Question: Over the past few years I have remodeled every square inch of my small 1921 home near Venice Beach. During that time the property value has increased significantly. I would like to continue to improve the property by adding a garage, three more bedrooms and two more bathrooms. The home is about 1,000 square…
Question: We are planning a remodel of our home which is about 1,400 sq. ft. We currently have a large living room (357 sq. ft.), a dining room (136 sq. ft.), and a kitchen (125 sq. ft.) we are planning to remodel. We are thinking of possibly opening up the walls between these rooms to…
Question: We’re adding a deck and are thinking of either a NanaWall (retractable window wall) or going with more traditional French windows. The basic idea is to integrate the outdoor and indoor spaces. Have you had any experience with such construction and/or any tips on what approach is preferable? The NanaWalls are certainly more money.…
Question: We are a couple living in a four-bedroom house. I would like to take a bedroom adjacent to the master and turn it into a walk-in closet and dressing area, and use some of the space to enlarge the master bathroom. My husband is concerned that losing a bedroom will decrease our selling price…
Question: I have a galley-style kitchen with a laundry room on one end. I want to move the washer and dryer to the garage, remove the wall separating the laundry room from the kitchen and use that space to make my kitchen bigger. But when I sell the house, will buyers balk at the washer…
Ever wish you could ask a licensed contractor some remodeling questions with no hint of pressure to sign a contract? Here is your chance. This week’s guest expert, contractor Alon Toker, will be answering your remodeling questions online through Sunday. Here are the facts: Name: Alon Toker Title: President Company: Mega Builders, Chatsworth Contractor’s License…
Question: I am interested in taking the carpeting off the floors in my condo (I think there is plywood underneath), and putting in bamboo flooring. Is this something a do-it-yourselfer like me could do? Also, I heard that some bamboo is not really “green” and comes from countries where ecological damage is done to harvest…
Question: We are preparing to install a cover on our courtyard and want to use fiberglass columns as the corner braces. Do we need to attach these to our pavers (and how?) or will the weight of the attached cover be sufficient? Answer: From Pamela Berstler of Flower to the People: For this answer, I…
Question: My husband and I are looking for a home in the San Fernando Valley and are finding a lot of 1950s-era homes in our price range that need some serious updating. Is there any rule of thumb we can use as a guide to estimating what these remodeling issues may cost? I’m interested in approximate…
Question: I saw an episode of Flip That House where the house in Thousand Oaks had Corian counters in the kitchen and the flippers didn’t think that looked like a million-dollar house, so they covered the Corian with granite tiles. Later, the real estate agent said they should have taken the Corian off completely and…