This Old House

Kevin: Today on "This Old House"... it's moving day in Walpole, Massachusetts, with the renovation of a '70s ranch and the addition of an ADU, or accessory dwelling unit.

A former active-duty military family and the grandparents are home.

We'll celebrate with them as we close out our 47th season.

Kevin: Hey, there, and welcome back to the final episode of our project here in Walpole, Mass, which was a little different for us, Richard.

We had the traditional renovation of the existing house, but then we also had the new build out back of the ADU, or accessory dwelling unit.

Richard: Right.

Well, these ADUs are a way for cities and towns to try to deal with the challenge of affordable housing.

It's not the whole answer.

It's not for everybody.

But it's a way for many people to have family members close or people live there in separate spaces.

Dan and Jill found that classic '70s ranch and were able to put that wing on the back for their family, and it really was a perfect solution for them.

Kevin: And a perfect opportunity for us to dig a little deeper into the ADU and see different styles and ways to make them.

We went to Boston to see an old house where they converted the attic to an ADU.

Richard: Yeah.

Kevin: Down to Atlanta to see some garages converted to ADU.

And then, of course, there's the prefab move.

Richard: The prefab.

You build it and just ship it where it's got to go.

Perfect.

Kevin: Yeah, drop it on a site with a crane, and you got yourself a new build.

Alright, but in the meantime, what do you say we check out the house and see how they are doing after move-in day?

Richard: What a transformation.

Look at that.

Dan: Hey, Kevin!

Kevin: Dan.

How you doing?

Dan: I'm doing alright.

Good to see you.

Welcome!

Kevin: Thank you very much.

Wow!

Wow!

Look at the transformation!

Dan: What do you think?

Kevin: Don't worry about what I think.

What do you think?

Dan: I think it's fantastic.

One thing hasn't changed.

Kevin: [ Laughs ] Scout still holding guard.

Dan: Yeah, she has not moved during the entire renovation.

Kevin: That's awesome.

We met her right there.

And such a difference from how many months ago we were here.

Dan: Yeah, vaulted the ceilings just in the main living space so we can host and have it bigger for entertaining and to make room for this aircraft propeller for a ceiling fan.

Kevin: Oh, nice.

Dan: And this was an arched opening that led us into the dining room here.

Kevin: Okay, which was also its own separate space.

And you guys wanted to keep a dining area.

Dan: Exactly, but we added a built-in cabinetry and bar top here.

Kevin: So beautiful.

Oak.

Dan: White oak.

Kevin: Glass up top.

Dan: Exactly.

Kevin: Painted doors.

Dan: And then you remember here at the back, the bay window.

Kevin: Yeah.

Dan: That's now that three-panel slider that you helped me put in a couple weeks ago.

Kevin: Happy to do it.

And to great effect, right?

So lots of light.

Out to the deck, which I love, is basically flush with your interior floor.

Dan: Sure.

It's on the same level.

So it's a shared deck with the ADU.

Kevin: Look at all that space.

Alright.

And then, again, the kitchen was its own separate space, but now it is the heart of what is one big open floor plan, one big room.

Dan: Huge, open floor plan.

We got quartz countertops, white-oak island, white-oak floors.

Kevin: Yeah.

Dan: And you remember here there was a pain point.

This is where the door from the garage, the door into the kitchen.

Both had to be open at the same time as you stepped up and brought the groceries in.

Huge pain.

Kevin: In my mind, this is where the whole renovation started, fixing that problem.

Dan: That was the snowball that started this avalanche.

Absolutely.

Kevin: Yeah.

Alright.

And the solution's back here?

Dan: Right here.

Yeah.

I'll show you.

Kevin: Big, beautiful appliances.

Look at the size of that fridge/freezer.

Dan: So this is all new additions.

Kevin: So this is the new entryway coming off of the garage.

Dan: That is the new garage.

And all of this is new additions.

So you come right on in.

You can either go into the mudroom or into the kitchen.

Kevin: So good organization.

Dan: Mm-hmm.

Kevin: Hardworking stone floor which you want by an entryway, mudroom, and such.

Dan: Exactly.

And that takes you to the basement stairwell, which was relocated.

Kevin: Big part of the solution for you guys.

Dan: Exactly right.

