Smart Remodeling Projects That Add Value To Your Home

When you’re planning on making upgrades to your home, it’s important to consider the return on investment (ROI). Home remodeling ROI refers to the amount of money you might recoup from the cost of your project. ROI can vary widely based on location and other factors, such as the materials used or the amount of labor needed. Knowing rough estimates on ROI for different remodeling projects in Northern California can help you decide what changes to make to your home.

Kitchen Remodel

Kitchen remodeling projects can include minor changes, such as refinishing cabinets or installing new countertops. Major kitchen changes, such as reconfiguring the layout, expanding the size, opening up the flow, completely replacing cabinets, appliances, and other fixtures can create a more livable environment.  Remodeling costs in the San Francisco Bay area can range from $24,500 to $54,800. 

Bathroom Remodel or Addition

Bathroom remodeling projects can be minor upgrades, such as getting a new vanity or changing the lighting. Major upgrades, such as adding square footage or changing the layout may involve changing plumbing and electrical plans. To configure for your family, older bathrooms may need  and upgrade to universal design or aging-in-place, such as replacing a bathtub with a walk-in shower for easier accessibility or installing grab bars. The return on investment for bathroom remodels and additions can range from $11,000 to $25,500 in the San Francisco Bay area.

Additions

Remodeling projects that involve increasing the square footage of a home may include adding a master suite, separate in-law suite, or other living area inside and out. Other addition options include adding a room to a basement or even adding another story to a home. Check with your local Realtor regarding below grade additions. 

These costs vary widely depending on how complex the project is and other factors, such as how large the new space will be. Some areas do not count this living space into the total square footage when you sell.

If you need help choosing the right home remodeling projects for the best ROI, contact Drafting Cafe Architects to learn more about our services or get a free online instant estimate. Our experts can assist you with determining which changes to make to your home to boost its value and allow you to enjoy it more before you sell.

Great Ways to Convince Your Spouse to Remodel Your Home

You might know that remodeling your home offers some great benefits, but your spouse might not be on board. How can you get your significant other to agree on doing a kitchen remodel or another type of remodeling project? No matter how stubborn your spouse is, the following reasons might help them come around to appreciating the benefits of remodeling.

Talk About Home Value

You and your spouse might not be planning to put your home on the market right now, but what about the future? It’s never too early to work on boosting the value of your home. Making changes to it now means you will have a higher home value, which can help you get higher bids from interested homebuyers. Let your spouse know that doing a bathroom remodel or upgrading your kitchen are effective ways to raise the value of your home, since these are the areas that tend to get the most focus from buyers.

Discuss Return on Investment (ROI)

If your spouse’s main objection to remodeling is the cost involved, let them know that you can recoup all or most of these costs with the right projects. Certain remodeling projects come with a high return on investment (ROI), such as minor or major kitchen and bathroom remodels. This means when you put your home on the market, you’re likely to get a good portion of those remodeling costs right back thanks to a higher selling price. As an example, you can expect to recoup about 77 percent of the cost for a midrange minor kitchen remodel or roughly 64 percent of the cost for a midrange bathroom remodel.

Start Small

Your spouse might be reluctant to agree to a major remodeling project, but what about a smaller one? Smaller remodeling projects might involve making a few simple changes to a certain part of your home. While these might not seem like much, they can have a dramatic impact on the way a room looks and feels. If you have a spouse who doesn’t want to deal with a major remodel, consider going with a smaller one. For example, think about having new cupboards installed in your kitchen instead of having the entire layout changed. Your spouse might be more willing to agree to a minor remodeling project. If this goes smoothly, you might have an easier time convincing them to do a major project at some point.

Hire Experienced Professionals

Your spouse might not want to have remodeling done if they’re worried about being inconvenienced or having to deal with potential headaches. Let your spouse know that you can avoid remodeling drama by working with experienced professionals. At Drafting Cafe Architects, we offer a Design-to-Build approach that helps ensure a smooth remodeling experience that favors homeowners rather than builders. You and your spouse can count on us to stay in touch with you throughout your remodeling project and provide you with details about the work we’re doing. Whether you’re considering remodeling your kitchen or doing a home addition, we can help.

