| remodeling (5)

The owners of this beautiful historic farmhouse had been painstakingly restoring it bit by bit. One of the last items on their list was to create a wrap-around front porch to create a more distinct and obvious entrance to the front of their home.

Have you seen a no-threshold shower? It’s a shower that has no curb or surrounding edge to it, making it flush with the bathroom floor. You may have also heard the terms barrier-free, curbless walk-in-shower or zero threshold, but they are all the same thing. I know what you may be thinking. Where is all the water going to go? Won’t I have a flood on my hands after every shower? No! The secret to containing the water is in the drainage system. This type of shower will have either a trench drain, which is a long and narrow drain placed where the shower door would be placed, or a center drain with the floor just slightly pitched towards it.

This desperately dark kitchen was suffering from a lack of light, storage and a poor layout. The main source of light was provided by a decades old ceiling fan, the refrigerator blocked the main traffic path to and from the living room, and a sliding door was taking up prime real estate that could be used for storage.

How much you enjoy your home on a daily basis is also return on your investment. Trust that you have good judgment when you make major remodeling decisions. Resale value only matters on the day you sign a purchase agreement. On the other days, it is more or less academic. Over time, real estate increases in value in a beautiful way.

Move vs. Remodel when every room in your home is too small. Enlarging or even adding one or two rooms won't solve the problem. Remodel vs. Move when your kids leave the house. Reconfigure the bedroom wing of your house into the master suite. It's rebalancing your portfolio by making every square foot earn its keep.

I want to credit Builder Track with some amazing information. Even with all the horrible economic news out there I heard an astounding figure this past week. There was $17.5M of project in excess of $50k+ in our target area (Kent County) YTD 2009. If you are a tradesperson or builder who just happens to read www.bensbetter.biz then I'd like to send you to this resource that you need yourself. http://www.buildertrackreports.com/Home_Page.php

What is your favorite room of your home? For those of you whose answers came easy enjoy that luxury. You love parts of your home. Let me say it again, "YOU LOVE PARTS OF YOUR HOME!" For those of you who struggle with your home not fitting your expectations don't worry. It's okay. You attack this problem in two ways:

I used to hate our living room. It was all things 1960s - dingy orange wood paneled ceiling (and end walls), dark beams, a hideous front door, angular bookshelves, no light, and this silly step at the front door some architect thought would appeal to our mamalian den-dwelling need for security. You get the point, it was a weird room.

Ben currently gives a multi-media talk on the subject of Remodeling vs. Moving titled, "Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?" Contact Ben for more information 616-942-1866 or Ben@ThompsonRemodeling.com. Below is some more specific information from the National Association of Home Builders.