Kevin: And then half powder room right there.

Dan: Half bath.

Exactly.

Kevin: So did it solve the problem of flow to your guys' satisfaction?

Dan: Absolutely did.

You can come in one entryway and choose which way you need to go.

Everything's fixed.

Kevin: Gorgeous.

Alright.

How about a look at the private spaces?

Dan: Let's go.

So, Kevin, I'll take you down here to the bedrooms.

Kevin: Yes.

Dan: So you remember this was Alice's bedroom.

Just a new window and paint for a facelift.

Oliver's down there.

Same thing.

Kevin: Yeah.

Dan: And then we took what was our only bathroom... We shared the bathroom with the kids with a single vanity.

And now we have a double vanity and a toilet room, so two kids can use the bathroom at the same time.

Kevin: If I recall correctly, the duct tape is gone.

Dan: [ Laughs ] Yeah, the duct tape.

We upgraded the duct tape with new tile here.

Kevin: Beautiful.

So, Kevin, here's the primary.

You'll see we moved the bed from that far wall over to what was the air-conditioner wall.

Kevin: Yeah, that air conditioner was pushed through the exterior wall.

Dan: Exactly.

Kevin: Same closet, but... Dan: Same closet, but marriage is a compromise.

So I got this closet and we added Jill a whole new walk-in on the other side.

Dan: Which is found space because that's pushed into the addition, right?

Dan: Exactly.

So that's all new addition, along with this.

This used to be that half-bath.

We gave that space to a linen closet and the kids' bath.

Kevin: Mm-hmm.

Dan: And then we added here the primary bath.

Kevin: So this is a big upgrade from duct tape, this bathroom here.

Dan: It sure is, yeah.

So we have a double vanity, a double shower, and a toilet room, as well, in here.

Kevin: Beautiful.

Okay.

And how about the ADU?

Dan: It's waiting for you right now.

Jill's gonna give you a tour.

Kevin: Perfect.

Jill: Kevin, as you know, my parents are going to be moving in soon, which is why we built this ADU for them.

Kevin: Very nice.

And a nice ADU, indeed.

Jill: It's awesome.

The number-one thing on their list was a full kitchen, full size, so lots of counter space and full-size appliances.

Kevin: So they're not suffering through a tiny little dishwasher or a narrow fridge.

You gave them what they need.

So they're gonna use this space a lot.

Jill: Absolutely, they will.

Kevin: Very nice.

Jill: Alright.

They're also getting a living room in here, where they'll use to watch TV and just hang out.

Kevin: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And in here is their laundry room.

So full-size washer and dryer, as well as a utility sink.

Kevin: Okay.

And one of two full bathrooms down here, right?

Jill: Absolutely.

It's a really good size.

The shower is a great size.

And they're really going to enjoy this.

Kevin: On the floor in the bathroom, you've got the LVP, the luxury vinyl plank.

You guys chose to use it throughout the entire ADU.

Jill: Exactly.

It's all the same flooring.

We really liked it because it's really durable and it's waterproof, and it's gonna be great for them as they age here.

Kevin: Full-size primary suite, as well.

Jill: Exactly.

They're gonna love this space.

A queen size bed, generously sized closet, and a second bathroom here that mirrors the first.

Kevin: Okay.

Jill: Alright, Kevin.

And this is our bonus room.

Kevin: Very nice.

Jill: Yeah.

Kevin: Some family has gathered.

Jill: Yep.

You remember my kids, Alice and Oliver.

Kevin: I do.

Jill: And these are my parents, Ed and Regina.

Kevin: Nice to meet you guys.

Ed: Hi, sir.

How are you?

Regina: Nice to meet you, Kevin.

Kevin: This is common space, right?

So you each have your own, and then this is common ground.

Regina: It is.

Kevin: Have you guys thought about how you're gonna use it?

Regina: Well, we love the bonus space.

It's big.

It's airy.

We're gonna play games, watch TV, movies.

Ed: Bruins.

[ Laughter ] Regina: The Bruins.

Kevin: Just put a marker down.

[ Laughter ] Okay.

Alright.

And you guys, uh, Alice, Oliver, have you figured out what your favorite room is with the new house?

Alice: My favorite part is probably the big basement.

