
The empty property in the Avenues was dripping with potential and history. Adam Collings and his wife first saw the distressed 1880s home in 2011. The outside of the house resembled the Addam’s Family house before it was remodeled. Trina Knudsen, Renovation Design Group “We were actually at a friend’s barbecue when he pointed it…
Sprucing up the front door can do wonders for curb appeal. Annie Schwemmer, Renovation Design Group Ultimately, a home’s true value is determined by the price someone is willing to pay for it. When deciding whether to remodel a home and how to do it, a big part of that decision rests with…
(before) This beautiful deck and pergola remodel was the result of a great collaborative effort between the architect, general contractor, and steel fabricator. (Kevin Bunnell, Renovation Design Group) Most people who don’t use an architect for a home remodeling project either think the job is too small, or they aren’t educated on the value of…
When clients come to us looking to enhance curb appeal, we often recommend a front porch addition or upgrade. A front porch can do wonders for the look and feel of a house. In addition to helping define the style, the front porch also serves to add to a home’s functionality for residents and guests…
Editor’s note: Portions of this article have been previously published on the authors’ blog and on deseretnews.com. Understanding the history, style and architecture of your home — and the other homes in your neighborhood — is crucial in designing an addition or renovation. Ignore this principle and you’ll end up spending a lot of money…
Before: To make their home more energy efficient and yet preserve some original charm, these clients sandwiched their original leaded-glass windows panes into new Pella Wiindows frames. A home remodeling project may have several goals. We want our finished project to be beautiful and functional, stylish and timeless, solve problems and fulfill dreams. One common…
Real estate professionals say it time and time again: Curb appeal (or the lack thereof) can make or break a deal. They say potential buyers form their opinions about a given property within the first 15 seconds of viewing a house. Whether you are selling your house or not, curb appeal is important and can…
By Ann Robinson & Annie V. Schwemmer The official groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted six more weeks of winter this year. Here along the Wasatch Front, however, we are wondering what winter? Well, whether or not Phil’s prediction will prove to be true, now is the time to plan your spring projects. Along with the normal…
A wood deck addition is the second project with the highest return on investment in Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report for 2013-14. The wooden deck is a common remodeling project, especially at this time of year. As the weather improves, our thoughts turn to barbecues, outdoor parties and soaking up the sun. With our…
As part of our recent market analysis, we mentioned Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report for 2013-2014. The top five national remodeling projects with the highest return on investment for this year are a new front door, a wood deck addition, adding an attic bedroom, garage door replacement and a minor kitchen remodel. BEFORE: In…
By Ann Robinson & Annie V. Schwemmer Adding more curb appeal to a house is one of the top client requests when they are considering a remodel. While some issues of deferred maintenance need to be addressed on a practical level, changing the look of their home is often more of a psychological need…
If you follow this column, you know that for the past month we have been covering house styles. We broke down the history, traditional elements, remodeling challenges and solutions for the Craftsman Bungalow, the Tudor Revival, the Cape Cod and the California Ranch. While this was just a sampling of house styles, we made the…
In honor of this ghoulish holiday, we want to resurrect a favorite scary tale: “The Story of the Frankenhouses.” Spooky decorations may add some Halloween flare to this recently remodeled porch, but nothing is scarier than An Architect’s Tale of the Frankenhouses. Daniel Barton, Renovation Design Group Frankenhouses are “renovated” homes that feature things…
As difficult as remodeling is under the best of circumstances, imagine trying to complete a project on a house in a different city or state. For instance, a Utah family was transferred to Arizona. The family flew to the new city for a few days and found a house that would do, but with some…
We would like to preface this column by saying that we are not automatically opposed to do-it-yourself remodels. We have seen some beautiful homes remodeled by homeowners as the contractor and/or laborer. Granted, the homeowner who successfully does it himself is usually experienced with construction or handier than the average homeowner, but putting some sweat…
One of the common requests we get these days is for exterior updates. Sometimes the interior space is working but the exterior lacks curb appeal. Ultimately, we have found clients who want an exterior update are just trying to love the homes they are in a little more. The economy has locked more people into…
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer The Ashworth family came to us needing two things from their garage: a place to park their cars and some much-needed additional storage space. Though the existing 1920s garage was large, the doors were so narrow that getting 21st century cars in was a chore. In addition, the leaky,…
By Ann Robinson and Annie Schwemmer It’s spring and our thoughts turn to outdoor living. We long for the days soon to come when we can sit on our back porch and relax outside, and our mouths are already watering for the first barbecue of the season. With the spring weather come opportunities to focus…
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Porches are a great way to take advantage of beautiful spring and summer weather. Whether you have a small front porch with a single chair or a big back porch that spills into the backyard, now is the time to assess its condition and get it ready for outdoor…
By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon It’s spring and our thoughts turn to outdoor living. We long for the days soon to come where we can sit on our back porch and relax outside. And our mouths are already watering for the first barbecue of the season. With the spring weather come opportunities to focus…
We have all had the unwelcoming experience of approaching a home without a porch. It’s raining and you hug as close as possible to the door to avoid the dripping rain from the eave. Balancing with one foot on the step and the other on the pathway, you hope someone heard your knock and comes…