DIY Tips for Giving Your Kitchen a New Look and Feel

Posted on October 26, 2012 by admin

If you have been putting off a kitchen remodeling project because of the time-consuming work and cost, you will be glad to know that there are a few things you can do this weekend that are easy enough as DIY projects.

Starting with decorative cabinet hardware, there are a number of things you can do that will allow you to maximize space, improve function and increase the appeal of your kitchen. With the availability of the materials and the low cost, you can be sure that none of these easy tips will require special skills or break the bank. Achieve more with less with these simple projects.

Re-organize your kitchen.
Did you know that simply re-arranging kitchen appliances will help you work faster and more efficiently? This is because some appliances are often used together for food preparation. The sink, refrigerator and stove, for example, are best kept in an area that is about 4×9 feet within one another. That way, when you take food out of the fridge, bring it to the sink to wash and on to the stove to cook, you only need to do so in just a few steps. Place the dishwasher right next to the kitchen sink so dishes can be rinsed and loaded quickly. Arrange commonly used smaller appliances and utensils together so they are within easy reach.

Use decorative cabinet hardware.
Kitchens can look boring and outdated with older cabinetry. Instead of having them replaced, simply give cabinets a much-needed styling boost with decorative cabinet hardware. Check out the local hardware and home supplies stores for the latest kitchen hardware for cabinets. If you think you will only find the usual brass and silver pulls and knobs, you are mistaken. Today’s kitchen hardware ranges from the sleek and modern to the intricate and classical, so expect to find brass, pewter, polished silver, gold, wood and stainless steel to match different cabinet textures and materials.

Get floored.
You might balk at using linoleum on your floors due to the fake-shiny look and possible warping down the line but try giving it a second look. The latest linoleum flooring you will find at your local home depot has features such as cork backing and interlocking edges that make them perfect for DIY use. Newer types also last longer (some even have a lifespan of about 40 years) and with a price tag of $10 or less per square foot, you have a terrific solution for those old, worn kitchen floors.

About the Author
Helen Hoefele is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow her at: @For_You_To_Know.

Citations:
Jeff D. Howell Construction
12213 Janice Drive Riverton, UT, 84065 USA 
 • 801-898-7266 ‎
Posted in Kitchens | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Custom Built Home: Is It Right for You?

Posted on October 4, 2012 by admin

A custom built home is uniquely designed, and it provides the residents comfort in their home environment. Home buyers, who consider building custom houses, want to build their dream home. They take their time to properly plan the design of their house, select the homebuilders for the job, and create the house the will suit their lifestyle.

If you are considering having your own custom built home, you must understand that it is a huge financial investment. Building a brand new house takes a lot of time, money, effort, and careful planning; however, the rewards of having a custom built house to meet your needs are numerous. So, before you decide to build a custom home, you must first consider whether it is right for you or not.

Why Custom Homes Are The Best Choice

There are a number of benefits to having a custom home which is built according to your lifestyle, preference, and needs. It may cost more as compared to buying a pre-built traditional house, but a custom home is a good investment in terms of its convenience, flexibility, and functionality. Here are some of the reasons why custom homes are the best choice.

Build a unique home. When you custom-build your home, you will be able to have a unique house that is different from the other houses in your area. Although your home must comply with the Property Owner’s Association, custom-built homes will still allow you to choose from various unique design elements that can make your house special and one-of-a-kind.

Modify the property according to your needs. Searching for your dream house can be very frustrating and daunting. If you buy real estate and custom-build your home, you won’t need to search any longer. You will be able to customize and tailor your house according to your preferences, and ensure that your house is exactly how you envisioned it. You will be able to tailor your house to your exact preferences, instead of compromising with pre-built or existing homes. As such, the functionality, convenience, and quality of your home will be at par with your standards.

Get add-on features and upgrades. If you are searching for a readymade house, you might realize that there will always be something missing in the house. Custom built homes, on the other hand, will allow you to get exactly what you want. For instance, you can decide the number of rooms you need, and space area of your kitchen and bathroom, and so on.

What You Must Do When Custom Building A House

If you are thinking of custom building a house instead of buying an existing property, you have to first learn the first few steps in the process.

Step 1: Meet with local homebuilders

You must find a local homebuilder who can construct a house that is similar to the quality, size, and location of what you are considering. Ask the builders necessary questions, such as their work experience, their years of experience, warranty program, and so on. You must also check the houses they built to determine the quality of their work. The home builder must be able to tell you how much they charge per square foot to build a property, and provide you with an idea of how much it will cost you for upgrades and add-ons- such as another bedroom or oversized kitchen.

