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Bathroom Remodeling in Sanford, FL: The Two-Sanfords Rule · USA Cabinet Store Remodeling Podcast

• 0:04
  Welcome back to the Remodel Report by USA Cabinet
• 0:07
  Store. I'm Will, and today we're heading up to
• 0:11
  the Seminole County seat, the historic waterfront
• 0:13
  city itself. Lily, we're talking Sanford. We
• 0:17
  are, and Sanford is my favorite one to explain,
• 0:20
  because it's really two towns wearing one name.
• 0:24
  You've got the historic district downtown, 1880s
• 0:27
  to 1920s bungalows, And then you've got these
• 0:31
  clean 2000s subdivisions like celery lakes. Same
• 0:35
  city, completely different remodel. And that's
• 0:38
  the whole episode in a sentence. So let's start
• 0:41
  where everybody starts. What does a bathroom
• 0:44
  remodel actually cost in Sanford? Most homeowners
• 0:47
  land between $5 ,709 and $15 ,372, average around
• 0:54
  $10 ,510. Same Orlando metro ranges as the rest
• 0:58
  of Seminole County. But here's the Sanford twist.
• 1:01
  The median home is only about $343 ,000. So it's
• 1:06
  the value play of the whole area. Your dollar
• 1:09
  goes further here. OK, but you said two Sanfords.
• 1:12
  Why does that change the cost? Because of what's
• 1:15
  behind the walls. Picture two homeowners. Same
• 1:18
  quartz, same vanity. Ones in a 2007 celery lakes
• 1:22
  house. Modern pipes. Slab. Drywall. the others
• 1:26
  in a 1912 bungalow, cast iron drains, galvanized
• 1:31
  pipe, lath and plaster. Same finishes, and the
• 1:34
  bungalow can cost thousands more. So the historic
• 1:37
  home needs a 15 -20 % contingency, and the newer
• 1:41
  home only needs 10. So before you even pick tile,
• 1:44
  you need to know which Sanford you're in. Exactly.
• 1:48
  Check the year built, the foundation, and the
• 1:50
  pipes under your sink. Shiny plastic is modern,
• 1:53
  dull grey metal is old. That one check tells
• 1:56
  you your contingency. Now let's get to the thing
• 1:59
  that trips everybody up. Permits. And Sanford's
• 2:02
  got a weird one. Oh, it's so good. Sanford is
• 2:06
  the county seat, so the Seminole County Building
• 2:09
  Office is literally downtown on First Street.
• 2:13
  Everybody assumes they file with the county.
• 2:15
  But if your home is inside city limits, you file
• 2:19
  with the City of Sanford through their CitizenServe
• 2:22
  portal. Wrong office costs you a week. And what
• 2:25
  about the historic district? People hear preservation
• 2:28
  board and panic. This is the myth I love busting.
• 2:32
  The certificate of appropriateness, the COA,
• 2:34
  only covers exterior work. An interior bathroom
• 2:38
  remodel needs zero historic approval. You pull
• 2:41
  a normal city permit and that's it. The only
• 2:45
  time the board gets involved is if you change
• 2:47
  the outside, like a new window or an exterior
• 2:49
  vent. That's a huge relief for anyone in those
• 2:52
  downtown bungalows. Let's talk materials, because
• 2:55
  Sanford's right on Lake Monroe. Right. So humidity
• 2:59
  runs 60 to 70 percent. Plus that lakefront moisture.
• 3:03
  Porcelain over natural stone every time. Quartz
• 3:06
  tops. And three -quarter inch plywood cabinet
• 3:09
  boxes. Never particle board. Because particle
• 3:13
  board swells and crumbles. Plus a proper exhaust
• 3:16
  fan vented outside, which is code anyway. And
• 3:19
  does a remodel actually pay off here? This is
• 3:21
  where the value market shines. A tub -to -walk
• 3:24
  -in shower conversion returns 75 % to 85%. A
• 3:29
  new vanity with quartz, 60 % to 75%. And because
• 3:33
  Sanford homes cost less, that return is a bigger
• 3:37
  slice of your home's value. A great bathroom
• 3:40
  stands out more here than it would on a million
• 3:42
  -dollar estate. Give me the quick takeaways before
• 3:45
  we wrap. Five things. One, know which Sanford
• 3:48
  you're in before you budget. 2. Historic homes
• 3:51
  need a 15 -20 % contingency, newer ones 10. 3.
• 3:57
  File your permit with the City of Sanford, not
• 3:59
  the county. 4. Interior remodels need no historic
• 4:04
  COA and 5. The value market makes your ROI hit
• 4:09
  harder. When you're ready, USA Cabinet Store
• 4:13
  is 15 minutes away in Winter Springs and the
• 4:16
  consultation is free. That's the Remodel Report.
• 4:20
  Book your free design consultation at usacabinetstore
• 4:23
  .com slash complimentary consultation or find
• 4:27
  the full Sanford Guide on our site. Thanks for
• 4:30
  listening. Bye everyone.