Re; the tradeoff between privacy and view for your glass front door, one of the HGTV shows (Property Brothers?) used a glass door that, at the flick of a switch, became opaque. Google switchable smartglass. It looks incredible…
We have this kind of film on the glass conference room windows. It really works. 
@coralbrook - your views are beautiful. I love your house and know that you will make wonderful updates with your great eye for detail. If you can find a long term renter that your trust I think that you would be able to lock and leave to enjoy your travels.
One of the shops has dressing rooms with glass that goes from clear to opaque. Perhaps it’s the same technology. It freaks me out a bit but it is cool tech and does provide more privacy while maintaining lovely views.
That is a good question… to sell or not. However, my home, no matter how nice I make the inside, is a small home in the neighborhood. Anyone that buys this house is going to tear it down to studs and build a McMansion because of the price of land. So, these improvements I’m making are solely for myself. I’m not kidding anyone that I am adding value to my home. My home is a very specific style and 90% of buyers are not going to like the style. They want contemporary (hello next door McMansion - which does not fit into the neighborhood at all!), Cape Cod, or Spanish style. They want giant square footage just to say they have it I guess.
Don’t really want the swimming pool anymore. It was mainly used for surfers to jump in after they got out of the ocean, and my D and her friends. I do not use the pool because it is solar heated and I don’t think it’s warm enough until it gets to 85, about 2 months of the year. At least it’s a salt water pool and I don’t have to fuss with the chlorine stuff. It is pretty to look at and has a lovely waterfall. So, I am just going to pay for pool maintenance to keep going.
Time will tell if I can handle a renter on my property.
Condos are looking very tempting to me. I may just be buying time until it’s time to let go.
The only reason I am not selling my home is because it is our ‘gathering place’. I have a close group of friends that have been taking care of us through my husband’s terminal illness. We get together all the time and all of our milestones have been at this house such as Xmas parties, Thanksgiving together, graduation parties, weddings, etc. And, we use the patio for our dance classes every 2 weeks. I know that if I move someplace it will just not be the same. We will see each other less often, it will not be as easily spontaneous as it is now. Noone has a home large enough to accomodate and/or is willing to entertain as often as I do. It would make me very sad.
So, instead of selling the house and walking away I am going into debt to fix it. Need to have my head examined!
Yes, we “CONTRACTORS” have itching hands. As soon as I finished a project, I can’t sit still, I NEED to find the next one. So when a rental turned over after my major addition, I called back my “crew” start to tear the kitchen down. Its in the blood.
Regardless, my “McMansion” sits on 1.2 acres IS my major concern when I lock and go. From time to time, I have to look at the security camera footage across the world or on the sea so I do not “miss” some thing. As a result, I PAID almost $800 to buy an internet PACKAGE just to have the privilege to see IT on the open seas. DW is calling quit, but a voice inside me says “Nooooooooooooooo”! Clear your head before stick your itching hands in, they do not listen.
I used quiet rock in my (now rental) condo and it REALLY helped.
CB, the tide might be changing on McMansions. There are reports that newer homes being built are getting smaller. I would totally buy your updated house and not change a thing.
Can you salvage the custom flip flop tiles and use them elsewhere?
Funny, looking at the photos, I liked the board and batten siding, I must be old school 
There used to be zoning issues about turning part of your home into a rental. There are 2 key issues in my coastal zone; parking requirements and setbacks. Since I am not adding anything to my house I don’t have to worry about setbacks and I have parking available in the back of the house. But San Diego has changed their tune recently and are now encouraging Accessory Units so there would not be any issue IF I went in to get a permit and IF I want to add about 5k to my costs.
I’m not sure if I need to pull a permit for a new roof because I think you are allowed to reroof as long as you are not replacing the sub structure. I need to research that
I wouldn’t sell a property with that view. Once you sell that type of property in your city you could never afford to buy something similar.
My sister had a house in a Ca coastal city with no view. She took a job in a less expensive city in Northern Ca. She was going to sell her house and buy in the new city. My husband convinced her to rent it because she might want to come back when she retired. Fast forward and she is so happy she didn’t sell. In the years she was away prices skyrocketed and she could not have afforded to move back.
I’ve loaded a floor plan of the kitchen/bath area of the new studio apartment which is only 80" wide by 204 1/2" long. I want to try to get the following into the combined area, with a wall and a door into the bathroom
24" washer/dryer combo
22-24" full height refrigerator
18" dishwasher
small sink in 24" cabinet
2 burner induction stove
18" trash pull out with silverware drawer
micro/oven combo above the stove area
Uppers for plates and glasses
some kind of small tall storage cabinet for vacuum, brooms, etc
some kind of small linen storage
Shower, toilet and vanity (removing old bathtub)
Wow, that will be a nice kitchenette! Most ADUs here do not come with washer/dryer! That will be a nice perk.
cb, given that global climate change is real, and SD experienced a lot of HOT days last year, which are likely to continue to occur, may I suggest you install a solar system on the roof, after it is replaced, and AC as part of your upgrade?
It will help to make your rental unit, and the rest of the house more livable.
I’m a little confused - does that 17’ x 6.5’ room also need to be the living area? Or is it all just for the bath and kitchen, and the “bedroom” doubles as the living area?
If it’s all just for the kitchen and bath, can either the bedroom door or exterior door be easily moved?
The kitchen as laid out seems very cramped to me, with virtually no counter space. I would think about putting the kitchen at the other end, where you have space to put in a decent L-shaped kitchen (which would give you room for the fridge and w/d) and still have room for a small table. Put the bathroom where the kitchen is now, even without moving the doors there is space for a shower, vanity and toilet.
I can’t see adding AC with the ocean across the street. I live in San Diego less than a mile from the coast and have no AC and really only wish I did a couple of weeks a year.
That area on the loaded plan is just for the kitchen and bath area. There is a separate room, same length and about 22’ wide for the bedroom/living area of the studio apartment.
My idea right now is to have the 80" wide of counterspace, only broken up by the sink. Then put in some ‘closet’ openings on the other side of the entry door to house a refrigerator facing towards the kitchen and then a washer/dryer facing into the bathroom and/or kitchen area. There would be an entry door to bathroom in between the two recessed items or on the side of the two recessed items
I don’t think anyone is going to want a small table in there when there will be a fabulous view to enjoy in the bedroom/living area
AC is not common in our neighborhood, except probably in new construction homes, which are very few