Orange County and Los Angeles residents spend about a third more on kitchen remodels and nearly twice the national average to redo their bathrooms, according to an analysis by HomeAdvisor, a home servicesmarketplace.

Room additions, meanwhile, can set you back more than double what it costs in the U.S. as a whole, the analysis shows.

HomeAdvisor based the analysis on service requests to the site between July 2016 and July 2017 and costs provided by homeowners.

HomeAdvisor didnt disclose the exact number of projects it reviewed, but said it received 14 million service requests in the past yearand looked at hundreds of thousands of data points throughout Los Angeles and Orange County.

The findings correlate to Southern Californias higher home prices. The median price of an Orange County home the price at the midpoint of all sales was $695,000 in June, tying with May for an all-time high, according to real estate data firm CoreLogic.

Nationwide, home improvement is increasing at nearly 6 percent a year, the Leading Index for Remodeling Activity shows.

With home equity rising, owners are completing larger, discretionary projects, said Brad Hunter, HomeAdvisors chief economist. In 2016, they spent an average of nearly $2,000 more than they did in 2015, he said.

Expected to keep the trend going: Millennials putting money into fixer uppers and aging Baby Boomers making modifications to their homes so they can stay put. And, Hunter said, rising mortgage interest rates likely will create anadditional impetus for home improvement spending.

Heres a tool to help figure out remodeling costs in different places.

See original here:
How much could your home remodeling job cost? More in OC and LA than elsewhere - OCRegister

DANVILLE Danville Public Library officials seek library and non-library users to answer surveys, with the results used to update the librarys strategic plan.

About 200 surveys have been filled out. Library board members handed them out at the recent library book sale. The survey also is available at the library and will be put on the librarys website at http://www.danville.lib.us after more questions are added.

DPL Director Theresa Tyner said the initial survey was very minimal and they have been in the process of adding more questions. She said the library usually updates its strategic plan about every three to five years or more.

Were looking at future services and asking (respondents) how do you use the library now and if not, why not, Tyner said.

We really want to know if people are using the library or certain services or certain collections, she said, this includes whether patrons use electronic collections or only prefer physical books.

Survey questions also ask about library programming, if the respondent attended certain programs and what programs respondents would like the library to offer that haven't been offered in the past.

Another strategic planning meeting will be 4-8 p.m. Sept. 13 in the library's first floor meeting room at 319 N. Vermilion St.

Also at a recent board meeting, library board members approved a $27,984 contract with Dewberry Architects Inc. that outlines services for the construction documents, bidding and construction administration phases of the library's interior remodeling project. Project funding comes from the Danville Library Foundation.

The approximately $412,000 renovation project will include a dedicated Teen Space on the first floor across from the childrens area, two meeting/study rooms in the second floor archives area, a facilities office and additional storage. There also will be sound insulation added to the study room areas and some lighting changes.

Library board members have requested fundraising assistance up to $500,000 from the Danville Library Foundation for the project.

Tyner said theyre still not sure on a timeline for the project. Construction could take six months, with the project possibly being bid this fall. The project planning process started under former library director Barb Nolan.

In other library board business, the library will refill the assistant director and outreach department director positions when Mike and Leslie Boedicker leave within the next two months. Tyner said they will be moving some tasks around with the positions.

Read more:
Library to update its strategic plan - Danville Commercial News

IF YOU GO

What: 3rd annual Ave Maria Village Family and Friends Community Fun Walk When: 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5 Where: Ave Maria Village, 501 19th St. NE Info: The cost to register is $25 for adults, $10 for Heritage Centre residents, and Ave Maria Village residents and children 12 years old and younger can enter for free. Registration forms may be picked up and returned to Ave Maria Village.

The 3rd annual Ave Maria Village Family and Friends Community Fun Walk is raising funds for phase one of Ave Maria Villages private room campaign.

Lisa Wagner, who came up with idea for the walk three years ago and is a walk organizer, said about 65 people have registered for the walk so far this year. Last year there were 100 participants, but this year Wagner said she would like to get 120 to 150 participants.

