As your life evolves, your home needs change. A growing family, personal health issues, new hobbies, income changes,… any number of life events can result in the need for more, less or just different living spaces. A new home might be the best solution, while a renovation or addition may make more sense in other cases. We present some items to consider when weighing your options:

The Cost:

A room addition or remodel will generally cost less than building an entirely new home. However, the cost per square foot will typically be higher as renovation may involve demolition, dust containment, and the possibility of unforeseen surprises within your walls.

If financing is necessary, your existing home equity could ease the process of obtaining renovation funds. Generally, the interest rate on primary home mortgages is lower than rates on home equity loans or lines of credit.

The Return:

Even if you don’t plan to sell your home in the near future, it is still wise to evaluate the return on your investment. Conventional wisdom says that kitchen and bathroom renovations bring the most bang for the buck. Additional areas that also provide an excellent return include exterior living spaces like patios and fireplaces, an additional bedroom, upgraded interior trim, or a new layout for an underutilized space.

Be careful that enhancements to your existing home do not put you near the top end of your neighborhood. If that is a likely scenario, it may be worth building in a different area where your home will have higher relative value.

Time and Convenience:

Building and remodeling each present distinct lifestyle considerations. A little advance planning can go a long way toward minimizing the inconvenience.

If you build a new home, do you need to sell your existing home first? If so, where will you live as the new house is built? Will you need to store your furniture during this time?

If you renovate, will you be able to live in your home during the project? Will there be lengthy periods when you won’t have access to important areas of the house such as the kitchen or bathroom? How long will the water, electric, heat and air conditioning, etc. be disconnected?

Appearance and Functionality:

A properly designed and constructed addition will complement the existing style and lines of your home rather than look like an “attachment.” In addition to simply creating the space, important considerations include the roofline integration, electrical capacity, ventilation and structural engineering.

Consider how the new space will flow with the rest of the home. For example, if you need to add a bedroom, consider the location of the nearest bathroom and the noise level of adjacent rooms. If the layout gets too contrived, it could adversely impact your home value and make a new build the more attractive option. 

Bailey & Weiler Design/Build specializes in the design, construction and renovation of custom homes. Learn about their integrated design and construction process, and gather new ideas, by visiting their website at www.Bailey-Weiler.com. Arrange your personal consultation by calling Craig Bailey and Don Weiler at (812) 330-1169.

 

Before construction of your new home or renovation begins, you deserve a full explanation of the budget and specifications, along with renderings of the finished product so you can visualize how it will look and feel. Appropriate planning on the front end yields time and cost savings by paving the way for a smooth construction process. (RENDERING: Bailey & Weiler Design/Build)

Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County framed three homes during their Fast Frame Weekend in Bloomington’s Cedar Chase neighborhood. Don and Lisa Weiler, along with their daughters Beth Anne and Emma, took advantage of the beautiful weather on Saturday, but put on their mud boots for a rainy Sunday.

Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County was founded in 1988. After more than 20 years and 100 homes built, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County maintains a 0% foreclosure rate. Now the affiliate has more than 10 full-time staff, a ReStore discount home improvement store, and housed more than 360 people. Construction for the affiliate’s first neighborhood, Cedar Chase, began in 2008 on Bloomington’s southwest side and will be home to more than 30 families once complete. 

Beth Anne Weiler demonstrates her carpentry skills during the Habitat for Humanity Fast Frame in Bloomington's Cedar Chase neighborhood

Beth Anne Weiler (left) and Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build take a break from framing to get to know the new homeowner.

Joe Weiler shows off his trophy finish during the 2011 Boys & Girls Club Golf Heroes Marathon.

August 26, 2011

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington hosted its inaugural Club Heroes Golf Marathon at the Bloomington Country Club. Each Club Hero was challenged to raise $1,500 or more by soliciting donations for an overall team goal of $27,000. Donations were either flat amounts, or per hole pledges, incentivizing Heroes to play as many holes as possible. Players exceeded the $27,000 goal by raising $28,013.

Club Heroes were Don & Joe Weiler, Adam Long, Bob Harter, Brad Holtz, David Killion, Jay Rensink, Jeff Baldwin, Jeremy Tempel, Josh Hogan, Kimber McElhinney, Kyle Robinson, Mike Glasscott, Mike Sutherland, Renee, Sam & Tanner Shapiro and Tony Kale. Each of these golfers endured a late start due to severe weather and played a grueling day of golf (soggy greens prevented cart usage) in the humid and often-times sun-baked conditions.

Special acknowledgements go to Don & Joe Weiler for raising the most money as a father-son pair ($3,825), Mike Glasscott for raising the most money as an individual ($2,450) and Mike Sutherland for playing the most holes of golf (144 holes).

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington would like to thank each Hero for their extraordinary efforts before, during and after the event.

