First Time Remodeling: Go Big or Stay Home? (floor, how much, roof)
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We're remodeling a run-down 1960's kitchen at long last. We're also considering doing additional work. Budget is 200K (plus an extra 20% for cost overruns) Here's our choices:
Essential:
+ Replace an internal load-bearing wall with a engineered or steel beam to open the living room to the kitchen.
+ Add a kitchen island.
+ Replace severely outdated cabinetry, cooktop, oven, vent hood--the typical stuff.
Optional:
- Add a 6X10 bump-out around the front door to install a genkan-style entry, half-bath, and closet.
- Carve out a 7X10 mud/laundry room from the garage (all internal).
- Add a 5X25 bump-out of an external wall to increase the kitchen from a 10X10 to a 10X15, as well as increasing the living room from 15X25 to 15X30. This will probably also add an ocean-view deck to the second floor "master" bedroom.
- Replace a crumbling asphalt (mostly dirt now, actually) driveway with concrete.
- Replace a kludged-together uneven concrete patio.
Except for the 5X25 bump-out, we intend to make all these changes, eventually. The question is how much to bite off, initially.
Why we're doing the remodel: We can't find a house that meets our needs in as good of a location for our current home's value +120K.
Financial details: We bought our house at ~$300/sqft. It is now worth ~$500/sqft (after adding the 250sqft of all the optional bump-outs). This is SoCal, so building costs will be at the high end of the spectrum, but may be below the added value.
We're a family of 4 with 2 young children. Wife and kids will be out of the house for a 2-month stretch next summer, and I'm hoping to do the lion's share of the internal work during that time to minimize the disruption or amount of time we need to live in a rental.
So... do it all at once to save money and get it done? Do the minimum possible to see how we handle it, something inbetween?
Please vote and give your seasoned opinion on my unrealistic ideas. Thanks and reps to all who chime in!
Sounds to me like you have a very large living room already. Would it be possible to steal 5ft from the living room and add it to your kitchen? Good kitchen cabinetry and countertops do not come cheap. I would guess that in CA that alone would eat up half of your budget. What is your bathroom situation on the main floor now? Is a half bath necessary? Repairing the driveway sounds like something that needs to be done, especially if the cracks are due to some kind of water/drainage issue. I'd also work put some serious $ into a great entertaining patio so you can take advantage of the great CA weather! I think these things alone will eat up all of your budget.
So, yes to the "essentials" you listed plus fix the driveway and re-do the patio.
Because everybody loves pictues. Here's a rough idea. Red areas are things that are going to be done sooner or later. Green areas are more optional.
- The driveway is simply 60-year-old asphalt dissolving back into dirt. It can last 5+ more years as is. It's not going anywhere. Thinking about pulling it up and pouring a concrete driveway to match what the rest of the neighborhood has done.
- The half-bath + new entry + closet is for entertaining and because the front door opens directly into the living room with no place for shoe/coat/bag storage. Making it a genkan is for style and also matches how we use it.
We could do an L-shaped kitchen that eats up 5 of the 15 feet of living room width (top to bottom in the picture).
Or we could do a 15 X 10 kitchen + 10 X 10 dining area along the left most wall (rather than a bump-out), but that leaves only a 15X15 living room directly in from the entry... which seems small to me... but it's not the worst idea. Also, that would put the garage mud room entry in the dining area rather than the living room, which I like.
What you really need to do is not a poll, but a real conversation with an experienced RE agent that has worked your area for years. Knows the territory, knows what other remodels/rebuilds have been done and what that dollar amount means in the grand scheme of things.
Your budget might not go as far as you think, and the construction time could be much longer. You may also want to investigate what atmosphere your property taxes will be in.
This poll is for fun. My decisions are informed, but independent, of the input I get.
The one inside connection I do have is with an architect who will adjust and implement my ideas. After that, I'm going to select a GC based on recommendations from neighbors with the same basic house who are happy with the people they hired to do renovations/additions. There's also a chance I may go with a full-service remodeler. Not at that stage yet.
My place is one type of tract home in a development with 3 different designs. Most others of my design have been modified from their original state. Some have added a ground floor suite, some have pushed out their back walls, some have adjusted their roof lines.
One across the street did a 5X10 kitchen bump-out, added an entry (without half bath), and expanded their upstairs. I like the entry, the kitchen, and the upstairs, but that house felt under-living-roomed.
Another did a down-to-the-studs complete remodel. They marooned the kitchen between a front living room and a larger rear living room, added some sort of frankenstein 2nd floor with level changes (to accomodate higher ceilings in the new living room) and put on a 3rd floor rooftop deck that is in the stratosphere (and which no one uses, because it's such a climb). That one is a hot mess and an example of what not to do with a quarter-million $$ remodel.
The house is presently 1700sqft and among the smallest in the neighborhood. I'll be adding between 0 and 250 sqft now, and possibly up to another 400sqft in a decade or so.
When I select my GC, they'll have an idea of what size and type of remodel will trigger a reassessment, and if my improvements are actually allowed. My county only reasesses actual areas that have been added/improved.
As far as I can tell, without actually contacting city or talking to a GC yet, I can bump out the wall shown by 5 feet, but probably no more due to setback requirements.
So, all that answered, my question to everyone: If you were a first timer, would you try to do a big remodel that hits all your wants without having to re-do (or do more) stuff later at additional cost and disruption, or a small remodel to test out the waters?
Financial details: We bought our house at ~$300/sqft. It is now worth ~$500/sqft (after adding the 250sqft of all the optional bump-outs).
Sorry...having trouble understanding this^^^. I think I'd rather know what you paid for the house and when (date), and what you think the house is worth now (total, not per sq ft) if you were to sell it as is.
I'd also need to know the total square footage, the number of beds and baths, and what floor the beds and baths are on. Also, where is the current laundry located?
And if you did the whole shebang (budget be-damned), would your house be way *over* improved for your neighborhood?
This poll is for fun. My decisions are informed, but independent, of the input I get.
Then what was the point? There's nothing "funny" about remodeling!
So, all that answered, my question to everyone: If you were a first timer, would you try to do a big remodel that hits all your wants without having to re-do (or do more) stuff later at additional cost and disruption, or a small remodel to test out the waters?
With most clients I have dealt with in the past- they were new to the remodeling process. So, regardless of the scope of the project everything DOES NOT go according to plan- most being the owner's own fault and not the construction itself. For me, it's paramount to set a reasonable expectation of the process before it ever begins. Then there's the communication- A LOT of communication! And it works both ways- give good questions and feedback, and you'll get good responsive answers. Too many jobs go sideways because H/O's complain and nitpick. I understand it's your house and your money- but if you don't understand the process, this is where it goes bad.
As with most remodels, budget usually dictates scope of work. When that scope of work involves opening exterior walls, extensive plumbing, and electrical, being displaced from the home is quite probable. And H/O's don't include that into their budget. So, going through this several times over a period of years can be rather "taxing" in more than one way- not just property taxes, but marriages as well! Yes, it happens. I've seen it.
So; go big or go home? Beats the Hell outa me! Like I previously stated- have an in-depth conversation with an experienced RE agent. And remember, good economies don't last forever.
Talk to a knowledgable realtor for idea about what the changes will or won’t do to your home value. I also agree that you need to have at least one consult with architect because of the extensive work you want to do.
My instinct says not to bump out the LR walls, because of cost and because you do not know what you do not know, unless you built the house yourself.
Honestly, my first choice would be to buy another house. But I understand your special circumstances.
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CA Renovation
