Living An Adventure
In Remodeling
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| Beth
and Zachs 900 sq ft bungalow before the remodel started. |
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| De-construction
started with the removal of the roof. |
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| With
the roof completely removed next phase second story begins. |
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| Main
rafters starting to take shape, new street level porch header
in place. |
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| With
most of the roof rafters in place we can now start to see the
roof line. |
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| View
of the new small addition at the back of the house. On the first
floor a bath and extention to the dining room, on the second floor
a sitting room off the master bedroom. |
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| With
the new roof installed, and exterior framing of the second story
done, you can now see how the second story porch will be integrated
into the design. |
By Pablo Raul
The decision to
do a major addition and remodel instead of moving is always an adventure.
Many factors must be considered when weighing the pros and cons of
undertaking the expensive and arduous endeavor of renovating the place
where you live. Experiences vary, but universal truths do exist in
Remodelania.
In an effort to
examine the process in a very personal way, Northwest Renovation found
a couple in the middle of a major remodel and asked them to provide
insight on the project. Since the project is less than half way done,
we will rejoin them in a later issue to find out how the job is progressing.
Let’s hope that their experiences will benefit others who are
considering remodeling.
Zach and Beth
Collins own a small home in the Westmoreland neighborhood that is
perfectly adequate for a young couple. But the thought of raising
children in a 900 square foot bungalow set them to considering their
options. After pricing larger homes in similar locations, they wondered
if it was reasonable to add about a 1,000 square feet to their existing
residence. “We looked at other homes and when we compared the
price for what we could get, we decided it made sense just to add
on. Plus, we love our neighborhood,” Zach said.
They based their
decision on what remodelers were telling them it would cost per square
foot if they were to do a large two-story addition. “Most guys
told us initially it would run about a hundred to one hundred twenty-five
dollars per square foot,” he said. When they discussed the project
with more specific ideas in mind, they were told that the square foot
price didn’t include all they wanted. They wanted large front
porches on both levels and a remodel of major portions of the existing
structure to accommodate the new stairs to the second floor and other
necessary changes.
Their original
wish list included three more bedrooms, a sitting room, a second bath
upstairs with a clawfoot tub, a larger dining area, and a new main-floor
bathroom. They also found out they would have to redo the existing
stairs to the basement in order to make the whole project come together
in a logical fashion. Zach observed that a few of these costs came
as a surprise, “We didn’t realize that some of these things
would have to change at first, so that has added to the overall cost.”
Still, Zach said
that they penciled out the options and after comparing home values
in their neighborhood, they felt they could actually make money if
they sold the newly remodeled home once it was completed to their
specifications. After checking on financing they realized they were
ready to get serious. Zach commented, “We felt we could make
about fifty thousand dollars if we just turned around and sold it.”
They sketched
some of their ideas out including a front elevation that is similar
to a house down the street. “That is my favorite house ever,”
Beth said. “I look at it every time I go by it.” They wanted
their remodeled home to be a style that fit in with their classic
Portland neighborhood. Such areas have established styles and traditions,
and navigating the expectations of neighbors can be tricky.
Selecting a contractor
was a delicate matter as well. They checked out a book on how to choose
a good builder. They interviewed many contractors and had five come
out to look at the house. From that they narrowed the field to two
of them that they felt comfortable with. One of them was strictly
a builder and didn’t offer design services, while the other was
a design/build firm and could handle the whole project from start
to finish. “We felt that if we had to hire an architect, it would
be more expensive. It would cost us five thousand up front. And then
if we wanted to make any changes we’d probably have to pay a
consultation fee,” Beth said.
In addition, the
design/build firm had a lot of experience working with homeowners
who wanted to do some of the work themselves; something the they found
was not always the case. “Some of the guys we met wanted to do
all the work and didn’t want the owner to help.” After checking
with the Contractors Board, calling references, and going to see some
of the jobs, they decided to go with the design/build firm, Skandia
Remodeling, owned by Paul Olson. “We liked the fact that Paul
could do the design. It was like one-stop-shopping, and after seeing
his work, we were confident he could produce a remodel that looked
good.”
The project is
now well under way, and when asked what is the best part so far, Zach
commented, “We like working with Skandia Remodeling because we
have made quite a few design changes so far, and since they do the
design themselves, this has been very easy.” He added, “One
reason for the changes was, while we were doing the design, we found
out Beth was pregnant, and we wanted to get the job done before the
baby came. This meant we had to get started right away before the
rains hit, so Paul rushed the plans through the city and got the permits
within a month. He called this ‘fast tracking.’ Once we
started the framing, we could visualize the space better, and we came
up with new ideas. So far, it has been easy for the Skandia team to
make the revisions. This has been a real bonus in working with a design/build
company from our perspective.”
Now that the second
floor is up and the roof is on, the house is starting to take shape.
It blends in nicely with the neighborhood and the exterior finish
materials will be selected to retain the feel of the bungalow style.
Zach says of the experience so far, “Every time we come home
it is so much fun. The other night I drove right by the house because
I didn’t recognize it!”
We will rejoin
Zach and Beth in their trek through Remodelania in the next issue.
If you’re like me, you probably feel like you’re in the
middle of a reality show. Don’t tell Zach and Beth though.
For inforamtion
on Skandia Remodeling logon to
www.skandiaremodeling.com. |