The clubs would also like to thank John Grigsby and his staff at Bloomington Country Club as well as other businesses that donated to this event: Spaah, Yogi’s Grill, Bloomington Car Wash, Le Petit Cafe, TGI Fridays, Opie Taylors, Mira Salon, Butch’s, Target, Mary Kay representative Stacy Felton, People’s State Bank, Olive Garden, Osmon Chiropractic, Orscheln Farm and Home, Village Deli, Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse, Starbucks, Jimmy Johns, Mallor Grodner, Bunger and Robertson, Ellettsville True Value Hardware and the IU Golf Course.

Thanks to the efforts of these Heroes, local businesses and donors, children within the community will continue to have an opportunity to realize their dreams and full potential through Club programming.

Proceeds from the Golf Marathon directly fund the excellent programs and activities at the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington.

Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2011

Russ Bridenbaugh (right) holds a piece of the stump from his original "memorial tree" that was cut down and stolen from Bryan Park, as he talks with Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build. Weiler and members of Cook Center Business Roundtable organized the planting of a replacement blue spruce tree. David Snodgress | Herald-Times

By Mike Leonard
December 13, 2011

The light rain seemed to accentuate the bittersweet occasion Tuesday morning as workers replaced the blue spruce memorial tree vandals cut down in Bryan Park more than a week ago.

The tree had been donated by nearby resident Russ Bridenbaugh, who watched as Designscape owner Dan Gluesenkamp, Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build and others pitched in to dig a hole, plant a new tree and right the wrong inflicted not only on Bridenbaugh but patrons of Bloomington’s most popular urban park.

Bridenbaugh told the assembled group that the second thing he does every morning — after making coffee — is to open up the dictionary and choose a word for the day. “Today’s word is gratitude and today, I feel great gratitude for all of you. Thank you,” he said.

Russ Bridenbaugh watches as Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build and the Designscape landscaping crew plant a new blue spruce in Bryan Park near the spot where his original "memorial tree" was cut down and stolen.

Bridenbaugh, a retired wine journalist, had donated the tree to the city after moving from the north side of Bloomington to an apartment on the south side of Bryan Park. The city planted it on a hill where Bridenbaugh could see it from his apartment and he cared for it as if it were still his own, pruning it frequently to keep it perfectly shaped.

Bridenbaugh intended for the 22-year-old evergreen to long outlive him and be his memorial tree.

Members of a Cook Center Business Roundtable group read about the theft of the tree and offered to replace it. It didn’t hurt that Gluesenkamp, the owner of a horticultural business, was a member of the Ivy Tech/Cook Center for Entrepreneurship roundtable.

“I just went out to our nursery in Brown County and picked out the biggest blue spruce we had,” he said Tuesday morning. “We don’t have a lot of blues — mainly Norways.”

A Designscape crew brought the 10-foot tree through the park using a small, front-end loader. After volunteers hand-dug a hole, the tree was gently maneuvered into it. Excess dirt was loaded back into the loader bucket and a load of bark mulch was spread to cover the base of tree, making the newly-planted spruce look as if it had always been there.

“We are pleased to celebrate the planting of this new tree,” said Don Weiler, a member of the business group. “It serves as a reminder that simple acts can have a significant impact.”

Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2011

Russ Bridenbaugh stares at the stump of a 22-year-old blue spruce tree he had nurtured and donated to Bryan Park.

Cook Center Business Roundtable businesses pitching in to help put another tree where Bridenbaugh’s stood

Once a tree is cut down and stolen, it can’t be replaced.

When vandals took the 22-year-old blue spruce that Russ Bridenbaugh donated to the city and saw planted within eyesight of his apartment on the south perimeter of Bryan Park, they took a tree the longtime Bloomington resident had nurtured for more than two decades — and had intended to be his memorial tree after his death.

A business roundtable group read about the theft of the tree Tuesday morning and unanimously agreed to help put a new one in its place. “I’m very moved by that,” Bridenbaugh said when he heard of the plan. “I’m deeply grateful.”

Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build said his group, the Cook Center Business Roundtable, was not only moved by Bridenbaugh’s loss but fortunate that one of its members is Dan Gluesenkamp, owner of Designscape Horticultural Services. “We wanted to rectify the situation for this gentleman,” Weiler said. “Dan’s a good resource to have.”

Bloomington’s urban landscaper, Lee Huss, said he’d be happy to work with the business group to fill the gap left by the purloined tree. He noted that he had just learned that someone recently cut down two blue spruce trees at RCA Park as well.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me,” Huss said. “It seems to happen every year.”

“The irony is, blue spruces don’t make good Christmas trees,” said Bridenbaugh on Tuesday. “They will drop every needle within about 48 hours of being cut. Whoever did this is sitting there looking at a bare-framed tree with a pile of needles on their living room floor.”

By Mike Leonard
December 7, 2011

 Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2011