Renovation Ideas

It’s a good time to consider whether your home is ready to face the year. Questions to ask include:

• How old will the structure be in 2016?
• Are there any signs of dampness, decay or deterioration – that you can see?
• When last did you have a professional inspection of your foundation, your plumbing and your roof exterior?
• What changes in your family’s living situation do you expect in the next 12 months, e.g. children being born, children going off to school, senior relatives moving in, or possibly putting your home on the market?

Any of these issues can trigger the need for a home’s facelift. It’s not just about home décor, either; to change the structure significantly you might need to get house plans approved, so bringing in a renovations specialist is a good way to ensure whatever you do is building code-compliant.

Here are the top renovation trends we are seeing:

#1: Beautiful Bathrooms

Showers are out and bathtubs are in, with huge, freestanding body-soaking tubs taking pride of place. Bathrooms themselves have taken a step back in time to the days when it was an actual room, not a cubicle. Radiant under-floor heating, shades of grey on the walls and dark, gunmetal-colored subway tiles are all very popular.

#2: Going Green

Renovating for greater energy efficiency is at the top of many homeowners’ lists. As with all home renovations, it’s only when the work is done correctly that it achieves the desired effect of reducing energy usage, so it’s vital that call Graf Enterprise to handle your project.

#3: Enviable Entryways

A new front door always does wonders for your home’s curb appeal, as well as helping out with tightening up the envelope. An old exterior door can be a major source of energy loss. Replacing your entry door often gives you the chance to change things up, create a mini mudroom or a new coat closet, or build out your entryway to provide a small foyer. As one of the lowest-cost home renovation projects you can do, a new front door delivers one of the highest home renovations ROIs.

#4: Fabulous Freestyle Kitchens

Kitchen trends are moving away from the continuous cabinet theme and the current trends are:

• greater, open-plan spaces
• more freestanding furniture
• open shelving that displays your decorative dinnerware
• updated countertops in quartz or quartzite, or stunning butcher’s blocks
• feature walls with exciting motifs and murals
• Bright White is in

A minor kitchen remodel delivers a return on investment of around 82%, so it remains one of the top trends in home decorating ideas.

#5: Super Siding

Houses in the Northeast take a good amount of punishment in winter, and if yours has siding it’s going to need frequent maintenance. It’s been proved that old, worn siding can result in a loss of up to 10% at resale, so it’s no surprise that siding replacement projects deliver three of the top 10 ROIs.

If your home needs a face lift, the best thing you can do is to ensure you choose a reliable home renovation contractor. Give us a call and let us provide you with an estimate for the work you need done. We guarantee you won’t regret it.