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Including the Outdoors in Home Remodeling

A backyard isn’t the same as it used to be – a place to grill, where kids play ball, or just an extra spot to mow. Now the trend is to make the backyard an outdoor retreat or an extension to the house. The Home Remodelers Group® can help transform your outdoors into a beautiful year round sunroom, a deck for entertaining or even an outdoor kitchen.

As reported in the May 2006 Consumer Reports, designing and furnishing an outdoor room is the second most likely home-remodeling project to do. Specifically, approximately 1.2 million U.S. households will install a fully functional outdoor kitchen, according to a study by the industry research company inquiry.

In 2004, Better Homes and Gardens magazine received survey responses from nearly 60,000 Americans describing home improvement projects and future home-building aspirations. Better Homes and Gardens found that people want indoor/outdoor livability, technological innovations, flexibility for family needs and a kitchen-centric focus. (REMODELING Magazine, September 1, 2005)

Homeowners are seeking ways to make the outdoors a functional part of the living area. To accomplish that, the barriers between outdoors and indoors, such as walls and solid doors, are going away. As cited in “A Simple Way to Increase Outdoor Living Space” at HGPgal.com, for homeowners looking to add to their living space, improve their lifestyle and increase the resale value of their home, the perfect solution is to extend living areas outdoors through the addition of decks, patios, outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas.

“The line between the house and the outdoor space continues to disintegrate,” says Julie D. Taylor, author of Outdoor Rooms. “Many designers are using the same, or similar, materials both on the interior and exterior to extend the house to the outdoors. It breaks down the barrier and gives a feeling of a larger house.”

Alternatively, instead of thinking of the barriers disintegrating, another solution is effective indoor-outdoor connections. These connections can include French doors opening up onto a porch, or the addition of a window to expose a lovely view. Indoor-outdoor connections can be as simple as adding a mudroom between the garage and the home, or more complex, such as an outdoor entertainment area placed just outside the doors of a home’s main gathering space. Adding visual connections to the outdoors, such as through the addition of glass doors or enlarging a window, adds value to your home by making its interior space appear larger than it actually is. (“Connect Inside of Your House with the Beauty Outdoors,” Ann Robinson, Deseret News, April 2005)

To create the outdoor living space that you want, start by determining your budget and your desires.

Consumer Reports provides some tips about what to consider for building room extensions or outdoor entertainment areas:

• Determine how you will use your space
• Consider location
• Be sure to weatherproof
• Incorporate lighting and heat
• Consider safety

No matter what extension you decide to make, it will undoubtedly add value to your home. As cited by Ann Robinson in Deseret News, “Exterior living space adds usable square footage to your home without costing you the $120-plus per square foot you’d spend for the construction of an addition.”

The Home Remodelers Group® can work with you to determine your indoor-outdoor remodeling desires. We have many gorgous sunroom plans and other renovating features available on our website at www.homeremodelersgroup.com. So, if you need a new area to relax and enjoy reading your favorite book, a place to create a new home gym, a place to add a spa to create your own special oasis, or an area for entertaining family and friends, a new sunroom, deck, or outdoor kitchen may be the perfect solution. We can help bring the outdoors in or take your family out in a comfortable and relaxing setting.

Vinyl Siding – a Maintenance Free Alternative

Maintaining your home can often be a burden to homeowners. Very few of us want to give up our free time to repair a shingle or climb up on a ladder to repaint the exterior of our house. However, maintaining one’s home can’t be avoided forever. Repainting your home is one of those big tasks that requires attention every few years. Nevertheless, you have a wonderful solution. You have the option of repainting your home or replacing it with beautiful vinyl siding.

The Home Remodelers Group®, a family owned and operated home improvement company since 1964, recommends premium vinyl siding to give your home the long lasting and durable care it deserves.

What is vinyl siding?

Vinyl siding is comprised of PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) resins. Combined with acrylic components, which help resist denting and exposure to extreme weather conditions, and Titanium dioxide and other chemicals, which help protect the color from fading and chalking, the durability, flexibility and color retention of vinyl siding increases. Color pigments are mixed with the PVC resins to give vinyl siding a deep, penetrating color that goes all the way through the material. Because it isn’t just coating the surface, scratches and blemishes are not noticeable and it never needs painting.

