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Residential Remodeling: The 3 Renovation Projects That Are The Most Overlooked

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mpls bathroom remodeling contractorsAny general contractor that provides residential remodeling services can tell you that bathrooms and kitchens are what the industry is all about. And for very good reason – a majority of general contractors are in agreement that bathroom and kitchen remodeling projects offer high return-on-investment rates. On average they yield a 63.6% ROI. However, most reputable general contractors also will say that homeowners often overlook many other renovations that are beneficial.

If you are trying to save money for residential construction and remodeling work, the following three projects are the first ones you should consider, even if they don’t sound like the most exciting ones.

1. Start From The Ground Up

Quite often homeowners are amazed by what a big difference new flooring can make to their house, whether it is beautiful hardwood flooring or new carpet. Your carpet over time becomes faded and stained, while linoleum, tile, and hardwood become scratched and scuffed. This often happens slowly so you don’t even notice it. When you replace your flooring it can make small spaces appear a lot larger and give your home a much-needed breath of fresh air.

2. Less Is More Sometimes

Kitchen and bathroom remodeling serves are the bread and butter for general contractors. Bathroom remodeling in the U.S. is 78% of all renovations. Also, 60% of customers ask their general contractor for kitchen remodeling also. Additional square feet, a big kitchen island, and shiny granite countertops are some of the most highly asked for renovations. Those are worthy investments in the value of your home, but small jobs frequently can have a bigger impact on your house.

For example, before you begin taking down any walls, you should first consider having lighting fixtures, sinks, counters, and new appliances installed. Small updates and accents such as those can have a significant impact on your kitchen area. And although may people really want to have granite countertops in their kitchens, quality synthetic stone materials can look as nice and last much longer as well.

This Old House Is Really Old

Although general remodeling contracts are happy to assist you with designing and building your dream renovation, there are some homeowners who ignore the need for repairs and go for aesthetic renovations instead. Although there isn’t anything wrong with remodeling your bathroom, new flooring, or adding space, older homes frequently need more care. If you have a house that is over 30 years old, you should think about getting a thorough inspection done of your electrical and plumbing systems, insulating your doors and windows, and having a new HVAC system installed.

Briefly put, check the pulse of your house before giving it a facelift. Don’t put yourself and house at risk by ignoring critical repairs to make surface-level changes. However, no general contractor is going to complain if you would like to do both of these things at once!

Reasons To Hire A General Contractor To Assist You With Your Next Remodeling Project

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kitchen makeover companies near meIf you are planning a remodeling project at home, you might already have a few ideas about finding electricians, painters or any other type of professional. However, it is usually a much better idea to hire one general contractor who can assist you with all these tasks. Below are a few good reasons why.

Catch Every Potential Issue

To begin with, even though you already have a good idea on how your house should look after the remodel, there might be work that your home needs that you are not even aware about. For instance, you might be thinking about paint colors and flooring options, yet you may not know about electrical issues or other problems that may arise. General contractors have experience when it comes to detecting such issues, and they will also inform you about work that should be done to the home. This usually won’t happen when you start hiring specific workers to tackle and handle specific tasks, as these professionals are not paying attention to the entire house.

Make Sure Only The Best Workers Are On The Project

If you are not involved in the industry of construction, and you have not had much or any work done to your home, you may not know about the best professionals located in your area to achieve a quality job. Even though it is possible to conduct your own research, check on online reviews and ask around, you won’t know for sure that you have hired the right workers until you have already wasted your money.

You can avoid these situations when hiring a general contractor. However, since most of these contractors already work alongside a variety of construction crews and companies every day, they already know who they can rely on in order to achieve high quality and reliable workmanship. This can mean that only the very best workers will be involved in the project from the start to the finish.

Save Money

You may be under the assumption that you can save money by trying to handle the project on your own, rather than investing in a general contractor. However, most homeowners usually discover that the other way around happens to be true. There are a few important ways in which the right general contractor can rather help you to save money.

