lokalgood

When we were doing our addition (two story job with new kitchen and master) a while back, oh how I wished for some credible context on the blizzard of decisions we were making, the big chunks of dough we were committing, the long term relationships we were entering into. So now that we’re done and happily ensconced in the new digs, I’m getting around to sharing some of my takes so that the next poor sod who undertakes this year long life muddler will have just a bit more information at hand than I did.

Not sure quite how many parts in this series I’ll deliver. Some of it I don’t care to recount or is just too detailed to be of use. Basic pieces I can see being valuable right now (wherever relevant I’ll profile the local resource we used) include:

• Must haves – identifying what you MOST want because you’ll end up wishing for more… knowing what you can’t live without will really help.
• Architect/contractors - Quick take on our selection process, the ones we used, lessons learned.
• Move? – Some real world input on why I think the answer should most often be OUT.
• You need that? – Ideas on things like designers, landscapers, and other items I wished we’d thought of up front.

So on to must haves…. short story, before you get started on what invariably will be a yearlong process (minimum), think very hard about what exactly you’re trying to achieve, about the most critical items. Then make a list you can refer back to. Because there will be tons of opportunities (with your architect, your contractor, your mother, your friend, your therapist, etc.) to add new stuff in the early going, then to reduce stuff once you’re into it and start realizing you have to throw a bunch of items overboard in order to keep your little addition balloon aloft. Picking the right things to toss over, and safeguarding those must haves that you can’t live without – these are the ingredients for a successful project you don’t have to give back to the bank once it’s done.

For example… here were the top 5 priorities we juggled along the way, modifying/give up other things to make them happen, with varying degrees of success:

1. Smooth integration between old and new – I’m the son of a restoration architect… so wired to care a lot about how the new part jibes with the original. We didn’t want the addition to change the view of the house from the street and we wanted something really nice to look at from the back yard. Meant some tradeoffs in the size and shape of interior spaces.
2. Screen porch – Given Del Ray’s man-eating mosquitoes, a space where we could be outside with the kids without risking life and limb was a big priority we resolved to preserve at all costs.
3. First floor bathroom – Like many houses in this hood, ours had no bathroom on the main floor. We pledged to have a high tolerance for plumbing gymnastics and lower priority trade-offs to get this accomplished.
4. Big open kitchen – we wanted a big cooking space that opened right on to where we eat. For easy kid cooking/serving, but also so that we could socialize with guests while preparing dinner, something we love to do.
5. Master suite with laundry – We wanted our own bathroom, and an upstairs laundry, and a master closet too. All within the 2nd story footprint that made the whole design work for us and would stay true to #1 above. With some creativity and flex we got them all, albeit in smaller sizes than we’d hoped for. But we also made our biggest mistake thanks to a priority miss up front. We didn’t put a tub on the critical list, dropped it when the planning pressure was on and have lived to regret it.

Moral of the story, know the items that will make you the most happy. Write them down. Say them out loud. Tattoo them on your arm. Whatever will make it easy for you to keep them in mind as you weather the barrage of choices and concessions you’ll make between start and finish of this crazy process. You’ll end up with more of what you wanted, less of what you don’t and an acceptable dollop of all that’s in between.

Next up: #2 – Plans/Architects

Add a local resource, or comment on your experience with this one.