From Concept to Construction ™

How to Make Your Home Safe and Secure

November 21, 2020

Apart from aesthetic and functionality, safety should also be among homeowners’ priorities when it comes to maintaining their real estate property. We cannot be certain of the present times, so it won’t hurt to be extra careful these days. Not only with our health (due to the threat of COVID-19) but also your and your family’s safety at home. If you are also planning to build a home addition, you should also include safety and security measures. Of course, you should also contact the best home addition companies if you want to add a new room to your current home. Home remodeling architects can also help you plan a home addition design that will ensure your household’s safety and make it aesthetic and functional as well. Keeping your home safe and secured Safety is one of the most important things that a lot of homeowners tend to forget in a home improvement project. If you look around, there are some houses in several neighborhoods that don’t have a fence or some kind of protective gate in front of their properties. As mentioned, times are uncertain nowadays. Some things might happen unexpectedly that can compromise you and your loved ones’ safety. Not to mention you might not realize that your home’s safety is already compromised because of an open window and other household habits and things that can potentially attract burglars. And then Christmas is already coming which means we need to secure our real estate properties. Burglaries and other similar things also don’t only happen at night. It can even happen in broad daylight. That is why you should always keep your home well-guarded and secured no matter the time of the day. Tips on securing your home Like how you plan a home remodeling addition, you should also consider how you will keep your home safe and secured. Here are important tips to keep your home safe and secured. Pay attention to your lighting. Not only can it highlight your beautiful home especially at night but also deter burglars from intruding on your property. Because burglars wouldn’t want the limelight (literally and figuratively) and see what they are about to do. Make sure to invest in a high-quality night-time lighting system installed outside your home. You can also install motion sensor security lights as well as adding a gravel driveway to catch attention. Make sure not to forget locking windows and doors. This is surely the easiest thing to do, but so often almost always forgotten. That is why you should keep your windows and doors locked all the time, even when you are at home. You can also invest in coded locks if there is one available. Don’t post on social media. People cannot help but be constantly connected to social media, posting things about their everyday lives. However, doing so can potentially compromise your, your family, and your home’s safety. Best not to mention any out-of-town plans on your social media accounts. Not even posting that you are having coffee in a downtown coffee shop as of this moment. Decide how high your hedges/fences will be. This […]

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Essential Tips on Decorating Your Home Using Mirrors

August 6, 2020

Imagine life without mirrors. You cannot see yourself if that dress fits you perfectly. Or whether you are doing your makeup right. However, mirrors are not only important in checking how you look. It can also brighten up and make your room look attractive in general. So if you are planning to renovate your home, you might want to consider using mirrors to maximize your living space. When planning for a home addition design, you should also hire the best home remodeling architects in your area. Mirror designs There are different types of mirrors you can buy and use for your home. As mentioned, mirrors not only are for beauty purposes but also decorative purposes. When used correctly, it can provide balance or contrast to any room. You can utilize mirrors in your bedroom, living room, bathroom, or in any other parts of your home. Some of the most popular mirror designs you can use for your condo remodeling or home addition project include the following. Tiled mirrors This type of mirror looks better in a bathroom or a vanity room. It can truly catch one’s attention, especially with ambient lighting, and placed in a room with a high ceiling. Closets with built-in mirrors This also works best in a walk-in closet, a master’s bedroom, or even your home office. It can add a classy and timeless appeal to any room. Home remodeling architects can provide advice on the best furniture and fixtures that will suit your home. Mirrored walls This one is another popular home addition design that makes a room look interesting. You might encounter this type of mirrors in a hotel or salon lobby. Nonetheless, it also looks good in a living room and adds aesthetic appeal to the area. Huge mirrors This works in bedrooms, walk-in closets, and the living room. It can make the room look bigger, brighter, and livelier. What to consider in using mirrors to design a room Before buying a mirror for your home, you need to consider the following first. Placement For one, it should be placed across a visually appealing area. Say, you can place it near a window, a beautiful staircase, or a nice chandelier or lighting. Ideally, hanging it at eye-level can make a difference to the room. However, displaying it higher or lower eye-level can also work depending on the room. Size Mirrors can make a room look bigger. That is why you can explore using large mirrors if you want to add the illusion of space in a room. Of course, it will make the room look nicer as well. Style/design Mirrors have various designs, modern and classic designs alike. It will all depend on the frame design and the theme you want to achieve in your room or home. Mirrored furniture Now, there are also mirrored furniture that has been popular for some time now. While it looks sophisticated and attractive in a room, you also have to consider where you are going to put it. Ideally, you should not put it in an area with so many things going on that can deflect attention […]

