Lifespan Home Modifications has transpired as a result of a great deal of research and a passion for creating meaningful spaces.  The best way to learn more is to visit www.LifespanAtHome.com.  Symetria will be phasing out over the next few months as we change our focus to Lifespan.  Hope you come along for the ride!

Just picture a landscape fabric tortilla in a trench filled with delicious round gravel.

The other night I heard the rain pounding on our roof as I lay cozy in my bed.  I knew that the next morning, I would be able to let our two ducks out and guide them over to the small run-off pond we installed when we built the home.  It has been empty all summer and the poor ducks have missed frolicking away the day in their 12 foot diameter “resort” pool. So, in the morning, with my hot coffee in one hand and my umbrella in the other, I guided my feathered friends over the they now brimming pond.  As I was standing there, I admired the water flowing into the pond from our burrito.  Burrito???  Yes, the water was flowing magnificently out of the end of our 200 foot long “burrito” of gravel and fabric.  Ok, most folks don’t call french drains burritos, but we did when we found out we needed one.

When we dug the hole for our home in the early spring of 2006,  the hole proceeded to fill full of water.  That is not so uncommon, except that – IT WAS NOT RAINING!  I immediatly knew that I was going to have to deal with some un-expected expenses just to get started building our home.  The solution was a long and deep (6 feet deep and 2 feet wide) french drain on the upper side of our homesite that would catch all the lateral water movement that was traveling on top of the hardpan and into the area of our home - a long gravel burrito….  My wife asked me, the keeper of the construction budget, if the “burrito” cost had been accounted for in my numbers.  Although I had accounted for some drainrock and piping, I had certainly not included this tastey appetizer. 

There were a few other “burrito” type events that I could not have forseen such as the fact that right below a portion of my foundation was some rotten logging debris from who knows when.  I had to dig down an extra 4 feet and then compact crushed rock to create a new, solid area for my foundation to site on.

The moral of my burrito story is that no matter how much you try to anticipate every line item that will come up in the course of your project, there will always, always be a burrito in your future. So, that becomes a line item in itself.  You need to include a contigency in your budgets, either a little in each section, or as a lump number line item.  Not only will you be more relaxed during the process when things arise, you may also end up with a nice pond for you pet ducks!

So you are considering tackling that laundry room project you have been thinking about for years.  It involves moving some plumbing, new flooring, paint, a few new cabinets and a new coutnertop for folding clothes.  Not a huge project, but also one that you don’t really want to tackle yourself. 

So here’s the plan!  We are going to write down all your goals so we can make sure we are meeting them – including budget.  Next we are going to determine what parts of the project you can do yourself such as demolition and painting.  Next we are going to list the  materials selections for the project which is always the fun part for me.  We can determine where those materials will be purchased and at the best price.  Then we will refer to my list of subcontactors to see which ones we need to employ.  Now we have the who and what figured out!  What about the When?

We need to put together a schedule for your project that includes ordering materials, scheduling deliveries, and getting the subs lined up.  I love this part too! Come to think of it… I love all the parts!  That’s why I love my job.

So, you have me on the team a few hours here and a few hours there and the next thing you know, you completed your very own remodel by being your own general contractor.  Nice job!

Down the hallway or down the stairs?

I was reminded recently about a basic design principle that is simple but very effective. ” Walk Towards The Light!” or, the placement of windows and lighting in areas that draw you into the space, is perhaps one of the best design elements to incorporate into your new home or remodel designs.

I have heard two great designers talk about this.  One is Sarah Susanka, of the Not So Big House fame.  The other, and one that I am more familiar with, is Tessa Smith of The Artisans Group.  It was Tessa that showed me how to incorporate this basic designer feature into designs over and over. 

When you walk around a corner, you should either walk towards a window or a lit area such as a wall that has a focal point or a nice little element.  We are programed to like this at an instinctual level.  Dark Cave?  Danger!  Pretty trees out the window? Pleasant!  Last year I finished a wonderful custom home in Littlerock that Tessa designed.  She really used the “walk towards the light” feature a great deal and it showed.  Almost every hallway and site line featured a window or a lighted area to draw you into the space.  This tidbit, and many other wonderful features in the home, won it the People’s Choice Best of Show  in this years Olympia Master Builders Tour of Homes! 

Look for this the next time you enter a home or walk through yours.  You will notice the absence of this feature if you are looking for it and appreciate the pressence when it’s there!

Olympia Federal, a bank that I have done a great deal of business with over the years, including my personal home mortgages, is still a great local bank to do business with.  Oly Fed currently is requiring 20% down on constrcution lending.  Although they have done 90% loans in the past, current Mortgage Insurance requirements are keeping them at the 80% mark.  Owner builders create a “profile” of themselves that explains why they feel that Olympia Fed should consider them as owner/builders.  This approval is helped when the homeowner can list a consultant like Symetria as being on their team.  Banks like this!  It makes them feel like the project will run smoothly and get completed on time and on budget.  Barbara Whitlow, Tami Hale and the other loan officers are great to work with.  Olympia Federal Savings

Timberland Bank also has an owner builder program in place.  Similiar to Oly Fed and for the sames reasons, they are also requiring 20% down on these loans.  Most banks will require the same type of information when you apply for a loan. Plans, bids, desprition of materials and a cost breakdown.  Of course, you should always get pre-approved by the lender before you get too far in the process.  Rachael Bergeson, at the Marvin Road branch, has been helpful.

Washington Federal is self insured and the benefit to the homeowner is that they are still able to do 10% down constrcution loans.  Jeff Albright, in the Pacific Ave branch, will require the same type of documentation and welcomes the use of a building consultant on your team.  Washington Federal underwrites the construction loan and the permanent financing at the sames time, saving you a second loan when you complete the project.

All three banks mentioned that appraisals are tough right now and the ability to save money by being your own general contractor will help to get the appraisal in where you need it.

We decided to have a community event to celebrate green innovations in our region through education in sustainable building practices and living greener lives.

This year’s tour will showcase the greenest homes and buildings in our area that incorporate significant use of solar or other renewable energies, new and reclaimed materials, low energy consumption and water conservation technologies, and sustainable design techniques.

Educational sessions will be held at various locations and feature real life topics on how to think and live greener.  See our website (when it’s up and running) for more details. 

Symetria Consulting, based in Thurston County, offers a unique service to the building community. We help average people, with little or no building experience, build or remodel their own homes. If you have ever wanted to design and build, or remodel your home, but had doubts or questions that prevented you from doing it, we can help.

Symetria can answer your questions and relieve your doubts. We provide you with the tools and information you need to make informed decisions and successfully build the home of your dreams or tackle that remodel.

We start by interviewing our clients to get an understanding of their budgets, construction knowledge, and expectations. Then we provide a basic information package that outlines the building process, explaining the steps involved and what to expect as the project progresses.

As the process unfolds, we provide additional support, as required. Our services include consulting, pre-design and design support, estimating, lender relations, research, referrals, project inspections, plan review and complete day-to-day site management if you desire.  Please see our services page for a complete description and FAQ’s.

In short, we do the research and coordination, so you don’t have to.  We educate our clients so they get the best built home or remodel, in the shortest amount of time, for the least amount of money. 

This countertop is granite that was prefabricated with finished bullnose. Inexpensive but elegant...

“We just loved all of you and always felt that we were in such great hands in the making of our home.  Sometimes I look around here and can hardly believe we have so many beautiful changes.  One day I love the floor, the next the cupboards, next the stove, etc.  You were such a fun and enjoyable character to have involved in the project and hopefully you still are a wild and crazy guy”

Anita Solt