Cost of pop-top renovation

[Anonymous]

We just finished popping up over our garage, plus some interior remodel, adding about 600 sq ft total. It was a bit north of 300k.

[Anonymous]

Just add big family room and forget pop-top.

[Anonymous]

Lots of folks saying to bulldoze and renew. For many folks who bought in the $600-$650k range, which many of these small brick capes are going for in somewhat desirable areas, this is quite a costly proposition. Maybe at a price of $300-400k, but at $600 you already have a pretty decent sized mortgage. A new home is going to run another $400-500k minimum with a 1600 so ft footprint and no fancy finishings. That’s now a $900-$1M home with two large mortgages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just add big family room and forget pop-top.

How much is this? I want to expand a small family room by adding 200 square feet off the back (doubling room size) and redoing kitchen. I was hoping for this to be 300,000 or less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks saying to bulldoze and renew. For many folks who bought in the $600-$650k range, which many of these small brick capes are going for in somewhat desirable areas, this is quite a costly proposition. Maybe at a price of $300-400k, but at $600 you already have a pretty decent sized mortgage. A new home is going to run another $400-500k minimum with a 1600 so ft footprint and no fancy finishings. That’s now a $900-$1M home with two large mortgages.

LOL at a new home costing 500K minimum. We talked to builders when we were exploring a teardown and most of them don't get out of bed on a new home for under $750. We're in a predicament because it actually makes the most economic sense overall to tear our house down and build brand new, but we just don't have 750+ to spend on it. So we will renovate the inside as best we can for about 400, live here for 10 years until kids are out of the house, and then whoever moves in next will probably raze it and start over.

[Anonymous]

Haaaaa you are probably looking at at least $400k. It would make much more sense to just tear your house down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just add big family room and forget pop-top.

How much is this? I want to expand a small family room by adding 200 square feet off the back (doubling room size) and redoing kitchen. I was hoping for this to be 300,000 or less.

We are getting quotes in the low $100s for a 250 square foot one-story addition, if that helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised at thr 250-300k quotes. I looked into this in 2019 before Covid and was getting the 200-300k range.

We got a quote before covid and didn't do the project; returned to it after covid and the price had tripled. Also we did a bathroom before COIVd and one after -- first one was 15K, second one was 40K. No appreciable difference in the two rooms.

Basically, they jacked up prices due to supply chain and labor issues during covid, and since people paid it, they never adjusted back down, even though their costs went down. Greed.

[Anonymous]

Growing up a house "upwards" is the most expensive option to add square footage to your house. In a DC townhouse, you are looking at costs of $250-300k. This design option will affect the second floor A LOT because you will need to make room for a new set of stairs.
As a matter of cost, adding to the rear is about 3/4 the cost per square foot to the first option. A 2 story rear addition may cost $200-250k.
the third option is to gain spaces in the basement. Finishing it and adding natural light through window wells may cost $100-150k depending on the structural alterations you need to make.
I do A LOT of these types of additions and the initial assessment of cost and feasibility is the MOST important discussion you want to have before starting the design.
Feel free to reach out if you need clarification about how to add space to your house.
All the best,
ileana schinder
architect
www.ileanaschinder.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just add big family room and forget pop-top.

How much is this? I want to expand a small family room by adding 200 square feet off the back (doubling room size) and redoing kitchen. I was hoping for this to be 300,000 or less.

We are getting quotes in the low $100s for a 250 square foot one-story addition, if that helps.

That is what I was thinking. $100k for the family room, $200K for the kitchen. Obviously there will be some work to integrate it all together, but very helpful to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just add big family room and forget pop-top.

How much is this? I want to expand a small family room by adding 200 square feet off the back (doubling room size) and redoing kitchen. I was hoping for this to be 300,000 or less.

We are getting quotes in the low $100s for a 250 square foot one-story addition, if that helps.

That is what I was thinking. $100k for the family room, $200K for the kitchen. Obviously there will be some work to integrate it all together, but very helpful to know.

PP here-- just want to be clear that we are not the kind of high-end folks who would possibly spend anywhere near $200K on a kitchen reno, so if you have the kind of tastes and priorities that would get you that high, your price for the family room might be higher than ours too... ours is intentionally value-engineered to keep costs down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just add big family room and forget pop-top.

How much is this? I want to expand a small family room by adding 200 square feet off the back (doubling room size) and redoing kitchen. I was hoping for this to be 300,000 or less.

We are getting quotes in the low $100s for a 250 square foot one-story addition, if that helps.

That is what I was thinking. $100k for the family room, $200K for the kitchen. Obviously there will be some work to integrate it all together, but very helpful to know.

PP here-- just want to be clear that we are not the kind of high-end folks who would possibly spend anywhere near $200K on a kitchen reno, so if you have the kind of tastes and priorities that would get you that high, your price for the family room might be higher than ours too... ours is intentionally value-engineered to keep costs down.

Thanks - good point, although I can’t imagine what is needed for a “high end” family room. We don’t need built ins or fancy molding.

[Anonymous]

I was told by a builder (not exactly a quote) that a pop-top on my Silver Spring cape would be $200k ($30k more to include a bathroom), a first floor addition would start at $300k, and the tear down would cost $1m. Though I agree the tear town sounds best - I don't have $1m.