Hi Janie,

We are a family of 5 (36,34,7,5,3 + 2 golden retrievers and a cat). Full house for sure.

No one works at home but we are very homey and spend a lot of time together at home.

We are looking to stay withing 50-60k budget, that includes changing all the flooring and building a 15 x 30 pool in the backyard plus those demolitions above. Trying to stay away from electrical, plumbing and structural (hoping those columns above are just decorative).

We are in Miami, so it is very hot and humid all year long.

Can you show us what flooring you've chosen? That's clearly a biggie....

We haven’t yet but are leaning towards wood like ceramic, white grayish or wenge.

I would close up the front room and add French doors. I would not turn the whole floor into one echo chamber.

Thank you Mikly, but we are more into a modern and contemporary style. Looking to open space and clear lines.

Agree with removing the arches and columns if you are seeking a more modern design. Have you consulted an architect or engineer to determine what may be load bearing? Squared off supports would look more up to date than the rounded columns currently in place. Removing the columns altogether, if feasible, would give the most open look. Good luck with your new home.

I am picking up from the county the plans for the home in order to determine whether they are load bearing wedsneday.

congrats on the new home! Just wondering- with your budget - up here in Canada that would only pay for your pool and nothing else. Is that realistic where you are?

Victor and Sara, Congratulations!! Home buying is awesome!

You need to wait for a bit before you start renovating. I know it is fun to think of tearing things out, but....you need to live in the house first and see what does and what does not work.

While you are doing this, start tearing out pictures from magazines of family rooms, kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms that you like and those that you do not like. You also need to start Houzz files so that people on here can help you better. Groveraxle, Patricia, Sophie, and many others can help you from making a huge mistake. You may find removing the wall between the breakfast area and living room will allow you to turn the family room into an eating area and the living room into the family room. I don't know. You don't know.

IMHO, you also need to research and find a decorator. They will cost a pretty penny....BUT....they will save you more than that in the long run. They know contractors, electricians, etc and their decorating input can be invaluable. BUT....you need to do your due diligence and find one with whom you can work AND will listen to what you are saying.

Another reason for waiting...you do not know of all the hidden costs you may or may not incur. Water heater goes out....$2000, dishwasher leaks....$1000, etc. etc. etc.

Just my 2 cents worth.

@Leila, you are right. Down here in Florida too - $60k would cover the pool - maybe, depending on the style, size and contractor. I think the OP is being overly optimistic trying to get all of that work done for $60k. In fact, getting a decent pool and deck for that price is a pretty good deal. OP, please get your pool bids first - or make a choice to do the pool or inside before you commit to both. I don't think it can be done - except on HGTV and we all know that isn't realistic.

@denita absolutely. And it wouldn't include landscaping - just literally the pool and equipment. But I do get that things cost different amounts in different places. I'd do the pool after the house is done, personally

On the west coast of Florida, a basic pool with cage runs $50K. Flooring is going to run somewhere in the vicinity of $2-3 s.f. for demo and another $8-10 for material and installation of new barring any issues like releveling, etc. If any of those columns and arches are load bearing, and several of them appear to be, you're going to probably be looking at another possible $5-8K each to add beams and then there will be drywall repair and painting on top of that. Modernizing the columns and squaring out the archways will be much more economical. Good luck with your remodel!

Congrats on the new house!! so exciting!
I just want to add my two cents too. someone mentionned the echo if you open all the walls and make it as open as possible. I want to second that thought, especially since you have 3 children.
You'll probably need to add a few rugs in your living space to "absorb" the noise as ceramic can amplify the echo.
other than that I find that the layout offers many possibilities. Maybe start with one project and decide what you'll modernize next after living in the house for a few months or years. We sometimes discover some designs' pros and cons only after a while.

Thank you all for the help. Biggest thing is we want to have as much done as possible before we move in.

I have a few quotes already for the pool at around $30k, 30 x 15 nothing too fancy.

Really hoping those columns are not structural, we’ll know Wednesday.

My neighbor just got a pool this year with pool cage, childproof netted fence around it, paver pool deck for under $35k in south Tampa we are not Miami but id think it would be similar.

Are you going to be using the front entry way to come in and out? You currently have no storage/ landing zone. If the front room is going to be used as an office id put French doors in and close the entry to the dining room right as you walk in. Keep the other (larger) area open. I'm guessing pillars are structural since there is wall above them if so I'd box them in. What will that room be used for? A grown up space?

Room to the right will be the guest bedroom, dining to the left and space to the back will be a seating area with a bar...

Any news on the columns being structural?

Ugh. This is a difficult space to live in because there is no area that has any sound control, and the flow is moronic.

No coat closet. Weird columns. Just turning into one huge echo chamber doesn’t improve it. You need a coat closet. Bring the wall out far enough that you can then cheaply demo the weird columns and arches. I would entirely demo the angled pantry so I could square up the walls and make the rooms fully usable. Literally half the square footage in the living and dining rooms are completely unusable right now because of those stupid angles, bad traffic pattern, and the extra column they then require.

