By Mylene Thomas and Jessica Cannon

Your 203(k) renovation can still meet your style standards.
This renovation was an overhaul of the entire home including, but not limited to, the plumbing, electrical, dry wall, painting, existing bathroom, kitchen, and exterior. What made this job particularly interesting was the installation of a full master bathroom within a master suite in what was originally just an attic space. The additional challenge for this 1946 South Arlington Cottage style home was that this property had been vacant for over a year and was then purchased by a 1st time homebuyer with a FHA 203(k) loan. We now had a challenging design concept for a crumbling home to create a luxury space on a significant budget.

The attic space was a 9’x 11’ open room with a window and ceiling fan. A lot of research had to go into this project to accommodate the contemporary sense of style the homeowner had and the budget we had to work within. We closed in the existing window to use the area with the full height ceiling for the shower space and installed a full bathroom with standup shower stall, vanity and toilet. My favorite design feature was the ceramic floor tile that looked like the hardwood with gray undertones you found in the rest of the home. We also maintained the integrity of the original Cottage style home by adding shutters on the exterior of the window we had closed off.

At the end our client, Rachel Dendui, had this to say, “FA Design Build helped me navigate the 203(k) Renovation process. Their designer [Jessica Cannon] provided expert advice, and drew the plans for a beautiful bathroom out of a tricky floor plan.”

By Mylene Thomas

FHA’s 203(k) loan for your fixer upper that you’ve either just purchased or you already own falls into one of 2 categories: Streamline or Standard. “Standard/Rehab (minimum $5,000 up to 110% of the improved appraised value) & the Streamline (work is less than $35,000…up to 110% of the improved appraised value).

Example: Purchase price is $100,000. Upgrades/Repairs/Improvements will cost $15,000. Borrowers loan amount is $115,000 (max 110% of after fix-up appraised value).”*

The good news- we handle them both. It’s often a difficult task to find a qualified Class A General Contractor with the ability AND willingness to sign on for either one. We are experienced and qualified to handle 203(k) projects and that alone can make a world of difference to you and the lender when going through the administrative processes as well as the obvious remodel. If we as your contractor do not meet the approval of your underwriter based upon the standards set out by the lender and the FHA program then we aren’t your contractor and you’re stuck up a creek without a paddle.

Thankfully that’s never happened to any of our homeowners and the 203(k) renovations were a success. Our most recent rave comes from a client’s lender who is known for his expertise in navigating the 203(k) process. Nice to know the experts approve of us too!

“Hope to refer you more business.  Great service!  Thanks, Bob” (Bob Miller, Southern Trust Mortgage) – January 19, 201

* www.203kcontractors.com

Copyright 203KContractors.com®

By Mylene Thomas

If your teenager, or significant other for that fact, is anything like mine then they have a built in filter that blocks any noise coming from your mouth. I don’t have nice countertops for that exact reason. I have a dedicated space just for cutting boards. Small cutting boards, medium cutting boards, large cutting boards, cutting boards for meat with a draining system, cutting boards for vegetables with a built in colander…you get the idea. However, when my 15 year old daughter makes her lunch salad the only thing she cuts on is my kitchen island counter top. It drives me crazy.

Since my voice apparently comes out sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher I have decided to change my surroundings rather than fight the laws of a teenager’s nature. I’ve always thought I’d wait until all my kids were out of the house to do this upgrade, but by then I’ll be blogging about which hover round model is the best. Thankfully there’s Cambria. Honestly the upfront costs are pretty comparable to granite countertops. The real cost savers are in the maintenance. It can withstand the wear and tear and stains associated with my destructive family. Plus, since it’s a quartz product like granite, it mimics a lot of the same aesthetic qualities of granite. Let’s face it who has time to refinish their countertops when last week’s clean laundry has made its way back into the dirty pile…and it’s still clean. Grrrr… At least I won’t be scrubbing my countertops with a toothbrush to get the yuck out of the knife grooves inflicted on it anymore. Ahhhh….

We have a great selection of Cambria samples in our Fairfax showroom. Come check it out and while you’re there win a gift card to Palio’s Restaurant and let someone else cut up their kitchen counters!

By Mylene Thomas

A man designed my bathroom. He didn’t realize that in order to achieve the Victoria’s Secret model bed head sexpot hair it required an arsenal of curling irons, brushes and hair products with names that sound like they belong in a romance novel. This man didn’t realize the amount of creams specified for daytime protection ONLY to fight off the signs of aging from the cleaning up after 3 children, the dog and his muddy boots. These daytime creams will do absolutely NOTHING for the insomnia, and, so, I need the night time creams to ward off the bags and wrinkles. So, I will NOT apologize for the bathroom counter covered in my beauty war zone.

