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Fireplace Facelift in Old Town Alexandria

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Dianne’s client had already invested time and money to update their existing fireplace. But the result was far from aesthetically pleasing. Now they love spending time in the favorite room in the house and use the fireplace all the time.

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Bathroom Makeover Ideas for Every Season

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Cabinet Styles 101

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Include your Pet in Your Remodeling Project

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Top Reasons to Remodel your Kitchen

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The National Kitchen & Bath Association offers advice on when and why to update.

Many homeowners think their kitchen is outdated from the looks of their worn cabinets, dated appliances and crackled countertop. What they may not realize is that there are many other reasons, more important than cosmetic, why a kitchen needs to be remodeled.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) offers the following tips to help homeowners evaluate the current condition of their kitchen and decide if the time is right for a remodel.

Adequate space: Are you satisfied with the amount of counter space, cabinet space and floor space in your kitchen? The position of your refrigerator or shape of your counter may be taking away useful workspace. According to the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Planning Guidelines, when replacing a countertop or changing the shape of your kitchen, keep in mind that a total of 158″ of countertop frontage, 24″ deep with at least 15″ of clearance above, is needed to accommodate all uses, including landing area, preparation/work area and storage.

Traffic flow: If there’s more than one cook in your household, you may want to consider making more room around the main workspace. If you enjoy entertaining, you may want an open plan kitchen that allows for more social interaction between the kitchen and other rooms. According to the NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines, the width of a walkway should be at least 36″ and the width of a work aisle should be at least 42″ for one cook and at least 48″ for multiple cooks.

If you would like to talk about ideas for remodeling or renovating your home in Fairfax, Mclean, Springfield, Woodbridge, Alexandria, Arlington, and Falls Church VA, reach out to us at Foster Remodeling. Call now for a free consultation!

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article from National Kitchen and Bath Association

 

It’s Remodeling Season. Vet Your Candidates Carefully

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It’s Remodeling Season. Vet Your Candidates Carefully!

You’ve been dreaming of that new kitchen makeover, bathroom renovation, or addition for years, and now you’re ready to make it a reality. Selecting the right home remodeling company can be the difference between realizing your dream and ending up in a living nightmare. At first glance, all the candidates may look very similar and tell you what you want to hear. But what happens when you start asking the tough questions. The strong contenders won’t shy away, sweat under the spotlight, or try to redirect your attention to one of their talking points. They’ll welcome the scrutiny and answer your questions directly and thoroughly. Once properly vetted, only the strong will remain, the ones worthy of your vote and your hard earned investment dollars. Here are some key issues to raise as you evaluate the nominees.

What Kind of Track Record Do They Have?

How long have they been in business? What kind of references can they provide? Is it an extensive list where you can call and speak to whoever you want? Or do they just present a list of rather anonymous testimonials? “Steve in McLean, Mary in Alexandria… etc”. When you ask for references does it take days or weeks for them to get back to you? These are signs that they may have a hard time pleasing customers consistently or have something to hide.

Does their Rhetoric Pass Your Fact Check?

Don’t just take their word for it. Do your own investigating and independently verify their claims to be true. Reliable 3rd party sources, such as www.guildquality.com, the nation’s leader in customer satisfaction surveying for the building industry, provide hard data on how companies measure up, as well as reviews from previous clients. Consumer Checkbook is another vetting source. They provide not-for-profit ratings of local service companies. Angie’s List, Yelp and Google are also useful tools. Check them all. Some companies may have a few glowing reviews on one sight and a few scathing digs on another. Opinions vary, but listen for common themes. The reliable metric is a combination of quantity and quality.

Do They Have a Plan?

A renovation is a complex project that requires detailed preplanning and skillful execution. The more through and detailed the plan, the smoother the execution will go. That being said, unforeseen circumstances will occasionally arise. For the unprepared, a minor setback, such as a part damaged in shipping or a weather emergency, could create a bottleneck that delays the overall project. A reliable firm will have a comprehensive plan with built-in contingencies to stay on track.

Do they Have their House in Order?

