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DIY vs Professional Home Renovation Contractors: Considering Your Options

Written by @fl@nsburg on . Posted in NJ Home Improvement, NJ home remodeling.

When it’s time to consider home renovations to help boost the overall aesthetic and curb appeal of your house, you may be debating between doing it yourself or hiring a professional. While there are many advantages to both avenues, you’ll want to choose the one that’s right for you and your renovation plans.

At Flansburg Construction, LLC, we’re here to detail DIY vs professional home renovation services so you can decide on which path is right for you.

Knowledge & Experience

The biggest benefit to hiring a professional design-build home renovation contractor is that they have the necessary experience and knowledge for tackling your home renovation project. They’ve got years of experience, have taken the time to hone their skills and master their trades, as well as they’ve stayed up to date with the latest trends and techniques in the industry, and are familiar with local regulations and building codes.

While it may be a fun project to take on yourself, there could be some heavy downtime to research certain methods and processes, leaving your home in renovation limbo.

Project Duration & Efficiency

When you hire a professional home renovation contractor, they’ll give you not only an estimate of the costs, but also the length of time until the project is completed. When you take on this task yourself, the completion date can be mirky in the sense of unforeseen issues, inability to acquire materials, as well as the time it takes to properly learn the necessary skills.

Access to Materials & Resources

Design-build home renovation contractors have access to all the necessary tools, resources, and building materials that are needed for the job. They have commercial accounts with suppliers and retailers, so procuring these materials is seamless.

Quality of Work

One major deciding factor that tips the scales of DIY vs. professional home renovation is the quality of work. While it may look easy on TV, it’s actually a very difficult and involved process to renovate a home. Plus, you may be doing it on your own whereas a professional contractor will have several team members with different expertise that all work together to bring about an immaculate finished product.

Avoiding Stress & Injury

The process of renovating a home can be a stressful one, even if you aren’t the one doing the work. However, if you are doing the work, the stress of doing it yourself can be insurmountable. There’s also the risk of injury if you’re inexperienced with building and the various tools necessary for the job.

Hiring a professional home renovation contractor will alleviate some of the stress and keep you out of harm’s way. You can simply relax and let the professionals go to work to bring your vision to life.

Contact a Professional Home Renovation Contractor Today

While completing a home renovation by yourself can be a remarkable feat, it’s not recommended if you’re without professional experience. But if you’re looking to complete some renovations to your home, and you’re looking for a professional to assist you, you can contact us at Flansburg Construction, LLC.

We’re a design-build firm that’s here to help you complete the process of renovating your home from start to finish.

Contact us today to get started!

Mastering the Art of the Home Addition: Navigate the Process with Confidence

Written by @fl@nsburg on . Posted in NJ Home Improvement, NJ home remodeling.

In today’s cutthroat real estate market where homes are being sold faster than families can tour them, buying your dream house might be more difficult than you thought. Because of this, many homeowners are turning to a more viable solution by investing in an addition to transform their current space into the forever home their family needs.

A custom addition is the perfect solution if you already love your neighborhood and commute and are looking for a less expensive alternative to buying a brand-new house. Additions give you the power to create a space that truly fits your family’s lifestyle, rather than tying you down to what’s available in the real estate market.

Wondering how you can make it happen? An experienced design-build team like Flansburg can help you navigate through these four steps.

Step One: Make a Plan and Build a Budget. Careful planning at the start of your custom addition project will help ensure a smooth process and results designed to exceed your expectations. At Flansburg, all of our projects begin with a consultation where we discuss the pain points of your current space, your dream home vision, and design styles you love. We’ll also talk about your budget and come up with a number for the entire project that you feel comfortable with.

Step Two: Choose the Right Professionals. Selecting experienced designers, planners, and craftsmen is vital to your project’s success. As a design-build firm, Flansburg has a team in place of some of the best in the business. Our trusted partners produce high-quality results according to your exact specifications outlined during the planning process. At the beginning of your project, we’ll assign a designated project manager to coordinate and communicate with everyone on the job site. They’ll also provide you with regular updates and will be available to answer any of your questions.

