The details of the remodel

WHAT DID THEY CREATE?
There is no doubt about it, this couple did well in their decision to remodel. Here is what they achieved in non-monetary terms:

• They increased the total size of their home by 25%.
• At current price per sq ft rates for the neighborhood that translates to tens of thousands in increased resale value.
• That equates to a quadruple cost return on investment
• They added a family room to a home that normally lacks this feature every new construction home offers. This will position the home to not only to offer much more when they choose to sell, but to be able to compete with more homes than their neighbors.
• Most importantly, they created a warm, bright place for their growing family to enjoy time together.

HISTORY
The previous owners made some vague stabs at making the room habitable, but it took the vision of the current owners to fulfill the possibilities this space could produce.

HOW IT WAS DONE
The homeowner was an active participant in the construction. He was handy and had the time to contribute to the process.

WHAT WAS DONE
A lot of improvements were made to this space, including:

• Insulating and adding modern more efficient ventilated insulation system to the roof.
• Addition of two sky light windows to maximize both light and airflow in the summer.
• Existing windows were replaced with energy efficient Lo-E windows
• Several walls were added to the sloping sides to both define a room and create storage
• The room was re-wired to code by a licensed electrician, who also added:
  • 220 volt space heaters which operate at 1/4th the cost of plug-in 120 volt units.
  • Circuitry to operate air conditioning during summer months that isolates it from the PCs and home entertainment hardware.
  • Ceiling fans wired to allow the owner to individually control lights and fan functions