TCB Tips Blog

Instead of a small, catch-all desk in the kitchen or family room, or a cabinet full of papers next to your bed, consider a room addition of a home office.  Even if your family’s jobs take them to a remote office or on the road most days, there will always be some type of work to be done at home – from tax filing to school forms, baseball rosters to thank you notes.  

A home office room addition creates a great place for the computer and all of today’s electronic gadgetry, including charging stations.  Make sure your home remodeling contractor knows what type of electrical outlets and cable outlets you’ll need throughout the room.  Built-in filing cabinets and book shelves are great custom features, and they also add a “wow” factor.  Good natural lighting is a must, and it can be achieved with a window seat or floor-to-ceiling windows.  The home office can become a cozy, pleasant area with the addition of a fireplace and comfortable seating area.
 
You might even consider conducting business there!

You already know that remodeling is winning out over moving to a new location in today’s economy.  It’s a sensible way to get what you want in your home, and recoup the costs when the real estate market rebounds.  The fact is, trends in remodeling are focusing on practicality before luxury.   If you’re thinking of remodeling, be realistic about what can be done now, and pay attention to the basics.  Be reasonable and take a long-term view of what you’ll need in the future.  

Determine what you don’t like about your home.  For example, do you need to upgrade your current bathroom or add a new one?  Is your kitchen great or barely functional?  How about your family room and living space – do you like to entertain and want to interact with people while preparing food?  Think about where you plan to be a few years from now, and how your home will wear until then.  

You can select a practical option, like a kitchen remodel, then add luxurious touches.  Once you’ve decided to remodel or build an addition, seek valid professional advice.  Custom builders and remodelers see it all, and they can tell you what’s hot in the market.  They can also advise on what’s realistic for your budget.  Then you can make a rational decision based on good facts.   It’s not a matter of whether or not to be practical, it’s a matter of whether or not the home remodel is going to benefit your lifestyle – now and in the future.   

A recent article from US News and World Report names the top three “recession remodeling trends.”  Despite the recession, people are still doing custom remodeling.  In fact, the article reports that the National Association of Home Builders’ Remodeling Market Index (RMI) hit a five-year high in the fourth quarter of 2011.  But the custom remodeling projects are taking on a different twist.  People are opting to stay put and make their homes more livable, both for themselves and for extended family.

Top trends include suites for long-term care at home, outdoor retreats, and smarter kitchens.  The need for in-law suites or room additions is prevalent – many are thinking about “aging in place” designs.  These custom additions can be second-floor additions, but more often they are bump outs from the original home in order to avoid stairs for the new occupants.  If stairs are not an issue, they can even be apartments over the garage.  The point is practicality and convenience, both for the aging person and the care giver.  

In addition, decks, sun rooms and Florida rooms have seen a strong demand in the custom remodeling business.  People are trying to get back to nature and spend more time outdoors.  

Finally, the “wow” kitchen is probably the most popular custom remodeling job – both for the homeowner and the custom builder.  We spend so much time in the kitchen, and socially, we gravitate to the kitchen.  The US News and World Report article contends that people are customizing their kitchens more, with more emphasis on pantries and utility rooms.  They are also opting for larger eating areas and family room areas.  A kitchen addition becomes an extension of the living area – open, airy, and friendly.   

If you decide to remodel, your custom remodeler can give you tips and ideas on how to meet your lifestyle needs and get the most for your money.

One of the biggest home remodeling trends is creating a lifestyle space.  Gone are the days when we had a formal living room that housed mom’s crystal vases and was off-limits to children.  Custom remodelers are literally tearing down walls to make more open, airy spaces -- spaces designed to fit your personal lifestyle.  For most of us, that’s multi-tasking:  cooking dinner while watching the news while helping with homework.  Or, it’s entertaining guests while serving appetizers while watching the big game on TV.  Thus, we’ve discovered the open floor plan of the kitchen, eating area and family room.  

Add a lifestyle space that includes the computer and a built-in desk/office area.  It’s out in the open so that parents can supervise computer use.  The family can interact with each other.  It’s also a home for the family’s electronic gadgetry – from cell phone chargers to iPod docking stations.  Some people need an exclusive electronics room.  So, if it fits your lifestyle, go ahead and have your custom remodeler build it!

A bathroom remodel as part of the master suite or as the main bath can be beastly, but it will add comfort to your lifestyle and resale value to your home.  According to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report for 2011, you can recoup a majority of the cost at resale for remodeling a bathroom in the section of the country that includes the Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria areas here in Virginia.  A total bathroom addition can get you a significant return as well.  

Bathroom remodeling must-haves:  a double sink.  Add a mirror that opens for a 360-degree view and houses a medicine chest or storage area, include some soft, natural lighting, and you have your own salon atmosphere. 

Other popular additions:  the steam shower.  These have therapeutic benefits and can also be energy saving.   All-tile showers with frameless glass have become a trend.  They lend a seamless, upscale look to the bath.  Fixtures are also part of the detail that can make or break a bathroom.  First, they need to work for you.  If you like a removable shower head, then get one.  Little luxuries like a waterfall fixture add a “wow” factor, and they do the job if you really want it done right.
   
Wallow in warmth: just about everything can be heated, from the toilet seat to the ceiling.  While the overhead heat lamp in the shower or bath has become the norm, the indulgences have spread to heated flooring and heated towel racks. If you have a smaller area, you can have a heated floor without much expense by having your custom remodeler install a heat mat.  Heated towel racks can be built-in or free-standing.  These things feel like an extravagance, but they can be done reasonably and create a comfortable, cozy bath experience.

