Conference 7.286::home_work

43.0. "Additions, Kitchen" by DELNI::GOLDSTEIN (Baba ROM DOS) Mon Feb 01 1988 15:37

    We're looking for a "new" house, and given Boston prices, nothing's
    quite right.  One house we did see was pretty good for the money,
    but had two things missing, a lavatory (one john ain't enough) and
    sufficient kitchen space.  The "eat in" kitchen was just too small.
    
    So methinks, is it possible to expand this kitchen and still keep
    the house in our net price range?  It's a middle-aged Colonial (1930s
    is best guess) with a very good open basement and concrete foundation.
    The kitchen is in the left rear corner of the house, and presently
    has a tiny mudroom to the back door.  What I'd like to do, if it's
    affordable (if not, we don't choose this house), is extend the kitchen
    to the rear to make it more "eat in", and add a lavatory while we're
    at it.  Here's the rough layout:
    			 ------
    			 \ mud|
         ----------------|- \ ----window---|----window-----
	 | porch not |  |                  |
         | over      | s|     kitchen      
         | foundation|  |                      dining room
         |           |  |                   
   drive |real wall->|  |
   way   |           |  |         -------  |
   here  |           |---|        |range|  |    note - s is sink
         |           |ref\        |-----|  |    along countertop
         ----------------|    |------------|    (cabinets over, under)
         |  stair to \        |chimney     |
         | basement  |        |            |
         |      -----||      |-- fireplace-|         

    The room is about 12 feet from sink to dining room, but the chimney
    stack cuts into it leaving a small eating space. 
    
    What I was thinking was extending out to the rear, replacing the
    mud room with a room-width extension of eight feet or so.  If the
    plumbing stack stayed in place, how much would such an addition
    (maybe 80-100 sf) cost?  It's beyond the foundation so it would
    presumably sit over a crawl space.
    
    This will need a general contractor.  It's in Arlington, MA.  Any
    guesses (order of magnitude) as to how much such a job will cost?  Who
    could do it or give an estimate?  Thanks. 
        fred 

I have no idea what it would cost, but that never stopped me (or my fellow
noters) from offering an opinion  8-)

A real rough number for construction is probably in the $75/square foot range
give or take some.  However, kitchens and bathrooms (I assume my lavatory you
meant a 1/2 bath since tecnhically a lavatory is only a sink) are the MOST 
$$$'s.  For example, a full bath usually runs around 3K just for plumbing and
fixtures!  Kitchen cabinets start at several K and literally don't stop.

I guess what you really need to do is to sketch a couple ideas out and show
them to a builder.

-mark

Fred,
I can't - for obvious reasons - give you an estimate or a referral, but I
can give you my two penn'rth....  

i)  If you are going to rough out a few plans and get a few quotes think
    about increasing the size of the extension and get quotes for a larger
    version as well.  The reasons for this are:
    a) the incremental cost of (say) doubling the size of the extension will
       be trivial in comparison to the overall cost .
    b) the value added by a larger extension will disproportionally greater.
    c) I think that you will be _bound_ to find that building out eight feet
       will not give you the extra space that you _really_ need. 
    Remember you're only going to do it once so don't cheesepare - it isn't
    worth it.

ii) Remember to allow for the cost of an architect or structural engineer.

iii) On your quotes get the cost of the fittings and fixtures itemised 
     separately.  Certainly you can spend thousands of dollars if you want
     to, but you can also sensibly spend _much_ less: this is the area where
     you have _real_ control.

iv)  I don't know what your State's building code says about locating 
     lavatories, but in the UK you could not have a lavatory directly off a 
     kitchen - are you sure that you can do that ?  (Footnote re .1  In my
     book "lavatory" = "john" = "bog" = "khazi" = "s**thouse", but <> "sink" !)

v)   Build it yourself - if you're like me all you have is time not money. 
     Don't tell yourself you can't - if you're not crippled, and you're 
     possessed of a modicum of common sense and patience - YOU CAN !

Henry Gillard - TSC Sydney