Home Remodeling Questions to Ask Beforehand

February 26, 20150

Know what you should ask prior to your home remodeling plan.

Ask these questions before starting a home remodeling project.

Many families eventually reach a point where their home no longer meets their needs. Home remodeling is often a better choice than moving to a new home. The costs of buying a new home and moving can be extremely high. By remodeling, not only do you save on all the expenses related to moving, but you may also increase the value of your current home, thus potentially offsetting the cost of your renovations. Before you begin your addition plans, you should consider and answer the following five questions.

What Do My Addition Plans Include?

When planning home additions, you need to determine the scope of your project. If you are not sure of what exactly your addition should include, it will be difficult to tell your contractor about how you envision the finished project. Without a pre-established scope, it is likely you will go over budget and your project will take longer as you are making plans and adding to the remodel on the fly. This is where a good home remodeling company comes in handy because they can help you determine what to include in your project.

How Much Can I Afford to Spend?

Whether you have saved for many years or are financing your remodel, you need to set some guidelines for spending. Prior to your remodel, you should get estimates and prices on materials to help give you a baseline for your budget. If you have champagne tastes, but only a beer budget, you may have to scale back your plans.

Go over your additional home remodeling plans with your contractor.

Work with your contractor to go over addition plans.

What Are My Contingency Plans?

Unfortunately, no plan is fool-proof. You may come across a budget-busting expense, such as an unexpected repair, or you could simply fall in love with higher-end materials than you initially planned. If any such situations arise, you need to have a plan B. Are you going to cut back on other aspects of your remodel in order to fund the new expense? Or are you going to simply spend more than you initially budgeted? Planning for contingencies in advance can help save you from additional stress during home remodeling.

Who Is Working on My Home and What Is the Schedule?

Many remodeling companies will assign a foreman to your project who will bring in a team to complete the work. You should be sure the company has the skills and expertise to complete the remodel. In addition, verify the schedule of when workers will be at your home. If you’re a family of late-risers, you may not want workmen at your doorstep early in the morning.

How Long Will My Remodel Take?

You will need to set realistic expectations as to how long each part of your project will take. Many times the homeowner’s expectations and the reality don’t meet. Your contractor will give you an estimated completion date, but it is important to understand the date could change, especially if you need to special order materials or if unplanned repairs pop up during the course of your remodel.

If you are interested in home remodeling in Massachusetts, contact us. We can help you explore the possibilities and determine your addition plans.

How to Break Up a Large Room

February 10, 20150

Plan your rooms with the help of general contractors.

General contractors can help you plan your rooms.

Sometimes a lot of space can open up a many options for your home plans, allowing you to choose just about anything you want without worrying about whether it will fit. However, it can also be a challenge to get everything the way you would like without your room feeling like a gigantic open space. While home remodeling by general contractors can be a method of breaking up the space, there are other options you can try as well.

Use Furniture to Designate Zones

Just because you have one large room doesn’t mean it has to serve all one purpose. In fact, depending on the overall size of the room, this can be a major mistake. To help you designate various areas for different purposes, you can use furniture. For instance, an L-shaped couch can help section off a seating area from other areas of the room. Another option is to place end tables or extra chairs in a position that clearly separates one area from another. Plants also make great dividers.

Consider Anchor Pieces

It may seem like a good idea to fill up the space with a large number of smaller pieces to help break it up and create different uses for various areas. However, this can create a cluttered feel, which isn’t something most homeowners envision when making their home plans. Instead, choose a few larger pieces of furniture that will serve to anchor the room and create an organized look and feel for the room.

Your home plans may include larger rooms.

If your home plans involve a large room, break it up with furniture.

Get Creative with Your Lighting

The lighting you use in a larger room can have a dramatic effect on how people perceive the room. If your home remodeling project included adding many large windows to enhance the natural lighting in the room, you can use this to your advantage. Using lamps in dark or shadowy corners is a great way to help keep the room bright and cheery; however, you don’t want to overdo the lamps.

Select the Right Paint

You don’t have to paint all the walls the same color just because they are in the same room. In fact, many general contractors recommend painting larger rooms in two-tone schemes to help break up the space. This can be done by installing a chair rail with different colors above and below the rail. Another option is to choose an accent wall in one area of the room and paint it a different color than the rest of the room.

Larger rooms can often be just as much of a challenge as arranging a smaller room. Whether the larger room is the product of recent home remodeling or it’s always been a part of the home plans, it’s important to find ways to break up the room. This will give your space a better sense of purpose and eliminate the cluttered feel many larger rooms often create.

If you’re looking for general contractors to help you manage your home remodeling projects, contact us. Our Connecticut team can help you design the right home plans to meet your needs.

Painting the Basement Adds Value to Your Home (You Can Even Paint the Floors)

February 3, 20150

Have you considered painting in your basement finishing project.

Painting is beneficial as part of you basement finishing project.

When most people think of using paint in their home remodeling project, they think of the exterior of their home or their primary rooms on the main floors. However, painting can be an effective tool in basement finishing as well. When you use paint as part of your basement remodeling in Brookline, you can increase the value of your home.

Create a Finished Look

It can be difficult to spend time in your basement when it’s cold, dark and damp. This is what you can expect to experience in an unfinished basement, leaving you to wonder what use this space can really be. One of the most popular home remodeling projects many homeowners choose is basement finishing for this reason. When you apply some paint to the walls and maybe even the floor, you will create a finished look that exudes a warmer feel and makes you feel like you are in any other room inside your home.