Step Three: Navigate the Zoning Process. Before any work begins onsite, you’ll need to ensure your custom addition adheres to local zoning requirements. We’ll help you understand your area’s zoning rules early on in the design-build process. Some projects, like work on historic homes or on protected land, may have more stringent restrictions, but Flansburg’s experienced team can design a plan that will satisfy your property’s unique zoning requirements, and help you avoid costly project delays or redesigns.

Step Four: Integrate Design and Construction. The best way to approach a custom addition is with an integrated design-build approach, which ensures cohesion from initial design concepts and budgeting to construction to final touches. With one team working on your build from start to finish, you can expect a space that is exactly what you envisioned.

Whether you want to create some more space for your family to enjoy until you move later on, or if you want to turn your current house into a forever home, a custom addition can turn your vision into a livable reality—no real estate agents required. The Flansburg team is here to help you navigate the design-build process from start to finish as you take on your addition project. Ready to get started? Schedule a consultation today and together we’ll explore the possibilities of expanding your space!

residential home additions

Summer-Friendly Residential Home Additions for the Whole Family

Written by @fl@nsburg on . Posted in NJ home remodeling.

The summer is a time for relaxation and enjoyment. However, it may be challenging to fully appreciate the beauty of the season and the company of your loved ones if your current living space is not meeting your needs. With the support of our designers and construction professionals at Flansburg Construction, you can make the most of this summer with these excellent residential home additions.

A Relaxing Porch Addition

According to a recent Houzz study, two-thirds of homeowners use their outdoor spaces for relaxing. An upgraded porch is perfect for integrating the joys of unwinding into your home. Your new porch can also be fashioned as a sprawling outdoor space, making it excellent for hosting and spending time with your loved ones. Allow Flansburg Construction to conduct roofing, lighting, and further structural work to guarantee the usability and durability of your new porch addition.

A New Entertainment Space for the Family

For many families, summertime means school’s out! Make your home more enjoyable for everyone with a thrilling new space to hang out in. Comfortable seating arrangements, game-centered views, and even a new bar are all possible with our comprehensive home renovation services. Our experienced contractors can add a bathroom, install new countertops, insulate the space, and even extend the space outdoors to ensure that the joy of outdoor play is not neglected.

Discover how Flansburg Construction can transform your home with stunning residential additions. Schedule a consultation today!

A Gorgeous Patio Addition

Enjoy your lovely yard with a patio that maximizes the family’s seasonal enjoyment. A patio is great for hosting gatherings and enjoying the outdoors without sacrificing comfort. Outdoor living is top of mind for many homeowners in the summer season. Consult with our contractors to learn more about the specific materials we can use to construct a patio that reflects your style and fulfills your needs.

Our team makes full renovations that marry this space to the rest of your home, so sliding doors for easy kitchen access and ample seating setups are a couple of key ways we can complete this fun summer addition! Custom water features, unique decor, and space expansions are other implementations that make your patio space everything you’ve envisioned.

A Stunning Sunroom Addition for Your Residence

You don’t have to endure uncomfortable heat while trying to take advantage of beautiful natural light. A new sunroom addition is just the solution homeowners love. Furthermore, the flexibility of this space means it can be specifically tailored to your needs. Work with our remodeling experts to furnish this area according to its purpose. Make it a reading haven with interior finishing and insulation that creates a cozy, quiet library for the family. Maybe you’d like to dedicate this area to your hobby. Smart use of space and window configurations that allow you to reap the rewards of natural light make practicing your passions a joyful experience, every day.

Looking to refresh your property and elevate your quality of life? Flansburg Construction is here to deliver residential home additions to make it happen. Don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with our team today so we can get started on your comprehensive home remodeling project in New Jersey.

Matte, Modern and Marvelous: West Windsor Kitchen Is a Captivating Take on Contemporary Design

Written by @fl@nsburg on . Posted in Kitchen Remodeling, NJ Home Improvement, NJ home remodeling.

As your family grows, so too must your house to accommodate various changing needs. When our West Windsor clients reached out to us, their home was no longer functioning the way they needed it for their two teenage children, mother-in-law, and the family dog. With cramped and outdated rooms throughout, they knew there had to be a better solution, and our design team was happy to help them find it.

