I've been in austin for a number of years and am looking for a new home.  It seems to get what I want I'm going to have to remodel a place.  I'm trying to figure out how to get a sense of what its going to cost to remodel a place to know how to allocate my budget.

Anyone have any experience with remodeling and the costs associated with it.

Remodeling is tricky to price, depending on the extent of the remodel, the age of the existing structure, the area to be remodelled, and so on. If you're just changing finishes (i.e. replace linoleum with tile), it is much easier to price accurately, but if you're going to demo existing walls, ceilings, etc. you get into terra incognita (the older the home, the more incognita). You do not know what is under what you're going to tear up (rotted wood? bad wiring? get out your checkbook).

Also, if you're remodeling a kitchen, or a bathroom (the two places people like to remodel the most), that is going to cost much more than remodeling a space which is inherently cheaper to build (i.e. a garage).

Are you going to add square footage? Adding out to the side is less expensive than adding a second story (basically the less you have to mess around with the original structure, the better off you are). But sometimes you have a small lot and you don't have a choice.

There are a lot of choices to be made when you remodel, and unless you are just replacing kitchen cabinets exactly where they were, it pays to have the help of a building professional. An addition that landlocks a kitchen (blocks natural light) or creates awkward flow from one room to another can make the house worse than it was to begin with. For smaller/less complex scale projects, you can get by with a good contractor (but make sure that you get a *good* contractor). For larger/more complex projects, you'll want a design/build firm or an architect and a contractor working together. It really depends on your budget, how tight your budget is, how complex the project is, site constraints, the age of the house, etc. (which is to say, it depends on everything).

Nancy Whitcombe, AIA

I've been in austin for a number of years and am looking for a new home.  It seems to get what I want I'm going to have to remodel a place.  I'm trying to figure out how to get a sense of what its going to cost to remodel a place to know how to allocate my budget.

Anyone have any experience with remodeling and the costs associated with it.

Kumar:

If you'd like someone who can both help you find the right modern house and serve as contractor, you can give Vintage Modern a call at 512-554-8032 or email me at steve@vintagemodernhomes.com. We provide real estate brokerage, design, and contracting services. We specialize in modern design and "green" retrofitting of existing structures. For larger jobs, we'll help you find the right architect and work with them to design the perfect addition.

Steve Herbert

CEO

Vintage Modern Real Estate, LLC

Vintage Modern Homes, LLC

Previously Kumar Gala wrote:

I've been in austin for a number of years and am looking for a new home.  It seems to get what I want I'm going to have to remodel a place.  I'm trying to figure out how to get a sense of what its going to cost to remodel a place to know how to allocate my budget.

Anyone have any experience with remodeling and the costs associated with it.

I think you have two options in getting reasonable cost idea for your remodel (without hiring anyone) :

1 - Draw up your plans/ideas in rough form and talk to remodeling contractors and/or architects for ballpark costs.  As the previous post says, you need to determine what you will change/update in the existing home (just paint and trim, or walls, plumbing, electrical, roofline, etc.) and what you will add (master suite + kitchen, etc.).  With that rough plan and a general idea of finish out (granite vs. formica, wood floors vs. carpet, etc.) an experienced remodeling contractor can probably give you a reasonable ballpark to start with.

2 - Find people who have recently completed similar remodels and talk to them about the costs.  You may not find an identical situation, but you'll certainly learn from their experience.  As you are reading this forum, I would HIGHLY recommend spending this Sunday (6/24/07) and $10 to go on the Austin Cool House Tour.  You will see new construction, remodels, and additions on the tour.  Best of all, the homeowners and contractors will be on hand to answer your questions.  The Austin 'green remodel' featured on 'This Old House' is on the tour. 

-RB

http://inspiredAustin.com

Previously Kumar Gala wrote:

I've been in austin for a number of years and am looking for a new home.  It seems to get what I want I'm going to have to remodel a place.  I'm trying to figure out how to get a sense of what its going to cost to remodel a place to know how to allocate my budget.

Anyone have any experience with remodeling and the costs associated with it.