home addition contractors ma | Colony Home Improvement

Talk to home addition contractors about garage options.

Should Your MA Home Addition Include an Attached or Detached Garage?

August 22, 20160

Once you have chosen which of the many home addition contractors in MA you trust with your project, the fun part can begin! You and your contractor can come up with a Needham custom built floor plan that includes all of the special touches that will make your house the home you’ve always wanted. The devil, as they say, is in the details. Deciding you want a garage is not enough. You need to decide if you want an attached or a detached garage. Here are three things to consider when making your decision.

Why Adding a Garage of Either Type Is Smart

Once your Needham garage addition is complete, you’ll obviously benefit from having plenty of extra storage space. Being able to store your car out of the elements and away from potential criminals is another benefit. Safe from the elements and vandals, your car will look good and serve you better for longer than it would being parked outside. Additionally, a garage offers opportunities to incorporate patios or decks that can be handy when hosting parties or events. Last but certainly not least? Once you eventually decide to sell your home, you’ll discover a garage will be on the must-have list for many potential buyers.

A garage addition can be a valuable asset.

Pros of Building an Attached Garage

Attached garages are attractive for several reasons, primarily convenience. When it’s raining or snowing, you can simply hit the button on your garage door opener, drive into the sheltered space, park and head inside without getting wet. You can place an extra refrigerator or freezer or even your washer and drier in an attached garage and still have easy access to it. From a cost and construction standpoint, a contractor can incorporate your home’s existing walls and electrical wiring into an attached garage, which is a time and money saver.

Pros of Building a Detached Garage

Arguably, the biggest benefit of a detached garage is it is ideally suited for a rooftop deck or patio entertainment space or garden. With a detached garage, you often have more leeway in terms of how large your structure will be and even what it looks like. When your garage is attached to your house, you’ll need to ensure it is architecturally similar. Another benefit of a detached garage? Fumes from your vehicle’s exhaust system and chemicals you may store in your garage won’t leach into your home. Finally, if you ever decide you want to turn your two-car garage into a three-car garage or add a garage apartment, the process will be much easier with a detached garage.

Are you ready to get going on your home addition? Contact us at Colony Home Improvement. We have decades of experience planning and building amazing home additions in MA. We have before and after photos to share and plenty of testimonials from happy clients. Call us today. You will be glad you did!

home additions

Is Building Up or Building Out the Best Choice for Your Brookline, MA, Home Addition?

August 18, 20160

Once you’ve made the decision to add square footage to your home by building an addition, the next decision you need to make is where you want the addition built. While there are some homeowners who decide to tunnel down for their home additions in MA, the vast majority stick with one of the two obvious choices: building up or building out. You’ll need to weigh several factors before deciding which option is right for your property. An experienced Dover home improvement contractor will discuss these factors with you in detail. Read on for some general considerations regarding the “up or out” question.

Your home improvement contractor can help you make the right choices.

Talk to your home improvement contractor about your options.

Pros of Building Up

One of the biggest benefits of building up is it’s possible, regardless of the size of your lot. Another major benefit? Building up is usually less expensive than building out because it doesn’t require adding to the foundation or increasing the square footage of roofing. When you build up, you will need a new roof, of course, but when it comes time to upgrade that roof, you’ll pay less than you would have had you built out. Many people prefer multi-story homes because they offer options. Depending on your living situation, you can use your new floor for all of the bedrooms upstairs, just the children’s bedrooms or an elaborate master suite. You could also create an upstairs playroom, game room or workout room. The possibilities are endless! When you build up, you gain extra living space without sacrificing the size of your yard or worrying about setbacks.

Benefits of Building Out

Arguably the biggest benefit of building out is you will avoid adding stairs to your home. If you have small children you worry about falling down stairs and want to be able to keep an eye on easily or if you or someone in your home has physical limitations or who may find it difficult to climb stairs in the future, a one-story home makes sense. Additionally, from a design perspective, you can incorporated vaulted, barrel, cathedral and other unique ceiling styles in single-story homes because you don’t have to worry about creating a floor above the ceiling. Of the two options, building out tends to be the least disruptive.

One Option Is Not Inherently Better than the Other!

Lot size limitations aside, the decision to build up or build out is similar to the decision to purchase a ranch-style, Cape Cod or mid-century modern home. In other words, it’s a matter of personal preference. Be wary of home addition contractors in MA who are unwilling to work with you to deliver your vision. It’s your home and your investment. Ultimately, the right decision is the one you’re most excited to pursue.

