PhotosWhy Renovate?
About Us Why Renovate? Getting Started
Renovation
Trends
Increasingly, Texans prefer
to relax, socialize and work at home. As you become financially secure and build
up equity in your home, your housing decisions will be motivated less by need
and more by lifestyle considerations.
Renovation offers tremendous opportunities to create a home that reflects the
way you like to live and contributes to your enjoyment of life. Working with a
professional renovator ensures that you get the knowledge, the technical
expertise and the commitment to customer satisfaction necessary to take your
renovation from idea to successful completion. Lifestyle renovations often
involve major renovations to create attractive, open areas that suits today's
living, working and entertainment needs. Professional renovators can assess the
potential of your existing space and suggest ways of enhancing its
effectiveness. Small living and dining rooms may be combined or walls pushed
back or eliminated to create a "great room". When extra space is
desired, additions are carefully integrated into the design of your home.
The kitchen is often an informal gathering place for family and friends.
Professional renovators will work with you to maximize the use of the space you
have available, open it up and work it into the flow of house. Perhaps a sunny
breakfast nook can be added, or the entire kitchen may be relocated to another
part of the house. When it comes to the actual design of your new kitchen,
trained specialists can help you to develop the layout and the features that
work best for you within your budget. Take
a look at our before and after pictures
One of the latest trends in renovation today is the home-based office. Texans
are opting to work out of their homes in record numbers (currently close to 15%
of all households include a member who operates a business from home). Whether
you want to transform an existing room or incorporate a work area in a new
addition, professional renovators can help you to create an efficient and
pleasant work environment.
A built-in computer desk, shelving and cabinets maximize the use of the
available space and help you to maintain a tidy work station, while pre-wiring
for computers and faxes keeps you plugged in without a mess of wiring
everywhere. Good lighting and ventilation are essential to any work environment.
Home entertainment areas are growing rapidly in popularity. Again, professional
renovators can provide valuable suggestions for built-in cabinetry for your
equipment and a room design that is the most conducive to your listening and
viewing pleasure. Proper sound insulation ensures that family members in the
rest of the home are not inconvenienced.
Like many home owners today, you may want to open up your home to the outside.
Professional renovators can offer ideas that suit your home, your neighborhood
and your budget. You can enjoy the natural beauty surrounding your home by
installing larger windows and glass doors and letting skylights bathe your home
in natural light. Screened-in porches mean pleasant summer evenings outside,
even in the height of the insect season. Sunrooms can offer many hours of
exquisite, quiet enjoyment.
When easy maintenance is important, your renovator can suggest a wealth of
renovation products and materials aimed at reducing the time you spend on
regular upkeep. Outside, you want to minimize painting and working on ladders.
For instance, if your old windows are drafty and require regular painting, now
is the time to install new energy-efficient and low-maintenance windows.
Ideally, you should be able to clean them, inside and out, from the inside of
the house. The marketplace also offers an unparalleled selection of vinyl,
aluminum and brick alternatives to your maintenance-intensive exterior cladding
and trim. Inside, low-maintenance products are available for all areas of the
house, from countertops to flooring.
If you intend to stay in your home for many years to come, renovators suggest
that you consider "renovating for a lifetime". By making a few simple
changes to your plans for instance, levered handles on doors, larger light
switches and wider doorways you can anticipate needs that may arise in the
future. If someone in your household has special mobility challenges, contact
ADA
Information -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Texas Governor's Committee on People
with Disabilities
P. O. Box 12428, Austin, Texas 78711
512-463-5739 (Voice) 512-463-5746 (TTY) 512-463-5745 (Fax)
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/disabilities/ada/