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Limited free time and too long a list? We can help! 1. Buy a case of furnace filters (12) and replace it each month. 2. Deep clean the the inside of the house to reduce allergies. Hire a pro if needed. 3. Be sure gutters and downspouts are clear of leaves and other debris.

Grand Rapids, MI, February 6, 2014—The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named Thompson Remodeling, in Grand Rapids, 2014 East Central Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) in the Residential Kitchen $40,000 to $80,000 category of its annual awards competition.

A great place to extend your living space is in your own backyard with an outdoor remodeling project. In recent years, homeowners have been using their backyard as a blank canvas to create great spaces to spend time with family and entertain guests. The latest trend in outdoor remodeling is designing outdoor versions of your favorite indoor spaces.

Does your home offer enough space for informal family activities? Is your floor plan too closed in? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you are not alone. Today’s families prefer open living spaces that flow from one room to the next, allowing for meal preparation and socialization in one central area. That's why family room additions are such a hot trend today. A family room addition is the perfect solution to open up your home and provide an all-purpose space for all of your activities.

One of the biggest choices you will make when planning your kitchen remodel is what type of cabinet to use – stock, semi-custom or custom. These terms refer to the production method used to make the cabinets. The key difference between each is the level of customization options available, production lead-time, and material quality. In this blog we will provide you with a description and the pros and cons of each type of kitchen cabinet.

Making the decision to remodel your home is exciting. It’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed at first, so to help you prepare, we’ve compiled a list of tips to ensure a stress-free remodel.

Incorporating architectural details into your home remodeling project can bring warmth and character to a room and provide that finishing touch. Our designers can help you select the right architectural details to enhance any style -- traditional, contemporary, modern, or transitional. Some of the details listed below are strictly cosmetic, while others offer a functional purpose as well.

It used to be that bathrooms were simple, utilitarian spaces. Not so anymore! Today, bathroom design trends lean toward creating a relaxing and luxurious place to start and end your day. Homeowners are remodeling bathrooms to remind them of their favorite hotels and they want the same type of amenities at home. Current bathroom design trends entice the homeowner to spend more time in the space – whether its relaxing in a steam bath or getting ready while listening to your iPod or watching TV.

Completing a remodeling project will increase the beauty, enjoyment and pride that you have in your home. We know that remodeling your home requires the commitment of time and thoughtful budgeting and the return on your investment is important. Making improvements allows you to stay in your current home and you get to enjoy your return on investment on day one in your great new space, while the value of your whole house improves overtime. In this blog we’d like to highlight the remodeling projects that add the most value to your home, where you will see the biggest return.

1. Protect family and guests from falls. Clear the driveway and sidewalks of snow and ice and use salt or sand to prevent slippery surfaces. Maintain clear pathways through high traffic areas of your home, it is easy for them to become cluttered with the arrival of guests and gifts. Relocate any electrical cords or wires that may become a tripping hazard also avoid placing them under rugs.

In the last month I have spoken with a handful of clients about ice dams and it felt like every other call to the Home Improvement Show on Newsradio WOOD 1300 has been on the same subject. West MI Morning News even had me on last week for an interview regarding Ice Dams. Click here to listen to the podcast of that interview. In brief written-form here are the essentials you need to know about Ice Dams:

Today I was on the phone with a client who at one time felt trapped in her home. When they bought it, they loved that they were on the river and that the kitchen was larger than the one in their previous home. They love fell apart on the day they moved in as rain was dripping in the house in multiple places and kept dwindling as the years passed. After their flat roof leaked for the 3rd time, they had had enough. He declared, "It is time to get a real roof on this house." We created a beautiful octagonal roof where the flat roof once was, along with an addition that housed a new kitchen that was better suited to their lifestyle. We solved the major problems with the home and transformed the old into a house built for entertaining and enjoying the water. Her advice to you all reading this, "I wish we had thought to rent a storage facility or POD instead of stacking up a ll our future during the project," and, "It takes time in a home to figure out what you like and dislike, but with mortgage rates being what they are, this is a great time to fix the problems in your home. Our first mortgage on this house was 16%."

Location, Location, Location. When you look around your home, do words like cozy and familiar morph into words like cramped and out-dated? Is great design and a strategic remodel in a few areas of your home the difference between loving and hating your home? Strategic remodeling is doing what your home needs to stay current - nothing more. We consult with literally hundreds of homeowners each year on what they need to get what they want at home. The one thing we are not is One Trick Ponies. The satisfying variety that comes from analyzing the needs of each home I am in is one of the main reasons I am a professional remodeler. We help people like you "Love the home you're in."

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.

Take a quick glance down at your hands. What color is your ring/watch/jewelry? Do you like your jewelry? If you were married before 1997 is it or was it at one time gold? What color is the door hardware, cabinet pulls, plumbing fixtures, and light fixtures in your home? Does it look current to you? If it is brass and you love it then this post is not for you. Live and let live, and Love Where You Live. The color of your hardware may be a frivolous conversation but then again this may be the minor change that makes all the difference in selling [or being willing to stay in] your home.

I am so happy to be experiencing a culture shift in my client base. The Jones family no longer has the influence over their neighbors as they used to...in fact, I'll argue that they have left the neighborhood. Envy is at an all time low. Conspicuous Consumption is underground.

Last night at 11:15 Kristin and the kids were asleep and I was sitting in my chair watching TV when all of the detectors in the house went off at once and a none too reassuring voice shouted, "Carbon Monoxide Alert...[repeatedly]." So what are you supposed to do then? Here's what we did.

What is the qualitative value of your guest room? Quantitatively speaking it allows for 2 more people to "sleep" in your home.

5 Tips to beat the heat in a poorly performing house:

The belief that people want to Love Where They Live is the central theme for why our firm exists. When I hear that phrase it's like hearing a musician play the most perfect cord on his guitar. When I just reread it I heard a harp this time. It's just right on - you and I want to love where we live - and it may mean something entirely different for you and for me, but it's the same dream.

EPA's New Lead Paint Law April 22 - Earth Day - Today the Environmental Protection Agency's "lead paint law" goes into effect. It will have an impact on all pre-1978 homes. Many of you live in pre-1978 homes and we all know people who do.