We have plenty of space to store toys and books and games.

Kevin: Yeah.

And, Oliver, how about you?

Oliver: My bedroom, 'cause I like to decorate it.

Kevin: Nice.

It's gonna be your own space.

You're gonna put your mark on it?

Oliver: Mm-hmm.

Kevin: Awesome.

Alright.

And then I hear you guys are still in the process of moving in, correct?

Ed: Yeah, that's correct, but we'll take our time coming in... Kevin: And what do you think of the whole project, sort of, you know, on property?

Ed: I think it's a great idea, being this close to the grandkids and stuff.

Kevin: Just the way you planned.

Jill: Absolutely.

We're really excited.

Kevin: Alright.

Well, we're gonna see you guys in a little bit 'cause we're wrapping things up.

Ready?

Regina: Bye.

Kevin: See ya.

Alice: Bye!

Do you have an 8?

Regina: Go fish.

[ Laughs ] Richard: If you're thinking about an ADU, there are some big decisions to be made as it relates to the mechanicals and the utilities.

Is it gonna be shared or separate billing?

What does the local ordinances say?

What rules are there?

Do you know the people who are in the ADU?

And what are the costs?

Not only the first cost of the equipment, but also the operating costs over time?

So let's review what they did here.

Electrical used to come into the front of the building overhead.

They got rid of that and were able to bury a new line from the back of the property tied on to the existing electrical panel.

200 amps for the main house, but also added a new panel for the ADU.

So two meters.

Two bills.

Perfect.

Now, water.

We had water coming in from the street.

The main was brand-new, so we didn't have to think about that because there isn't enough additional water load for the two small bathrooms over here.

Water's fine.

One bill.

Now, sewer was the same situation.

One sewer line went out.

We were able to tie everybody onto that.

It didn't make enough sense to dig in a separate sewer line, and there's really no reason for it.

Now, if it had been a septic system and we added this additional load, we may have had to upgrade the entire septic field, and that could have been a budget buster.

Now with HVAC, the main house didn't have much to tie on to, so it was pretty much a blank slate.

Let's go check out what we did.

I knew I'd find you down here.

Dan: Hey!

What's up, Richard?

Richard: How are you?

Good.

I remember that old oil boiler over there.

You got just a single window air conditioner.

Big changes.

Dan: Absolutely.

Richard: Alright.

So you got one mechanical room now between the two units, the ADU and the main house.

Why'd you go with a single heating and hot-water supply?

Dan: So we looked originally at going for two independent units, and we realized that even if we went smaller, it's almost double the cost.

Richard: That's right.

Dan: So for less money, we ended up going with a single unit, and we'll just split the bill of a more efficient unit.

Richard: That first cost was prohibitive, but that operating cost is going to be much better in the long run.

Good.

So you've got a gas-fired boiler that's-- You didn't have gas before, right?

Dan: No.

It's propane now.

So we have a 500-gallon tank in the backyard, and then that warms the water here.

Richard: So that'll power this so it'll heat the water.

Dan: Mm-hmm.

Richard: You'll also heat the hot water here for the faucet so that you and your ADU partners will share that cost of the propane.

Dan: Right.

Richard: I love this.

Beautifully piped.

I mean, just-- It's just-- I love good craftsmanship.

It looks fabulous.

So this comes up.

This is called hydro-air, so you heat the water, and that water goes over to these air handlers.

You got this one here for the ADU.

Dan: Mm-hmm.

Richard: So heated water gets pumped down through a coil right here, and the air gets heated when it blows across the coil so that the cost of heating the air will be shared between the two of you.

Dan: Exactly right.

Richard: But the electrical cost, both for the air-conditioning condenser and the blower, will be on the appropriate meters.

Dan: Exactly.

So these are two-zone air handlers.

So this serves the ADU first floor and the ADU basement.

Richard: Perfect.

Dan: I have one in my attic that serves the living room and the bedrooms.

Richard: Good.

So that covers the main parts of the main building.

And the basement has its own system.

Dan: Exactly.

Richard: So main-house basement looks pretty finished.

I love it.

Dan: Oh, yeah.

Richard: And this turned out to be an office?

Dan: Yeah, my office space.

Richard: And this was a great solution, the ceiling cassette unit.

