ARM Builders added a full second story to this Faircrest Heights home, turning a single-story starter house into a 2,579 square foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom home — built for a growing family without giving up their backyard.

Growing Into the House

Shmuli and Rebecca bought this home years ago as a starter house in Pico-Robertson. Small, single-story, a few updates here and there — but not enough room for their growing family. With twins on the way, they had a choice: build out and lose the backyard, or build up. They built up.

It wasn’t our first project with them. ARM had already built the detached ADU on the property, and that job is the reason they called us again when it was time to take on the house itself.

Bringing Their Own Designer to the Table

They had a designer they wanted to work with, and they wanted a contractor who could work alongside her, not around her. That’s not always an easy relationship to manage on a job site. We made it work — every detail from the design vision made it into the finished home, without the friction that usually comes with two teams on one project.

Finished Ahead of Schedule

The family gave us a hard 12-month timeline to complete the project. The house was finished in 10 months. Ahead of schedule, on a project this size. Along the way, plans shifted. Part of the original roof couldn’t be saved the way the architect drew it, so together with their architect and designer, we adjusted in real time and kept moving.

Dual ovens. Dual sinks. Two dishwashers. Viking appliances. Calcutta marble countertops. This kitchen was built for a family that cooks — and for everything that happens after dinner. It’s the kind of room that becomes the center of a home.

Budgeting With No Guesswork

Every allowance (i.e. windows, doors, flooring, fixtures, etc) was laid out ahead of time, in writing. They knew exactly what was covered and what a higher-end choice would cost before they picked anything, so they could plan their budget around real numbers instead of estimates.

Room to Breathe Upstairs

The new second floor holds three bedrooms, including the main suite, and it doesn’t stop at the walls. Two roof decks and a private balcony give the family outdoor space on the level where they actually spend their time, shaded by open trellis work instead of exposed to it. Downstairs stayed just as intentional — the large kosher kitchen opens into the dining and family room so the family naturally spends more time together.

“So Much Better Than We Ever Could Have Envisioned”

“I think the project turned out a lot better than we had even thought, going into a big project, there’s a lot of uncertainties, but we’re really very happy with the final outcome. I think our reality was so much better than what we ever could have like envisioned. Everything is high-end, good workmanship, and it’s been a great couple of years and it looks like this could be our forever home.” ~Shmuli

Two Years Later

Shmuli and Rebecca have lived in the finished home for two years now. No punch-list regrets, no “we should have done this differently.” Just a house that fits the family it was built for. They’ve referred us to two of their neighbors on the same block, which, in this business, is the only review that really matters.