A Fort Langley woman was hoping to create her 91裸聊视频渇orever home91裸聊视频� but her family is out more than $200,000 after being left in the lurch by their contractor.
A decade ago, Erin Kreiter was a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta, but found herself repeatedly going to hospital due to muscle weakness and trouble breathing.
She was eventually diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. While she was back home in B.C., she collapsed and spent months on life support. She now requires a ventilator and a motorized wheelchair, along with 24/7 medical support from family or other caregivers.
Her parents, Tim and Janet, had their home in Walnut Grove modified to support Erin91裸聊视频檚 wheelchair and medical equipment. But over the years, the limitations of that home became apparent.
In 2021, the family moved to a new home in Fort Langley, a former bed and breakfast. They had a plan to expand the existing footprint of the building out into the backyard. It would give Erin more space, and create enough living area for both her sister Elizabeth and her parents, and in the future, for a full time caregiver.
It would have been somewhere for Erin to live for the rest of her life, with the freedom to move around and storage space for her medical equipment.
91裸聊视频淚t was supposed to simplify life, and that was exciting, amazing, thrilling, after being so tightly squished in the old house,91裸聊视频� Erin said.
The plan was to renovate bathrooms, to open up the hallways to be wide enough to accommodate Erin91裸聊视频檚 bed, so she could move from room to room more easily.
91裸聊视频淭hat was the point of the renovation, to give her her own private space,91裸聊视频� said Erin91裸聊视频檚 father Tim.
Tim and Janet had spearheaded the renovation of the Kreiters91裸聊视频� first home, but this time they would need outside help. In 2018, Tim was one of the Langley residents who was run down by .
The family worked with an architect, then found a local contractor. Tim, a former fraud investigator with the Langley RCMP, checked him out with the Better Business Bureau, and everything seemed fine.
But as work began, there were issues. First with the quality of some of the work, and then later, some of the concrete subcontractors said they hadn91裸聊视频檛 been paid.
By the end of July, the last subcontractors downed their tools and left, and the Kreiters, who had dipped into savings, retirement funds, and lines of credit, were out of money.
Their backyard now has a series of unfinished foundations and piles of dirt.
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The family spent $326,000 in total on the renovation efforts. The estimate between $100,000 and $150,000 worth of work was actually done before the contractor pulled up stakes.
The contractor has closed up shop, the Kreiters said.
Now, Erin and her family have no way to finish the project on their own.
The family has discussed a number of options, Erin said, including finishing just part of the expansion.
Ultimately, they are hoping to finish their original plan, although it may take much longer than they had anticipated.
91裸聊视频淭hings that are good are worth waiting for,91裸聊视频� said Erin.
The family has launched hoping to raise $100,000 towards the cost of the first phase work. They have a new contractor who came via a trusted family friend. The funding will help build the most pressing part of the project, an accessible washroom and bedroom for Erin.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 frustrating having to ask for help,91裸聊视频� Erin said.
She and her family already received a tremendous amount of help years ago, when they were renovating the family home in Walnut Grove. People donated time, supplies, and labour, and Erin said she felt guilty afterwards.
91裸聊视频淲e felt that our 91裸聊视频榟elp quota91裸聊视频� had been exhausted.91裸聊视频�
But they have no other option right now. They are also accepting help from tradespeople or those who can contribute materials to the project.
91裸聊视频淚f people are willing to help us, we will accept it gratefully and thankfully,91裸聊视频� she said.
Completing the full project may cost closer to $500,000, they now estimate.