If you’re ready to get started on your kitchen remodel project or any other remodeling project, contact Drafting Cafe Architects for a free online instant estimate. Our architects can help you come up with the best design for enhancing your home.

Pros and Cons of Hiring a Design-Build Contractor

Design build contractors are sometimes touted as providing certain benefits for owners, such as the ability to work with one team for the entire project. However, it’s important to understand the drawbacks of going with this approach as an owner. This process could end up costing more than you expected for different reasons. Keep the following in mind when you’re looking into options for your remodeling projects.

Disadvantages of Design Build Firms

Design build firms typically take a top-down approach that puts homeowners last. When you work with one of these firms, you will usually receive a soft bid on your project from the builder. A soft bid is a general bid without all the details included. Design build firms in the Bay Area might present this as a cost-effective and efficient way to have your new house built, but it usually ends up being much more of a benefit for the builder. They use this soft bid to get you in the door knowing that if they can be the low bid at this point, you probably won’t want to switch halfway into the process when all the hard costs are added.

One of the biggest drawbacks of working with a design build firm is a lower chance of being able to submit a competitive bid. This lack of competitive bidding can result in higher costs overall. You will also face limited options in terms of designs, which means you could be paying more for a remodel that represents what is preferred by the architect and the builder instead of what you want. Keep in mind that builders in design build firms usually subcontract work out to other professionals, such as architects, interior designers and engineers. You may think a design build firm employs all these people, but the often do not. They aren’t getting together to discuss your job. It’s a series of handoffs — exactly what you probably didn’t want.

During the design build process, builders and architects might not discuss your budget until a later point in the project. This puts you at risk of finding out that your project is actually going over your budget. By the time you find this out, you are too far along in the process to back out. You’ll then have to face a challenging decision to make changes to your project as needed in order to stay within your budget or accept the higher cost.

Design-to-Build Firm – the Better Way

If you want to minimize the risk of paying more for a home remodel that you’re not entirely satisfied with, consider a Design-to-Build approach instead. This type of approach puts you first as the homeowner and ensures that you will be kept in the loop throughout the project. When using a design-to-build solution, you will be working with architects, interior designers, builders and other professionals to create the project that meets your needs while also staying within your budget.

A Design-to-Build approach combines the advantages of the traditional building process with the design build process. Using this kind of approach gives you the advantage of being able to work with architectural designers to create the remodeling plan you want while receiving timely input from builders on estimated construction costs. This allows you to make adjustments as needed to stay in your budget. Having an architectural designer, interior designer and builder collaborating on your project helps keep costs down overall and provides a more streamlined approach.

If you’re looking for more information on design build firms Bay Area, please contact Drafting Cafe Architects. Visit us for a free online instant estimate and to learn more about our architectural design services. We offer a Design-to-Build approach to help you create the home you’ve always wanted.

4 Bathroom Remodel Ideas for Enhanced Comfort and Convenience

Spending recent months sheltering in place has given many homeowners time to realize that their home could use an upgrade. With bathrooms being a major part of your home’s value and playing a big role in your day-to-day life, it’s important to make these areas as functional as possible while also improving their appearance and comfort. Architectural design services can help you make the most of your bathroom remodel. If you’re not sure about which changes to make, consider the following ideas.

Shower Window or Skylight

Natural lighting can have a big impact on the way your bathroom looks. Adding a window in your shower stall or a skylight above it allows plenty of outdoor lighting in, giving your bathroom a warmer and more inviting feel. Keep in mind that natural lighting can also make a smaller bathroom look more spacious. Architectural designers can help you choose the right style of window or skylight to add to your bathroom. In addition to boosting the amount of light your bathroom gets, this upgrade can also help raise your home’s value.

