I Want To Renovate My House Where Do I Start
There are plenty of reasons you would want to renovate your house. Maybe you don’t like the current look, the house has become too small for your family, or any other reason. If you want to renovate your house but don’t know where to start, here is a guide given by home remodeling architects that you should follow: Have a plan This is the first thing you should do when thinking about remodeling your home. When you are coming up with a plan, you need to consider plenty of things. These things include: Who will do the project? This is important to consider, as it will directly impact the amount of money you spend on the project. If having a small project such as painting, small-scale demolitions, and baseboard installation, you can do the work yourself, but if it’s a major one such as large-scale demolition or door and window installation, it’s wise that you hire experienced professionals so that they can execute the project expertly. Your budget How much are you willing to spend on the project? The size of your project will influence this. When creating a budget, you must consider various factors such as paint, contractors, cabinets, countertops, etc. Many people try to cut costs with contractors and materials. While it’s okay to bargain, you shouldn’t go too low as you risk getting bad quality services or materials, and you don’t want this, do you? When hiring contractors, don’t hire the cheapest. The best way to go about it is to interview several contractors, settle on the one that charges you the least amount, and have proof that they provide excellent services. Regarding materials, visit several stores and see what is available. Obviously, you should stay away from the high-end stores as you usually pay premium prices for the same quality items you can get at lower prices elsewhere. Like contractors, avoid buying from extremely cheap stores as you risk buying extremely cheap products, which often don’t give you the results you are after. Think about the design and style of your home How will your home look once complete? You need to think about this. Regardless of whether you are remodeling a part or the entire house, you need to ensure that the spaces remain uniform. Most people are confused about the final look of their houses, so if you are one of these people, consult a professional to help you. Think about your budget as you come up with the house’s style. Remember that the more complex the house design, the more expensive it is, and vice versa. Get the appropriate permits. Some projects will require you to get a permit. In most cases, you will need a license when making footprint changes, structural changes, installing new windows, or undertaking plumbing and electrical modifications. You won’t need a permit when undertaking smaller projects such as painting or replacing the floor. To avoid being on the wrong side of the law, do your research beforehand and find out the permits you need so that you can add them to your budget. Another excellent way to go […]
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4 Areas To Focus On When Remodeling Your Retail Store
If your retail store is old and worn out, you should consider renovating it to attract customers. While it’s important to remodel your store, remember that you shouldn’t go at it haphazardly—you should highly consider your customer’s desires and sensibilities. Work with your retail store contractors and pay close attention to the customer experience. For the best outcome, pay close attention to these areas when renovating: The store entrance This is where your customers will be getting in, so it needs to be attractive to look at. Remember that your customers will make the buying decision based on how they feel when they are in your store. Since the entrance serves as a transition from the outside world into the retail environment, it should have an inviting look. As a rule of thumb, use cool colors that make the customers feel comfortable. If you regularly have a large line of customers, it would be wise to have a few chairs to sit on as they wait for you to serve the others. The walls and ceilings You might have the impression that your customers don’t care much about how your store walls and ceilings look, but this isn’t the case. As we mentioned above, your customers make the buying decision based on how they feel when they are inside your premises. As a rule of thumb, you should work with your contractors and create an inviting vibe. In most cases, you don’t need to do much, as applying a fresh coat of paint is enough to transform your space, but if your store is old and the walls have holes, you have a lot of work. Besides painting the walls, you can also apply wallpaper, graphics, or even graffiti, depending on the nature of your business. For the best outcome, consider the walls and ceilings as blank canvasses that can help capture your customers’’ attention. Remember that you don’t need to make dramatic changes or incur dramatically expensive to make a dramatic impact. Lighting fixtures Lighting can significantly change the look and mood of your store. For example, you can give it a sleek, soft, modern, natural, industrial, or even loud mood depending on the lights you use. There are all types of lighting fixtures ideal for different applications that you can use. If you aren’t sure about the right ones to go for, get the input of a professional. As you are installing the lights, pay close attention to the energy needs. You don’t want to install lights that consume too much of your energy, making them unsustainable. As you create the mood and theme of the retail store, you need to ensure that you also save some money so go for energy-efficient lighting fixtures. Flooring Floors often get damaged, and the situation worsens when your store is old. A damaged floor is an eye sore and often a sign of an unkempt space, so you must keep your floor in top shape. If there are holes, you should seal them. For that perfect look, install flooring material that is attractive to look at and durable. Luckily, there are […]
