10 Tips for a Smooth Home Remodel

The National Association of Homebuilders is an amazing resource for information on all of the things that go into remodeling as well as home building. Check out this list of 10 tips for making a home remodel as smooth as silk:

1. Establish effective two-way communication with the home remodeler. It’s essential to have good communication for a smooth home remodeling project. Does the remodeler listen? Does he or she answer questions clearly and candidly? Can you reach him when you need to? Does he return phone calls promptly? Does he let you know when problems arise and work with you on solving them?
2. Make sure you are compatible with the contractor. You’ll spend a lot of time with your remodeler so it’s important to have a good rapport and trust in him or her.
3. Set a clear and mutual understanding about the schedule. You and your home remodeler should agree on the schedule up front to avoid conflict and problems later in the project.

See the other seven tips at NAHB.org

50 Tips For Building A New Construction Home

Here’s a great checklist for things to consider when building a new home. Give it a look as you begin the great adventure that is a custom built home:

1. Check References From Your New Construction Home Builder
2. Hire Your Own Structural Engineer
3. Have A Professional Attorney Review The Contract
4. Fully Examine The Complete Home Builders Warranty
5. Choose Your Homesite Carefully
6. Talk To The Neighbors
7. Shop Around For Financing
8. Set A Realistic Budget
9. Make A Priority List & A Wish List
10. Ask What The Builder Includes In The Base Price

Top 10 helpful tips for building a house

We build custom houses and we know it’s a huge undertaking. So if you’re considering making that jump to building your own home, give this article from Finder.com:

Building your home from the ground up can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It gives you the opportunity to tailor your home to suit your tastes and needs both now and in the future. But as anyone who’s watched any homebuilding show can tell you, it can also be a tremendously stressful and time consuming process.
Building a home doesn’t have to be a grueling process, though. Going into the process with your eyes open and a firm plan can save you heartache along the way. Here are our top 10 tips for a pain-free home construction process.

How much does it cost to remodel a kitchen, and is it worth it?

We’ve talked about the ROI of remodeling quite a bit recently, but this article from Bankrate.com goes into greater depth about the actual costs of remodeling a kitchen. Check it out for some insight into the price behind the prize of a perfect pantry.

The cost of remodeling a kitchen depends on the size of the space and the design decisions you make. For example, completely refitting the kitchen to the highest standards costs considerably more than replacing cabinet doors or adding a few new cupboards.
In general, homeowners spend from $12,594 to $33,118 on kitchen remodeling, at an average of $21,751, according to HomeAdvisor. It may be possible to complete a small job for as little as $4,000, while lavish projects can run more than $50,000.

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Building a New Home

There may be nothing more exciting than undertaking the construction of a new house. But that excitement comes with some significant concerns about the process of taking an open piece of land and seeing it through to being the site of your dream home. This article from Freshome.com looks at 10 areas that are worth serious thought before diving into the custom home building adventure.

Poor planning and budgets that are too small can lead way to some wayward, inconvenient and disastrous mistakes. When you plan on building a new home, you must look at the home from many angles. You must consider your current and future lifestyles. You need to take family planning into consideration – Will your family be expanding? Or will your children be leaving the nest? Do you entertain often and host overnight guests regularly? Take your time and do your research both online and in person. Be sure to take the time to meet with professionals in the industry. Poor design choices can make your home not only uncomfortable, but downright unhealthy. Architects, engineers and builders are all trained to help you make effective decisions. They will help guide you as to where you can save a few dollars and where you absolutely should not cut corners.

Mega Millions At Strut Design+Build: Our Promise For Parkinson's

The Mega Millions jackpot is up to a projected $1.6 billion and, like many offices around the country, we've pooled our money to try our luck at matching those magic numbers. We understand the odds aren't exactly favorable – 1 in 302.5 million is kind of a long shot – but we like the idea of buying a few hours to enjoy thinking about what we'd do if we won (after paying taxes, of course).

