“We recently had a child and we love our home, but it would be so much better if we could do a small addition.” This is a common consultation for me. A family bought a home they were comfortable in that fit the budget at the time. Then the family grows. This confinement often starts...
There is no way to succeed in remodeling without the ability to draw what the proposed project will look like. That is the bare minimum in residential remodeling. I once was told that I could get a building permit on a napkin, and by golly it worked back in the day. Now I am an...
It was getting down to crunch time and we had still not been able to get trusses designed for my project. Our garage looked good on paper but the math just wasn’t working. Construction was starting; we needed to solve this problem quickly. Building a set of stairs that were too steep seemed to be...
A client of about 3 years ago had a simple request. She wanted to have her master bathroom floor replaced. We had done lots of work in the home that had burned badly in a fire. Joe she said, “Remember when you told me that I should replace my bathroom linoleum floor with tile while...
Like the 1800’s fairy tale Goldilocks and the three bears, having a home that is “Just Right” is often a moving target. All too often, we buy homes that are just a little bit too small. For whatever reason, I am called in to evaluate a home to discover some good options; The family grows...
I love laundry chutes. I’m not entirely sure why, I did not have one in my childhood home. Perhaps it is the efficiency factor. Whenever I am involved in a remodeling project that has the laundry below the living space, I look for an opportunity to “shoot” the laundry down the chute. We have to...
Everyone knows it when they are working in a great kitchen. I remodeled mine 20 years ago, other than some patina from raising two children in the home, it is as great today as the day it was completed. Mine happens to be a galley kitchen, that is just what fit the space, but it...
A common theme has emerged among my perspective client’s lately. It is all about “getting the most out of your homes without moving”. Most folks are reluctant to move and would rather stay where they are. Fixing up what you have is usually a far more economical decision if you love your home and your...
We recently completed an addition with a twist. Many have done drive by’s of our project on Five Mile Road. Few have commented on our amazing structural engineering feat. This is rare and not something that happens every day. Granted it looks pretty normal to the casual observer but there is some magic involved when...
The remodeling business is a fickle one. We found ourselves setting up for the 9th annual remodeling home show. Each year we showcase a willing clients home that we have remodeled. Each year someone says…” I would have done it this way or that” My pat answer is always the bottom line is that as...