The right contractor will discuss with you about the budget that you have available along with what you are hoping to achieve. They can then work with this information and these figures to assist you with turning your project into a reality. For instance, the contractor will show you where you are able to save and where you can afford to splurge to make your money stretch further.

These contractors will also know about which of the construction crews are going to offer you the very best workmanship with your available budget.

Unlike the people that do not know very much when it comes to construction, contractors immediately start looking for any potential issues in a home, which could end up costing you a lot of money into the future if you fail to address these now.

Save Yourself A Lot Of Headaches And Work

You should also consider all the headaches and extra work you will be able to save when you decide to hire a contractor. The planning involved in a remodeling project is often challenging and time-consuming. When you use a contractor you have a professional that is there to handle all the complexities of the project.

By now we are sure that you are able to see that it makes sense to rather use the services of a contractor to achieve the most out of your own remodeling project for your home.

Avoid Getting Frazzled When You Are Remodeling Your Home

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mn kitchen remodeling contractors near meYou’ve been wanting to remodel your home for a while, and you’re finally getting the chance. Just thinking about what it’s going to look like is fun and exciting. However, you know it’s going to take time, lots of time, to fit everything together perfectly. On top of that, thinking about all the disruption, the noise and nosy questions from your neighbors might cause you to think that you’re not ready to go through with it. Don’t get frazzled. Maintain control by using these three tools in your remodeling arsenal: knowledge, organization, and patience.

Knowledge: Start by consulting a licensed contractor who has expertise in the type of remodeling that you would like to do. Discuss the specifics of your remodeling needs, your time frame, and your budget. Ask him to clarify what materials they will provide and what they expect you to provide. Have the contractor write down a detailed plan and timeline so you can keep track of each step of the project. Be sure to tell him if you prefer the crew to work on certain days or during a specific time range. Do not hesitate to ask any questions if you need anything to be clarified.

Organization: The next thing you should do is to agree on a date for the remodeling to begin. You will need time to prepare the site. This will require your removal of things that are hanging on the walls like pictures and posters. The room to be remodeled should be empty except for the permanent fixtures on the walls. Store the items that you have removed in another space apart from the work site like the closet, a spare room, the garage, or an attic. If you plan to remain at home during the remodel, make sure that you and your family members do not get in the way of the crew. If you need a kitchen, you will need a place with sinks, shelves and outlets. If there is no room for you to stay in your house, store the things that you removed in another room, close the door, and stay in a hotel or a friend’s house.

Patience: One of the most important things you will need to have is patience. There will be many challenges during the remodel. You will need to be courteous to the work crew and allow them space to work. If you interfere too much or rush them in their job, you will get inferior results. There might be unexpected setbacks like materials that are missing, delays, damaged items, etc. Losing your temper won’t solve any problems. Just be patient and seek a solution together.

When you are armed with knowledge and organization, it will help you to be patient and calm. When you look at the beautiful results, the remodeling journey will be well worth it. You will enjoy your new space for many years to come, and the challenges will be long forgotten. If you want to learn more, contact us.

Things to Consider When Remodeling Your Kitchen

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kitchen contractors mnIt’s a big project to remodel a kitchen, and you’ll need to plan ahead. If you’ve been pondering remodeling your kitchen, consider these ideas before you get started with the process:

It’s a smart idea to take a step back and think about the big picture of remodeling a kitchen, whether you’ve already got some information together or you’re just in the first stages of examining the space and making plans.

What Will it Cost?

While it’s not fun to consider, it can be a major expense to remodel your kitchen. While you want your kitchen to be perfectly designed and functional, you don’t want to start an overwhelmingly expensive project that you’re unable to finish.

Will You Be Adding On?

Space can be extremely important as one remodels. However, before you take out any walls, take the time to evaluate whether it’s worth it to spend the money on an addition or if you’d be better off putting that money into higher quality appliances, better appliances, or higher end decor instead.