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4 Things to Think About When Remodeling the House
When you are remodeling your house, you need to think about plenty of things. Which are these things? Here they are as given by home remodeling architects: Your style We all have different styles, and for you to feel comfortable in your house, you should renovate it in a style you love. If you aren’t sure how to go about it, there are plenty of styles to choose from, such as modern, transitional, coastal minimalism, contemporary, and rustic farmhouse. Not sure about the right style to go with, it’s always wise to get some inspiration. This calls for you to visit home improvement stores and design showrooms and see what is available. It also doesn’t hurt flipping home improvement magazines or browsing the internet. When you visit these places, you get to know what is trending and get a sense of what you can incorporate into your home and what you can’t. As you are perusing the magazines, pay attention to the latest fashions and imagine how they will look in your home and whether you will be comfortable with them in your house for five or even ten years. It’s always wise to incorporate technology into your home. You should decide on the type of smart technology you want in your home and one that would benefit you and your family. Of course, you should incorporate the technology that will be of value to your home. When you define the style you want for your current home, you stay focused and choose materials, labor, and everything else geared towards the style you want to achieve. Your budget The other vital thing you need to think about is your budget. How much money are you looking to spend on your remodeling project? You need to think about this before everything, as your budget will determine the size of your project, and the materials you will buy, among many other things. As you set your budget, remember that things can quickly balloon out of place, so always set aside some extra amount. Set aside at least 20% of your budget to be on the safe side. Reason for renovating Why are you renovating the house? Are you looking to sell the house, or do you want the house to look good? Your reason for doing the renovations will influence the type of renovations and materials you will use. For example, if you are renovating to sell the house later, you should stay away from high-end additions such as swimming pools. You also should avoid premium materials such as granite as you won’t recoup your investment. If you want your house to look good, you can use any material you wish to and add any addition. After all, it’s yours, and you want to get the most from it. Timing This is when you are doing your project. As a rule of thumb, you should do your project when you are less likely to have weather delays. To save money, have your project at a time when the local architects builders Washington DC and other professionals aren’t too busy. This way, you […]
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What Should You Consider When Renovating A House?
Many people rush to hiring home remodeling architects when they are thinking about remodeling their houses, which isn’t a wise thing to do. Before you remodel your house, you need to consider plenty of factors so that you put up a great remodel. Which are these factors to consider? Here they are: The age of the property Most people remodel older homes and while this might be a good move as you will be making your house look better not to mention increasing its value, you should be ultra cautious as you can easily blow your budget out of place when you try remodeling a house that is too old. The reason for this is that older houses tend to have plenty of tricks up their sleeves that can be frustrating and expensive to fix. For example, you might try remodeling a wall only to realize that it’s damaged by termites meaning that you have to bring down the entire wall and build it afresh. As you can tell, this might be too expensive and against your plans. To avoid such surprises, before you begin your project, first consult a professional and find out whether it’s wise to proceed with the project. Of course, you should avoid remodeling your house if your house is too old. Pay attention to the original features Would you like to preserve the house’s original features? You need to think about this before you begin the remodeling. If you are looking to sell the house later down the line, it’s wise you consider keeping the original features as they add value to the property. When handling a large-scale renovation project, it’s easy to fall into the trap of stripping the house back to its bare bones so that you can give it an entirely new look. As mentioned, if planning of selling the house later, it’s unwise to do this, but if you want to keep the house, you can go ahead and turn the house into a shell then give it your preferred look. Structural problems It’s common for older houses to have structural problems and if yours is no exemption, don’t begin the remodeling work without first fixing the structural issues. A common structural problem is the house having visible cracks on the outside. Before you proceed with the renovation, assess the damage or even have an engineer or any other expert inspect the house. When you fix the problems early on, you have peace of mind when working, as you know that the house is safe. The order of work You will hear most people doing remodeling for the first time asking, what order should I renovate? To avoid making mistakes and forgetting certain things, you need to have a plan for your remodeling work. If this is the first time you are remodeling the house, it’s wise you consult a professional who will help you come up with a plan. In most cases, renovation projects will follow this order of work: Stripping out and removal Structural work: These include walls, floors, and ceilings Fixing work: These are heating, wiring and plumbing […]
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6 Home Addition Projects To Increase Square Footage