Dan: Yeah.

We used a cassette unit because they fit between the joists of the ceiling.

You don't have that big mechanical on the wall.

Richard: Mm-hmm.

So this is an inverter heat pump.

You got the condenser outside, and it connects to two units, one here and one at the other end.

Dan: Exactly.

Richard: Now, this place looks the same but different.

Dan: Mm-hmm.

Right.

Yeah.

We ended up using a different wood paneling.

So we ripped the old stuff out... Richard: And you found paneling?

Dan: With a time machine.

I went back and got a bunch of more wood paneling.

Richard: And stucco?

You actually went stucco, too?

Dan: Yeah, we had to match the original stucco to the original basement.

Richard: Good for you.

And this will be a really comfortable place for the kids to watch TV, everybody to hang out.

Dan: Exactly.

Richard: And look at this!

I remember this!

Dan: Yeah.

This is the original bar.

We kept the original to try to pay tribute to the original owners and their German heritage.

Richard: Great.

And I see the steins are here.

Dan: Absolutely.

Richard: It's October somewhere.

Dan: It is.

Richard: You got a beer?

Dan: Prost!

Richard: Prost!

Tom: Wow.

So you get two full baths, good size bedroom.

Laundry room, TV room, and a nice kitchen.

This place turned out fantastic.

Smith: Thank you.

Tom: Yeah.

Jared: Thanks, Tom.

Tom: So this is your first ADU and it's the first ADU for the town?

Smith: Yes.

Jared: Correct.

Tom: Alright.

So what would your advice be to homeowners that want to do something like this?

Jared: I would say the biggest part of it's gonna be the planning, right?

You want to plan it not just for the short term but for the long term.

Tom: Right.

Jared: Particularly if we're gonna use the ADU for grandparents and that kind of thing.

What happens when they're done using the ADU?

Tom: Right.

Jared: Do we have a rental?

How are we going to use the space?

And I think that if you are gonna get into something like this, you need to have a long-term view, as well.

Tom: So you can rent it if you need to later on.

Jared: Correct.

Tom: What about if you're at the lumberyard and you run into a builder or something like that?

And he says, "Well, I heard you built that ADU."

You know, what would you tell him?

Smith: I would say there's a couple challenges that you would face.

It's the planning with the architect and the town, and then also making sure on the pre-construction side that you have everything picked out.

Make sure that you know what you want to do for floors and what you want to do for different types of countertops and cabinets and making sure that, the ADU and the main house, they're two completely separate dwellings.

-People do... Different likes and not-likes.

Smith: So we have-- you have to make sure that you're on top of the communication and with both owners.

Tom: So you're juggling two projects at the same time.

Jared: Essentially.

Tom: So would you do it again?

Jared: Definitely.

Smith: Yes.

Only if the homeowners were nice.

Tom: [ Laughs ] Yeah.

I can relate to that.

Yeah.

I think it came out great.

You did a beautiful job.

And the homeowners are really gonna be happy.

I can just tell.

Jared: Thank you.

Tom: Who wouldn't?

Smith: Thank you.

Jenn: Alright, Zack.

A lot of changes out here, starting with this driveway.

In order to do that, trees had to come down.

But Jill's parents have full access to the ADU over on the side.

We were able to leave these screening plants.

These are all rhododendrons.

They're very mature.

You can't even see the new driveway from the road.

And then this is the binder coat, and then that's the old driveway.

When all the trucks are gone, we're gonna put about an inch, inch and a half of top coat on it.

It'll all look the same, like one unified piece.

Zack: That's awesome.

Jenn: Yeah.

Zack: And my favorite element that Kevin and Jared added to the front of this house is this front porch.

It looks great, breaks up the roof line, creates intentionality to that front door.

And I can't believe they saved that front door and bay window.

They look brand-new to me.

And that vinyl siding is new, but I love how they tucked it behind the casing, so from the street it really looks like Dutch lap siding.

Jenn: Right?

And then this whole area is gonna be hydroseeded.

It's all prepped.

Hydroseeding's happening tomorrow.

And then we have foundation plantings, which are a nice little pop of color.

Zack: It looks great, and it pulls us right into this garage, which wasn't in scope originally, but then they found out that the foundation actually wasn't below frost.

