Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Renovations of any kind are a daunting process. But when it comes to the batha space that needs to be both hyper-functional and serene, practical and, ideally, a little bit luxethe stakes somehow seem higher. There are a million decisions to be made along the way, from mirror to groutand the price tag can be surprising. What to know before you begin? Take our advice:

When youre functioning as the general contractoror even working with a general contractoryou have to spell out every part of the plan, and never assume everyone is up to speed, say the mother-daughter team behind Matriarchy Build inHow to Avoid Rookie Remodeling Mistakes. Someone we know had a contractor demo the wrong bath, they add.

Think of renovations like surgery: to avoid getting the wrong knee replaced, make surethen make sure again, then again, then one final timethat the proper knee (or bathroom) is marked and agreed upon.

Think you can remodel your bathroom head to toe for a couple thousand dollars? We hate to tell you: the average cost of a bathroom remodel was $11,364 in 2016, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). A basic, low-grade renovation with less expensive materials or smaller swaps could run from $1,500 to $5,000, while a top-of-the-line, tip-to-toe renovation could run up to $23,000.

NKBA estimates that, broken down, most of this cost comes from fixtures and plumbing (about 29 percent), followed by counters and surfaces (21 percent), labor (20 percent), and cabinetry and hardware (16 percent). Keep in mind: they advise that, all told, your bathroom project should cost no more than 5 to 10 percent of your homes value.

You may be tempted to upgrade your bathroom with a dramatic freestanding bath. But it might not be the most practical choice going forward, particularly if youre petite, hate cleaning, have an old rickety house, like to take long baths, or take more showers than baths. Read more about the merits of built-in baths (and showers) versus freestanding options in10 Things Nobody Tells You About Clawfoot Bathtubs, as well as inRemodeling 101: Romance in the Bath: Built-In vs. Freestanding Bathtubs.

Dont think you can install a few lights and call it a day: because bathrooms are sometimes small and/or dark and filled with mirrors (which complicates how light bounces around), lighting requires careful thought and placement. The simplest way to light a bath is a single diffuse light in the center of the ceiling. Have a bathroom thats already pretty bright? A pair of wall sconces should be sufficient. Thinking about ceiling-inset downlights? Place with care: avoid installing directly over light-colored countertops (since those will reflect the lights), and place close to the wall over a vanity to maximize light when looking in the mirror. And if you spend a lot of time applying makeup, consider vertical fluorescent light fixtures on either side of the mirror. For more pro tips, seeRemodeling 101: How to Install Flattering Lighting in the Bathroom.

You dont want to get to the end of a renovation and realize youve forgotten to consider the outlets. Think of these outlet errors: you have to plug your hairdryer in across the room, and cant see yourself in the mirror from there. Or, youd like to keep your electric toothbrush charging at all times, but neglected to install an outlet in the medicine cabinet. Or, you share your bathroom with your spouse, but only installed an outlet on one side of the vanity. To avoid these mistakes, readRemodeling 101: Where to Locate Electrical Outlets, Bath Edition.

Forget the endless stacks of tile samples your contractor will show you: you need only remember a few key varieties. The types of tile that are particularly hardy, long-wearing, and timeless in the bathin shower stalls, on floors, and on wallsare porcelain, glass, natural stone, cement, and, of course, subway tile (a type of ceramic tile so popular were counting it in its own category). The options become a lot simpler once you whittle down to these time-tested options; then choose a color and a shape and go from there.

(Need help sourcing subway tile? See7 Favorite Architect-Approved Sources for Subway Tile. And read more about timeless tile options inRemodeling 101: A Guide to the Only 7 Types of Tile You Need to Know.)

Grout may be an afterthought in the scheme of your whole remodel: its a small, andas Meredith points out in Remodeling 101: How to Choose the Right Tile Groutunsexy element of the bath. But, she adds, its hugely important: It seals out dirt and water, compensates for small size differences between individual tiles, and firms up the structural integrity of an installation.

How to choose the right grout for your bath? Answer this series of questions: Do you want the grout to stand out, or blend into the tile? Is the grout in a high splash zone, or a fairly dry place? (If itll be getting wet a lot, as in a shower stall, opt for synthetic grout; go for cementitious grout everywhere else). Will dirty grout drive you crazy? (If so, avoid white.)

