Fairfax-Total Green Remodel

When we took our first look at this house we were blown away by the possibilities. The property had an amazing setting, with sweeping views of greenbelt and Mt. Tamalpais, but also had not been remodeled or updated in many, many years. We had our hands full with orange shag carpeting from the 70's, (it was groovy, man, but it had to go...) plywood cabinets, a deck that was precariously unsafe and needed to be replaced, and wallpaper on almost every wall. We also only had 2 and a half months to do a total remodel, down to the studs, in every room. We had to move in by the end of December or we would be homeless. And that would not have been groovy at all.

We also made our own concrete counter tops using guidelines from Cheng Design in Berkeley. While this took a few weeks from start to finish, it ultimately saved us almost $10,000 when compared with comparable counter tops. We took very precise measurements and built the templates and forms in our garage. We then proceeded to forget to flip them over, even though we were warned repeatedly about this, and had to start over. Then we rented a concrete mixer locally, and poured the counter tops ourselves. Once "cured," the largest piece, with steel rebar to reinforce the narrow parts in front and back of the sink, weighed almost 700 lbs and took 8 people to move from the garage to the kitchen. It was a major production, but ultimately well worth it.

We made an effort to do everything we could in a sustainable manner. Some of the "green" elements in our construction:

• "NO VOC" Paint on all walls and ceilings
• All High-Efficiency Energy Star Appliances, including the most efficient washer, dishwasher, and fridge on the market. (20+ year old appliances donated to neighbor who needed them...)
  
• Locally made tile from Heath Ceramics in Sausalito
• Concrete Countertops- made ourselves using Cheng Design Guidelines
• GreenQuest Cabinets from Crystal Cabinets- FSC-Certified, 100%-recycled wood with no Formaldehyde.
  
• Reclaimed wood flooring from Northcal Wood in Ukiah
  
• "NO-VOC" water-based wood stain for all flooring
• Recycling of all construction debris at Marin Sanitary in San Rafael
• Reclaimed wood and steel vanity for master bath
• Low flow, dual-flush toilets in both baths
• Low-flow shower heads in both baths
• Motion-detector lights in both baths that go off with no motion (makes reading in the bath difficult, at times...)
• Outdoor Motion-detector lights on both porches and entryway 

Heath Ceramics "Oval" Tile

Kitchen Before and After - Fairfax "Green" Remodel

Living Room - Before and After - Fairfax Remodel

Master Bath- Before and After - Fairfax Remodel

before

after

before

after

Fairfax, CA - Construction - "Green" Remodel

kitchen (and master bath downstairs)

When we bought the home it had orange shag carpeting throughout. In order to replace the upper deck, which our inspector found had been rotted and precariously unsupported on one side, we had to take out all the floors in the upstairs kitchen and living room, as well as the ceilings in the master bedroom and bathroom, so that we could put in long enough joists to support the whole deck. You can see some pictures of the construction by clicking on this link. When we took out the ceilings in the bathroom we also found an old beehive that was no longer populated- pretty amazing they had found a way into the ceiling of the bathroom from the outside and had been living there, seemingly undetected. Bees these days...

We had serious time constraints for the project: We took possession of the house in early October, and only had until December 28th to finish demolition, add the new deck, add hardwood floors throughout the house, completely remodel the kitchen and two bathrooms, add new plumbing and electric everywhere it was needed, add a new gas line to the kitchen, paint the whole place, and mold and pour new concrete counter tops. So we basically had two and a half months to completely gut and remodel the entire house. And we were doing it all with permits, of course, so we had to have every step inspected. Needless to say, from the day we took possession of the house we had work going on almost every minute until it was done.

We decided to create our own concrete counter tops for a couple of different reasons. For one thing, they are a lot more "Earth-friendly" than granite, Caesarstone, or other options we found. We also had a large area of counter space to deal with- a complete "U" shape that took up the whole kitchen... so when we priced out the materials we liked we were getting quotes above $10,000. After everything else we had done this was just too expensive for us. We had always been interested in trying to do concrete counters and had been following Fu Tung Cheng and the amazing work he was doing with Concrete Exchange and Cheng Design in Berkeley, so we decided to try his method. If you ever decide to do this please don't hesitate to contact us because we learned a lot. It was fun but not always easy.