A Variety of Unique Options

Many people like to give their basement a different feel than other areas of their home. When it comes to painting, there are a vast number of options from which you can choose to create the exact look you want. For instance, you can use various textured techniques to create the look of a stone wall or any other unique features. Talk to your painting contractor about your choices so you can create the right illusion for your basement rooms.

Have you considered basement finishing for home remodeling?

Finishing the basement is a valuable home remodeling project.

Special Preparation

The only difference in using paint in your basement versus other areas of your home is the techniques used in applying the paint. Basements are naturally damp areas that require mold-resistant paint to keep issues at a minimum. This is especially true if you intend to paint the floor. Painting the floor of your basement can be useful in opening up the space and adding a brighter tone.

Add the Finishing Touches

Basement remodeling in Brookline is about more than the paint you use. There are other finishing touches that can provide the look you want and add value to your home. For instance, crown molding can be the ultimate finishing touch to complete any project, giving the room depth and making it more livable.

Basement remodeling can be an ideal way to increase the amount of living space in your home and provide a fun new area of your home. Many people choose to transform their basement into a playroom for the kids, a recreation room for relaxation or a den or TV room. Regardless of the purpose you envision for your basement, the use of paint on the walls and the floor can not only create a new look, but offer greater value in your home.

If you want to complete basement remodeling in Brookline or the surrounding area, contact us. Our contractors can help you choose the right paints and complete your remodeling project.

Your Laundry Room Isn’t Just for Clothes Anymore

November 4, 20140

Consider using home improvement to create a functional laundry room.

Home improvement projects can create a functional laundry room.

Despite the fact most of us spend plenty of time in the laundry room, we tend to neglect this space. There’s no reason the laundry room must be dull and uninspiring nor is there any reason it must be used only to wash and dry clothes. Think outside the box! The following home improvement ideas can elevate the laundry room and improve the quality of time you spend there.

Use It to Make and Mend, as Well as Clean, Clothes

Few homes have dedicated sewing rooms. but many homes have at least one occupant who knows how to sew. If you have a sewing machine, consider setting up a sewing station in your laundry room. Building custom cabinets and countertops is ideal, but a simple table will do as well. Choose an area with an electrical outlet and make sure to secure a bright light so you can see your needle and thread.

Use It to Fold, Iron and Hang Clothes

Are you interested in a home remodeling project that will simplify your life and make your home more efficient but won’t break the bank? Using your home remodeling dollars to upgrade your laundry room provides a huge bang for the buck. Are you tired of hauling baskets of clothes from the dryer to your sofa, kitchen table or bed?

With the addition of strategically placed custom cabinets and countertops, a hanging rod and an ironing board, your laundry room becomes your turnkey workstation. You’ll no longer have unsightly piles of clothes scattered throughout the house. Instead, you’ll be able to fold, hang and iron clothes as soon as the dryer buzzes. For added efficiency, make a bin or basket for every member of your household and make it their duty to transport their own clean, ironed and hung up clothes from the laundry room to their closet.

A laundry room is a great place for home improvement ideas.

One of the best home improvement ideas is to create a functional laundry room.

Use It to Store Overflow Food

If your kitchen lacks adequate storage space, you can use your laundry room to store items you may buy in bulk, such as paper towels, pet food, canned goods and cereal. If your laundry room is especially spacious, consider purchasing an extra refrigerator or freezer for this room.

Use It as a Dog-Washing Station

Especially if your laundry room has garage or backyard access, consider setting up a tub for your dog. Locating your pet-washing and grooming area in the laundry room makes sense because this room already has plumbing and is small enough to make clean up easy. When you’re finished, you can throw dirty doggie-drying towels right into the washing machine.

If you’re not using your laundry room to its full potential, contact us. Our Massachusetts contractors will work with you to make your laundry attractive and functional.

Renovations That Can Add Value to Your Home

September 18, 20140

Home improvement projects increase your home's value.

Consider these home improvement projects to increase the value of your home.

Home improvement can be expensive and time consuming so it’s important to make sure your home remodeling also adds to the value of your home. Several projects can significantly add to the cost of your home if you ever decide to sell and relocate. General contractors can help you add beautiful new features to your house, while also increasing its market value.

Home Offices

With the rise of telecommuting and working from home, there’s a large demand for homes featuring home offices. Including a designated office space in your home remodel may allow for a higher asking price when it comes time to sell. It’s also a great addition for your current needs, allowing you to get your bills or other administrative tasks taken care of away from the distractions of the rest of the family.

Ceilings

When hiring general contractors for home improvement, some people don’t consider one of the biggest features in a room: the ceiling! While most ceilings are left alone during home remodeling, paying attention to the finer details could mean more money if you decide to sell. Buyers are often impressed by vaulted or crown molded ceilings, and a pop of color or great light fixture could land you a great offer.

Quality home improvement projects can improve your home's value.

Get more from your home with these home improvement projects.

Exterior

General contractors are not only great for remodeling the space inside your home. Curb appeal is an easy way to bring people into your home, whether they are visiting family members or home buyers walking into your open house. Investing in your lawn and exterior décor is a simple way to vastly improve the look of your home, while adding to its value.

Windows

Windows are a beautiful addition to any room, but did you know they also provide affordable energy bills? Adding new windows and window treatments is a great way to improve the look of your home, save money on your utilities and create a beautiful space to show potential buyers. A general contractor can help you choose the best windows to cut your energy bills.

Home remodeling can be expensive, but if you choose the right renovations, you can easily see returns on your investment, while creating the home of your dreams.

If you are looking for an experienced design and build contractor for your next home improvement project, contact us. Our experienced team in Massachusetts can help you create the home of your dreams and increase the value of your home with beautiful renovations.

Tag: home remodeling