See more considerations inRemodeling 101: How to Choose the Right Tile Grout; then learn how to keep it looking new inEverything You Always Wanted to Know About Grout and Caulk (but Were Afraid to Ask).

Toilets are not one size fits all: if you have a small space, consider a petite toilet (see 10 Easy Pieces: Compact Toilets). Or, opt for a traditional or modern floor-standing toilet, water-conserving toilet, or wall-mounted toilet.

So much of creating a bathroom that feels both serene and well-functioning comes down to good storage. Be sure to look for storage opportunitieseven small, simple oneswhen drawing up your plans, to make them feel integrated and not added-on. For example, architect Malcolm Davis says: I like to place a couple of tall shallow cabinets hidden in a stud bay. You dont need deep shelf storage; a shallow shelf can store a lot. I like to put a recess in the shower and I try and integrate towel bars to feel built in. Read more about his tips inExpert Advice: 10 Essential Tips for Designing the Bathroom, and see 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Bathroom Storage over on The Organized Home.

Maybe youve moved into a new house and cant stand the tile in the bathroom, but dont have the budget to replace it completely. Or maybe youre renting andcant remodel (if you want your security deposit back, that is). The good news is you might not have to demo everything and start fresh. If its the tile you want to upgrade, consider tile refinishing, like blogger Athena Calderone did inBefore/After: A Perfectionists $1,000 Bathroom Overhaul in Brooklyn. Or swap out a few basic fixtures (lights, faucets) for a big impact, as inExpert Advice: 10 Tips for Transforming a Rental Bath.

More inside intel on remodeling projects and materials, large and small:

Continued here:
10 Things Nobody Tells You About Renovating Your Bathroom

Tom Acitelli -- Boston.com correspondent and Christopher Gavin --- Boston.com staff

May 12, 2020 10:39 am

Windson Honorato is the owner and operations manager for Tewksbury-based JC General Contracting & Cleaning. Honorato said his firm has been taking as many precautions as possible on home improvement jobs since the pandemic hit, including using personal protective equipment such as glasses, masks, and gloves and cleaning spaces and tools regularly.

It seems as though we cant protect ourselves enough, Honorato said via e-mail in early May. Well get phone calls almost every week from colleagues or friends in the business saying that they caught the virus or someone in their company did. Keeping the crew and the clients safe has never been a bigger priority, and its also never been so hard.

Still contractors have continued to take on home renovation and remodeling projects during the pandemic, but not without extensive precautions aimed at protecting their workers and clients and limiting their legal liability.

The City of Boston allows residential construction projects in dwellings with no more than three units, and the statehas issued guidelines encouraging social distancing and local authorities oversight of such projects.

On May 5, officials said the city will incrementally expand the categories of allowed construction projects in the coming weeks.

On May 18, essential construction may resume for permitted projects for hospitals and public schools, roads and utilities, and open-air and outdoor work that have filed a COVID-19 safety plan and are positioned to carry it out. Work on larger developments with safety plans will be allowed to recommence on May 26.

The precautionary steps contractors and subcontractors are taking are a necessary part of salvaging whatever business remains. As with so much else in the region, the pandemic disrupted the home improvement work that had flowed so steadily in a hot real estate market.

Spending on remodeling within the regions owner-occupied housing stock is projected to decline 1.1 percent overall through the end of 2020, according to the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvards Joint Center for Housing Studies. Thats due entirely to the pandemic; the center had predicted an increase in remodeling spending regionally by the same percentage before the novel coronavirus hit.

The workload has dropped dramatically, according to Ray Yehoshua, owner of Boston-based Bay State Refinishing and Remodeling. He said customers have asked to postpone jobs either because of changes in their personal finances, coronavirus concerns, or both.

Yehoshua said the precautions his firm takes now are aimed at easing those concerns and landing jobs and that those steps not only include personal protection equipment and social distancing on-site, but estimates via video when possible.

That is one of the main goals for contractors and subcontractors doing in-house work now: minimizing contact. Who can cross or climb where and when, and when should jobs start and wrap on a given day?

