Alex Hastie, founder and co-owner of Kestrel Builders, focuses on renovating houses instead of new construction for two reasons.Hastie grew up in a family construction business in the Annapolis Valley , and when he moved to the city because of his spouse’s job in 2016, it was time to hang out his own shingle.He met the owner of a design company who led him to some projects, which allowed him to get his foot in the door of the Halifax reno scene.
“Right away the types of projects I got into, working with designers, was remodelling kitchens and bathrooms and whole home renovations as well,” he said. “It’s a bit of a puzzle, trying to take things apart and put them back together. I like the challenge of it.” Professionally, zoning can be a big part of his life, depending on the extent of the renovations his clients want to accomplish.
Even a small project requires a permit, but Hastie said there is less red tape when construction stays within a building’s footprint. He’s never had a building inspector, or anyone else from the city, suggest to him a certain site would lend itself to a bigger build containing more residences.