We had an inquiry recently:

"As a homeowner trying to make some very important decisions about what to do with our housing situation, we just feel so lost and overwhelmed at the same time. Many of our decisions have to do with costs and what we can afford.

We are considering a remodel of our house, but, we are also looking into the possibility of building a new house. Is there a difference in the cost (per sq/ft) between the two options?"


Our answer:

"This is a seemingly straightforward question, but unfortunately, the answer is not so straightforward. In remodeling versus new construction, a sq.ft. to sq.ft. comparison doesn’t really work and there are numerous reasons for this. When we have clients faced with similar situations, we work with them to determine what is best for them.

In a remodel for instance, some areas will have higher costs since they will be more affected, while some areas have lesser costs. And there's the axiom that kitchens cost more than bedrooms. So a square foot price for a remodel will have different values for different work, depending on what is being remodeled.

Sometimes with an existing property, it may be best to have some remodeling and then an addition or two. If there's an addition involved, that's another pricing.

The size of the addition or remodel will affect its price too, as there is an economy of scale -- more work costs less per square foot. The quality of the finishes will also affect the price -- for example, granite costs more than plastic laminate, clear fir trim costs more than painted trim, etc.

When building new, a new house, sometimes one can not build on the same “footprint” as the old structure because zoning laws have changed and now they will get less space than what they expected, or they will have to set back further from the view or property line. Or perhaps it’s an environmentally sensitive area and new construction is limited.

There are many things that affect such decisions, whether to build new or remodel, and many things that affect the overall cost. A simple square foot price where one size fits all can be quite misleading."

Labels: construction costs and financing

I work with a lot of clients that subscribe to the belief that bigger isn't necessarily better. As a believer in this myself, it's been a privilege to be featured in several of the "Not So Big" series of books by Sarah Susanka. I've recently had a client who exemplified this concept and I wanted to share their story with you.

Laura and Brian B. found us through the "Not So Big" website (www.sarahsusanka.com). They have a modest little mid-century rambler in what's become a very exclusive neighbourhood just outside Seattle: Clyde Hill, which happens to be the same small neighbourhood that Bill Gates lives in. Laura and Brian's house is in an older, more modest section of Clyde Hill; nonetheless, many of these little old homes are being torn down and replaced with McMansions at an alarming rate, much to the chagrin of neighbours who choose to remain (in their original homes).

The city of Clyde Hill has been trying to find ways to dissuade these pumped-up houses from maximizing their footprint and size on these lots, so when we applied for a variance to add a very small addition to this very small existing one-story house, we were met with huge resistance. Laura and I both engaged with the city agents to assure them that our intention was to keep this house small-even espousing the Not-So-Big philosophy; and were able to persuade the city to grant our setback variance to build this 300sf addition, which enabled a remodel that vastly improved the livability of this still-small home.
http://www.ctabuilds.com/notsobigattitude.html

As a result, Laura & Brian are thrilled with their Not-So-Big home, and the City of Clyde Hill has ear-marked this project as a reference to illustrate the benefits of planning and building modestly but carefully considered!

Thank you, Sarah Susanka, for espousing your philosophies nation-wide! We all benefit in many valuable ways.

Julie Campbell AIA, LEED GA

Labels: architecture and design, remodeling and building

"What is a Certified Renovator and why is it important?"

New EPA regulations come into effect April 22nd, regarding how we test and treat lead in your home. The new regulations have strict guidelines for homeowner safety and education along with training for trades people.

Buzz Tenenbom, AIA, is the registered Certified Renovator in our office and is the one responsible for training staff, both on-site and in the office. Not only is there a staff member in our firm that is up to date on the training, the paperwork required for homes with lead present (pre-1978 construction), is more in depth and really focused on homeowner education.

All licensed contractors are required to follow these new EPA regulations and become certified so it's important if you're in a pre-1978 home (when lead paint was legal) that when you choose a contractor, you make sure they've been certified. Certification provides the homeowner with a peace of mind that all practices and procedures within their home are taken and the utmost care is given when dealing with this toxic substance.

Unfortunately, if a contractor isn't licensed, they're likely not participating in these new EPA regulations. It is always important to use a licensed contractor, this is another reason to add to that list.

