Your home is the place where you feel the most comfortable, so when you set out to remodel it, you will likely want all the latest conveniences. This means that you'll want to turn your residence into a smart home. When you do, you will have more freedom to perform certain tasks than ever before.

Wiring Up

The first step to turning your abode into a smart home is to have it properly wired. Your electrician will be able to advise you on the types of wiring you'll need, but there are a few recommendations that everyone should follow.

Neutral wiring should be placed so that it reaches every wall switch throughout your house. While this type of wiring used to be something you could take or leave, in today's technology-driven world, you'll want to take it.

If you plan to have remote control panels installed on the walls, you'll need in-wall transmitters. These will allow you to remotely turn lights off and on. In addition to neutral wiring, in-wall transmitters also require hot wires.

Power Options

With so many smart devices in your home, it is extremely important to have surge protection installed. All you need is one surge protector that will work for the entire house. Otherwise, you run the risk of having all your electronics rendered useless in the event of a major power outage.

For a house with so many electronic devices, you may choose smart plugs. However, this can be problematic as not all of them offer built-in surge protection. In the event that a power surge hits your home, a lack of protection could be disastrous. One option is to connect your surge protector to your smart plug. In this case, it is necessary to choose both a protector and a smart plug with the lowest possible wattage. Experts often recommend simply purchasing a power strip that has a built-in surge protector.

If you are extremely concerned about intermittent power outages, consider making your smart home more eco-friendly. You can do this by adding a natural source of energy. There are many reasons people may want solar panels. Self-reliance is one of them.

Install A Smart Thermostat

To complete your new home, consider having a smart thermostat installed. By placing sensors in your thermostat, you will give it the ability to regulate room temperatures throughout the house. You'll also be able to program it for optimal efficiency.

Doing so can be a great way to save you money in the long run. If you have a smart thermostat, you can make sure to turn off the hot or cold air when you’re not using it. This can save you money on your utility bills.

Preparing your house to be a smart home should be the ultimate goal of any remodeling project. Let technology keep your family safe and make your life easier than ever before.

If you’re ready to remodel your home, let us know! Contact us to get started on your project.

Kitchen remodels are often one of the most expensive home DIY projects. However, they can also be extremely rewarding by increasing your home's overall property value, especially if you intend to replace and upgrade all of your kitchen's current appliances and accessories. With a few tips and tricks, learn how to save money whenever you intend to conduct a thorough renovation of your home's kitchen.

Adjust Your Mortgage

Adjusting your mortgage or taking out a second mortgage loan is one possibility for homeowners who qualify who are interested in remodeling an area and space of their home. According to Bosse Loans, even if you can afford a 20 percent down payment, by using a 5 percent down payment, you can use the extra funds for a home remodel. Consider working with a financial expert to determine just how much you qualify for with regard to your kitchen remodeling plans.

Don't Let Anything Go to Waste

Waste not want not. Always use any material you have while working to update or remodel a space in your home. Never allow material to go to waste, even if you consider it as scraps or have no current use for it. Anyone who is on a budget understands the value of keeping scrap and additional or excess material around throughout the process of completing a remodel. Keeping excess material around is a way to stick to your budget while also ensuring you have the materials necessary to get the job done properly.

Consider Alternative Countertop Materials

While you may want to replace your countertop, some counter materials are more expensive than others. If you want to save some money but still get a new counter look, consider looking at some less expensive counter material options. Granite is a popular countertop material, but it can be really unaffordable if you have a limited budget. According to Houzz, there are tons of creative ideas for countertop materials that can still make your kitchen look upgraded without being too expensive. Do your research beforehand so you can pick the best countertop material that fits both your desired aesthetic and your budget.

Renovating your kitchen does not have to break your bank, even if you intend to do a complete overhaul of your home's current kitchen's look. Taking the time to properly plan for the remodeling of your kitchen, brainstorming creative ideas, and committing to completing the project on your own can ultimately save more money than working with any professional or local team.

If you’d like help renovating your kitchen, contact us today for a quote!

