Home addition dos and don’ts
Is your family expanding, and the house is starting to feel cramped? You need additional space. When you add the right space, you increase the living space and increase your home value. If this is the first home addition project you are handling, here are a few dos and don’ts that you should observe as given by home addition companies: Do add additional bathrooms Bathrooms often give the best return on investment, so you will never go wrong with them. And the beauty is that you can add any bathroom and increase the house’s value. Whether it’s a master bathroom, guest bathroom, or even an additional bathroom for your bedrooms, you can add it. While bathrooms are great, you should be cautious of the materials you use as you might fail to recoup your investment when selling time comes. Avoid installing costly materials such as granite or marble countertops to be on the safe side. If planning to sell the house later down the line, stick with traditional materials. You only need to ensure they are correctly installed. Do Increase the size of your kitchen. The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house, so when your family is ballooning, this will be the first room to shrink. You can increase the size of your kitchen from the interior by knocking down a wall or do so from the exterior by building an additional wall. Regardless of how you go about it, ensure that you create a functional space that increases the functionality of your kitchen. When adding a bathroom, don’t use premium materials, especially when planning to sell the house, as chances are high you won’t get your money back. Do have a plan The worst mistake you can make is to start your project without a plan. Before you begin building, have a clear idea of how you want your addition to look once complete. This calls for you to consult an architect, designer, or other professional to help design the project. By doing this, you not only have a clear idea about the results of your project but also help you understand other options available, establish a clear plan on how you will achieve it, and even account for some of the issues that might arise during the execution and how you will avoid them. Don’t overbuild it As much as additional space will increase the value of your home, you should avoid building a big addition where you don’t have outdoor space. You need to balance things out to have enough room for your activities and a large enough outdoor space to relax and entertain. Don’t over-customize the addition. We all have different tastes, and we want to design our houses in a way that pleases our ideals. Some argue that they customize their houses as they aren’t planning to sell them later, but things constantly change. Regardless of whether you are planning to sell your house or not, you should avoid going overboard with customizations. Remember that it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. This calls for you to avoid […]
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How To Update Your House With Minimal Renovations
Did you know that you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on renovations to update your home? Here are genius ways to update your home without undertaking major renovations on it: Create open space in your home According to home remodeling architects, open floor plans are exciting to live in and make your house appear open and airy. And the beauty is that you can achieve it without making major renovations. Sometimes, it’s as simple as getting rid of the bigger, bulkier furnishings or moving the furnishings around the room to see what gives your house a more open space. Do you have a large cabinet, armoire, or bulky furniture that is taking a lot of space? Get it outside to create the necessary space. If you are attached to it and would love to have it stay with you, experts recommend you paint it a warm off-white color that will help it “disappear” into the room by tricking the eye that the space is airy open. You can also give your house the illusion of open space by installing mirrors. When placed in opposite windows, mirrors reflect light into a room, making the room appear more open. To achieve excellent results, work with experts that know what they are doing and won’t botch your project. Add new lighting to your home. A properly lit house is not only bright, but also appears airy, open, and welcoming. On the other hand, a poorly lit house is small, dark, and cramped. The beauty is that there are plenty of ways to brighten up your house with lights. One of the easiest ways is to install a table lamp and floor lamp. By strategically placing a couple of tall floor lamps in the dark corners of your house, you give your house a new life. To give your house a welcoming and cozy look, layer the lighting with lamps on side tables. Do you want to be adventurous? Replace all the outdated ceiling fixtures with stunning masterpieces. Update the cabinet drawers and door handles Old, worn-out, dirty handle pulls and knobs significantly give your kitchen a dirty and unmaintained look, and you don’t want this, do you? To give your house a new look, update your cabinet and door handles. Thankfully, there are plenty of finishes to choose from. You can choose from bronze, aged copper, brushed nickel, and shiny stainless. There are no set rules that define how you should choose the cabinet pulls and knobs—it’s up to you to choose the best ones. For the best outcome, work with experienced professionals that will guide you in choosing the best handles and even help with the installation. Create an outdoor room Sometimes all you need to transform your old house is to add some outdoor space. And the beauty is you don’t need to build a new room from scratch. Even if your house doesn’t have a large front porch, there is a lot of space you can use to your advantage—you just need to be inventive. If your porch is large, place an outdoor rug there to […]
