Did my remodeling story have a happy ending? Keep reading and find out.

Getting started

I moved to Austin from Louisiana last August, trading beignets for BBQ and a new job. I found a great condo in the center of town that was tired-looking and needed new life. Sort of like me. It was perfect. I had been itinerant for a full year with all my belongings in storage. To say that I was desperate for a space of my own is not an exaggeration.

A friend had recommended Wayne’s contracting services following her major — and stunning — remodeling project. So I took the bait and jumped into the world of remodeling, handing my life and money over to a complete stranger.

I am happy to report that this remodeling stuff isn’t that bad after all. I survived with my sanity intact. Unfortunately, some subcontractors with whom I had the pleasure of working did not meet such a fortunate fate. I don’t get it. I only called them 167 times a week at all hours of the day and night. Grow up, guys.

Week 1

Wayne and Mary took me out to Maudie’s. What a great omen, I thought to myself! This will be a happy and harmonious working relationship. And as fate would have it, we all ordered the same thing. Chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and house margaritas. This must be karma! We are at one with Mexican food. It did not escape my attention, however, that Wayne pulled out the remodeling contract shortly after my second margarita. Aside from the fact that I was seeing double and had temporarily lost my ability to comprehend the English language (a rather awkward conundrum for a speech pathologist), I had to go to the bathroom but couldn’t find it so I signed on the dotted line and off we went into the world of demolition.

Week 2

“Don’t worry, Mev. The twelve-foot-high mound of trash piled in your living room and the dust clogging your A/C filters are only temporary. Trust me! That grunge coating your windows? Not to worry. Someone will clean it up as soon as we figure out what it is.” Thank you, Wayne. How can you expect me to trust you when I cannot even breathe? Twelve A/C filters later, I resigned myself to a life on oxygen.

Week 3

It has come to my attention that things get done faster if I bring donuts. But not just any donuts. What’s wrong with Krispy Kremes, I ask? No, it has to be Shipley’s. OK, I can do that. Shipley’s is on my way to work. But then it has to be chocolate Shipley’s, and it has to be a truckload. OK, OK. I can do that. I just want to move into my condo! Wayne listens as he slowly, contemplatively fondles his donut. I feel for the first time that he has empathy for me. He nibbles on his chocolate Shipley’s, looks thoughtfully at me as I share my concerns about deadlines, and he offers the magic word: schedule. I am so grateful for the end in sight that I even drive to Round Rock Donuts, the donut Mecca of Texas, and buy him a giant apple fritter out of gratitude for proposing a completion date. But no, the stakes have been raised.  Now it’s tequila. What a cry-baby, I think to myself. OK, OK. Will Patron Silver do? He says yes and off we go into the world of change orders.

Week 4

“Wayne?”
“Yes, Mev?”
“I was just thinking I want to make a few changes to our original proposal. Nothing major. Just some electrical work, painting modifications, and a new vision for the renovation and how it will impact humankind.”
“No problem. I am here to serve you. That change order will cost you 216 dozen donuts, a magnum of Patron Silver, and $176,429.”
“OK.”

I couldn’t sleep one night thinking about the master bathroom.

“Uh Wayne?”
“Now what?”
“I was just wondering. What’s that weird box doing in my master shower? We didn’t talk about that. I know you’ve had a long week but can you wake up just long enough to explain it to me?”
“We had to do it that way, Mev, to hide some water pipes. Now go away.”
“But I don’t like it, Wayne. It’s weird.”
“Let’s deal with it in the morning.”
“OK, Wayne, but it is morning. It’s 4:45 a.m.”

Happily, the box problem got solved and I now have the most beautiful bathroom in Austin.

Week 5

I should interject here that tile, grout, and I go way back. It has been a tumultuous relationship. I narrowly escaped a PTSD diagnosis following tile-related remodeling projects in Tucson and Santa Fe, where I once lived.

“Hello Ron? This is Wayne’s client Mev Jenson. Remember me?”
“How could I forget? You call me every day about grout.”
“You’re doing the tile work on my Austin condo renovation. I know it’s 3:17 a.m. and you were probably sleeping, but I just wanted to make sure I told you Smoke Grey and not Natural Grey for the master bathroom grout.”
“Got it.”
“One more thing, Ron. Do you think Smoke Grey is the right choice?”
“Go away, Mev.”
“OK.”

“Uh, Ron? Hi again. Don’t hang up! I have this irrational fear that my grout lines will be discolored. Can you promise me that you will seal the grout?”