What We'd Do With Our Winnings

We each have our own plans for our individual shares, including:

Form a band and go on a world tour
Open a custom clothing line in NYC
Charter a boat for a tour of the Greek Islands
Open an exotic game ranch
Start a horse ranch in Colorado
Restore a cherished 1965 Mustang

But one thing we've all agreed on is that, before we do any of those things, we'd donate half of the winnings to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Why We Want To Fight Parkinson's Disease

Our founder, Mike Paclik, puts it best when he says "I've witnessed first hand what Parkinson's Disease can do. My father was diagnosed with it six years ago, and it has seriously affected him. He had to retire from his veterinary practice after the diagnosis and it has definitely changed his life. And I would dearly love to help find a cure so that he and others can live without this disease. If I can help that happen, it would mean more to me than anything."

Parkinson's affects one in 100 people over the age of 60, and has been diagnosed in people as young as eighteen. Those are far more likely odds than winning an almost unfathomable sum of money in a game of chance. But if we at Strut Design+Build can beat those long odds, we feel it would be a sacred duty to help others beat their own odds in facing this terrible affliction.

Home remodeling trends for 2018

From the far off land of Massachusetts comes this nice look at some current trends in home remodeling and interior design. Take a look and learn a little about how technology, organization, and quality spaces are driving choices in renovation.

MacPhee specializes in transforming people’s living spaces, and she said that while designing interiors has always inherently been about personal style, she’s seen an increase in “personalization.” She said that people are increasingly into hi-tech and seek custom solutions to fit their new tastes, such as smart technology.
“All the lights and technology in your home can be personalized and put on your iPhone or iPad, and you can be in control of your home from wherever you are,” she said.
When it comes to the kitchen, MacPhee said it’s all about convenience.
“People don’t want to just replace things. They want solutions,” she said. MacPhee said she’s seen an increase in technology in the kitchen, with appliances such as the German-made steam oven that lets you program personalized meal plans. Large kitchen islands may also have built-in extras, like seats.
“More convenient” and “less fussy” are the trends, she said, which is also true of the color palettes people are choosing. Clean lines are in, and while classic neutral palettes of black, white, and grays will never go out of style, people are incorporating splashes of color, leaning toward their personal tastes.

5 indoor remodeling projects with the worst returns

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Continuing with strong information from Bankrate.com, here’s a look at some of the major remodeling projects with lower ROI. Just remember that ROI isn’t everything and that making your home the best it can be for you, now and in the future, is always the main goal of renovation.

Which home projects pay back the least money when you sell your home? Every year, Remodeling magazine surveys experts to find out which remodeling projects deliver the best — and the worst — bang for the buck. This year’s results are carried in the Remodeling 2017 Cost vs. Value Report.

Hottest remodeling projects

The fine folks at Bankrate.com have clocked in with another look at the ROI of home remodeling. Here’s a bit of a summary:

According to the survey, remodeling a bathroom costs an average of $51,374, with 63.6 percent of that being recouped at resale. A major kitchen overhaul costs an average of $109,935 and delivers the same percentage in resale value as a bathroom.
Steel entrance doors, however, cost about $1,162 and deliver 96.6 percent of that when you sell your home. A wood deck addition costs an average of $9,539 and recovers 87.4 percent of that on resale. For siding (fiber-cement) the cost is $13,378, with 87 percent recouped. A garage door costing $2,791 will deliver 82.9 percent.

Four kitchen trends that will stand the test of time

Interior design is a fickle thing, and what’s hot now can seem dated in a short time. But classic (or soon-to-be-classic) trends are always worth considering. Check out this article for some ideas to keep in mind as you develop your own kitchen remodeling plan.

Spoiler: the trends in question are:

Ombre
Blue
Bamboo
Geometric Patterns

But we won’t give away anything else. Read More

How do home construction loans work?

Finding and securing a home construction loan is one of the biggest hurdles in building a custom home. They’re somewhat different from other loan types and, historically, it can be difficult to find information about them online. But not anymore, thanks to the folks at Bankrate.com:

Construction loans are typically short term with a maximum of one year and have variable rates that move up and down with the prime rate. The rates on this type of loan are higher than rates on permanent mortgage loans. To gain approval, the lender will need to see a construction timetable, detailed plans and a realistic budget, sometimes called the “story” behind the loan.
Once approved, the borrower will be put on a bank-draft, or draw, schedule that follows the project’s construction stages and will typically be expected to make only interest payments during construction. As funds are requested, the lender will usually send someone to check on the job’s progress.

