What is scrape and build construction, and why would you choose to build a home this way?
There is a bit of a trend that we’re seeing these days in a few parts of town – the concept of what is commonly referred to as “a scraper”. This typically happens in older and more established parts of town where the homes are older and the property values are high for the area; for the Colorado Springs area, this is usually in areas such as the Broadmoor, Old North End, the West Side, and Manitou Springs, where the price per square foot tend to be the highest.
Currently, we’re fortunate to be working with some folks who found an AMAZING lot for sale down in the Broadmoor: 1 acre with at least a dozen very full, mature trees, established landscaping, including one of the largest trees I’ve ever seen on a residential lot, incredible mountain views, and the wide open spaces that makes the Broadmoor one of the most sought after neighborhoods in Colorado Springs.
This lot just happened to have a very old and funky house on it. So, with the help of a 97,000-pound excavator, a lot of dump trucks, and some skilled operators, that old house has been removed, and the new build is underway.
The new home is everything they want it to be, and the lot is everything they’ve ever wanted in a lot.
SPOILER ALERT: This is not for those with a modest budget! However, this can be a great way to secure that PERFECT lot for your FOREVER home, but it does require a good number of factors lining up just right; the neighborhood, the lot, and an older home that’s not in great shape so that the purchase price of the house and lot is not far off of what the lot alone would cost.
Is there a premium to this approach? Yes, but in some cases, not as much as you might think, and over a bit of time, the value is easily recaptured.
While we’re on the topic of scraping, in some instances the zoning is such that a single home can be removed and a duplex or multiple units can be built in its place; this has become a niche market for a handful of folks.
With the significant increases in the cost of housing along the Front Range that we’ve seen in recent years, the popularity of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) and ALQs (Accessory Living Quarters) has increased as well; there has been a lot of activity in that space as well.
Last year in the Black Forest area, we were able to build a new 4,000 SF home on a lot that already had a smaller home on it by turning the existing home into an ADU and making the new build the primary residence. Again, this takes a few factors coming together—the acreage of the lot, zoning, size and placement of the existing home, and so forth—but this is another space that we’ve been much more active in over the last handful of years.
I hope you enjoyed reading this; please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. Cheers!!
Want To Build A Custom Home?
Interested in having your own custom home built in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado? Let us give you a quote for the perfect home, designed just for you.
Mike Rice is a custom home builder in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As the president of Paramount Homes, he has over 30 years of experience in construction. Originally from California, he moved to Colorado with his wife and three sons to seek out the natural beauty and high quality of life we enjoy here. Mike is licensed as a builder in El Paso, Teller, and Douglas Counties and would love to build your dream home. Contact him today at (719) 331-4116 to learn more.