New Decade – New Beginnings – Making Your Dream Home a Reality in 2020
Happy New Year! We hope you had a lovely celebration. Was it your turn to host family and friends this holiday season? If so, maybe it gave you a clear-eyed look at your home from a functional and aesthetic perspective – and thinking hard about some changes.
Ask yourself, did your kitchen serve you well, or leave you wishing for more counter space, updated appliances, or just more elbow room? Were there enough bedrooms or bathrooms for your guests? Did the floorplan flow, or were you bumping into each other in the hallways? Did you need more storage space, better access, or natural light? Or, did you visit a home that was simply “Oh, wow!”
If you answered “Yes” to any of these observations, 2020 might be the year to get serious about some New Years’ resolutions for your home.
This fresh decade offers us the perfect opportunity to reflect on what serves us best and to make positive changes throughout the years to come, starting with the influence our homes have on our well being.
Brand New Decade – Reflect and Assess
Now that your guests are gone, and you’ve made more than a passing assessment of your home’s livability issues, it’s easy to get overwhelmed – usually starting with what to do with the accumulation of a lifetime of ‘stuff’.
Fear not. We encourage you to think of this new decade as the motivation to hit reset, clean the slate, declutter, and generally minimize your belongings to the most useful and meaningful a la Marie Kondo. Then, donate still usable items to a good cause. Once you’ve sparked all the joy you can handle, it’s time to take another look at what’s left and evaluate your next steps.
Home Is a Big Part of Your Life
Keep in mind, remodeling projects don’t always involve knocking down walls or rearranging floorplans. You’ve seen that remarkable residence and it’s got you thinking about how to improve your home’s functionality or introduce a more personal imprint.
For the tentative, relatively simple upgrades, like painting or replacing kitchen cabinetry and/or countertops, provide near-instant gratification — and further inspiration — at an affordable cost. Even minor changes like these can make a major difference in how you experience your home.
For the intrepid ready for transformative change, go big with a new kitchen, en suite master bath, home addition or whole home upgrade.
With Northern California property values heading north year over year, investing in your property not only enhances your lifestyle but provides a valuable return on investment when it’s time to sell. MAK Design+Build can guide you in developing a remodeling budget commensurate with local home values.
Does Your Home Accommodate Your Lifestyle?
You know best how you live in your home, however, begin considering it as a series of functionally-specific rooms and spaces. Think about how they work together (or not), and, how you wish to inhabit them. Do you entertain, or host extended family frequently? Is your backyard the de facto after-school gathering place for neighborhood kids? Are poker nights, book clubs, or crafting workshops a part of your life? Are you planning on living in place? Got pets?
Perhaps your home improvement vision is more esoteric (albeit necessary), with a desire to create a more harmonious environment, conducive to self-care, and improved health. A serene sanctuary achieved through thoughtful design, imbued with personal style.
Any or all of these scenarios provide the opportunity to improve your home’s functionality and livability according to your lifestyle, long-term goals – and budget. Making these assessments early on will help MAK Design+Build guide you in determining where and how to focus your remodeling dollars for the best possible outcomes.
Get Smart, Not Geeky
When we use the term “smart home,” it applies more to the tenets of good architecture and thoughtful design – not the latest app. With extreme temperatures becoming the norm, Sacramento Valley residents are eager to maximize their home’s energy efficiency – and minimize their utility bills.
If you only make one change to your home this year, start with replacing old windows. Modern, well-insulated windows – some with photochromatic capabilities will significantly improve your home’s energy usage and overall efficiency. Moreover, new windows help reduce interior condensation, mold, and rot around sills, while improving sound insulation.
Need more light? Low tech and “no-tech” solutions like proper South and West orientation of rooms, solar tubes and skylights provide additional sources for natural and ambient light – especially useful for basement additions and interior hallways.
Lastly, upgrading to efficient, energy-sipping appliances and low voltage LED lighting in your 2020 home remodel vision further reduce your carbon footprint – and PG&E bill too.
Shelter from the Sun
The simplest way to shield your home from the scorching sun is to create shade – but trees take time – a shade structure, not so much. Adding shade over windows, porches, and patios can be accomplished through creating deeper eves over patios and porches, or by physical shade structures that filter direct sunlight from entering our homes, especially helpful during the blazing hot summer season.
Living in Place
If you’re one of the many California “Boomers” planning on living in place, there’s more than adding a few grab bars to the bathroom in your future. With an eye toward remaining in your home throughout your lifetime, a 2020 remodel project might take accessibility and mobility into consideration. Consider a bathroom renovation with wider doorways and walk-in showers, with built-in benches, designed to accommodate limited mobility and enhance long-term self-sufficiency.
Ready for Your Dream Home?
Whether you start small with new paint and finishes, or go big with a whole home remodel, there’s no time like the present to manifest all the good things to come in the next decade. Or maybe you just want to be next year’s “Oh, wow” home. That’s a perfectly valid reason too.
If 2020 is the decade of transformative change – for you and your home, we’d be delighted to assist in seeing it through to fruition. Contact us today for a free, in-home consultation and make your dream a reality. 530-750-2209
