If you've followed along with my projects, you know that the real magic - and the real challenge - happens before a single paint color is chosen or a light fixture is hung. It's all in the the floor plan. And at our newest renovation, 8703 Yardley Drive in Alexandria, VA, we had a lot of work to do.
This home had 11 children living in it at one point - meaning the previous owners needed a lot of bedrooms. They had filled in the carport with finished living space (what will be the office) with a primary bedroom addition above it. In addition, they added 2 bedrooms with built-in bunk beds in the basement. That means we purchased a home with 8 bedrooms! Yes you read that right - 6 bedrooms upstairs and 2 more in the basement. This was perfect for the previous owners but felt like too many bedrooms and not enough open living space for today’s most likely buyer. Our first task was removing bedrooms and reconfiguring the spaces to make them more appealing to buyers. I find that people like large, open spaces even if it means fewer rooms.
Below you’ll find more details on how we tackled each space…
The Kitchen: Tearing It Apart to Put It Back Together Right
The original layout was a galley kitchen tucked between the back wall of the home and the powder room and coat closet. I knew that we could not resell the home with the existing kitchen layout but I also have a rule: I try not to move bathrooms because moving plumbing is very expensive. But in this case, it was necessary. We relocated the powder room to the back left of the home and moved the coat closet behind the front door — freeing up enough space for a large U-shaped kitchen with a big island that opens to both the living room and dining room. I am really excited for this space. It was really difficult to visualize how it would turn out because the location and layout is a bit unconventional but Ziba by Design came to the rescue again and figured out a great way for us to use the space and make it into something really appealing.
The Primary Suite: Creating the Luxury Buyers Expect
After 20 years doing this work, I know one thing for certain: after the kitchen, a primary bathroom sells a home. When we bought this home it had 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms upstairs. I immediately knew that removing a bedroom and bathroom was going to be necessary. We ended up converting one of the bedrooms into a luxury bath with an oversized shower, freestanding soaking tub, and 72" double vanity. We also turned an awkward corner and the chimney into a walk-in closet — and converted the old third bathroom into an upper-level laundry room. This is the kind of thing that is incredibly difficult to find in Fort Hunt especially - a large primary bedroom with large closets AND a large bathroom. Not only that but this bedroom has a sliding glass door and balcony overlooking the gorgeous backyard. It’s going to be amazing when it’s finished.
The Basement: Structural Work and a Better Layout
When I first went down into the basement it felt very small. There was one small room as soon as you went down the stairs and then 2 more bedrooms, a small recreation room, bathroom and then an unfinished storage/utility room. I knew we had to open up the space so that there was more living space but also know that buyers LOVE a lower level guest bedroom and bathroom. We removed the bedroom toward the back of the home in order to create a larger recreation space which also connected the space to the awkward small room at the bottom of the stairs. We left the other bedroom (with a legal window) in place as well as the existing bathroom. No need to move those two rooms. We also decided to leave an unfinished storage area and utility space. In addition to changing the layout we also had to rework some footers and add a post to support the structural changes upstairs. The basement is still currently a mess but I know it’s going to end up being a great space in this home.
The Living Spaces: One More Wall Had to Go
When we started this project all of my focus was on the kitchen and primary suite. So much so that I overlooked an important layout problem. We had two family rooms and a dining room — three small, disconnected spaces. It wasn’t until I took one more walk through the house with a friend of mine (Thanks McKinzie!!!) that I realized we really needed to go back and rethink the living room and dining room and consider making those two spaces into one large room. I had also avoided this project because I did not want to spend more money on engineers and plans. But ultimately I knew it was going to be easier to explain how the spaces would be used and therefore easier to sell the home if we created one large family/living room.
We had the structural engineer back out who confirmed that yes, we could remove the wall with a few changes. One thing I did not consider however, was that the majority of the HVAC ductwork running from the basement to the upper level were in the walls we were removing. Re-working the ductwork was going to be extremely challenging so my contractor advised me to just add a second HVAC system in the attic, therefore eliminating the need for any additional ductwork! Brilliant but expensive. In the end I think that the extra expense of the structural engineer, interior design plans and additional HVAC system will be worth it!
I’m really pleased with how everything has turned out so far. The walls are now down so I can really see how the space is going to feel once the finishes are completed. I can’t wait for you to see it and will provide another update soon! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you have about this home!