Points to Ponder

Ponder your main goal for remodeling the kitchen. Are you aiming for a brighter, more functional kitchen space, or do you simply want more square footage?

Take a look at nearby rooms where you may be able to acquire some additional square footage. You may be able to, for example, consolidate several smaller rooms into one functional addition to your kitchen.

Talk about your project with a certified kitchen planner or an architect to find out what they’d recommend. An experienced planner may be able to assist you with adjusting the ceiling, the walls, or even the windows to make your kitchen seem even larger, without needing to spend the money on a kitchen addition.

The Existing Layout

Many experts in kitchen design agree that one way to save money is to keep the existing layout. This doesn’t necessarily mean that every single cabinet has to be in the same spot as the ones you take out.

However, you’ll save a lot of money if you leave the main systems like heating, gas, electricity, and plumbing intact and in the same location. If you rearrange your entire kitchen layout, it could lead to extra expenses, like:

Extra water lines for ice makers, refrigerators, dishwashers, or sinks

Moving gas lines for a range or oven

Needing to reroute HVAC ducts

Upgrading vents or ducts

Rearranging wiring for wall switches or fixtures

Adding wiring for sconces, lights under cabinets, or ceiling lights

Size and Style of Appliances

There are numerous sizes of kitchen appliances, ranging from tiny to huge. If you’ve been imagining a giant commercial range, for instance, you’ll need to keep in mind that they’re heavy and may require additional braces to be constructed.

Brighten Up

A quality lighting design will mean the difference between an average kitchen remodel and an amazing one. If your kitchen is like most older ones and only has one or two lighting fixtures and a small window above the kitchen sink, it may be time to consider an upgrade. Ponder these solutions as you think about the size and scope of your remodeling project.

A Guideline To A Realistic Kitchen Renovation Timeline

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Kitchen remodeling MinneapolisWhen planning a kitchen renovation timeline, it is essential that the homeowners know when the best time to begin will be and that it needs to be completed before a specific key date (for example, an upcoming wedding, a graduation, a holiday, the arrival of a new baby, visiting out-of-town guests). It is not surprise then that I constantly receive the question of how long it takes to renovate a Bloomington kitchen.

While the full renovation of a kitchen will depend greatly on the type and size of the kitchen remodel; I can safely state that the average kitchen renovation takes between four and six weeks without the planning and design period. The positive news is that approximately 99 percent of our customers do not need to move from their houses during their Minneapolis kitchen renovation as we offer methods for them to remain in their homes safely during the project.

The Planning And Design Stage Of A Kitchen Remodeling Minneapolis MN Timeline

When considering the kitchen renovation timeline, I will always recommend to clients that they take as much time as required during the planning and design stage. The consumer (that’s you!) must be completely comfortable with the renovations taking place in your new kitchen; therefore, you should not feel rushed by any Remodeling Contractors Minneapolis MN. Be sure to take the necessary time to consider what you need and require or desire.

It is also highly significant that the design and building team in Minneapolis is equipped to provide you with design and product options in a manner whereby you can perform a cost-versus-cost value analysis. This will ensure that you are comfortable with all the kitchen renovation decisions, while maintaining a close eye on your financial budget. I always recommended to clients that it is affordable to make alterations on paper prior to the construction project, but the build-out progress is another option altogether.

Products And Materials With Long-Lead Times

It is advised that you are certain about the products that require long-lead times for ordering, such as specific tile and stone products, customized cabinetry, and customized fabric furniture. The custom-made items can take approximately three or four months to build and ship from the time you approve the order. Semi-customized cabinets take approximately four to eight weeks, and ready-made cabinets are available onsite without a few days after placing the order.

If you desire granite countertops for the cabinets, then it is in your best interest to select and tag the slab you want at the location where the slabs are displayed; therefore, you will obtain the correct slab with your ideal variation in color veins. You should plan on performing this task before any demolition begins. Finally, if there is a special tile you desire or are having created, be sure that the design procedure starts early allowing for the long-lead times that is associated with many tile products.