Jenn: Right.

Zack: And that's one of those things they found out, well, it's actually cheaper to knock everything down and build it properly, so they actually got a little bit bigger, which I think is a huge value add for the homeowner.

Jenn: That's a win right there.

Zack: I love it.

Jenn: Well, let's go check out the back.

Zack: Let's do it.

So I think of this like the hub of this structure because you've got access from the ADU kitchen, access from the bonus room, and access from the main house, all converging right here on this massive composite deck.

And if you look up here, they've sort of pre-planned for a pergola that's gonna make this covered space, so they're gonna have, like, basically an outdoor theater out here.

Jenn: It's gonna be a really cool space to hang out.

Zack: I like it.

Kevin: On any project, homeowners inevitably end up sharing parts of their lives with us, and Dan and Jill are no exception.

They have done just that with grace and enthusiasm.

And you may recall when we first met them hearing that they're a former active-duty military family, but what you haven't heard are all of the stories of their lives as Dan served as a pilot in the Air Force.

So before we say goodbye to them, I'm off to an Air Force base in Rhode Island, where Dan currently serves in the Air National Guard.

Dan: Well, welcome, Kevin!

This is Quonset, the home of Rhode Island Air National Guard.

Kevin: This is very cool to learn what you do and to see these things right here.

That's awesome.

Dan: Yeah, it's a beast.

Kevin: So what is it?

Dan: It's a C-130, J model, so the newest of the C-130's out there.

Kevin: Which you fly?

Dan: Exactly.

Kevin: But not only that.

Dan: Not only that.

I fly here for the Air National Guard, and I fly commercially, as well.

Kevin: That's cool.

Did you always want this?

Dan: I did.

Absolutely I did.

When I was a kid, my dad would take us to every air show within probably a four-hour radius of the house.

So I'd be out with my inflatable Blue Angel running across the tarmac looking at planes like this, and I just knew that's what I wanted.

And then I went to ROTC, Air Force ROTC at UGA, and I got to fly in the back of a KC-135.

It's a refueling airplane.

And behind that-- So the plane's flying here and you're sitting in the back, facing back, and F-22 Raptors pull up behind to refuel for training.

And I was like, "This is incredible, that even this is within reach is incredible."

So that's when I knew.

Kevin: They had you at Raptor.

Dan: They had me at Raptors.

You had me at Raptor.

Kevin: That's awesome.

Dan: Alright.

Here it is, Kev.

The mighty C-130.

Kevin: Looks mighty, too, huh?

Dan: Oh, yeah.

Kevin: So loading from the back.

Dan: Yeah.

It's like the pickup truck of the Air Force.

You can load in the back and take anything you want.

Kevin: Okay.

Dan: You can tell it's a J model, the newest one, that's got six blades on each prop.

It's a turbo prop, so the air comes in, like a jet engine.

Fuels that jet engine and then spins the propeller.

Kevin: And it allows you to fly how fast?

Dan: Uh, about 200, 220 knots.

So call it 250 miles an hour.

Kevin: And that's fast, slow?

Dan: From, like, a jet perspective, it's relatively slow, but we go slow, low to the ground, and we try and basically go 300 feet off the ground at that speed.

So it feels fast that low.

Kevin: I bet it does!

Alright.

May we?

Dan: Yeah.

Come on in.

Watch your head when we come in.

Kevin: Okay.

I gotta do what you do.

Dan: Yeah.

Kevin: Other than fly a plane.

Dan: [ Laughs ] Kevin: Oh, cool!

Dan: Want to start the tour back here in the cargo compartment.

This is the business end of the aircraft right here.

Kevin: Alright.

Dan: So you can see as we're walking down, the red webbed seats.

This is where all your Army folks would go if you were putting them back here for a trip.

Or you have paratroopers, as well, so they'd be wearing a parachute just like this.

Kevin: What a terrible idea, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

Dan: Seems like it.

And just like you see in the movies, they'd clip on this steel cable and they'd walk it all the way back.

You can have 80, 120 of these guys in the back at the same time.

Kevin: Wow.

Okay.

Dan: Yeah, if they get a little bit sick... Here.

I'll give that to you as a souvenir.

A motion-sickness bag.

