Renaissance Renovations | Freshening Up Your Home
Posted by Scott Gaunt on Dec 19, 2011 in Latest News, Renovations News, _Special | 0 comments
15 years ago, my wife and I were fortunate enough to be able to buy a Renaissance Home. Everything was fresh and new. I remember thinking, “This is great! I won’t have to mess with anything or fix anything for a long time!” Well let me say, that was a fast 15 years and after that amount of time and the use of a family of four kids, numerous pets and an endless stream of neighbor kids, our home needs a face lift!
I’m sure many out there can identify with this and when you reach this point, the question becomes, “How can our dollars be spent to achieve the best results, from both a practical and aesthetic standpoint?” Of course, budgets and priorities vary for every homeowner, but consider the following ideas:
Practical
- Mechanical systems (Heating and cooling systems)
- Plumbing Systems (Everything that handles the flow of your homes water systems)
- Electrical (Lighting, switching and the wiring that connects all of these)
- Structural (Foundation, framing and roof system
While these items are not always seen, they are essential to the proper function of your home. If there are problems with any of these, strong consideration should be given to repairing or replacing them. In fact, my advice would be to put these items on the top of your list. While considering this, also keep in mind that while these systems may be functioning properly, many can be updated to yield better energy effiency and comfort. For example, my 15 year old water heater is still working as it always has and yet it is incredibly inefficient compared to the latest models of natural gas water heaters. It’s on my personal list to replace and I’m going to couple that with a hot water recirculation system, which will enhance the efficiency and deliver hot water to my fixtures quicker.
Icing on the Cake
- Floor coverings (Carpets, hardwoods, tile, etc)
- Interior doors, moldings, and trims
- Cabinets & Countertop surfaces
- Door and Cabinet Hardware (Knobs & Hinges
Yes, the fun stuff! I was in a friend’s 16 year old home recently and was stunned at how new and up to date it looked! They had replaced all of the homes original interior doors, door knobs and hinges, repainted their kitchen and bath cabinets, replaced the kitchen countertops with slab granite, re-finished the hardwood floors, replaced the worn out carpets and placed a fresh coat of paint on all of the trim and walls complete with accent colors in various places to spice it up! It looked fantastic and all done on a reasonable budget!
So prioritize your projects taking into consideration the practical and the “Icing.” Renaissance Homes is available to consult and help clients through these projects no matter how large or small. Please contact us for a consultation and estimate.
“Give your home a Renaissance.”
Scott Gaunt | Renaissance Renovations | 503.320.3756
Renaissance Homes is an award winning Street of Dreams custom home builder specializing in green building and remodeling for the Portland market.
Awarded the Portland Homebuilder’s Association 2011 “Builder of the Year.”