Sometimes going up and down the stairs or performing any other physical activity can be seen as a regular thing. But the same cannot apply to physically limited people. Something you overlook like a narrow doorway or a traffic sign can pose a significant challenge to the physically challenged. This explains why you need to pay more attention when designing a house for an owner with physical limitations. Above all, you may need to understand how to navigate through the process to ensure that you meet the owner's expectations and needs. To achieve this, there are essential factors you need to keep in mind.

Constant Communication

Perhaps this is the essential factor to keep in mind. Before you start the work, ensure you understand the kind of physical challenges faced by the owner of the house. Talk to them regularly and ask relevant questions regarding their requirements and expectations to ensure the house you build meets their requirements. Additionally, you may inquire if it's possible to talk to their doctors or perhaps to get a doctor's recommendation. Keeping in constant communication helps you stay in touch, and in case of any changes or adjustments, you can do them on time.

Easily Accessible Options

When designing a house for a physically disabled owner, it’s essential to incorporate accessible features like better flooring, wider doorways, safer toilets and bathrooms, and any other feature that can facilitate convenience. The Americans with Disabilities Acts defines disability as either mental or physical limitations that prevent a person from performing certain activities. Various studies estimate that 11 percent of Americans suffer from chronic pain or severe disabilities.

Regular Inspection

While you continue with the project, let the owner keep regular checks on the progress of the house. It could help them know if the works are going on as expected. And if there are any changes to be made, you'll have a chance to do them at an earlier stage. Regular checks can help you adjust and figure out extra features and designs to be incorporated for convenient reach and customization.

Building a house for physically limited people can be quite a task, especially if you're facing communication barriers. Therefore, ensure you take your time in understanding the house owner's requirements and work towards meeting them. The above factors can help you keep in touch with them and build a house that meets their requirements and needs.

If you want to add customizations to your home to accomodate someone with disabilities, contact us and we can give you a quote!

The concept of hygge comes from the Scandinavian country of Denmark. The word is considered difficult to translate, but it involves a focus on cozy comfort and togetherness. Imagine a family spending a cold winter evening in a warm living room sipping hot chocolate. There might be friendly conversation or everyone may be reading their favorite book. This type of image embodies the hygge lifestyle. Here are some ways you can increase the feeling of hygge in your home.

Comfortable Clothing

The hygge way of life prizes comfort over style. Replace your fancy, uncomfortable shoes with socks or slippers. Do not be afraid to lounge in your most comfortable pair of sweatpants. Because northern countries, like Denmark, experience long winter nights, many people associate hygge with oversized sweaters and other apparel designed for warmth.

Simple Decorations

To create an atmosphere of hygge, you want to keep your home decorations simple. The Scandinavian decorating style uses simple color schemes and clean lines. In terms of accent pieces, look for throw rugs, blankets and pillows that are solid-colored and soft. Other items in your home should have meaning for you. The hygge lifestyle is not about isolation but celebrates connections with family and friends. Hygge-centered homes often display items that have sentimental value. If you have an object on display, be prepared to tell its story.

Sources of Light

An atmosphere of hygge will feature soft lighting around sources that draw people together. If you have ever spent a winter’s evening around a fireplace, you know the ideal light of a hygge home. For the sake of safety, you will want more lighting. Candles can give your home a warm glow. When you use electric lights, choose soft white bulbs that you can dim to enhance the mood. During the day, let the sunlight be your main light source. Installing a window allowing natural light will provide a gentler atmosphere than fluorescent lighting.

Comfortable Seating

Seating is designed for different purposes. Formal, hard-backed chairs encourage you to sit up straight as you work or eat a meal. In hygge style, the focus is on comfort. You want seating that invites your guests to stay put for a while and be comfortable. Choose chairs and couches with plenty of cushioning that are made from soft materials.

Adopting a hygge lifestyle means creating a space where people can slow down and relax. Your home will be a place where guests feel comfortable. Together, you can celebrate the simple joy of a cozy community.