These are the things that people are thinking about in trying to minimize contact, said Glenn Kingsbury, executive manager ofthe Boston chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, which includes more than 100 member firms. He said what little work there is for the associations members comes from smaller projects, as a lot of work on larger ones has ceased due to pandemic-related construction moratoriums.

Protecting themselves from legal action is also a factor.

Contractors have always been legally liable for things such as health and safety on the job, not the property owners, said David Fine, a partner at Mirick OConnell, a law firm with offices in Boston. The pandemic has heightened that responsibility.

The liability they face is more of the same, but its all exacerbated, Fine said.

It is easier to take precautions with some projects than others, the contractors said. Larger rooms as opposed to smaller ones bathrooms, for example make it easier to maintain that social distance. And basement work is even easier, because contact with clients is less likely.

Really, though, its a constant challenge, they said.

On-site, keeping away from one another is quite impossible because many tasks have to be done in twos, Honorato said.

In the end, though, its that falloff in business that may be the main threat to Boston-area contractors (and a boon to homeowners looking for a deal down the road). Honorato said that hes been asked to quote quite a few projects in the past few weeks, including residential elevator installations and basement and bathroom remodels but doing them is a different matter.

Well most likely reach a season where few people have the money to start and finish a construction project, so the companies that can hang on long enough until those opportunities come will get a chance to bid the job, Honorato said. With the demand so low, the prices will have to drop quite a bit to a point of little to no profit, so well be working to hopefully keep the company alive until the economy starts to rise again.

Subscribe to the Globes free real estate newsletter our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design atpages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter@globehomes.

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Hurting, contractors are implementing coronavirus measures to protect their clients and themselves - Home Improvement, New Developments - Boston.com

Dublin, May 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "COVID-19 Economic Impact Report: Cabinets" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The US cabinets industry is facing a number of challenges as it deals with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has the macroeconomic environment changed and what does it mean for the cabinets industry going forward?

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Product types include kitchen, bathroom, and those installed in other parts of a structure (e.g., store fixture and laundry and mudroom cabinets).

Cabinet markets include new residential, residential remodeling, new commercial, commercial remodeling, and nonconstruction (such as transportation and recreational vehicles).

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COVID-19 Economic Impact Report on the United States Cabinets Industry - Yahoo Finance UK

The front faade of an aged and historic structure on Water Avenue, beside the Selma Interpretive Center, collapsed recently, despite the city having paid an unlicensed contractor more than $130,000 to work on the structure, according to financial documents provided to the Selma City Council by Selma Mayor Darrio Melton.

Contractors taking on jobs over $50,000 must be licensed with the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (ALBGC) and, according to ALBGC Investigator Rusty Mascari, the contractor paid for the work on Water Avenue has been called before the board on two occasions for working on projects without a license.

In April 2018, the unlicensed contractor was paid $88,000 for the demolition of the structure at 1119 Water Ave in two payments one for $38,000 on April 13, 2018 and another for $50,000 later in the month.

Additionally, the contractor was paid an additional $50,000 in July 2018 for stabilizing the front faade on the building.

According to the ALCGCs website, it is against the law for an entity to be hired for such work without a license and any contract becomes null and void if undertaken by an unlicensed business, which means that the city will have no recourse if the work is done improperly.

According to Mascari, the contractor that took on the Water Avenue project has never been licensed with the board and the city can be fined up to $5,000 for each instance in which his services were utilized.

Additionally, commercial properties being demolished are required to file a notice with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) at least 10 days before demolition work begins so that an asbestos inspection can take place.

According to ADEMs Don Barrion, no such notice has been received by the department regarding the property on Water Avenue.

Selma City Council President Corey Bowie said any jobs of $50,000 or more are supposed to be brought before the council and bid out, though the council voted in 2017 to require all payments of $5,000 or more to come before the council.

In October 2018, a year after that vote, the council voted to require that all payments come before the council for approval.

Though Bowie does not recall the council signing off on any of the contractors projects, Councilwoman Miah Jackson said that at least one job was bid out and the contractor was awarded the job.

Jackson said that the council asked Selma Planning and Development Department Director Henry Thompson if the contractor had all of the appropriate paperwork, such as the proper licenses and insurance, and was assured that he did.

