delays breed good ideas

Last weekend I was working on my computer in the back bedroom which is basically storage with a laundry drying rack and a mini-office when an idea hit me like a freight train.

A few weeks ago, Pete (architect) informed me about some disappointing regulations San Mateo County recently passed that limit the amount of remodeling you can do to 50% of the home's value (calculated at $300/sq ft). If you exceed that, County requires you strip it down to bare studs inside and out and bring the building 100% up to code. That would effectively triple or quadruple the cost of the project. This means I definitely need to phase the project. I don't know the time limitations of how closely the phases can be spaced, so I'll need to sort that out.

My freight train idea is as follows:

Considerations:
1) Foundation corrective work needs to occur first. French drain should be installed at the same time, thereby resolving drainage and damp issues before the rainy season hits.
2) The eventual plan is to insert a door in the back bedroom where there is currently a window.
3) We're going to assess the possibility of preserving the existing bathroom with a few modifications. Pete thinks it's worth a shot since the tile is in exceptional shape given it's original form 1953 and you know how I love the retro-funk.
4) The garage/Kitchen/Living phase is more complicated than the work required in the bedrooms and will take the longest.

With those considerations, I was thinking that once the foundation work is complete, I would next remodel the back bedroom (replace 1 window with door and relocate second window) and then block off the doorway from kitchen to hallway to isolate a small living zone where I would stay while the garage and front half of the house is built/remodeled.

I'd have an entry door from the back yard, bedroom, bathroom and the back room would become a living area. I'm essentially operating without a functioning kitchen right now, so nothing really changes if I move my fridge, microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker to the new mini living area. This would make it a secure area so I wouldn't have to re-home Miss Feline, which has actually been a big concern of mine.

Whether or not I can keep the bathroom, the minor mods I'd make in there (or full remodel) could be done later, and updating the small bedroom can also be done later as it is also more limited in scope (basically just new window, upgrade electrical, new drywall and molding).

This approach would enable me to live there and be on hand to monitor progress instead of moving out for phase 1, back in for a while, back out for phase 2 and then back in.

I ran it by Pete yesterday and he thinks it's a realistic and intelligent approach to the project.

Who knew procrastination could lead to such a good result?