Why vinyl siding works best

Painting your home used to last for approximately 10 years. Unfortunately, the paint was formerly made with poisonous chemicals. These chemicals gave paint a long-lasting and durable effect but also resulted in injury to children and animals who consumed the paint chips. As a result, paint manufacturers were required to remove most of these chemicals from their formulas, so repainting is required much more often. With wood siding, the paint eventually cracks or peels off, fades or even rots. Steel or aluminum siding can get scratched, dented or become rusty. (Source: www.hart2hart.net/siding_facts.htm)

According to Tim Carter at askthebuilder.com, you have about 4 years in between exterior paint jobs. Thus the cost of painting increases exponentially. For example, the estimated cost to paint your home is $1,200. Or estimate about 20 gallons of paint to provide 2 coats to an average size house, without labor. With inflation, repainting every 4 years would add up to approximately $14,550 over the next 20 years. (Source: www.vinylsiding.com)

Compared to the cost of years of repainting, vinyl siding is a wise investment. Replacing siding on a home is among the top ten remodeling projects in terms of overall payback. Based on the 2006 Cost vs. Value Report, homeowners in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvaniatypically get a 92% return on their vinyl siding investment. The market value of low maintenance homes has increased dramatically because most homeowners want to spend their time relaxing in their home rather than working on it.

Vinyl siding can range between $1.00 - $2.50 per square foot, which costs a homeowner an estimated average of about $9,000. It is the less expensive alternative to wood or aluminum siding. With it’s easy cleaning, with soap and water, overall durability in any weather and a high return on investment; vinyl siding is a definite and beautiful benefit that adds instant curb appeal to your home.

To The Point

The Home Remodelers Group® highly recommends vinyl siding for your home for these reasons:

• Vinyl siding is made to look like real wood and it never needs painting.

• Available in a wide selection of colors and styles to fit your individual needs.

• Easy clean up – just spray with a garden hose and you’re done.

• Premium vinyl siding will not warp, dent, corrode or show scratches.

• Added insulation can save money on heating and cooling costs.

With premium vinyl siding added to your home, you have more time to enjoy the things you love doing. And your home continues to look freshly painted year after year.

Hire Licensed and Respected Home Improvement Companies

Finding the right home improvement company to update or renovate your home doesn’t have to be a stressful and disheartening process. Yet most homeowners have no idea where to start because they are bombarded with bad press about contractors who are dishonest, inexperienced and downright unreliable. Homeowners today are wary of who they can trust. 

Home Improvement Complaints and Scams

“With lower-rate mortgages tempting homeowners to trade up to a bigger house, or to refinance and expand or repair their existing home, we’re finding that construction and home improvement activity is way up, and with it is the number of complaints in those areas,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Edwin R. Rodriguez. (Consumer Affairs, January 2006)

“Home improvement complaints rank as the top consumer complaint in Connecticut and elsewhere across the country,” Rodriguez said. “While home improvements themselves can be expensive, any problems that arise often cost consumers thousands more to fix. Unfortunately, there have been many cases where a homeowner is left with a huge problem and has no financial means of getting it repaired.” (Consumer Affairs, June 2006)

Basic scams usually do not occur with accredited companies, so make sure the company you use is licensed. “The law requires home improvement contractors to register and follow certain procedures for a reason, to protect homeowners,” Rodriguez said. “This includes complying with state laws that assure consumers a level of financial protection.” (Consumer Affairs, June 2006)

Be Wary of Certain Sales Tactics

According to the National Consumer Law Center at consumerlaw.org, unscrupulous contractors mostly target senior citizens. Do not fall into the trap of the following sales tactics that take advantage of homeowners:

• “Bait and Switch” - offers low prices for installed items like windows and home siding, and then tells the homeowner the item is out of stock and can only be replaced with a high-priced substitute.
• Misrepresent the urgency of a needed repair.
• Claim the item is more expensive than advertised because it has to be “custom made” to fit the home.
• Misrepresent that the consumer is receiving a discount because the home is selected to model the repair when, in reality, the consumer is paying market price or more.
• Misrepresent the energy savings, health benefits and value added to the home.
• Misrepresent the terms on which financing is likely to be arranged.

Practices to Follow for Finding the Right Contractor

If you hire a contractor with a license and a good reputation (such as the Home Remodelers Group®), you are guaranteed to avoid unfinished work, financial wrongdoing and fraud.

The National Consumer Law Center has a list of suggestions for homeowners looking for a home improvement company:

• Do not hire an unknown contractor that solicits business by knocking on your door. Deal with companies recommended by friends or reputable building supply stores.
• Before agreeing to hire any home improvement contractor, get a second estimate for the same work from another contractor.
• Get references for the contractor and speak to those references. Ask about satisfaction and any problems that arose.
• Look at other work performed by the same contractor.
• Many states require contractors to be licensed and/or bonded. Check with the state licensing body to see if the contractor you are considering is licensed.
• Get a written contract describing explicit specifications of the work, the price (including details of any financing or credit terms), the responsibility for cleaning up, and the hourly rate for any added work. Ask for guarantees and other promises to be made in writing.
• If the written documents are different from oral promises, do not sign them.
• A 3-day right-to-cancel applies to door-to-door sales and home improvement loans even after the papers have been signed.
• Do not allow a contractor to begin work until financial arrangements to pay for the work are complete.
• Do not agree to pay the final payment until the project is finished.
• Do not consolidate other debts with a home improvement loan.
• If problems with a contractor or home improvement lender arise, get help from a lawyer or housing counselor immediately.

