When starting a home improvement project, you need to spend time making sure you have the proper permits to make the changes you want. Most construction or remodeling projects require permits, so here is some helpful guidance on what you need to get started.
As more and more families with children take in their elderly parents, many property owners are hiring a remodeling contractor to add additional rooms to their homes, convert sheds and garages into extra rooms, or add mother-in-law suites to their properties. In many cases, these additions are being used to rent out as Airbnb suites.
Adding a guestroom to your property may be a necessity, but it can also become a thriving business that will pay for itself in the long run, especially in the Austin area where Airbnb properties are as popular as ever.
Depending on your family situation, even for homeowners who live in a multiple-story house, one or two floors can be used as a guestroom or a separate bed and breakfast while you live in a separate portion of the property.
Here’s how you can successfully add a comfortable guestroom to your existing home or as a separate building on your property:
Adding a guestroom, which is a commercial venture, should not require starting from scratch. Choose a room in your home that can be cordoned off from the rest of your living area to ensure privacy for both your future guests and your family. Remember, this is a business, and you really don’t want strangers walking through your home at night, nor do your guests want to stay in a home where they can’t have privacy.
This means building a separate entrance to the room where you want people to stay. Make sure it has a lockbox or secure keypad with an entry code. You should have a wall between the main home and the guest suite or a door that is securely locked.
The bedrooms should each have a comfortable bed to sleep in, their own bathroom, and be fitted with amenities such as a television, a sink with countertops, a stove or mini countertop burner, and a coffee maker. Depending on your budget and the kind of fee you plan on charging your future guests, you can select exactly how many comforts and amenities you wish to add to the rooms. Talk to our home remodeling experts in Round Rock, Texas, to figure out the best way to utilize the space and how you want your new guest suite to look.
Converting a garage or shed in your backyard is a viable option when you want more space for guests—whether they’re family or paying tenants. The first step if you want to pursue this option is to make sure your homeowner’s association will allow it. Some may not allow you to operate an Airbnb-type business in your neighborhood, but they may allow you to build another structure or convert a structure into a guesthouse. Check your contract to make sure.
How you build out your shed or garage depends entirely on the amount of space. Ask our residential contractor in Round Rock, Texas, about whether the structure is sound or it needs to be reinforced or rebuilt altogether. If it’s a freestanding structure, make sure you have enough space for a small kitchen area with a sink, a stove, an oven, and a countertop. It also needs a bathroom with a shower and/or bathtub. That means running electricity and your water line to the structure, adding a water heater, and making sure you tap into the sewer line. Your goal is to make sure that the building is structurally sound, comfortable, and accessible by foot or car.
At Freccia Group, we’re a construction and development company based in the Austin area. Our experienced home remodeling experts in Round Rock, Texas, can remodel your property to add a guestroom or renovate an existing structure into a guesthouse. We specialize in residential as well as commercial construction projects and have been serving countless clients across the state of Texas for many years. Contact us on our website for more information or to hire a remodeling contractor in Round Rock, Texas.
If you’ve finally decided to go ahead with the home renovation you’ve been planning for years, it only makes sense to make the most of it.
Typically, the homes we buy or build are largely based on our present needs. Over time, our requirements change, and often, the space requirements are no longer the same, given that families grow.
So, if you’re remodeling your house, it’s best to plan ahead and maximize space.
And of course, while adding a few extra square feet would be ideal, it may not be an option for many. So, here are some ways you can still create space or at least an illusion of it.
One of the simplest ways to add more space to your interiors is to make your exteriors a part of the house.
While, of course, a porch or a patio is part of the floor plan, they are exterior spaces with limited uses. You can expand the house and make these spaces more functional by enclosing them.
For instance, you could use them as an extra entertaining space or completely cover them to create a home office at the side of the house—the possibilities are endless! You could also just install bifold doors to open up the space and merge the interior spaces with your patio whenever you need to.
Interior walls are meant to divide large indoor spaces into smaller ones. So, it makes sense to remove them if the small spaces are beginning to feel too small.
While, of course, the bedrooms require privacy, we suggest removing the interior walls between the kitchen, living room, dining area, and other shared spaces. This would give you a large open space that you can decorate and design smartly to maximize space.
Even if you decide to keep the room furniture in exactly the same spot, eliminating walls can transform multiple rooms into one larger space.
While most of us think about adding more horizontal space, we often overlook the vertical space we already have.
If you have taller walls, you can utilize them for storage. And in some cases, you could even consider building lofts if you have the space. This would open up your floor space, giving it a more spacious look overall.
If you’re not quite sure how to go about this, reach out to the renovation design experts at Freccia Group.
We’re remodeling contractors in Round Rock, TX, and can help you with our home remodeling services.
Call us for more information on how to get started.
Kitchens are often where families spend most of their time. It’s where we start the day, and it’s also the space where we make tons of family memories.
Your kitchen should look great, feel warm, and be as functional as possible.
Moreover, kitchens are incredible selling points in a house. Most real estate experts will tell you that most of the time, you’re not selling a house, but you’re selling a kitchen, so it’s something you need to focus on during home renovations.
