Both homes are for sale together or individually.
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Alex Chuaqui and Fia Cooper had been popping over to their Pender Harbour cottage from Vancouver most weekends since their son was born 12 years ago. In 2017, they decided to decamp to the Sunshine Coast for good. So they sold their Vancouver property and bought an older home, built in 1966, on Mahan Road in Gibsons with stunning views of the Salish Sea and Pasley Islands.
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It needed “a ton of work,” says listing agent Sue Scott, of Engel & Völkers Vancouver. “But they were up for it.”
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Westcoast Homes
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They certainly were. Chuaqui and Cooper regularly custom design, build and revamp properties, including heritage buildings in Gastown. They dug in and, over the course of three years, undertook a full renovation of the 60-year-old Mahan Road home.
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“The exterior was also extensively renovated, including a new metal and torch-on roof, all-new cedar shake siding, refinished decking and completely redesigned landscaping,” says Cooper. “A fully fenced, pet-friendly perimeter provides privacy and security, along with a newly poured concrete driveway.”
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Nearly 1,500 square feet of deck and patio space — a deck off every principal area, says Scott — includes one that’s shaded by a huge 50-year-old maple tree that Scott says is so calming to sit under and gaze at the views.
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As Chuaqui and Cooper were gazing at those views one day, they contemplated the empty lot in front of them on Gower Point Road and realized someone could come along and build a bigger house and block their stunning sea views. So they bought the lot and set about building another, bigger house, also minimally landscaped in favour of extensive decking to take in the views. An engineered retaining wall with a corrugated metal fence above separates the two properties. Both homes are for sale together or individually.
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What’s inside Mahan
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Tucked away at the end of a quiet road, the post-and-beam rancher on Mahan Road features four bedrooms and four bathrooms over 2,421 square feet.
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The open concept reclaimed wood flooring connects a spacious living area with a green-wrapped dining nook and kitchen with butcher block maple countertops, Whirlpool gas stove, LG fridge and washer and dryer, and a Bosch dishwasher. Plenty of windows and skylights catch the natural light, including in the primary bedroom. “It faces the Pasley Islands, so you wake up to morning light and this incredible ocean view,” says Scott. “I’m not sure I’d get out of bed if I woke to that every day.”
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Cooper says the house originally featured a galley kitchen separated from the main living area by a brick fireplace. “The fireplace was removed, the kitchen was relocated, and a cosy dining nook was created in the original kitchen space, resulting in a bright, open-concept layout with significantly improved flow.”
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Other major upgrades, she says, include all-new electrical, plumbing, and heating systems, gas fireplace, new windows and doors, new drywall throughout, and upgraded insulation. Every finish in the home was updated, including the bathrooms, laundry area, and flooring. Cabinetry is by Delta’s Hi-Design Custom Cabinetry Ltd. The bathroom countertops are made from reclaimed fir salvaged from Vancouver’s historic Pantages Theatre.