Take Care of Your Home

The Home Remodelers Group® has been in business since 1964 and there is a simple reason for our longevity. We take great pride in helping our customers beautify their homes, we enjoy our work and we want our customers to be happy with their homes. The Home Remodelers Goup® is licensed and insured so you can feel secure when working with us. Before you sign any contract, we provide a written estimate and detailed information on the scope of the project. You’ll know exactly what you are getting before we do anything. We do this to provide our customers with peace of mind. We have survived in this business because we focus on customer satisfaction, attention to customer service and offer quality products at a fair price.

Think of your home like a child that needs a doctor. You would take your child to a licensed and professional doctor, not someone that comes to your door. So make sure your home receives the care it deserves by hiring experienced and well-accredited home improvement professionals.

For additional remodeling articles, visit www.homeremodelersgroup.com.

Remodeling to Make Accommodations

When you think of home remodeling, you probably think of extending a room or changing cabinets in a kitchen or modernizing an older home. Yet there is a whole new market of people needing home renovations - the elderly.

Renovations for the Elderly

According to a recent CNN report, home renovations for the elderly are on the rise. These types of renovations are the fastest-growing segment of the remodeling industry, said James Lapides of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). NAHB’s recent study concluded that 75 percent of remodeling companies have seen an increase in requests for so-called “aging-in-place” work.

The “Certified Aging in Place” Specialist program, offered by the NAHB Remodelers Council to teach professionals how to modify homes for older adults, has increased in enrollment, according to Lapides. Representatives of NAHB and the AARP created the program in 2002. Over 1,000 participants have learned building techniques and structural awareness for accommodating physical needs. (CNN, “Builders: Home Renovations for Elderly on the Rise”, by Grace Wong)

 Statistics Show Elderly Want to Stay in Their Homes

According to the AARP, 83% of people over 45 own their own homes. A 2003 AARP survey, “These Four Walls,” sampled this group and found that 75% expect to stay there for the rest of their lives. 51% envision making changes so that can happen.

In addition, The National Association of Home Builders conducted a survey of remodelers and learned that:

• 75% reported getting more requests for “aging in place” projects
• 60% had done “aging in place” projects. Of those:
  • 43% were for customers aged 45 to 54
  • 76% were for customers aged 55 to 64
  • 67% were for customers 65 and older

Remodelers reported that clients wanted aging-in-place remodeling because:

• 75% were planning for future needs
• 53% were living with older parents
• 46% had acute, age-related disabilities
• 23% had acute disabilities unrelated to aging

(realestate.msn.com, “Elegant Remodels Allow ‘Aging in Place’”, by Marilyn Lewis)

A Remodeling Project

Some families are bringing older relatives to live with them and extending a part of the house to accommodate that change. Others are making modifications for physical reasons, such as widening doorways for wheelchairs, lowering bathtub walls and adding support bars. Other modifications simply include updating an older home because of wear and tear. However, the going trend is to do it all with style.

An example of an accommodating remodeling project occurred in a California backyard. A playhouse was rebuilt to become a livable apartment for one family’s 70 year-old father with Paget’s disease. Building aspects of the apartment include a walk-in shower with no obstructing ledge at the entrance, two-inch-square commercial nonskid tile, lever handles instead of doorknobs and an anti-scald device to keep water temperature even. (realestate.msn.com, “Elegant Remodels Allow ‘Aging in Place’”, by Marilyn Lewis)

Suggestions for Remodeling

If you are contemplating a remodeling project, keep the future in mind. You can make simple changes now for what may be needed many years in the future. Sam Clark, a builder and author of “The Real Goods Independent Builder: Designing & Building a House Your Own Way” and “Remodeling a Kitchen”, provides the following suggestions for changes to make to your home to accommodate the physical bodily changes that occur over time:

• Remodel your home so that you can live on the ground level if necessary.
• Widen doorways to accommodate wheelchairs.
• Plan the front entry to be as level with the ground as local building codes allow. Eliminate stairs with sloping sidewalks.
• Try to think way ahead. For example, in a bathroom remodel, install reinforcement for grab bars.
• Plan for a lot of storage within the “optimal reach zone” - the space between 20 inches and 44 inches above the floor to a depth of 20 inches away from your body.
• Use drawers instead of cupboards where possible.
• Install lever handles throughout the house.
• Use hard flooring or choose an attractive, low-pile commercial carpet.
• Place electric outlets higher than usual and switches lower.
• Install a shelf outside the front door so you can put down packages while searching for keys.

Additional tips from the Home Remodelers in New Jersey (www.homeremodelersgroup.com) further suggests vinyl siding. Vinyl siding is made to look like real wood and it never needs painting, preventing any hazardous maintenance or painting. Vinyl windows are also suggested; they are easy to clean and energy efficient.

For additional remodeling articles, visit www.homeremodelersgroup.com.