Exterior repairs

EXT.1 Roof - Replace composition shingles, gutters, downspouts. Replace rotten fascia

EXT.2 Chimney - Touch up mortar. Cap flues with a stone?

EXT.3 Cover entry steps with deck for zero-step threshold.

EXT.4 Replace entry walk? ~100SF. Match new deck height for zero-step access from street.

EXT.5 New steps, paths from driveway to porch and breezeway door.

EXT.6 Repair door and window trim at porch.

Brittle plastic trim at Dining Room window

Remnants of old screen door

EXT.7 Carport structure. Canopia by Palram has single and double structures. Double is $9000.

Canopia "Arizona" 10x16 Wave 5000 $3600 on Amazon

EXT.8 New path to east side gate? New plantings?

EXT.9 Remove dead tree at driveway.

EXT.10 Fence/landscaping to hide second front door at breezeway.

EXT.11 Gas meter enclosure?

EXT.12 Repair siding at back decks, outside BA1.

EXT.13 Basement door. $1000 for door.

EXT.14 Clean up backyard paths and railings.

EXT.15 Consider fencing backyard for pets/children. 125', roughly, plus a west-side gate. Wire fence $10-$18/foot (says the Internet) = $1,250 to $2,250.

EXT.16 Repair, resurface BR1 deck

EXT.17 Build enclosure for tankless water heater and pipes.

Interior Repairs

Living / Dining

Renumbered 5/9/2023

INT.1 Refinish the hardwood floors throughout. Replace carpet with something. Extend hardwood? New carpet? Laminate? Floor guy said (in 2015) that he could even remove the need for the brass threshold.

Damaged hardwood floor the floor guy said he could fix

INT.2 Replace cracked mirror over fireplace. 3' 6" x 10' 6" approx.

INT.3 Deal with non-functional fireplace? Electric logs?

INT.4 Crown molding? Coffer? Living and dining?

INT.5 Fix sagging floor, particularly at dining/kitchen.

Vent, damaged, sagging floor, and crummy threshold

INT.6 Missing baseboard Dining room north wall; also, kitchen cabinets.

Missing baseboard

Kitchen

Leave the cabinets and appliances but replace the sink, countertops, and backsplash.

INT.7 New countertops: 16 SF; Replace laminate and tile backsplash and crummy trim around glass blocks.

Tile backsplash at sink

Crummy backspash and ugly trim

INT.8 Replace sink.

Damaged sink

Kraus 32" single-bowl 16ga w/5 accessories $370 on amazon

INT.9 Remove coffee maker, close wall. Wire new electrical outlet on both sides.

Built-in coffee maker

INT.10 Replace melamine cabinets with something more professional?

Pantry shelves

Coffee shelves

INT.11 Replace the microwave? (Handle broken; adhesive residue; grease) ~$300

Adhesive residue on microwave

INT.12 Consider replacing the other appliances with stainless steel: dishwasher ($400), induction range ($2350), refrigerator ($2700). Counter-depth refrigerator is 3" wider--we'd need to remove the cabinet panel. $5450 appliances only. 1/4" water line for ice maker?

Hall

INT.13 Redesign linen closet. Change out accordion door.

Ridiculous homemade closet shelves

Poorly installed accordion door

INT.14 The walls around the washer/dryer end of the hall are not smooth. Install baseboard. (See INT.1 for dealing with carpet and transition to hardwood/tile.)

Wall damage

Damaged drywall, no base in Hall

INT.15 At least paint the washer/dryer closet. Install lighting? Shelving? Bi-fold doors?

Unfinished W/D closet

Bedroom 1

INT.16 Install lighting in both BR1 closets.

INT.17 Fix former BR1 door location.

Damaged door trim at BR1

INT.18 Replace big closet doors?

INT.19 Paint dark cedar closet interiors? BR1 x 2, BR2

BR2 Closet

INT.20 Install closet system? BR1 x 2

Bath 1

INT.21 Replace lav sink and tile countertop in BA1

INT.22 Replace door/window. 

Amateur door with no weatherseal

INT.23 Vent BA1 bathroom fan to outside air?

INT.24 Replace BA1 showerhead, tub filler?

