Thinking
About Your Costs & Possible Projects
There are certain types of projects that I find customers seldom actually
do once they find just how expensive the project will be. I suspect that
it is because homeowner’s expectations of the costs are much lower
than they should be. I think that it is helpful to review some of them.
Finishing a Basement:
Because the concrete floor, outside walls and ceiling framing is already
there customers perceive that the project will be inexpensive. Being
in the ground a basement is affected by the surrounding earth’s
temperature. The outside surround earth is trying to keep the basement
temperature around 50 degrees. To raise the temperature of the basement
efficiently it is necessary to insulate the walls. This is best done
by building frame walls with fiberglass batt insulation around the
exterior. Once this is done the perimeter wall costs are the same as
an addition without siding. Getting materials into the basement is
usually difficult and adds to the labor cost. Bedrooms need egressable
windows which require masonry work and landscaping. There are usually
no savings on mechanicals over any normal renovation.
There are often headroom issues. Headroom under 7’0” is
by most codes considered uninhabitable space. Bathrooms can be very problematic – especially
dealing with sewer lines and exhaust fan venting. Typically you should
expect such a project to begin in the mid twenty thousand dollar range
and go up quickly from there.
Finishing an Attic:
The first problem is the stairs. Stairs require 3’0” area
in their base, and the same at the top. Then take the height from finished
floor through what will be the finish floor of the attic. Divide that
by 7” (a good medium average for a typical riser height). Take
the dividend and multiply by 11” (typical tread width). Add this
to the 6’ for the landing areas. That is the length that has to
come out of the floor below to get a stairs up to the attic. If the height
is 12’ or more then a landing is required. With framing allow 42” for
the stair width. Often a stairs to the attic requires most or all of
a room below.
Next is that often the attic floor joist are not structurally large
enough being 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s. That extra added 4 to 6 inches to beef
the joist up can significantly impact attic headroom. Headroom under
7’0” is by most codes considered uninhabitable space. Then
there are air circulation issues between the roof sheeting and the new
insulation in the attic ceiling. Also often not considered is get heating
and cooling to this space – often the existing system is not sized
large enough. There may not be enough circuits in the existing electrical
service panel. If a bedroom is planned often getting an egressable window
into the space requires opening up the roof and re-framing. If all of
these constraints can be overcome attic projects can quickly zoom into
the thirty thousand and much more range.
Additions:
Because additions must fit properly with and to an existing home they
cost more per square foot than new construction. No two projects are
alike. Cost depends on the complexity, materials selected, and market
conditions. Rough per square foot prices vary from $150.00 to $200.00.
Additions ALWAYS cost more than new construction. Adding on is not a
good dollar investment if you are only wanting more space. You should
being thinking about an addition because you love your existing home
and the neighborhood it is in and cannot imagine moving. Otherwise buying
another large home is a better investment of your money.
Bathrooms and Kitchens:
These are the two most expensive rooms in your home to remodel. Kitchen
cabinets, new appliances, specialty counter tops, pulls, and sinks
and faucets can quickly run your budget into the tens of thousands
without installation or any other renovation elements included. This
last year we remodeled over a dozen kitchens and even more bathrooms.
I am not discouraging anyone from redoing these rooms. A quality well
designed, planned and executed bath or kitchen renovation can become
the centerpiece of your home. It is important however to know that
it will be a serious investment when starting out.
Whirlpools and Fireplaces:
We install both of the above. In my experience every realtor thinks you
absolutely need both and perhaps two of each in your home – especially
for resale. From practical experience few of my clients are happy that
they spent the money on either after a few years of having them installed
because they are seldom if ever actually used. Fireplaces often get
relegated to being used on Thanksgiving and Christmas, if then. The
jets on whirlpools are noisy. Think of those sales brochures. How many
times do you think you will really light those candles, pour wine and
fill that tub up? We are happy to design and install a fireplace and
a whirlpool for you. But unless you are confirmed users there might
be better places to put your money.
Bath Tubs and Showers:
We have bath tubs as historical relics from a time before running tap
water was the norm in homes. Showers were added over the existing tubs.
Thus the tub/shower combination was born. With todays fast pace few
often select a bath over a shower. And for getting clean a shower has
it all over a bathtub. As we all age stepping over that tub wall begins
to become a safety hazard. I recommend walk-in showers with a built
in seat to my clients rather than a tub/shower. Unless you are a confirmed
soaker tubs just get in the way. Add in the variety of showering heads
now available and personally I think showers without tubs are the best
way to go if getting clean is the primary reason for their presence
in the bathroom.
|
