Classic Homeworks' SPRING 2007 Newsletter (text only)

Remarkable Redo for this Park Hill Home
3rd Place - 2006 Contractor of the Year Awards
Built in 1886, this Denver Square demands attention in the beautiful Park Hill neighborhood. However, the outdated kitchen, bathrooms and master suite took away from the style of this once elegant home. Hoping to make the space livable for a busy modern family, the new homeowner went forward with a full-scale interior remodel.
The kitchen, which had last been updated in the 1980’s, was completely gutted and built from the ground up. The new kitchen features all new appliances, Painted Maple Cabinets and granite countertops giving the space a very clean and classy feel. The new design also features a breakfast bar that opens up to the sunroom and lends itself to entertaining.
The main floor powder room and second floor bathroom also received a facelift. Featuring a custom vanity, granite counter tops and marble flooring.
In the Master Suite, everything was removed in order to start from scratch. The new “owner’s retreat” features an oversized shower, an elegant claw foot tub for relaxing, custom cabinets, granite countertops and marble floors.
By updating the main rooms of this Denver Square, new life has been brought into the entire home. Check future issues to find out about the custom garage build for this home.

Save the Date
West Washington Park Home Tour, September 8, 2007
For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.wwpna.org

Neighborhood History: Capitol Hill
In the early 1860’s, a gentleman by the name of Richard Whitsitt claimed ownership of the area now known as Capitol Hill. However, the government did not recognize his undocumented claim and he lost the land. Taking advantage of Whitsitt’s misfortune, Henry Cordes Brown (who would later build the famous Brown Palace Hotel) built a cabin at 12th and Sherman and used the Homestead Act to legally purchase 160 acres of land for just $200. Although Whitsitt threatened a duel, he never followed through and no blows were ever struck, and the land called “Brown’s Bluff” was established.
Brown’s Bluff was named for the capitol long before the Capitol building itself had been planned. In fact, Denver wasn’t even the capital city of Colorado when Brown deeded the legislature his parcel of land, Golden to the west was the capital city. Brown hoped they might establish the governmental seat in this area, but so did nearly a dozen other developers in the state. All hoped to raise the value of adjacent properties by having the Capitol built in their midst, but the territorial government dithered on making a decision, and by 1879 Brown decided to take the gift of land back. However, when Brown sought to reclaim the donated parcel, the state successfully lobbied the US Supreme Court to block the effort. Brown’s initial objective was finally achieved when the state broke ground on the new Capitol building.
Today, Capitol Hill is well known for its urban ambience, mixed neighborhoods, coffee shops, art galleries and unique historic districts. Millionaire’s Row, Wyman District, Poet’s Row, and Quality Hill are all contained within its boundaries. Community spirit is fostered by the strong leadership of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) and its yearly People’s Fair. Thankfully, the area is now far less contentious than in its blustery beginnings.
History provided by Historical Insights: (303) 818-3263; www.Historicalinsights.com

Classic Homeworks Honored at Awards Banquet!
On March 3rd, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) held their 2007 Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards. Classic Homeworks was recognized with three awards (Two of the projects are featured here). As NARI membership continues to grow so does the competition in the awards, and Classic Homeworks is honored to have been selected by NARI for excellence in remodeling for the fourth year in a row.
Thank you to the homeowners for opening your homes to us!

What Can a New Bathroom Do for Your Home?
Numerous homes in the older Denver neighborhoods are too small for today’s growing families. However, homeowners love the charm and character that these older buildings offer, and as a way to accommodate their needs many choose to remodel in order to add space.
Most homeowners are aware that kitchens and bathrooms can add the most value to their home. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) economist Paul Emrath says, “an added bathroom has one of the strongest impacts of any home feature on single-family detached home values”. Now a recent study done by the American Housing Survey (AHS) & the NAHB can help homeowners predict just how much adding a bathroom can increase the value of their home.
According the NAHB value is based on the ratio of bedrooms to bathrooms. “Home buyers tend to prefer a rough balance between the number of bedrooms and the number of bathrooms. Adding an extra bathroom increases the home’s value by a higher percentage when there are more bedrooms than baths.” In a home where the number of bathrooms is approximately equal to the number of bedrooms, converting a half bath to a full bath can add about 9% to the value of your home. Additionally, adding on a half bath to a full bath can add about 10% and adding one full bathroom can increase the value about 19%.
In homes with only one bathroom, as many of the older homes in Denver have, adding a bath can increase the value even more drastically. According to the AHS study, an additional half bath in a home with only one bathroom will increase the homes value by 11.5% in a two-bedroom home, 12% in a three-bedroom home and 12.5% in a four-bedroom home. “The greater the disparity between beds and baths, the more there is to gain in percentage terms, by adding an additional bath,” says Emrath. “One way to interpret this is that when there is an excess of bedrooms over bathrooms, an additional bathroom makes the bedroom more valuable.”
This study did not collect information on amenities such as number of sinks, steamshowers and whirlpool tubs. Actual value based on these extra amenities will in part involve some guesswork. To compare the cost of a bathroom addition to how much dollar value it could add to your home, visit www.nahb.org. For a free bathroom consultation visit our website at www.Classichomeworks.com.
Information provided by the National Association of Home Builders

Employee Spotlight: Juan Garcia
Juan Garcia, a Carpenter Apprentice for Classic Homeworks, has been a member of our team for nearly two years. He plays a key role assisting his fellow carpenters in completing projects. At one point or another he aides in every remodel that Classic Homeworks completes.
Juan was born in El Salvador, and has lived in Colorado for almost nine years. He currently lives in Arvada with his wife April and their two sons; Christopher (15 months) and Anders (2 months).
In his free time, Juan enjoys writing and recording his own music and doing pencil drawings. Although recently, he says most of his free time is spent with his young children.
Here’s a big Classic Homework’s thank you to Juan, who gives 110% of himself to his work and creates a fun work environment for all of those around him.

Terrific Trade Contractor
Remodeling older homes can often be a challenge. So much so that many contractors won’t even attempt a remodel in an older structure for fear of what they don’t know, especially when it comes to old plumbing. So in this industry it’s very important to find highly skilled contracting partners who share Classic Homeworks’ goals of completing high-quality remodeling projects.
Dave Stroman and his staff at Stroman Plumbing & Heating is that kind of contractor. Specializing in older radiators, Dave & company are always willing to work through the issues of older home plumbing to make sure that the finished product is one that will stand the test of time. Thank you Dave, for your thoroughness and good attitude on the job.

NARI Members help Berthoud High-School Boys
For several days in early February, Classic Homeworks staff & thirty other National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) members assisted in modifying the homes of the two Berthoud High-School boys who were injured in a tragic car accident in January. Some of the modifications made included building a ramp for wheel-chair access, removing a bathtub and replacing it with a shower and grab bars, installing hand held shower heads, replacing the existing toilets with new comfort height toilets and widening several doorways.
Donated materials exceeded $7,000 in value and the volunteers put in over 450 labor hours. With these necessary modifications, the boys will now have better access within their homes.

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