Click.

Week 6

I don’t know what it is, but choosing paint colors drives me nuts. Who knew there were so many options and so many choices to be made? It really should be a pleasurable experience. I mean, who doesn’t like color? I think the fact that there are 2,347,986 choices may have something to do with it. Damn that Kelly-Moore! Do I want Banana Crème, Acapulco Aqua, or Iced Chai? Do I want contrasting trim? What’s the difference between eggshell and satin finishes and who really cares? Do I want light colors that open the space or dark colors that recede? And what do those color terms really mean, anyway? Isn’t “recede” a word that applies to hairlines and not paint? Speaking of hair, mine is rapidly becoming Grey Morning Mist, or is it Weathered White? And so I made the decision to boldly move forward on my own into the world of the color wheel and let it spin me as it may. That hefty bundle of paint samples was my constant companion, occupying my front seat for months. It came with me to work, where I would longingly reach for it during a quiet moment, hoping for inspiration. It sat on my nightstand, waiting to comfort me during those sleepless nights when I felt blue and wanted to feel pink. Although I respect the role of a design consultant, I knew that such services would be limited in my case because my tastes are so specific and because all my stuff was still in storage and only I could imagine what it would look like.

“Hello Jaime? This is Wayne’s client, Mev Jenson. You are painting my condo. I know it’s 2:36 a.m. but I was just wondering if you think Banana Crème or Acapulco Aqua is the better color for my guest room? “
“I’m sleeping, Mev. Go away.”
“OK.”

“Hello Jaime? I’m so sorry. This is Mev again. I couldn’t sleep and wondered if you might join me in an iced chai to discuss colors that have names like Iced Chai and Mocha Motion.”
“Go away, Mev.”
“OK”.

“Hi again. It’s me. The sun is about to come up and before you get started on your day, I wanted to run this idea by you. I want my master bath to have a Zen-sexy feel. Like what the Dalai Lama might choose if he weren’t celibate. Any ideas on good colors?”

Click.

“Hello Jaime? Hello? Anybody there?”

Week 7

The crew is getting testy. I’m hoping the plumber won’t get wet feet and walk off the job. Just my luck, the floor guy will fall through the cracks. And I sure hope I won’t have to ground the electrician. The crews have finished their parts and only Jaime is left. Sort of. I can explain. I changed my color palate only 27 times, so don’t blame me. Blame Kelly-Moore. Jaime took it relatively well. The night he hung up on me, he was transported by ambulance to the state mental hospital. They diagnosed it as client-induced temporary psychosis. Huh? That’s just plain nuts. How come they didn’t blame Kelly-Moore? They induced it with their 2,347,986 color choices, not I. I have been visiting him in the hospital every day. He seems to be getting better. When I visit, I hold his hand, and we speak of happier times when color wheels were sources of inspiration and not tools of torture. Damn that Kelly-Moore!

“Hi Jaime. It’s Mev. I know you must be sleepy from all the meds, but I need to share something with you.”
“Who?”
“Mev. Mev Jenson. I’m Wayne’s client.”
“Who’s Wayne?”
“OK, so Jaime, there’s just way too much yellow going on in the condo. I cannot spend the rest of my life feeling as if I am living inside a banana. We need to repaint some of the rooms.”
“Zzzzzzzz.”

Week 8

It has all come together, by some miracle! My condo is now a home wrapped in delicious colors, organic textural tile, and exquisite lighting thanks to an exceptional crew. The pile of debris actually disappeared, and I cannot wait to make the space my own. Lowe’s will be relieved to have me out of their stock room, where I set up a temporary shelter during the past eight weeks.

This renovation could not have happened without the expert guidance of a Graduate Master Builder, who happens to be a general contractor with the patience of a saint and the generosity of heart to bring a homeowner’s dreams to life. He also has good taste in tequila. True, he did not ultimately accept donuts or tequila in lieu of payment, but who can blame him?

Some Things I Know

The truth is, I do know quite a lot about remodeling. Be specific about what you want. Trust yourself. Stay on top of all the things that are important to you because your contractor isn’t a mind-reader. Don’t assume he gets it. You need to tell him. Know your budget. Take charge. It’s your project. Choose someone with good credentials and a solid reputation.

I also know something about donuts. Apple fritters are the way to go. Bear claws will do in a pinch. And maybe I do know just a little about the meaning of life. I think it has a lot to do with relationships and how they are forged with laughter and love.