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Refreshing Makeover: What to Consider Before Painting Your House

June 5, 2020

Painting your home may be easier said than done. You need to plan for it carefully. You also have to choose the right paint color that you won’t regret later on. Or whether you need to paint your house walls in the first place. You might have to hire a professional for a home remodel. Nonetheless, it is a good idea to refresh your home every now and then. It doesn’t matter whether you decide to repaint your room, replace your bathroom tiles, or renovate your kitchen. What’s important that whatever these home improvements will benefit your entire household in terms of aesthetic appeal and safety. Painting: A cheap but effective home improvement White walls sure can look boring. So, the easiest and most inexpensive solution to brighten up your walls is by repainting it. Its difficulty level depends on how big the wall area you are going to paint. It can be only one side of the room or all of the walls of the house. This is one reason why a lot of homeowners dread house painting but should be done nonetheless. Aside from time, you also have to take into consideration what specific color to choose. There are several factors that you should consider when choosing a paint color. Home remodeling architects might help you choose the right paint shade for your home. It can be a tedious chore, but you will love the end result. If you are hiring a home additions builder, make sure you let them know what you want if they will also paint your walls. Otherwise, you can do your own thing – or even let your family decide on the colors! What to do before painting your house walls As mentioned, there are several things you need to consider before painting your house’s walls. It is important that you know these to prevent regrets later on unless you are willing to repaint over again. Getting the area to be painted ready Painting the walls with the furniture and desks around can be quite a hassle. That is why you should clear the area first before doing the paint job. If it’s a home remodeling addition, you have to take them out first so you can finish the paint job faster. If it’s a simple paint job, you can just move them to the center of the room and cover the items using old bedsheets or blankets. Wiping off any debris It may seem unnecessary, but cleaning the walls of any dirt and debris is important. Doing so will make the paint stick to the walls a lot better. Also, make sure to fill in any cracks or holes present on the walls. Add tape on window trims, outlet covers, and light switches before painting. Don’t forget to put old newspapers so that the paint won’t drip off on the floor. Checking the paint color If you have a specific color that you want, make sure to get a sample first. Sometimes, the actual color when applied on the wall may look different from what you imagine it to be. You can […]

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Home Remodeling Essential for Your Senior Years

December 10, 2019

One study revealed that more around 76 percent of individuals age 65 and above own the house they are living in. Out of the respondents, about 88 percent of them are planning to have a home renovation after a few years. This study only shows that elderly people are also interested in real estate property ownership and home improvement. For one thing, comfortable home is important for elderly people. This means considering their mobility and ensuring their safety when they are in their own homes. A home remodeling addition may be necessary to accommodate the elderly person’s domestic needs. In building a home addition, one must hire a professional home addition builder to ensure quality and satisfying finish. But it doesn’t mean you have to delay planning for a home addition design just because you are not yet 60 and above. In fact, now is the best time to plan for a home renovation while you are still able. We all need to prepare for our retirement, and that includes making our home a senior-friendly one when that time comes. Planning a senior-friendly home renovation As mentioned, now is the right time to plan an elderly-friendly home. On the contrary, it is not a good idea to delay a home renovation or addition project when you are already old and unable to do tasks like before. Also, you can have more time to pay attention to details if you plan a home addition or renovation while you are still at the peak of your health. Planning for an elderly-friendly home remodeling or renovation may seem overwhelming. However, home remodeling architects assure everyone that it doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s mostly just replacing or adding certain items to ensure the elderly person’s convenience and safety. Nonetheless, it is important to prepare for a home renovation or addition especially in terms of budget. It depends on what type of remodeling you want, but it is better to be financially prepared nonetheless. You should not wait until you reach retirement to hire a home addition builder because you might be qualified for a loan if you are going to rely on your monthly pension. Elderly-friendly home renovations Here are some of the most popular home renovations that can help home living easier, more convenient, and safer especially for the elderly. Elevator/chair lift This is important especially if your house has a second or third floor. There are chair lifts that can be attached to the stairs, and costs at least $3,000, excluding installation fees. Kitchen/bathroom countertops and cabinets It is also a good idea to adjust the countertop lower than regular countertops. This is to make kitchen tasks easier for the elderlies. Make sure there is also enough space in the kitchen and bathroom to walk and navigate around. Flooring Elderly people are prone to accidents that is why safety is crucial. In the case of flooring, it is safer to use linoleum, vinyl, cork, or bamboo. Such floor options may cost at least $3 per square foot depending on the type of flooring. Grab bars This is important in bathrooms to […]

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My House’s Walls Need Some Repainting. Now What?

