FOUR-EVER HOME

FOUR-EVER HOME

Waterloo family celebrates fourth home renovation with Way-Mar

After more than two decades and four separate renovation projects, they can exhale.

Their dream home is complete.

“I’d always say, ‘That was the last renovation’ and then Gerry would say, ‘I don’t believe it,’” joked Debora of the couple’s playful banter over the years.

The Waterloo residents insist the fourth time was the charm, having recently completed a sunroom and enlisting Way-Mar Home Renovation Contractors to make that happen.

The latest project marks the continuation of a longstanding relationship between the couple and the company. This is the fourth time Vannijnatten and Gerry Boychuk have collaborated with Way-Mar on a renovation project since purchasing their home 22 years ago.

When the husband and wife landed on their 1964-built home in the city’s Gledridge neighborhood, it was “love at first sight”; a beautiful treed lot with access to a trail system, and no through traffic on their street.

The galley kitchen inside the home, however, was on the small side, so they called in a few contractors to see about knocking out a wall. Both contractors had conflicting ideas about which way the joists ran so the couple sought a third opinion, from Way-Mar, which opted to take out the guesswork by cutting a hole in the ceiling.

“(Way-Mar) wouldn’t guess. Right from then, well, we thought, ‘We trust this. We trust these guys,’” Boychuk said.

One renovation turned into two when the couple later replaced their main floor and did a full kitchen renovation while eliminating closets and smaller spaces to open up the main living area.

With kids ages 12, 14, and 16 -- and a dog, it was never a matter of if renovations would happen, only when.

“We always knew it wasn’t going to be big enough. We thought about moving. We did fairly seriously look on the real estate market for alternatives but we just love the place so much and we love the house,” Boychuk said. “So we wanted basically the same house but with a bit more space. We didn’t want to fundamentally change the house.”

Once again the couple brought in Way-Mar to help construct new living space, including two bedrooms and a bathroom for the kids on top of the home’s garage, along with a workstation.

“That was a bit of a journey thinking about how to use that space and how to make more space because in the end we kind of went out further than the footprint of the house. How do you make everything look like it was there forever?” Vannijnatten said.

The garage setup turned out to be a blessing during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing their children more personal space, but the recently completed sunroom is the centerpiece of the home that has reunited the family unit in an idyllic setting.

“(Way-Mar) wouldn’t guess. Right from then, well, we thought, ‘We trust this. We trust these guys.”

The sunroom has without question become the highlight of the home, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and a wood fireplace to create the ultimate retreat setting. Whether it’s starting the day with a cup of coffee or gathering to watch some sports together, the family gravitates to the warm and inviting space.

“We had a deck but we couldn’t enjoy it for one-third of the year,” Boychuk said. “Now it’s basically like we have a deck that’s heated. The windows are huge. With the windows open and the door open -- we have a screen door -- you feel like you’re outside. It’s like having a deck all year round.”

Added Vannijnatten: “The sunroom really brings the outside in.”

Equally comfortable is the couple’s relationship with Way-Mar, something they credit for helping them wade through various challenges along the way, including pandemic-induced price inflation and supply chain issues. With Way-Mar’s help, the couple was also able to preserve their backyard trees while constructing the sunroom.

“There’s not a single thing that we would do differently. We’re so happy with how it turned out,” Boychuk said. “There was nothing that was overlooked, nothing that was done without our input that would materially change the outcome. The result is that you get something that you’re just happy with.”

Consistency and flexibility are just a few of the words the couple used to describe Way-Mar’s overall appeal.

Working with Way-Mar was “comfortable. They’re trustworthy, they’re professional, they had a very good dialog with us, in constant communication with us. No concerns at all,” Vannijnatten said.

As to when the next home renovation project might be happening?

“We’re done. Four renovations later, the house is perfect, “ Vannijnatten said with a laugh.

Added Boychuk: She keeps saying that.”