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Hendricks Remodeling Blog
Closed in Patio
We were extremely blessed to be able to work for a Military Veteran to make his project a reality!
Carport Tear Down (the fun way)
Here we have Sterling tearing down an old carport the way professionals do it—with a truck!
Renovations for Resale (Expanded version from Women's Inc Magazine)
As a home remodeler we get asked often “What will be the best thing to remodel in my house in order to get the most out of it?” Most people would agree, that if your house has structural issues, roof leaks, HVAC problems—get those fixed first. Don’t try to sell a house with a bunch of problems. After all of the major issues are taken care of, now you can think about the items that will make your house look more appealing to a buyer at a higher price compared to your neighbors’ houses.
Here are 4 renovations (in no particular order) that will help make your house shine!
1. Exterior Lipstick– people generally start making assumptions the minute they drive up to the house whether they will buy it or not. If your house has a garage door that’s dented in, shrubs overgrown, or paint peeling off it will be harder for someone to get past that even if you have an immaculate interior. Statistics show that garage door replacements, simple landscaping, and siding repair and replacements will give you more bang for your buck when you’re trying to sell your house.
To boost curb appeal on the project in the picture we cut down the forest in front of the house, painted the exterior, replaced the roof, and added a picket fence. This changes the whole look of the house!
2. Kitchen Makeover- I may be a bit biased here because there is nothing more fun than tearing out walls in an old house. But I believe that having a more open floor plan makes your house feel bigger which will help it to sell. Opening your kitchen up to the living room or hearth room will make your home feel more spacious and inviting. Countertops are also important. In some neighborhoods plastic laminate tops, such as Formica, won’t make much of a difference for resale. However, Quartz and Granite have quickly become the industry standard in most houses. Even in a 1,000 square foot house, stone countertops can make your house stand out among the rest.
3. Master Bathroom Transformation- The master bathroom is a mysterious one for me. I can shower, brush my teeth, and use the bathroom in a 30 square foot space every day and be fine. However, as a married man I know that women prefer more space in the morning to get ready for the day. For that reason, if you have room to expand, in some cases it may make sense to enlarge your master bath by cutting into your bedroom.
One trend we are seeing a lot is the “smooth transition shower.” We have taken fiberglass showers out and installed smooth transition showers with tile and cultured marble in several of our customers’ houses. For some customers, it’s an absolute necessity due to health issues. For others though, they are planning for the future or what we call “Aging in Place.” They are preparing to be in the house for the last 30, 40, 50 years of their lives, so they plan ahead for the time when they may need a smooth transition shower to keep from having to step over a curb.
4. Floors and Paint- This point is probably the most obvious of all the points. If you have shaggy orange carpet…….first, you need to mow it to make sure there is nothing from the 70’s living in there, then get it out of your house and replace it with something nice! Luxury Vinyl flooring is really popular right now. But a lot of people still prefer hardwoods and tile. At any rate, getting new flooring and fresh (PROFESSIONAL) paint will make your house really stand out. Word to the DIY’ers: If you can paint well, go for it. If you can’t—hire a professional. My dad always says, “A good painter can make a bad carpenter look good. A bad painter can make great carpenter look bad.”
When you’re getting ready to sell, just remember that you don’t necessarily want to remodel for your own specific tastes, but to the masses that will be looking to purchase your home. If all you do is update your home to fit into current century, your house will be in a much better position when it hits the market.
Den turned Man Cave
What do you do when you have a mediocre den?
Put a fireplace in it with a 65” flat screen and full surround sound built-in.
The customer gave us a picture of exactly what he wanted in his “Man Cave.”
See pictures to see how we executed his order!
Wood-look Tile Shower
A beautiful wood-look tile shower in West Conway!
The old shower looked great, but had some issues that needed to be resolved. In this case, the customer got a brand-new shower!
Look at pics below…
Wheelchair Accessible Shower Remodel
We are very excited for Bob to be able to use the shower in his house without the concern of falling. This shower remodel was a very practical way for Bob and Mary to stay in the house they have loved and cared for for years, but still get the use they need out of it. See below what they have said about this shower!
