home improvement

Jun 22 2018

Buy your ideal home in Portland or CIY (create-it-yourself)? Lay solid groundwork for your decision with these expert remodeling tips

Portland Metro regularly lands on top 10 lists – for home price gains, creativity, livability, job growth, public health, green-ness, bike-friendliness, gentrification, and more. Did you know it’s also #8 for residential remodeling?

And no wonder. A full 80 percent of area homes were built before 1980 compared to the national average of 52 percent. So they’re bound to need some TLC.

Meanwhile, the inventory of homes for sale stands at 1.9 months – about half the national average – and has not broken 3 months in over 3 years. Our lopsided seller’s market limits choices all around. Buyers can’t be too picky and would-be sellers may decide to stay put because they can’t find – or can’t afford – replacement homes.

Click here to read this ORLive story about Contractor of the Year award winners. Beaverton’s Cornerstone Builders remodeled the 1970’s daylight ranch shown.

But every challenge is also an opportunity. If you’re willing to remodel, you can add priceless character and comfort to your home as well as dollar value. This post offers advice from experts – 8 questions and 2 tips, to be exact – for the planning and decision making phase of remodeling. That’s when realtors can be of most help.

Q 1: How long do you expect to stay in your home?

As a rule of thumb, you should plan to stay in your home at least 5 years after a significant remodel – say 15 percent of your home’s “before” value. Since home improvements never offer a 100 percent return at resale, you should give yourself plenty of time to enjoy their other benefits.

Click here to read a Sunset story about how interior designer Vicki Simon restored the kitchen of her 1908 Kenton home. If she ever moves, she’s taking the kitchen with her! (Photo: Lincoln Barbour)

Of course, if you plan to sell in the near term, modest improvements will boost the price and speed of sale. De-cluttering, deep cleaning and yard work can cost no more than your time and offer some of the very best returns. Ask a realtor to walk through your home and make suggestions.

Q 2: Can your biggest pain points be soothed? Can your pride and joy be matched?

In deciding whether to move or remodel, review the best and worst features of your home. If the best can’t be replaced, you’ll likely want to stay put. If the worst features can’t be changed or call for major structural work (big ticket items like moving walls or expanding the footprint), a move is probably the thing.

Q 3: What’s the ballpark cost of your remodel wish list?

Your review of your home’s best and worst features will guide you in creating a wish list. Magazines and books can help too. If you’re leaning toward remodeling, you may also want to invest in a 1-off design consultation for a modest set fee. Many interior designers offer this service.

Next you’ll want a rough cost estimate of your wish list. Here are three good resources for this exercise:

Each year, Remodel magazine publishes the Cost vs. Value Report. It compiles average costs for 21 common projects in 149 markets around the country and compares them to project value at resale. You can access the 2018 report for Portland Metro here.
The National Association of Realtors has published a similar report. It features some projects not included in the Cost vs. Value Report (a plus), but the data isn’t broken down by locality (a minus).
Home Advisor’s True Cost Guide doesn’t provide information on resale value (a minus), but can help you track down local contractors and costs (a plus).

Remember to add a contingency fund of 10-20% to your estimate for unexpected costs.

Click here to read a Gray Magazine story about a busy PDX single who hired Atomic Design to convert the unfinished attic of her 1893 home into a master suite (Photo: Mhari Scott)

Q 4: Can you afford your wish list?

With a rough cost estimate in hand, you can decide whether your wish list is affordable. How much do you have in savings or can you access in credit and what do you feel comfortable spending? Click here for a good overview of ways to fund a remodel and the pros and cons of each.

If you find that your wish list is beyond your means, you can pare it down, crossing off items that will have the least impact on how you experience your home. For example, if your kitchen is 50 years old and functionally obsolete, a major remodel is money well spent. But if changes made 20 years ago are good quality but not to your taste, then a minor remodel is best. Rather than replacing cabinetry, for example, you can replace or repaint cabinet doors and pulls.

Click here to read this Portland Monthly article about a couple who worked with architect Risa Boyer Leritz to transform their vintage split level in Raleigh Hills (Photo: Aaron Leitz)

Q 5: How does the cost of remodeling a given room compare to its value as a percent of your home’s overall value?