Happy Ending

And so my remodeling saga draws to a close. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Even though I now count donuts in my sleep instead of sheep, that really isn’t such a bad thing. I was never that fond of lamb, anyway. It has been a remarkably creative, fun, rejuvenating experience with a general contractor partner who listened, responded, and joined me every step of the way. The condo took on new life and so did I.

The process has grafted me into a new family of friends. We are a mosaic of colorful Talavera tiles intricately arranged and forever bonded. With grout. Oh dear, I hope someone remembered to seal it.

[Editor's note:  See photos of Mev Jenson's remodeled condo.]

She made careful, thoughtful selections and worked closely with us and our skillful trade contractors to get what she wanted.

We transformed an awkward master bath into a restful, Zen-like retreat. An upstairs bath was re-made in lovely, handmade Talavera and saltillo tile. We installed new wood floors, new lighting, new plumbing fixtures, and a refreshed kitchen. Our mason did handsome stonework in the entry courtyard and back garden. Our experienced painter consulted with the home owner and helped her narrow down her selection of colors for the walls.

The results are gorgeous, and now it’s a really beautiful, comfortable home.

Of course, not everything you do in a remodel is for looks. We also upgraded mechanical systems, moved some utilities, improved the use of storage space, and made many other practical improvements. In any remodel or new home, it’s always our job as general contractor to suggest ways to make your home more functional and efficient.

And did we mention how much fun we had? Good humor prevailed throughout the project, with everyone laughing along the way. You can read the home owner’s post on our Solluna Builders blog, where she tells about keeping the crew supplied in donuts and about the perils of the dreaded colorwheel.

Another recent experience:  I was using a construction material that was new to me.  I missed a few details in the planning  process.  I think the manufacturer and the sales rep assumed I knew more about the process than I really did.  For better communication, I could have asked more questions, and they could have spelled out the details in advance.

So how do I use jargon?

These recent experiences caused me to stop and think about my own use of jargon and assumptions when building and remodeling homes.  As I spend more time in this industry, I think I’m often guilty of using jargon and then just assuming the client knows what I’m talking about.

Definitions

Pondering this, I paused and dipped into the web for quick definitions.  An assumption is “something taken for granted.”  Wikipedia says jargon is “terminology used by people who work in a particular area or who have a common interest.  Much like slang it can develop as a kind of short-hand, to express ideas that are frequently discussed between members of a group, though it can also be developed deliberately using chosen terms.  A standard term may be given a more precise or unique usage among practitioners of a field.  In many cases this causes a barrier to communication with those not familiar with the language of the field.”

In other words, when I make the assumption people understand my jargon, it causes a barrier to communication.  That’s not good.

Jargon has its uses

I thought back to my previous career where I spent more than ten years as a visual communicator in commercial advertising photography.  There, it was my responsibility to interpret the art director’s layout and create the photographs they imagined.  To communicate, we used lots of terminology, slang, and jargon to communicate.  Somehow, it all worked out and we achieved the end result desired.

As a builder, my job is to interpret plans from the client and architectural designer and communicate these ideas – using lots of jargon — to trade contractors and vendors to achieve the desired end result.  In other words, I juggle chainsaws.  (Ah, there – I used jargon on purpose.)

When jargon gets us into trouble

The trouble is, communication can break down quickly when I let the use of standard building industry jargon spill over into my conversations with homeowners and when I assume they know what I’m talking about.  Throw on top of that the use of energy efficiency and green building terms, and you have the potential for a sticky thicket of miscommunication.  And that’s not good.

Communication techniques

So how can we get past the mistakes that can result from the reckless use of jargon and assumptions?  Here are a few communication techniques I try to practice:

At the very first meeting with a new client, I start by admitting that I sometimes slip into jargon that might be confusing or misunderstood, and I ask them to challenge me when I do.

I tell clients to stop and ask questions as soon as they come up.  Don’t wait for an explanation, because it might never come.

The trade contractors we hire are experts in their field.  They must also know how to communicate with clients in a very effective manner.

People all have different learning styles, so I know that I might need to present information in many different ways to make sure it’s understood.  I try to say what needs to be said at least three different ways.

As I learned in elementary school, I have to be good at show-and-tell.  It’s always helpful to have visual aids, samples, brochures, website information, and so forth.  There’s nothing better than allowing clients to discover information about a product on their own terms.