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5 House Renovation Ideas When Working On a Tight Budget
Remodeling your house gives the house a new look and increases its value, so if you are looking to sell the house, you sell it at a much higher price. While we all dream of making expensive changes to the houses, we often don’t have the resources. Does this mean that your dream to transform your house is gone because you don’t have enough money? Absolutely not, as there are plenty of affordable home renovation ideas you can use. Here are some of these ideas as given by home remodeling architects. Paint the house Nothing transforms the look of a house as fast as a new coat of paint. And the beauty is that you don’t need to spend a fortune on it. All you need to do is find a color that will complement the house and then apply it. You can hire professionals to help with the painting, but if you don’t have money to hire one, apply the paint by yourself or with the help of your family members. To get the most from painting the house, use high-quality paint. Also, ensure that you use a good quality brush to give you the even spread you need. If painting the house by yourself, watch a few YouTube instructional videos before you start the painting. This is to arm yourself with the necessary basics. Refinish the kitchen cabinets If your kitchen is in bad shape, the best way to transform its look is to install new cabinets and appliances. Unfortunately, these don’t come cheap. If you don’t have the funds to buy new ones, consider refinishing them. When it comes to the cabinets, sand them, then apply a new finish. For the appliances, clean them or apply new paint. Install crown molding Crown molding is the angled trim that lines the areas where the ceiling meets the walls. When done right, the molding significantly adds value to the house and improves the overall aesthetic appeal. The cool thing is that the installation process is relatively easy, as it only requires cut angles. If you have never done it before, let an experienced contractor help you avoid mistakes. Wooden molding is often the best, but if you can’t afford it, there are plenty of non-wood molding options that you can go with. You only need to ensure that the work is done expertly. Replace the cheaper accessories When most people renovate, their attention always goes to the large, big-ticket items. While these items have a significant impact on the house’s look, they are expensive, and chances are you don’t have the money for them. To transform the house for less, you should go with the cheaper options. An excellent option is to replace the smaller accessories. Are there old pillows littered throughout the house on the bed, couch, and chair? You should replace them. As long as the larger items are clean, you will make such a huge difference in the house’s look without breaking the bank. Hang artwork or photos Most homeowners will install expensive mirrors and accessories on their large empty walls. While there is nothing wrong […]
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5 Things You Shouldn’t do When Remodeling A House
You need to do the right things for a successful house renovation project. This calls for you to avoid the things that might jeopardize your project. Which are these things? Here they are as given by home remodeling architects: Don’t buy cheap materials Good quality remodeling materials don’t come cheap, so most homeowners try to cut their costs by going for the cheap ones. While this will save you some money, it’s not a wise move as you often spend more money than you should have. Like other cheap materials, cheap remodeling materials mean that the materials will come apart after a short time, and you are forced to replace them too often, which ends up being too expensive. For a successful and durable project, you should avoid cheap materials. If you don’t have enough money to complete your project in one go, do it in phases. Don’t go too small Some homeowners try to go small to save money when adding a new addition. This means that they end up building additions that are unpleasant to look at and often end up being impractical to use. For example, instead of putting up a standard bathroom, some try to cut costs by building a small bathroom. While you can get away with installing low-profile toilets and narrower sinks in a small bathroom, some homeowners go too small that you can’t even use the small addition. To avoid this, you should construct your new addition in phases instead of going at it once. While you will take longer to complete the project, you will do it right and have a functional and beautiful addition at the end of it all. Don’t go too trendy When you have a new remodeling project, it’s easy to be caught up with the current trending wave. While your new project will look hip and trendy, it’s not a wise move as trends fade with time and the once hip-house becomes a dinosaur. As much as your new project should be modern, it shouldn’t be too trendy that anyone can tell when you built it. Trends are short term so you should work with an experienced professional who will guide you on the best modern design and will stand the test of time and look good in the coming decades. Don’t forget your home’s style. Your new addition should have a life of its own, and it shouldn’t resemble your original home, right? Wrong! As much as you are putting up a new addition, remember that it should always match the design and style of your old house. This brings uniformity so that the new addition doesn’t look out of place. Of course, to achieve this, you should work with an experienced professional who will expertly borrow a few features from the old house and at the same time give the new addition a new look. Don’t hire just any contractor. The home addition builder DC you hire has a significant impact on the look of the complete house, so you need to be cautious and ensure that you hire the right one. As a rule […]