December 2, 2019

Every home needs a refreshing change from time to time. It can be boring to stare at the same wall color every day for many years. Your child has already grown into a teenager and may already be bugging you to revamp his/her room for the longest time. There are many options you can do to improve your home depending on your budget. On one hand, you can plan for a home addition design as part of your major home improvement project. There are affordable home additions that you can consider if budget is your concern. Building a home addition can either be creating an entirely new living space within your property. Or using your existing space at home in building a new room for your family. Revamp your home with paint If you are in the mood to revamping your home without having to tear down walls and buying building materials, you may want to consider repainting instead. It is cheaper and easy to do. However, there are some things to consider before proceeding with the home improvement project. Nonetheless, painting is a cheap, practical, and quick alternative to improving your home. As mentioned, it can be boring staring at the same wall and ceiling color for so many years. At some point, you should update your home in any way you can. One way to do so is by applying a fresh coat of paint on every wall of your home. What to consider in choosing wall paint In case you don’t know, there are different types of paint that you can choose from. Each paint type has its pros and cons so make sure to choose the right type according to your painting needs. Whether you are planning for a home remodeling addition or simply update your wall color, you should know what kind of paint to choose. Water-based One popular type of paint is water-based. In fact, a lot of builders and homeowners choose water-based paint mostly due to its easy use. Water-based paints do not need pre-treatment; meaning, you can go ahead and paint your walls immediately. It also doesn’t promote mildew growth, has low VOC levels, dries quickly, resists cracking, doesn’t easily fade, and can be applied on different surfaces. It is also easier to clean up. Oil-based This is another type of paint being used by builders and homeowners. Like water-based paints, it can also be used on different surfaces. It has a nice glossy and durable finish. It is also the better type of paint to use in high-moisture areas such as the kitchen and bathroom. However, oil paint may emit overwhelming fumes that can be potentially risky to health. It also requires solvents to wash away oil-based paint on the walls or the brush used to paint it. Matte This is a popular paint method that provides a classic appeal to any room. It has no sheen and instead provides a feeling of a velvety surface. It can also help hide any imperfections in ceilings and walls and makes you appreciate the wall color more. Gloss/semi-gloss This type of paint finishing […]

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Home Addition Design Tips and Things to Do

May 21, 2018

Ever thought of extending your home? And add another part of your home to create more memories with. Sometimes we have this tendency to extend the area of our homes so that we will have more space or have more rooms. And we sometimes add or construct another house in our backyard. Home addition design can help us draft the kind of home addition that we want. There are a lot of ideas for us to choose from. And choosing the right one can be a little bit tricky, There are some things that we need to consider in building that additional home within our own home. Here are some tips and the things you need to do before constructing that additional area to your home. Know what you need Before everything else, you should know what you need. A home addition is not an easy thing to do. It takes a lot of time and planning. If you feel that there is something lacking in your home, that is the time when you will be constructing or have an additional area to your home. If you can see that you need an extra guest house or guest room you can have it as a home addition project. Or if you want to extend your garage or your entertainment area, this can be a part of your home addition project. It will always depend on what kind of space that you need. Plan the design There are a lot of architects who are great with home addition construction. They can help you plan out the design that you want and can advise you on what kind of materials you will be using. Right after you decided on what you want, you can always keep in touch with an architect to help you with the design. They can also help you with the flooring design and the right measurements of the home addition that is suitable for the amount of space that you have for your additional home design. Budget Once you have predicted or have seen what kind of additional home space that you need, its time to think about the costing. Home addition project requires money. Canvas for the right materials that you will be needing that can fit within your budget. Becuase it is constructing an additional part of your home. And this will also require the necessary permits and other legal documents that will allow you to construct another building or extension to your home. Hire a professional Hiring a professional to construct the additional part of your home will make things fast and easier. You will no longer have to spend too much time stressing about the construction when you hire a professional. Just hire a professional who has a lot of experience in home addition to making sure that you will be on track. Speak to your neighbors Since construction will require time and a little bit of noise, it is best to speak to your neighbors. This is for them to be aware of what is happening. Setting a timeline of construction will help you […]

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