Wagner said same-day registration for the walk will be allowed. People wanting to register on the day of the walk should arrive between 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. to allow for extra time.

Participants will walk along a paved path starting from the Ave Maria Village pavilion area, which is located north of the parking lot for employees. The path is 1 mile long. Prize drawings will start at 10 a.m.

Jan Barnes, development and volunteer director for Ave Maria Village, said phase one of the private room campaign is raising funds to improve the rooms and other physical amenities the long-term care facility offers to its residents. She said a new phone system was just installed so each resident has a new phone and his or her own phone number.

Its a more versatile phone system, Barnes said.

Barnes said she has raised enough money through the private room campaign to create two bath suites. The work, once it starts sometime in August, will renovate the bathrooms in two rooms and make those bathrooms more spa like, she said. The estimated cost to create the two bath suites is $57,000 each.

Barnes said the next project is remodeling the kitchen for the Ave Maria Village building. She said the building is 55 years old and the kitchen has never been remodeled. She had no estimate on how much the kitchen remodeling will cost. The last thing to be done as part of the private room campaign is to remove all the wallpaper in each room and throughout the building and paint the walls.

We want to give the building a new look, she said.

colson@jamestownsun.com

(701) 952-8454

Excerpt from:
Fun Walk raises funds for private room campaign - Jamestown Sun

Split Level renovations have been growing in the last few years. It is a fast and convenient way to add more space to the unfinished or partly-finished areas of the home. Some ideas are opening up the main floor, updating the kitchen, adding bathrooms and formal living rooms.

Many people want to create more openness in the main floor of a split level, which usually consists of living room, dining room, kitchen and possibly a bedroom. Openness can certainly be achieved by removing some of the walls between rooms. You will need to be sure you know which walls are load-bearing walls. For example, you might want more openness between the kitchen and the dining room. Either removing the wall or replacing the wall with a counter will open up the area and feel more spacious. Removing the wall between the living room and dining room can also open up the area and make it more conducive to entertaining.

It is not uncommon for split level homes with four levels to have an unfinished bottom level. Finishing this area is really no different from finishing any basement. It will be important, however, to check on ceiling height early in the planning stages of the project. A number of split level homes have lower ceilings on the bottom floor.

The desire to add a bathroom to any home is quite common. Split levels often offer two important opportunities for bathroom additions. First, most split level homes were not built with a bathroom on the main (formal living area) floor. Many homeowners would like to add at least a half-bath or powder room on the main floor for the comfort and convenience of guests or for elderly or disabled family members. Determining the location of the new bathroom is a challenge in most split levels. Logic and cost-consciousness would suggest locating the new bathroom near (next to, above or below) existing plumbing. This allows you to use existing supply and removal pipes. Depending on the floor plan, however, this might not be workable. Location of pipes to a new bathroom on the main floor will also require some attention to the ceiling height of the floor below (if there is one). If the lower level has typically lower ceilings, placement of plumbing might depend upon where you can run pipes without making the lower level unusable.

See more here:
Whole House Remodeling, Room Additions

Jul 27, 2017 at 7:41 am | Print View

Stepping into The Map Room, a new pub in downtown Cedar Rapids, is a little like stepping into the pages of an atlas maps from around the world line the walls.

We traveled a lot, and we were always picking up maps wherever we went. We joked we would put them in the map room someday, said owner Christina Springman, who opened the bar and restaurant with her husband, Mitch Springman.

Instead of creating that room in their house, they decided to share their maps with the public, alongside servings of homemade pub food and signature cocktails. Together, the decor and the menu are meant to provide a friendly, comfortable atmosphere.

We wanted a spot that would inspire people to talk about their travels, Christina Springman said.

The food also comes with a globe-trotting aesthetic. The kitchen is small, about 4 feet wide, so they had to keep the menu focused; chef Quincey Sproston mainly serves burgers, along with a selection of loaded fries and crostinis.