Afterward, Jackson contacted the ALBGC to verify that the contractor had the proper licenses and was told that he did not Jackson then informed the council and Thompson that the contractor did not have the proper licenses

But the work on Water Avenue is only a glimpse at the work that this unlicensed contractor has been hired to perform over the years, which comes close to $400,000 between November 2016 and November 2018.

The following payments, dictated in the citys general ledger, do not represent all of the payments the contractor received over the two-year period:

In December 2016, the contractor received two payments of $4,850 $9,700 total to clean and repair bike areas. The same month, the contractor was paid $2,125 for painting city hall and the mayors office;

In January 2017, the contractor was paid $5,000 for fixing a leak at Memorial Stadium;

In February 2017, the contractor received two payments of $5,500 only two weeks apart for installing oversized doors with locks at the Selma Welcome Center. That same month, the contractor was paid $2,250 to install a cabinet, sink and faucets and paint walls, as well as $2,500 to paint two offices;

In April 2017, the contractor received two payments of $8,950, each for welcome center equipment, and $3,180 to replace a thermostat at city hall;

In August 2017, the contractor received another $5,000 for welcome center repairs and services, bringing the total received for work at the Selma Welcome Center to at least $24,000; On August 30, 2017, the contract received at least two payments for HVAC repair work at the Selma Interpretive Center, one for $5,750 and another for $11,500. A month later, $13,000 was paid for emergency repairs at the Selma Interpretive Center;

Other significant payments made to the contractor include $13,175 in July 2018 for unspecified building repairs, $10,000 for rook work at the Selma Welcome Center in August 2018 and, one month later, $33,600 for a roof on the Selma Welcome Center.

City representatives have since stated that the contractor is no longer being employed by the city.

The mayors office could not be reached for comment.

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Contractor paid over $130K for work on collapsed building - The Selma TimesJournal - Selma Times-Journal

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The COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive unemployment higher in Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD The U.S. saw nearly 3 million more unemployment claims the week ending May 9, including another 72,993 in Illinois, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The 2.98 million claims nationwide in the week pushed the jobless claims in the first two months of the novel coronavirus pandemic to more than 36 million. The unprecedented number of claims made for a national unemployment rate of 15.7% the week ending May 2.

In Illinois, the number of new claims on the week was 1,483 fewer than the week prior. The number of new claims each week has gone down since a peak of 201,041 during the week of April 4. The Illinois Department of Employment Security said in a news release it has now processed 1,076,461 claims for regular unemployment benefits from March 1 through May 9.

Continued claims reached 756,441 in the state last week, which was the final period before contractors and self-employed persons were able to file for special federal pandemic unemployment assistance in Illinois.

While the number of initial claims for regular benefits has plateaued in the last two weeks, IDES will experience an increase in overall claims processed when the federal pandemic unemployment assistance claims data becomes available Thursday, May 21, according to the departments news release.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this week more than 50,000 applications had been filed through the states new pandemic unemployment assistance system since Monday.

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State reports 73,000 unemployment claims in final week before new portal went live - The Southern

A research report on the Global Building Finishing Contractors Market offers a detailed analysis about the market share, size, trends, and growth prospects. In addition, the report contains market volume with an accurate estimation offered in the report. The data offered in this report is gathered based on the latest industry news, trends, as well as opportunities. Moreover, the report comprises a complete market analysis and provider landscape with the help of SWOT analysis of the major service providers. This research report provides an extensive evaluation of the Building Finishing Contractors Market. The Global Building Finishing Contractors Market report is designed through the detailed qualitative insights, verifiable projections, and historical data about the Building Finishing Contractors Market size.

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Global Building Finishing Contractors Market Expected to reach highest CAGR by 2025: APi, Performance Contracting, Cleveland Construction, Irex Corp...

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Chris Baranowski, owner of Rolling Paws Mobile Grooming Spa stands for a portrait in Wilkes-Barre Twp. Friday, May 15, 2020. Sean McKeag / Staff Photographer

SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Baranowski, owner of Rolling Paws, a mobile dog grooming business, applied three times for an exemption from Gov. Tom Wolfs coronavirus shutdown order.

Chris Baranowski comes in contact with virtually no humans during her workday just dogs so she cant understand why she wasnt granted a waiver to continue to operate her business during the coronavirus shutdown.