"Love it, love it, love it! Thank you so very much for your 5 star diligence and efforts! Should future needs arise, will definitely use you again! Bob uses all of the grab bars. Prior to this shower renovation, Bob would be weak for hours after showering. Now, although tired after showering, Bob’s energy is no longer decimated, and even laughed afterwards. I no longer worry about falls. It is changing our lives. Thank you, Hendricks Remodeling. Please thank all who worked on it as well!
Appreciatively, Mary & Bob W." (Conway, AR)
South Conway Bathroom Upgrade
Our most recent bathroom upgrade in South Donaghey consisted of tearing out the outdated tub and surround, flooring, and lavatory top. We then updated it with a new American Standard steel tub with beautiful tile surround that the owners picked out. The flooring was a wood-look tile that went great with their new granite countertops.
Let us know what you think!
Home Remodeling: The Rule of Pick Two
“I want it done NOW, I want it for cheap, and I want it done right!” Three standards that most homeowners expect from their professional remodeler...
“I want it done NOW, I want it for cheap, and I want it done right!” Three standards that most homeowners expect from their professional remodeler: cheap, fast, and good.
Cheap
Everyone wants his or her project done at as low cost as possible. This era of HGTV definitely brings a lot of awareness to the remodeling and design industries, and no doubt has helped make home remodeling popular; but it has also brought with it a wave of consumers who underestimate the cost of most remodeling projects, in particularly the cost of materials and labor. My guess is that most remodelers on television are not worried about profit and overhead being worked into the cost of their job, as much as they are about having more viewers and royalties from the production company or network. Though this may be the case, good, professional remodelers are always their customer's advocate, and should always fight for the most cost effective solutions for homeowners, especially if affordability is the customers top priority. Affordable projects and staying under budget is what studies show the millennial generation values the most when determining which professional remodeler to use on their remodeling project.
Fast
Everyone wants his or her project done as quickly as possible. You can’t blame anybody for this one either, after all, people are working in your home or on your property. Home remodeling is many times invasive and for a period of time can make a homeowner feel like their privacy is being violated or throw them temporarily out of routine. Even when using the most professional and courteous remodelers this is just plain hard to avoid. Most professional remodelers plan ahead and have at least some form of a production timeline or schedule. However, no matter how well planned the project is, there is almost always some kind of hicchup that comes with a remodeling project that can slow down production.
Good
Quality. What every good business owner puts first in his or her list of company values. Studies show that baby boomers hold quality workmanship and high-end building materials as the most valuable indicator of who to use when choosing a professional remodeler to do their project. Quality is the most important aspect of a remodeling project. If it’s done right the first time with the right materials it can save money and time down the road. Always consult a professional to receive insight into the most quality building materials and on the correct building techniques.
The Rule of Pick Two
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t have all three standards on your remodeling project. If someone tells you that you can, RUN! Either they’ll be out of business soon or they are lying to you about the quality of work they’re providing. While you can’t have all three of them, a homeowner should almost always expect to hold their professional to two of these standards on any given project.
For example, you can have a well-built addition on your house and have it done quickly; but for a professional to prioritize your project and draw his or her resources away from other projects it’s likely not going to be cheap, especially in a good market. You can have a fast and cheap kitchen remodel, but when your remodeler finishes don’t be surprised to see leaky faucets or find out down the road that corners were cut in order to save costs. And if you expect a fast and cheap remodeler to come back and fix what wasn’t done right the first time, you can also expect that he or she will charge you for the service call. You get the picture.
Bottom Line
As you plan for your next remodeling project don’t take shortcuts in order to save money, because in the long run you’ll ultimately be shelling out more money to fix what should have been done right the first time. As you are deciding which professional remodeler to use or whether to use a professional remodeling company at all, keep the Rule of Pick Two in mind.
Never pick cheap and fast, skimping on quality will only come back to bite you in the long run. I sincerely hope this helps you as a homeowner to be a smarter consumer, especially as it pertains to home remodeling projects.
Tiny House Update!
As some may have seen via our facebook page, Hendricks Construction is building a tiny house for the owners, Bruce & Cindy! Since our last update, the interior has been painted, floors are finished, and butcher block countertops have been installed! It's looking great!
