Berkeley, California
2022 Regional CotY Award Winner, Residential Addition $100,000 to $250,000
These Gen-X homeowners purchased their first home not realizing how much it would become like the 1986 film, “The Money Pit.” They discovered the duplex listing was incorrect as far as the building department was concerned. Although this first floor apartment dwelling had been built below the main dwelling unit during the 1930s Great Depression, its illegal habitation had been noted in cease-and-desist citations ignored by the previous owners since the 1960s. This illegal rental unit became the critical driver towards remodeling. The result provides consistent income to contribute towards affordable home ownership and rentability at the highest market value.