With more than half a million dollars to spend on construction costs, architect David Fowler could afford to build a nice home in almost any upscale neighborhood or subdivision he wanted.

But for him and his wife, Amanda, the choice was clear: Virginia-Highland — the same intown neighborhood they have lived in for years.

Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)

Architect David Fowler with his wife Amanda and their daughter Julia (cq), 5, in front of their Virginia Highlands home.

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"We love living in Virginia-Highland because we have sidewalks and it's walking distance to all the bars, restaurants and shops," Fowler says.

But instead of putting more money into their old home on Virginia Terrace, the Fowlers purchased another one in the area, gutted it to the studs and rebuilt it the way they wanted.

"It was a 1940s house that didn't really have any style to it," explains Fowler. "We bought it for the lot. The property backs up to a creek and gets wider in the back. It's very private."

The original home was about 1,600 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths on one level. Now they have 4,800 square feet of living space, five bedrooms and four full baths spread over three levels.

To make the facade of the home blend with the character and scale of other houses in the neighborhood, Fowler designed a steep roof with several pitches. The bottom of the roof is the height of the first-floor ceiling, so the house doesn't tower over its neighbors.

Once Fowler completed the design plans and hired subcontractors, construction took about six months.

"It's a little easier when you're the architect and builder and owner. You can make decisions quicker," he says.

The new home has an open gourmet kitchen that looks out to the informal dining and family rooms. It also has an airy sunroom with windows and screens, a master bedroom with a private balcony, a tiny playroom and a large bedroom with a loft for the couple's daughters and a roomy basement with a rec room, bedroom and bath.

"I felt like, to protect my investment, I needed the fifth bedroom in the basement," Fowler explains. "The bedroom/bathroom count is the most important thing when it comes to protecting your investment. The second most important thing is having a great kitchen. The third is probably having a great master suite."

Take a look at the home Fowler built.

David Fowler's 10 tipe for renovating a home

• Move out during construction if major work is being done. "You just can't live in a house when you do this much construction," Fowler warns. "Especially with kids."

• Hire an architect to draw design plans based on your ideas for what you want in the home. "Hire someone who's done renovation work before," suggests Fowler. "You have to know what's behind the walls when you're designing so you know what you can and can't do." Even then, "plan on a few surprises," he says.
• Make frequent visits to the home once construction is under way. "While the house is being framed and the structural work is being done, it definitely needs to be monitored," he says.
• Be flexible on the design. "You can get what you want, but you might have to be flexible on the size of the spaces," advises Fowler.
• When deciding whether to buy a new home or renovate the old one, analyze the floor plan. "If the rooms in the existing home are a good size, that is more workable than if they are small," he says.
• Compare how much money you will spend on renovations versus how much you can sell the house for later. "One of the reasons we left the old house was to build a better kitchen," Fowler explains.
• Consider how compatible your design will be with existing homes in the area. "Your house also has to have great curb appeal," says Fowler. "All of these things add up to a successful project."
• Make the quality of the design consistent throughout the house. "If you have a great master suite and a kitchen that didn't have any thought put into it, that doesn't make sense," says Fowler.
• When figuring a budget, include "soft costs" such as architectural fees, interior design fees and money for additional furnishings, such as window treatments. Architects can charge 5 percent to 10 percent of construction costs, while builder fees can range from 15 percent to 25 percent of construction costs, he says.
• Finally, to keep construction on time and within the allotted budget, "pray," Fowler says, laughing.