The basic steps for the counters: We took really precise measurements once the GreenQuest cabinets were in, and then made templates for each counter piece we would be putting in. Because they are concrete, they get incredibly heavy, with the largest piece (the one around the sink, with steel rebar reinforcement for the narrow area in front and behind the sink) weighing in at almost 700 lbs! We then made "forms" out of old Melamine in order to create a smooth surface. We had six separate pieces to make, so we had to make six forms. We then rented a concrete mixer, somehow managed to fit it in our small jeep, and had a couple of very interesting and messy days mixing the concrete and pouring them in the forms. (We needed something like twenty 80-lb bags of concrete mix...) Once they had "cured" after about 4 days we were able to remove the forms and move them to the kitchen. We then had to polish and wax them. We really love how they turned out- we really like the rough edges and smooth tops. We finished polishing them and waxing them the day before we moved in. After that we installed the oval tile from Heath Ceramics... literally as the movers were bringing in furniture.

The Finished Product

Russian Hill, San Francisco- Loft Remodel

Probably one of the more unique condo units in San Francisco, this top floor loft in Russian Hill was a fantastic project for us. Every heard of a loft in Russian Hill? There sure are not that many. We refinished the floors, put in Energy Star appliances in the kitchen, and completely remodeled the large, walk-in closet. This property was a really great investment and served as a great income property for many years, in one of the most convenient and beautiful locations of the city. It has sweeping views of the Bay Bridge, the Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill, and the Bay, and is walking distance to all the great restaurants on Hyde, Polk, and in North Beach.

Total Home Remodel - Pool Addition Edition

When we purchased this investment property, it was in need of a total remodel, and had not been updated since 1946! We completely gutted the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms, and added an Energy-Star efficient saline pool and beautiful landscaping in the back yard. We also added a tankless water heater for additional gas efficiency, as well as fencing and a toolshed. Follow the link to see pictures of the construction and the "big dig" for the pool, including the addition of rebar and concrete prior to adding tile from Walker Zanger. Here are some pictures of the pool construction in all the different stages- The "Big Dig," the steel rebar and plumbing, the gunite and tile ready for water, and the finished project:

Total Home Remodel

We really had our hands full here. We were trying to live in this house and remodel it from top to bottom at the same time. The house had not been updated since 1946 and really needed a lot of work. Ultimately we had to move out to another investment property while we did the kitchen and master bathroom. In the end we gutted the kitchen and both bathrooms down to the studs, put in all new cabinets, Energy-Star appliances, counter tops, and a tankless water heater. We also refinished the original floors in a nontraditional fashion with some creative paint and stain work.

"Butler's Pantry" - After

Master Bath- After

"Butler's Pantry" -Before

Master Bath- Before

Kitchen - After

Kitchen- Before

Total Home Remodel- More "After" Pics

Here are a few more "after" pictures of the completed project:

House Purchase, Remodel, Rental, and Sale

We purchased this cute little two bedroom home with trepidation, as it had been under one owner - or more accurately one family- for more than 50 years, and had not see much in the way of remodeling. They also had cats and green shag carpeting... not the best combination. But the price was right and it had great potential. We took out the carpeting, put in new hardwood floors, painted the place from top to bottom, completely revamped the back patio, and rented it out for a couple of years. Ultimately it turned out to be a great investment. We even lived in it for a few months while our own home was being remodeled, and made some great new friends across the street.

Condo Purchase, Remodel, Rental, and Sale

We bought this total fixer condo as an investment property back in 2004. It needed a ton of work. We ultimately remodeled the entire place- took out the old carpeting and put in some earth-friendly bamboo flooring, then remodeled the kitchen, put in new tile and remodeled the bath, put in all new wood and frosted glass doors, and painted the place. We rented it out to some great tenants for a few years and were able to get a great return on our investment when we sold the property. Here are some "before and after" pictures:

before!

Great Value in Larkspur

We saw a great starter family home in an excellent location in Larkspur today. It is a small house but you can walk to downtown Larkspur, the neighborhood is very nice, and there is a nice backyard area. The home has high ceilings, skylights, a one-car garage with extra storage, and it looks like the owners have made a lot of improvements recently, including new heating and central A/C, a new Trex deck in the back, a very nice kitchen, updated electrical, etc. It just had a good feeling to it and is surrounded by nice homes. Only 2 bedrooms and 1 bath but it seems like a good deal at $779,000.

