foyer and the kitchen are going to stop people mid-scroll. We’re inclined to agree.

    Bottom line: When the right finishes are layered together — structural, design, and envelope all aligned — the result isn’t just a renovated house. It’s a home that reflects the people living in it.

    Before & After

    Before: A 1990s interior untouched for 30+ years — compartmentalized main floor, outdated kitchen, wood-burning fireplace, original windows and doors, no connection between living spaces.

    After: Full-interior transformation — open-concept main level anchored by a 20-foot steel beam, ultra-custom kitchen with JennAir appliances, herringbone hardwood floors, refinished stairs and railings, gas fireplace, three renovated bathrooms, custom millwork, wainscotting, all-new windows and doors, full exterior envelope upgrade. A home that honours the family history it carries — and is built for the life Alan and Justine will live in it for decades to come.

    Ready to Start Planning Your Renovation?

    132 Atlee started as a 1990s house that hadn’t changed in three decades. What it became — open-concept main floor, custom kitchen, full exterior envelope upgrade, three renovated bathrooms, work done right — is what happens when the planning phase isn’t rushed and the budget decisions are made with the client’s long-term interest in mind.

    If you’re sitting on a renovation in Scarborough, East Toronto, or elsewhere in the GTA and want an honest conversation about what it would actually take, book a free 20-minute call with our team.

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  • A Home Addition Avoided With Thoughtful Planning

    A Home Addition Avoided With Thoughtful Planning

    How a Growing Upper Beach family skipped the addition — and got exactly what they needed inside the walls they already owned

    ⚡ TLDR

    Daniel and Liz came to BVM Contracting wanting to add a third bedroom before their newborn arrived. When our team discovered that 79 Kimberley was already sitting at approximately 69% site coverage — with no room to build out under current zoning — we could have told them to file for a Committee of Adjustment hearing and wait 12 to 18 months for an answer. Instead, we found the bedroom they needed inside the space they already had. No addition. No committee hearings. No delays. Construction started May 1, 2026, exactly as planned.

    That’s the difference between a builder who sells scopes and one who solves problems.

    Home Renovation Project Information

    Project Type: Second-floor interior reconfiguration + full bathroom renovation + exterior cladding refresh

    Location: The Upper Beaches, East Toronto

    Scope: New third bedroom carved from existing second-floor space; complete bathroom renovation; primary bedroom layout redesign; laundry relocation to stacked unit; Kaycan white lap siding replacement + black window installation

    Duration of Construction: Spring – Summer 2026 (in progress)

    Timeline of our services: Pre-construction through to construction

    Clients: Young growing family, The Beach

    Architectal Partner: Mark Smith — markhsmith.ca

    Project Cost: Inquire here

    Before and After

    To be added once the project is completed.

    The Addition That Couldn’t Happen — And the Solution That Could

    Daniel and Liz reached out to BVM Contracting in September 2025 with a clear goal: they needed a third bedroom before their baby arrived. Their home at 79 Kimberley in The Beach was already the right house in the right neighbourhood — they just needed it to grow with them. They came in assuming the answer was a side cantilever or a small addition.

    Our team ran the FSI and density numbers alongside architectural partner Mark Smith. The result was unambiguous: 79 Kimberley was already at approximately 69% site coverage under Toronto’s zoning rules. Any addition — no matter how modest — would have triggered a mandatory Committee of Adjustment hearing. That process adds between 4-6 months to a project planning timeline and delivers no guaranteed outcome at the end of it. With a newborn on the way in March 2026 and a May 2026 construction start locked in as the target, that path simply didn’t work for this family.

    So we pivoted. And we did it fast.

    Working through the existing second-floor footprint with Mark Smith, our team identified an opportunity that a less experienced eye would have missed: the space beneath the mezzanine and the existing laundry room could be reconfigured to produce a fully functioning third bedroom — complete with a stacked laundry unit relocated to the adjacent space, a completely redesigned bathroom, and a reimagined primary bedroom layout. All of it inside the existing building envelope. Not a square foot added to the outside. And the clients were genuinely relieved — not disappointed — when the reconfiguration plan came together. They were keeping the project on track, keeping their timeline, and getting exactly the outcome they needed.

    Bottom line: When a zoning path is closed, a good builder finds another door — and opens it faster than anyone expected.

    PHOTOS TO BE ADDED HERE

    No Surprises in Demo — Because We Asked the Right Questions First

    Older Toronto homes carry history in their walls. 79 Kimberley was no exception. The pre-demo conditions included a decommissioned Jacuzzi with its own electrical subpanel and dedicated drain, an unused gas fireplace line, drainage roughed into the mezzanine, and a digital bath controller that hadn’t seen active use in years. In the wrong hands, that’s a list that becomes an extras invoice — delivered to a client who didn’t see it coming.

    That’s not how BVM operates.

    During the pre-construction planning process, our team worked directly with Liz and Dan to document every known condition in the home before a single wall came down. The Jacuzzi panel, the gas line, the mezzanine drainage, the old bath controller — every item was identified, walked through, and included in the scope of work before we signed a contract. No surprises. No add-ons tied to conditions we already knew existed.

