In This Economy, Name Of The Game Is Remodeling

A word to the wise from the housing experts: in a down real estate market, it pays to just stay put.

But for restless homeowners looking for a change, the pros point to the rampant remodeling trend seen across the country—renovating and updating commonly-used rooms, such as kitchens, living spaces and bathrooms—as opposed to costly moves.

“It’s definitely something that we’re seeing, now more than ever,” Matthew Rimi, marketing and public relations coordinator for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry New York City/Long Island Chapter, said during a telephone interview last week.

“It used to be a seller’s game. Now it’s a buyer’s game,” he continued. “When the market was good, people were very willing to say, ‘Okay, the bathroom looks terrible or the kitchen is outdated. Let’s see what our options are elsewhere.’ People are not getting face value for their homes at all, so they’re really exploring their remodeling options that will be more cost-effective.”

To point prospective remodelers in the right direction, Jennifer Lindahl, vice president at Alex Dzieman Building Contractor in Sag Harbor, will give the talk “Remodeling Your Home Today” on Thursday, April 5, at the Hampton Bays Public Library. And Bohemia-based Benco Construction founder Patrick Bentivegna will be on hand to answer specific questions at the end of the seminar.

The two experts will also tackle one of the largest remodeling misconceptions surrounding green building, which has exploded over the last three years, Mr. Rimi reported. Homeowners are looking down the environmentally friendly avenue, but they’re met with hefty dollar signs, he said. Thus, the truth and myths about the high cost of going green of will be a point of discussion.

Typically, remodeling a bathroom will run between $8,000 and $10,000, Mr. Rimi said. A kitchen will normally cost around $12,000, he said. Those price tags only increase when incorporating green products.

At first, the rumors are true. Going green with efficient heating and lighting systems, for instance, can be extremely expensive, Mr. Rimi said. But over time, there is a return on those investments and they end up boosting the home’s value, he explained.

To increase the lifetime of their houses, homeowners are also remodeling with universal and aging-in-place designs and products—making the home accessible for all ages and body types, and retirement-ready.

“You’re allowing the home to grow with you,” Mr. Rimi said, “and your family.”

Universal design is all about being accommodating to everyone living in the household, he said. In the kitchen, for example, choose a sink that a standing adult, young child or someone in a wheelchair can use. Other remodeling trends include removing the front lip from any stairs or entrances, and widening the halls for wheelchairs or baby strollers, he said.

“If you were empty-nest parents and you have your children coming to live with you again because the economy is so bad, those are the kind of changes you’ll need to make,” Mr. Rimi said.

An element of universal design is repurposing rooms formerly reserved for one or two family members into living spaces for the whole household.

“I hate to use the term ‘man cave’ because it’s so overused, but that’s a big one for people,” Mr. Rimi said. “They want to make it universal and don’t want it to be so overtly screaming, ‘Man cave!’ so that no one wants to step foot in the room. Cinema spaces or smaller-scale projection rooms are being turned into general, common living areas.

“It’s all tying into the big picture: the economy,” he continued. “Make the home a comfortable space to live in with a leisure quality to it.”

And make it comfortable for as long as possible, Mr. Rimi added. An aging-in-place remodeling hot spot is the bathroom. Install non-slip surfaces in the shower and consider grab bars, Mr. Rimi suggested.

“In years past, the grab bar has gotten a bad, horrible, ugly name because they’re not very attractive,” he explained. “But grab handles for showers are very attractive, and there are now a variety of shapes and sizes that make it look less like a clinic and more like home.”

Before making any moves, the first step is finding the right contractor—one who is properly licensed and insured, Mr. Rimi stressed—and nailing down a contract.

But watch out for shady dealers, he warned.

“It’s very, very easy for a smooth-talking contractor to come in and give you this long, wordy document that has a bunch of real estate jargon that leaves the homeowner scratching his head and asking, ‘Where do I sign? Because I don’t know what any of this says,’” Mr. Rimi said. “That’s a huge problem for people.”

Any contract needs to have all of the specifics, he explained, down to the faucet sizes and shapes. Nothing should be a verbal agreement.

“You can’t just take someone’s word for it. You have to have everything written down,” Mr. Rimi said. “I’ve heard millions of horror stories about contractors taking their money and running with it. Don’t let yourself be one of them.”

The free seminar “Remodeling Your Home Today” with Jennifer Lindahl and Patrick Bentivegna will be held on Thursday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at the Hampton Bays Public Library. For more information or to register, call 728-6241 or visit hbay.suffolk.lib.ny.us/index.htm.