" So, what have you got done so far?"

" We've entered the building, and we've measured it, and put those measurements into our computer."

" Oh, good."

" And Mike has it on the screen here for us to take a look at."

" So we're starting out with a little computer-assisted design."

" That's right."

" Yup, that's our place."

" That's right. This is the footprint of the building, and running right through the building is a bearing wall. It is a little bit off center with spaces about 8 feet wide or so on the north side, and about 12 feet wide on the south side for the major rooms; the living room, the dining room, and so forth."

" A typical plan. You end up with a taped full of little tiny bedroom."

" That's right. This is very typical of the building of this type. And 1 of the things that's very important is to be able to conceive of opening up the wall----"

" Right"

" to create larger spaces."

" Mike, could you just illustrate how we can open up a plan by taking these walls out?"

" We'd lose 1 little bedroom there."

" That's right. But in trade, we'd create a very large room that was 22 feet wide by over 30 feet long."

" So that would be the major family, living, and dining area."

" That's right, yes."

" Now in place of that building, we'd have to create a beam."

" Yeah."

" Just to take the loads that were in that in that there in wall."

" That we can use a modern engineered beams."

" That's right."

" So now we're down to 2 little bedrooms and a wonderful large room in the front."

" Well, there's a little easier problem because the walls that run perpendicular to the bearing wall are not hearing, and therefore, can come out with these."

" Yes."

" Which is a little scary thought."

" Now we've got a space. It's about 8 feet x 24 feet."

" Plenty of space. What would you do that?"

" That is the problem with this building. It really doesn't work for a master suite. I think it better if the space be used for a wide galley kitchen with perhaps an eating area, and take the current kitchen. Combine it with the porch to create the master suite."

" That's an interesting solution."

" And I have drawings that illustrate that. Let's go take a look."

" Good."

" Although computers are terrific, but I need something that I can roll up and take back to the site."

" Well, we have our copy of the plots from the computer images that you saw."

" Sure."

" And it shows the basement plan, the 1st floor plan, and the 2nd floor plan."

" Yes."

" Okay. And the master plan is to combine the basement with the 1st floor."

" That's right. I think that gives the greatest amount of potential to use all the square feet in the building."

" Yes."

" And we're essentially taking the basement square feet that right now has very marginal value in bringing them up to market."

" Exactly. We'll make a livable space as opposed to"

" That's right."

" just practically dirt floors down there."

" That's right."

" Good. So what have you got to show us here?"

" Well, the 1st thing we did is we illustrated what the floor plan would look like when we take the wall out and replace it with the beams you just saw on the video screen."

" Right."

" Here, we have the opportunities for a very ample guest closet and family closet."

" Wonderful."

" Very comfortable converse stationary in front of the building with lots of space for plans and what have you."

" Uh huh."

" The fireplace if the budget permits."

" Maybe."

" And a dining room that's very gracious and upscale."

" Good. And then, the space that we were just looking at is 8 x 24. It does work out pretty well as a galley kitchen."

" It works very exceptionally well because you really have 2 different zones. 1 is the gallery that has a very good in the space of relationship between the refrigerator, and the sink, and range that's triangle that's so important in kitchen planning. At the other end, there is a funny room for a breakfast table for everyday meetings with a bank cat or window that seems appropriate to that. It could just be a long built-in bench."

" That's right."

" Yes. I like that."

" And then what have we got here?"

" Well, here we've combined the porch and the old kitchen by taking out this wall. I mean, this is where we take out the masonry wall so it needs some spiel."

" Wow."

" But it allows us to have a very, very generous master suite with a dressing area and a master bedroom."

" Lots of closet space."

" Yes."

" Lots of it."

" Yeah."

" And, the bathroom looks like you've enlarged it."

" We did. We took out a hatch through the hedge with some marginal values in this passageway and essentially put that square footage in the bathroom."

" Uh huh."

" There's just a more generous vanity. There's an opportunity to have a linen closet in addition to the tub shower."

" Right. Now, you're showing a staircase down to the basement that doesn't exist there yet."

" Right. That's our future. That's the stair to future."

" Yeah."

" And it allows us to efficiently go underneath the stair going up, which doesn't take as much a square footage."

" Right."

" And it takes us to a very nice potential for a basement room."

" So that we can have a 2nd stage of remodeling. That's why we're here when budget allows it."

" That's right."

" Yes."

" And as families grow too. I mean, this would be a wonderful 1st floor for a couple"

" That's right."

" Good. Yeah, that could be a wonderful kind of kids' floor there eventually. -That's right."

" Yeah. And then the rental unit up on the top."

" Well, frankly, we feel that with the budget, there's not a lot that we should do or can do. 1 thing that would help a lot would be to open up that bearing wall as we did on the 1st floor."

" Yeah."

" And bring the beautiful staircase into the room. It's visually a part of the room."

" Yes, so that you'd walk in down below and you feel like you're already in your private space."

" That's right. And it's just more space in the unit."

" Yeah."

" And then what do we do to make it more rentable?"

" Well, we're taking out 1 wall here where there was a pantry to make, the smallish bedroom on the larger. These are 8.3 by 12.6."

" Uh huh."

" And there's 2 of them in addition to a study."

" Yeah."

" And the kitchen, we're showing an upgraded kitchen cabinets, and essentially leaving the back porch as it is."

" Yeah."

" So that this will be the smaller budget and yeah, that will be a real nice space up there once we've done it."

" Good."

" That's right."