Upgraded Lighting

If you prefer adding more light without putting in a window or skylight, consider making upgrades to your lighting for your bathroom remodel. Recessed lights around your bathroom mirror, for example, provide extra illumination when you’re getting ready for the day. You might also consider adding overhead dimmer lights, so that you can adjust the amount of lighting needed at different times, such as lower lighting if you’re using the bathroom during the night or brighter lighting when showering. With help from interior design professionals, you can choose lighting that adds visual appeal and better illumination.

Tankless, Low-Flow Toilet

If your bathroom remodel includes upgrading your toilet, this is a great time to focus on making sustainable changes. A low-flow toilet uses significantly less water with each flush than standard toilets, making it a more eco-friendly choice. A tankless toilet offers a way to save space and improve the appearance of your bathroom. With this type of toilet, you won’t have a large, unsightly tank taking up space. instead, the tank is installed inside the wall right behind your toilet. Tankless, low-flow toilets should be part of your interior design package when remodeling your bathroom if you’re planning on replacing plumbing fixtures.

Wall Storage

Adding storage space to your bathroom can give you a convenient area for keeping washcloths, bath towels, hand towels, and other items. Depending on how much space you have, you can add open shelving or a wall cabinet. Open shelves make it easy to reach items you need while also giving you space to add touches of decor, such as houseplants. If you want to use less wall space for storage, consider having a recessed medicine cabinet added as part of your bathroom remodel. Architectural design services can assist you with determining the ideal wall storage for your bathroom.

If you’re planning a bathroom remodel for your home in the San Francisco Bay area, please visit Drafting Cafe Architects online for a free online instant estimate . Our design team can help you choose an interior design package that enhances your home’s appearance while also improving its functionality.

Planning Guide: Build an Income Generating ADU

Have you ever wondered if you could use unused space better or more profitably? Turning that large shed or cluttered garage into a lovely backyard home could become a guest house, in-law flat, or pool house rental.

With so much uncertainty in today’s economy, having an additional stream of income could help provide peace of mind.  Renters could be either long or short-term, depending on where you live. One of the nice features of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is the many different configurations and plans you can choose from. Imagine being able to lease a comfortable open floor concept with one or more bedrooms and a kitchen with full-size appliances. If it’s a short-term rental, you could configure it as a flexible backyard home office, guest house, and occasional rental!

How To Plan Your ADU

If you are adding a new structure, there will be some infrastructure costs associated with building an ADU on your property. You need to consider the costs of adding plumbing and electricity. Even if you are repurposing an existing space, you may need to upgrade infrastructure. The purpose your ADU will serve is the most important goal during the research and planning stages. For example, learning what similar units rent for in your area vs. the cost of construction will be important. Here are some other considerations:

• Property taxes

Adding an ADU to your property has the potential to raise your property taxes

• Rental operating expenses

As the landlord, you will be responsible for ensuring everything is maintained. If this will be a long-term rental utility billing need to be researched. Will use be billed to your main residence or does the city, utility provider allow the ADU to have a separate billing account? You also need to insure your property and possibly umbrella coverage for unforeseen accidents.

• Taxes on rental income

You will have to pay taxes on any rental income earned, but there are also tax benefits that can be deducted due to the operating expenses. If you plan to use a service like Airbnb or Apartments.com, there will be fees.

• Restrictions from the city

Depending on where you live, the city may restrict how much you can charge for rent, whether short-term rentals are allowed, and the process for dealing with problem tenants. Take time to learn what your rights are as the property owner and as a landlord.

Although it seems like a lot to digest, there is a changing landscape in cities that can’t be denied. Many cities have started relaxing their rules on second dwellings and even adding programs that help homeowners who rent to low-income tenants. As the pandemic continues reshaping how people live and work in this economy, having options is something to take full advantage of.

The team at Drafting Cafe Architects can provide plans that work for your location and desired ADU. We have years of experience in the Bay Area and can help. We offer packaged plans with interior design included and can add more customization if you choose.

Are you ready to take the next step and build an ADU for rental income? Contact the team at Drafting Cafe Architects to schedule a consultation today!