INT.25 Repair/restore BA1 jacuzzi tub?

Bath 2

INT.26 Replace BA2 vanity, cabinet, light

BA2 vanity

INT.27 Replace BA2 vinyl tile floor?

INT.28 Repair drywall gap at BA2 light switch (on wall with door).

Bedroom 2

Breezeway

INT.29 Remove stained glass window. Replace both with operable windows?

Stained glass window in Breezeway

Inoperable window in Breezeway

INT.30 Paint Breezeway ceiling.

BR3 Hall

INT.31 Replace carpet in BR3 and adjacent Hall with something. Laminate?

INT.32 Replace louver door at old electric panel with smaller solid door?

INT.33 Fix crude drywall patch.

INT.34 Fix door lockset to workshop?

Crude patch in BR3 Hall

Bedroom 3

INT.35 Replace trim at 4 doors, 2 windows

Door, window trim in BR3

Dutch door in BR3

INT.36 Replace glass in big BR3 window?

Cracked window in BR3

INT.37 Better shelf and pole (system?) in BR3 closet.

BR3 closet

Bath 3

INT.38 Close drywall damage in BA3 closet

INT.39 Replace BA3 shower stall with larger?

INT.40 Install shelf and pole at BA3 closet if we don't replace shower stall

BA3 unfinished closet damage

Workshop

INT.41 Design improvements: Consider disabling one of the overhead doors in order to seal/insulate and replace the other door with new, insulated door. It isn't going to fit a car, so let's heat it. Maybe give it a ceiling? Pull down attic stairs?

Unfinished Workshop ceiling

Uninsulated garage door

Or...Instead of the Taj Mahal...

Want to place a $500,000 bet on 2026 home prices in this corner of Seattle? I'm not sure I do, either.

Key Trends in the 2023 Cost vs. Value Report (Journal of Light Construction 40,4 April 2023 p7) caught my attention, combined with recent YouTube videos. In terms of cost recovered, only a few improvements pay for themselves. In the Pacific region, only one--HVAC conversion to electric heat pump. Garage and entry door replacement and new vinyl siding are close to 100%.

"Larger...projects such as upscale kitchen, bath, and master-suite remodels, don't influence the value of the home nearly as much" because my dream kitchen isn't yours. Or, to quote a YouTube video, "Don't get sentimental." The home's location and curb appeal speak the loudest. You can spend a lot on a light fixture you think exudes class, but it could turn out to be a "ding" to a buyer.

What buyers want is a sense of freedom from immediate repairs, a feeling that the house is in order--everything works, nothing leaks, and there are no hassles looming. Looking attractive for the neighbors is part of that. If the bathroom is fading beige, but it's clean, they can enjoy the thought of painting it their color down the road. For remodeling, we start with that buyer falling in love and make a plan to get there.

The following sections are a plan to spend about $80,000. From the street: New roof, fresh exterior paint. Fence hides second front door. New carport. New front walk.

Entering the living room: Gleaming hardwood floors, new mirror over fireplace. New kitchen counters, new sink. Pristine workshop. New carpet and trim in BR3.

Redfin says the value is $964,753, while Zillow and Trulia say $1,003,900. Zillow and Redfin have ranges: $924k to $1.08M (Zillow) or $946k to $1.04M (Redfin). If I could sell it as is for, say, $860k, that would be ~$380k in profit, roughly 10%/year. The $80k of improvements would return $100k more--these aren't vanity projects, they go directly to the buyer's first impression.

Put another way, using Redfin's more conservative numbers, an $80k investment could move the selling price from $900k (below Redfin's range) to $1M (near Redfin's top).

Exterior

So we start with the exterior. We have an end of life roof and gutters with dings and rotted fascia. We're looking at $25-35 to re-roof, fix the fascia and provide new gutters. That will dress up the look a lot.

At the sides and back, the siding requires some carpentry before we repaint. Hopefully we can keep that to $5 or $7.5. We have to clear out the junk on the side yards.

