Kitchen & Bath Remodels Yield a Great Return on Investment in Ohio

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When looking to sell a house in Ohio, the greatest concern for many homeowners is the value their house is likely to fetch in the market. Many will be left pondering whether undertaking some renovations on it will pay off by increasing its resale value. And if it will, what specific areas of renovation are more likely to raise the value and by how much. Fortunately for homeowners, various remodeling projects have been known to raise the resale value of a house and also offer the potential of a high return on the re-structuring investment, ROI.
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Why Renovating Without a Budget is Bad

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If you’re getting ready to do a home renovation, don’t just haphazardly start making purchases. Hire a contractor and figure out a budget together to make it worth your while. There are many reasons why renovating without a budget is bad for you, as well as your home. Here are some of the main things to consider. Read more

Advantages of Custom Bathroom Cabinets and Vanities

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While there are plenty of stock vanity options available for your bathroom, sometimes your particular space calls for a custom unit. Whether you need something smaller or larger, taller or shorter than the stock cabinets you’re finding, a custom bathroom vanity gives you the freedom to do whatever you wish.

For example, double-sink units and floating vanities are a couple of popular options. While there are stock options, perhaps you need certain dimensions for your space that aren’t easily available. You may also be looking for a specific style of cabinet or a certain type of wood species only available with a custom order. Availability is not an issue when it comes to custom cabinets if you have the budget and time to wait for acquiring more uncommon options.

While custom kitchen cabinets are alwaybexley-sliders a popular topic, it’s important to remember that they can be even more useful in the bathroom. Space in bathrooms tends to be at even more of a premium than your typical kitchen. You can’t make the same compromises with size and function when it comes to cabinetry choices that you could in a kitchen design.

True, many cabinet manufacturers have gone to great lengths in expanding their stock and semi-custom lines with what can be a plethora of options. But sifting through all of the options can still leave you with design space that may go underutilized. Building everything custom ensures no space will be wasted. From the vanities to the wall-mounted cabinets and even the medicine cabinet, custom options maximize function.

The primary consideration with bathroom cabinets is how they will stand up to moisture over the long term. Properly installed stock cabinets can hold up for decades, and semi-custom can last even longer. But stock cabinets are often made of MDF – medium-density fiberboard. Some even use hardwood veneers, especially with semi-custom lines.

While MDF outlasts the cheapest available option – particle board – nothing beats solid plywood or full hardwood construction. Proper sealing on custom cabinets ensures that they can outlive many of their less expensive counterparts. The best wood species to use is solid oak, but birch and maple with proper staining can also be used for long lasting cabinets.

Another solid material for custom bathroom cabinets is rubberwood. It is made from the wood of rubber trees that are at the end of their life cycles, meaning that they are no longer able to produce what is needed for latex. This is an extremely eco-friendly wood species as it’s using material that would otherwise have completely gone to waste. Rubberwood is considered to have 90 percent of the strength of solid oak for considerably less cost. Best of all, it’s also resistant to bacteria, fungus, and mold, which makes it especially useful in the bathroom.

With the bathroom being the room with the highest humidity in the house, it’s extremely important to ensure high quality construction in your cabinets. Lower cost options may be fine in a half bath or powder room. But when it comes to a full bath, keep in mind that the extra money you spend now will pay you back in additional years of use and enjoyment.

 

10 Key Components to Think About When Planning Your Kitchen Design

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There is a reason why the kitchen area is referred to as the heart of any home: it’s the place where you and your loved ones gather together for cooking, eating, socializing, and, occasionally, catching up for a snack or cup of tea. In most homes, the kitchen area has turned into a multi-purpose room, which has an eating table, a computer table, entertainment area, and even a fireplace.

These are 10 basic things to think about when planning your kitchen design. Read more

Design Build Done Right – General Guidelines & Best Practices

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Design Build is a popular process for homeowners that undertaking major remodels. But how do you know that you are getting the most out of the design-build process? To help you set some expectations, the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) suggests four best practices DesignBuildwhen it comes to executing design build projects. We promise to deliver on these promises and more.

Our whole construction firm, from inception, is founded on the goal of delivering a superior remodeling experience, and delivering projects that stand the test of time.

#1 All design-build team members should be educated and trained in the design-build process, and be knowledgeable of the differences between design-build and other delivery systems.

Design-build teams should always have members that are well-educated and experienced in the process, but also must be well suited to the necessarily collaborative nature of the design-build process. In design-build, the design and construction teams work closely at each stage of the project. It’s not design then build, but rather an ongoing collaboration. Also, the best design-build teams will either have experienced tradespersons on hand or have access to tradespersons that are used to working on design-build projects.

