Remodeling Decisions Need Fresh Viewpoint
If you ask an expert whether it’s worth spending $15,000 to remodel a mobile home in a rental park, the chances are that he or she would advise against it.
What if the mobile home is in Newport Beach, right on the water, with boat docking facilities for some units, on a space with a monthly rent of about $400?
The “expert” might have a change of heart, right? Right!
The client who came to architect Paul Bozarth, 557 Sturgeon Drive, Costa Mesa, was a tenant in one of the more unusual mobile home parks in Orange County, Bayside Village, 300 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Owned by the Irvine Co., the park is noted for mobile homes with extensive “cabanas” attached to and--in many cases--surrounding the units.
The client, John DeSilva, obviously liked the location, but he was unhappy with the architectural lines of the cabana, Bozarth said. It looked added on--a mobile home sandwiched between a carport and a living room addition.
“After carefully examining the existing unit, we decided that a total face lift was called for,” he added. “A few years ago, it wouldn’t have made sense to remodel a structure like this: We would have torn it down and put up new one. Construction costs have gone up, making a remodeling economically feasible.”
The scope of work--architectural lingo for what the client and architect agree is to be done--included simplifying the busy roof line and fascia, replacing louvered windows and aluminum sliding glass doors with French door, removing the dropped ceiling to expose ceiling beams, remodeling a fireplace and constructing a 50-square-foot pop-out to provide a dining room where the front door once was.
“The new front entrance is the brand new gate, part of the scope of work that included redwood fence and gates, new wood decks and a brick entry walk,” Bozarth said. Although the total increase in square feet is a mere 50 square feet--to a total of 1,050 square feet--the overall effect is that of a much larger addition, thanks to the ceiling modifications and the new dining room addition.