When you are ready to add on to your home to increase its functionality and your quality of life, contact us at Colony Home Improvement. We are a well-known, well-respected home improvement contractor for Dover and the surrounding area. We have more than 40 years of experience and thousands of happy customers in the region, and we hope to make you one of them!

Open up the space with bathroom remodeling.

bathroom remodeling, home additions

Luxurious and Unique Weston, MA, Master Bathroom Additions You May Not Have Thought Of

August 11, 20160

Has your bathroom lost its luster? Not only will a fresh new bathroom make you feel pampered and at peace, but it will also be attractive to prospective buyers if you plan to sell your home in the coming years. Even before you contact home addition contractors in MA to begin taking measurements and working up an estimate to remodel your bathroom, you should at least have a general sense of what features you’d like your new bathroom to have. One way to come up with ideas is to view actual room additions before and after in Weston and the surrounding areas. Create an idea book so you can jot down things you’d like to consider. As you begin looking at before and after photos, magazines and websites, here are five amazing trends you might see.

Open, Walk-in Showers

A huge trend in bathroom remodeling in MA is shunning tub/shower combinations in favor of a bathroom with separate tub and shower or with only a tub or shower. In either case, if you are not a fan of mildewed shower curtains, you will love walk-in showers. They incorporate partial walls covered with tile or stone that are topped to the ceiling with glass or glass blocks. These spacious and light-filled showers envelope you in spa-like luxury.

Custom built home plans can include a stand-alone tub.

Stand-alone Tub

If you love relaxing in the tub, why not make it the centerpiece of your bathroom? Vintage cast-iron claw foot tubs and other freestanding tubs look like sculptures in a bathroom. Even better? They are ideal for creating an ambiance where you’ll feel pampered.

Add Warmth

You can add warmth to your bathroom through colors and accessories. You can also add warmth, literally, by incorporating heated floors, towel warmers and even fireplaces. That’s right! Small, vent-free fireplaces are becoming more common in bathrooms, especially in areas like Massachusetts where winters can be brutal. Why not incorporate a bathroom fireplace into your Weston, MA, custom built home plan?

Add Natural Light

A big complaint many people have about their bathrooms is they feel too small. One of the best ways to make a room appear larger is to add windows. When bathroom windows are placed strategically, such as in a location where neighbors can’t peer in, they bathe your space in natural light and bring in lovely scenery.

Incorporate a Washer and Dryer

Not everyone desires a spa-like bathroom. Some people value a bathroom that maximizes function and convenience. Adding a washer and dryer to your bathroom may be especially smart if you have children and are overloaded with laundry. Imagine the convenience of being able to strip off your clothing before you take a shower and deposit it directly into the washing machine? You’ll have fewer piles of dirty laundry to deal with!

Bathroom, bedroom, mudroom, bonus room … if you dream it, we can build it. If you need help finding inspiration, we can help. Contact us today at Colony Home Improvement to begin planning an amazing new bathroom!

Improve functionality with kitchen remodeling.

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Kitchen Cabinet Remodeling Ideas in Demand This Year in Wellesley, MA

August 4, 20160

Are you looking for a home remodeling project that will increase the value and also enhance your enjoyment of your home? Kitchen remodeling in MA is the way to go. If you’re like most people, you spend plenty of time in your kitchen. If your kitchen is outdated, in disrepair or less functional than you’d like, remodeling it will result in a transformation you’ll love. As you plan your dream kitchen, one of your biggest choices will be your kitchen cabinetry. Here are six hot kitchen cabinet trends to inspire you.

Incorporate Glass Cabinet Doors

Do you want to make your kitchen appear larger? Create a distinction between your upper and lower cabinets? Easily see what you have so you can find it quickly? Display your beautiful stemware and dishes? Consider glass-front cabinets that will deliver all of these items on your wish list!

Incorporate Open Shelves

When seeing your dishes and cookware is not enough and you want to be able to quickly access what you need, consider adding a section of open shelves in your cabinetry. Skip the doors altogether for the ultimate in convenience and functionality.

Improve the function of your kitchen with help from home improvement contractors.

Home improvement contractors can help create a more functional kitchen.

Make Space for Your Gadgets

When you’re designing a new kitchen, you can truly tailor it to your needs. If you can’t stand being away from your phone or tablet, you can add built-in docking stations and even tablet holders. Just imagine how convenient it will be for you to search for and follow recipes! Don’t forget to carve out a niche for your television if you love to watch TV while you cook.

