It’s been awhile since I’ve posted an update on My Remodel. Rest assured things are going well, I am awaiting a few details before posting on our design and builder choices. In lieu of such a post I thought another remodel success story was in order.

Whenever I am discouraged or nervous about some aspect of our project this post on Design Sponge always lifts my spirits: Design Sponge - Lisa and Todds PDX Bungalow.

Click on through to read the full details, but here are a few after/before thumbnails:

What an amazing transformation!

Recently the City of Austin considered an ordinance that would require “Visitability” features to be installed in all new homes.  We had great discussion here about the costs and benefits of these requirements as well as the appropriate scope (and potential redundancies) of city building codes.  See these posts and comments here:

• Mandatory Visitability for New Homes in Austin (14 comments)
• Update: Change in Proposed Visitability Ordinance (10 comments)

One of my favorite Austin blogs also had some great coverage & comments:

Austin Contrarian - Visitability

On Wednesday the City passed a Visitability Ordinance which included two requirements:

• 30” clearance on one lower-level bathroom door
• Reinforced bathroom walls in this bathroom to allow for grab-bar installation

Requirements covering entrance ramps, wall switch and outlet heights, and lever door handles did not make the final version of the ordinance.  For further details here is the Statesman coverage:  Statesman - Austin approves two ‘visitability requirements

With these two requirements the City attempted to find a compromise which minimized up-front costs while providing some benefits for people with disabilities.  That seems reasonable. 

Through passing this ordinance the City has made its position clear on some of the issues we previously discussed:

1. All homes should be able to accommodate people with disabilities (up to a reasonable cost)
2. It is within the city’s jurisdiction to write building codes based on visitability.

I have a feeling that some people may be fine with 30” doors and reinforced walls but may not be as comfortable with the underlying implications I listed above.

It’s just about time for another Austin Cool Homes Tour.  Needless to say, I’m excited. 

Background

Every year the Texas Solar Energy Society and Austin Energy Green Building put on a tour of Green Homes in the Austin area.  This tour is a great way to promote green building and encourage other homeowners to consider options for making their homes more efficient.

Here are my thoughts about the 2007 Austin Cool House Tour.

2008 Austin Cool House Tour

The 2008 tour is this Sunday, June 22, from noon to 6 PM.  As usual you can buy your guidebooks (which are also your tickets) at Central Market for $15.  Here is a sneak peek of the 2008 Cool House Tour guidebook (PDF).

Full details here: Austin Cool House Tour 2008 Website

Here is a map of the 18 houses, a lot for 6 hours (locations are approximate):

I’d recommend carpooling.  It’s greener, it’s fun to talk about the homes with friends as you drive around, and of course there’s the dreaded cost of fuel.

See you on Sunday!

There was an interesting article in today’s Statesman about the growing popularity of “Contemporary Homes” in the Austin area.  Here is a snippet:

Custom homes take a contemporary turn

By Sue Durio, Austin-American Statesman

…Increasingly, Austin home buyers are adopting home designs that combine the clean lines of contemporary architecture with the natural materials and warm finishes of the Hill Country. The resulting style has been dubbed Texas contemporary, Hill Country modern, Hill Country regional, even Texas industrial. Regardless of the nomenclature, the look is catching on among homeowners seeking an alternative to Old World and Spanish-influenced home designs….

Check out the full article here: Statesman.com - Custom homes take a contemporary turn

The growing popularity of modern homes may not come as a surprise to readers of this blog, (see my list of Austin Modern Homes for sale) however the article is still worth reading.  Several local builders and designers give their opinions on design characteristics of “Hill Country Modern” and why they think it is becoming more prevalent.

The article suggests that custom home buyers (rather than spec builders) are driving this trend.  I think this is true at the high end of the market ($1M+), however there are several speculative builders and remodelers operating in the $250k-$750k range who aim for a modern aesthetic. 

Another good quote, from Tracy Miller (of Miller+Greene Design Studio ):

"Tuscan is still popular, but it is getting overdone. I’m seeing a lot more direction toward contemporary. It seems to appeal to a lot more people and has a lot of staying power."

I agree.

Give it a read, and let me know what you think!  Is the “Coastal Influx” responsible for this trend?  What % of your friends would prefer a Texas Modern Home?

We had a lot of great comments on my last post about the possibility of mandatory visitability features for new homes in Austin.

Here’s an update from the Austin Business Journal on changes to the proposal:

Austin officials take controversial homebuilding rules off the table

Austin city officials have scaled back a proposed ordinance that would have required all new single-family homes to have features such as wheelchair ramps so they’re more accessible to disabled individuals and the elderly.

The scaled-back ordinance will be presented during a public hearing and considered Thursday by the City Council…

The scaled back requirements are as follows:

• blocking in the walls of one first floor bath wall to allow for the installation of grab bars
• minimum of one first floor entry door that is at least 32″ wide
• all first floor doors at least 30″ wide
• lever handle hardware on 1st floor doors
• max height of 48″ for switches, thermostats and eletrical disconnects
• min height of 15″ for electrical receptacles and plugs

The article also mentions incentives to encourage builders to include more expensive visitability features:

…City Council Member Betty Dunkerley, who proposed the ordinance, says costly rules such as requiring builders to install ramps or no-step entrances will be sent back to stakeholders to include in an incentive or bonus program. If such features are installed the city may give builders increased floor-to-area ratio or impervious cover, says Dunkerley…

This revised ordinance appears to minimize cost to builders while allowing future homeowners to easily install visitability features as needed. The use of incentives to encourage builders to implement more costly visitability features preserves choice and provides the city with a mechanism to increase the supply of homes with these elements.

Read the full article here: Austin Business Journal - Austin officials take controversial homebuilding rules off the table

What do you think? Still too many requirements? Or not enough?

Having recently experienced the City of Austin permit process it’s interesting to hear about an additional set of requirements. This story popped up today in one of my real estate news feeds:

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) – A proposed city ordinance could require local home builders to equip all new single-family homes with features designed especially for disabled individuals and the elderly…

The article mentions the following proposed requirements:

• at least one building entrance on the first floor served by a ramp or no-step entrance
• doors that are at least 32 inches wide
• hallways that are at least 36 inches across and level with door thresholds
• first-floor bathrooms with reinforced walls capable of supporting grab bars

Perhaps this proposal was made with the best intentions, but is it necessary? Many of the above requirements can be installed on an existing home. Is there a shortage of homes with these features?

When government must intervene, I prefer the carrot to the stick. Instead of a hard requirement, could the city provide an incentive for builders to include the above features? This would preserve the choice for builders/homeowners and address the issue (with sufficient incentive).

What do you think? Share in the comments!

Check out today’s Google Logo:

A nice Birthday shout out for Walter Gropius. Pretty neat!