She doesnt have an office or storefront people visit that could be contaminated. As a mobile dog groomer, she comes to them in a pickup truck pulling her grooming trailer. Its just her and the dog inside.

Ive been curbside the four years Ive been open. I have no human contact unless the person is eldery. I go in, grab the dog or meet the person at the doorway and take the dog back to the enclosed trailer. I take the dog back to the door and go to my next appointment, Baranowski, 36, said.

Baranowskis truck, which hasnt stopped from the moment she started Rolling Paws Mobile Grooming Spa four years ago, has been idle for nearly two months outside her Wilkes-Barre Twp. home. She applied for an exemption three times, but her requests for a waiver were denied each time.

Rolling Paws is one of hundreds of businesses in Luzerne County that were denied an exemption to continue to operate during the coronavirus shutdown.

Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to shutter during the lockdown. However, last Friday he announced 6,060 exemptions statewide out of 42,000 requests.

Many of the businesses in Luzerne County denied exemptions are construction companies, real estate firms, salons, and vaping shops.

Most are small, locally owned businesses, but even a national chain, like the Barnes and Noble book store, was denied an exemption.

The owner of a Back Mountain-based plumbing, heating and excavating business said his company is on the list of businesses denied an exemption despite getting conflicting advice from the state.

While he believed his industry was exempt from the beginning, Sean McGrath, owner of R.N. Fitch and Sons in Dallas, said he applied for an exemption to be on the safe side and because someone in the industry told him he might need proof of the exemption to apply for assistance.

After not hearing anything from the state, he filled out the online exemption form again.

The first response he got from the state was an email saying he didnt even need an exemption and could continue work. Then, he got an email days later, saying he must close down.

Its just very confusing. My assumption is you have two different people reading it and one person made a judgement call, McGrath said. In defense of the state, they had so many requests, there was a lot of confusion.

With the conflicting response, McGrath said hes limiting his work to emergency calls and is forced to pass on a lot of work that is now going to other contractors, some who ended up on last weeks exempt list despite being the same exact type of business.

Whats unfortunate is some people are following the rules and some people arent following the rules. We did our best to exercise good judgement. We are trying to do all the right things, McGrath said.

The document listing all the companies denied exemptions even gets confusing, as it notes that businesses are permitted to continue life-sustaining activity regardless of whether it obtained or was denied an exemption.

Efforts to reach officials with the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which processed the exemption requests, were not successful Friday.

Baranowski thinks dog grooming should have been an exception because it could be life-sustaining to the animal.

We see them every four to six weeks. Their hair gets matted. Their nails get long. We clean their ears. We prevent a lot of underlying health issues, Baranowski said. A vet might not see them for a year.

She didnt think the lockdown has been fair to small business owners, while big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot filled with hundreds of people at a time were allowed to remain open.

I have no livelihood. They took it from me. My business, beside my family, is my life. Those dogs I take care of are like my own, Baranowski said.

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

Local businesses that were denied an exemption

1Singular Sensation Dog Grooming

A) Mericle Construction, Inc. (Mericle) For The Benefit Of Wren Manufacturing, Inc.

A. Pickett Construction, Inc. / Pickett Facilities Maintenance

Action Contracting & Electrical Company LLC

Action Real Estate Affordable Parts And Service

Aggressive Realty & Rentals LLC

Ahlborn Enterprises

Al Dunn Masonry

All 4 Paws

All State Traffic Control Of Pa, Inc.

All Vinyl Sunrooms Inc.

All-in Custom Vapes

All-in Custom Vapes Nanticoke

All-in Custom Vapes Wilkes-barre

Allure Salon Group, LLC

Alluring Vapors

American Asphalt Paving Company

American Eagle

American Pie Title & Tag LLC

Apt Distributing Co.