Each burger focuses on a different global city, with a flavor profile and toppings inspired by that areas cuisine. The Delhi burger, for example, is topped with paneer, garam masala and mint chutney, while the New Orleans burger is topped with mortadella, ham, salami, mozzarella, provolone and spicy olive relish. Others include the Marrakesh, Seoul, Memphis and Napoli burgers.

We tried to hit every continent with the menu, Springman said. We just had to figure out how to put them on a burger.

The drink menu, meanwhile, features beer and wine alongside craft cocktails like the La Mure, which includes blackberry brandy, fresh lemon juice and sparkling wine, or the Porch Life, with gin, Domaine de Canton ginger and house-made strawberry lemonade.

We went for light, refreshing summer drinks, Springman said. I want this to be a comfortable tavern. I dont want it to be pretentious by any means.

Both of the Springmans have a restaurant industry background. Christina Springman most recently managed the Black Sheep Social Club, and Mitch Springman manages The Lucky Penny in Hiawatha.

Black Sheep Social Club owner Graig Cone gave them the loan to get started with The Map Room. When Stellas closed during the 2016 flood and didnt reopen, Springman got in touch with building owner Kory Nanke with her business proposal. After some remodeling, The Map Room opened June 30.

Springman said the small downtown bar has always appealed to her, nestled among much taller buildings. Along with the snug indoor seating, she plans to open patio seating this week.

Everything else is so big and towering. Its a tiny little respite, she said. I like the size of it. I can talk to everyone in here. Its nice and cozy.

We make it easy to stay connected:

Read the original here:
Travel the world on a plate at The Map Room - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines

David Beard's Catfish Village at 2005 Toler Road is being closed through Aug. 31 for a remodeling project that will give it a fresher look, according to Kriste Jones, who owns it with husband Harold.

She said the project would give the restaurant the Joneses have owned since March "a more pleasant dining experience."

They hired contractor Richard Kessler, who said he started demolition Monday. The project calls for adding a waitress station, moving and refinishing interior walls and painting the exterior, according to an application for a commercial alteration permit Kessler submitted July 18 to the Longview Development Services Department. The project has a construction value of $45,800, documents showed.

The Catfish Village has been around since the mid-1980s and seats about 200 people, Jones said. She and her husband also own Catfish King in Atlanta.

Jones said no date has yet been set for reopening

Photo, floral neighbors

Ashley Hill and Rashell Garcia, who have worked together on photo shoots, opened adjacent studios at 5804 Judson Road.

Hill said she moved Ashley Hill Photography from 1903 Eastwood Road to get more space, while Garcia said she moved her business, Timber Bloom Design, out of her home.

Hill said she began dabbling in photography six years ago in Japan while her husband, Cody, was stationed there with the U.S. Marine Corps. She and her business moved to Longview four years ago when he became a Marine recruiter.

Hill said she shoots photos inside the studio, which also has a gallery.

"My goal is to really create a community," she said.

Garcia said she has been doing design work and decorating for several years for churches and nonprofit groups. She previously owned Sweet Pickins Vintage Rentals, which provided vintage furniture for photo shoots but closed it in January to work full time in floral design, which she has done for photo shoots as far away as Missouri.

The business also works with photographers on weddings, baby showers and corporate events and arranges merchandise for display in online catalogues and storefront windows.

"I strive to create very unique individual designs for each client," Garcia said.

Garcia and Hill work by appointment only. Visit Garcia's business Facebook and Instagram pages and Hill's studio page on Facebook

Accounting firm moves

The family that owns Dennis-Wade Associates Inc. is planning to move to a building that also will contain their home.

"We will be able to walk through our door to be at our house," said Richard Wade, who works with his son Derek as a tax accountant. His wife, Margaret Dennis Wade, founded the company with her father, William Dennis.

Richard Wade said they would move from 1125 Judson Road their office for about 26 years to a building of about 5,200 square feet. The office will be at 1100 Judson Road, Building 200 and their home at 1001 Yates Drive.

They expect the office/home to be ready in a year.

