Home Remodeling

When planning your home remodeling project you want to take into consideration the investment you are about to make.  Sometimes people get too anxious and excited for their remodel and tend to go overboard with the costs.  I always urge the homeowner to “get what you want, and go big”, but that can be done within the confines of the comparable homes in the area.  If you live in a $250k-$350k neighborhood, you don’t want to be doing $1 million dollar work on your home.  You can get the million dollar look without going that extra step and using that real stone on the front of your home, or going way overboard with the interior finish.

There are some great ways to add value to your home without making a huge investment.  Below are just a few things that you can do to enjoy your home more while adding great value.

• Adding cultured stone to the front of your house with new siding.  If you have that old masonite siding with a 12″ reveal, it’s time for a facelift.  While you are replacing the siding it is easy to add a half wall of cutface stone to dress up the front of your home.
• Remodeling your kitchen is another good way to add value to your home.  With all the new kitchen cabinets accessories out today, adding your new kitchen will increase the functionality of the space.  As far as the countertops, I believe that granite can be used in a kitchen no matter what price range your home is in.  That said, using an exotic granite that is over $100 a square foot would not be cost effective in a $200k home obviously.
• Bathroom remodel is also a great way to increase your quality of life while adding value to your home.  Walk-in showers are a fad that is here to stay, and it is a fixture that we use everyday of our lives.  Bathrooms can get expensive so be careful on the costs when remodeling your bathroom space.

• Backyard renovations are a great way to enjoy your outdoor space and add value.  Stamped patio’s are a great alternative to a treated deck.  You can add concrete seating around the patio with built-in fire pit.  Most suburbs of Des Moines do not allow real wood fire pits, so we can run a gas line and have gas fire pit you can enjoy.  If a fire-pit is not your thing, then you can always add an outdoor kitchen with grilling area.

These are just a few ways to add value to your home while being easy on your pocketbook.  With more and more people staying put in today’s economy there is more need to remodel and add the space needed.

Room Addition

When adding more space to your house, sometimes it seems impossible by the way things are laid out. I always tell my customers that anything can be done in the building business, some may cost more than others, but it can be done. In the video below, I talk about adding more space to the basement and how to cut out and open up the space through a load bearing foundation wall. Many times when adding space to a home, the homeowner just wants to do a ground level addition and not dig all the way to the basement. In this particular scenario, the customer is adding more space to the basement for added rec room space and additional storage that they do not currently have. Check out the video below for more information, and if you are wanting that room addition but just do not understand how it will fit onto your home – give us a call and we would be glad to take a look at your options.

Waukee Siding, Roof, and Windows

In this project the homeowner went with an entire exterior face lift.  Money invested into the exterior of your home is always money well spent, as street appeal is a major deciding factor into the value of your home.  We tore off the roof and replaced all the shingles with new Owens Corning Duration.  We removed all the old masonite siding and replaced it with Hardiplank with ColorPlus siding, using LP Smartside trim.  When replacing your siding it is always good to think about replacing your soffit/facia and windows.  So we replaced all the soffit and facia with white aluminum.  The homeowners did their own research on the windows and chose to go with Milgard brand vinyl windows.  I was skeptical at first because I was unfamiliar with the product, but they ended up being a very quality window and door.

They wanted an area in the back of their home to relax and enjoy the fresh air, so we designed a covered porch over a large deck area.  We wired a fan in the center so they can enjoy the space on a hot summer day.  This is a very nice addition to their home and they will be able to enjoy this 3 seasons out of the year.

If you are interested in new siding, windows, roof, or if you have plans for a room addition – please give us a call and we will be glad to sit down and talk about your project.