The driveway is "rustic," breaking up from the tree roots. I actually think that's okay. I'd like to put in low voltage lighting, but buyers don't shop at night. (Alt: new pavers: $10)

The front walk (~100 SF) is cracked and dirty. We could build a deck over the existing porch to eliminate a step up at the front door, and we could build a new front walk that ramps up to that deck. Wheelchair-friendly. Age in place. $8

Carport structure. $12

Repair/replace deck at BR 1. $2

Fence at breezeway. $2

Interior

Refinish the hardwood floors. $2 Extend the hardwood to the area that's carpeted now.

Light kitchen remodel--new sink, countertops. $4

Fix bad trim everywhere--repair drywall in hall. $2

Replace cracked mirror $1

Replace carpet in BR3. 200 SF, $3

Replace cabinets in BA2 $1

Possible Program

Sketching on the site plan based on the required yards and other rules (see Code Analysis), we propose adding 1,120 SF of living space to the existing 1,082 SF house. We would demolish the existing 585 SF breezeway, apartment and workshop and build to the north and west of the existing main house. In addition, we propose a 529 SF two-car garage and a 835 SF second floor over the new western annex.

Total conditioned living space: 3,037 SF (5,332.5 allowable by FAR)

Footprint (including garage): 2,731 SF (3,732 SF allowable)

Height 2nd floor Ridge: 284', 27' above SW corner (30', or 35' with pitched roof exception)

New construction: 

First floor (FF 263'): 1,120 SF - $300,000

Garage (FF 260'): 529 SF - $80,000

Second floor (FF 272'): 835 SF - $200,000

Building only to the north and west of the existing residence avoids the Environmentally Critical Area in the canyon to the south and remains well away from the steep slope buffer area. The city might also be concerned by a 1980s-era rockery failure on the east.

Because we will need to replace the roof in the next ten years, preserving the existing stick rafters seems unimportant. When we demo the composition shingles, demolish the sheathing and rafters and replace with a new truss system roof. This gives us design freedom to extend the footprint of the existing house.

The second floor unit's roof (ceiling @ 280') could be 4:12 roof (284' ridge) or a flat roof deck.

Keeping the entire first floor constant at 263' means the house is wheelchair accessible. The garage at 260' can be reached using the entry walk and driveway as ramps. Waste pipes at 263' won't need a sewage ejector.

Main House: 1500 SF 

ADU 1: 705 SF - Side entrance and access to backyard. Kitchen and laundry.

ADU 2 (upstairs): 835 SF - Side entrance, possible roof deck. Kitchen and laundry.

(ADUs must be under 1,000 SF. Second ADU must meet a green building standard such as LEED to qualify.)

Code Analysis

Let's reassess. Seattle has made changes since I last studied up. We're on the 2018 Seattle Residential Code (IRC with a few changes). As of 2022, the zone is Neighborhood Residential--NR1 (not SF9600). Also, up to two ADUs are allowed with no additional parking requirements.

Because the building is 76 years old this year, let's look at the property from a developer's POV:

Lot: 10,665 SF. APN: 761120-0125 Legal Description: West 90' of Lot 24, Schroeppel Park Addition as recorded in Volume 35 of Plats, Page 12. King County, Washington

Allowable Footprint: 3,732.75 SF (Includes garage, accessory buildings, balconies, decks over 36" above grade. Only the first 36" of eaves are exempt.)

Allowable Floor Area: The FAR is a flat 0.50, so the total dwelling area for three units is 5,332.5 SF

Required Yards: 20' front, 5' sides, 25' rear. Seattle calls setbacks in NR zones "yards." On the east, we may want to stay with the current 9.5' setback to avoid disturbing the rockery. On the south (canyon) side, we are in a designated Steep Slope zone (part of the Environmentally Critical Area designation) and the city has drawn a map showing a buffer zone around steep slopes. This makes the 25' setback more like 35' in places, but seems pretty loose.

The neighbors to the east are dramatically set back, so the average of west and east is 48' 3". Luckily, it's that or 20', whichever is less.

Allowable Height: The limit is 30' above the average grade as it hits each wall, so we need a design to figure the limit precisely. The lot is basically flat at 260', sloping up to ~266' at the NE corner, ~258' in the SW and, of course, falling off dramatically into the canyon. A pitched roof with a ridge can exceed 30' by 5' and railings can be up to 4' above a flat roof.