Steve Pirtle Construction has applied for building permits from the Longview Development Services Department. The project has a construction valued of $600,000, city records show.

Healthy vending

San Diego-based KarmaBox Vending said it is bringing vending machines that sell healthful, nutritional snacks to the Longview area.

KarmaBoxes carry a range of beverages and snacks that are low in sugar and calories, including turkey jerky, nuts, berries and coconut water. The company also sells personal care products.

Exact locations are in the works, but KarmaBoxes are generally placed in high-volume locations such as health clubs, hotels, public and private schools and community centers, said A.J. MacQuarrie, founder and president.

He said he started the business in 2010 in his dorm room at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada, and has expanded the business to 65 markets in this country,

For more information, visit mykarmabox.com or call (855) 527-6226.

Business Beat appears Sunday. If you have items for the column, email to newstip@news-journal.com; mail to Business Section, Longview News-Journal, P.O. Box 1792, Longview, TX 75606; or call (903) (903) 237- 7744.

Visit link:
Business Beat: Catfish Village closed for remodeling - Longview News-Journal

HINSDALE, IL Two brothers in Westchester who are battling an autoimmune disease were surprised with bedroom makeovers completed by Normandy Remodeling and non-profit organization Special Spaces. According to a release from the business, Finnegan and Colman, ages 4 and 7, each have an autoimmune disorder that leaves them vulnerable to a simple cold or virus that can quickly become life threatening. Both receive regular transfusions and treatments to minimize the impact of the disease, but theyve spent a large portion of their young lives recovering in hospitals or in their bedrooms.

Prior to the makeover, Finnegan and Colman shared their passions with Normandy Designers, according to the release. In turn, each of their rooms was centered on things that they love. This ensures that the boys can thoroughly enjoy the space, in good health and in bad.

The bedroom makeovers took place on July 14, according to the release. While the family spent the day away from their Westchester home, Special Spaces staff and more than two-dozen Normandy Remodeling volunteers took over to complete the transformation.

According to the release, Colman, age 7, received a room that reflected his love of the Blackhawks. His new space includes a hockey goal headboard, scoreboard and Blackhawks decals and memorabilia. Finn, age 4, is all about Legos and Batman, so his new room features a barn door covered in Legos and a custom Batman mural. Each bedroom also received new paint, bedding, benches, lighting and artwork.

It was extremely gratifying to utilize our resources and talents for these bedroom makeovers, Normandy President Andy Wells said in a release. At the end of the day, the Normandy team was just as thrilled as the boys.

It is always great when we can support local causes that are meaningful to our employees and customers, added Wells in a release.

Normandy Remodeling is a design/build remodeling firm headquartered in Hinsdale.

Photo provided by Normandy Remodeling.

Thanks for your feedback! Now share it with your friends!

Thanks for your feedback.

Originally published July 27, 2017.

Originally posted here:
Two Brothers Battling Autoimmune Disorders Receive Bedroom Makeovers From Hinsdale Firm - Patch.com

BURNSVILLE, Minn., July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Titus Contracting, a residential remodeling company serving St Paul, Minneapolis and the entire Twin Cities area, recently completed a home remodeling project in Prior Lake. The log home remodelpresented some unique challenges, but the experienced crew was able to work with space and create a functional design.

The homeowners came to Titus Contracting with three specific needs. First, they wanted a total remake of their master bath. Second, they wanted an additional powder room on the main level. Third, they wanted to update their kitchen and the rooms surrounding it.

Titus Contracting started by looking at the existing master bathroom and the space around it. Having access to plumbing in this location already made it an ideal location for an additional bath. However, complications arose from this being a log home with tongue and groove ceilings, and getting plumbing, venting and electrical in existing locations can be difficult.

Not swayed by the challenge, the professionals at Titus came up with a plan and design to work with the space. They decided the separate shower area off the master bathroom could be used for a portion of the new half bath, along with a large entry closet. The remodeling crew re-worked the existing master bath space to incorporate a large shower and free-standing tub with tub filler (a huge trend in bathrooms now).

