Fireside Chat: What Kind of Fireplace is Best for Your Florida Home?

Luxury Homes in Florida
Fireplaces in Florida
                             A custom gas fireplace we designed and built on Island Estates as part of a whole home remodel.

Are you a fan of the hearth? Do you love the idea of curling up next to a fireplace with your family, telling stories or playing games? Or perhaps a quiet evening warming your toes, watching the sun set? The idea of a fireplace in a sub-tropical climate may seem contradictory, but it’s very common to see both wood-burning and gas fireplaces in Florida homes. But how do you get started? What if you have an existing fireplace that doesn’t fit your style? Read on for some design and construction advice on installing the right fireplace for your home.

Continue reading

How to Avoid Change Orders

Surprises are great – most of the time. We all love those unexpected moments for birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine’s Day.

But when it comes to building or remodeling your home? The last thing you want during a custom home project is a long list of surprise charges after you’ve been given a price – also known as CHANGE ORDERS.

Unfortunately, many dishonest contractors have given Change Orders a bad rep because their modus operandi is to give their clients a low bid in order to be competitive, and then once they have the job, they “walk it up” with Change Orders. We’ve met many homeowners who were given a price for a remodel but when it was all said and done, they paid more than 75% of the original bid because of Change Orders for things the contractor had “forgotten” to include in his bid.

So how do you avoid these horror stories? There are two parts to this. Read on to find out how to avoid Change Orders on your custom home project.Continue reading

Five Ways to Make Your Custom Home Project Cost More – and How to Avoid Them

 

Custom Home

When you’re building or remodeling your home, you’re not buying towels or dishes.  In most cases, it’s one of the most costly purchases you’ve ever made.  So when it comes to budget, you probably want to figure out the best places to save money right off the bat.

There are many parts and pieces to a renovation or a construction project, and many ways to save money.  That’s the beauty of working with a qualified Design-Build company, as their professionals usually have years of experience on pricing and can guide you in the right direction on which design items to select to stay within your budget.  We often save our clients thousands of dollars by finding them finishes and fixtures that still look good and are in keeping with their tastes, but are far less expensive than what they might find on their own, as a consumer.  

When we sit down with our clients for their initial design consultation, there are five major areas we like to discuss before we proceed.  These big-ticket items can make or break the bank when it comes to a custom home project, and the direction we take depends on finding that balance between budget and aesthetics.  You have to decide – are these items so important to your custom home that you are willing to stretch your budget a little?  Or does budget take priority?  Is there a middle ground in any of these areas?  These are all important aspects of the design and planning process.

Here are five places where you can sway your budget considerably on a custom home project:

Continue reading

Your Front Door Is Your Home’s Best Introduction: Custom Home Design-Build Tips

There are so many things to consider when designing your custom home.  Whether you are working with a designer or a custom home builder, doing a large remodel or building from the ground up, you have much to look at and many decisions to make.  There is, however, one item that could be a good starting point in your home design – and indeed, may be one of the most crucial design items you select.

We’re talking about first impressions.  

Do you want to make your house appealing before a visitor has even walked into your home?  

One of the focal points of the exterior front of your house which contributes a lot to curb appeal is your FRONT DOOR!

 

Front Door Custom Home

Continue reading

FAQs When Creating an Awesome Outdoor Kitchen

home renovationsWhy is it that food seems to taste that much better when dining alfresco? Maybe it’s the fresh air that whets the appetite. Whatever the reason, one of the many advantages of the Florida lifestyle is being able to enjoy a beautifully designed, fully equipped outdoor kitchen, custom built to your every specification.

Home renovations of any kind require serious planning, and an outdoor kitchen is no exception. In essence, you’re creating a whole new room, basically adjacent or connected to your house, containing all the culinary amenities. Homeowners who want to go the outdoor kitchen route usually have plenty of questions about the process, so let’s look at a few of the FAQs.

Q:  Should the outdoor kitchen be the same style as our indoor kitchen?

