Thinking About Remodeling Your Home?

Remodeling your home can be a fun and exciting process. There are lots of ways to create or reimagine a space that fits your needs or your family's needs. Whether you're remodeling a small space of your home or the entire thing there are things you should consider. Here are four things to keep in mind when remodeling your home.

1. Consider The Space You Already Have

Remodeling your home means working with the space you already have. Knowing what will work in the space you have will make it easier for you to determine what design elements will work or not work. That's why it's important to speak with an experienced custom home designer before you start remodeling your home. Your custom home designer will work with you to create a plan that will fit your needs and your wants.

2. Will This Remodel Add Value To My Home?

The next thing to keep in mind when remodeling your home is value. If there are plans to sell your home after remodeling you definitely want to consider making additions that will add value to your home. Expanding the square footage of your kitchen is a great way to not only create the kitchen you want but also add value to your home at the same time. Even expanding the space in the bathrooms can potentially add value to your home. Other design elements that can add value:

• finishing a garage or basement

• adding a room over a garage

• turning your rear porch into a sunroom

3. Have A Realistic Budget

Before you start remodeling a home there should be a budget outlined for the project. Creating a budget for a remodel depends a lot on what you as a homeowner want. The more expansive a remodel is the costlier it will be.

Also, keep in mind that remodeling your home does not have to be done all at the same. With the cost of materials rising and shortages of building supplies, resources, and equipment, you may be paying more now to finish a remodel.

Now is the best time to start thinking about remodeling your home. Even is its a something small. Contact us today to learn more about how we can turn your ideas into plans that say, “welcome home.”

is not an easy task.

Three Design Tips For Empty Nesters

It’s never too early to start thinking about a custom home design as an empty nester. If you’re like many other parents sending their child off to college this year, then these design tips are just for you.

Design Tip 1

Not all stairs are created equal. While you may be young at heart, your knees are not. In your custom design plans consider opting in for a single-story home. As you move through different phases in your life, there may not be a need for you to have a two-story house. There can be added stress put on your body from climbing stairs every day just to get to a bedroom or other things you might need. And a fall could potentially impact your standard of living.

Design Tip 2

A growing family may require more space to live. But what do you do as an empty nester when that space is no longer wanted or needed after your child has moved out? You may want to think about having less square footage. Keeping a home updated with repairs and maintenance can be a hassle. In some instances, you may be doubling your time, energy, and sometimes money in trying to maintain a larger home.

Design Tip 3

Even if you are working with less square footage, adding a designated area for entertaining, leisure or other interests and activities is a great design tip for any empty nester. Want to add that game room you’ve always wanted? Or have an area for your arts and crafts? There are so many design options and elements to choose from that will suit the needs of your empty nester lifestyle.

The needs you have for your home when your children are younger are different from the needs you have when they are no longer living at home. No matter what those needs are, DRB Design is here to help you.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can turn your ideas into plans that say, “welcome home.”

The Homeowner Design Experience

We recently chatted with some Triangle-area homeowners looking at remodeling the home they have lived in for 15 years.

What made you consider updating your home design now?

We’re both getting older and decided we would like to stay in our home versus selling and moving. Our current home is a two-story; we would like to have a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor so we will no longer have to navigate the stairs. We reached out to DRB Design to help us come up with a floor plan that will meet our needs.

What has the process been like?

We spoke with the designer to share our vision and talk about our needs for the house. One of the DRB team members came out to take measurements, then the designer started working on the first draft of the plan. They presented the plan, and we made some suggestions we thought might be a better fit. As part of the process, an engineer from Tyndall came out to review the current home structure, foundation, and utilities so any changes needed could be included in the plan.

And your next steps?

We initially had thought about waiting a few years – especially after the price of lumber jumped so high! Now we are thinking about starting the project sooner rather than later. There’s no time like the present.

Check back next month to read about the process from the designer’s perspective.