Patience.  Never lose it. Sometimes it’s frustrating to have to repeat myself, but it’s always worth it to take the time and make sure everyone reaches a common understanding.

Put it in writing.  Emails, contracts, letters, whatever.  The written word can’t be forgotten like the spoken word can.

Stop me

None of us are perfect communicators, but we should all do our best.  Do me a favor?  The next time we start a conversation and I wander off into jargon and assume you know what I’m talking about, just kick me in the shin and say, “Hey, talk to me in plain English, will ya?”

How do you plan for enough storage when you’re remodeling or planning a new home?  I called up Debra Blessman, CPBD, of Select Home Design to pick her brains about storage space.

Mary: What about the storage problem?  When you’re working on a home or remodel design, how do you help nutty people like me come to grips with the amount of storage space they really need?

Debra: One of the first questions I usually ask people is this:  How organized do you want to be?  Do you really want a place for every single thing in the house?  And they say, “What do you mean?”   Well, I say, are you tired of storing all your Christmas stuff in the attic?  Or would you like to have a closet where it can all fit neatly?  “Wow, I hadn’t even thought about that,” they’ll say. “But my Christmas tree is so large.”   And then I see their eyes glaze over as they mentally inventory their stuff.  When we’re talking about Christmas stuff, it dawns on them they’ve also got Thanksgiving stuff and Halloween stuff.  Not to mention camping stuff, plus the toys they’re saving for the grandchildren, and more.

Mary: For me, I don’t have so much holiday stuff, but I do have books and books and books and stacks of sheet music and nowhere to put it all.

Debra: Okay, and then there’s the discussion:  What would you like to do with your books?  Do you want them easily accessible in a library?  Viewable to your house guests?  Or would you be happy to pack them all up in a closet?  I’ll ask a client:  Do you want built-in bookshelves in your new house?  Or do you want wall space to put up your own shelves?

Mary: Me, I’ve got some nifty modular shelves I’ve used over and over.

Debra: There’s some stuff people want to store for easy access but not in plain view.  Right now, I’m working with some people to design window seats with storage underneath and both open and closed shelves on either side.  Some stuff you want to be on view, and other stuff you don’t.

Then there’s the whole issue of kitchen storage.  I met with a remodel client on Friday — nice large home where the “pantry” is twelve inches deep and seven feet tall.  Needless to say, she wants a huge walk-in pantry in her new kitchen.  I said, Well, of course, but tell me:  What do you want to put in the pantry?  Are you just concerned about storing food items, or do you want to store small appliances?  Are you a Costco shopper buying large quantities at once?  What kind and size of appliances do you want in the kitchen?  Are you a gourmet cook, or do you barely boil an egg?

Mary: Because their answer indicates how much kitchen equipment they’ve got, right?

Debra: Right.  I also ask:  Do you entertain frequently, so you need extra storage for napkins, serving dishes, tablecloths, and the like?

Mary: I hear you asking about lifestyle, instead of just asking people about their stuff. Why is that?

Debra: Good question.  When I ask people to just make a list of all their stuff, they sometimes draw a blank.  But when I ask about how they live, it starts them thinking about the things they have and how they use them.  They start to think about how they live and what they really want in their home.  When they’re purchasing or looking at an already-built home, they’re thinking really basic:  3 bedrooms, 2 baths.  They’re not thinking about that next level:   “We entertain at home, we need room to store our serving stuff, chafing dishes, glassware – it all needs to be close to the kitchen and easy to get to.”

When I’m designing a new home or a remodel, it’s my job to get people to think about what they need.

Mary: I know what you mean.  I have some of my kitchen stuff in boxes in the garage.  It’s a hassle to dig through to find the things I want when I’m planning a dinner party.  My mother’s crystal, for example – I love to use it, but it’s in the garage!

Debra: Nice place for it.

Mary: Yeah, buried behind enormous bags of dog food.

At this point, we stopped and made a list of the kinds of things people usually need to store:

Holiday decor
Hobbies and crafts
Luggage
Sports equipment
Exercise and fitness equipment
Camping equipment
Linens
Books
CDs/DVDs – movies and music
Home office supplies, equipment, business and tax records
Audio/visual equipment
Kitchen – dishes, small appliances, recycle centers, cookware
Tools and gardening equipment
Seasonal clothes storage
Special collections – LPs, dishes, artwork
Games and kids toys

Debra: I’ve designed highly specialized hobby/craft rooms a time or two that have amazed me, and I’m a hobby/craft person!  Most have been part of the utility room.  I’m talking specialty knee space areas and their heights, special areas for wrapping presents and even specialty storage for rolls of ribbon and wrapping paper, special islands with specific drawer sizes for tools, spools of thread and dividers for buttons etc., specialty areas for the kids to sit and do crafts, just on and on like that. Obviously, this isn’t all specific to storage, but it’s part of that getting clients to think about how they truly live and how organized they want to be.