Step 2: Determine your budget

After you meet with the local homebuilders, you will have a good idea of how much it will cost you. You can then look into the homes you want and consider the size and quality of the property. Once you have an idea of what you want, you can confirm how much it will cost you by multiplying the square footage of the house you want, by the amount that the homebuilder charges.

Step 3: Prioritize the add-ons and upgrades you need.

List down the features, add-ons, and upgrades you need in a home, then decide what is the most important to you and your family. You must also decide what you can afford to pay for, and determine if custom building a home is right for you or not.

Although custom building a house has a lot of advantages, it is not for everybody. For this reason, before you decide to custom build your house, you must first determine if it is the right choice for you to avoid regrets and lost investments.

About the Author
Kris Lim is a blogger who provides comprehensive information regarding custom building Pasco Washington new homes. She also contributes her ideas and advice to professional homebuilders.

Citations:
Posted in Home Building | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Exterior Home Tips And Ideas to Increase Home Value

Posted on September 2, 2012 by admin

Exterior Home Improvement TipsAdding more curb appeal to your home doesn’t have to be a time consuming project. Sometimes the simplest ideas can have a big impact. Stand across the street from your house or take a photo and just look at your house for a few minutes. This is an easy way to see where you need to make changes or add some interest to the exterior of your home.

The Front Of The House

The front door is the first thing that most people notice about a house. Paint the door a bright color for real impact. Bright blue, red or green are popular choices. Use crown molding to outline and define your front door. Adding a screen door with architectural interest, cutouts or grids is a great way for it to stand out. A great plus when using wrought iron screen doors is, not only the attractiveness level, but they also add extra security.

Do not forget to update the hardware on the front door. A new door handle is a quick and easy way to spruce up an old door. Remember to replace the old numbers on your house with big bold ones. Adding porch lights on each side of the front door draws the eye.

Use pots of flowers to brighten up the entryway to your house. Place big pots on either side of each step to add color all the way up. Be sure they’re placed so no one will trip on them. Mailboxes are often overlooked, but an eye-catching new one will really make an impact.

Around The House

A nice pathway somewhere in your yard gives visitors a great way to get a closer look at your displayed plumage. Using a garden hose to lay out the design is a nifty and cheap idea. Placing solar lights along a walkway makes it simple to navigate at night.

If your mailbox is at the curb, consider a new post with a planter box that sits just behind the mailbox. When flower season is past, you can use the box for seasonal decorations. A fenced area for trash cans is a great way to hide seemingly ugly yet necessary items that are on display.

Big Differences

If you’re looking to make a real change in the exterior of your home, a new paint job and a new roof are two things that will make your home look like new. Both are big projects that reap big benefits. Consider a different color scheme than what is on the house now but not too different from the rest of the neighborhood. If you are replacing a roof it would be a good time to look into solar panels.

A homeowner knows the work never ends but adding improvements, large or small, to your home’s exterior adds to its value and gives you the satisfaction of a job well done.

About the Author
Jennifer K. is a staff writer with Fortified Roofing, a leading provider of roofing services in Voorhees, New Jersey.

Posted in Home Exterior | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Using Pinterest to Remodel Your Kitchen

Posted on July 15, 2012 by admin

Remodeling your kitchen is a big commitment. Not only will it require a large sum of money, but it will also require a great deal of planning. Knowing what accessories and finishes you want in your kitchen will help you determine your plan of attack as well as your budget.

Many people turn to the Internet or home improvement shows to gather ideas on what they want. You may see a color in a magazine and a nice kitchen table on the Internet. Using these ideas and pulling them all together will help you create your dream kitchen.

Planning for a kitchen remodel was hard—until Pinterest happened. This social networking site has been gaining popularity since its inception, and it can significantly benefit you while planning a kitchen remodel. If you are planning a kitchen remodel, whether it’s for a remodel occurring in the near future or years away, the following steps will help you use Pinterest to plan your kitchen remodel.

Pinterest Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

Sample of Pinterest Board for Kitchen Remodeling

Step 1: Join Pinterest.

Pinterest isn’t like other social networking sites. You can’t simply join Pinterest—you have to request an invite. While you can browse the categories on Pinterest without being a member, you won’t be able to access everything. Just keep in mind that it takes about one week for your invite request to be validated.

Step 2: Create your profile.

There is not  much to your Pinterest profile. They only ask for minimal information, and you can actually get away with not filling in all the information.