If you choose to enter the battle zone then come prepared.

Remodel my bathroom with Medallion’s Simplicity Storage Solutions. Save me from the counter burns from my curling irons for each perfectly sized curl and buy the salon styling cabinet with the various shaped salon grade metal canisters.

Help me organize the many shades of pink blush designed to adapt to each season and shade of white or tan I may be and get the custom drawer inserts.

 I forever promise to cherish you and do my best to keep my girlish glow for you and for my sake, but please for the love of God give me the bathroom to do it and I promise I will not infiltrate your garage for my storage solutions.

Email Jessica and she will take the work out of it. Don’t worry; you can still take credit for it and the thank you for it afterwards.

I bought a townhouse 8 years ago and rented it out for a couple of years. When I decided to sell it I knew that it would need a serious facelift. Once I got into it, however, I realized this was going to be a lot more than my diy-er wanted to handle. $20,000, 2 months of daily work for 2 people with full time jobs and families, new tools, forfeiting summer vacations… and oh by the way did I mention I was very pregnant?

So, when do you know what to do on your own and when it’s time to call in the experts? Can’t you take credit for the beautiful new home even when you stroked the pen instead of swinging the hammer? Or is it like Thanksgiving dinner when your in-laws compliment you on the fabulous apple crumb pie that you totally bought in the frozen section and you technically baked so you reply with a somewhat guilty “thanks”? Where’s the line between I can do this myself and I don’t need to have my own show about this because I have a full time life already?

Come talk to me at the Fairfax Community Home Show March 10-11, and then listen to Nicole Curtis, DIY’s “The Rehab Addict”.

To add on to the last post about remodeling your kitchen, I thought why not give some helpful advice on remodeling your bathroom as well! Like the kitchen, your remodeling ideas should start with a rough plan. Again, make a list of what displeases you and what you want to change or add. Evaluate how you use your bathroom and how you want it to accommodate your needs. In the morning, do you want to get in and out of the bathroom as quick as possible, or would you rather have a more relaxing bathroom and spend more of your time in there. It’s all about how you as the user, wishes the bathroom to be according to your needs and wants!

Bathrooms are a popular home remodeling project. It involves a lot of similar decisions to the kitchen. Remodeling a bathroom is a great way to add comfort and value to your home. Bathrooms have gained an important status within the household, and instead of just being a functional room they are now as interesting and decorative as the other rooms within a household. Evaluate your space, do some research online and in magazines, to help you develop your new bathroom design. Think about which fixtures you will want, and what style pleases you. Choosing brushed nickel bath fixtures and accessories will give your bathroom a fresh modern look. Bath fixtures and accessories are widely available in this popular finish. You’ll not only find faucets and shower heads in this nickel finish, but, lighting fixtures, knobs and drawer pulls for cabinetry, towel bars and racks, tissue holders and all the typical bathroom accessories that are needed to furnish a bath. Adding tile in the bathroom can also help increase value, and looks great! Building a decorative boarder around the shower, or putting in a backsplash can really help accentuate the room. For a bath that is looking out of touch with the times, and a little worn around the edges, a fresh coat of stain and new knobs and handles on your cabinetry in this brushed finish will give an even newer appearance. Sometimes selecting a darker stain is a good option, and the darker stains are very trendy these days, in both flooring and cabinetry. A newly stained vanity with fresh new hardware will often pass as a new fixture to friends and guests in your home. Remodeling a bathroom will increase the dollar value of your home, and this is one home improvement that will be a good investment. Aside from the pleasure your new bath will give you, if in the future you sell your home, having remodeled your bathroom will both increase your home’s value and its selling appeal.

Remodeling kitchens and bathrooms are collaborative efforts. Although you get inspirations from magazines, you do not get a kitchen or bathroom out of them. Depending on your space, needs, budget and taste, your kitchen or bathroom should be a reflection of a collaborative effort to ensure that you will have a great remodeling experience!

A new lavatory faucet/bathroom faucet has caught my eye. American Standard has developed a faucet for the bathroom that has a pull-out faucet/head…exactly like a kitchen faucet. The “outreach” faucet looks like a typical 4” center-set faucet at first glance, at second glance; this faucet is far from typical.  It is a pretty simple concept, we use pull-out faucets all the time in the kitchen, but this is the first time I have seen a pull-out for the bathroom.  Kudos to American Standard for this well designed and functional faucet.  I started out designing bathrooms 7 years ago, I’ve seen a lot of faucets in my time, but never one where the functionality of a faucet took precedence over the design….why didn’t someone think this up earlier? It makes sense…kitchen pull-faucets are very popular, why not a bathroom pull-out faucet?