The Pain Points

Some of the biggest issues our clients had with their existing space included a lack of functional design—there wasn’t enough storage or seating in the kitchen, the appliances weren’t convenient for the layout, and the flow definitely didn’t work well. In addition, there simply wasn’t enough square footage (or bathrooms!) for this family of five to comfortably coexist.

Expanding the Home

To give our clients the space their family desperately needed, we created a design plan that included a full kitchen remodel with all new electrical work, an 800-square-foot addition, two new bathrooms, and a bedroom refresh, before finishing the exterior off with new siding on the whole home.

Flow was a big issue, so to solve that, we designed a new layout by removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and relocating the laundry closer to the bedrooms.

Creating the Ultimate Gathering Space

As the hub of the home, a kitchen must function flawlessly—and look good while doing so. For this design, we leaned into our clients’ preferred contemporary style to create a dark and dramatic space that has everything on their wish list.

The clean lines of the matte black laminate cabinets give the entire room a sleek look that allows details like the flooring, fixtures, and quartz countertops to really pop. Integrated appliances, including a flush refrigerator, spacious wine fridge, warming drawer, and range hood keep sight lines clean. A hidden coffee bar ensures that even the smallest of appliances are tucked neatly away.

Since the home’s original kitchen didn’t have much room for the family to gather together, we made sure to add plenty of seating with a custom redwood peninsula that sits just off the island.

To balance out the dark cabinets, we made sure to incorporate as much natural light as we could with a custom feature window behind the range that looks out onto the deck and backyard, as well as a new patio door directly across from the peninsula, which makes hosting outdoor parties easier than ever.

For the home chef, this space is truly a dream. From top-of-the-line appliances to endless prep space and more closed storage than ever before, this kitchen was made for cooking meals that the whole family can enjoy together. And for after those meals? A deep sink and paneled dishwasher make cleanup a breeze, while the wine fridge and (hidden) coffee station ensure the drinks will keep on flowing.

Finally, we added integrated under-cabinet lighting to make life a little easier for late night snackers to navigate.

A far cry from the home’s original, small kitchen, this new space is proof for our clients that they can have it all–ample storage, room to gather, major style, and lots of luxury. With a bit of creative ingenuity (plus that much-needed extra square footage), our design team was able to give this family everything they wanted, plus a few extras. Now, this house truly feels like home for this family to enjoy for many years to come.

Ready to reimagine your space? Flansburg Construction’s team of experts can help bring your vision to life! Schedule a consultation to get started today!

A New Porch in Princeton: How We Built this Sweet Escape Surrounded by Nature

Written by @fl@nsburg on . Posted in NJ Home Improvement, NJ home remodeling, Uncategorized.

Nothing adds character to a house quite like a porch. From the sprawling wraparounds that give a welcoming nostalgia to enclosed versions that allow for access to nature throughout the year, porches have a way of injecting both personality and functionality to your space.

This is definitely the case for our recent clients’ Princeton home, where we reimagined their back deck into a gorgeous custom rear porch—the perfect quiet retreat.

Blending In

As empty nesters looking forward to life’s next phases, this project was part of our clients’ efforts to remain in their beloved home for many years to come. To honor the history of the structure, they asked for our designers to create a space that looked as if it had always been a part of the home’s architecture, and we were all too glad to take on the challenge.

One key to making this design work was blending the new porch’s roof lines into the rest of the house. While this was a bit of a challenge, we made it work in the end with the help of some creative ingenuity. We also made sure to match the siding and trim colors to help with visual continuity.

Striking a Balance

One of the prime motivators for the homeowners to convert their existing deck to this porch was the stunning natural view surrounding their property, which they loved to enjoy. However, the lack of sunlight due to all the trees—and the seemingly endless insects that also call the area home—nudged our clients in the direction of a more enclosed space where they could enjoy nature in comfort.

As a result, the porch is completely screened in with a side door to access the patio. To help create a seamless feel with an extra layer of protection from the elements, we opted to use ipe, an exotic hardwood from South America, for the decking material. Extremely weather and insect resistant—even without extra treatment—and among the hardest wood on the planet, ipe was a natural choice for durable flooring in this space. As an added bonus, its rich, variated tones make the floor look original to the house.