Another example of combining storage and functional space is a tool bench in the garage.  Or exercise/fitness equipment and the space to use it.  I believe some folks get hung up because they’re thinking they need a separate space for the activity and for the stuff –they can’t see how we can combine activity and stuff.  That’s where I believe the best “flex” rooms come into play.  If the room is the right size and has appropriate storage for the all stuff you’ll use in the room, you’re going to end up with a room that’s actually used more of the time.

That all make sense?

Mary: Sure, that makes sense to me.  I need my piano and my stacks of music and books all in one place.  So, how do you walk your clients through the process?

Debra: I assign homework:  Make a list of your stuff.  How often you use it.  Where you want to store it.  Must it be speedily accessible, or is it okay to take a little longer to get to it?  Is it okay to get down on your knees to dig out something you use in the kitchen only rarely?  Do you need glass cabinets for display?

Let’s go back and talk about kitchen pantries.  Some people are okay with a traditional closet-style pantry with shelves, but others want the “pantry” to be built-in cabinetry. Very beautiful, efficient use of space for storage but pricey.

Mary: How do you feel about walk-in closets in the bedroom?

Debra: Wouldn’t have anything else if we have the space to design it in.  Big discussion:  Do you want just shelves and rods, or a built-in dresser?  Cubbies and built-in shelves where each pair of shoes has its own little spot?  It goes back to that question:  How organized do you want to be?  For people who travel a lot, I’ve designed closet islands with a countertop where you can fold and pack your bags.   Another thing with closets is where to store out-of-season clothes.

Mary: So what should people do to plan properly for storage in a new home or a remodel?

Debra: Walk around your house with a camera and a note pad.  Make a list of what you have now.  Start thinking about getting rid of stuff you don’t want to keep.  Think about future purchases.  And start imagining how you want to live in your new home.

What a helluva ride we’ve had this year in central Texas. The worst drought on record, devastating wildfires, and record high temperatures — we’re wondering what next year might bring. Could some of this be caused by man-made climate change? Could green building eliminate some of these problems? Can we really change the way we produce and use energy? The real problem with asking these questions is we have to think about them and try to come up with answers.

A few times this year I found myself in situations where I had to defend using green building techniques.  For a moment let’s not worry about trying to change the world, but look at what green building really is and how it could help in the dire situations we’ve witnessed this year. Besides, the term “green building” troubles me.  It’s so misused and abused, its meaning is being diluted.

While talking to several people about rain water collection systems, I was asked:  Since we aren’t getting any rain, what good would a rain water collection system do? Plenty, I said. We are getting rain now. It might not be enough to fill the lakes, but it can fill collection systems. One inch of rain on 1,000 square foot roof yields 623 gallons of water.  It’s free, and it’s yours — no having to compete with your neighbor with the well and the deepest straw drawing your water out of the ground. And for almost the same price of putting in a well, you can install a potable whole-house collection system – a simple case that demonstrates that green building doesn’t cost more, it saves. Ok, so you’re on city water? At least get yourself a couple of rain barrels, collect water for your garden, and beat the watering restrictions. And don’t forget — we do end our droughts with flash floods. It will rain again.

Could better building techniques have saved more homes during the wildfires? Yes, I believe so. I’ve driven through Bastrop a number of times and seen the destruction. For example, in many of the homes that were spared, metal roofs played an important part. Better tree clearing and yard maintenance also helped in some situations.  As an old Boy Scout, I am reminded of our motto, “Be Prepared.” I think an awareness and use of better building techniques would help.

With 2010’s record heat came record energy use. How many times did we hear there might be rolling black-outs? How high did your electric bill get this summer? How many stories did you read or hear about the increased cost of production and that our demand is going up? Texas is becoming a victim of its own success. As our economy grows and more folks move here, our demand for energy will continue to increase. Can we meet that demand with our current methods?

