[CRH911S]

I got into an older home on a treed quarter acre. The renovations were extensive but to keep costs down I didn't deviate from the as-built. Replaced all water, sewer and electrical. Replaced insulation, vapor barriers and sheetrock for most of the house. The kitchen and bathroom were completely remodeled. The downside is the forced air heater. It's 35years old and the previous owners replaced things that wore out to the point that it's a new heater...this includes the heat exchanger. Each year I keep hoping it dies so I can't replace it but my heater guy says it's good-as-new and as efficient as the new units. I'm presently replacing the viynal siding with cedar which isn't too expensive and really gives the little house a lot of character and street appeal.
Prior to purchasing the house I had an engineer look at the foundation because I was mainly concerned, not so much for code compliance, but if it could support an upstairs. The roof on my house is capable of an additional 1100sq/ft of living space. I was surprised to hear that the foundation was adequate even though the type of foundation isn't used anymore and that there are several ways to bring it up to code. It just depended on how much money I wanted to spend.
My little house is my retirement home and I wanted it to be functional and efficient. It's about 20 mins from downtown Anchorage and 5mins from hard core wilderness and some of the best cross country ski trails on this planet. Drs and hospitals are close by as are the newest malls and shopping centers.
Ever thought staying put might be in your best interest?