The old shower and commode room was turned into just its own water closet connected to the master bath. The master bath was updated with white cabinets, granite countertops, natural stone tile, LED recessed lighting, in-floor heat on a programmable thermostat, a beautiful free-standing tub, a shower surrounded by heavy glass with a barn-style sliding glass door, and a shower head/handheld with multiple controls.

The half bath was completed with hardwood floors to match the adjoining rooms. A classy painted vanity with stone countertops was added, and the exposed tongue and groove ceilings were painted white.

The kitchen required the remodelers to stay within the existing footprint. Titus re-worked the cabinets to make them more user and storage friendly. Rollouts, soft-close hinges, full extension guides and specialty storage cabinets were all integrated into the new package. New LED under cabinet lights were installed on LED dimmer switches to create either utility lighting or mood lighting. Stone countertops and tile backsplash polished up the space.

In addition, new hardwood was installed to tie into the existing floor and keep the flow smooth throughout the home. Pop-up stainless outlets were added to the floor and the living room fireplace was resurfaced with an updated stone.

The finished project met all the homeowner's needs and gave them a fresh, updated look that they can enjoy for years to come.

Titus Contracting is a home remodeling company serving the Twin Cities area. They specialize in home additions, kitchen renovations, lower level finishing, bathroom remodeling and home theater rooms. Titus Contracting has a reputation for good communication, timely work, and quality construction. The company also has a commercial remodeling division.

For additional information, contact Scott Rajavuori, sales and design manager for Titus Contracting, at scott@tituscontracting.com.

Related Images

image1.jpg

image2.jpg

image3.jpg

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/titus-contracting-completes-home-remodeling-project-in-prior-lake-300486259.html

SOURCE Titus Contracting

http://www.homeremodelers.com

Read more:
Titus Contracting Completes Home Remodeling Project in Prior Lake - PR Newswire (press release)

Folks are moving less and fixing up their homes more.

And 1-in-7 California homeowners plan to begin a home renovation in the upcoming year, according to a new survey.

Research by GetHearth.com, a startup remodeling advice website, found 15 percent of Californians have plans to fix up their home in the next year. Thats just behind the 16 percent of U.S. owners who have similar plans, according to a survey of 2,000 Americans.

The national hot spot for remodeling was Hawaii, where 33 percent of homes were sprucing up their home, followed by Kansas (32 percent), Montana and Rhode Island (29 percent), and New Hampshire and Utah (24 percent).

Remodelers are probably not happy in the states with the lowest makeover plans from the survey: North Dakota (4 percent) and Wyoming, Alaska and New Mexico (5 percent.) All of these states have seen their economies hurt by the energy slump.

Still, remodeling is a hot business that touches a wide spectrum of the broad economy with projects including money spent on workers, building suppliers, home fixtures, accessories and furniture.

Market tracker Metrostudy said remodeling activity that required professional help has risen for 20 straight quarters through the start of 2017. Its remodeling index is up 4.5 percent since the start of 2016 and 7.3 percent above the previous peak in 2007.

There were roughly 11.4 million pro-worthy remodeling and replacement projects nationwide last year worth $170.6 billion, Metrostudy estimates. This year, it predicts the number will rise to 11.9 million jobs worth $180 billion.

The current strength of the remodeling market can be attributed primarily to economics low mortgage rates, strong existing home sales, the bull stock market run, good job gains, and now more recently, wage gains, Mark Boud, Metrostudys chief economist, said in a news release.

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University which tracks a broader definition of remodeling that includes home repairs expects some cooling from a 7.3 percent annual growth rate to start 2017 to 6.1 percent in 2018s first quarter. Thats better the 5 percent historical norm and adds up to a $320 billion-a-year business.

The National Association of Home Builders index of the remodeling industrys optimism rose in 2017s first quarter to its highest level since 2015. Helping to boost the industry wereincreases in calls for bids, work committed and a backlog of jobs.

Oh, by the way, what did the GetHearth survey find as the dream remodeling project?