Ok, so if for no other reason in the world, energy savings should be the best reason to build a green home, build an energy efficient home, build a high performance home or whatever you want to call it. If you really don’t care about trying to lower your utility bill, please stop reading this blog and you might as well unsubscribe to this newsletter because we’ll continue to talk about energy efficiency. I have never yet met a man or woman who doesn’t want to save money on their utilities. Most of the calls we got this summer were for energy efficiency. The true believers are building for the future. It doesn’t matter whether you’re are doing it only to help save our only planet (you will be helping) –  it just makes good personal economic sense. Reduce your home’s energy load and you save money.

To achieve energy savings, green building is about how all the pieces fit together to create an efficient, functional home. This is the part I love. It’s not just one thing that makes a sustainable home — it’s everything.

• You need a design that’s right for this area, the building site, and your family’s needs.
• You need materials selected with care to make sure they’re functional, healthy, durable and easily maintained, used efficiently, cost effective, and aesthetically pleasing.
• You need a well-planned heating, cooling, and ventilation system that will reduce your energy load.
• You need energy-efficient lighting and appliances.
• You need . . .  well, if I kept going, I’d have to write a book instead of a blog post.

Guess what else?  Here are a few other benefits you get with a green home – it’s

• healthy
• comfortable
• efficient
• durable
• low maintenance

So what’s up for next year?  If I had that crystal ball and could predict the future, I wouldn’t be writing this blog post because I would have won the lottery.  But I will make a few predictions:

• Energy demand will increase.
• Energy costs will continue to rise.
• Severe weather will continue to happen.
• We will see more drought and wildfires.

So what can we do?

Be Prepared.

When I sat down to write this blog post about Austin’s McMansion Ordinance, I thought, “Oh, this will be easy. A few pointers, a few definitions, and . . .” Well, that’s where I had to stop and back up.

Anyone doing residential construction or remodeling in Austin has bumped up against the McMansion Ordinance. You know — the complex set of rules that keep your neighbors from tearing down their house and building one that’s twice as large, blocks your view, and sticks out like a sore thumb in your neighborhood. The rule that continues to keep everyone doing residential construction work in the city, or who wants to do work, in an uproar because they feel they can’t do anything the city will approve. In the years since it was enacted, the McMansion Ordinace has been a hotbed of issues and problems that plague the construction industry in our wonderful city. It’s a sensitive issue and can’t be taken lightly.

We design professionals in this industry are required to keep up with current city codes and ordinances, deed restrictions, national codes, handicap codes, and much more — all the things that govern how your house is designed and built. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming just trying to keep current with it all. The McMansion Ordinance is just one example of the things that keep our work lively and colorful.

A little history: In September 2006, the original Subchapter F: Residential Design and Compatibility Standards went into effect in Austin. Many issues arose and ignited the formation of a task force that re-evaluated those standards.  Some dedicated industry professionals and key people in City government worked hard to revamp the standards. And although there are still some who believe the McMansion standards aren’t quite right, they are what they are, and we must work with them.

Let’s cover some basics of the McMansion Ordinance.

First, there’s the “Floor to Area Ratio” (FAR). The floor square-footage you build must be no more than 40% of the square footage of the property. Oh, but the total floor area can’t be more than 2300 square feet, and you have to figure all that area in very specific ways. And then you have to count any part of your garage that’s over 450 square feet of area. But then you don’t have to count porches on the lowest floor; well, unless there’s habitable space above it and then you’re limited to 200 square feet of that porch that you don’t have to count. Oh, I almost forgot, that porch can’t connect to a driveway or be accessible by automobile either. Then of course you have to count the area of all your conditioned space, and you may even have attic space that must be counted. And here’s a tricky one — any area in your home that has a ceiling height over 15 feet has to be counted twice. What does that mean? It’s all pretty confusing right?

Then there’s the “Buildable Area” of your lot. Seems simple enough, right? Imagine a 3-dimensional tent formed to the constraints of your lot and within the limitations of the McMansion Ordinance. Your house must fit inside this “tent.” Your house can poke out a little, but even that has very strict rules you must follow. Oh, and lest I forget — all this is in addition to already existing city code issues like the allowed building height and impervious coverage restrictions and any easements or flood zone issues you may have.

It all seems pretty daunting, doesn’t it?

Whether you have a remodel or a totally new construction project in the city of Austin, the McMansion Ordinance might come into play. I say might because the ordinance covers only a certain area of Austin. I would try and give you the boundaries, but even that is a little complicated. See a map of the area covered by the McMansion Ordinance.

