Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 17, 1991 TAG: 9103190013
SECTION: TODAY'S HOME PAGE: TH-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By Sarah Cox
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
According to the National Association of Home Builders, (NAHB) housing affordability has become a major issue throughout the country, and the high cost of land is a contributor. After World War II, the cost of a lot averaged about 11 percent of the total price of a new home; today, that figure is close to 25 percent.
Instead of building a new home, homeowners are making the ones they have more conducive to their tastes.
According to Michael Carliner, NAHB economics and housing policy staff vice president, lower mortgage rates and reduced loan demands have made today's home sales a buyer's market.
For those interested in remodeling, Carliner said it's easier to get builders to do special things now, because buyers are calling the tune. "A couple of years ago, contractors stopped talking orders in the spring because they had all they could handle for the year. They were not very accommodating compared to now."
Also, there is more skilled labor available. Carliner said that in hot times, a good carpenter becomes a supervisor, but in lean times he works as a master carpenter.
Although it is wise to keep the returns on your remodeling investment in mind when you spruce up the home, the main idea should be comfort, convenience and personal taste, not what the next homeowner wants. "The best investments," Carliner said, "are the ones that cure the deficiences." If you have a four-bedroom home with only one bathroom, add a bath. And, although basements are frequently finished off, an addition at ground level such as a sun room or back porch is often more enjoyable. Pools, especially in this region of the country, are not a good investment. They mean constant maintenance and could be a safety hazard.
According to an annual Remodeling Contractor study, "Remodeling Cost vs. Value," the following percentages of invested remodeling dollars were returned when the home was sold:
Major kitchen remodeling, 89 percent
Minor kitchen remodeling, 90 percent
Adding a bath, 110 percent
Adding a fireplace, 123 percent
Adding insulation, 83 percent
Adding a room, 71 percent
Adding a greenhouse, 89 percent
Replacing windows and doors, 72 percent
Adding a skylight, 75 percent
Adding a deck, 73 percent
Adding a swimming pool, 32 percent
Roanoke's market may be even riper than the national average for renovating and remodeling, according to Bob Fetzer of Building Specialists Inc. "It's a good time to renovate. You can buy a home for less per square feet than you can build. It's an excellent environment to plan on renovating your home, because a lot of people can stay in the same neighborhoods and make homes more livable. The Roanoke Valley is one of the best markets in the country to buy old homes and fix them up."
Although building materials are not less expensive, there is a more competitive market in the Roanoke Valley, and, therefore homeowners, can expect better service and better value for their money. A lot of contractors are looking for renovation work, Fetzer said, to keep their companies going during the recession. "Prices should be more competitive now than at anytime I can remember in the last five years."
Fetzer said Roanoke has many neighborhoods, like Riverland Road, that are ripe for development. Riverland Road, he said, has magnificent homes with a lot of character and style.
"I think there is more of a trend now to make homes more compatible with living styles," Fetzer said. Homeowners can do that by upgrading bathrooms, for instance, or changing the house to suit the lifestyle of parents whose children have moved out. First, as families get larger, general additions can be geared to creating space for children. Then, when children move out, parents don't necessarily have to start looking for a house more suitable to their new style of living. They can convert the extra bedrooms into guest quarters and add a bedroom and bathroom downstairs so they won't have to use the stairs as often.
"People do need to think about putting empty bedrooms to use and incorporating them into part of their present living area," Fetzer said.
In Roanoke, Fetzer said, bathrooms are being upscaled by installing steam units for the shower, adding whirlpools and putting in dressing rooms, vanities and separate storage areas for husband and wife. Painting and wallpapering can brighten up interiors, and vents can be installed. More mirrors and a skylight can also help open up a bathroom area.
"You'd be amazed at the number of bathrooms that don't have showers," he said, "and it doesn't take much money to correct that."
Another popular area of the house to remodel is the kitchen, because it is becoming more of a family center. "They probably get together there more often than the living room," Fetzer said. The kitchen is being enlarged into a room for eating, sitting and cooking by taking out walls and adding bump-outs, or additions. And sacrificing the dining room to make the kitchen larger is something Roanokers are willing doing.
"Back in the '20s and '30s, everybody had their maid and cooks and ate in the dining room. The kitchen was just a work room. Now we're adding on additions and taking out the butler pantries, putting in more window space and making it more livable," Fetzer said.
Window space is important in Roanoke because of the beautiful views the valley offers. Windows also give kitchens more light.
Another area of the home to remodel is the back porch, which can be converted for year-round use. "It makes a lot of sense to glass in an area," Fetzer said. "To me, that makes a lot more sense than going down into the basement. I don't feel like you get the value out of a basement that you would incorporating a porch and making it light, bright and part of the home."
There are other points to consider when remodeling - namely, heating and cooling factors. Gas fireplaces are now so fancy that they put out heat, do away with the hassle of ashes and hauling wood and even crackle and pop. And central air conditioning is a good value and can become even more so with the new, highly energy efficient windows and doors.
But if a homeowner is thinking of remodeling, one of the first places to go is the Better Business Bureau or the Remodeler's Council. The Roanoke Home Builders Association has put together several remodeling guides that will help choose the appropriate remodeler, builder or other contractors. Call 703-389-7135 for more information.
by CNB