Answering this question can also help you to trim your wish list. The bullets below show the values of specific rooms or areas as percentages of a home’s total value according to an appraisers trade association. Suppose you’re thinking of a mid-range major kitchen remodel as defined in the latest Cost vs. Value Report for Portland (see Item a under Q3). Since the average cost for the project is $66K, your current home value should be at least $440K to justify the expenditure. ($66K is 15 percent of $440K.)

Kitchen: 10-15% of a house’s value
Master bedroom suite: 10% of a house’s value
Powder room/bathroom: 5% of a house’s value
Finished attic or basement: 10-15% of a house’s value
Other rooms: 1-3% of a house’s value
Patios, decks, paths and plantings: 2-5% of a house’s value

Click here to read an Arciform blog post about 5 of the firm’s favorite kitchen projects

Q 6: How does the total estimated cost of your wish list compare to the current value of your home?

Unless money is no object, you’ll want to weigh the total cost of your wish list against the current value of your home. Assuming you’ll stay put for at least 8-10 years, your list should not exceed 30 percent of its value. Spend more and you’re unlikely to recoup your investment.

Q 7: How does the estimated value of your improved home compare with the rest of your neighborhood?

No home is an island, so in addition to answering Q6, you’ll want to weigh the value of your remodel against upper price limits in your neighborhood.

Add estimated costs to the current value of your home. If the total is more than around 20 percent over the highest recent sale prices for nearby homes that resemble yours after planned improvements, you run the risk of overspending and getting a disappointing return at resale – even if you intend to stay for 8-10 years.

Click here to read this Sunset story about a couple who asked Van Giuiletti/Schouten Architects to give their Lake Oswego home a facelift and major curb appeal (Photo: John Clark)

Q 8: With the cost of moving?

Answers to Q5-7 will help you set a cost ceiling for each room or area and for the remodel as a whole. But they won’t tell you how staying put compares to the cost of moving into a new home. Click here for an online calculator designed for this second task.

A little market research is needed before you use it. You’ll want to search active listings with the features and locations you must have to motivate you to leave your current home. Average list prices for your top 3 choices and you’re ready to fill in the “Home Price” blank on the “New Mortgage” side of the calculator. Your realtor can also help you with transaction costs, property taxes and other blanks on the right – in addition to providing an estimate of your home’s current value on the left.

If, having answered these 8 questions, you decide to remodel, consider these two pieces of advice.

Click here to read this Oregon Home article about a Beaverton couple who updated their Rummer home with the help of Garrison Hullinger Interior Design

Tip 1: Invest in good design

I’m never surprised when homeowners on HGTV’s Love It or List It choose Hillary’s artful remodels over moving to houses that may be bigger but lack personality and charm. Good or great design provides daily pleasure, ease and well-being to you and your family, and can attract multiple offers when you’re ready to sell.

Design services come in 3 main forms. The traditional model is a full-service architect or designer who crafts the entire plan, solicits bids, and oversees the work of a contractor or contractors. You can also hire design services a la carte for key aspects of the overall plan. A third and increasingly popular option is a design-and-build firm. For example, local success story Neil Kelly is #3 on Remodeling magazine’s list of the biggest firms in the country. Click here for a good overview of the 3 options and the pros and cons of each.

Click here to read this Apartment Therapy story about a former Nike Design Director who acted as her own general contractor to bring her 1906 home in SE PDX back to life (Photo: Heather Keeling)

Tip 2: Remodel for spaciousness (not necessarily space), more natural light and a better connection to the outdoors

Even a small house can feel spacious – and provide pleasure, comfort and well-being – with an open plan layout, lots of natural light, and a strong connection to a well-tended garden or view. In fact, realtor.com has assembled a trove of national data on home features linked to the highest rates of appreciation. Homes with open plan layouts and patios top the list, with average annual appreciation of 7.4 and 6.8 percent respectively.

Click here to read this ORLive story about a handy owner who worked with an architect on a limited budget to make the most of a 1098 SF cottage in Woodlawn

Not surprisingly – since they typically have open plan layouts, large windows or glass walls, and strong connections to the outdoors – modern or contemporary style homes appreciate the fastest at 7.7 percent.

And supporting the idea that spaciousness rather than space is key, realtor.com’s research shows that smaller homes with fewer bedrooms appreciate faster than larger homes with more bedrooms – by a factor of 2 at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Feb 25 2017

Make your Portland home a sanctuary of light even in moody winter weather – taking cues from Nordic design

Having lived in a suburb of Copenhagen for 5 years and remodeled a 1963 house there, I’m at home with contemporary Scandinavian design and Danish hygge – both creative responses to gloomy weather. Hard to translate, hygge means something like comfort, beauty, and companionship in daily life, especially in the dark winter months.