Step 3: Create a board.

In the top right corner of Pinterest, you will see Add+. Click on this and then select “Create Board”. You can name your board “Dream Kitchen” if you want to keep all your ideas in one place, or you can create multiple boards and name them “Kitchen Countertops”, “Kitchen Appliances”, etc. You can create as many boards as you want, so feel free to get as detailed as possible.

Step 4: Install the “Pin It” button.

This allows you to easily pin something you come across on the web without having to copy and paste and copy and paste and copy and paste. Instead, click the Pin It button, and decide which board you want it in and add a description.

Step 5: Get to pinning.

Pinterest has a DIY section and a Home Decor section that you can browse to find ideas. You can also use the search feature to locate items more specific to what you’re looking for. For example, if you want to search for kitchen countertops, enter “kitchen countertops” into the search field and browse through the results. Keep in mind that items are pinned to the board based on where other users pin them, so you may come across some items that have nothing to do with kitchen countertops.

Pinterest - Kitchen Idea

Pinterest – Kitchen Idea

If you find something you like, you can “repin” it to your own designated board. There is a repin button located below the image, and all you have to do is click on it, enter a description and choose which board you want to keep it in.

If you find something else on the web that you want to incorporate into your dream kitchen, use the Pin It feature and add it to your board. You don’t have to only pin Pinterest items to your board—you have the ability to pin anything you find on the Internet.

Pinterest allows you to find cute ideas and see some great pictures of kitchen remodels to help you find accessories and finishes for your dream kitchen. Now, you have one centralized hub to keep all your ideas in, and you can easily plan your kitchen remodel in a more organized fashion.

About the Author
Sopia Parker is a home designer.  She likes to give tips on kitchen remodeling, design, and home improvement.  Sopia also writes for the Drury cabinet company.

Posted in Kitchens | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

As Prices of Construction Materials go up, Don’t Get Taken to the Bank

Posted on February 24, 2012 by admin

As with other consumer products, it was inevitable that even building materials would be going up in price this year. I received notice of a drywall increase back in December. It was a pretty significant increase. As gas prices rise this year, transportation and shipping costs will also go up, and those costs will be passed along through price increases in building supplies.

When this happens, it is extremely important for homeowners who shop contractors by attaining bids, to do some additional homework. Don’t always go with a contractor who gives you the lowest bid. Some contracts are vague, and leave loopholes for unexpected surprises (cost of goods go up, changes to the plan, more needs to be done than meets the eye). Many contractors bid low, then when the work is done you either get what you paid for, or there are surprise costs added to the bill. Don’t let this happen to you! Do some homework!

There are a couple of things a homeowner can do to ensure they don’t get taken to the bank.

1. Check that the contractor is licensed and insured. Don’t use a non-licensed or uninsured contractor EVER!

2. Make sure your contractor includes all permits, and costs of the permits in the bid. Most cities require building permits for remodels. Heavy fines are imposed on homeowners who do not get the permits. You may be talked into believing you don’t need a permit; however, one of your neighbors may turn you in, and if you are working on a budget, this would not only put you over budget, but put a halt on the work until permits are acquired.

3. Check references! This is critical. Ask for references and call them. Ask if the job came in at or below the bid. If it was over, ask why. Many contractor’s will bid the job low, then do a bait and switch. Ask if the person is satisfied with the job the contractor provided. Ask them to rate on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the best. Then ask why they rated them at the number they gave you. Many contractor’s find a problem, and rack up extra costs trying to fix it. Usually, the final bill is much higher than original bid, and the work is unsatisfactory or sub-par. Very often people will call JDH Construction to fix what other contractors have done, which adds even more to the cost of the original job.

4. Ask questions. Ask how long the job will take. Ask if they clean up their mess daily. Ask if they have suggestions to make the finished project better, or if it can be done with cheaper materials and not affect the quality, or results.

5. A good contractor will be able to schedule the work to be done around you. They will stick to a schedule and finish the job on time. If you solicit multiple bids, ask each contractor about the schedule. A contractor who hesitates, or cannot pin down a reasonable finish date should be avoided.

6. If you find a contractor that you really like, and that works well with you, keep them! Refer them to friends, co-workers, etc.

As a homeowner you cannot know the difference between inferior and superior construction. That is why it’s important to use a licensed, insured contractor. Most will insure their work for one year to several years. Be wary of a contractor who will not insure and stand behind their finished work for several years.

