clovis Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) I'm looking for guestimates on a remodel/addition to our Heights bungalow from knowledgeable HAIFers before we start contacting architects and contractors. Anyone can put in their 2 cents, especially if you have recently renovated.The plan would be to either add a camelback-style addition or a connected 'garage apartment' to our already remodeled house (by previous owners). Both situations would likely require some remodeling of the existing house to accommodate access to the new areas. No major appliances would be replaced (except AC). We'd like to add ~1000 sqft with 2-3 rooms + 1 bathroom. Niceties would be hardwood floors + trim details to match existing house. Quality would be nice, but not excessive.I know that the devil is in the details but hopefully we can narrow it down from "anywhere from $100/sqft to $300/sqft, depending on quality" to some ballpark numbers.Any input would be appreciated:Price $/sqft?Architect cost?Duration of remodel?Other things to consider? Edited June 10, 2009 by clovis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Architect fees would be $2-3 psf. However, you can hire a Designer for less.AC can run $7,000 to $10,000, depending on size, efficiency and amount of remodeling of existing system.Bathroom can run $10,000 to $12,000.Rest of the addition can be $70-100 psf, depending on finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwrm4 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 (edited) I would think for an architect + engineer you would be looking at at least $8000, if not much more. For a designer + engineer, at least $5000. There is a huge range in per sq ft cost based on how obsessive you get about matching the old house. You could slip up to $150 sq/ft pretty easily.There will be a lot of "quality" decisions to be made...for example, how will you support the addition? New piers (below ground) would be the best, but then you have to put new piers in under the rest of the house so that the entire house will be on "equal footing". Electrical - do you have enough service for the addition? Siding - how closely do you want to match the old? Will the city make you get a new sewer tie-in since you are adding a new bathroom? ($3k - $5k). Doors - do you go find and refurb matching doors to the original? What about the door hardware? And on and on and on...The other problem is that, once the addition starts to shape up, no matter how the house looked before, you will now start to think the rest of your house looks like crap compared to the new part, and then your money will disappear at an alarming rate.You really need to find a contractor who does only this time of work and will be honest upfront about all the potential pitfalls/unexpected costs associated with doing an addition. And it takes a lot of discipline to set the budget upfront and stick to it throughout the project. Edited June 10, 2009 by cwrm4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 The other problem is that, once the addition starts to shape up, no matter how the house looked before, you will now start to think the rest of your house looks like crap compared to the new part, and then your money will disappear at an alarming rate.THIS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poyea Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 We just did this 2 years ago to a 1915 bungalow, adding 1,300 sq ft plus a 2-car detached garage (20'x24'). It included a large master suite, plus another 1/2 bath. We added a 3 ton AC unit, another water heater, back deck, laundry room, and a living room. We had them match the older wide trim, and had reclaimed pine floors to match the old section. On the siding, we weren't able to perfectly match the old '105' siding, but were able to get really close with new wood siding. We used new wood for interior doors, but matched the 4-panel design, although the old section has a variety of doors so that didn't matter too much. We bought the doors and windows from Grogan's, and shopped around for the door hardware/hinges, and lighting. We were able to stick with the old (but recently upsized) electical panel, and didn't have to expand the sewage. The whole addition was attached to the rear of the existing structure, so very little had to be adjusted on the roofline and no walls needed to be moved, which I'm sure saved a few dollars.All in, it took 6 months, and cost $175k, or about $140/sq ft. I believe the architect was $5k, with another $1k for engineering, plus $700 for a soil sample. I hope this helps a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poyea Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 On things to consider, just take your time on the design. Think about the layout, then when you think you have it locked in, think about it some more. Consider where you want light switches, what doors you'll be coming in and what lights you want to have at your fingertips. And as someone pointed out, stay as consistent as you can to the original structure. Use the same width hardwoods, and take the time to test various stains to get them to match (different age woods take stains differently, so test and retest). We used throwback ceiling fans, octagonal tiles and beadboard design in the bathrooms. Our best compliments come when people comment how they can't tell where the new section begins.Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwrm4 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 On things to consider, just take your time on the design. Think about the layout, then when you think you have it locked in, think about it some more. Consider where you want light switches, what doors you'll be coming in and what lights you want to have at your fingertips.This is excellent advice. Spending a few thousand more to have the plans redrawn a few times is a minor cost in the face of a $150k++ project.The first thing you need to do is get the lot surveyed. Make the guy stake out the exact corners of the lot (the pins in the ground may not be in the right place - I learned this the hard hard hard way).Once the survey is confirmed, have the architect to draw up the new site plan. Go get a bunch of survey stakes and tape and stake out the walls of the addition. You need to really get comfortable with how much yard you will have left, as well as space for parking, pulling the car in, etc. When you have the site plan exactly as you want it, start working on the floorplan and elevations. Don't let the architect push you into getting a full set of plans drawn before you settle on your maximum allowable footprint for the house. Some things don't cost much but can add tremendously to the home. For example, the cost to go from 8 ft to 9 ft or 10 ft ceilings is really not that much, but obviously a 10 ft ceiling is way more desirable than an 8 ft ceiling. Or, use a partial cathedral style ceiling on the second floor to gain height in the rooms without going too high on the exterior elevations. Same goes for windows...upsizing the windows just a little can much a huge difference in the interior space.Floors and doors are what really fool people into thinking an addition is original. Reclaimed floors can be expensive, especially if pine, but with effort the doors can be sourced somewhat inexpensively, particularly if you put some sweat equity into stripping them. Discoverys in Gonzales, TX is a good source for reclaimed materials, although Grogan's can sometimes supply new stuff that looks identical to the old stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roscoe Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 (edited) We just finished a year long project in which we remodeled the existing house, new siding, new roof, new floors, and added a 1600 sq ft addition. Our totals were about 75$ a sq/ft. The major cost savings was being our own g.c. One problem we encountered was finding a bank to finance the construction. Most wanted a builder of record. The bids we received from builders/general contractors ranged from 125$-180$ per sq ft. Edited June 11, 2009 by Roscoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melwood Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 We added 400 sq ft on the back of our bungalow 3 years ago. We updated electrical service, replaced entire HVAC for the house, and re-roofed the whole thing while we were at it. Total cost = $60k, or $150/sq ft. We did not mess around with any plumbing.We used old doors where we could and I agree it helps the new part blend in. We also put in a 10 ft ceiling in the one room (den/family room) and it was a great decision. Cwrm4 is right, the higher ceiling didn't cost more but it really makes the room bigger, and we put in as many windows as we could. Vintage ceiling light fixtures is another inexpensive way to minimize the "newness".Hope this helps, if you have any questions about our experience I would be happy to answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clovis Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm now more encouraged that we can do it on our budget if we decide to tackle such a large project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijaxon Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 From the info provided, we would do it for $125-$150 sq ft. Arch/engineer 3k-4k. Make sure the tie in details are in the plans, and the survey show the before and after plot plans to show proper drawings of proximity to easements and such. If you would like to discuss this with us, please pm me. No cost consultations with builder and architects and designer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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