Seeking advice on how to start building a second home on our double lot

I think the first thing you'll want to do is talk to the city to see if you can subdivide your lot into 2 separate lots.  Otherwise it will still be one property with 2 houses, and you'd be tenants in common with anyone you sell to, which is not ideal for a lot of reasons.  If you can subdivide, check with the city on what permits/approvals/variances you would need.  Then get cost estimates from architect and contractor and look into construction loans or a line of credit with your bank (I doubt a HELOC would be enough but who knows).  I would also talk to any neighbors that might be impacted to make sure they can't impede the project.  Good luck!

Just call the city and speak with the planner on duty. S/he will give you the overview of what's required from the city side and you can go from there. You're def going to need to split the lot which is an engineering contract, as well as get an architect & contractor. I am not sure I would do this without the cash on hand to pay for it myself... but if you're dead set on it, try to get a loan from a family member, and if that is not an option, yes, you're looking at a construction loan from a bank.

Hi there:

I'm in the throes of a major renovation in Albany and so have learned my way around some of the relevant considerations here.  IMO, your first step should absolutely be to go to the city, talk to a staff planner, and clarify exactly what is legally possible on your lot.  That means taking a careful look at the zoning code to ensure that what you want to do is permissible, including such mundane but critical matters as adequate space for required off-street parking and maintaining required setbacks from property boundaries, to cite only two.  Also, if you want to sell one house and live in the other, it sounds like you will need to convert them (in a legal sense) into condominiums -- as far as I know, that is the only way to have multiple house properties on the same parcel that can be sold independently of each other.  So you will need to understand very clearly the city's rules around that too.  After getting clear on this stuff, you may be ready to begin preliminary discussions with an architect.  FWIW, based on our conversations with general contractors (now a few years old), for initial planning purposes, you can probably ballpark your construction costs at about $400/sf, and that will not be exhaustive of all the costs involved (e.g. design fees, engineering fees, utility hook-up fees, permits).  These so-called "soft costs" will almost certainly add up to multiple tens of thousands if you are building a new structure from scratch.  Building around here is exciting but it ain't cheap.  Good luck!

You state yu have a double lot, and you want to build a new house, and sell the old house Your very first issue is whether, and how, you can subdivide the double lot, into two single lots, so when the new home is built, the old one can be sold as a separate parcel/home. Since you live in El Cerrito your county is Contra Costa County. You may want to start with a call to the Tax Assessor in Contra Costa, and proceed from there.

I would say you need to go to the city first and find out if it's even possible.  For Architects, I'd recommend Alex Korn, AIA his website is www.catamountdesign.com.  He is very good at listening to your needs, answering questions and designing a house that fits your current and future needs.  For banks, I'd start at your local bank and ask them advice on financing.

Good luck on your project,

Sharon