JDH Construction is a licensed and insured company. JDH Construction stands behind their work. JDH construction will bid as accurately as possible. They will discuss all the work that needs to be completed to ensure you get the finished job you want, and envision. JDH Construction will also give you input on how to make what you want even better, most often the project ends up better than the homeowner had envisioned.

Posted in Remodeling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pride in Work Well Done

Posted on November 30, 2011 by admin

Lately, JDH Construction has had the opportunity to work on some larger commercial remodeling jobs, versus small home-owner projects. Since the projects involve much larger spaces, and more complicated elements, the commercial jobs require more precise scheduling of sub-contractors in order to stay on budget, and on time. The one thing JDH hears from the customers and the sub-contractors is they appreciate that JDH stays on target with the work schedule.

Jeff D Howell Construction has been on the sub-contractor side many times, so they know the grief and frustration a sub-contractor suffers when a general contractor hires them to work a project and schedules them for certain days and times and then gets behind on the project and rescheduling of work is required one or more times. This screws up the reliability of the sub-contractor to do other jobs they have committed to, and causes problems with other customers. Because of this, JDH works very hard to make things happen on schedule. This makes their customers happy, as well as the sub-contractors who work for me.

One reason JDH Construction is able to adhere to their schedule is that they have been in business for several years. The company has always paid attention to detail and has overseen all aspects of building so they know what is needed to get the job done. Because of the experience and knowledge of building, JDH is able to see possible problems when they bid the project, versus other contractor’s with less experience who find those problems during the project and have to deal with them later. More often than not, when customers take several bids and go with the lowest bid, they come across these types of problems that were overlooked and usually incur more costs than if they would have gone with a more experienced contractor.

As a builder, JDH can turn space into something useful. They are able to envision what the customer may want, or need down the road and incorporate those anticipated changes into the remodel so that they can be completed later more efficiently and with less demolition.

With each job Jeff D Howell Construction completes, they do the best work. Very seldom does a customer contact JDH to come back and fix work JDH initiated and completed. On the other hand, JDH is frequently called to come fix what other contractors have messed up. Jeff D Howell Construction takes pride in all the work that they do, and the customer’s benefit from that work ethic, because they have a quality finished project and because the job is finished on time.

Posted in Remodeling | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remodeling for Entertainment

Posted on July 23, 2011 by admin

The summer and fall/ winter holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s) are the time when parties and get-together’s are in full swing. Now is the time for homeowners and businesses who really enjoy entertaining to contact a reliable contractor to help redesign these spaces to add functionality.

Whether too small, not organized for entertainment, or the space just needs an update, Jeff D. Howell Construction, Inc. can help. JDH offers works with you so that your vision becomes your reality. And the end result is that you will be proud to host parties and events in your newly remodeled space.

Kitchen Upgrades & Remodeling

Several things will make your parties more enjoyable for you, and your guests. With home entertaining, guests migrate to the kitchen area. However, most kitchens are not designed to accommodate a group of more than 5-10 people; therefore, the kitchen soon becomes overcrowded and very noisy. Jeff D. Howell Construction can show you ways to remodel or add space to a kitchen to alleviate cramming, and to organize the storage and counter space for ease of serving and catering to guests. Consider fresh paint, remodeling of kitchen, family room, basement, lighting changes, or additions to current spaces, such as adding an entertainment center, bar, or game room. Depending on the current home design, walls can be moved or eliminated to combine dining or family rooms and to open up areas so the kitchen becomes part of those spaces.

Deck & Patio Additions

For outside entertaining, consider adding a new deck or patio. Or, add on to existing deck or patio to create a a pleasant place for gathering.

Office Remodeling

At the office, add a kitchen or prep area, so there is a staging area for caterers or event planners to use. These areas can also serve as break rooms for employees on an everyday basis. Renting a space for parties can be expensive. JDH Construction will help you design, and remodel your space so that you can entertain in your own facility.

Affordable Remodeling Quote

Let Jeff D. Howell Construction assist you in designing an area specifically for your style of entertaining. With holidays just around the corner, now is the best time to get the work done. Call today for an appointment.  Cheers!

Posted in Remodeling | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jeff D. Howell Construction Announces New Website

Posted on June 5, 2011 by admin

After 2 years, we’ve finally upgraded our website in an effort to maximize our abilities to post new information on our completed projects. The new site will allow us to more easily add photo galleries of our construction projects, videos and/or other examples of our work.

Additionally, the new site structure will allow us to add more information about the construction services we offer in Salt Lake City, UT.

We hope you like the new site.

Regards,

Jeff D. Howell Construction

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment