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Home Remodeling

Important Considerations to Make Before Choosing General Contractors

One of worst mistakes that homeowners could make in their home building or home remodeling projects is to choose and hire general contractors based on how low they offered their bids for a particular project. Hiring a contractor or a home builder with the lowest bid does not guarantee that you will get a high level of quality, an efficient construction schedule, good materials and even security.A�
Although cost-effectiveness is an important aspect in any home remodeling project and would be an important and vital factor in the selection process for general contractors, it is not your only or sole basis for selection. There are other considerations to make that involve checking out the company and getting guarantees of their work. This should be your basic process whether you plan to build or renovate a home in Boston, Massachusetts or anywhere else around the nation.A�
On top of that, there are certain qualifications and standards that your general contractors should adhere to, including green building standards and practices. These requirements are being applied by government entities in their own construction requirements and these should also be applied to domestic applications as well.A�
Green Building Qualification of Your General ContractorsA�
The concept of environmental practices or what is more commonly called as green building has been an old concept already used in the past but it recently gained more attention and popularity in recent times. In line with this, the U.S. Green Building Council developed a Green Building Rating System which is more commonly known as the LEED certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an important qualification that your general contractors should have.A�
General contractors that are qualified for LEED certification are expected to use environmental-friendly methods and procedures during their construction projects, including activities for home renovation or home remodeling. Such practices include the construction of energy-efficient structures, as wells as reducing or even eliminating the volume of waste materials generated within a construction site.A�
There are four levels of certification in LEED and this includes the Certified, Silver, Gold and the Platinum levels. General contractors with certain levels of LEED certification would be ideal for your home remodeling project, particularly if you are keen in having an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient home. The result would not only be good for the environment, but with your finances in the long run as well.A�
Other Considerations for Selecting General ContractorsA�
Aside from LEED certification, there are other considerations that a homeowner could rely upon when trying to decide which general contractors to hire for their home remodeling projects. These considerations include:A�
* Membership in a reputable association or organization such as the National Association of Home Builders. As a member, general contractors are required to provide company information which will be scrutinized by the association in order to gain acceptance as a member. Homeowners can get required information from the association regarding a particular contractor.A�
* Check for any consumer complaints lodged against your general contractors from your state or local Better Business Bureau. Should there be a complaint, try to get in touch with the complainant and know the nature and reason behind the complaint.A�
* Avoid entities that have no apparent documented records in any associations, organizations or even in the Better Business Bureau. You might be dealing with a building scammer.A�
* Get as many bidders as you can, with three as a minimum. An indication of reputable companies would be a bid that would be at least closer or slightly higher with the rest of the bids. A bid that is considerably low than others are questionable in nature, so be careful and ask a lot of questions and background checks.A�
A home renovation or a home remodeling project is a worthwhile endeavor particularly if you have the design and the budget in place. However, you would need qualified general contractors who will get the job done and give you the results that you are expecting.

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Bathroom Renovations

Choosing Themes for Bathroom Remodeling

Going through bathroom remodeling almost always involves choosing a theme for your bathroom. The theme dictates the style and design of your whole bathroom and will determine what your fixtures will look like as well as your bathroom d?�cor.
Without a proper theme, your bathroom may not have a consistent design and certain items or fixtures may clash with others leading to an uncomfortable atmosphere. For example: your new bathroom vanity could be modern but if the walls of your bathroom or the surrounding bathroom d?�cor has a traditional design, then these elements would clash and at that point it wouldn’t matter how beautiful or stylish the individual pieces are.
Some people have problems choosing a new theme for their bathroom remodeling. If you are having difficulty yourself, you can try choosing a single fixture in your bathroom with strong a presence, such as a bathroom vanity you particularly like and build the theme around that. It is not uncommon for the focal point of the bathroom to be the bathroom vanity and many of them come in styles that can set the mood for your entire bathroom.
Here are some commonly used bathroom themes that you can consider for your bathroom remodeling:
Asian
This kind of theme is becoming frequently found in several homes. This theme can be done in a lot of ways but it commonly has strong yet balanced contrast of light and dark colors. You may find yourself using wooden fixtures with a strong presence along with matching glass bathroom d?�cor strategically placed around the bathroom.
Zen
This is a popular theme that focuses on enhancing feelings of peace and tranquility. This is normally found within several spas, as it is calming and easy to work with. Adapting this theme for your bathroom remodeling will entail a neutral color scheme and tasteful, somewhat minimalist, bathroom d?�cor such as thin plants, scented candles, and bamboo flooring just to name a few.
Modern
This is probably currently the most popular theme now and not just for bathrooms. While there are many different kinds of modern themes and several fusions of a modern theme with various other styles, there are some very common distinctions among all of them — It is minimalist and places more focus on functionality over intricate designs. It is very easy a theme to accomplish and it normally costs less than other themes.
Your chosen theme will drastically affect your bathroom remodeling and must be given time for consideration as you will be seeing a lot of this theme likely for a long time.