Santa Fe Springs home renovation ideas

Santa Fe Springs grew up around a mineral-springs health resort in the 1870s and 1880s, then changed overnight in 1921 when one of the largest oil strikes in California came in under the fields. Derricks covered the landscape and workers' cottages went up between them.

After the war the oil land was gradually released for housing and industry, and the city incorporated in 1957 to protect its tax base. The result is an unusual mix: small oil-era houses, generous 1950s and 1960s ranch tracts, and large lots that were never platted as tightly as neighboring cities.

There are two kinds of older house here. The first is the 1920s to 1940s cottage: small, square, wood or stucco, with a front porch, double-hung windows, plaster interiors and a kitchen at the back. The second is the postwar ranch, 1,300 to 1,900 sq ft, low roof, wide eaves, attached garage, family room and a sliding door to a big yard.

Both benefit from the same local advantage, land. Lots run deep and wide, so patios, shade structures, workshops and rear additions are realistic in a way they are not in the denser cities nearby. Inside, expect closed-off kitchens, original hall baths with wall tile, and hardwood or vinyl tile under the carpet.

For the ranches, opening the kitchen to the family room and widening the slider is the change that transforms the house. For the cottages, keep the front rooms and their plaster, and put the budget into the kitchen, the bath and the connection to the yard.

Santa Fe Springs accepts ADU and junior ADU applications by email and links to a cost calculator for estimating a conversion or new build. It also lists local designers who have recently had ADU plans approved in the city.

The long, deep ranch lots here often have room behind the garage for a detached unit.