Construction managers discuss making old Homewood houses new

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David O’Brien and his family always reminisced on how much they loved the pocket of neighbors around their first home in Edgewood. So, after spending a few years in a house across town, they made plans to move back, buying the house next door to the one they remember so fondly.

When they made plans to remodel however, they discovered the foundation—two bricks side-by-side—would not allow for the additions they needed for their young family. They decided to start from scratch.

Although it jumped from 1,300 square feet to 3,300, the O’Briens’ new home has almost the same footprint as the old one. They upgraded the structure a story-and-a-half, keeping the roofline lower to make the massing of the house feel smaller. O’Brien, an apartment developer by profession, actually reused several components from the old house like the mail slot, doorbell, beams, floor joists and foundation brick. The old house had siding, exposed rafters, brick accents and pine floors, as does the new house.

The beams and joists were used as accent beams inside the new house, and the bricks from the old foundation were used in the front and back patios.

“The old stuff makes a great conversation piece,” he said. “We feel like our house still fits into Homewood.”

They even selected an exterior color that they felt complemented the houses on their street.

O’Brien pointed out that some people who rebuild don’t try to match their new homes to the neighborhood, but it seems that many people are taking the community into consideration to preserve that same feel.

“We tried to keep that bungalow, craftsman style,” he said.

Because Homewood has no more land to develop, homeowners looking for newer updates in a house generally turn to remodeling, according to area builders. Lately though, Colt Byrom, vice president of Byrom Building Corp., has seen that more people prefer new construction to a remodel. However, they generally have to be able to justify the price of the construction with its end appraisal value to make it worthwhile.

Still, Twin Construction Vice President William Seigel said about 90 percent of Twin’s work in Homewood is renovations, and 10 percent is new builds. To him, the change in recent years is more in the quality of work he sees in the area.

“The trend has been toward less concentration on square footage and more concentration on quality,” Siegel said. “Since the market became more competitive on the construction side, homeowners have become more educated on the finishes they want in their home. Eight years ago the market was so good that people were just doing anything to their homes, and now people are focusing more on the quality of what they do.”

Seigel also noted that business in Homewood has been up every year since he began working in the area 10 years ago.

Builders said they feel it’s important to consider the style, color and architecture of existing homes when making decisions about remodeling or building.

“Our goal is to meet the clients’ needs with a layout but create a style of house that feels consistent with the neighborhood,” Seigel said.

He has found it is important to team up with a good architect who will ensure the scale and style keep with the surroundings.

 “Even in the new construction, people want to have reclaimed materials and the charm as if it was built 60-70 years ago,” Byrom said. “They pick out reclaimed wood, reclaimed flooring and cabinet and trim styles or trim that are period-specific from the 1930s and 40s.”

But what about size? How do they make a more spacious structure fit into a neighborhood of smaller homes?

“You get creative with rooflines as well as the footprint to make it look like it was built that way and that it was not an addition that sticks out,” Byrom said. “You can use similar architecture and materials. You can take advantage of attic spaces and existing rooms in the house that aren’t very functional. Outdoor living is also a way to add space to the home without adding on.”

Even with some architectural limitations, Homewood’s blend of Spanish, craftsman, Tudor and traditional styles gives homeowners and builders freedom to create something unique while still staying true to the character of the neighborhood.

“The good thing about Homewood is each home is different and unique, so it’s hard to do something that doesn’t fit in,” Byrom said.

Seigel and Byrom seem to have the same construction bug as O’Brien. Seigel and business partner and twin brother, David, have both renovated and built new homes in Homewood for their own families. Byrom’s newly remodeled Homewood home just sold, and he has purchased an outdated, single level block home on Whitehall Road—what he calls a “teardown on a good street.” He plans to build a new 2.5 story brick home with stone accents, five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, playroom, outdoor living room and kitchen open to family room for him, his wife and their two boys, ages 1 and 3.

No matter what construction projects residents take on, it’s the community’s mix of people and quality schools that motivate them to stay.

“People outside of Homewood may find it hard to imagine living so close to their neighbor,” Siegel said. “However, this is what makes Homewood so special. It’s a front porch community that is also convenient to downtown and the airport.”

“Everyone’s friendly, and when you go out to eat, you often see people you know. It has such a sense of community,” Byrom said.

Homeowner tips forstarting a construction project

Tips from David O’Brien

  • First, talk to the city to get an idea of what you can and cannot do on your lot. Zoning changes frequently, even within a year, and can affect your plans. After this, go to see an architect.
  • If you are trying to decide whether to remodel or build new, consider setback regulations. If your home is past its regulated setback, it is grandfathered in to stay at that distance. But, if you build new, you must follow the setback regulations.
  • If you can afford it, get a contractor to alleviate headaches. (O’Brien self-contracted his three home projects and now recommends this to others.)
  • Keep in mind the integrity of the neighborhood. Always take your neighbors into consideration and talk over your plans with them.

Tips from William Seigel

  • First, take your existing location into consideration. No matter what someone wants Twin to do to their house, we cannot change their location and their neighbors.
  • Then, look at the return on investment, both financially and personally. You have to consider if you will get your money back out of your house but also if this is where you want to live long-term and if it will it meet your family’s needs now and in the future.  Sometimes people weigh heavily on one side or the other.
  • Consider creative ways to match the existing look of your house with things like trims and finishes and make it blend into the neighborhood.