I was faucet shopping online for one of my clients and came across this fabulously functional faucet. I took some time to really think about this faucet before writing this, beginning with a look at my own lavatory faucet and sink.  What I found, embarrassingly, on the sink was toothpaste, makeup, mouthwash, and hair…yuck.  If I had the “outreach” faucet, would my bathroom sink be cleaner?  While examining my sink, my cat Scarlett leapt onto the countertop and snuggled her way into the sink….more hair.  Then the light bulb went on…if I had the “outreach” faucet, I could bathe Scarlett in the bathroom sink, instead of the kitchen sink! Genius!

Consider these ideas that would make life just a little more simple and more fun:  men shaving (and cleaning little hairs in sink), washing your hair in sink, hand-washing delicate laundry, filling a vase with water, cleaning up sink and countertop, getting stains out of clothing (spot cleaning)….the list could go on and on, but I will stop it here.

Just a note that this is not a true review of this faucet, I have not used this product…but I hope to soon in one of my next bathroom designs (any takers???)

The pull-out of the “outreach” faucet extends 24” and is available in two finishes: chrome and brushed nickel.  It appears to me that this product is available exclusively through The Home Depot. The chrome finish faucet retails for $98.00 and the brushed nickel for $118.00.  This price is fantastic, especially considering that the faucet has a ceramic disc valve cartridge (a must in my book for a faucet) and cast brass construction.  The faucet also has a lifetime warranty on function and finish….what else could you want?

Well, there is one other thing that I would like, and that would be to see this faucet in an 8” widespread version. I’m not a huge fan of a 4” center-set faucet….though this faucet might just change my mind about the 4” spread.

If you are considering using this faucet at a retro-fit (replacing your existing faucet and not the sink and/or countertop) – be sure that your current faucet is a 4” center-set faucet. If you have an existing 8” spread or single-hole faucet, this faucet will not be a good fit.

How do you renovate your bathroom when you only have one? Renovation in a one bathroom home, a situation that many of us here in the DC area encounter, can be a tricky situation and a major disruption to your usual lifestyle. It’s important to know what to expect prior to your contractor ripping your bathroom apart…instead of realizing after the fact that you don’t have a place to do your “business”.

As someone who has been in this position (renovating my one bedroom / one bathroom condo in Del Ray, Alexandria), I have some tips and tricks to share, many of which I wish I knew about prior to my renovation, but we live and learn so I thought I’d share this valuable info:

1. Plan ahead and talk with your contractor.

Make sure your contractor knows that this is your only bathroom and discuss how long the renovation will take. Not only will you not have a bathroom, but the contractor also will not have a bathroom on site. Remind your contractor of this so he can make other arrangements if necessary – - like a port-a-john or public facilities close by.

2. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about sharing their bathroom.

Many of us have friends, family, or neighbors that would be happy to share their facilities. This situation is ideal, but not always possible – - see below for more tips on how to make do with what you have…….

3. Don’t remove the toilet until you are ready to install the new one (if possible).

If you are doing tile work on the floor, your contractor will have to remove the toilet to install the new tile. Worst case scenario is you will be without a toilet for two days. The toilet is the most difficult convenience to do without, don’t try and get creative on this one, plan ahead and make sure you have somewhere to go.

4. Use the kitchen sink instead of your bathroom sink.

The kitchen sink is great for tooth brushing, face washing, and a general (showerless) clean up. I even used my pull-out kitchen faucet to wash my hair in the sink.

5. Do you belong to a gym or does your office have shower facilities?

Gyms or the office are often a good place to get cleaned up while your bathroom is under renovation. After a workout at the gym in the morning get showered and dressed for work. Or, if you dare, head into the office in your pajama’s and use the office’s shower facilities.

6. Make sure all materials/products needed for the install are onsite prior to demolition starting.

If all material is on site, there is less likely a chance that there will be issues or delays along the way. The quicker the install goes, the quicker you will be back to your normal routine.

Here is a great post by Wendy Jordan of HGTV about how Universal design makes bathrooms work for everyone, regardless of age, size and ability…read on!

The telephone booth-size shower is going the way of the telephone booth. And why not? With so many great shower features out there, people want big, beautiful showers where they can soak in comfort and style. Of course, once they pour creative thinking — and dollars — into a dream shower, they want it to serve them well for a long time. Universal design, an ingenious approach that makes sure designs work for everyone, regardless of age, size, ability and changing needs, helps ensure that the shower will do just that.

When it comes to showers, universal design and luxury have a lot in common. Some of the hottest design trends — large, walk-in showers with no doors; boutique tiles; versatile shower sprays — fit right in with designs that make showers safe, accessible and enjoyable to use.

