2nd Story Addition Help (san diego)

12 years ago

Hello All,

My wife and I have purchased a home in San Diego. The home is a "bungalow" style (though all of its charm has been stripped), 1100 sq ft, 2 bed 1 bath, etc. If we build up, we will have ocean views. The neighborhood is the type that people tear down and rebuild so we're not concerned about getting the money back that we put into the house. It was built in 1942 so I'm sure we'll need to add more for foundation/structural purposes. The 2 car garage was added about 30 years ago and is on a concrete foundation while the rest of the house is crawl space. We're looking at adding a MBR suite with walk-in closet and bathroom.

So... my questions for anyone in the area. Has anyone acted as the GC before? How'd it go? Does anyone have an architect they've worked with before on any home remodel/addition you could recommend? If you've done something similar, how much did it cost you? There are a million different things we could do w/ the house so I'm on an endless quest to try and narrow options down. Thanks in advance.

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Comments (6)

ajones.sd
12 years ago
We are getting ready to do a major remodel of our home in San Diego (Point Loma). The scope of our project is quite different from yours so I can't help you with most of your questions, but we LOVE our architect. Her name is Julie Urbon and I have no reservations about recommending her. Good luck!
TheFranLover
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks aj. I looked her up... looks to have a great reputation. Since I posted this, I've been on a reading of reviews tear. I think we're settling on choosing a design/build firm to keep things simple (hopefully). Right now, I have meetings set up with Murray Lampert, Charco, and Jackson Design & Remodeling. I've also spoken with San Diego Construction & Design as well as Dream Design Builders. The latter 2 didn't impress me very much over the phone.

Has anyone out there worked w/ any of these? Results??
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suzanne_sl
12 years ago
Be sure to check your neighbors' sightlines. In some areas, particularly on the coast, blocking your neighbor's view can turn into a nightmare.
TheFranLover
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks Suzanne. Ya, I'm a little worried about that. From the naked eye, I don't think we'll be getting in anyones way. While many in the neighborhood have built up to get views, the ones around us are all 1 stories that don't have views. Its kinda a catch 22 situation. We could ask around to make sure, but we're going to build it anyway so then whats the point in asking? Either way, I think we're in the clear unless we simply beat someone to the punch in adding a 2nd story.
User
12 years ago
Better make a long stop in at your local permits office before getting too far along in the planning process. 100-150K would be the starting point for such a project, and it has no place to go but up in costs depending on local requirements and your wants.
JC98
12 years ago
TheFranLover, good luck with your project!

Did you have to go thru the Coastal Commission for your remodel? How long did it take and how painful?

We're also thinking of remodeling a very old home (1950), not yet purchased. It's still in an exploratory phase to see how feasible and expensive it's going to be. The house hasn't been remodeled in 60 years, and not liveable. We're thinking of doing it in 2 phases.
1) Keep same footprint and remodel interior walls. Exterior walls are also badly damaged, so to remodel that, do we need a permit? Redo electrical, plumbing, gas lines. We want to do enough to be able to live in it, while applying for a permit to build it up or out.
2) Add another story up, but hear the coastal commision may take a long time to approve anything.

All, please share your experiences and advice. Thanks!

2nd Story Addition Help (san diego)

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ajones.sd

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2nd Story Addition Help (san diego)

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ajones.sd

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