Cedar St. Bungalow
The owner inherited this Berkeley bungalow from his father in 2015 and decided to do an extensive remodel and put it back on the market.
Project Challenges
The bungalow was typical of many of the homes that were built in the Berkeley/Oakland neighborhoods that date back to the ‘20s and ‘30s—small rooms and closets and limited counter space.
- The owner hadn’t invested much in home improvements over the years, and the appliances were dated, the flooring and countertops were worn, and there was dry rot.
- Considerable work needed to be done to bring this property up to current building codes.
- We gutted the house down to the studs and repaired the areas that had been affected by dry rot, reframed the windows and walls to meet building standards.
- We removed and replaced 85% of the foundation and did a complete seismic upgrade.
- Structural engineers on the project, Frameworks Engineering, designed the new foundation and the framing for the home’s 220 sq.ft. addition.
The Results
We transformed the dated bungalow into an energy-efficient, bright, modern home. Because the owner was going to flip the house, he could have minimized his construction costs with inexpensive solutions. Instead, he chose enhancements that truly added value and made this home attractive to today’s energy-conscious buyers. We installed insulation, LED lighting and dual-pane windows throughout the home. The owner also chose quality appliances, marble countertops and refinished the hardwood floors. The addition of 220 sq.ft. helped make this traditional Berkeley bungalow more attractive to potential buyers. To no one’s surprise, it was quickly snatched off the market.
The owner inherited this Berkeley bungalow from his father in 2015 and decided to do an extensive remodel and put it back on the market.
Project Challenges
The bungalow was typical of many of the homes that were built in the Berkeley/Oakland neighborhoods that date back to the ‘20s and ‘30s—small rooms and closets and limited counter space.
- The owner hadn’t invested much in home improvements over the years, and the appliances were dated, the flooring and countertops were worn, and there was dry rot.
- Considerable work needed to be done to bring this property up to current building codes.
- We gutted the house down to the studs and repaired the areas that had been affected by dry rot, reframed the windows and walls to meet building standards.
- We removed and replaced 85% of the foundation and did a complete seismic upgrade.
- Structural engineers on the project, Frameworks Engineering, designed the new foundation and the framing for the home’s 220 sq.ft. addition.
The Results
We transformed the dated bungalow into an energy-efficient, bright, modern home. Because the owner was going to flip the house, he could have minimized his construction costs with inexpensive solutions. Instead, he chose enhancements that truly added value and made this home attractive to today’s energy-conscious buyers. We installed insulation, LED lighting and dual-pane windows throughout the home. The owner also chose quality appliances, marble countertops and refinished the hardwood floors. The addition of 220 sq.ft. helped make this traditional Berkeley bungalow more attractive to potential buyers. To no one’s surprise, it was quickly snatched off the market.
