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Recently I have been noticing that my clients are requiring many fewer square feet in their wish list. It seems that the message is out that smaller is better, especially when it comes to energy conservation and sustainability.
I recently read an article in Residential Architect magazine confirming this newest trend. Click on the link and you can read it yourself:
http://www.residentialarchitect.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=279&articleID=1006682
I have finally had the opportunity to see a new building system put to use in one of my designs. The client wanted to build an addition that would not only be built solid as a rock, but one that would be extremely energy efficient. His solution is ICF’s.
This is a system that combines the insulating properties of expanded polystyrene foam with the solidity of poured concrete. In this case, we used a wall system that is a total of 11″ thick, comprised of two layers of 2.5″ thick foam surrounding a poured 6″ concrete filling. The foam is held together by plastic ties that also support any metal rods needed for additional structural strength.
The system is comprised of individual building blocks stacked together to form a single form for the concrete to be poured into. We lovingly refer to them as Lego’s…haha.
I’m including a few pictures to illustrate what the sytem looks like during construction. I hope they tell the story. If you are interested in seeing the whole series of pictures from that day go here: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=772286017/a=7062867_7062867/
I recently read an article in one of the trade publications referring to the latest trends in design, sometimes called “Aging in Place”. With the aging population of baby boomers, of which I am one, it is becoming an increasing concern with folks who love where they live, but who also know that as they get older they will soon outgrow the ability to climb stairs to that second floor bedroom. They are left with little choice but to move to someplace more accommodating to people with limited ability to navigate stairs and narrow doors and hallways (in the case of a wheelchair).
It was with these same concerns that I was approached to design a first floor addition for clients who already own a large home in North Raleigh, but who are envisioning in the next few years wanting to live all on one floor. With this in mind, I was commissioned to design a large addition that consisted of a bedroom, bathroom with curbless shower, office/den, and a very large solarium with an eating area adjacent to the kitchen. In effect, we were adding a one bedroom house to the existing. It was also adjacent to a new carport, and eliminated steps from the auto area to the entrance to the kitchen, in spite of a hilly site. The result will be a spectacular master retreat when it is finished, taking full advantage of views of the heavily wooded yard, yet fitting in seamlessly with the existing home.
Typical curbless shower installation with frameless glass enclosure
This may be an extreme example of aging in place, but those of us who are approaching a certain age do need to think about the special needs we will be facing. I have designed numerous first floor master bedroom additions for this reason, and I anticipate that the need will only increase in the next 10 years. In doing so, I have become familiar with the physical requirements to accommodate wheelchairs, many of them spelled out in codes and government publications.
For those of you wondering what the next stage of your life will bring, remember that with a little planning and forethought, you can remain in your home for many years to come.
We all know that there are a lot of foreclosures on the market these days. Which means that, even here in the Triangle, there are bargains to be had. When one of the most expensive subdivisions in the area – Hasentree – goes into default, that is a sure sign that the national economy has finally caught up with our region.
Which means that those of you who have some cash, and a good credit history, are ideally positioned to get a good deal on a foreclosed property. Some of these homes might be newer and in good shape, but a pretty large percentage will be in not-so-good condition. Years of deferred maintenance have taken their toll, sometimes structural, sometimes merely cosmetic. Most will need work.
So you’ve taken the plunge. You landed a good deal on a house. But you’ll need to do some work. Where do you start? What are the improvements that will give you the most value? Where do you find good, competent and skilled workers to do the work?
Since I am a residential designer (full disclosure) I am obviously biased. As someone who spends day in and day out (and lots of evenings) working with homeowners who wish to improve their residences, who better than a professional like me would be qualified to guide you in your mission? Designers and architects are in the loop as far as what people are looking for, how much things cost, state of the art technology, and builders who can accomplish it all.
Others you may want to consult might be realtors, appraisers and contractors. They can give you an idea of how much upgrading to do without pricing yourself out of the market.
The key here is to let the professionals guide you. It would be a shame to take your well-deserved good real estate deal and turn it into a property that is not competitive in the market, whether you’re going to flip it or live in it for a number of years. Starting off on the right path and relying on those who have the proper knowledge will pay off in the long run.
Here’s some good news (finally) for us in the Raleigh area. Builder Magazine has surveyed the top 75 housing markets in the US to pick the top 15. Raleigh has made a strong showing coming in at no. 6. They figure that since these markets have shown such resiliency in this lousy environment they will probably be the first to improve in the coming recovery.
Other North Carolina cities that made the cut were Wilmington (#14) and Charlotte (#13). In case you are interested, the top 3 were all in Texas. Fort Worth was 3, Austin was 2, and Houston was #1.
To read the article yourself go to: http://www.builderonline.com/local-markets/the-healthiest-housing-markets-for-2009.aspx
I want to apologize for the uneven graphical nature of my previous post. After numerous attempts to correct the errors, and finding the editing function not up to the task for some reason, I finally gave up and published it as is. Sorry.