I’ve given you just a tiny sample of the McMansion Ordinance rules. The McMansion Ordinance was put into place basically to protect our real estate investments and keep “overbuilding” from happening in central Austin. And like many government rules and regulations put in to place for our protection, it also unfortunately has its problems and weaknesses. If you’d like to do some searching on your own, check out the City of Austin McMansion Ordinance for yourself. You’ll find how to calculate floor square footage (gross floor area) in article 3.3. How to figure buildable area is in article 2. If you’ve already done some reading on your own, you might feel it’s impossible to get what you want.

“So what do we do? We just need to add a bedroom — we don’t want the world.” First off, relax. You might or might not have a problem. Your first step should be to contact a building professional who works on projects within Austin city limits, preferably someone who has McMansion experience. Whether you call a Certified Professional Building Designer like me, an architect, or your builder, talk with us about your project. We can help you answer some basic questions, starting with finding out if your property is within the area governed by the ordinance. After that, we design within those standards, and then dive into what has to be done to gain approval from the city and move forward with your project.

But there’s good news.

The SAVE Act is proposed legislation to improve the accuracy of mortgage underwriting used by Federal mortgage agencies by ensuring energy costs are included in the underwriting process. Remarkably, the bill, S. 1737, has bi-partisan support. It was introduced by Senators Bennet (D-Co.) and Isakson (R-Ga.) and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affiars. The proposal is supported by a diverse coalition of organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Appraisal Institute, the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Benefits

The SAVE Act would help revitalize the hardest hit sectors of the economy by providing lower rate mortgage financing for cost effective energy improvements; allowing homebuilders and homeowners to recover the cost of efficiency investments; and enabling better federal mortgage underwriting while lowering utility bills for American households.   The press release cites these benefits:

• Enable federal mortgage programs to improve the quality of mortgage underwriting and provide an accurate picture of repayment risk and the expected costs of homeownership
• Greatly accelerate the supply of and demand for energy-efficient new homes
• Quickly return any incremental cost for homebuyers due to home efficiency improvements
• Encourage the purchase of energy-efficient homes that reduce utility bills for American homeowners and reduce the vast amount of energy consumed in homes
• Consistently and accurately account for energy efficiency in appraisals, enabling builders and homeowners to invest in energy-saving features
• Put people in the construction and manufacturing sectors to work renovating and building energy-efficient homes and products

For more information, see this article in the Washington Post.

We decided to put our own spin on the idea. Here are five easy home maintenance gifts for the important people in your life — your Mom, say, or a friend. Or heck, even your own home.

1. Weatherize your Mom’s house.
It’s easy and quick to add weather stripping around windows, doors – even the garage door. Stopping leaks will make the home more comfortable. Visit the hardware store and you’ll find a variety of easy-to-apply products and kits. And not just weather stripping. Pick up a caulk gun and can of spray foam and seal up every crack and crevice. Are kitchen and bathroom on outside walls? Look under the sink and seal up any holes around the pipes. Any electrical outlets and switches on outside walls? You can get a foam electrical outlet and wall plate insulating kit. Leaking around the attic scuttlehole? You can get a kit for that too. If you don’t believe it about leaks, wait for the coldest day this winter and then crawl around and play house detective.

2. Want to do more? Bring in an expert home energy auditor.
This service can cost between $250 and $1,000. An auditor measures the air tightness of the home, looks for leaks in your duct work, determines how well the home is insulated, and makes recommendations. You might be eligible for a free audit and rebates – see information about the Austin Energy home energy audit program.

3. Replace water-hog toilets and faucets with new water-savings models.
This is a gift that keeps on giving by reducing monthly water bills. Visit a plumbing supply company and ask for their recommendation for the most cost-effective products. Or, visit the EPA’s WaterSense web site for a list of water-efficient products.

4. Buy a year’s supply of air conditioning filters and then show up regularly to change them out.
Better yet, hire an air conditioning specialist to service the home’s air conditioner and furnace. Keeping these systems in good working condition helps keep energy bills down and can help the equipment to last longer.

5. Paint the place.
Spruce up the interior with a fresh coat of paint. Do it yourself and make it a labor of love – you’ll need paint, supplies, drop cloths to protect furniture and floor, plus time and an energetic playlist on your iPod. Or hire a professional painter. You can forestall rot and deterioration on exterior wood surfaces by keeping them protected with good quality paint.

These are our ideas, off the top of our head. Look around — you can probably think of a dozen more.

Zero day, the one year anniversary, was the day we found out (with documented evidence) that we produced more than we consumed over the last year. It’s a major milestone in our living experiment.