Required Parking: Only 1 spot is required, but they want it "as part of the structure." Parking in a yard is okay as long as it's not the front yard. Only one 10' curb cut is allowed on this much frontage.

Climate: I keep forgetting that we are in Zone 4 (Marine), which means:  

• Ceiling R-49 (no, R-38 per R402.2.1?)
• Walls R-21
• Floor R-30. Slab R-10, 2 feet depth
• Windows U-Factor 0.30. Skylight U-Factor 0.50
• Frost line depth: 12"
• Winter Design Temperature: 24° F
• Mean Annual Temperature: 52.8° F
• Air Freezing Index: 250

ADU Requirements: Up to 2. No parking required. ADUs are limited to 1000 SF. The second ADU must "meet a green building standard" to qualify. (See Seattle Municpal Code 23.44.041 A.1.a.2)

Only one door on the street-facing side, unless there were multiple doors in 2017--I think we've got this one.

Seattle Municipal Code 23.44.99 talks about having a front door marked with a covered stoop facing the street (but that's just RSL zones--we're NR1) Garages can be in a required yard as specified by 23.44.016

Found it: 23.44.016 Parking and garages: F.1.a "no portion of a garage...[attached or detached]...may be closer to the street lot line than 80% of the...non-garage." So, if the main house is 29.1' from the property line, then the garage has to be 29.1' feet back as well.

This is the rule I remembered from 2015 that kept the garage from working, assuming that I didn't bring the house forward. But if I do bring the house forward, no problem. Well, no problem with this rule. The other problem is that we get one 10' curb cut, no parking is allowed in the front yard, and the turning radius doesn't work for a 2-car garage at the 20' setback. The garage needs to back away from the street so that the driveway can "Y" out to the 2-car garage. That's just fine with this rule.

By the way, F.3.c says "The Director may waive or modify the standards of this section based on..." One point is "Configuration of proposed or existing structures on the lot"; and another is "Location of exceptional trees as defined in 25.11.020." Another reason for exception is design features of modulation, screening, and landscaping. 

Structure Evaluation

Existing 1947 house is 1,082 SF with a 585 SF annex to the west. There is roughly 250 SF basement 4' below grade.

The building is 2x4 stud construction with minimal insulation. The garage workshop is typical of the poor insulation. The floor in the main house sags in places. The hip roof is sagging and the bathroom requires a sewage ejector. Most windows are double-pane, but air infiltration is massive. The 200A electrical system includes a patch panel 10' from the actual panel. The fascia is rotting at 13 corners, and the roof will need to be replaced by 2028. The kitchen layout is awkward and the kitchen sink needs repair. 

The gas furnace, electric water heater, and gas tankless water heater are relatively new, but they could be repurposed.

Proposal

Consider building 3 units--a main dwelling and two attached ADUs--on the bones of the existing home. I'm thinking a two-car garage, with occasional driveway or street parking for a third. (SDCI doesn't like parking in the required front yard.)

Main Dwelling	Up to 2804 SF (based on FAR)
ADU-1	1000 SF
ADU-2	1000 SF
Garage	528 SF
TOTAL	Up to 5332 SF

We can leave the existing 34' x 36' foundation but extend the house to the north while demolishing the west annex altogether. If we limit ourselves to the existing footprint, we won't be able to use most of the buildable area of the lot.

It may make sense to remove the 44" diam. Douglas Fir blocking the driveway.

I'd like to create 3 units, only one of which requires stairs. (Aging in place.) Especially if we remove the Doug Fir, we could raise the garage for more positive driveway drainage and have less vertical distance to the house. Drive to street to house should act as a wheelchair ramp.

According to How Much Does it Cost to Build a Home in Seattle? the answer is about $400 per SF. Three units is three kitchens, so maybe more. If we hold the main dwelling to 1200 SF and exclude the garage, that's a $1.28M investment. 

An ADU might break down: 150 living, 100 kitchen, 150 bedroom, 120 bedroom, 50 bath, 50 closets, 200 circulation, entry, dining. We could do 2 bedrooms in 820 SF.

So 1100 for Main, 820 for two ADUs, now we're talking about 2740, or $1.1M. We trimmed almost $200K, but it's still a very big number.