#2 The project team should establish logistics and infrastructure to support integrated project delivery.

A project’s success is always going to depend on the collaborative abilities of the team, but communication is paramount in design-build projects. It’s recommended that design-build teams should always try to have their design and construction teams both working on location whenever possible to streamline communication so that unnecessary delays don’t occur. The process should be well-understood by all and any changes that need to be made should be expedited as soon as possible.

#3 The project team, at the outset of the project, should establish processes to facilitate timely and effective communication, collaboration, and issue resolution.

One of the best things about the design-build process is that there should be regular monitoring of the project’s progress and clear communication with the homeowners. These open lines of communication are paramount during the design-build process so that all parties involved understand where everything stands at any given point.

As a homeowner, however, it’s important to be prepared to make timely decisions when they are needed. You should have the expertise and experience of the design-build staff to help you, though, and should quickly and completely explain any issues that may impact the overall project cost or schedule as outlined in the original scope of work/contract. If you need to make a decision, it should be a very well-informed decision.

#4 The project team should focus on the design management and commissioning/turnover processes and ensure that there is alignment among the team as to how to execute these processes.

Essentially, this means that both parties, homeowner and contractor, should understand the level of involvement and effort required depending on the scope of the project. The DBIA suggests that the contractor should also dedicate sufficient resources to foster the most collaborative environment for the work. Also, per the DBIA, it is our responsibility to develop a design plan that keeps you as the homeowner engaged in the entire process. It’s our job to make sure that you get to meet regularly with key members of our design-build team to know exactly where things stand.

Both homeowner and design-builder should be in agreement on how the design and construction processes will go.  There should be a realistic plan which does everything possible to be in harmony with both parties’ schedule and other project-specific goals.

It is up to us to ensure that advances in design and any changes to the project and related documents are completely tracked. There should be a clear understanding as to when the homeowners are integrated into the decision-making process and be notified of any design changes.

Design-build teams also establish what is called a “trend system” towards the beginning of the design process. Using a trend system helps identify, track and evaluate any potential changes before they can adversely impact the project’s cost or schedule. It is also our responsibility to clearly and immediately communicate any potential issues that would be found using the trend system to the homeowners.

Using these best practices, you can be sure that your design-build project will be done right. Peace of mind and a fantastic end result are two of the greatest benefits of using such a collaborative system. After considering these points,  we hope you will choose us as your design-build partner for your next project.

 

Multiple Room Renovations

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Multiple room renovations can be fun and rewarding. Jazz up your living space by creating an open floor plan with the use of one or more rooms. Open up a small kitchen and add useful space by connecting it with a living or dining area. No matter which rooms you’re planning to remodel, contact your experienced licensed contractor to get started with your ideas right away.

Opening Up a Small Space By Combining Areas

If you have an area of your house that is fairly small, try adding more space by combining it with another area. Knock down a wall or so to create a more open area. This is common in the kitchen home-designarea, as many people like to view the living or dining area while preparing meals. Remember that only a licensed contractor should do this kind of work, as it needs to follow code and requires building permits.

Creating a Fluid Living Space

Going for even more flow than is offered in joining two rooms? Try creating a fluid living space by combining three or more rooms. Some may choose to do this with the kitchen, dining, living, and playroom areas. That way, everything flows together nicely and the space available is also maximized. Others may do this with a child’s bedroom and playroom or a parent’s office with the playroom (for keeping a closer eye on smaller children). Whichever areas your family would use together the most or access from each other the most make for the best fluid spaces.

Open Master Bedroom Additions

Looking for more room to relax, but need an easy way to get to and from the bed and relaxation area? Try combining your master bedroom with another adjacent room for more space. An open floor plan in your master area can help things flow more easily. Obviously, you may want a door or wall separating the toilet area. However, some enjoy the comfort of an open floor design that brings multiple rooms together as one master bedroom. This often includes the sleeping area, a lounging or game area, and the master bathroom.

Open Floor Basement Ideas

Whether your basement serves as a master getaway, a family retreat, a gaming and lounge area, an exercise space, something else, or all of the above, try an open floor plan. By opening things up, you can make a smaller space seem big and a bigger space seem like a luxury. Open floor designs make it easier to get to each area and also help you maximize space. Oftentimes, they create a more organized look and feel as well.

Should You Go With an Open Floor Plan?

Before deciding on an open floor plan, consider your lifestyle. If you enjoy having a more fluid layout without so many walls and doors, this option may be the right choice for you. Talk with a licensed remodeling contractor about your ideas, needs, lifestyle, and budget to find out what works for you. Their experience with a large variety of options will help you explore and discover the ideas that fit your family’s lifestyle.