I missed these aspects of the culture on moving to Portland. Also long, grey and wet, our winters can bring on SAD-ness (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Ironically, our weather was apparently part of the attraction for the 150,000 Nordic immigrants who settled in the Pacific Northwest around the turn of the 20^th century. Along with the climate, the region’s landscapes and key industries – farming, fishing, and timber – reminded them of home. Today, an estimated 10 percent of Oregonians have Nordic ancestry.

We may never see another wave like that to our shores. But there’s nothing to stop us from assimilating elements of contemporary Nordic design. Of course, that’s already happening.

Hans Wegner’s wishbone chair (Robert Moffatt, Flickr Creative Commons)

It gives me a warm, hygge feeling to see icons of Danish design like wishbone chairs in the Pearl’s Design within Reach showroom, the largest in North America. Or the stark white silhouettes of Vestas wind turbines on the peaks of the Columbia River Gorge. Or to eat smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches) at the outpost of Broder Café in the airy modernist home of the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation on Oleson Road. And I look forward to experiencing the new James Beard Public Market and the Willamette Falls Riverwalk, both to be designed by the renowned Norwegian firm, Snohetta.

But the real inspiration for this posting are two articles I came across when scouting content for my Facebook page:

A Dwell story about a native Oregonian and her Swedish husband who remodeled a Rummer house in southwest Portland to create a “beacon of light”
A Remodelista story about a mid-century modern house near Seattle that was reimagined in a “modern Scandinavian way” to “capitalize on sunlight throughout the year”

This fine Rummer is 1 of 29 in the west side’s Oak Hills neighborhood

Scandinavians have long championed and adapted modernist architecture. So it’s no surprise that the Swedish half of the Portland couple gravitated to a Rummer. Named after the local developer who started building them here in 1959, Rummers are modernist in style, with:

Rectangular and asymmetrical shapes
Clean lines and minimal ornamentation
Liberal use of glass, often as a structural element
Open plan layouts

Many are built around atriums that may be open air or enclosed with glass walls, vaulted glass roofs, and clerestory windows extending upward from the roof line.

Click here to see mid-century homes $400K and up on the west side

Bringing the outside in and the inside out (John Clark, Dwell)

These features harvest lots of sunlight and allow it free passage. Surrounded by frosted glass panels that offer privacy and light, the front door of the Dwell Rummer opens on an enclosed atrium with spiky potted trees. The atrium, in turn, opens on the sitting room, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and a sliding glass door overlooking the patio and garden beyond. As Bob Rummer said in an Oregon Home interview, his homes “bring the inside out or the outside in.”

Overlaying the modernist bones of the house is a typically Scandinavian décor. Most of the walls and the brick fireplace are painted white. Along with the white poured concrete floors (which have radiant heat), they reflect light. The interiors are clean and uncluttered, with streamlined and “bare-legged” furnishings – again allowing light to move freely through the space. White surfaces are warmed by wood elements: the rich deck in the atrium, the side chair in the sitting room, and the dining table. The spaces are finished with touches of character or quirkiness – like the unruly shag rug, the grey floral geometries of the dining area’s Finnish wallpaper (that reminds me of Spirograph drawings), and the lemon-yellow front door.

Click here to see mid-century homes $400K and up on the west side

From left to right and top to bottom Yolo bestsellers Water .02 & .06 and Leaf .04 & .05

This approach to color runs counter to prevailing theory and practice in our corner of the world. For example, a Portland Monthly article explains how to choose wall paint “for the Northwest light.” It recommends muted tones developed by local companies, Yolo and Devine. Offering similar advice for Seattle interiors, Apartment Therapy says colors that “reflect the moody weather” are best.

From left to right Devine bestsellers Mocha, Peanut and Paprika

Recommended paints combine hues from the color wheel (such as red and green to make brown) or are “knocked back” with additions of grey or black. Mixing colors this way reduces their purity or vibrancy and saps their ability to reflect light.

