Seeing the Beauty Within
It's been an interesting start to the year. I have had the opportunity to view a number of properties this winter that have either been fully refreshed, are well into the process of renovation, or supporting buyers that are considering taking on the challenge of renewal. I actually like conversing with people who have the talent to see the potential in an old structure and the initiative to make it happen. I don't know from where they draw their energy, because I know I don't have what it takes to take on projects like that; but you have to respect the courage and determination of those that do. They also have to be open to surprises along the way and sometimes let the character of the house guide their decisions.
One example was a 1920s' Eaton house that was moved to town, placed on a new foundation, with a new addition attached. This was a house the settlers could order from a catalogue and a complete package of materials along with instructions on how to build it would be shipped to you by train. It has been lovingly restored by two successive owners now; each taking it a slightly different direction.
When the house was for sale I remember showing a couple and their 10 year old son through it. All of the sudden we realized that the boy was missing from our tour, only to have him greet us at the other end of the second storey by emerging from a small door hidden inside a bedroom closet. He had discovered a passageway underneath the eaves that ran the full length of the building!
Next door to us on the farm is a relocated railway station for sale that is rumoured to come complete with a female ghost. Plenty of stories abound, and it is anybody's guess what the truth is, but it sure makes for interesting table talk in the neighbourhood. It truly is a nice property, but some people won't go near it in case the uninvited guest may appear. Others think the whole story is a hoot, and hope they have the opportunity to meet her.
One afternoon, I was showing a prospective buyer through a multifamily complex that had been converted from a hospital years before. We were in the basement on our way to look at the furnace room, when suddenly he froze, turned to me and said "what happened behind that door?" I had barely said the words "morgue" when he bolted up the stairs and out to his car. He didn't buy the property.
In a few weeks from now we will bring a former church onto the market. The cavernous space has been re-engineered into a potential bed and breakfast, complete with beautiful main floor living quarters and four self-contained suites. The new owners will need to see the same potential for the location that the present one does. Time will tell if this kind of service will fly in a rural Midwest community. Certainly there are many examples in areas of Canada that are considered more tourist oriented than ours. Personally, I find it somewhat poetic that a structure that once served as a faith centre has now had new life breathed into it by someone who simultaneously honours the heritage of the site but also has faith in the future of the community.
You never know when a recycled property will touch you personally. A group of community minded citizens in Maidstone petitioned the municipal governments to allow them to renew Pine Island Lodge into a room and board complex for citizens who needed the step between total independence and nursing home care. These volunteers have done a wonderful job and my 90 year old father is directly benefiting from their vision. May we all learn from their example.
Vern McClelland is an associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster. For more helpful tips on buying and selling real estate, visit www.mcclelland.ca
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