Are you looking to increase your house’s square footage but aren’t sure about the right home addition projects to go with? Here are some of the best ones as given by home addition companies: Bump out the kitchen Bumping out your kitchen entails pushing out the kitchen by a few feet, usually a maximum of 2 feet. To do this, you will need to remove a section of the existing exterior wall and add more or longer flooring. You should then build a new wall along the expanded floor’s perimeter, then cover the expansion with roofing. When you bump out the kitchen, you have additional space and significantly increase your home value, as kitchen remodels have been shown to increase the value of a house significantly. Bumping out your kitchen is also less costly, and you don’t need to worry about installing a new foundation. You also don’t need to install additional heating or cooling. To get the most from the project, properly paint the walls. Also, ensure that you match the new floor with the already existing floor to have a uniform kitchen. Finish your basement If you are like other homeowners, your basement is unfinished, and all you need to do to add more square footage to your home is finish it. By so doing, you have extra living space. You can also use the extra space as a home theater or entertainment room. When working on your basement, ensure that you factor in the zoning restrictions in your area so that you don’t run into any problems. Try a modular addition. If you want to expand your house upwards, you can always go for a pre-fabricated room instead of constructing a new one. This way, you save 20-30% of the cost and put up the modular house at any part of your compound. Expand the bathroom Like the kitchen, bathroom addition or expansion is an excellent project that increases the usable space and significantly increases the house value. If adding the bathroom for your use and you have the budget for it, there is no harm in splurging on high-end materials and features such as a walk-in closet, but if you are undertaking the addition to sell the house, be on the lookout and avoid high-end materials as you might fail to get your money back. For example, avoid marble or granite for your countertops, as you won’t recoup your money. Instead, opt for moderately priced materials that will look good, increase the value of your house and save you money. Enclose the front porch Are you at home most of the time, or spend a lot of time on the front porch? You can enclose it and turn it into a plausible room. Before you install the enclosure, note that you will need to install heating and cooling systems. You will also need direct access to the extension cable. While at it, check with an architect and engineer and confirm that your house will hold effectively after the installation. Turn your attic into usable space. Like the basement, many people rarely use their attic or use […]
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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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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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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 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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How Often Should You Remodel Your Home?
Are you wondering, how often should you remodel your home? While the time you do it depends on the condition of your property, architects builders agree that you should do it at least every 15-20 years. You should note that this recommendation isn’t set in stone, and you can always do it earlier or later than this. You should consider renovating your house if: The tiles are getting detached Detached tiles are an eyesore, a tripping hazard, and significantly reduce a home’s resale value. Even if you had professionally installed the tiles, it comes a time when you have to replace them due to wear off. In most cases, the most affected rooms are usually the bathroom and kitchen, often due to the large amounts of water there. You can replace the loose tiles using similar tiles to those that were originally there or install completely new ones. As you are placing the new tiles, pay attention to the room’s theme and maintain it. The paint has chipped. Who said you have to bring down the entire house to say that you are having a renovation project? Sometimes the renovation project is as simple as repainting your walls. The beauty is that doing the repainting work is simple and cheap. If you don’t want or don’t have the money to hire a technician, you can always paint the house yourself or with the help of your family members. The roof is leaking To keep your house in top shape, you must ensure that the roof is in good condition. Most roofing systems are known to last for decades, but they rot and get old sooner than expected due to harsh weather elements. Depending on the materials used in roofing, you can have leaking problems. If your roof is leaking, it’s time to renovate your house. If your house is old, chances are you can’t find the exact materials you had used in roofing, so you have to use modern materials. While this is the case, like when installing the tiles, be cautious of the house theme and design. The last thing you want is to install a roof that doesn’t agree with the house’s theme. You have outgrown your house. If you have a new family member such as a child or elderly relative living with you, the chances are that the house has become smaller. For everyone to be comfortable, you need to make some renovations. You can knock down a wall to make room for an additional bedroom or build an addition. Your house feels old. Do you enter your house and feel like you are in the 60s? It might be time to invest in a new house. When you are doing the renovation, avoid the trending house designs and plans as it’s a matter of time before the fad fades off and you start feeling that your house needs to catch up. The right thing to do is to work with experienced professionals that will help you choose a design that looks good and will still be good in the coming decades. You have money for […]
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