Which rooms need the most work?

If a homeowner hires a Designer to plan a renovation, which rooms do they focus on first?  Which ones are most in need of an intervention?

One can find volumes of advice on this matter.  A qualified designer [whether FRamE, or another] will assist the Owner with these deliberations and the narrowing-down of choices.

The first task should always be an observation and consideration of the existing conditions.  In Anchorage -- as in most places in the United States to a greater or lesser degree -- much of the housing stock is not in great condition.  Deficiencies generally fall into these categories, listed in greater to lesser severity:

• Conditions which constitute an immediate danger and must be corrected before work can begin
• Conditions which, if left uncorrected could become a danger to life safety
• Conditions which are not necessarily dangerous but could prevent certain upgrades [for example, a floor that is not strong enough to support addition of lightweight concrete topping and radiant heat piping]
• Conditions which are non-compliant to current codes and regulations but are allowed to not be corrected [specifically as noted under provisions of governing codes and as administered by authority having jurisdiction]

It's always a hard sell to an Owner when they are told they must spend substantial sums on concealed work that they hadn't previously identified.  Legal aspects aside, it isn't worth it to try to shortcut the basics. 

The observation typically begins with the foundation and roof, moving on to the structure of the floor/s, roof and walls after that.  Other aspects to consider include mechanical and electrical systems; insulation and envelope related to overall performance and energy use; hazardous building materials; condition of exterior siding and trim; condition of existing interior finishes.

A great strategy for homeowner and designer alike is to have a contingency fund available to cover unexpected problems that come up as demolition and construction proceed.  Basically, this entails not getting "maxed out"; i.e., planning a project that will cost, say 80% of the budget and not 100% of it.  The percent amount of contingency may be less for a new house, or a remodel of a newer house; or more if the house is seriously deteriorated.

Codes and regulations, materials and prevailing best practices have gradually improved over decades.  A house from any era may be well-built and feel reassuringly solid ["good bones"] -- in general, though the newer the better and the less corrective measures that will be needed.

With all that out of the way, and plans in place to deal with the deficiencies found, let's reconsider the original question. 

The kitchen is the most remodeled room in the house, followed by bathrooms.  This is true pretty much everyplace.  These are the most equipped, most used rooms in the house and most affected by changing tastes and desires for reconfiguration [for example, converting a closed-in kitchen to one open to adjacent rooms].

In Alaska, two important features typically lacking in most smaller or middle-size houses are adequate storage [especially for outdoor recreational gear] and a Mud Room Entry.  Often part of the garage is used for this purpose, and usually it is not suited to the task.  In some cases there is only one entry to the dwelling unit; often there are two or more entry points and the one the people who live there use the most [typically located off the garage, carport or parking, and accessible without first passing through a garage] is fitted with a Mud Room Entry, features of which may include:

• A bench, either built-in or furniture, used to sit and remove shoes and outerwear
• Coat hooks, coat closet and other built-ins that accommodate boots, shoes and outerwear and places for these items to air out and dry off
• Located conveniently to 1/2 Bath and Laundry, and Gear Storage if provided
• Robust finishes to accommodate heavy abuse

In a house for a specialized purpose [for example, a ski chalet] there will of course be additional accommodations in the Mud Room Entry.

Expanded garages and workshops are also popular additions in Alaska.

In most places, experts can be found within the local design and real estate community who will offer researched opinions and/or data about which renovations have the most payback potential.  This is just one part of a complex equation.  It really gets back to the homeowner's preference. If the plan is to stay in the house for a long time, it might not matter that less than 100% of the new work is done with resale value in mind.  Are you building for yourself and your family/friends, or a future buyer?  Most of the time it makes sense to do what you want, while being careful that none of it is so unusual or weird that it would have very limited appeal.  Adding bedrooms and bathrooms is usually a sure bet, especially if it might put the house in a more exclusive category -- such as, a house with three or four bedrooms, one of which is a master bedroom suite, vs. a 3-BR, 1 or 1.5 BA house.  This is where identification of existing local inventory and demand can influence remodel choices.

The mushrooming popularity of short term room rentals suggests that plan configurations supporting greater privacy and separation [perhaps bedrooms interspersed throughout the house rather than grouped together? or suites that can be closed off from the rest of the house] will become more common.

Another way in which a design intervention can have a big impact is when the existing house, for one reason or another has failed to take advantage of its setting -- and there is potential to correct that to some extent.  In Houston or Phoenix or someplace else that gets nightmarishly hot in summer the house and landscape design should provide shade and cooling.  In Anchorage or Fairbanks, full-on sunlit indoor and outdoor space is usually highly desirable, particularly in the winter when daylight is precious and fleeting.  If a standard 3-BR ranch house is plunked down on a 6,000 square foot city lot, often the orientation of the house and rooms is far less than ideal, whether you are trying to bathe in the sun or escape from it.  Even in a place like Homer, Alaska where a majority of home sites have great southern and western exposure, a view of the bay and frequently both there are a lot of examples where there are not windows looking at the view, not yard spaces oriented to afternoon/evening sunlight; and various other ways the approach could have been improved/enhanced.  Most have experienced walking into a room where the overall impression is very pleasing and one feels secure, relaxed and upbeat.  It's because a designer understood the aspects of the site -- the sunlight path over the course of a day, a season and a year; the prevailing wind direction; ground exposure; elevation and characteristics of adjacent properties.