One-of-a-Kind Craftsman Remodel

Renovated and enlarged a 1926 foursquare.
Remodeling cost: $300,000, which, if we hadn’t done so much ourselves, would have been $500,000.
Time frame: 18 months from purchase and preservation permitting to finish.
Where we saved: By using Armstrong vinyl tile in the kitchen—it cost just $1 a square foot. That’s a $200 floor.
Where we splurged: On the replastering—which is three times more expensive than drywall—and on a tankless water heater, which cost $1,000 more than a regular one.