So I got one of those for you.

Kevin: Oh.

Yeah.

Okay.

Dan: Come all the way back, and then they get here to the troop door, and this is where they would have a jumpmaster.

And so you'd have that guy set up here at the back.

The jumpmaster would be back here to help shuffle them out the side.

Kevin: And if you're not dropping paratroopers, you are dropping equipment?

Dan: Equipment, too.

Yeah.

So we can use the ramp like we use it for onload/offload on the ground or we can airdrop like you're talking about.

Equipment can sit back here and be pulled out with a drag chute or by gravity.

Kevin: And so how are you, from the front, communicating with everyone out in the back?

Dan: Right.

So all this work back here is the loadmaster.

So I'm talking to them via a comm cord right here.

They're doing the work back here.

I'm up front.

You want to take a look?

Kevin: I would.

Dan: Let's go.

Kevin: Not today.

Not for me.

This thing's staying on the ground.

That's all I'm saying.

Dan: It sure is.

Kevin: Ah.

Oh, yeah.

Dan: This is the cockpit.

This is where the magic happens.

And here you'd have an aircraft commander and co-pilot.

Kevin: Very cool.

And a lot going on, for sure.

Dan: We have all the parts and pieces of an airplane.

We got a throttle quadrant.

You got a gear handle.

You've got your engine displays right here.

Your communication and navigation displays right here.

Up here, you'll have your heads-up display, so this is gonna have all your important information that's on the displays down here put up front so you can see it and still look out.

Kevin: Do you keep track of your deployments?

If I ask you how many times you deployed, would you know right off the...?

Dan: Sure.

Yeah.

In this airplane, I've deployed one time.

And the other airplanes I've been in the Air Force, deployed four or five times.

Kevin: And the other airplane being...?

Dan: The B-52.

It's a bomber.

Kevin: When you're in active duty, you're spending it in different places.

I'm not totally familiar with that.

How do you classify those?

At home?

On deployment?

What is that?

Dan: Mm-hmm.

When you're in active duty, while you have a place that you live and are stationed, that can change every few years.

So one of the things that we knew we wanted in active duty was a final forever home, a hometown, a place where our kids could grow up and go to the same school and have friends, lifelong friends that they grew up with in the same neighborhood.

And so that's what, after active duty was done, we were looking for.

Kevin: Right.

Which, to you, is where you are now?

Dan: It is.

It's Walpole, Massachusetts, and I love it.

The moment we pulled into Walpole, they had "welcome home" veteran signs on the light poles and... And they were just a welcoming community.

Kevin: Look at this, Dan.

The whole gang has assembled, huh?

Man: Oh, yeah.

Kevin: Very nice.

Alright.

So, Jill, I'll start with you.

We just heard and saw a little bit more about an active military family.

How does it feel to have this place here ready for you and the whole family?

Jill: We're really excited.

After years of moving around, we're really excited for our kids to be able to grow up in a hometown.

And as you know, Dan's still a pilot, so he still travels a lot.

And having my parents right next door will be great.

Kevin: Yeah.

I bet.

That's good.

And, Dan, you called it your forever home.

Dan: Yeah.

Kevin: You've been planning it for years.

What is it like to see it all come together?

Dan: It's, uh-- It's surreal.

It started out as an idea, and then we made a vision out of it, and then these people made it a reality.

Kevin: Yeah.

They're good.

And, Kevin, Jared, I know I'm speaking for all of us when we say to you guys, to your entire crew, and everyone who helped you out, congratulations.

Nice job.

We can't thank you enough.

Smith: We just want to thank all of our subs and you guys at "This Old House."

This has been a pleasure to work with all of you here.

Jared: Thank you, guys.

Kevin: You got it.

And, Zack, you are up next, taking us back to Jersey.

Zack: We're ready for you.

Kevin: Good deal.

Well, we're gonna be there.

Alright, well, for now, I am signing off on behalf of all of us for "This Old House" in Walpole, Mass.

I'm Kevin O'Connor.

Join us next time.

Right now?

Time for a party.

What do you guys say?

[ All cheering ] Alright.

Well done.

Well done.

Jared: Thank you.

Richard: Well done, kiddos.

Man: Well done, Grandma and Grandpa.