If you are looking to improve the outside of your home rather than the inside, check out these tips on how to maximize your curb appeal!

Moving into a new home can be one of the most exciting events in your life. It can also be a time of chaos and clutter as you try to unpack and organize your belongings in a timely fashion. Fortunately, there are several steps that can be taken to keep your home clean and organized during and after the process of settling in.

Find a Place for Everything

In order to help you find things easier, you should properly label storage bins and containers. This will ensure that items that belong in the kitchen aren't put in boxes that find their way to the bathroom. It can also help you differentiate between items that you intend to unpack now and items that are going to be put in storage. It can be a good idea to create a plan for where everything will go when you actually close on the purchase of your new home. Doing so can help you pack in a strategic manner, and this may make it easier to put everything where it needs to be in less time on moving day.

Declutter Again

While you are unpacking, you may find that some items are broken, don't fit well in your new home or are otherwise not worth keeping around. Those items should either be donated, put in the basement or thrown away as soon as possible. Anything that you choose to keep should be placed in a container that is properly sealed and labeled. Furthermore, items that you store in a basement, attic or garage should be kept in containers made from plastic or similar materials. This reduces the chances that pests or excess humidity will destroy them.

Create a Regular Cleaning Schedule

Keeping your home clean is a process that doesn't end once you unpack your belongings. Instead, it is something that you will need to spend time on from the day that you move in until the day the property is sold. Creating a cleaning schedule can be a helpful way to ensure that your home is a comfortable and relaxing environment for yourself and your family.

It can be stressful living in a home that is full of clutter. Clean homes are also less likely to experience pests or other forms of damage. Therefore, it is important that you have a cleaning and organization routine that everyone in the home follows in your new place.

Here’s another article you might like: Multi-Generational Homes—Why a Larger Home May Make Sense

The humble garage has seen a makeover in recent years. Once relegated to parking and storage, new options are letting homeowners contain the mess and spruce it up the area into a functional space. Here are some of the most interesting options for garage customization as we head into a new decade.

Storage Space Selections

Along with housing cars, the traditional job of the garage is storage. Outdoor items such as bikes, mowers, power tools and overflow items from the home interior all join together and can make organization tough. Classic pegboards and newer slat walls allow for myriad hanging options, but some garage owners are now investing in quality cabinetry, rolling storage units, movable shelving, baskets and more. According to Extra Space Storage, there are seemingly endless options to help store even the bulkiest and most oddly shaped items.

Flooring Options

Garage flooring is typically the standard concrete pad, maybe with a coat of paint slapped on top. However, with homeowners increasingly turning to the garage as a center of entertainment in addition to storage, it may be time to explore new possibilities. DIY tiling can come in different colors and textures such as rubber, washable polymer carpet, faux-wood or vinyl. Epoxy flooring has also seen a surge in popularity, allowing garage enthusiasts to explore a variety of coloring and patterns.

Garage Door Choices

Whether your garage is solely for parking cars, used for storage or being repurposed entirely, the door needs to be sturdy and reliable. Garage doors are generally made from metal such as aluminum, wood or wooden composites. Standard sectional options are giving way to new styles such as tilt-up canopies that raise as a single unit and side-sliding models. Traditional paneling has given way to new options such as contemporary, carriage and barn-door styles. Whatever you choose, consider insulation. According to Howell Door, insulating your garage will reduce energy bills by blocking outdoor weather conditions.

Useable Space

Garages are increasingly being seen as a usable accessory space, especially for homes that may lack basements or extensive yards. Homeowners are turning garages into impromptu social gathering spots by adding bars complete with fridge and sink, televisions, comfortable seating or even movie screens. Others use the garage as a home gym with the ability to open the door on nice days and close it when it's rainy or cold. Others layer the area with rubber matting and convert it into a children’s play space.

Whatever plan you have for your garage, modern options give you great flexibility to accomplish your goal. Whether you simply want a clean and organized car barn or you'd like an upgrade to a fancy usable space, the options seem endless. If your garage has become cluttered or it needs some TLC, you may want to consider some of these possibilities to create the space of your dreams.