A:  The choice is entirely yours. In some cases, outdoor kitchens are considered an extension of the indoor kitchen, so the materials and designs used are somewhat similar. Top-of-the-line grills, pizza ovens and even fireplaces can be built into outdoor kitchens, and some people prefer to keep these heat-generating features strictly outdoors. But having an opportunity toContinue reading

Turn Your Empty Nest into a Fresh and Luxurious New Space

home remodelingYour kids won’t stay with you forever, and for most couples, that’s a good thing! Time will come when one by one, they’ll move out of the house to embark on their own life journeys—either to attend college, begin a new career, get married, or a combination of these and other adventures. When this actually happens, parents are often left in an “empty nest” that may seem too large or poorly laid out for their needs. Look on the plus side: you have the luxury of more space to call your own, and some well-planned home remodeling can make it happen.

Sure, be sentimental for a little while about the kids’ abandoned rooms, but hey, you’ll get over it. Once you’ve boxed up those last few teddy bears, sports day ribbons and rock band posters, you’ll be ready to discover a whole new freedom.

Home Remodeling Ideas for the Empty Nest

Create your Own Master Suite

Ever since you got married, you’ve been making do with that small room you call the “master” bedroom. Well, now may be the best time to create a real master suite! Consider those empty rooms your kids once occupied; with tearing down a fewContinue reading

Creating Super Staircases for Small Spaces

home remodelingStaircases can be built in more shapes and sizes than you’d imagine, so there shouldn’t be a stumbling block in creating one for a small space when thinking through the design options for your home remodeling project.

Let’s say you’re adding a spacious second story or even a partial loft area to your home. There hasn’t been a need for second floor access before, but now you want to be able to reach the newly created upstairs rooms without sacrificing a lot of space on the main floor. When tight space is a factor, here are several terrific staircase styles you might consider.

Staircase Styles for Tighter Spaces

Always keep an open mind when about to begin home remodeling. Even if you’re convinced there is no way to accommodate a nifty new staircase where none exists, especially in close quarters, you’ll be amazed by the options. Here are some ideas to keep you from climbing the walls!

  • Spiral staircase – This design uses vertical space and has a small footprint (usually the size of the center support rail), which makes it perfect forContinue reading

Remodel Your Outdated Home with Remodeling Contractors

Remodeling Contractors Kitchen Sink RemodelAre there times when you come home and feel just plain bored with what you see every day? The layout of your home just isn’t working the way you’d like it to. Rooms feel cramped and too closed-in, and you find yourself imagining what it would look and feel like with a much more open concept design. Remodeling contractors can fill this dream.

The style of the kitchen cabinets looked just right about 15 years ago, and your bathroom could certainly be expanded, making way for that brand new spa tub you’ve always wanted. You look longingly at the photos in glossy home décor magazines and imagine yourself in a truly modern space. Maybe it’s time for a change, but you don’t where to start.

Real Estate Agents or Remodeling Contractors?

You may think about selling your existing house to get the living space you’re after, but it’s not always that easy. It takes a lot of time and energy toContinue reading

Pros and Cons of Remodeling Your Home

Remodeling Your HomeTake this scenario – a couple just down the street really wanted to have a boy, and were pleased to have their wish come true the third time around. Happy news, but it led to a dilemma. Their house had only two bedrooms, so things were already pretty cramped with the two older sibs sharing a room. Squabbles break out when space is tight, and who needs the aggravation?

In addition to the new baby, sleepless nights ensued over whether to consider remodeling or to purchase a new house. The family needed to make a decision, and pretty quickly—for their own comfort and sanity.

With a new baby on the scene, the idea of house hunting hassles and having to sort and pack everything up in preparation for a move became less and less attractive. It was much more appealing not to have to uproot completely and maybe even change neighbourhoods or leave the kids’ nearby school. There’s change, and then there’s major upheaval.

The option of remodeling gave this family the choice between simply adding another bedroom or renovating the entire floor to accommodate both a nursery and a modest en suite bathroom. With skilled help in deciding the details, some simple ideas became a reality—and in less time than they ever would’ve imagined. Continue reading