Lead just isn't something that's a paint additive in older homes, it's a toxin that can easily be inhaled during the construction process and is especially dangerous to children and pregnant women. It's important for homeowners to make sure that they're educated and know that the precautions being taken in their home are the right ones. All Certified Renovators test for lead and use appropriate safe practices, as required by law.

Labels: remodeling and building

There are many forms, formulas and websites where you can go to check out the remodeling and building contractors in your area. If you're in Washington State, you would first go to the State Labor & Industries Department to make sure the contractors are licensed (https://fortress.wa.gov/lni/bbip/Search.aspx) and that if there have been any consumer claims against their bond, such claims have been amicably resolved. There are other web sites where you can see if anybody's posted reviews for their company on "rating" websites, their testimonials on their own website or even their "status" with the online yellow pages! Beware though, a company can write their own reviews and one not-so-good review from an cantankerous customer does not make a contractor necessarilly "bad".

With the overload of information available to us, it's important to remember the necessary questions to get to the heart of each potential contractor's appropriateness for you. Whomever you choose to do your project not only has to be skilled, capable, and financially sound, but you also have to be comfortable with them working on your house, or in your house as the case may be, day in and day out.

Here are a sample of important questions to ask every contractor that you speak to:

-- How long have you been in business? -- A contractor in business for a good length of time is a testament to his abilities to weather the vulgarieties of the marketplace (such as a recession) and to do good work.

-- Are you a member of a national or local trade association? -- Membership in trade organizations means that the contractor is usually interested in improving himself through continuing education, doing public service work, networking and making contacts with others including sub contractors, material suppliers, designers, innovators, and being a part of the legislative process that affects his industry. All this is good!

-- May I have a list of project references? -- References are the number one key to finding a good contractor. First, there should be a good number of references. Secondly, you should call three or four of the references and ask about the contractor: was this a similar project? (it should be); was the contractor on time and on budget?; were his preliminary budgets accurate?; was his billing clear and fair?; were his communications clear and timely?; was he willing to work with the reference if there was a misunderstanding?. In summary, you should ask the reference: would you recommend this contractor?; On a one to ten scale, where ten is the best, where would you place this contractor and why?

-- Who will be working on this project? Are they employees or subcontractors? -- If they are employees, how long have the employees been employed by the contractor and what is their experience in this building type?; If they are subcontractors, do they carry the same insurance level as the contractor?; Ideally, in residential construction, a project will have both long time employees working on the project and subcontractors working on the specialties, subcontractors who have a long term relationship with the contractor. Long term employees & subcontractors demonstrate that the contractor continually does good work that's high in quality (good carpenters and subs are universally proud of their work), is fair, and importantly, has safe job sites.

-- Is the contractor insured adequately to cover all contingencies? Who pays if your house burns down in the middle of the project? What happens if there's an injury on the job? -- The State only requires a bare minimum bonding and insurance, which often will not cover a problem. In some cases, the homeowner could be liable. You should ask for more than the minimum coverages and verify with your home owners insurance company that the coverage is adequate.

Don't be afraid or shy about communicating and asking questions of potential building or remodeling contractors! Your project may cost a lot of money and this upfront investigation will be more than worth the effort.

Labels: remodeling and building

We've been fortunate to have had a blast of artic cold and sunny weather here in Seattle -- it's demonstrated to even the most non believer of non believers the relevance of passive solar heating! Our offices, which we lease, have old single pane glass windows that face directly south, with views of Lake Union and the Seattle skyline. When it's sunny, and especially when the sun in low in the sky in the winter, fall and spring -- it is toasty warm inside our offices and we don't use any other heat! In the summer, when the sun is high, our office stays much cooler as sunlight is not directly coming in our windows. So for our clients, for the architecture of their buildings, we locate them very carefully to take full advantage of the potential of solar design -- for heating, for electrical generation, for natural ventilation and cooling. In remodels of urban structures, we actively look for opportunities to design with the climate, such as strategically locating operable windows to take advantage of summer breezes for cross ventilation, incorporate shading devices and plantings, or utilizing geothermal heat pumps. There's a lot one can do to save energy and live more comfortably too, more in tune with the natural surroundings, and still have lovely spaces and buildings.

Labels: architecture and design, remodeling and building