Don’t Limit Yourself to One Color

Torn between navy or cream cabinetry? You don’t have to choose if you incorporate a two-tone cabinet look in your kitchen. The key to pulling off this look is to ensure at least one of the colors is a neutral, such as white, beige, natural wood, black or gray. Choose one color for your upper cabinets and another for your lowers for a truly custom look.

Don’t Limit Yourself to Wood

When most people think of kitchen cabinets, they think of wooden cabinets. While wood is by far the most common kitchen cabinet material, it is not your only option. Home addition contractors in MA are receiving more requests for stainless-steel cabinets. If your style leans toward the modern and contemporary, this unique cabinetry option may be worth considering in your kitchen remodel.

Horizontal Cabinets

In most kitchens, cabinets are square or rectangular and installed vertically. In some of the most recent home additions in MA, owners have opted for horizontal, or stackable, cabinets. Especially in smaller kitchens, this approach to cabinetry makes maximum use of available wall space.

Cabinetry, counter tops, flooring, storage, island … when you remodel your kitchen, you have a vast array of options from which to choose. It can be overwhelming to say the least. Take a deep breath and contact us at Colony Home Improvement, one of the most respected home improvement contractors in Wellesley and the surrounding areas. Our skilled design team will help you design your dream kitchen at your own pace, and then we will bring your vision to life!

Change the look of the room with bathroom remodeling.

bathroom remodeling, home additions

Need a Bathroom Update But on a Budget? Colony Home Will Create the Perfect Remodel

July 21, 20160

When you embark on any remodeling project, you have options galore in terms of the construction materials you’ll use, the layout of the space, color scheme, accessories and more. If you want to pursue a project in bathroom remodeling in MA but are on a tight budget, you are fortunate most area bathrooms are small spaces. That in itself saves you money. Don’t make the mistake of deciding to do it yourself. More often than not, you will end up hiring a professional to correct your DIY fixes. You can afford to hire a pro when you heed some of these tips for remodeling your bathroom without breaking the bank.

Use Tiles Strategically

Most home addition contractors in MA will encourage you to use tile on your bathroom floors. Not only is it attractive, but it can withstand moisture and the frequent cleanings it will likely be subject to. Any home improvement store will offer a decent selection of affordable floor tiles. Unfortunately, unless you find them on sale or clearance, decorative tiles often used in bathroom showers and on bathroom backsplashes are usually expensive per square foot. Instead of tiling an entire wall in your shower, consider tiling a strip in the center so it will tie the room together, but save you money on materials.

Consider Repurposing Your Tub or Shower

If your bathtub and/or shower are structurally sound, consider having them re-glazed or relined instead of replacing them. You’ll save a significant amount of money and achieve the updated look you want.

Discuss tiles with your home improvement contractors.

Talk to your home improvement contractors about adding tiles.

Splurge on Plumbing Fixtures and Lighting

Even if you decide to go with stock rather than custom cabinets and a tile or Formica countertop rather than granite or marble, you can add elegance with strategically placed luxury finishes. Choose a statement piece, perhaps a small chandelier, as your main lighting source. Splurge on higher-quality sink and tub/shower faucets. Instead of boring contractor-pack cabinet knobs and pulls, look for unique options. You can find stunning, unique cabinet hardware that will transform the feel of your space for less than $10 each.

Paint Is Your New Best Friend

A fresh coat of paint (professionally applied, of course) is the least expensive way to change the look of any room. Ask Newton home improvement contractors for photos of bathroom remodels they have done and look at home improvement magazines and websites to get inspiration. Don’t overlook the ceiling! There is no reason your ceiling has to be painted white! A light color that complements your wall color can create a warm, inviting space. Make sure to splurge on high-quality, mold-resistant paint that is designated as bathroom-friendly.

For Small Bathrooms, Consider Pedestal Sink

Many custom built home plans in Newton include powder rooms or half bathrooms. If you want to remodel such a bathroom or any small bathroom, ask yourself if you really need a full countertop. Installing a compact pedestal sink instead of a traditional sink and countertop combination will make your bathroom feel significantly larger and roomier.

If you are underwhelmed by your current bathroom, dream of having it remodeled, but assume you can’t afford to do so, you may be pleasantly surprised! Contact us at Colony Home Improvement to discuss your project. If you’re on a tight budget, we’ll work with you to get the job done beautifully and affordably.

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