by Peter Corbett – Oct. 25, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
It has been a homeowner’s quandary since move-up cave dwellers first thought of striking out for roomier digs.
Remodel or relocate?
Today, it’s a decision that is complicated by a slowdown in home sales and credit tightening that has limited how much money that homeowners can get from home-equity lines of credit.
Clark Worthley, owner of Case Remodeling Scottsdale, said homeowners have become more cautious in renovating their homes. They are focusing more on the basics rather than some of the frills that were common a few years ago, he said.
“We always counsel people that if you want to stay in your house, you like your neighborhood, we can remodel it to better suit your needs,” Worthley said.
Kitchens and bathrooms are the mainstays of remodeling but some owners choose to redo their entire home.
Terravita makeover
Gerry and Marge Carlson used Case Remodeling to fully renovate their 15-year-old home in Terravita in north Scottsdale. That work was finished earlier this year.
The Carlsons, semiretired accountants from Topeka, Kan., had rented their home for the past decade and wanted to bring it up-to-date before they moved in.
The three-bedroom, two-bath home got new tile and carpeting, and it was repainted inside and out.
New counters, cabinets and appliances were installed in the kitchen, and the master bath got new counters and a walk-in shower.
“It’s a long-term investment,” Gerry Carlson said. “We wouldn’t come out too well if we tried to sell now, but we don’t plan to do that.”
The Carlsons had the advantage of not having to live in the house during the renovation, which, of course, is one of the downsides of remodeling.
Still back in Kansas, they had to oversee the five-month project by phone.
But Case Remodeling did a good job and it worked out well, Carlson said.
“Going this way was a good option for us,” he said.
Green remodeling
Worthley, who bought a Case Remodeling franchise three years ago, said he got into home remodeling because of his interest in green-building practices.
He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador in the 1980s working on biogas-generating plants and did energy trading for Arizona Public Service Co. Now, he serves on Scottsdale’s Green Building Advisory Committee.
Worthley said he would like to see more people embrace green-building options but the higher costs deter many homeowners.
“It hasn’t taken off with as much vigor as I would have expected,” he said.
However, some homeowners are choosing that option, including Marti Yates and DeeJaye Lockwood.
Yates did a green remodel of an investment townhouse near Eldorado Park in Scottsdale last year.
Now, she has taken what she learned from that to do an affordable green renovation of her Arcadia home.
“I think of myself as an ordinary homeowner . . . who wants to re-create my home in as environmentally friendly manner as possible but on a realistic budget.”
Lockwood is doing a complete green renovation of her home in the historic Town & Country Scottsdale neighborhood.
That includes an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, insulated ductwork, solar panels and an insulated roof with a reflective barrier to reduce heat gain.
Lockwood, a Realtor specializing in green homes, said that green-building materials are comparable in costs to other high-quality materials.
“It means you’re making your home healthier and you’re investing money to save money,” she said.
“Plus, there are so many things you can do that don’t cost a lot, such as adding insulation in the attic,” said Lockwood, who is also on the city’s Green Building Advisory Committee.
Worthley, the remodeler, said many of the Valley’s older tract homes were built when electricity was cheap and the houses are energy-inefficient.
An energy audit to find some of those inefficiencies can be worthwhile, he said, adding that there are lots of easy ways to save home energy costs.
It can be as simple as switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs or fixing leaky air ducts, Worthley said.
A version of this story may have appeared in your community Republic.
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