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6 Tips For Building An Addition To Your Home
Are you having a home addition project? Here are tips to consider: Work with an expert A home addition project is an expensive endeavor and the last thing you want is to hire someone that botches up the project. To ensure this doesn’t happen, work with an experienced home addition builder. Before you begin working with the contractor, have everything in writing—this is solely to make the contract binding and have evidence should the contractor fail to deliver their end. The contract should clearly spell out what is included in the price so that you don’t keep being asked to pay random fees that can easily pile up and bury you. Although it’s good to have the contract in writing, you should note that this can’t account for unexpected problems that might arise later on. So, despite having everything in writing, it’s wise to prepare for surprises. Don’t go overboard When you want to impress and give your home the best look possible, it’s easy to go overboard. For example, it’s easy to go all the way out and build an extremely large addition. It’s also possible to be carried away and use the highest quality materials possible. To be on the safe side, construct a house of the right size. When it comes to materials, go for quality materials that will stand the test of time and withstand the usual wear and tear. Be decisive If you ask any home addition contractor, they will tell you of a horror story of when the homeowner changed their mind severally regarding the kitchen cabinets, paint or flooring while the project was underway. You should avoid this as it often causes plenty of confusion. It also increases the costs of labor and materials throwing your budget out of place. If you aren’t sure about how you want the cabinets, kitchen or any other part of the house to look, don’t begin the project. Wait until you are sure then find a contractor. If you aren’t sure about the look you want, get the input of a professional. Be flexible As much as you should to be decisive about what you want, you should be flexible in making important decisions. For example, if you had planned to install a magogany door but it’s not available, you should be flexible enough and install a fiberglass or steel door instead. This way you prevent the project from stalling because you can’t find the exact item you planned for. The only caveat to this is that your decisions shouldn’t affect your budget too much. Buy the materials in bulk To save money and get exciting discounts, you should buy the materials you need for your project in bulk. To attract even larger discounts, buy the materials from one company. If you live in a small town, it’s wise to do your shopping in a larger city as there are plenty of options there to choose from. Don’t shy away from negotiating with the contractor When the home addition companies DC give you their quotes, try to negotiate with them so that you can bring down the […]
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Is Remodeling A Waste Of Money?
Is remodeling a waste of money? Well, while there are many projects you can do and you fail to recoup your investment, there are some that are worth it. So to answer your question, no, house remodeling isn’t a waste of money as there are plenty of remodeling projects that you can do and greatly increase the value of your house, selling it at a much higher price. Which are these remodeling projects? Here they are as given by home remodeling architects: Adding an outdoor structure Outdoor structures such as pools, fire pits, decks and others are great additions to your home as they bring extra enjoyment and add usable space in the house. While this is the case, you should be cautious of the outdoor structure you add as you can spend too much money and fail to get it back. For example, be cautious when installing a swimming pool, as chances are you won’t get your money back. There is also the risk of your house staying in the market for a long time as some homeowners view it as unsuitable for their young family. To sell your house fast and get your money back you need to invest in the right units. Some of the best ones being: Fences: A new fence adds more privacy to your house and keeps your kids safe. It can also have a significant impact on your curb appeal and improve the value of your home. Deck: Installing a new deck isn’t cheap but it pays off if you have installed the right one. A deck adds more usable space, making your home more attractive to a prospective buyer. Depending on the size of the deck, the scope of the project and the materials you use, you can increase the value of your house by up to 80%. Undertaking a Kitchen and bathroom remodel When done right, a kitchen and bathroom remodel can significantly add the value of a house. When undertaking the project, pay close attention to the functionality and accessibility of each. Also, factor in the aging population and those with disability. While a bathroom or kitchen remodel can increase the value of a house, it can sometimes fail to if you use the wrong materials. For example, when you use high-end cabinet and countertop materials. To be on the safe side, stay clear of the high-end materials as you won’t recoup your investment. Replacing an old roof An old roof with buckling, curled or missing shingles isn’t a sight to be proud of, is it? No buyer will be attracted to a house with a buckling roof, is there? To make your house attractive and valuable, you should install a new roof. For the best outcome, get a quality roof that isn’t too expensive and have it professionally installed. Also, ensure that the new roof has a good warranty. To make your house even more attractive, install solar panels that heat the water or provide an alternative power source. Replacing the windows The same way a house with an old roof is a turn off is the same way […]
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6 Ways To Add Additional Space in Your House
