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Top Kitchen Trends Homeowners Love

The kitchen is considered the heart of your home, but today, it’s more than just a place to cook and wash dishes. It’s a place to gather, entertain, and create. But if you’re considering updating this part of your house with the help of a kitchen remodeling contractor, it’s important to update it to your wants, needs, and style.

Flansburg Construction has helped homeowners transform their kitchen into one of the most valuable places in their home. Here’s a few of the top kitchen trends that homeowners love and are incorporating into their remodeling and renovation projects.

Incorporating Warm & Natural Materials

An all-white kitchen has a sanitary look that may not be the most comforting. Mixing in organic color palettes can add a warmth to the space. Adding natural materials like wood or stone can further add character to the room giving it a warm and inviting aesthetic.

You can include:

  • Quartzite or marble countertops
  • Natural wood accents and cabinetry
  • Textured or handmade backsplash
  • Warm metal finishes like brushed nickel or brass

Installing Expansive Islands

If you’re planning on opening up the space, adding more surfaces can keep the kitchen functional. Adding a large island not only includes an added surface, but it can be the central hub for prepping, cooking, entertaining, and even acting as a temporary office when working from home

Your kitchen island can include:

  • Built-in appliances
  • Additional seating
  • Contrasting cabinet colors
  • Additional sink

Getting Smarter with Storage

Finding storage that doesn’t take up a significant amount of space can be a challenge, but it’s also a chance to get creative to maximize storage and keep your kitchen free of clutter. Smart storage ideas can include:

  • Pull-out shelves
  • Deep drawers for cookware
  • Built-in trash and recycling
  • Corner cabinet organizers

Hide the Appliances

While you rely on appliances every day, some of them may not match the décor and style of your kitchen. A popular trend is integrating the appliances directly into the cabinetry, seamlessly blending these appliances into the design gives your kitchen a custom look, a better visual flow, and a cleaner appearance.

Add Statement & Mood Lighting

Lighting can make a major difference in the look and feel of your kitchen, and the right ambient lighting can add personality that reflects your style.

Popular lighting upgrades can include:

  • Geometric or sculptural fixtures
  • Layered lighting for mood and tasks
  • Mixed metal for finishes
  • Above-island pendant lights

Designate Areas of Your Kitchen

While your kitchen has many uses, you can designate specific portions of your kitchen for them. You can install a coffee bar and even a cocktail corner that can be smartly designed and tucked away to be both convenient and hidden.

Update Your Kitchen with Flansburg Construction Today

Your home’s kitchen says a lot about you. If you’re interested in updating your kitchen’s style to include modern amenities, convenience, and smart storage, you can look to us to help you get started.

As a design-build firm, we can take your wishes and incorporate them into the design so you can get the most out of your kitchen.

Where Your Budget Goes in a Home Remodeling Project

When the time comes to enlist the help of a home remodeling contractor to transform your home into a modern and stylish space, there’s a bevy of things to consider, but budget may be the most important discussion in the process.

While you may set a specific budget, you may wonder: where does the budget actually go? At Flansburg Construction, we’ve assisted countless homeowners in coming up with a realistic budget to help them get what they want without adding extra expenditures.

Here’s a look at where your budget goes when you’re working with a home remodeling contractor:

The Foundation: The Design & Planning Process

It’s important to carefully plan out the remodel before any demolition begins, especially in the design-build process. Professional design ensures that the remodel will be structurally sound, functional, compliant with codes, and is aligned with what you want.

This process includes consultations, design and space planning, material selection, permit preparation, and the budget development.

Allocating for Labor

Any successful remodeling project is built upon the experience and skill of various laborers, including carpenters, electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, painters, project managers, and more. While this sector allocates a big chunk of the budget, it’s important to select highly skilled and experienced workers instead of chasing the lowest bid. Let the phrase “you get what you pay for” work in your favor.

Material Purchases

Materials make up one of the largest portions of your budget. The costs may adjust based on a variety of factors like quality, brand, and even customization. These materials include everything from drywall and insulation to countertops, cabinetry, and even appliances.