But before I tell you the numbers, I’d like to talk about the weather. I think it’s safe to say that the word “brutal” would accurately describe our summer. Numerous major heat records were set this year in central Texas. It was the hottest summer on record, the hottest July on record, the hottest August on record, 27 consecutive days with 100-degree highs, 85 days of 100-degree highs. And we tied our all-time high of 112. To sum: it was very hot.

Ironically, the other half of our summer weather disaster – drought – has actually benefited our numbers, because we haven’t had any cloud cover for months, so we’ve been getting full days of solar generation (with the minor caveat that without rain, our solar panels have been getting a bit dusty, which cuts down on the generation, but only a tiny bit).

So we’ve had the two opposing forces in our weather pattern all summer – unrelenting heat and abundant sunshine. In all, I would have preferred a more moderate summer. Of course, our winter was unusual as well – we actually had snow.

Before I get to the numbers, a brief word of explanation. There are four numbers involved: the amount we imported from the grid, the amount we exported to the grid, the amount we generated, and the amount we consumed. The grid imported and exported are read directly from the bidirectional meter; the generated amount is from our solar monitoring service, and the amount consumed is calculated from the other three numbers (generated + imported – exported). If this seems overly complicated, relax – the key numbers are the imported and exported.

Enough teasing – here are the numbers:

Imported from grid: 5018 kWh

Exported to grid: 5502 kWh

Generated: 8416 kWh

Consumed: 7932 kWh

So we generated 484 more kilowatt hours than we consumed. Queue the confetti (seriously, don’t dump confetti everywhere – it’s a terrible waste of resources). If we continue to generate more than we consume, we may never pay an electric bill again. In fact, we could end up with an increasing credit over time. Fortunately, we can contribute some of that credit to a program to assist people who are having trouble paying their electric bill. Plus, I’ll have to start figuring out how much extra electricity we’ll need if we buy an electric car.

Is this the result I was looking for? You bet! Technically, we could have achieved our zero-energy goals with one less solar panel, but having the extra capacity means we have more wiggle room for our future energy needs.

Happy Zero Day!

When building a house, using green practices does not necessarily add to the cost of the house.  If I install a compact fluorescent light bulb instead of an incandescent bulb in a light fixture, I will be paying more for the bulb.  However, (according to Wikipedia) a CFL has a 6,000-hour lifespan whereas the incandescent has a 750- hour lifespan.  That means that I will be buying eight incandescent bulbs or one CFL.  Since CFLs don’t cost eight times more than incandescent bulbs, I would rather spend a little more and buy the CFL.  Also, CFLs use less energy so I’m also saving money by using less electricity.  So if I don’t take the green (CFL) option I am actually spending more money!

Here is another example.  In our previous yard, I had St. Augustine grass and a sprinkler system.  Installing the sod and the sprinkler system was more expensive than installing the native plants and mulch that I have in my current yard.  I also used more than twice as much water than I am currently using even during this drought.  When I added up the extra costs (and pollution factors) of mowing, weed-eating, and fertilizing that old St. Augustine yard, I decided to choose a cheaper and greener option for my new home.  And then there is the aesthetic value — even in this heat, my yard is blooming instead of being brown and crispy.

So let’s talk about solar panels.   Here in Texas, we had 80+  100-degree days with no rain or clouds. (We’re thankful for the bit of rain we got this week.)  We have also had ERCOT requesting that Texans reduce their electricity usage during peak times of the day.  My solar panels have been generating more electricity than I can use during the day so my surplus has been going back to the electric grid to be used by others.  I haven’t had to pay an electric bill since March.  (Yes, March!) My neighbors are all spending $200+ per month. I think that it’s reasonable to assume that here in Texas, we will continue to have hot sunny summers.  Even if I assume that the cost of electricity will stay the same, I will have recouped the installation cost of the solar panels in about seven to eight years.  Since I plan on living here at least that long, I feel that I am saving money and providing electricity to others.  Plus this is renewable energy — I am not polluting the environment.

I could provide more examples about the choices we made in building our home — spray foam insulation, overhangs, low-e windows, and so forth — but you get the idea.  Building a green home doesn’t have to be about buckets of money, it just means looking at the whole picture.

How much would it cost if I didn’t build green?  It would be a lot more expensive as well as incredibly wasteful.  I believe I have saved money and reduced my carbon footprint.  It’s too expensive not to build green.