Volunteers give family a 'home makeover'

Date: 8/23/2010

Aug. 23, 2010

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW -- The Carrington's long wait for their dream home is almost over.

Not all that long ago, the family of seven Sarah and Eric and their five children and foster children were living in a small ranch on Hazelhurst Avenue.

They were quickly outgrowing the space, which was also developing problems around them.

"If I was in the basement doing laundry and someone upstairs flushed the toilet, I would have to jump out of the way because otherwise, water would be coming down on me," Sarah Carrington said.

In addition to difficulties with the home, the family faced personal issues as well.

The Carrington's second-born son was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that forms in bone and soft tissue, in June of 2007.

"He had a tumor the size of a tennis ball," she said. "After the removal, the chemotherapy and the radiation, we found he was at risk of a stroke, so he had to have more brain surgery in February."

In 2009, the Carringtons were originally nominated as a family to be considered for the ABC network television show, "Extreme Makover: Home Edition," which rebuilds houses for families the producers feel are deserving of a new home.

The family was hopeful, but were passed over in favor of a family in Suffield, Conn. At one point, however, they believed they had been selected.

"My husband's boss got a call and we thought it might be good news," she said. "My husband works in Suffield and they wanted to use the parking lot to shuttle workers back and forth to the construction site. So not only were we not selected, but my husband went to work and saw it all."

The rejection from the show was not the end of the line for the Carringtons. In August of 2009, they were approached by a member of their church, Jim Paull of Cornerstone Realty,

"He said he wanted to come by and take a look at our space and see if there was a way to make us more comfortable," Carrington said. "We were floored."

The original plans called for an extension off of the back of the house, but upon going to the town, it was discovered that there was not enough space [on the property] to go anywhere but up.

"He asked us how we would feel about building up and suggested a colonial, which would just about double our space," Carrington said. "Going from a 1,008 square foot house to a 2,000 square foot house was just like, "Wow" for us."

Carrington said that the main concern she had with the new layout was making sure there was enough living space.

"We didn't have enough seating in our living room for seven people and the kids are growing" Carrington said. "We have two teenagers and three toddlers. Now thing will be a lot more comfortable. We will have five bedrooms, which will definitely be more suitable for our needs."

The Carringtons secured a construction loan to pay for the building materials and Paull agreed to do the work if the materials were built with no additional labor costs.

"It's an incredible gift. Most contractors charge $150 to $175 per square foot for additions," she said. "That's a big gift he's giving us. It's tough times for everybody, especially people in the building and real estate industry, so for him to do this for us is just unbelievable. It's very generous."

In addition to the construction, the electrical work and plumbing are also being donated by contacts Paull has in the construction industry. The family is also working with Home Depot to try to figure out out a way to keep the cost down on the project.

"Some of the materials have almost tripled in price since the original estimate was made," she explained. "Home Depot is trying to see what they can do for us to keep this affordable because obviously we are not able to go beyond our budget."

The second floor and the roof have been completed, with electrical and plumbing work expected to be completed soon, according to Carrington.