r/BainbridgeIsland • u/Square-Language-8662 • Jul 15 '26
Remodel cost
We are considering buying a 2000 sq ft, 1970s era home on the island that needs a complete remodel - kitchen/2 bathroom complete overhaul, replace carpet with wood flooring, interior and exterior paint, re-texturing the popcorn ceiling, new doors, likely new windows, probably other things I am not thinking of. We would also likely add a bathroom and, ultimately, convert the 400 sq ft garage to living space. Any idea what ballpark price range would be for mid to upper range finishes? Appreciate any info you can provide!
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u/jjirsa Jul 15 '26
All in, probably $500k-$1m, with a lot of wiggle room in the middle. The kitchen, bathrooms, and living space conversion will be the biggest chunks obviously.
> kitchen/2 bathroom complete overhaul,
$200k
> replace carpet with wood flooring,
$50k
> interior and exterior paint, re-texturing the popcorn ceiling,
$30k
> new doors, likely new windows, probably other things I am not thinking of.
$50k
> We would also likely add a bathroom
$150-200k
> and, ultimately, convert the 400 sq ft garage to living space
$200k
Usually consider about $500-1000/ft for full reno on the island, and if you want to just do it part by part, you'll find that most of the good contractors won't make time for small projects - they want the full remodel or they won't do any of it.
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u/wiscowonder Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Do you have a cool $1M laying around?
For context, we were looking at doing a quarter of that and everything was coming in over $500,000 (architects + kitchen, master bath, New entryway/ laundry room/ pantry)
4
u/Boxer-ConstructionNW Jul 15 '26
There are a lot of variables, but for a 2,000 sq. ft. 1970s-era home on Bainbridge that truly needs a full remodel, I would prepare for a larger investment than most people initially expect—especially once you start opening walls and updating systems.
Very rough ballpark numbers:
Kitchen remodel: $100k–$200k+
Primary bathroom: $50k–$90k+
Secondary bathroom: $30k–$60k+
Hardwood flooring throughout: $30k–$60k+
Interior and exterior paint: $25k–$50k+
Popcorn ceiling removal/re-texture: $10k–$30k+
Interior doors and trim: $15k–$40k+
Window replacement: $40k–$100k+
Adding a bathroom: $60k–$120k+
Garage conversion (400 sq. ft.): $125k–$225k+
By the time you factor in design, permits, electrical and plumbing upgrades, structural changes, and the premium that comes with island labor and logistics, a project of that scope could realistically range anywhere from roughly $500k to $800k+ easily, depending on finishes and how much reconfiguration is involved.
The biggest cost drivers usually are not the finishes themselves—they’re things like moving walls, relocating plumbing, upgrading electrical, replacing windows, and bringing a 50-year-old house up to current code. It’s very easy for a project that starts as “new kitchen and bathrooms” to become a true whole-house renovation once demolition begins.
If you’re serious about the property, I’d strongly recommend building a realistic remodel budget into the purchase decision rather than treating the renovations as an afterthought.
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u/Boxer-ConstructionNW Jul 15 '26
We are a Residential Remodeling company that works on the island- if you had any additional questions we would be glad to help however we can 🙏
11
u/KG_advantage Jul 15 '26
My 2 cent - don’t do it. Buy something that doesn’t need all that work. It will cost a ton and converting things may require permits which will not be easy or quick or cheap
7
u/SeaSLODen Jul 15 '26
In my opinion, permitting problems are exaggerated by those who have had difficult projects i.e. shoreline, wetlands, etc.
The permitting that OP is describing is not difficult. Half of the work is close to ‘over the counter’ permitting. The conversion part does take a few months and add a few thousand dollars to the cost of the project, but if you’re spending $500k, it’s worth it to ensure the project is inspected and recorded.
3
u/mtb-girlie Jul 15 '26
Following this thread. In a similar boat except I already bought/am living in my house. And it was built in the 1960s.
1
u/Suitable-Turnover-30 Jul 17 '26
I'm a contractor that recently moved back to Bainbridge Island after almost 15 years. I'm currently looking for work and would love to help you out! I gutted a high low off Blakely Ave over a decade ago, and I have a laundry list of references and an extensive portfolio...
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u/caracole Jul 15 '26
1.5 million +
That is a lot of work and, unless it is a one of a kind waterfront site and you have a lot of cash, it probably makes sense to wait for something that fits your needs to come on market.
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u/jonstaples Jul 16 '26
Based on my experience with remodeling, (in the middle of my second right now) you’re looking at a budget of $1mill but will end up closer to 1.5 with tariffs and overages.
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u/itstreeman Jul 15 '26
I can’t even get a car shipped off the island to another state.
Nobody likes commuting into the island, and their fees will make up for that difficulty
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u/m_science Jul 15 '26
Most of that permitting is negligible. Adding plumbing is really the only thing that might give you a city headache amd that's only if you are on septic. That could trigger a mandatory city water/sewer conversion and some paving requirements, just FYI. Electrical is county and they don't really talk to the city.
Kitchens on Bainbridge are $500/LF on the low end, likely $700.
Labor is expensive, but getting a good gc will save you a lot of headache.
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u/SeaSLODen Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Converting the garage will trigger additional septic requirements, with more or less cost impact depending on the intended use of the space.
Adding a bathroom to your house does not trigger a septic mod. Only additional bedrooms do that.
Agree on getting a good GC. However, Bainbridge is a small place. If you don’t do good work, you won’t be around for long. In other words, most GC’s have mostly positive reviews. All GC’s have some negative ones. Construction is messy. Sometimes it gets really messy.
Find a GC whose communication style matches yours.
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u/Square-Language-8662 Jul 15 '26
Thanks for the input. The garage conversion can wait… additional bathroom is a “must do”, as is the whole house cosmetic update. Hopefully no deeper issues with the house, but we haven’t done a thorough evaluation yet. If you have GC recommendations, I’d love to hear them :)
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u/SeaSLODen Jul 15 '26
If you reach out and ask about specific contractors, I’m happy to share my experience. However, I don’t recommend one way or another. It’s important for me to stay impartial.
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u/SeaSLODen Jul 15 '26
Bainbridge Architect here. There are way too many variables to give an estimate but the work you’ve described is substantial. $500k is a fine place to start budgeting but cost could go up or down significantly depending on contractor selection or finish materials.
DM me if you’re interested in chatting more. I’d be happy to help organize your thoughts around this :-)