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Smart Living Room Renovations That Create More Space and Comfort

Your living room should be the perfect retreat for when you want to put up your feet. It’s one of the most important rooms in the home because it’s where you spend quality time with your family and where you entertain guests.

Our remodeling contractors in Round Rock, Texas, can help you design the perfect living room. Here are the best living room renovations that will maximize space and comfort:

1. Choose the right wall colors or wallpaper

First things first: You should choose the right colors for your living room. Any color that’s too loud or a wallpaper that’s too garish can create tension—which is counter to the room’s purpose of being a peaceful and tranquil space where everyone can relax.

Wallpapers in pastel tones are perfect for a Texas living room. Deeper colors like reds and greens will also work, provided they’re in muted tones.

2. Add a fireplace

A fireplace will instantly make your living room a much cozier and welcoming space. It can be functional or decorative—or both. There are a lot of options, from gas to traditional fireplaces. You can talk to our remodeling contractors in Round Rock, Texas, to discuss how you can add a fireplace to your living room.

3. Open it up

If your living room feels cramped, chances are you have too many walls. Homes built in the 1970s and ’80s notoriously compartmentalized living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, etc. Today’s newer homes leave these rooms open to create a feeling of more space. If your kitchen shares a wall with your living room, have an architect draw out what would happen if you removed the wall to clear the view between the kitchen and the living room. If it’s a load-bearing wall, you can either add a heavy-duty truss or keep the supports and build a breakfast area around them. Either solution creates a more open space.

Living room opened up to kitchen

Hire the right remodeling contractor for your home renovation project

The secret to executing any home renovation project isn’t the amount of money you throw at it; it’s hiring the right remodeling contractor for the job. At Freccia Group, our remodeling contractors in Round Rock, Texas, have set new standards in the home remodeling industry, showing homeowners what’s possible.

Our firm is based in the Austin, Texas, area. We do everything from room additions to complete home renovations. You can contact us on our website to learn more or to get in touch about your upcoming home renovation project.

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Will the New Samsung Semiconductor Plant in Taylor Affect Austin Real Estate Trends?

Samsung Semiconductor Plant in Taylor, TX Announcement
(left to right) Senator John Cornyn, Governor Greg Abbott, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman & CEO Kinam Kim

Last month, Samsung Electronics announced plans to build a new $17 billion site in Taylor, Texas. Samsung will open their newest semiconductor fabrication plant as part of its largest-ever investment in the US.

Samsung’s new location will be more than 5 million square meters and is expected to strengthen the value of Austin’s already-increasing property values. Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, announced, “Samsung’s new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor will bring countless opportunities for hardworking Central Texans.”

Samsung’s new factory is expected to improve the domestic supply chain of logic chips used in mobile devices, 5G technology, high-performance computing (HPC) units, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The project is set to break ground in early 2022, with completion slated for late 2024. The Taylor investment includes buildings, property improvements, machinery and equipment, and community participation commitments. With the addition of this facility, Samsung’s total investment in the US will exceed $47 billion since 1978.

After reviewing possible locations in the US, Samsun’s decision to build in Texas was based on several local factors, including the semiconductor ecosystem, infrastructure stability, and government support. Samsung favored the location’s proximity to their existing manufacturing site in nearby Austin, which is also slated for a significant expansion investment next year.

Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea
Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea

Samsung’s Taylor announcement is expected to create over 2,000 high-tech jobs and thousands of supporting jobs in the area. As part of its co-investment in the community, Samsung has committed financial support for the new Samsung Skills Center within the Taylor Independent School District. This innovative training program will provide students with career preparation in technology, while providing internships and employment opportunities at Samsung’s local production facilities.

Already on-target for another record-breaking year in residential home sale average prices, Austin and the surrounding area will remain a hot market for the foreseeable future. With the combination of population influx and low mortgage rates, the trend of double-digit property value growth seen in fall 2021 year-over-year sales is expected to continue.

Resources:

https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-electronics-announces-new-advanced-semiconductor-fab-site-in-taylor-texas

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-16/samsung-weighs-second-texas-site-for-17-billion-u-s-chip-plant

https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/austin-real-estate-market/

 

 

 

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How the Sandwich Generation Is Transforming Today’s Floorplans

building for the sandwich generation

Over the past few years, more Americans are taking care of both their children and their elderly relatives, including grandparents and parents. These caregivers who are “caught” in the middle are often referred to as the “sandwich generation.”

Instead of sending the elderly to assisted living facilities, these people have been taking care of their family members at their homes. In order accommodate both the elderly and the kids, the construction of new homes as well as the renovation of existing homes are changing based upon these new family trends.

This blog post will discuss some of the amenities that sandwich homes are incorporating to make everyone more comfortable, from the young to the old and those in between.

home building for sandwich generation

1. Accessibility Is Everything

Most elderly people suffer from some disability or other physical condition like arthritis, osteoporosis, or spinal cord injury that makes it difficult for them to move around the house, so they need extra help and spaces that accommodate that need. This is why houses with better access to common areas via ramps, wider doors, and hallways without sharp corners have become more popular among older families with children.