Amazing Historic Sausalito Home...the only private Sausalito home on the National Historic Register

We just listed this fantastic Old Town Sausalito Victorian home for rent... the only private home on the National Historic Register in Sausalito, built in the late 1800's. It is worth a gander if you have not checked it out. Here is a link to the listing on Postlets. And here is a description: Located in Old Town Sausalito, this pre-1900 Victorian gem is on the National Register of Historic Places. A charming three bed, two bath home with hardwood floors, a wood-burning fireplace, bay views, and a short walk to downtown Sausalito and the ferry. Outside are mature blooming gardens, a white picket fence, two patios, and an off-street parking space. Downstairs are a bonus room & walk-in basement for art studio or storage.

New Rental Listing in Tiburon - Amazing Views

We just listed this fantastic short or long-term rental in Tiburon. Very pet-friendly. Here is a link to the listing via Postlets and here is a more thorough description: 2 beds, 1 bath...Sweeping views of the bay, the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Tiburon from this romantic pet-friendly cottage hideaway in Tiburon. Watch the sailboats and enjoy the sun from your giant deck before you retreat to a wonderfully private, quiet, and bright one bedroom furnished home with a separate office, studio, or guest room. Other features include a remodeled kitchen and bathroom, a living room that opens onto the large deck, a gas firestove, and an outdoor dining area. There are also two storage areas and a new washer and dryer included. Less than a ten-minute walk to downtown Tiburon and the waterfront.

New Listing- Classic Mill Valley Home on Cascade

This great home, situated up a grand driveway on an estate-size lot of 2/3 an acre, sits up amongst the redwoods and is just blocks from town. Rumor has it that this 3 bedroom, 2.5 house was once owned by members of the Jefferson Airplane, though we are having a hard time confirming this rumor. But what a great home! Built in 1906 this is really true vintage Mill Valley. Several levels of property, brick patios, a large fountain area, and the majestic redwoods really make this a great home for indoor-outdoor entertaining. Listed for $1,995,000 by David Pfeiffer in our office at Pacific Union.

Home of the Week- 429 Green Glen Way

The first open house for this fantastic property was just yesterday, and for the 20 minutes we attended it felt like about 30 people came through. That is because for the price- $848,000- you can't do much better than this right now in Mill Valley. Even though this is a smaller house, there are three bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, an amazing open kitchen and living room, expansive decks with a view of Mt. Tamalpais, and the house has been carefully remodeled with some really great finishes including stainless steel countertops, a Dacor 6 burner cooktop, 2 fireplaces, a whole bunch of skylights, timbertech decking, and beautiful brazilian cherry floors. The lot is over 10,000 square feet and has a play area in the back for kids and a fenced in area in the front which would be good for dogs. Upstairs there are two bedrooms and a bath, with the master bedroom opening out to the front deck, and downstairs there is another bedroom and bath which could work as an au pair unit, a guest bedroom/office, etc. Like 18 Hazel it is definitely not for those looking for a McMansion. But perhaps due to all the outdoor space (which makes it feel almost like a mini-estate) and the great layout of the house it definitely feels bigger than it is and we guess this will be in escrow within a week. Listed by Lars Jakobsen, Coldwell Banker Mill Valley.

July 21 UPDATE: As predicted, we have been told this property now has an accepted offer- so just over a week!

Not listed yet- Amazing deal coming up at 18 Hazel

There is an amazing deal coming up at 18 Hazel- a great cedar-shingle home set in the Redwood trees, walking distance to town via the Dipsea Stairs, built in 1928 but remodeled more recently, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,345 square feet, on a street-to-street lot.... all for only $869,000. We saw it yesterday, and think it will probably sell quickly at this price. When you walk in there is an open kitchen and a living room, with a porch off a dining area. It is not a huge house but it is in a really beautiful location, and big houses are bad for the environment, right? So you can be a tree hugger and actually hug the redwood trees on your lot knowing that you are doing a good thing for the planet by not living in a McMansion. It is a quick walk down to town and a vigorous, heart-pounding walk back up the Dipsea stairs, so you can also keep in top physical form while you get your Peet's coffee. Bob Marks in our office has the listing and it will be open this Sunday, July 12, from 1 to 4pm and reportedly will be on the MLS next week, if no one buys it before then.