Permits & Inspections

As with any build, it’s important to have your paperwork in order to make sure that everything is above board in the eyes of your town, county, and state. Adhering to building codes and having regular inspections that pass reduces the risk of any fees or violations. This portion of the budget, and arguably the smallest, goes towards the permit applications, plan reviews, and the various inspections that occur throughout the project.

Project Management & Oversight

Coordination is a vital component to the process of remodeling your home. Scheduling different trades, ordering materials, managing the timeline, and ensuring quality control and open communication with you is an essential part of the entire process.

Planning for the Unexpected

While having your budget laid out before the process begins is important, part of your budget should be contingent on any unexpected issues. Older homes can have surprises like hidden damage, structural issues, and even outdated wiring that needs to be updated to be up to code.

While the unexpected doesn’t always happen, it’s important to plan for so you don’t go over your intended budget.

Let Flansburg Construction Help Your Plan a Reasonable Budget for Your Home Remodeling Project

If you’re deciding on what to remodel and how much it will cost, we can help you plan on your project that will ensure that despite the cost, you’ll have materials and construction that will be designed for longevity, creating long-lasting value in your home.

Get in touch with us to start planning your project or review our costs guide to get a better idea of a budget!

Whole-Home Remodel Ideas for Modern Living

Modern living blends style, convenience, comfort, and efficiency, so if you’re looking to take your living space into the modern age with a whole-home remodel, there are a few factors and ideas to consider to help you get the most out of your project.

As lifestyles change, working from home becomes more normalized, and families grow, there are some major updates that your house could use to help you get the most out of your home.

At Flansburg Construction, we’ve helped homeowners realize their wants and needs with their home and transformed their living space into a modern and functional home. Here are a few ideas that you can incorporate in your home remodeling:

Connection Through Open Spaces

One major factor that all modern homes feature is open spaces. Walls are remolded to make rooms flow better, open up areas for entertaining, and give the kitchen more space for cooking and crafting.

These ideas include:

  • Combining the kitchen, dining, and living room
  • Using lighting, flooring changes, and ceiling treatments to identify areas while avoiding closing them off
  • Adding larger entryways and glass partitions to make separation flexible

Functional & Modern Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most important features of your home, so it requires special attention and detail to maximize your home’s transformation.

Popular kitchen upgrades include:

  • Walk-in pantries to avoid counter clutter
  • Sleek and durable countertops
  • Large islands for seating, storage, and function
  • Smart appliances for added convenience

Flexible Rooms for Many Purposes

Multi-tasking is easy when you have a modern home that offers flexibility and many purposes, allowing you to focus on work, wellness, and even entertaining.

These spaces include:

  • A dedicated home office that offers built-in storage and sound control
  • A guest room that’s also a gym or hobby space
  • A playroom that can evolve

Bathrooms for a Spa-Like Experience

While bathrooms serve and important function, they can also be a temporary escape and add a luxurious high-end feel to your home.

Must-have modern bathroom features include:

  • Walk-in showers
  • Large titles, heated floors, and towel warmers
  • Floating vanities and wall-mounted features
  • Soft lighting and color patterns

Smart Home Technology & Energy Efficiency

Modern homes should feature the latest in smart appliances and fixtures that not only add convenience to daily life, but work towards being energy-efficient.

These upgrades include:

  • High-performance windows and modern insulation
  • Efficient HVAC systems
  • Smart thermostats and lighting
  • LED lighting plans for each room

Modernize Your Whole Home Remodel with Flansburg Construction

If you are looking for ways to bring your home into the modern age, whole home remodeling is one of the most effective and satisfying ways to get it done. While there’s a lot to consider, you can let us help you plan everything along the way. As a design-build firm, we can take your ideas and implement them into a cohesive design that you can be happy with.

From there, we can work towards bringing your ideas to life and leave you with a modern and efficient home that you can be proud of.

Ready to get started? Contact us today!