Whether you have outgrown your house or you want to give your house a new look, there are plenty of ways to add more space to the house. Which are these ways? Here they are as given by home addition companies: Enclose the patio When was the last time you used your patio? If you can’t remember, it might be wise to enclose it and use it as additional space. As you are remodeling the patio, you should note that it will be a lot of work, so be ready for it. To convert the patio into a livable space, you need to put up the walls, roof, and sometimes the foundation. You can do the work if you are a qualified technician but for the best outcome, let the work be done by an experienced contractor that knows what they are doing. Finish the unfinished areas of the house Most homeowners have unfinished areas of the house, and by finishing them, you will have additional space you can use with your family. If you have a room that you don’t currently use, you can remove the junk lying there and turn it into a livable space. As much as many homeowners have garages, they rarely use them. If you are one of these homeowners that don’t use their garages, you can finish it up and add more space to your house. Remodel the attic Does your house have an attic? You can easily turn it into a livable space without breaking the bank. The beauty of the attic is that it is already a stable structure with flooring and a roof. Since it’s already on the house’s main floor, it’s easy to transfer the electrical wiring and additional utilities, making it easy to turn it into a livable space. It’s common for the attic to be too short for you to be comfortable inside. If this is the case with you and you need to extend the height, do thorough research on the roofing permits and ensure that you have all of them before you begin your project to avoid being on the wrong side of the law. Bump out your house If your house still has space for outward extensions, you can bump out the house for additional space. Again, this will be complicated, and it’s best to work with experienced professionals that will properly add to the house without messing with the house’s initial design. Add a second story If you don’t have space to bump out the house, you can always add a second story to the house. As you can tell, the project will be expensive, but you can cut the costs by building it off-site then adding it later. Before beginning this project, ensure that your foundation can handle the extra weight. Of course, this means you need to undertake a battery of tests. The extra story shouldn’t mess with the house’s original look, so work with expert technicians who know what they are doing. Add an outdoor kitchen. If you love barbequing, an outdoor kitchen is a great addition to have. To avoid […]
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What Are Some Good Tips To Consider When Remodeling A House?
Are you thinking about remodeling your house? There are plenty of tips to consider to get it right. What are some tips to consider when remodeling a house? Here they are as given by home remodeling architects: Know your why Why are you remodeling the house in the first place? This is important as it determines how you will go about the remodeling and the materials you will use. Most homeowners remodel their houses for two primary reasons: to improve the home’s look and to sell it. If you are remodeling for selling, you should pay attention to the parts of the house that add the most value. These are often the bathroom and kitchen area. You also should focus on turning the basement, attic, and other unusable areas into usable spaces. As a rule of thumb, when you are remodeling the house to sell, avoid high-end materials such as granite and marble as chances are you won’t recoup your investments. To be on the safe side, go with beautiful but cheaper materials. On the other hand, if you are remodeling the house to improve its looks to be comfortable and proud of your living situation, there is no limit to what you can do with it. As long as you are happy with the remodel, go with it. Have a budget The last thing you should do is start your remodeling project without a budget and say that you want to see the amount of money that the project will consume. This is wrong. Before you even begin your project, you should know the amount of money you should expect to spend on the various renovation costs such as labor, building materials, decorative finishes, building permits, and so on. If this is the first time you are doing it, get help from an experienced professional and come up with a budget. To avoid surprises later, have a 10% reserve of your budget for unexpected expenses that might arise later. Do your research Once you know about the materials you want and the amount of money to spend on each, begin your research. Right off the bat, get in touch with several experienced renovation contractors in your area and request estimates. This way, you get to compare the prices charged by the contractors. Of course, you should settle with the contractor providing the best service at the least cost. The other thing you should do is visit your local material stores and see what is available. Compare the prices from the different stores and settle on the one that makes the most sense to you. Work with experienced contractors. Your remodeling project will look as good as the contractors you hire, so ensure that you hire good contractors. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the contractors have at least three years of house remodeling experience. They also should be members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and be in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. There are plenty of ways to find the ideal contractor to work with. One way is doing a Google search […]
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4 Common Home Improvements That Do Nothing For Your Home’s Value