Here are some valuable tips to keep in mind as you embark on renovating space into your dream kitchen. Continue reading “3 Tips for Designing Your Dream Kitchen”
Remodeling or building a home can be overwhelming, and one of the more difficult parts is designing your new kitchen. It’s a constant tug-of-war between form and function. Here are a few tips to make sure you balance the two.
Choosing the best materials for your kitchen countertops can be tough because there have never been more choices that are both attractive and durable. New technology and innovations as well as revivals of almost-ancient techniques are filling the marketplace with new ideas. This blog is going to cover just a few that we hope will both amaze and inspire you for your kitchen remodeling project.
When choosing materials for your kitchen countertops, it’s important to consider a number of features such as water resistance, scratch resistance, stain resistance, strength, ease of installation, finish, thickness, color options, and maintenance cost. If cost is no issue for you, then the sky’s the limit. For the rest of us, here are some great options:
Marble countertops are exquisite, and they come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. This surface material is easily cleaned with soap and water or a simple wipe-down. To make sure your marble countertops maintain their appearance for as long as possible, experts recommend you get them inspected for cracks approximately every six months.
Granite maintains an attractive appearance due to its rich color and smooth surface. Additionally, it is resistant to stains and blemishes because granite has a high mineral content, so it’s a very practical material for kitchens. Granite combines style, because every cut of granite is unique, and function, because it is easily cleaned after spills.
Quartz or “engineered quartz” countertops are almost as popular as granite because they’re more affordable and their nonporous surfaces are so easy to take care of. This material resists stains, acid, scratches, heat, and impacts, and unlike natural stone surfaces, you don’t need to seal them. Quartz also comes in a huge variety of patterns and colors.
Concrete countertops are gaining in popularity because of their uniqueness and flexibility. Due to their chemical- and stain-resistant properties, you can paint concrete countertops with any color to match your kitchen decor. Plus, they won’t scratch or wear out over time.
Butcher-block countertops are very popular for bringing the warmth of wood into the kitchen. Homeowners like them for their look and functionality because, when sealed correctly, they’re perfect for food preparation and chopping ingredients. Wood is heat resistant too, and these countertops look amazing when you combine them with stone surfaces.
Resilient stone countertops include certain tile materials such as porcelain and clay. They give your kitchen countertops an ornamental and decorative look, and they’re a very affordable option. Resilient stone is inexpensive to cut, pour, and install, so it’s perfect for small and large projects alike because it’s easy to budget for. Additionally, resilient stone countertops tend to be less slippery than countertops made with other materials and they offer more traction than traditional ceramic tiles when wet.
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and whether you love to cook every day or as a hobby, the kitchen is where everyone wants to be. If you have an older kitchen that’s not as functional as you’d like it to be, call the kitchen remodeling experts at Freccia Group. Our team of highly qualified home remodeling experts can remodel your kitchen using the latest design trends and technology. We’ll even incorporate your personal touches to create a signature look that’s all you.
Contact us today to learn more.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing guidelines, the emphasis in workplace design was on helping people thrive and be more productive at work. Post pandemic, the focus of workplace design has shifted somewhat to accommodate creativity and productivity still, but also the evolving way people are working now.
Let’s take a look at some new planning and design principles that are transforming office spaces as we know them.
According to public health officials, ventilation is the key to preventing the spread of infectious particles. Even cracking open a small window can dilute their concentration and bring in fresh air. That said, most American buildings require tight seals to maximize energy efficiency. Already, engineers are looking into window designs that create a mechanical heat-exchange system, allowing outside air to be optimized for temperature and filtered for air quality as it enters the building.
Frequent handwashing has been cited as the easiest way to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. Many office buildings will now have hand sanitizer dispensers and contained handwashing stations installed permanently and seamlessly in various areas, especially shared spaces and high-traffic areas. This will allow employees and visitors to ensure that their hands remain germ-free without disrupting regular activities.
Open plan facilities with exposed airflow systems are not new, but variations of them may be. Instead of hard-walled rooms where you likely come in contact with more surfaces, large open spaces with desks placed at a safe distance from each other are trending. Open spaces serve a few purposes:
Along with fewer doors, you can also expect doors to be equipped with sensors that slide open when someone approaches them. This can help minimize contact with door handles. To further reduce surface contact, workplaces will likely adopt a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model, where employees bring their own laptops instead of working on office PCs.
Improve your office space with a commercial building contractor in Round Rock, Texas. If you own a commercial office property that needs post-pandemic upgrades, reach out to the design, construction, and development experts at Freccia Group.
Whether you’re looking to develop a new property or improve an existing office facility with repairs and upgrades, our team has deep experience in every aspect of commercial construction.
Call (512) 982-9553 to discuss your commercial construction management needs or browse our portfolio to view prior and ongoing projects.
Just because your home’s bathroom is small doesn’t mean that it has to look small. With a few upgrades or alterations, you can create the illusion of a larger space, all without tearing down any walls. Check out these upgrades for your next remodeling project that can transform your small bath into a spacious, in-home escape.
Continue reading “How to Make a Small Bathroom Look Bigger During Your Remodel”