Do the companies you are considering have a “bricks and mortar” office or showroom you can visit, or do they operate out of a truck with a website and 800-number. Be sure to get a copy of their business license and current certificate of insurance. What does their contract look like. Is it a professional document that is detailed yet easy for a layperson to understand, or is it a cryptic legalese that only a lawyer can decipher. Or worse, is it simplistic and vague. The home improvement industry has suffered many a black eye from shady contractors who disappear after a deposit has been given, or even worse, mid-project. If they do finish your project on time and on budget, what does their warranty cover. Remember, a warranty is only as good as the company providing it. If they go out of business, any warranty they’ve provided goes with them. Make sure the company’s foundation is as stable and secure as the one you’d have them pour for you.

Would You Trust Them to Hold Your Baby?

When you renovate your home, you are essentially inviting a stranger, or group of strangers into your house to tear it apart and put it back together again. Who are these people? How do you know you can trust them? A smart home owner will make sure everyone involved is properly trained, licensed, insured, drug tested and background checked. Taking these extra steps will result not only in peace of mind for the safety of your home and family, but also for the quality of the work being performed. If a problem should arise, those who go through the proper channels have recourse not available to those who gambled on a lower price, faster finish time, or some other carrot dangled to entice an easy victory.

When it comes to improving your home, vetting the candidates is a critical step. After all, once your vote has been cast, you’ll be living with the results for years to come. Choose carefully!

If you would like to talk about ideas for remodeling or renovating your home in Fairfax, Mclean, Springfield, Woodbridge, Alexandria, Arlington, and Falls Church VA, reach out to us at Foster Remodeling. Call now for a free consultation!

written by: Dory Clemens, Design Consultant – Foster Remodeling Solutions, Inc.

 

 

Family-Friendly Living Spaces

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Children need the space and the freedom to make messes, create, exercise, and be kids. Does this mean you have to sacrifice the beautiful home you always wanted? No! And you don’t have to. A family-friendly home is perfect for children and parents. Here are a few simple yet powerful tricks you can use to achieve your dream family living space.

Freedom to Exercise and Create

Never underestimate the value of providing children with a space to romp, explore, create, and go a little crazy. It is vastly important for their quality of life and invaluable for your own freedom and sanity as a parent. If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor space, consider introducing a trampoline, a tire swing, a tree house, or a sandbox. You can also leave concrete surfaces to decorate with chalk or space to paint without the fear of mess. If you have enough space and are so inclined, a children’s garden is a great activity you can share.

If you don’t have a yard, you can bring the fun into the garage or home. Consider installing an indoor swing in your children’s bedroom, keeping gym mats for roughing and tumbling, putting an art easel on the porch, or including a bean bag in your living room.

Develop Habits

One of the best strategies for cultivating a living space that is perfect for children and adults is to help your children develop good cleanup habits. Set your expectations, whether they are to put away one set of toys before taking out another or cleaning up before going to bed or going outside. You can incorporate routines into children’s chore charts and include a small reward for a task done particularly well or without prompting.

Convenient Organization

Go the extra mile now to make keeping your home clean and organized easy for the entire family. If toys tend to migrate onto the living room floor and stay there, introduce a basket to easily put toys into at the end of playtime (under the condition that the basket’s contents need to be put all the way away when the basket gets full). If coats and shoes are accumulating where they shouldn’t, keep a coat and shoe rack at the doorway.

Strong, Stain-Resistant Materials

Consider boycotting the cheap furniture and linens. Kid-friendly furniture tends to be high-quality, strong, and made with easy-to-clean, heavy fabrics. Even if the kids use it as a trampoline, a well-made couch or sofa will hold up for years and years. Plus, it is attractive, comfortable, and straight out of your dream home plans.

 Shared Areas and Privacy

The ideal family-friendly home will have wonderful shared space where the family can come together, and space for adults and children to get some much-deserved time to themselves. The dining area should be inviting and the living room should be comfortable. As for achieving privacy, if individual children’s rooms aren’t an option, try including a secluded reading nook or a “secret” outdoor den.

If you would like to talk about ideas for remodeling or renovating your home in Fairfax, Mclean, Springfield, Woodbridge, Alexandria, Arlington, and Falls Church VA, reach out to us at Foster Remodeling. Call now for a free consultation!

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