Arena Supplements

Arthur Funk & Sons

Ashton Enterprise Construction LLC

A Team-Construction

Au Salon

Avenue Auto Tags LLC

B&D Technology LLC

Baby To Be 3d

Back Mountain Floral

Back Mountain Tobacco Inc

Baer & Evans Surveyors

Barkavenue

Barnes & Noble

Barrys Floral Shop

Bathtime Boutique

Beach Fence Company

Bedrock Gardens Landscape Supply And Materials

Beulah Construction LLC

Bob Lasota Construction

Bordentown Driver Training School LLC

DBA Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training

Borton Lawson

Brackney Leather

Brenda Reimold, LLC

Brokers Realty Group Limited Dba

Brokersrealty.Com

Bubbles And Biscuits Pet Grooming Salon

Byras Fence Company

Caddie Labars Inc

Canine Castle

Canine Designs

Caramelle Di Capelli Studio

Carmens Flowers And Gifts

Cartridge World Edwardsville

Centurion Abstract, Inc.

Commiso Flooring LLC

Commonwealth Home Inspections

Complete Fitness Equipment

Concrete Alternatives

Conrad Barbershop And Marilyn Klem Beauty Shop

Conversionworx Media

Corcoran Printing

Creative Interior Imagery

Croughns Cuts

D&N Furniture Inc

Dangola Contracting

Dave Ferrey Construction

David R. Balent Construction Co.

Debbies Beauty Salon

DeckerS

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Business owners frustrated by waiver process - News - Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice

May 15, 2020

RALEIGH With North Carolinas revenue drop for the current fiscal year predicted to be upwards of 15%, the state treasurer is calling on local governments to pinch pennies, even more so than before, and calling for residents to help.

Were all working together, but were in different boats, Dale Folwell said Friday. Lumberton may be a little different than Laurinburg, Shallotte may be a little different than Charlotte each of these communities has a unique situation going on but its important to know that the only way were going to get through this is by challenging assumptions.

The first assumption is that as much as people have been looking at the pennies and the paper clips, theyre going to have to be even better than that.

Although he is the keeper of the purse for the state he doesnt have an exact figure on just how much of a revenue loss the state could experience because of COVID-19s hit to the economy, Folwell said. But, all the predictions from experts are more than 15%. With that loss in mind, he sees rural and border counties, like Robeson County, most at risk.

It seems now, and Im not talking about the medical virus Im talking about the economic virus, it seems like this creates economic inequality to lower income parts of North Carolina, and thats our number one concern, the treasurer said.

He worries about local governments that rely on state property tax when considering their new budgets, Folwell said.

Im very concerned about the collections of water and sewer bills, he said. Im very concerned about the ability to collect property taxes. This is a very serious problem.

Folwell cited the recently signed Senate Bill 704, which alleviates stress on drivers by giving an extension on drivers license renewals and registrations to August.

When you renew the tag on your car, the biggest expense on that is not the tag, he said. Theres the property expense for the city, the county and the volunteer fire department.

With local government budget deadline of July 1, crafters of local government budgets are preparing for the unknown, Folwell said. And he is too.

As the state treasurer Im not only concerned about the state budgets, but Im also concerned about the local county and city budgets, he said.

Red Springs Manager David Ashburn said he has a budget ready to be presented to the Board of Commissioners.

We have already built into it some revenue projections that are decreased because of a potential estimated decrease in sales tax, and then the property tax is the big unknown because although they (state lawmakers) may not excuse it, they might postpone it, Ashburn said.

The town is already dealing with a loss in revenue from utility fees collection because the town cannot turn off unpaid utilities through through May.

We have a lot of people that arent paying their bills, so thats heavily affecting revenue in this fiscal year, Ashburn said.

The town is having to build its budget based on potential loss, he said.

Money that could come in this fiscal year could come in next fiscal year, or not, Ashburn said. Theres a lot of unknown that no one really knows.

Because of the unknowns Rowland Town Clerk David Townsend suggested his Board of Commissioners approve the budget to meet the July 1 deadline and later in the year approve an alternate budget that adjusts to changes in the states economy.

The operating budget for the current fiscal year was $1,449,490. Townsend said that 35% of the towns total budget relies on state taxes.

The biggest variable is how much we lose from six different state taxes we receive back from Raleigh, Townsend said.

A recent bill passed in the General Assembly appropriated $150 million for local governments. Folwell said Robeson County has received just under $2.4 million of that money.

Four billion dollars from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act was given to the state, he said. About half of that is left.

Where we stand today, we have $2 billion left from the CARES Act money, he said. We have over $2 billion left from the unappropriated budget from the year were in right now. We have nearly a billion and a half dollars in the rainy day fund, he said. Were in pretty good shape compared to other states our size.