When looking to sell a house, most people try to renovate them to increase the house’s value as much as possible. While many renovation tricks deliver the results, home remodeling architects observe that some don’t add value. To help you out, here are home improvements that don’t add value: Extensive professional landscaping As much as a professionally done landscape will be pleasing to look at, it won’t bring back the huge bucks you are expecting. If you have to remodel your landscape, do it because you love the look, not because you are expecting to recoup your investment, as you won’t. So, don’t break your bank installing ponds, pools, or other landscaping features. Unless you love a landscaping feature, stick to the basics. Clear the debris from your yard and trim the lawn. Keep the passageways clear, then invite potential buyers in. Upgrading your appliances If your house is old, chances are the appliances are also old, and when you are looking to sell the house, it might seem logical to upgrade the appliances to make the house more appealing. While this is great, you should be cautious about how you go about it, as you might spend too much money making the upgrades such that you fail to recoup your investment. You can go ahead and replace the old, damaged, or malfunctioning appliances such as old refrigerators, but if the units are still in top working condition, there is no point in replacing them. If you have an issue with the appliances not matching your home, consider ordering new door and face panels instead of replacing the units, as this is much cheaper. Undertaking high-end bathroom remodels Bathroom remodels bring back 87-93% of the investment, so they are a wise way of adding value to your house, but you should be cautious about how you go about it. As a rule of thumb, never install high-end units such as high-end countertops or appliances as you won’t get back your money. Excellent ways to upgrade your bathroom include: adding new paint to brighten the room and re-grouting the bathtub. A new mirror and a few light fixtures will also go a long way towards improving the bathroom look. To reiterate, it’s okay to remodel your bathroom, but don’t go overboard as you won’t recoup the investment. Adding a new room It’s not a doubt that larger houses sell at higher prices than small ones. For example, a four-bedroom house will sell higher than a three-bedroom house. While this is the case, it makes sense to add another room to your home, so you sell it at a higher price, right? Wrong! While adding a new room will make your house more attractive, in most cases you spend more money in the addition than you get back. To be on the safe side, avoid adding another room, and instead, renovate what you have. For example, convert the attic or basement to a bedroom instead of putting up another bedroom. You won’t spend much on the conversion, and you will make the house more attractive to potential buyers, hence your home will […]
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4 Ideas on How You Can Lower the Cost of Your Remodeling Project
When you are having a home remodeling project the last thing you want is to bust your budget. This is because you are most likely on a tight budget and you can’t afford to spend even a single cent more than you had set out to. To ensure this doesn’t happen, work on maintaining the budget or even better, bring the remodeling costs as low as possible. How do you do this? Here are ideas on how you can lower the costs of your remodeling project as given by home addition companies: Don’t increase the size of your house When many people hear about house remodeling, their mind goes into increasing the size of the house. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. In fact, if you don’t want to go past your remodeling budget, you shouldn’t increase the size of your house. If you are simply looking for addition storage space, instead of knocking down a wall or building additional space, build space saving shelves with pullout drawers, racks and other materials. Bring in natural light One of the primary reasons people remodel their houses is to allow in as much light as possible. Most of these people hurry to cut holes in their walls and put up a window, but you shouldn’t do this. To save money, consider less invasive and less expensive ways of capturing light. For example, you can brighten up a dark hallway or bath by installing a light tube slipping between the roof rafters and funneling sunshine down into your living space. For the best outcome, work with an experienced professional that knows what they are doing. Pay in cash You might think that you still spend money when you pay in cash but it saves you a lot, as you don’t pay high interest rates. If you are doing the renovations to simply improve the look of your house, avoid paying using a loan. The only time it makes sense to pay using a loan is when you are renovating the house for sale. This way you are sure that you can include the interest accrued in the price of the house. If you aren’t renovating the house for sale, come up with ways to cut your household budget and save as much money as necessary to foot your renovation bill. It will take you long to save the money but it won’t leave you in debt once the project is over. Enlist the services of an architect It might sound out of place that you are trying to cut costs while we are telling you to enlist the services of an architect, right? Well, having an architect on board might actually end up saving you a lot of time and money in the long run. Of course, you shouldn’t hire the architect full time on a full architectural commission that involves meetings, multiple job site visits, and several construction drawings. You should tap into the architect’s design skills and ask them to sketch out a few solutions for you. These sketches can be as simple as opening up a partition wall or moving a […]
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