Colors that swim against the moody current of Pacific NW weather (John Clark, Dwell)

Scandinavians, on the other hand, swim against the moody currents of their weather. White is their go-to color for walls because it does the best job of reflecting light. Most interiors are monochromatic – with black and gray elements for contrast and gravitas. Given the cultural preference for natural materials, wood often enters the picture in pale or blonde tones that are warm but reflect light. Finally, there is a tradition of vibrant accent colors on the pure or saturated end of the spectrum. When accents are mixed, it’s with white (the most reflective color) not black (the least reflective color). For example, the lemony tint of the front door in the Dwell Rummer house adds a jolt of energy without stealing light.

Click here to see mid-century homes $400K and up on the west side

Obsessed with sunshine, the Scandinavians are on to something. Research shows that access to light enhances energy, sleep, and emotional health. So we need to make the most of it in our homes, offices, and schools – especially in winter months.

Of course, modernist architecture isn’t for everyone and Portland has an enviable stock of early 20^th-century homes and cottages. Also featured on my Facebook page, the following stories show how they can be opened up to light without sacrificing their architectural character or integrity.

NY Times story on a modernized Foursquare in Portland
Luxe story 1 and story 2 on renovated Craftsman homes in Seattle
Elle Décor story on an updated Craftsman in LA
Sunset story about bringing light into a 1930’s cottage in Santa Monica

Dec 09 2016

Are you dreaming of a bathroom that cleanses body and soul? West Portland designer Caryl Hoffman can deliver

cheryl How do you turn a dated bathroom into a temple of well-being? Caryl Hoffman has the design chops, practical know-how and project portfolio to answer the question with ease and in photographic detail. For almost 20 years, she has run CK Hoffman Design from her Forest Heights home, helping families and businesses across the west side create inspiring environments that work.

“Most of my residential clients live in homes that are 10-25 years old and need cosmetic updates. Many have already remodeled their kitchens. Bathrooms are the next piece.”

Even repeat customers can be surprised by the cost.

“Bathrooms are small but complex. There’s a lot of plumbing, for example. So they run more per square foot than kitchens.”

In Caryl’s practice, the average bathroom remodel ranges from $30,000-40,000. That’s a hefty price tag considering that you can expect to recoup only about 63-74 percent of your investment in resale value, depending on whether the project is upscale or midrange. (For a “cost vs value” report with 2016 data for Portland, click here.)

But can you put a price on a “spa-like retreat” in your own home? Those words are most often used by Caryl’s clients to describe the look and feel of an ideal bathroom. “Fresh” and “relaxing” also come up frequently.

A recent project in Forest Heights lives up to all those descriptors. Though in good condition, the existing fiberglass shower, bold teal accent wall and seafoam blue ceramic tile reflected the home’s age (1994) and a workaday approach to personal hygiene. Caryl transformed the space with a thoughtful mix of trends, inexpensive standbys, some pricy materials and timeless workmanship.

The taupe and cream palette is sophisticated and restful
Handsome and high-end, mosaic tile accents and quartz counters add texture, contrast and personality
As do handy tile niches, glass shelves, matte stainless steel fixtures, a framed mirror and pops of color
Large-format field tiles and a frameless glass door give the walk-in shower a calm and spacious look, though only a few inches were added to its footprint
The sink and tub are standard issue, but dressed up with under-mounting and an elegant surround
The fold-up teak bench, grab bar and spray hose in the shower will allow the owners to age in place

Caryl has a strong record of completing projects on time, on budget and to high quality standards. Having bought and remodeled many rental properties with her husband, a mortgage banker, she is a veteran contractor. Careful planning and excellent, hands-on relationships with subcontractors carry the day.

“Each member of my team has expertise to share and contributes to the project’s success – not least my clients. I’m focused on their needs and wishes from start to finish.”

With an eye for the big picture and all the details, Caryl thinks of everything. For example, here’s her recipe for an aromatherapy salt bath. Enjoy!

10 drops of essential oil e.g., lavender, rosemary or eucalyptus
1/4 cup sea salt or Himalayan salt
1/4 cup Epsom salt
1/4 cup baking soda
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Nov 05 2016

Too much stuff or planning a move? NW Organizing Solutions to the rescue

beth-giles On any given day, Beth Giles may be creating a filing system, lugging tires around a garage or delivering a carload of castoffs to Goodwill. Since 2008 she has parlayed an uncanny gift for organizing homes, offices and moves into a successful business: NW Organizing Solutions.