The quoted article covers quite a few points in a relatively short space. So if you’re looking to build a new home and financing is a concern, be sure to click through. Read More At Bankrate.com

Bright Ideas for a Colorful Whole House Remodel

It's easy to get wrapped up in the numbers and structural considerations when pondering a whole house renovation. But don't forget to take some time to think about color, y'all!

Don’t take Selma Blanusa all that seriously when she tells you she almost passed up her Sonoma, California, farmhouse while zeroing in on a different house nearby. “I didn’t anticipate I would fall in love with it,” she says of the one whose deed she went home with. “It was pretty worn down.” But Selma knows a find when she sees it. A compulsive renovator with a terrific eye and enviable resources, she was able to take one look at the frozen-in-time wallpaper, lace curtains, shag carpeting, and hulking range hood and see a stylish, light-filled forever house, its color scheme as smart and sunny as its manicured 4.6-acre lot.

This Clever Tool Estimates How Much That Reno Project Will Affect Your Home's Value

Planning for a home addition or remodel? Check out this cool tool for determining how your project will impact your home's value.

Even when you've budgeted down to the penny, any renovation can still cost a lot—with the biggest expense often being your sanity. Plus, with shows like Flip Or Flop (and its Vegas, Atlanta, and other spinoffs), it's never been more tempting to tear things down with the hopes of turning a profit when you resell your house. Or that eyesore down the block with "so much potential."
But, before you start planning your own #demoday, there's a new tool you need to check out. It's a Home Addition Calculator, created by real estate data analytics company HouseCanary and Marcus By Goldman Sachs. Using a simple, three-step process, you can get a sense of how much your property value will go up by adding on that bathroom, installing that pool, or expanding your overall square footage.

6 trends to help you transform your bathroom into a stylish sanctuary

From warm woods to brass fixtures to dramatic basins, Atlanta Magazine has its eye on hot trends. And we love hot trends.

More Than Just Glass Boxes: Modernist Homes Vary by Region

"Most people think of modernist architecture as simplified forms — minimalist boxes, as it were, incorporating the latest technology. Once you delve deeper though, you see that they differ greatly from one region to another, reflecting local landscapes and cultures," says David Sokol, author of "Hudson Modern: Residential Landscapes" (The Monicelli Press, June 2018).
"They share a common spirit, but New Canaan modernism is utterly different from Fire Island modernism . and then you go to Sarasota, Florida, or Palm Springs, or the Midwest and you see utterly different approaches," he says.
Meanwhile, in "Texas Made/Texas Modern: the House and the Land" (The Monicelli Press, October 2018, photos by Casey Dunn), author Helen Thompson shows how architects in Dallas, for example, adapted European modernism to the topography, climate and culture of Texas.
"If ever there was an architectural movement that sprang from local identity and the joy of discovery, Texas regionalism is it," she says.

Remodeling Magazine: 2018 Cost vs Value Report

Cost versus value is a calculation we all do constantly. Here's some great pre-crunched numbers for you to keep in mind when looking at remodeling your home:

Expert AdviceIssue 14 — Cult of the Kitchen Expert Advice: An Architect’s 15 Essential Tips for Designing the Kitchen

Sometimes a remodel is all about the kitchen. Here are some tips to get your brain in motion as you consider your own renovation project.

7 Time-Sucking Remodeling Mistakes You’ll Wish You Could Erase

"Time is money" is a truism. But that truism is truest when you're remodeling. This article features seven key points to keep in mind as you approach your renovation.

5 Home Remodeling Projects With Top-Dollar Returns

It's like we always say, you can't spell remodeling without ROI. And while that shouldn't be the only thing you consider, don't lose sight of making the most of your project dollar! Read more

Smart Takeaways from Award-Winning Remodels

This post is a veritable idea mine for ways to renovate your home. Dig in and find some serious gold!