Home Remodeling Ideas Before Listing Your House on the Market

When you go to list your house on the market, you’ll want to try and get an offer as close to your asking price as possible, however, if you complete some important home remodeling tasks, you may get more than you originally planned.

Today’s buyers are smart, and they know what they want when they’re looking for their next home. Outdated features and style can be a detriment that can leave your home on the market for months. However, smart home remodeling can not only make your home more attractive to buyers, but it could also result in you getting more value.

At Flansburg Construction, we’re here to explore the various ways that you can update your home before listing that can help maximize your return.

Tackle Maintenance Issues First

Before redoing a bathroom or kitchen, it’s important to address any maintenance needs. Buyers will look for red flags before anything else, so it’s important to make sure that your home’s features are in good shape. Small issues can lead to lower offers, so tending to these needs is crucial to maximizing the return on your home.

These maintenance updates include:

  • HVAC/Plumbing/Electrical
  • Water Damage/Stains
  • Cracked Tiles/Warped Flooring
  • Roof Condition
  • Peeling Paint/Trim

Minor Kitchen Updates that Maximize Appeal

You don’t have to pour a bunch of money into your home right before you sell it but making sure that your home appeals to buyers is important. The kitchen is the most important room in the home, so making sure that it’s up to modern standards can help attract buyers.

Some of these updates can include:

  • Refinishing/Repainting Cabinets
  • Updating Hardware
  • Replacing Countertops
  • Add Modern Lighting/Fresh Backsplash
  • Updating Old Appliances

Update Your Bathrooms

Bathrooms can be a deciding factor for buyers. You don’t need to completely remodel your bathroom, but a simple update can go a long way at improving the space.

Effective bathroom updates include:

  • New Countertop/Vanity
  • Modern Fixtures
  • Neutral Paint Colors
  • Modern Lighting/Mirrors
  • Frameless Shower Glass

Boost Your Curb Appeal

First impressions are everything, and since buyers will first see your home online, it’s important to make it look its best before the pictures are taken. This includes updating the exterior so it leaves a great impression for when buyers come to visit. You can add fresh paint, update the front door, include new exterior lighting, add a modern garage door, and even enhance the yard with some fresh landscaping.

Open Up Spaces Where it Makes Sense

Open spaces are a major selling point, and if possible, you may want to open up some spaces in your home to boost the style and flow. Take out non-load-bearing walls, open up the kitchen to the living room, and find functional storage options. This small but effective transformation can be very appealing to potential buyers.

Let Flansburg Construction Help You Get Your Home Ready for Market

If you’re in the process of figuring out how to boost your home’s resale value before putting it on the market, there’s a few home remodeling tasks that can help. Let the team at Flansburg Construction assist you in transforming your home before you list it so you can get the most value out of your home.

Contact us to get started!

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The Pros & Cons of Remodeling Your Home in Phases

Remodeling your home is an exciting experience. It’s your opportunity to transform your living space to either accommodate your growing family, make more room, or even simply to update its style to a more modern aesthetic. However, when it comes to full home remodeling, it can result in a significant budget, a long timeline, and disruptions to your daily life and routines.

Remodeling your home in phases can help you get the most out of the experience and make the process more flexible and accommodating, but there are a few conditions to consider. At Flansburg Construction, we’ve helped homeowners transform their living spaces at once and over time.

Here are the pros and cons of remodeling your home in phases:

Making the Most of Your Budget

Probably the biggest advantage of phasing out your home remodeling is by maintaining your budget. Instead of committing to a major investment upfront, you can parse it out and spread the costs out of time. This helps you prioritize your budget, avoid taking on more debt, and it allows you to adjust for potential changes to your future home remodeling plans.

However, if you plan on doing a full remodel, there are costs with each phase that you need to consider, as well as factoring in design costs for the new spaces in your home.

