Our Central Austin Home Search
Thursday, May 15th, 2008 at 9:26 pm 
By Ryan BrownThis is the second post about my modern remodel in Austin, Texas.
Click here for all ‘My Remodel’ posts.
We started our home search about 4 years ago. We wanted to find a small home in Central Austin that we could live in immediately and remodel in the future. Like every home buyer, we were first concerned with location and price.
Step 1 - Use Map data to find target areas
To help narrow down our options we began by plotting homes for sale in a way that would allow us to quickly evaluate the price relative to the area. We used Google Earth to visualize this data, here is an example map (icon colors indicate relative $/sqft):
Mapping the relative prices of homes for sale allowed us to quickly identify areas and properties we could afford, or where there was an anomaly (a good deal). We honed in on these areas and began looking at houses.
Step 2 - Look at houses to buy and to learn
We probably toured at least 100 homes. Large homes, small homes, new and old. This gave us an excellent understanding of the home values for the different areas. Seeing the new homes gave us ideas for what to do (and not do) when it came time for our remodel.
Side Note: It is a good idea to check out remodeled homes in your area when planning a remodel. This not only gives you ideas, but also helps you understand values in the area.
Step 3 - Evaluate houses for living and remodeling
When we found a good price/location match, we then had to examine its potential for remodeling. Here is a list of the criteria we considered:
- Lot size & orientation
- Tree locations
- Power lines at side or rear
- McMansion Ordinance Implications
- House condition (aesthetic & structural)
- House location on lot
All of the above will determine the possibilities for an addition/remodel. In our case the lot orientation and tree locations as well as the condition of the existing home were most important. The lot orientation and tree locations not only determine where you can build (due to protected trees) but also the sun exposure and prevailing winds - very important for an efficient home.
As to the homes condition, we had two rules:
- The home had to be livable, because we needed to move in immediately. This was not only to get a feel for the existing spaces and the lot, but also to meet the neighbors and enjoy the area.
- The home had to be mostly original. We did not want to pay for someone else’s remodel that didn’t meet our taste or standards.
Conclusion - What we found
Ok, I know what you’re thinking - “Get to the point. What did you find?!” We found a few great homes, made offers on 4, and had 1 offer accepted. During the option period we had an architect and builder review the site to make sure we hadn’t missed anything. With a clean bill of health we closed and moved in to this home:
Click below for more photos and details…
It had 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, a dining room, small kitchen, and living room. It also had a poorly built addition at the back of the house, which was used as a dog/laundry room. Here are more before photos:
As you can see, definitely livable condition. The home is on a large lot (7800 sqft), is shaded by several large trees, and faces East. Of course I had to build a quick Sketchup model during the option period to get a feel for the lot:
And then we moved in, and lived happily ever after… for about a year… stay tuned for my next post - “The Design”.