    This is a pattern in the industry that frustrates homeowners, and rightly so: some contractors treat pre-existing conditions as “unknowns” because it’s easier to add them to the bill mid-project than to do the homework upfront. Our approach is the opposite. If it’s going to need to be dealt with, it gets priced before we start — because that’s what honest contracting looks like.

    Bottom line: Pre-construction due diligence isn’t overhead — it’s the reason your renovation doesn’t come with a surprise invoice halfway through demo.

    Four Proposals, One Right Answer

    Getting the layout right for 79 Kimberley wasn’t a straight line. It never is when you’re reconfiguring a second floor that needs to simultaneously create a new bedroom, improve the primary bedroom, relocate laundry, and fully renovate a bathroom — all without adding space. Our team and Mark Smith worked through four distinct design proposals before landing on Option 2A: the configuration that solved for everything the family needed without compromising the rest of the home.

    The pivotal decision in Option 2A was the laundry. Relocating the washer and dryer off the main second-floor circulation and stacking them in a purpose-built alcove near the new bedroom and bathroom freed up the primary bedroom completely. Bedroom 1 could be fully redesigned — better flow, more usable square footage within the same walls, a layout that felt intentional rather than inherited. Because Liz and Dan had underused space in the mezzanine level, the stacked unit fit without eating into any liveable area they were actually using.

    The second floor that came out of Option 2A works like a proper family home: three bedrooms, a completely renovated bathroom, laundry that’s accessible but not in the way, and a primary bedroom that feels like it was designed for the family living there — not retrofitted around whatever the original plan had allowed.

    Four rounds of proposals isn’t a sign of indecision. It’s the design process doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

    Bottom line: The right layout takes iteration. The clients who commit to working through the options always end up with a home that works better.

    Layout of existing second floor before layout change to add the third bedroom
    Layout of existing second floor before layout change to add the third bedroom
    Proposed layout for the second level at 79 Kimberley Avenue, which features an adjusted bathroom and new 3rd level bedroom
    Proposed layout for the second level at 79 Kimberley Avenue, which features an adjusted bathroom and new 3rd level bedroom

    Building Around a Baby — And Getting the Timing Right

    When Dan and Liz signed with BVM, their baby was due in March 2026 — right in the middle of what would become a critical stretch for design finalization and permit approval. Building and plumbing permits were issued in January 2026. That left roughly two months to lock all pre-construction details before a newborn arrived and the pace of every decision in the household changed.

    Our team didn’t wait to see how that played out.

    Subcontractors were brought to site earlier than the standard schedule required so they could assess the scope firsthand. The full scope of work was documented and finalized before the baby arrived. When Daniel and Liz needed time to focus on their new family — and they absolutely got it — the project file was already in a ready state. Once the new parents found their footing, construction started on schedule: May 1, 2026, exactly when we’d planned.

    That’s what proactive project management looks like in practice. Not chasing clients for decisions at the last minute. Getting ahead of the timeline so the client doesn’t have to choose between their family and their renovation.

    Bottom line: A construction timeline can’t stop for life — but a good builder plans so that life doesn’t have to stop for construction either.

    The Exterior Refresh: White Siding, Black Windows, and a Reason to Come Home

    The scope at 79 Kimberley isn’t limited to what’s happening inside. The original painted exterior siding was due for a full replacement, and Daniel and Liz had a specific vision for the front of the house: clean, bright, and modern — a facade that would match the refreshed home behind it.

    After reviewing options, the final exterior spec landed on Kaycan white lap siding replacing the existing boards, with new black-framed windows being installed in the same sequence. It’s a combination that works in this neighbourhood: the bright white field against bold black windows reads as updated and intentional without chasing trends that won’t age well. The contrast is clean. The result is a front elevation that earns a second look.

    Getting that exterior work done came with a coordination layer most Toronto renovations don’t involve: a Toronto Hydro service isolation. Where utility lines run close to the siding and window work area, the installation can’t proceed until the line is temporarily taken down. Our team initiated that process proactively — filed the isolation request with Toronto Hydro, coordinated the signed submission with Liz, and is now sequencing the siding and window installations to happen in a single mobilization once the isolation date is confirmed. One coordinated effort, not a multi-stage scramble that adds time and cost.

    Bottom line: When city utilities are part of the construction puzzle, the answer is to get ahead of the coordination — not react to it after it holds up your schedule.

    What This Project Is Really About

    Beyond the permit numbers, the layout options, and the square footage math, 79 Kimberley comes down to something simple: a family choosing to stay in the community they love.

    Daniel and Liz didn’t want to upsize, sell, and start over somewhere else. They wanted to make the home they had work for the family they were building. The Beach is where they want to raise their children. This renovation — a third bedroom, a better bathroom, a fresh exterior — is what makes that possible.

    We’re not in the business of selling the most expensive project on the table. We’re in the business of finding the right solution. Sometimes that’s a full custom build. Sometimes it’s understanding that the space your clients need is already there — it just needs someone willing to find it.

    Ready to Find Out What Your Home Can Become?

    The 79 Kimberley project proves that the right answer isn’t always the obvious one. Before you commit to an addition — or assume your current home can’t accommodate your family’s next chapter — talk to our team. We’ll run the FSI numbers, walk your space, and tell you honestly what’s achievable and what the fastest path to it looks like.