When asked If money was no object, which room would you renovate next in your home? Kitchen was No. 1, according to 38 percent of those polled, followed by thebathroom (15 percent), living room (12 percent), basement (10 percent) and bedroom (10 percent).

READ MORE

See the rest here:
1-in-7 California homeowners plan to remodel, but what states have more? - OCRegister

How does a professional remodeler renovate his own home after a damaging house fire?

"My heart goes out to anyone who has to go through a fire or disaster or anyone who is displaced and has to rebuild their homes," Peninsula remodeler and native Robert Criner said. "You work very hard to get back to where you were. I had no idea how much it wore you down and how emotionally drained you become just going through the process."

Criner, 61, said he will never forget the day of the house fire two years ago on Jan. 26 his birthday. He had just achieved one of the highest milestones of his career a couple days prior when he was sworn in as chairman of the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers for 2015.

The fire started as an electrical fire in a second-story exercise room where a treadmill malfunctioned, Criner and wife Aggie said. By the time fire crews were finished extinguishing the flames, the three-story house suffered significant smoke and water damage, too.

Criner said he spent about half a year negotiating with the insurance company and documenting the home's contents. His firm, Newport News-based Criner Remodeling, stripped the house down to its wood frame and worked torebuild the home while the Criners stayed in an apartment for less than two years.

The Criners, married nearly 34 years, had remodeled their Criner Lane home at the end of Elliott Road in Tabb in the '90s after buying the property in 1985. One silver lining to the fire was that they could customize the home to their needs now that their four sons have grown and left the four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom house.

"It's great," Aggie Criner said. "It's everything I wanted."

The exercise room was converted to give space to the master bedroom while adding a large master bathroom with soaking tub, a digitally controlled toilet with automatic lid opener and a digitally controlled shower with body sprays, rain and standard shower heads and a steam option.

Aggie Criner finally has two kitchen doors that allow easier access to the back patio and provide more lighting. The downstairs family room with the TV was darkened by trading windows for built-in backlit bookcases and the staircase was opened up. Aggie Criner said her new favorite area is the expanded front porch's gazebo-like lounge area with a large ceiling fan.

For energy efficiency, the Criners put three separate heating and air systems on each of the three floors with the ability to set different temperatures in different zones on the upper floors. They also installed a large heat pump water heater.

The custom kitchen has plenty of space for entertaining the couple's family with a large granite-topped island with a farm sink, touch-activation faucet, two dishwashers, a six-burner gas range and standard and advantium wall ovens.

What makes the house a comfortable home for Robert Criner is the "little things," such as hidden outlets under the kitchen counters or the USB plugs for charging mobile devices. A major convenience in the master bathroom is the motion-controlled LED lights under the cabinetry to help users see at night, supplemented by the toilet's night light.

The large, deep storage drawers in the kitchen pull all the way out so people don't have to reach for anything, he said. Bumping the handle for the kitchen trash cabinet opens it hands-free. A lot of the home was designed with "aging in place" features in mind, such as easy-close doors or in-shower benches.

While insurance didn't pay for the extra upgrades in the more than $500,000 remodel, Robert Criner said he wanted a place to take clients to show them various home features with the ability to give real feedback on which ones are most useful.

"It is a mini showroom," he said. "It gives me the advantage of being able to describe to people how these things work."

Criner has received plenty of accolades since founding Criner Remodeling in 1977, including being named the "Remodeler of the Year" by the National Association of Home Builders in 2012. When lifelong friend Mike Mannen of Hampton hired Criner Remodeling for his kitchen remodel, he said he knew the work was going to be done right the first time.

His attention to detail also shows in his own home renovation, Mannen said, adding he loves the front porch area with the octagonal cathedral ceiling.

"He's meticulous," Mannen said.

Anyone wanting to attend a future open house for the Criner Lane home can sign up at crinerremodeling.com.

Bozick can be reached by phone at 757-247-4741. Sign up for a free weekday business news email at TidewaterBiz.com.

Follow this link:
Peninsula remodeler renovates home after fire - Daily Press