So the pink is an oops. Blue—new walls. The box is the pantry. Red—demo. Yellow—coat closet doors. Green—new island.

Hi Everyone,

So yesterday we finally got the plans to the house from the county. Had a P.E. look them over and it appears the columns are not load bearing so we can demo them.

I will be going into the attic to make sure, but look goods so far.

Next dilemma is the flooring:

Living Areas

Bedrooms

What do you guys think?

By the way, we also have been quoted the pool (15 x 30 ft) at around $27,000.

If you are getting everything for $27k that is amazing. By everything I mean the pool, deck, fence or screen (as required by pool code), electrical hook up, site preparation, pump and all the other equipment. That sounds like very good shopping. Be aware that if the contract contains "allowances" that the price allotted usually is short of the actual cost.

@Milly Rey, the poster is in Miami. It is unusual for us to have coat closets here as we don't need them. I'm a Realtor and have been in many hundreds of homes and almost never see a coat closet.

Things must come cheap where you live, what does that include??? I just had a new patio deck & wall modifications done outside, $35k.

Includes everything, LED lighting, hook ups, equipment, deck around...

@Victor & Sara Lavigne: Remember to check your pool builders references. You know what they say about "if it's too good to be true..."

I am just up the coast from you in Palm Beach county. I hope he is a good and reputable pool builder. Unfortunately here in S Florida. tri-county area especially, we have a tendency to get a lot of fly by night contractors in all the trades, especially pool builders. Check his references carefully. Contact them directly. If he won't give you recent references, it's a red flag.

Make sure he gets a permit too. Don't do this without a permit. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

That's quite a price for a pool. I know it wouldn't be possible here in SW Florida. Cage alone is $10K. Denita is giving you good advice re: references, etc. It's very good news about the columns. TBH, I find the flooring to be a bit rustic in conjunction with the tile. Is that a wood look ceramic or porcelain tile?

The pool I have with rock deck was 30,00.00 back in 1985, I'm building a new home and pool is way over 80,000. so beware of what you are getting . I live on the West Coast of florida the least expense side in a small town south of sarasota

Wow that's crazy I'm not sure a poolis worth having at 80k like I said my neighbor paid 35k with pavered deck and screened in pool cage in South Tampa so not sure why a small town would be so expensive

Just talked to someone today who just finished a 400 s.f. pool with sun shelf and block pavers. All in with cage was 40K.

^that price sounds a bit more realistic - and still a good deal with the cage. I don't remember where you are katinparadise - but Miami Dade has a very tough code for those cages so they end up being very expensive. I hope the OP continues to do their homework so they don't end up being one of those homeowners with an unfinished pool and liens on their home when the pool contractor disappears. It is a common story here when the contract is a 'too good to be true' price.

Denita, I'm in SW Florida-Cape Coral-which is over the river from Fort Myers. We have super strict hurricane codes here for pool cages as well. Even the shed my husband just put up has to meet hurricane tie down standards. My pool cage is 14 years old and grandfathered in but if it were to go down in a hurricane (or tornado like the one we had almost 2 years ago where we lost screens but not the pool cage) it would have to be built to today's code. I believe everything here is done to Miami Dade hurricane standards as well. When I was looking at homes on the East Coast a few years ago, I noticed a lot of homes didn't have cages. I wouldn't ever want an open air pool down here with all the bugs and mosquitoes.

So you aren't too far from me, just across the state as the crow flies ;) I know the Cape Coral area. Many of the cages went down with the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 and people elected not to replace the screening due to the high cost to replace. They elected to go with fences instead. Even the pools built since then have few with cages. They still exist but not nearly as many as before.

You must be near Fort Lauderdale. We use the airport there frequently as there are many more direct flights from there as compared to RSW. Last time we were in Ft. Lauderdale on Labor Day weekend, we went up Las Olas BIvd. for lunch. I hadn't been there in years and was very impressed. It reminded me a lot of the main street area in Santa Barbara. We used to live in Tamarac in the mid 80's and had a friend in Coral Springs. I wasn't here when Charlie went through but as I said, we went through the tornado and just went through Irma with very little damage fortunately. Almost all of the new construction has cages. Even the new models that are going up are doing the pools with cages. I have a cage and a fence but that's because I have dogs. I can't imagine OP's pool quote includes a cage but maybe they'd rather not have one. Even the 27K sounds a bit low to me.

I'm in West Palm Beach/Wellington area. Grew up in Coral Springs in the 1970's when it was just getting started (moved there in 1969-70) :)

I agree that the $27k probably excludes any screening or even fencing. That would be one of those add on's that are required by the code but not included in the pool construction contract. http://www.miamidade.gov/building/standards/residential-swimming-pools.asp