How to Start Your Home Improvement Project

Another question we’re often asked during our Do-It-Yourself Tutoring Sessions stem from our Lancaster, PA clients watching a home improvement show and wondering to themselves; “Can I do that to my home?” or “How do I begin a project like that?”

Starting any home improvement project can seem daunting but there are some simple steps you can take to get your project under way.

First, decide why you’d like to remodel. There are several good reasons to renovate. Your home may no longer reflect your tastes or your lifestyle. Your family dynamics may have changed. Maybe you’d like to make your home more environmentally friendly. You may even be planning a move in the future and you’d like to invest in your home to make it more marketable. Whatever the reason, identify it. If there’s more than one – even better! The point is that in order for you to be thrilled at the end of the project, you need to first understand why you want the change.

The next step is to make a list of everything you’d like to have done and divide the items on that list into 3 categories:

1. Must Have Items
2. Would Like to Have Items
3. Dream Items

Once your list is complete, think about your budget… but don’t over think it! Too many people get hung up on this and never even begin their projects. You must begin to formulate what you’ll be comfortable investing in your home, but remember; until you talk with an experienced remodeling contractor, you won’t be able to take into account all of the methods that are available to help you get more out of your budget. A home improvement professional is experienced and up to date with the latest tax credits, rebates, alternative building materials, and cost saving methods that can make many of your “Dream Items” possible!

What Next?

Once you’ve created your list of remodeling projects and considered your budget, it’s time to get a professional working with you to develop a plan to make your project a reality. When dealing with something as important as your home, you don’t want to settle for just anyone. Selecting an unqualified individual or low quality renovation crew can cost you dearly in the end. Don’t trust something this important to the unqualified, inexperienced, uninsured, or anyone promising you something that you know is too good to be true. You owe it to yourself and your home to begin with speaking to a trusted professional. For more tips on choosing your remodeling contractor, check out this related post on our blog.

If you’re in Lancaster County, PA, please consider MBC for your next Home Improvement project!

Thank you,

Matt Blank
MBC Building & Remodeling, LLC
Serving Lancaster County, PA since 1999!

Painting Tips from DoItYourself.com

We get a lot of questions about painting during our Do-It-Yourself Tutoring Sessions, so I figured I'd share some useful painting tips from DoItYourself.com. If you're a Do-It-Yourselfer in Lancaster County, PA, feel free to give us a call if you'd like to set up a Tutoring Session.

Enjoy!

Mike Blank, CGR CAPS
MBC Building & Remodeling, LLC
(717) 371-5136

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According to the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association, there are a few tips to keep in mind when considering a new paint job.

First, light colors make a home look larger. They also reflect light and heat, making them good choices for sun-drenched areas. And they intensify shadows, which enhances trim and relief details.

Dark colors, on the other hand, absorb light and heat. They make a house appear smaller but also can create drama, weight and mass. Used on the tip of a tall house, a dark color will visually diminish its height.

Softer or muted colors are usually preferred for the body of the house. Deep or bright colors are good choices for accents and trim. Deep red and greens traditionally have been popular colors for doors. However, violets and deep plums also are gaining at the portal.

When choosing a color, take the color chips provided by the decorating center outside to observe the color under varying light conditions. Look at the color vertically in open shade or on an overcast day.

Also important to consider is the landscape. Consider flower pots and window boxes, garden furniture, benches, gazebos - these perhaps could use some paint, too. A well-groomed look is easily created by painting landscape accessories in the same color as the house trim.

Tips for Successful Home Improvements

It’s getting HOT in Lancaster, PA, and many homeowners are eager to update and improve their homes through remodeling projects like decks, sunrooms and finished basements (for those 100+ degrees like today!).

Before you begin your home improvement project, here are a few smart ideas for planning a success that will bring you joy for many years to come.

1. Write down a list of the remodeling ideas you have for your home. Include everything you think needs to be done and everything you wish you could improve about your home. Drafting a budget is a key early step. Most homeowners already have projects in mind, such as modernizing the kitchen, adding a bathroom or replacing windows, but not always the budget to take care of everything right now. That’s why you should prioritize your list. Perhaps it’s not the right time to do everything, but most homeowner’s are delighted to discover how they can maximize their budget by doing the work in phases. If you’re in Lancaster County, PA, MBC (that’s us!) is available for suggesting budget-friendly materials and utilizing innovative solutions to help you stretch your home improvement budget. We also offer financing options.

2. Make sure you team up with a professional. Call my Dad Mike or me so we can help you uncover the best way to get your home improvement projects completed.

Even if you only have exploratory questions, the best way to get good information is to simply ask… that’s what we’re here for!

3. Explore your creative side and help make the project fun for you too! Many "amateur" designers come up with wonderful ideas, and since you are living in your home everyday, your input will help us come up with a final plan that meets your specific needs. A good start could be to make a sketch of your current floor plan and work out your concepts. It doesn't matter if you’re “van Gogh” or not, we’ll make sure that your creativity doesn’t go unnoticed! Plus, by brainstorming you might come up with ideas you had never even thought of.

4. Take advantage of the current energy-efficiency tax credits. Don’t miss out on time sensitive incentives for replacing windows or doors, adding insulation, installing new roofing, upgrading heating or air-conditioning units, updating the water heater or installing energy generating products.

These incentives are a great way to enhance your home and defray the costs… maximizing your remodeling budget AND reducing home energy bills; it’s a win, win for YOU!

Best,

Matt Blank
MBC Building & Remodeling, LLC has served Lancaster County, PA with Award-Winning Home Remodeling since 1999. Please visit our website for all things Lancaster, PA Remodeling.