Traditional Home Built Using SIPS
There is another homebuilding technology out there that you may not have heard of. It is called “Structural Insulated Panels”, or SIPS. It has been around for quite a number of years, but is not very often used in our section of the country. I suspect that the reason we don’t see much of it in the Raleigh area is that builders prefer to stay within their comfort zone and use traditional stick building methods. If the general public were to learn of the advantages of this system, especially in this time of energy consciousness and the desire to adhere to sustainability principles, I believe it would become a prevalent way to build a house.
This system is comprised of prefabricated panels made out of a core of rigid foam insulation sandwiched between sheets of oriented strand board (OSB). These panels are manufactured under tight quality controlled conditions in a facility off site, which means there is very little on-site error when erecting the house. The panels can be use for walls, floors and roofs, and merely need to be lifted into place once the foundation work is ready to accept them.
Example of panels during construction
Here you can see an example of a house under construction. Notice the panels that were manufactured with window openings already precut into them making for practically errorless installation in the field. This design happens to be contemporary, but the system works equally as well with more traditional houses.
The cost of using SIPS is competitive with traditional building methods when factors such as time saved in on-site construction and lack of waste of building materials is taken into account. Also, due to the far greater insulating properties of the panels, the heating and air conditioning systems don’t need to be as large. In fact, the final product is so air tight that a fresh air ventilation system needs to be introduced to continually remove any air pollutants that naturally build up inside the house.
The energy required to heat and cool a SIPS-built house my be up to 50% less than a traditionally constructed house. This has to do with the fact that the insulation within the panels is virtually uninterrupted by things such as vertical 2 x 4’s at 16 inches on center, which is what you will find in stick construction. Studies have shown that a great deal of energy is lost through the studs in an exterior wall because there is no insulation present where they occur. This is not the case with a structural insulated panel. And the panels are sealed at their juncture to insure that there is no air leakage.
For more on SIPS go to www.sips.org. There you will find lots of technical information, particularly the energy and cost savings achievable.
Here’s a shoutout to www.alphainventions.com for making this blog so much more visible. I never really thought anyone would ever see my thoughts, but it turns out thanks to them I was wrong.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me whether the remodeling jobs they are considering are valuable in terms of resale of the property. I can understand why you would want to know if putting your hard earned dollars into your house will pay off in the long run, or if it will be money poorly spent. As I have stated previously, I am of the opinion that you should think more in terms of quality of life issues, rather than investment values. However, I do understand the concern and would like to address the issue.
The most common home improvement projects that I design include a major kitchen remodel. In many cases this involves the addition of square footage to the house. It has been estimated that this type of project will recoup between 70 and 75% of the cost of the work. The second most common improvement that I have designed is the addition or remodeling of a master bathroom. This type of improvement has been shown to pay back between 70 and 80% of the cost. In today’s market these are probably the most looked for upgrades in a house, and in most instances return the most on dollars invested.
There are other types of upgrades that make a lot of sense in terms of dollars spent versus increase in home value. For instance, any improvement that can add square footage of usable space without actually building more space can really pay off. I am referring to finishing a basement (which is a fairly rare commodity in the Raleigh area) or an attic. I am currently working on an attic conversion which will add a bedroom, bathroom, office and storage space and will result in an additional area of approximately 750 s.f. Since this only involves the addition of a dormer it is a much more economical solution than adding 750 s.f. of new construction. And even thought it is not a consideration in this particular case, if your property size is such that you have no room to add on, going up will be your only solution.
My best advice for anyone who has questions about the value of these remodels is to speak to a trusted real estate agent, a designer, or a builder who will give you a realistic idea of how much you will be gaining by going ahead with these improvements. You can find my contact information in my profile.
You may be wondering whether it makes any sense at all to build an addition during these stressed economic times. The answer will depend on a number of things, the most important of which is your finances. If we assume that your credit is good, or you have a bunch of cash just burning a hole in your home-improvement pocket, then right now is a pretty great time to consider making your move.
I know a number of builders who are anxious to find new clients (I also know an architect who is just as anxious….yours truly.) They are in the process of finishing up jobs that were committed during better days, and there is not much in their pipeline. So they will probably be very willing to work with you to bring in a price on your project that is better than it would have been a year or two ago. The competition for new work is pretty fierce.
The price of building materials has also come down quite a bit in the past year, another ingredient for making an addition much more affordable. Things like concrete and gypsum board which were in virtual shortages recently are now in abundance and have become much more reasonable.
Some contractors are loathe to begin laying off help because they know that a good worker, once gone, may be hard to find again. So they are swallowing the loss of keeping a crew on the payroll in the hopes of finding new work. Another incentive for pricing a new job attractively.
We here in the Triangle are fortunate that, even though housing sales have slowed considerably, prices have only come down a little, which means that our initial investment has been safer here than in most other parts of the country. That means that when the market picks up prices here will firm up even more and begin a steady increase. So anything we do now to improve our homes can’t help but pay off in a better market.
It has always been my philosophy that we should improve our homes for the sake of a better living environment, not as a means of investment. Unless you are planning on selling your home in the next year or two, you should feel comfortable about making those improvements that will improve your lifestyle and not worry about outpacing the market. Because as you enjoy those improvements over the next 5 -10 years the market will most assuredly catch up to you.
