Ask the Home Remodeling Specialists…

SHOULD YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT?

Don’t just invest in your home for future returns, invest in your lifestyle.

Like many of the blogs with home improvement ideas and tips, I have been guilty of publishing what home improvement will give you the best return on your investment. You only get that return on your investment, however, when you SELL your home. Otherwise, it is just an imaginary gain in a fluctuating market.

If you choose to remodel, you should be investing in yourself and your lifestyle. Consider things that will improve your livability, make your house less stressful, and even allow you to age in place.

Kitchen Cabinets or Walk-In Pantry?

Walk-in pantries may be a less expensive alternative to kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen cabinets can be expensive.

Half of them are up high on the wall where they’re hard to reach, and the wall space they take up could be better used for windows.

A pantry, if you have room in your design, can take up less space, stores a lot more, is much easier to use, and costs less to build.

You can always design your shower so there are no doors and make it so you don’t have to step over any curbing. Avoiding ways to trip is a great idea for aging in place.

I would not recommend removing all the tubs in your house — every house needs at least one for resale.

Group Windows Together

We are converting a screened in patio into living space for one of our clients. They don’t want to lose the beautiful view they have from their screen room, so we are grouping large windows together to maintain their view.

This design will also make it easier for furniture placement because there is still plenty of wall space that is not broken up by windows.

Adding a Room – Bigger Isn’t Always Better

“Volume” ceilings do not automatically make better rooms and are more expensive to cool.

If adding a family room, consider adding a fireplace or other focal element. We have installed many fireplaces in Florida.

Wall trim, multiple paint colors and crown moldings also give the room interest and can create the illusion of height.

A focal element gives your room addition character.

Spend more time planning.

Think about furniture placement in the room — is there enough wall space, are the windows high enough for furniture to go underneath them?  You may not need to make the room as big as you think you do.

When I built my house, I printed out scale drawings of each room. I then cut out scaled versions of the furniture for each room (if you don’t have the furniture yet, you can cut out standard sizes and shapes for the type of furniture you think you like) and placed it in the room. You can see how the room might layout, if the room can be smaller, and whether or not the windows and doors might impact the room’s flow.

If you don’t want to spend time cutting and drawing, Leading Edge Homes, Inc. can help you.  We can bring a computer with our CAD software to you and design your new room with furniture placement so you can virtually walk through it before beginning any construction!

If you want a professional remodeling experience contact your local design-build contractor, like Leading Edge Homes. Inc.

Want to see some of our work? Visit our website or view our online book.

Todd Perry, a State of Florida Certified Building Contractor and president of Leading Edge Homes, Inc., provided this information.

If you have questions about a home improvetment project, call Leading Edge Homes at 561-795-2551 or email Todd at: todd@leadingedgehomes.com and he’ll be happy to share his knowledge with you.

Leading Edge Homes, Inc. specializes in improving your lifestyle through room additions, bathroom renovations, kitchen updates, hurricane-resistant screen enclosures, and more!  In business since 1991, they demolish your stress by building your trust.

Visit the Leading Edge Home’s website or call 561-795-2551 to discover how they can help you with your next home remodeling project in Palm Beach County.