Ultimate Spring Checklist for a Bright and Fresh Home

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Ultimate Spring Checklist for a Bright and Fresh Home

The birds are chirping, the air is fresh and bright, and the days are lasting longer now that daylight savings has finally come. Do you know what that means? Spring has arrived here in San Diego! Although our winters are typically mild, that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the coming of springtime! Now that the “cold” months are over, it’s time to spruce up your home for the lovely, refreshing, invigorating time of spring. Follow our ultimate spring checklist to make sure that your house is fully prepared to take advantage of this lively season. [Read more…]

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Remodeling Done Right – Customer Testimonials

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Envision Design San Diego Kitchen Remodel – Before and After

Here at Envision Design, we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional customer experience during your home remodel. Here are a couple of stories from a few of our former clients:

We recently received this kind letter from one of our former clients:

We wish to express how happy we are with the work that Envision Design performed on our house, garage, and granny flat; painting, caulking, and rebuilding the gazebo. The workers were very professional, polite, and meticulous in their work…They did a beautiful job restoring our home to its original beauty.”

-Larry and Kathy W

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bathroom, Blog, Kitchen Remodeling, Remodeling Guide, San Diego, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

6 Bathroom Remodel Upgrades to Enhance Your Shower Experience

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Are you ready to take “the plunge” and do a little bathroom remodeling? Great! Envision Design is here to support you. We have taken the time to compile a list of our 6 favorite ideas for your upcoming bathroom remodel.

1. Incorporate shower storage
There is nothing more convenient than having storage built into your shower. Gone are the days of corners crowded by shampoo bottles! [Read more…]

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5 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Window Replacement Today

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Exterior remodeling projects are extremely lucrative for homeowners because curb appeal is the first thing that a buyer notices about a home. Window replacement is one of the most beneficial projects that you can undertake as a homeowner. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, a new set of windows can return homeowners around 78% of the project expenditure upon resale! In this post, we are going to discuss the 5 five biggest reasons why you should consider a window replacement for your home. [Read more…]

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Eco-Friendly Renovations

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Going Green is a huge trend in our society today. From recycling paper and plastics to reducing our need for fossil fuels, most Americans consciously try to reduce the impact they have on the environment. It ought to be no surprise then that Going Green has made its way into home remodeling and is quickly gaining speed.Everywhere you look more and more contractors are using green methods to remodel homes. Living rooms and basements are made to be more Eco-friendly and sustainable. Kitchens and bathrooms are being renovated with recycled glass tiles and paper counter-tops. More and more builders are finding ways to introduce more sustainable materials into their tool box everyday. So what can you do to make sure you next remodeling project is an Eco-friendly one? Here are a few tips:While your remodeling, there are a lot of small adjustments you can make that have less of an impact on the environment. More importantly, many green renovations are also better for your budget as they can significantly lower your overall renovation costs.

Always plan your renovations carefully so you don’t need to make costly or wasteful changes afterwards. Implementing a clear plan does not require sacrificing flexibility, however it will help to reduce unnecessary adjustments later.

Work with a contractor with green renovation experience. Your contractor should have a record of past green remodels that demonstrate their own ability to deliver environmentally-friendly and sustainable renovations.

Particulary when remodeling an older home, look out for asbestos and if any is found hire a trained specialist to remove it properly. Asbestos is extremely dangerous and should be handled by trained individuals only. Keep your remodeling mess and dust in the area you will be remodeling, put up plastic barriers at the doors and windows to keep the dust and mess from escaping into other areas of your home.

Use recycled materials whenever possible. During demolition take careful attention to the materials that are being taken out and take into consideration whether or not you can use them again in the remodel. If you can’t reuse them, consider donating them to a local charity, or contact your local recycling company to find out which materials you can recycle and which must be thrown away.

Always look for recycled materials first before purchasing new materials. You will be surprised what a little search on the internet can turn up.

Look for more Eco-friendly or sustainable materials. Woods that grow quickly are a great option for flooring because they are more sustainable to our environment, Eucalyptus, cork, and bamboo are great options.

Inevitably, it is very hard to make next renovation a eco-friendly one. As you can see they are several ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and make our environment a more sustainable one. Speak with one of our Envision Design Experts today and you will get even more tips on how to make your home more sustainable.

 

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Want to Recoup Over 80% of your Remodeling Investment?

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Based on the latest statistics your money spent on a major kitchen, or bathroom remodel will be less likely to be recouped than should you spend that same amount of cash on basic maintenance like new siding. New siding recouped almost 93 percent of its cost. The other home improvement likely to return more will be a minor kitchen remodel about $15,000, which returned almost 93 percent. Roof and window replacements will return 80 percent or more.

New home buyers do not like to think that their new gem will require a few minor repairs, but simple maintenacne items can eat through your remodeling budget very quickly

A nice bathroom and kitchen are still extremely important and can be a great investment you can make to your house. These are the two big rooms that buyers are searching for.

If you’re thinking about investing money into home improvements this year, keep a few things in mind. How well will your investment pay you back, and what is the most crucial place to invest. Of course if you live in a neighborhood of $200,000 homes you don’t want to remodel and spend $50,000 on your kitchen, it will be hard to sell your house in excess of $200,000.

In a good market, bathroom or a kitchen remodel is a very good investment, often times returning more than your original investment. Baths and kitchens are also areas where you can see where your money is going, unlike new wiring or new insulation. Kitchen and bath remodels are also the most expensive parts of your house to remodel. However this is where most families spend the majority of their time in their new homes.

Maintenance items are more important for resale, if the roof is curling and the siding is bad you may not even be able to sell the house. Even with a newly remodeled kitchen or bathroom a potential buyer will overlook those items knowing they have to replace the roof or siding. Every homeowner’s first priority will be to keep the existing structure sound. It is always better to take care of the maintenance items then to spend thousands to redo your kitchen or bath room.

Take a buyers point of view to start with when it comes to investing money into your home.
Does the outside structure of the house seem good? How does the roof and siding look?
It is always better have a new roof and a dated kitchen or bath, then to have a new kitchen and a bad roof. Most homebuyers have a price range they can afford to purchase a new home in. When they know they don’t have to spend money on basic maintenance items, they are twice as likely to purchase the home and remodel the kitchen or bathrooms themselves. More than 75% of new home buyers knew what area of their home they were going to remodel first before they acutally closed on the home!

Filed Under: Blog, San Diego