2. Separate Quarters

When elderly adults move in, they may be fairly mobile, but they may be showing signs of physical and or mental decline. Many families build rooms onto their home that are designed to accommodate wheelchairs and other amenities that the elderly need in order to stay independent but still under the watchful eye of family members. These spaces range from a single room with a small guest bathroom to a full-efficiency apartment complete with its own kitchen and master suite-size bathroom. These spaces are perfect for allowing the adults privacy now, but are built to be transitioned when the adults need extra care.

In new homes, for example, these suites are incorporated into the floor plans of many of the available models. Those who are renovating their homes may be converting a room or a garage (where the code allows) into a full living space.

3. Eat-in Kitchens

Today’s families want to stay together at home, especially if there are kids. As a result, most modern kitchens are designed to accommodate the dining area within the kitchen. This not only makes it easier for the caretakers to take care of everyone, but also allows the family to spend some time together every day.

4. Accessible Bathrooms

Many elderly people find it more difficult to get in and out of the bathroom without some level of assistance from bars on the walls next to the toilet and roll-in showers. These bathrooms are built in such a way that they are accessible to both children and the elderly.

Residential Construction in Round Rock

At Freccia Group, we keep abreast of how families are changing and provide design solutions for both home renovation projects and new home construction that accommodate the sandwich generation’s new challenges. If you’re looking for a home remodeling contractor or a new home builder in Austin and Round Rock, give us a call.

 

 

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Office Space to Ensure More Collaboration Productivity

office space collaboration productivity

Your office space directly impacts your team’s energy and productivity. It’s also a reflection of your brand which can help lure top talent and reinforce your company values. Here’s what you should know before you begin your next build-out…

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Remodeling Projects That Add Value to Your Home

remodeling projects add value

Remodeling your home can add value to your home, make it more energy efficient, give you the opportunity to upgrade the infrastructure and just make it more livable. Here are the remodeling upgrades you should do now…

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What You Should Know Before Adding a Room to Your Home

 

Home additions can’t be done on a whim; you need to understand fully why you’re adding a room, plan for it, arrange the finances, and make sure you have permits in place. The most common reason for homeowners to want to add another room, typically a guest room, library, or home office, is lack of space. You need more space, and sometimes that’s hard to achieve with open floor plans. Or you might have to add a guesthouse or mother-in-law suite. Whatever it may be, it’s an extensive and expensive process that requires serious planning.

Here’s what you should know before you get on with it.

Clear the Red Tape

There’s a lot of red tape involved with residential construction. The rules vary from state to state and city to city. If you’re in Round Rock, Texas, you’ll have to run your plans by the relevant government entities and your homeowners association (HOA) to get your permits before you break ground. That can be quite a drill because red tape is lengthy and tiring and may delay your timeline by a month or more. Just plan for it.

Once you go through the process, you might be asked to make changes to your plan to comply with local, environmental, and HOA rules and codes. Austin’s laws are especially complex and strict, so just be patient. If the zone you live in controls construction tightly, it might be hard to get the permit. Allow at least six months to get through this process. A professional home renovation contractor in Round Rock can handle all of this for you as part of their services.

Plan Your Finances

The first thing to note about home additions is why you need them. If it’s for the comfort or luxury of you and your family, then it’s reasonable to splurge as long as you can afford it. If it’s so that you can upsell your property in the market, make sure you do a cost-benefit analysis before you begin. Not all renovations will give you an equal return on investment, even in the crazy Austin real estate market. The expected returns on investment must exceed the costs incurred in the home renovation project. Make sure you account for your time and effort to bring the plan to action when you’re estimating the costs.

Living Arrangements

This is one aspect of the entire project that homeowners often miss or ignore. If you’re living in the house where you’re adding a room, you may need alternate accommodations while the project is underway. Depending on the size of your project, you may need to move out during just part of the project. If you can stand a few weeks of the constant noise and dust that come with living on a construction site, stick around. But some people—especially those who work from home—can’t do this.

Some larger room additions like a living room or kitchen expansion may require that you move out because there’s just too much noise and debris and the HVAC needs to be turned off. Make sure you sort this out before the construction starts because moving out midway can be difficult.

Reach out to the home remodeling experts at Freccia Group in Round Rock, Texas, to put your room addition plans into action. We have in place a design and construction team that has done residential renovation projects in Round Rock as well as across the Central Texas area. Call us at (512) 410-1342 to talk about your home remodeling project and how we can make it come true.

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Why Is Everyone Moving to Austin?

It’s no mystery that Texas has benefited from an influx of companies moving to the Lone Star State with Austin winning more than its fair share of relocations. In fact, in 2020, according to CNBC, Texas added more residents than any other state.

Residents are following companies and both love our lower housing costs and tax rates not to mention fewer regulations–they’re just more business friendly. Texas also has talent galore being home to top universities like Rice University, University of Texas, Texas A&M, University of Houston and Texas Tech.

Here are just some of the companies have made Texas home over the past year or so:

  • Oracle’s headquarters is now in Austin
  • Tesla is building a new Gigafactory near Austin
  • Apple is building a campus in Austin
  • Entertainers like Joe Rogan, Tom Segura and other comedians have made Austin their home.

Here’s a complete list of companies that have announced moves to Texas courtesy of Houston-based Decide Consulting.

VOA also discusses why Americans are leaving California for Texas citing quality of life, lower taxes and more affordable housing.