His latest goal in Raleigh is to relax COVID-19 restrictions on federal monies going out to local governments, the treasurer said.

The strings attached to this money are too tight and we need to push the ability to use this money down to the local county commissioners and city council people, he said.

In the meantime he asking residents who can to support their local government.

If they have the economic means to do something, the quicker they can do, the healthier their local governments are gonna be, Folwell said.

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Folwell

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/web1_treasurer-balcony-croped.jpgFolwell

NC treasurer urges local leaders to pinch pennies

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Despite the slowing down of all aspects of life for the time being, builders, remodelers, designers and construction companies continue to be able to provide their clients with help on the projects they mightve been putting off until now.

Right now, were doing a variety of projects, from a new home to a second-floor addition, a couple of whole-house remodels, a sunroom, and many kitchens and bath, says Kathy DeMeyer, owner and general manager of Encore Construction Co.

DeMeyer says most of the jobs theyre doing for clients include kitchen and bath remodels that are part of a larger remodel. For example, the client might be taking down the wall between the kitchen and dining area. The open concept, she says, continues to be very popular.

Current trends, she adds, are often dictated by the age of the home. Sometimes the older homes tend to have smaller rooms, so the open concept continues to be a desired aspect for those types of homes.

Getting an estimate, even during a time of social distancing, is no problem at Encore.

Were not doing any on-site meetings right now, says DeMeyer. Nor are they going into any owner-occupied properties. Were very lucky that we have a lot of second-home owners as clients, so we can arrange to get a key to a property and go out there ourselves and get an estimate for a job.

If theyve already met with the client and given them an estimate, they will continue to work on their design projects through completion. Encore uses an app called Builder Trend that allows clients to see and keep track of the progress of the schedule and their project. Conference calling, she adds, has been a great tool, as well.

Its been an eye opener, she says. A lot of people havent done conference calls, as we have in the past. In todays age, with the virus, conference calling has just blossomed amazingly.

She adds that people are definitely not putting off projects right now, despite the pandemic. They want to move forward with home projects. And with more time being spent outdoors, outdoor projects will be a big trend in the year ahead.

I think youre going to see a lot more people interested in doing a three-season room or a screened porch, DeMeyer says. Screened porches are so popular on the Cape. We get to use them spring, summer and fall. Its really something thats extremely popular.

Another trend shed been seeing, even before the pandemic began, is people installing bidets in their bathrooms.

Even before this pandemic, we were already seeing more bidets being put in, especially for somebody whos aging in place, some of our older clients, even some of the younger people. Bidets are definitely becoming more popular. Anyone thats doing a big remodel, they want that comfort. So we are seeing more of them.

DeMeyer advises that, if you have a project that you want to get on the schedule, you should make that call now.

Get us in there and see the possibilities of what can be done, she says. Its amazing what we can do via phone conferencing, video conferencing and having those conversations.

For more information on Encore Construction, visit them atencoreco.com.

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Homeowner's Headquarters A Discussion with Encore Construction on Upcoming Trends - CapeCod.com News

Built in 1936, and located in the Riverview neighborhood with a view of the Mississippi River,this half-acre corner property of brick-and-stone exterior includes anabundance ofcharming features:a living roomfireplace,built-in cherry-wood bookcases, a former telephone niche, and elegant crown moldingand wainscoting. Each room is designed with two windows on each wall, allowing plenty of natural light to shine throughout the house.A recentkitchen updateintroduced cabinet lighting, a wine rack, and a spacious pantry. Adjacent to the kitchen is a sunroom,with wall-to-wallwindows that overlooka pond.

The house's four bedrooms, with a walk-in closet,are situated on the first floor. Themaster bedroom features a laundry chute and the master bathroom is fitted with a stand-inshower, jacuzzi, and stained-glass window.

In addition to three bathrooms, ahalf-bathroom is located in the lower-level basement. The garage islocated on the side of the house.

Address: 701 Valley Drive

Price:$250,000

Realtor:Shellie Bratton, Bratton Realty, 6364481949

Design STL's On the Market posts are editorial. Featured propertiesare selected by editors.

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This $250,000 gem comes with a view of the Mississippi River - St. Louis Magazine