As for size, your shower should be at least three feet square and have a wide entry, so there’s ample room to get in and move around. Designer Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD and a universal design specialist in Brookfield, Conn., says 42 by 60 inches is even better, particularly for showers that have no door or curtain. The larger space helps keep the water from straying out and allows someone in a wheelchair or walker to maneuver with ease.

Curved or angled shower walls have both design panache and universal design advantages, helping keep water inside and offering privacy even if the shower has no door. If you do have a shower door, make sure it swings out of the traffic pattern.

No room for a big shower stall? You can turn the bathroom itself into a “wet room,” another hot trend these days. In a wet room, the shower and bathroom share one big, open space that has an extra floor drain and slightly sloped floors for drainage.

Still trying to figure out how to fit a bigger shower into your small bathroom? Universal design expert Cynthia Leibrock of Easy Access to Health, Livermore, Colo., has a solution: Remove your bathtub and install a shower where the tub was. Most people prefer showers anyway, and they are generally safer and easier to use. The tub space will work fine for an accessible shower. Your contractor will have to make the shower entry barrier-free and level with the bathroom floor. Instead of a solid rim at the threshold to contain the shower water, Leibrock recommends a compressible plastic strip; it holds in the water but is easy to roll over and won’t be a tripping hazard.

A Universal Shower

Okay, you’ve carved out the space for a universal design shower. Here’s a checklist of features to make the shower work well for the whole family.

Seating. Some people want or need to sit in the shower, and some don’t. If you recess a bench into the shower wall or install a fold-down seat, everyone will be happy.

Sprays and controls. An adjustable handheld shower spray is the way to go for maximum flexibility. It slides on a wall-mounted rod, and can be locked into place or pulled out on a retractable hose. In other words, it’s where it needs to be, whether the person in the shower is tall or short, standing or seated.

Put the controls where they can be reached from the shower seat and from outside the shower. Leibrock advises choosing a lever or other style that’s easy to grasp and turn. You’ll need valves to keep the water temperature safe; as Peterson points out, controls for these belong out of reach of children.

It’s a good idea, adds Peterson, to install a second shower spray overhead. That lets the kids take a shower even if Dad or Mom left the adjustable spray too high for a child to reach.

Wall niches. You’ll want at least two wall niches for soap and shampoo: one by the seat for kids and seated bathers, and another up higher for standing adults.

Flooring and walls. For a non-slip floor, go with tumbled stone or non-glossy ceramic tiles, preferably mosaics or other small pieces that are embedded in a dense network of grout. Grout lines are good because they add texture, but they should be thin to keep the surface smooth.

Leibrock recommends tiling all the way up the shower walls and even across the ceiling. After all, a handheld spray can shoot water everywhere. But those swaths of tile don’t have to be monotonous. Add decorative accents that look great and help orient people who may need a few visual cues as to what’s where.

Lighting. You’ll want good lighting in the shower and at the entry — no surprise here. But the best place for overhead lighting in the shower may not be dead center. Peterson suggests getting into the proposed shower area to figure out where to locate the light so it won’t be blocked by a bather.

Grab bars. Grab bars have a bad reputation. People think they are ugly and belong only in hospitals. But grab bars now come in wonderful colors, chic shapes and elegant finishes, often coordinating with other bathroom accessories.

It’s best to put grab bars at the shower entry as well as in the shower at various heights to provide welcome handholds and prevent falls. If you don’t want grab bars now, at least add blocking for them while the walls are open for construction of your shower. That way, when you decide to put in a few grab bars, the job will be inexpensive and easy.

Wendy A. Jordan writes about residential design and remodeling. Her book on universal design was published in 2008.

The 203K program enables HUD (Department of Housing and Community Development) to promote and facilitate the restoration of our existing housing.  It is HUD’s primary program for the rehabilitation and repair of single family homes.  HUD’s main goal is the revitalization and expansion of homeownership throughout our communities.

203K operates through FHA’s (Federal Housing Administration) approved lending institutions that submit applications to have the property appraised and to get the buyer’s credit approved.  The 203K program allows that buyer to just have one mortgage loan, at a long-term adjustable rate to finance the purchase and rehabilitation of the property.  The mortgage is based on the projected value of the property once the work is completed.  Once the mortgage is disbursed and an escrow account for the rehabilitation is established, the lender will have a fully-insured mortgage loan.

Eligible properties are one-to four-family dwelling units that have been completed for at least one year.  The units must meet the local zoning requirements.  The program is also eligible for condominiums that have been approved by the FHA.

Only certain lenders and subcontractors are approved by the FHA to participate in this program.  Flooring America/FA Design Build is an approved 203K subcontractor and we have completed several properties through this program.

Please visit www.203kplus.com for more details.  Stay tuned for our next blog which will discuss the 203k Streamlined(k) program.