At a glance
- Project: full remodel of a one-story back house
- Where: Ashland’s Railroad District, on 8th Street
- Finished: 2020
- Size: about 400 square feet of open kitchen and living room, a 173-square-foot bedroom and a 67-square-foot bathroom
- Main work: new kitchen, bathroom and floors, new ceiling, furnace and air conditioning, foundation and roof drains, new water heater closet
- Performance and green features: 96.5% efficient two-stage gas furnace and 15 SEER air conditioner with new ducts, new ceiling insulation, underfloor insulation with a sealed vapor barrier, heated tile floors in three zones on a Wi-Fi thermostat, on-demand water heater, bathroom fan-heater
The house and what the owners wanted
The lot on 8th Street has two houses: a two-story house at the front and a one-story house at the back. The owners wanted the back house remodeled top to bottom: a new kitchen, new floors and a new bathroom.
They also wanted it dry underneath. The drains went in first, before the remodel began.
What was built
Drains and crawlspace
Foundation and roof drains now run around the house to sump pumps in catch basins. They tie into the retaining wall drains and patio drains the landscaper put in. We added drains under the floor and new wells at the foundation vents.
The crawlspace has new insulation and a sealed vapor barrier. The access hatch is weatherstripped, with flush handles.
Kitchen and living room
The main room is one open space under a vaulted ceiling with skylights and an exposed beam. Two ceiling fans hang from the vault.
The cabinets are stained dark, with quartz countertops and white four-by-sixteen-inch tile up to the cabinets and the hood. An extra-large stainless undermount sink sits under the window. The kitchen has a gas double-oven range, a side-by-side refrigerator and a dishwasher. A stacked washer and dryer fit beside the refrigerator.
A wide patio door with an arched window above it opens to the yard.
Bathroom
The bathroom has dark cabinets, a quartz countertop and backsplash, an oval undermount sink and a custom beveled mirror. The tub has a tiled surround, and a heated towel rack hangs beside it. A Panasonic WhisperWarm fan and heater keeps the room warm and dry.
Floors
The floors are wood-look tile, eight inches by four feet, over electric floor heat. The heat runs in three zones on a Wi-Fi thermostat.
Outside
A small closet on the outside wall holds the new water heater, with its own roof and door. We repaired rot at the front entry posts and replaced the siding where an old water heater closet once stood.
What made it interesting
Once the old ceiling came down, it was full of rodent trails and droppings. We replaced the ceiling drywall, the insulation and the heating ducts, and put in a new Carrier two-stage furnace and air conditioner at the same time.
Cost context
This project would cost about $205,000 to $340,000 to build today, based on its actual price brought to today’s costs.
Whole-house remodels run about $200 to $450 per square foot in today’s dollars, or $130,000 to $290,000 for a house this size. See our cost guide.
Thinking about a similar project? Call us at 541-300-8118 or send us a note.