Her work as a professional organizer is a mission, not just an occupation. And her focus is people more than things.

“Clutter and chaos come from hiccups in life,” she says, “from financial, health, relationship or other challenges.”

Beth helps people bring order and clarity to their surroundings – and achieve more peace within. Though she can deliver “house beautiful” or organize a move at the drop of a hat, she knows that each client’s journey is personal and unique. So she works in a spirit of partnership and dialogue.

“I ask questions that help clients decide what solutions work for them, what things they can let go of and when they’ve reached satisfaction with the results.”

Asked about her proudest moments, she mentions a client whose home was filled to the brim and thought her health was failing.

“She made her first Good Will donation – a basket of just 5 items – 6 weeks into our weekly sessions. But soon, I’d leave her home with my car half full. And after some months, it was crammed every time.”

Eventually the client got a clean bill of health and decided not to move. But the habits of order and simplicity stuck. Now friends, she and Beth have lunch a few times a year and she invites Beth in to “inspect” her home and keep her accountable.

Though a seasoned veteran, Beth never stops learning or sharing her knowledge and insights. She serves on the Board of Directors for the state chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), which holds monthly training events. She is also a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers. This year she attended a local workshop on hoarding organized by Multnomah County. And the annual NAPO conference in Atlanta included sessions on working with people with ADHD and memory problems. Beth dispenses free advice and tips in two monthly newsletters: Organizing Tips and On the Move.

Not surprisingly, her business runs almost entirely on referrals from happy clients.

“I get so much back from the people I work with – hearing about their lives and how they’ve overcome obstacles. And you wouldn’t believe the number of hugs I get when I finish jobs!”

Aug 21 2015

Is your lawn brown? Low-water gardens are beautiful and “green”

Mediterranean gravel garden (Creative Landscapes, Inc.)

Driving through my west Portland neighborhood, I see many lawns gleaming like straw in the August sun. And I wonder – are the owners environmentally conscious, frugal or both?

In a city where the top 15 residential “hydro hogs” are named and shamed annually, it stands to reason that there are lots of “green” homeowners who choose to forego green lawns in the dry summer months.

Peeling bark and smooth bronze trunk of Madrone tree (Robert Couse-Baker)

At the same time, Portland is known for high utility bills. With the annual rate adjustment that took effect July 1^st, the average household water bill increased by 7 percent, reaching a monthly total of just under $32.

Whatever the reasons for parched lawns, two things are clear. First, there are very good reasons to practice low-water landscaping or “xeriscaping” (pronounced zeer-i-skey-ping). And second, that can be done without sacrificing beauty.

Against the backdrop of a drought emergency in 23 of Oregon’s 36 counties and a rash of wildfires, stewarding water resources has never seemed more important. Though the tri-county area and its water supply are not affected by drought, population growth in our corner of the state will strain water resources in the future.

While conserving water and reducing utility bills, xeriscaping offers other benefits: reduced fertilizer and pesticide use and a healthier watershed, fewer weeds, lower energy use and less maintenance.

Since grass requires more water, maintenance and chemicals than most other plants, re-seeding, reducing or eliminating lawns is a key step toward xeriscaping. A generic name for alternative seed mixtures that are environmentally friendly, ecoturf is sometimes faulted for looking like a meadow. Sunmark offers turf varieties that compare favorably to the look and feel of traditional lawns – without all the water and fertilizer.

Western Columbine attracts hummingbirds (James Gaither)

Reducing or eliminating lawns is the other way to go. Ground covers and mulches can look neat and appealing with little maintenance. Pathways and patios made of wood, rock, gravel or permeable concrete add interest and function to your yard while allowing water to drain to the soil below. For example, the photo top right shows a Mediterranean gravel garden designed by Portland’s Creative Landscapes, Inc.

Plant species that require little water are also a key element of xeriscaping, such as these Oregon natives: Madrones, Blue Blossoms, Western Columbines and Western Hemlocks. Click here for a manual on the subject.

Feathery Western Hemlock a good backdrop for other plants (Roland Tanglao)

You can keep down the costs of adopting low-water landscaping by doing much of the work yourself. For a list of professionals who can help with design and planning, click here. To enroll in OSU’s online, self-paced “waterwise” gardening class, click here. You can also visit low-water demonstration gardens at Metro in Portland, Tualatin Valley Water District in Beaverton, Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, or The Oregon Garden in Silverton.