If you’d like some help with your next construction project, contact us for a quote!

Seeing an insect or another type of pest crawl or scurry along a living room or a kitchen floor can be unnerving. In addition to making it harder to sleep at night, these pests can cause health problems or damage to your home. What are some things that you can do to guarantee that your house is not overrun by pests?

Inspection

A thorough inspection of your home can turn up signs of a pest infestation or any part of your home that may be vulnerable to one. Signs of an infestation may include the sight of droppings or the smell of urine throughout the house. You may also notice that soft materials, such as wood or insulation, have been hollowed out by insects that have feasted on them. Cords or wire that have bite marks on them could also be signs of a pest infestation.

Removal

Let's say that you had cockroaches in your home. It can be helpful to identify which type of cockroaches are in the home in order to remove them. Pests may be identified by the actions that they take, such as running along the walls or making noises at night. They may also be identified by their shapes or by the distinct colors or patterns on their bodies. Generally speaking, you'll get rid of cockroaches by eliminating hiding spaces or by using bait such as used coffee grounds. Sprays, gels, or other substances are unlikely to get rid of cockroaches. However, they may be effective at getting rid of termites, spiders, or other pests.

Get Rid of Food Sources

Pests generally make their way into a home because they know that there is food available. If you want pests to stay out of the kitchen, it’s important to make sure that you store your food properly. Ideally, you will also make sure that your trash cans are sealed and that you get rid of crumbs that fall on the floor or that get stuck in the carpet. It is a good idea to limit the amount of standing water in your home as it can attract insects looking for a quick drink. Moist conditions can also create soft surfaces for intruders to burrow through.

Pests can make your home an uncomfortable place to live. Therefore, it is important that you understand how to identify and how to remove them in a timely manner. It is also important that you take steps to ensure that they don't come into your home at all.

Here’s another article you might enjoy: How to Make Your Home a Safe Environment for You and Your Family

Making your home more eco-friendly is an easy decision because it benefits everything from the environment to your wallet. However, knowing exactly how to make your home more eco-friendly can be tougher, especially if you’re not quite sure where to begin. Luckily, there are lots of clever and affordable solutions out there. You don’t need to break the bank with a pricey solar panel installation or a brand-new geothermal unit to make your home friendlier to the environment. Being more eco-friendly at home is as easy as following these three simple steps.

Conserve Water

Simple tricks like shorter showers and switching off the faucet while you brush your teeth can help cut down water consumption indoors. You can conserve water outside the home as well. A sprinkler system keeps your lawn looking healthy, but it also consumes a huge amount of water. Weather can put additional strain on your sprinkler, especially if you live in a dry climate or an area that experiences hot summers. Celebrity Greens explains that putting in rocks or synthetic grass conserves high amounts of water each year, which can make a more positive impact on the environment.

Use Energy-Efficient Appliances

Modern homes are filled with appliances like refrigerators, computers, televisions, air conditioners and more. While they may have vastly different purposes, one thing they all have in common is that they consume electricity. Replace old, high-energy units with Energy Star appliances that to cut down on your home’s energy consumption. Plus, it lowers your energy bills.

Replace Old, Drafty Windows

Have you ever gotten chilly while standing near certain windows in your home? According to John Moore, that’s because windows can develop air leaks over time. This allows cold air from the outdoors to leak inside and cool down your house, causing your furnace to work harder. Replacing your old windows with new ones can vastly improve your home’s energy efficiency. New windows use cutting-edge technology like double-glazed and argon gas to insulate your home from the cold. Making your home more eco-friendly is just that easy.

Cutting down on water consumption, using energy-efficient appliances and replacing drafty windows will put you well on your way to reducing your carbon footprint. Plus, these changes will help you save money by lowering your energy bills in the long run. With these simple steps, you can get started on living a more eco-friendly life, and saving money today!

If you’re preparing to remodel your home to be more energy efficient, be sure to contact us and see how we can help you!