As San Diego home prices rise, home remodeling becomes more affordable

As we near the end of 2010, there are still many questions with the economy, particularly the housing market. This is not surprising given that the lending industry was at the heart of the financial collapse that lead to this past (and current) recession. However, there is some good news for San Diego residents. Despite dips in housing prices, San Diego was one of only four cities nationwide to record increasing home prices between October 2009 and October 2010, according to Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index.

This is great news for San Diego home owners. Obviously, if your home’s value continues to drop remodeling becomes more and more unfeasible. If your home’s value increases then remodeling is something to consider. Before you even consider remodeling, you should take notes and ask yourself (and your spouse) several important questions:

  • Do we want to remodel or add on to our house?
  • If add on, do we have the space? How will this change our yard and property?
  • If remodel, what is the top priority? How essential is this upgrade?
  • Do we have the budget?
  • How much value will this remodel bring to our house?

Chances are, you’ll need some help answering at least one of these questions. That’s where Greyhound General can help. If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or add on to any portion of your house, contact San Diego Home Remodeling Contractor Greyhound General today, or call them directly at 800-568-7108.

Tips for adding a second story to your San Diego home

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.