Disruptions to Your Daily Life Over Periods of Time

It can be chaotic when you’re having your home remodeled. Contractors and workers coming in and out, as well as the accumulation of dust, using temporary utilities, and having limited access to rooms can be stressful. By going with a “one room at a time” approach, you’ll have less disruptions and distractions, and you’ll only have to adjust your schedule temporarily.

But if you phase out your home remodel, it’s simply extending these disruptions over a long period of time. While it may give you a break in between, a full remodel won’t go on for extended periods of time.

Flexibility to Adapt

If you’re prone to changing your mind, or you have an idea that you’re not exactly in love with yet, phasing out the remodeling can help you lock in your decisions with more confidence. This is particularly helpful when you’re locked into a style trend that you’re unsure about, or if it will age well.

This flexibility gives you to chance to evaluate the space and the completed work, see how the room operates during real-world use, and you can incorporate new ideas of appliances over time.

But while having the time and space between remodeling to change your mind, some of the changes you come up with may not be feasible due to structural constraints. It’s best to take the time to plan a redesign and stick with it for the best results.

Longer vs Shorter Planning Stage

When you phase out your home remodeling, it allows you to be more strategic with your planning, and tackle issues as they arise in a more logical order. This can include updating the structural items first, prioritize on high-impact areas, and make way for future expansions down the road.

It’s important to take your time with the planning, but a complete plan is stronger than one that’s improvised down the road.

Remodel Your Home Today with Flansburg Construction

If you’re interested in remodeling your home, but you’re still in the beginning stages of what you want with your upgrades, we can help you. As a design-build firm, we can take your wants and needs into account when completing the initial design. We can also prioritize on which areas in your home you want us to focus on first whether you want to phase it out or complete it all in one seamless task.

Want to learn more? Get in touch with us!

Remodeling vs Moving: What Makes the Most Sense?

Whether you have a growing family, or you’ve grown tired of the décor and space of your home, deciding on whether to move or remodel can be a tough decision because there are a lot of factors to consider.

Both options bring costs and a degree of stress, but it all depends on your needs and wants. At Flansburg Construction, we’re going to break down remodeling vs. moving so you can determine which path is right for you.

When You Should Move

Moving is a big moment for a family. It involves packing, unpacking, dealing with movers, and taking the time to decorate your space. Here’s a few factors that indicate moving may be the right option for you:

  • New job with a long commute
  • The need for a new location or school district
  • Your home’s structure and layout can’t be improved
  • Drastic change in neighborhood
  • You want a completely different style of home

Moving can be hard on a family, but if you’re dealing with more than one of these factors, it may be the right choice.

The Cost of Moving

Moving isn’t as simple as just buying a new house and setting up shop. You have to factor in the cost of hiring movers, repairs or updates to the new home, and not to mention closing costs and fees with your real estate agent. When you put all the numbers together and compare them with the costs to remodel, it may make you think differently. You may also spend even more money with updates to your new home.

When It Makes More Sense to Remodel

Remodeling saves you the stress and logistics of moving into a brand new home and starting everything from scratch. It also affords you the opportunity to expand on your current home and updating its style to what you want. It’s almost like moving without the hassle of packing.

Choosing to remodel makes sense if you like your neighborhood, it’s a good school district, and work is nearby, but you’re looking to update the style and space to improve aesthetics, flow, and functionality. You can add more rooms to your home, open up current ones, and improve the structure.

Getting the Most Out of Your Costs

While buying a new home vs remodeling your current one do carry costs, there’s a few factors that may affect your decision. When you buy a home, there are plenty of fees and costs that come with the territory, not to mention hiring movers, or spending money on storage space for a short period of time.

You can customize your current home while it may take some time to save up to remodel your new one. There is disruption when you remodel, but that is only temporary. Finding comfort in a new home may take some time.

Let Us Help You Decide on Moving vs Remodeling

If you’re currently weighing out your options with either moving into a new home or remodeling your current one, we can help you along the way. As a design-build firm, we can show you the plans we come up with that incorporate your wants and needs so we can help bring the vision of your newly refurbished home into reality.

Get started today by scheduling a consultation with Flansburg Construction!