Monthly Archives: June 2010

Tips for adding a second story to your San Diego home

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So you’ve determined that it is better for you to remodel your home vs. move. Maybe you have an elder loved one moving in, a son or daughter moving back in or you just want to upgrade your master bedroom or add a hobby/rumpus room. Whatever the case, there are a few things to consider before you make any decision.
1) Make sure you have the space: Map out in your head, or on paper, roughly the area that you’d like to expand on. You’ll surely go into much more detail later with the help of an architect, but you can at least make sure that the project is feasible.
2) Get approval from local authorities: In most places, a permit is required to add a second story to your home. You’ll have to submit a design plan, so you might want to swap step 2 and 3 if you don’t have a detailed plan in place.
3) Find a general contractor: A very important step. Consider general contractors with architects and plenty of references. They will be able to tell you right away if the project is doable, and then help you get the permit if you haven’t already done so.
4) Structural considerations: Your general contractor will need to assess the foundation of the house to verify if it can hold a second story.
5) Creating a detailed design: This is where an architect is essential. They will need to consider everything from the stairway to the plumbing, electrical wiring, and heater/AC duct placement.
6) Choose the materials you’d like to use: This is where you determine all the costs for everything, including new slab, flooring, roofing, plumbing, and everything else.
7) Pick a date and get started: You’ll want to pick a time frame where there’s little to no chance of rain because the roof will be the first thing removed from the home. You may want to consider relocating during construction, depending on the size of the project.

The steps mentioned above can be switched around a bit, depending on your home and the scope of your project. The important thing to remember is that you will need to budget for this, you’ll need a permit, you’ll need a detailed blueprint of the project, and you’ll need a highly qualified general contractor with an architect.

If you’re in the San Diego or Orange county area and considering a second story addition, contact Greyhound General to learn more about your options. Or call 800-568-7108.

What are the best countertops for your kitchen?

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A while back I wote an article about how to upgrade your kitchen on a tight budget. In the article I outline some very basic ideas for sprucing up your kitchen without having to spend tens of thousands for a complete remodel. I want to go into a little more detail in this article about the countertops selection. Whether you are remodeling your kitchen on your own, or you are having a general contractor take care of it, you need to educate your self on the pros and cons of each possibility. As you’ll see below, I’ve broken up your options into low end, middle and high end.

Low end
Laminates:
Pros: inexpensive ($35-$45 per sq. foot); fairly easy to clean
Cons: very cheap; not heat resistant; easily damaged, scratched or chipped; porous
Consensus: avoid laminates unless all you care about is cost
Ceramic Tile:
Pros: cost; heat resistant; can get creative with the tile; can be a do-it-yourself project
Cons: grout; can be hard to clean; needs to be resealed often; can crack
Consensus: Ceramic tile allows you to get creative when installing it, but be very careful about the grout installation and making sure it stays sealed
Middle
Solid surface:
Pros: durability; sand-ability
Cons: appearance
Consensus: Not cheap, but not as expensive as stainless steel or granite. It’s all man-made material that can easily be sanded if scratched or gouged. A decent solution, but nothing to write home about
High end
Natural or engineered stone:
Pros: appearance
Cons: somewhat expensive ($50-$100 per sq. feet), natural stone (granite, quartz, slate) can be porous, while engineered stone holds up better
Consensus: If you’re looking to sell your home or give your kitchen a more sleek and elegant look then definitely consider stone
Stainless Steel:
Pros: appearance
Cons: expensive, questionable durability, may stain or corrode without significant care or maintenance
Consensus: Even pricier than stone ($100-$200 per sq. foot). Unless you love this look and are ready to maintain it (or sell your home), stone may give you more “bang for your buck”
Concrete:
Pros: can get extremely creative with colors and texturing; truly a custom look
Cons: expensive (up to $100 per sq. foot); very porous
Consensus: While you can be as creative as your mind desires with concrete, I don’t recommend concrete as a countertop for anything but outdoor kitchens.

It is important do your research when deciding on a countertop. The best countertop for your kitchen depends on your exact needs. Consulting with a well-established, professional general contractor is also a great idea. For more information on kitchen remodeling in San Diego contact San Diego kitchen remodeler Greyhound General today, or call 800-568-7108.

Remodel your home vs. moving

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If you’re looking to upgrade your home you have two options, remodel or move. It’s no surprise that in a down economy most people are opting to remodel rather than move. Even if the price tag on a home that would be considered an upgrade over you existing home has dropped, there are usually a lot more costs involved in moving (not to mention time and stress). There are many reasons why remodeling is a better idea than moving:

  • You can customize your home to your exact needs and wants. If if you find a great deal on another home, it will likely have several elements that you wish were different. When you remodel you have the final say.
  • Moving is a stressful experience. While a home remodel can takes months and cause some stress, moving involves packing everything, renting a truck, hiring movers and much more. All of this is added stress. This is only amplified if you have children who are along for the ride.
  • Moving requires you to leave your neighborhood.
  • If you have children, moving may require them to switch school districts. This may not always be the case, but the idea of switching schools can be stressful for both the parents and the children.
  • Remodeling is a better use of your money. Even if you find that sweet deal on a home you’re likely to spend somewhere between 8-10% of your home’s value when you sell it on moving expenses, broker fees and closing costs. If you sell your home for $500,000 and $50,000 is allocated to these fees, that’s $50,000 that could have completely remodeled your kitchen!
  • Remodeling allows you to take advantage of tax incentives. The Obama first time home buyer tax credit has come and gone, but there are still tax deductible remodeling expenses that you can take advantage of. Adding solar panels, a solar water heater, or geothermal heat pumps are all things that are tax deductible.

To learn more about the different options that you have when remodeling your home contact Greyhound General today, or call 800-568-7108 for a free estimate.