HMH Construction — Masters of Renovation

Project story · Stoney Creek

Multi-Unit Conversion in Stoney Creek

A dated two-storey taken back to block and joists and rebuilt as separate self-contained units — each with its own kitchen, bathroom and laundry.

The finished two-storey home from the street at dusk, with new siding and a lit front entrance
The finished two-storey home from the street at dusk, with new siding and a lit front entrance

Wood-panelled basement, oak kitchen, pink bedroom, carpet everywhere. Every surface in this house was original — which is the best possible starting point, because nothing had to be worked around.

What the project had to achieve

The house had the footprint and the rear access to carry more than one household, but the layout was a single dated family home. Converting it meant separating the floors properly — services, entrances and fire separation — rather than simply adding a kitchen downstairs.

Project goals here are read from the signed scope of work. We don't publish our clients' names, addresses, or anything they told us in confidence.

Scope of work

How it was built

  1. February 2025

    What we started with

    A two-storey home that had not been touched in decades — dark wood trim and carpet upstairs, an original oak kitchen, and a basement finished in wood panelling. Sound structure, completely dated finishes.

    The house from the street before renovation beganOriginal bedroom with dark wood trim, carpet and wallpaper borderThe original oak kitchen before demolitionThe original bathroom before renovationBasement finished in wood panelling and carpet before the strip-out

  2. April 2025

    Back to block and joists

    Everything came out. Upstairs went to studs and ceiling joists; the basement went back to bare block, exposing the services that would all be replaced. Separating a house into units is mostly a services problem, and you cannot solve it through finished walls.

    Upper floor stripped back to studs and joistsThe basement stripped back to bare block wallsOriginal mechanical services exposed in the stripped basementWide view of the basement after demolition, ready for new framing

  3. April 2025

    Services from the street in

    More households on one lot means more demand than the original service was sized for. The water service was upgraded from the street and the electrical service replaced, both trenched and inspected before anything above them was built.

    Rear of the house during servicing works, with the yard opened upTrench opened alongside the house for the upgraded water serviceThe rear elevation with the entrance serving the upper unit

  4. April – June 2025

    New layout, new openings

    New partitions set out each unit, and structural openings were framed where the old plan had solid wall. This is the stage where the house stops being one home and starts being several.

    New structural opening framed between roomsFramed corridor separating the unitsNew framing detail at a doorway openingFraming with mechanical and electrical services run through itExterior wall reframed around a window opening

  5. July 2025

    Boarded and taped

    With rough-ins signed off, every level was insulated and boarded. Bulkheads and dropped ceilings were formed to carry ducting between units without losing headroom where it mattered.

    Main living space boarded out with drywallRooms taped and ready for finishingDropped ceiling and bulkheads formed to carry servicesWide view of a boarded unit before finishing

  6. September 2025

    The main unit

    Open plan from the entry through to the kitchen — white cabinetry, stainless appliances and pot lights, with vinyl plank running unbroken through the living space.

    Finished open-plan living space looking through to the kitchenCompleted kitchen with white cabinetry and stainless appliancesWide view of the finished kitchen and living areaKitchen detail with full-height cabinets and integrated appliances

  7. September 2025

    The second unit

    A second full kitchen, its own living space and its own daylight. Independent units need to feel like homes rather than converted rooms, which is mostly a question of where the windows and the kitchen end up.

    Second unit kitchen with white cabinets and stainless appliancesWide view of the second unit kitchen and its living spaceSecond unit living space with pot lights and plank flooringFinished room with new window and trim

  8. September 2025

    Bathrooms and laundry, unit by unit

    Each unit got its own three-piece bathroom and its own stacked laundry — the two things that decide whether a unit is genuinely independent or just a room with a kitchen in it.

    Finished bathroom vanity with mirror and new fixturesCompleted tiled shower with glass enclosureSecond finished shower with glass door and tiled surroundStacked laundry in its own closet within the unitThe rear of the finished house with the exterior stair to the upper entrance

The result

Self-contained units inside the original envelope, each with its own kitchen, bathroom and laundry, and a rear entrance that keeps the upper unit independent of the ground floor.

Services used on this project

Multifamily Conversions & ADUs →Separate Basement Entrances & Walkouts →Home Renovations →Kitchen Renovations →

Questions about projects like this

Does converting a house into units mean upgrading the water and electrical service?

Usually yes. The original service was sized for one household. On this project the water service was upgraded from the street and the electrical service replaced — both are trenched, inspected work that has to happen early, because everything else gets built on top of them.

Does each unit need its own laundry?

Not by Code, but it is what makes a unit genuinely self-contained, and it is what tenants expect. It also means separate drain, supply and vent runs for each one, which is why it belongs in the rough-in plan rather than being added later.

What makes a house a good candidate for conversion?

Rear or side access for a second entrance, enough basement headroom, and a service size that can be upgraded without an unreasonable trench. We check all three before quoting — headroom in particular is the one that quietly kills projects, so it gets measured on the first visit.

How long is a conversion like this?

This one ran from the first walkthrough in February to the final walkthrough in late September. Demolition and servicing take longer than people expect; finishing goes quickly once the inspections are behind you.

Planning something similar?

Tell us about your project — we reply within one business day. Or call905-749-4608.

Prefer to talk it through?Call 905-749-4608— we pick up.

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