'Pride and Joy' Remodeling - Page 2
 |
|
your home: insulated roofing systems (such as polyurethane foam - left) and high-efficiency radiant-heat boiler (right). Photos: Abril Roofing and Sabrina Huang |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Boyenga did concede that buyers who have studied modern homes before buying may not need to live in their new house before deciding on a plan, adding, "They've already spent a lot of time thinking about what they want to do with it."
In the case of prospective sellers, the realtor said, "A lot of times, we look at where you're going to get the most bang for your buck…Flooring and paint are where you're going to get the most."
"Most of the time, it's just bringing it back to its MCM roots," he said, noting that he and wife Janelle, as the Boyenga Team, are currently helping two clients tune up their Eichlers to sell them.
"Everyone always wants to do double-pane windows, but you don't get half as much bang for your buck as with a foam roof," Boyenga continued. "And if you're going to install one of these roofs, it always makes sense to run some conduit [for electrical upgrades]."
Kern concurs in 'Pride and Joy,' observing, "MCM homes often have projects that must work in tandem, such as those near or under the roof and under the slab."
"It's really tough to do your floors after you've done your drywall," agrees Spehar. The contractor also derided remodels that result in several different floor materials, adding, "It should be going throughout the house [seamlessly] instead of piece by piece."
Spehar advises that it is often best to start with upgrading your circuit box, planning in advance how many you will need in subsequent improvements to various rooms.
"Today, we have a minimum of six circuits for the kitchen. Some of them have [just] two or three," he said of original Eichler circuit boxes. "Most of these houses don't even have ground wires."
Expertise like that is bountiful in the new CA-Modern story, including a three-pronged strategy from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry: hire local, be consistent in the bids you gather, and get it all within a contract.
If you want to learn the seven indispensible elements of a remodeling contract, and a whole house full of other tips and guidelines, check out Tanja Kern's 'Pride and Joy,' a sneak preview of the new Winter '17 CA-Modern.