Quaint Details

This house already had a lot of character, so we wanted to give the new space the same feel. Cedar shake siding in the same sage green as the rest of the house lines the interior while white trim and painted exposed ceiling joists lend to the room’s bright, airy feel. A surround of screens on three sides allows for cross-ventilation and a low-profile ceiling fan provides support on particularly hot days. Two glass doors leading into the living room and kitchen provide separation from the main part of the house without feeling disconnected and allowing for sight lines into the yard.

With 160 square feet now available for a few seating areas—and easy access to the patio— this new space is an ideal extension for evening cocktails with friends, enjoying the outdoors over a cup of morning coffee, or curling up with a good book on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The views of the natural backdrop give cottage-in-the-woods vibes that promise to make this spot a fast favorite for both our clients and their guests.

Our clients couldn’t be happier with their new space! More functional than the original deck, and a seamless addition to their home, this back porch is exactly what they wanted as they continue to enjoy their home for many years to come.

Wondering how your outdoor or transitional space can better suit your needs? Flansburg can help—contact us today to schedule a consultation and see what’s possible!

Modern and Multigenerational: A Total Home Refresh to Make Room for the Whole Family

Written by @fl@nsburg on . Posted in Aging in place, Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, NJ Home Improvement, NJ home remodeling.

With a parent set to move in, our recent clients asked us to help them transform their West Windsor home into a functional, multigenerational space that would accommodate the whole family—from teenagers to an aging grandparent. To give everyone adequate space, a 700-square-foot addition was definitely in the cards, but it needed to flow well with the rest of the house and everything needed to reflect the homeowners’ contemporary style.

Separate Suites

Starting with the addition, we created a private space for our client’s parent with a bedroom, bathroom, and separate entrance. Rich mauves and deep purples lend a richness to the suite, with gold fixtures and pops of white adding just the right amount of brightness to the look. Finally, a separate HVAC system means this portion of the house is completely contained.

We then reimagined the house’s second floor into a “princess suite” by adding a new bathroom in a pink and white color palette. A light-grained marble countertop and sleek, modern hardware elevates the vanity while a stunning teal tile accent wall creates a wow-worthy moment in the new walk-in shower. A custom nook holds all of the essentials, while a rain shower head and a handheld wand ensure a luxurious bathing experience.

Finally, we remodeled the existing hall bathroom on the second floor in a chic grey-white-and-neutral palette before connecting it with the second bedroom for another private suite experience.

To finish off the second floor, we also moved the laundry room upstairs to make chore days easier.

A Dark and Dramatic Kitchen

To create the kitchen of our clients’ dreams, we enlarged their existing space by removing a wall. Then we leaned into their love of contemporary and eclectic style elements to enhance the space.

Frameless, European-style cabinets in an impressive matte black dominate the space for sleek floor-to-ceiling storage. In the center of the room, a spacious island topped with a quartz countertop provides ample seating and houses the sink for easy cleanup. Along the back wall, the oven looks out onto the back deck through a custom picture window—the perfect way for the home chef to feel connected with guests while hosting.

Integrated appliances throughout, including a specialty wine fridge, add yet another layer of quiet luxury. A custom dining table in a rich redwood with a waterfall edge provides plenty of seating while injecting just the right amount of warmth. Stunning tonal wood floors add visual interest as they stretch across the space, and for the finishing touch—and a bit of glam— bright, modern lighting fixtures draw the eye up.

Design-Build Details

No home transformation would be complete without addressing the essentials. To give the outside of this house a well-deserved facelift—and to ensure the addition matched the rest of the structure—we replaced the siding, opting for a warm taupe color. For maximum efficiency, we chose to use Anderson windows throughout, including for the custom picture window in the kitchen. Finally, our design team selected paint colors from Farrow and Ball to set the mood in each of the spaces we renovated.

The final effect of this home transformation is truly show stopping! With a modern and dramatic flair, careful planning to give everyone a space of their own, and touches of luxury throughout, our clients couldn’t be happier with their transformed home.

Although it can seem tricky to create a multigenerational layout that meets the needs of everyone in the family without losing any style, the possibilities are truly endless with a bit of design ingenuity.

Looking for a way to make your house work for your expanding family? The Flansburg team can help — schedule a consultation with one of our design experts today!