“It all started with an ugly fridge,” says Carrie Pelton, as she describes the journey that led her – with husband Aaron McCurdy and kids Corbin and Blake – to scrape their 1970 ranch house on Lake Loveland (below) and build a new home with HighCraft.
“When we shopped for a new refrigerator, nothing we found would fit in that space,” she says. “If we replaced the old refrigerator, then we knew we would have to remodel the kitchen.” And because they were willing to commit to a long-overdue kitchen makeover, the couple figured it was a good time to look at options for updating the rest of the house, too.
What Worked, What Didn’t
A social and active family, they loved their neighbors of eight years and the home’s prime location on Lake Loveland. They had fond memories of living in their first home together, but there were things about the house that weren’t working for them.
The seven-foot ceilings, stained by old leaks, were so low that Aaron once hit his knuckles when he jumped up to celebrate a Broncos touchdown, knocking popcorn texture loose on his head. And the master bedroom was not only the smallest bedroom in the house, Carrie and Aaron joked that its shower was roughly the size of a phone booth.
Renovation Must-Haves
The couple’s list of renovation must-haves included an open-concept kitchen with more seating and room to entertain guests, higher ceilings and a spacious master bedroom suite. They also wanted large picture windows to flood the house with natural light, and a living room on the lake side of the home to take full advantage of the gorgeous views.
As their wish list grew, the couple wondered if it made more sense financially to: 1.) remodel their current home, 2.) buy a house in a different neighborhood, or 3.) scrape their old house and build a new custom home.
Decision Time
Carrie and Aaron discussed remodel vs. new construction pros and cons with both their Realtor and HighCraft’s Zach Larrick. After carefully considering the cost vs. value of each option, the couple decided to remain on the lake, say goodbye to their old house, and design and build the home of their dreams with HighCraft.
“The lake and the neighborhood are the reasons we stayed,” Carrie says. “We like to throw parties and spend time on the lake with friends and family. And there’s something about living on water that is very relaxing.”
Pre-Construction Prep
After moving through the architectural design and interior design process with the HighCraft team, it was time to prepare the property for new construction. HighCraft and the homeowners were on the same page about wanting to keep as much waste out of the landfill as possible. Some materials in the home had a lot of life left to give, and could be reused or repurposed in other ways.
Before demolition day, our crew worked with Carrie and Aaron to salvage flooring, lighting, kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and more. The homeowners gave many of the carefully removed materials to friends who are remodeling a house of their own. The outdoor decking will be put to good use at Carrie’s family’s cabin in the mountains.
And a special wood-inlay mariner’s compass (above) was painstakingly removed from the old hardwood floor (below) and will be displayed in Carrie and Aaron’s new home.
Demolition Day
Demo day was an exciting time for the family, their supportive neighbors and the HighCraft crew.
Aaron, Corbin, Carrie and Blake watch the trackhoe excavator as it makes quick work of the old house.
Stay tuned as we follow the progress of the home’s transformation from the ground up.
Whether you scrape and build new, or remodel what you have, HighCraft’s experienced design-build team can navigate every detail of the planning and construction process so you don’t have to. Contact HighCraft with questions or to schedule a free consultation.
