England Design / Build

This project started after spending two years in our retirement house. It had become apparent that the cute but inefficient lakefront cottage would not serve our needs. Discussions with house builders and the constraints of our budget seemed to require that we must demolish the structure. We could then contract to rebuild using factory built modular sections, executing an architect’s plan or choosing from a builder’s catalog. However, we investigated another method, which had not yet been considered, a design-build. This led us to you (England Design / Build).

Upon our first meeting, we admired your honest and open approach. We explained our rough ideas of what we wanted and what we could afford. You soon appreciated the fact that we liked our humble cottage and suggested that we consider keeping what we liked about our current space and correcting what we didn’t. A remodel rather than a teardown would serve us better in your considered opinion.

We were soon convinced. Plans were developed as suggestions from all sides were considered. You would use you expertise to advise. That often changed exactly what we planned to do while resulting in exactly what we wanted to accomplish. You always kept the work moving towards our needs while keeping within budget.

The house is now cool in summer without using air conditioning. We can regulate how cool the house needs to be just by opening windows to capture the cool wind off the lake. We save about 15% in electricity once used for cooling. The tank-less hot water and baseboard heat work much better and more efficient than the old systems. About 10% less gas is used to heat even though there is almost an entire floor of new living space. The big windows provide views of the lake from every floor that are simply magnificent. They also have large sections that open to the outside air.
The fireplace with the two story exposed brick chimney, beams and sky light captures the feeling of the old cabin’s living room more than we thought it would.
You kept the cottage’s charms and cleared its curses, to wax eloquent. This house has become our home in heart and mind. It is like no other, uniquely ours.

John and Jane