9 Secrets to a Successful Remodel- A Series-
# 1 - Gather and document your ideas

Before engaging a professional, do your homework.  Collect pictures, diagrams, articles, whatever helps communicate the problems, plans, ideas, etc. to the designer/architect. At the time of actual construction, be sure to have detailed permit-ready plans that you understand well and are comfortable with.  We recommend the DESIGN BUILD PROCESS as one of the best ways to ensure a smooth project from concept to completion.  READ and LEARN about this state-of-the-art methodology, then begin to interview firms.

Remodeling
Success 101

Q: What's a "change order"?

A: A change order is a request to alter, exchange, or substitute a product or design feature that has already been approved, delivered, or installed. When you request a change, your remodeling contractor will likely have a process in place to confirm the request and make sure it is done to your satisfaction. As construction progresses, a change order is likely to add to the cost of the project due to the extra dollars and time spent making an alteration to an already complex project. Therefore, take the time up-front to make informed decisions and then try to stick to them during the building process.

We love our older homes, especially those that are of historic origin. When it comes to living in such a home, however, it often becomes clear that the house was not designed to accommodate a modern lifestyle. Small kitchens, small rooms, smaller closets, and too-few bathrooms or bedrooms are telltale signs of an outdated design. Rather than give up their older homes, many homeowners look to remodeling projects to bring them relief.

Making potentially radical changes to an historic or otherwise well-designed house carries responsibility for both homeowner and remodeler. The original and appropriate scale, proportions, and details of the home must be respected in any remodeling project.

The best solution, of course, is to upgrade the home's interior finishes and make changes to the floor plan. Remodels can include opening up a kitchen to a family room, removing a wall and adding a bathroom to create a master suite, or finishing a full-height basement into living space. This permits the benefits of modern lifestyles without altering the exterior.

Often, however, the planned project -- such as the addition of a second story or a new wing -- requires alterations or expansion of the home's original form. This is common to many homes built before 1980, where the home is too small to accommodate contemporary needs.

As a professional remodeling contractor, our challenge becomes reconciling the old and the new in a way that enhances the home's original architectural value and appears to be a natural evolution of its forms and detailing. Expansion of an existing house is not a new concept. Century-old farmhouses and Tuscan-style villas, for instance, are famous for their layered additions, made to accommodate successive generations. Those changes, however, were always made with respect to their initial design.

Respecting the initial design means more than just matching the trim of the original house. An "appropriate addition" considers roof forms of similar or complementary angles and shapes; windows and wall forms that are the same or proportionate dimensions; and detailing -- such as roof overhangs and exterior finish materials -- that not only mesh with that of the existing structure, but is appropriate to the particular style of the house. By way of example, here's what not to do; a Mediterranean-styled, stucco-sided, tile-roofed house with a clapboard-sided, shake-roofed family room. I'm sure you get what we mean.

We understand and respect the need to preserve the architectural value of an older home while upgrading, expanding, and improving that home to suit modern lifestyle needs. Performing this task well reflects our desire to retain the value of the older neighborhoods and communities in which we work. In addition, it gives our homeowner clients the best of both worlds: a beautiful, well-designed house with the benefits of contemporary conveniences.

Warm regards,

Austin Schmitt, John Schmitt, Mark Jackson, and Elizabeth Mitchel
Kingston Design Remodeling
11515 Suburban Place
Fairfax Station VA 22039
(703) 323-6527 - phone

kingstonbuilders@cox.net
www.kingstonbuilders.com

c. 2006 All rights reserved.

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