So you're ready to get that home project under way. Now what? If you're searching for a builder for a new home construction or a home remodel, choose wisely. Here are some tips:

1. Ask friends for referrals. If a friend has recommended the builder, you can be sure that builder did something right. These days, it's too easy to lose a customer because they will tell you when something is wrong.
2. Interview the builder. Ask about his experience. Make sure he's focused on residential building and remodeling. Homebuilding requires different contractor skills from commercial building, and home remodeling is even more specialized. Be sure your communications styles are similar and you feel comfortable with him. After all, he's going to be in your home for several weeks - even months, if the project is big.
3. Get references. Visit some job sites -- both in-progress and completed. Request specific residential jobs that are similar to yours. Talk to the people who have used the builder before. If you like what you see and hear, then you've found yourself a builder. Next step... project estimate!

Last week we mentioned the simple addition of a deck to increase the value of your home. The weather is already getting to the point of pleasant in Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax, VA. Take advantage of this both from a construction standpoint and the ability to enjoy your outdoor remodeling job by considering a deck as part of a larger Virginia kitchen addition or other family room addition.

Decks have nearly as many choices as kitchens and baths. For materials, all wood decks are traditionally sturdy and good quality. But consider the maintenance: cleaning and staining regularly is a must. Composite materials that are a blend of wood fiber and plastic resin work well for ground-floor decks and built-in deck seating. They need less maintenance than wood, but usually need closer joints and wood supports to prevent sagging. The same goes for plastics and vinyl. Finally, a modern architecture home might look great with an aluminum deck using interlocking metal boards.

Size and shape are also variables. Ask your home remodeling contractor what's best for your needs and home. Whatever your choice, be sure the deck will withstand the outdoor elements to your satisfaction -- a run-down deck will be an eyesore, not an asset.

Does the Smart House have an IQ? How smart does the house have to be to achieve the "smart" label? Is there a scale of intelligence in today's homes that have remote-controlled appliances, lighting and entertainment systems?

Well, high-tech homes are among the top construction trends, according to Industry Intelligence from First Research, a division of Hoover's. The report acknowledges that custom builders are responding to demand from younger consumers who have grown up on electronics and computers. These high-tech consumers want high-tech homes that incorporate advanced data and communications capabilities, with in-wall wiring supporting computer networks, sound systems and entertainment systems throughout the house.

Often, the electronics are controlled from a simple touch pad, which can also control lighting, open and close blinds or curtains, and program heating and cooling systems, both on-site and remotely. Or, the home simply has wireless capability throughout, and a seamless entertainment system controlled in the main room. The "smart" part depends on the lifestyles of the owners and what they will use on a day-to-day basis.

Intelligent systems not only make life easier for homeowners, they also promise increased energy savings. According to the latest issue of Construction Digital magazine at constructiondigital.com, intelligent systems are among the top areas for green building. Smart systems can coordinate power consumption patterns on city grids, and they can intelligently monitor heating and cooling systems.

Be sure your custom home design and build team or custom remodeler is working with a qualified installer for these electronics systems. An audio/video designer and installer can create a personalized system that is intuitive and reliable for all the systems in your home. They can make it as "smart" as you want it to be.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood... but your neighbor doesn't think so. All the sawing and pounding and trucks lining the roadway are annoying and disturbing. Not to mention the frame of the new addition on your home is already blocking his view of the sunset from his porch.

If you're worried that the construction of your home addition or remodel will annoy your neighbors, pre-plan and take a few simple steps:

1. Great design is a function of intent. Choose a quality home contractor. Any quality design and build team will respect your peaceful neighborhood and your neighbors. There will be sawing and hammering, but the team will do it at reasonable hours and intervals, and they will follow your direction.
2. If you value the relationship with your neighbors, give them a heads-up about the construction well before it begins, and clue them in on the time line.
3. If you're neighbors are also your friends, surely you will have talked about the addition to them already -- they'll be ready for the big event and will be cheering you on, as any good friend would.

If you're doing a custom remodel of your home, consider some green additions. Environmentally friendly features are becoming more prevalent -- so much so that they will soon be the standard rather than a "trend." Green features are also becoming more cost-efficient at the outset, so you will see a return on your investment more readily. Banks are financing green updates, and even rolling them into mortgages on new homes. A few easy green upgrades during a home remodel are items like energy-efficient appliances, efficient lighting, or cork flooring.

In kitchen or laundry remodels, you can get the same sleek look with improved function from energy-efficient appliances. The result will be literally hundreds to thousands of dollars saved a year on your energy bill. In addition, pricing on these appliances has dropped, making them an even smarter investment.

Efficient lighting and even "smart systems" that control the lights are energy-savvy. Fluorescent lighting has been the rage because of its energy savings, but whether or not their life span is as advertised (100,000 hours) remains to be seen. LED lights for outdoor applications and under kitchen cabinets are inexpensive ways to go green.

In flooring, cork is eco-friendly. It is actually created from the waste material of the cork used for bottles. The material is ground up and formed into sheets that are bound together under high pressure. Cork floors are easily maintained, and a natural wax substance in the cork repels bugs and makes it flame retardant. Cork also serves as a good form of insulation.

Other green building innovations worth mentioning are more porous materials used for sidewalks and patios to prevent erosion from rain runoff, and light gauge steel for buildings, which contains 25 percent more recycled steel. "Cool" metal roofing is also now available for more energy efficiency.

Adding some green doesn't mean you have to see red. It means you're not only doing good for the environment, but you'll see savings in both the short- and long-term.