Northern Virginia home remodeling (Home Depot, buyers, contractor)

[LLD]

If you are do it yourselfer maybe.... of have lots of time and money. My concern with buying cheap and doing the remodeling is I don't want to fork over thousands -- I would rather present the bank/mortgage company with the estimate for the work then get the loan for that etc and know that the appraisal once the remodling is done will be adequate to cover costs etc. It's just too big a hassle to my mind.

But I'd love to be one of those peeps on HGTV where the architect redesigns an older or run down house within a certain budget if you could get the bank to cover everything then just have a regular mortgage for the entire price inlcuding the remodeling. That is just one of the best shows around -- Hidden Potential.

[canolajetta]

Note how No One actually had a company to recommend.

Sittin' here with you, calling companies for the free estimates. So far, I've called "design teams", plumbers, electricians, contractors, and seen the kitchen specialists at HD and Lowes.

Unfortunately, those estimates tell you very little because they have a difficult time doing what you ask them to do. They suggest cabinets you don't want (and include them in the estimate), give the total without a breakdown of where the money is going....they can't even sell me the cabinets, let alone install them!

What we're doing: We're doing a lot of the planning and legwork ourselves (as advised above), because it seems that the design/contractor sorts are too busy thinking of extra things to do to focus on the fact that we have a budget. They all also have different ideas, so their estimates are apples and oranges. So, currently we are refining the plan, so we can go and get a big bag of apples, then decide which one we want : )

It's retardedly time consuming to get a decent deal.

I HATE Brazilian Cherry and Granite and Stainless steel, it was everywhere when we were home shopping. Personally think the "new" trend is to go towards environmentally friendly materials, but that's just me.

[msjack]

I agree with most people on here. I actually just put a contract down on a house yesterday. The big things I was looking for was Hardwood on the main lvl, granite, s/s appl, ceramic in the master bath. The biggest selling points for most people are always going to be the kitchen and master bath. Put your money there. You can't go wrong. Check out this website below. It's a list of contractors that real people have recommended or commented on. Unfortunately you have to pay for the list, but it might be worth it.

Welcome to Angie's List: The Best Source for Local Home Improvement Contractors!

Good Luck!

[ShannonMilligan]

Yes to hardwood floor, but keep in mind the color due to having dog...I had Gunstock (made by Bruce) in my last home and they were AWESOME BUT scratched b/c of the dog and they were noticeable. In the previous home we had a lighter color and even though the dog scratched it, it was less noticeable b/c it was a lighter floor. Natural may be a good way to go...even if you keep the nails trimmed they will still get scratched. Personally I like the Gunstock color (not too light or too dark) but be careful with dog.

As for the stainless appliances...I say go for SATINA. This is a finish that looks like stainless but you don't get the fingerprints on it that you do with stainless. I did my entire last home this way...looks high end but not a pain to clean.

Countertops...Granite is all the rage, but I like quartz as you don't have to seal it every year and it is very durable. If you don't want to go that high end, maybe a silstone (spelling?), or a corian. Formica is a no-no in my book for resale.

Ceramic tile in kitchens and baths are nice...but if you are doing hardwood on the entire first floor, I would probably carry that into the kitchen for a seemless look...makes the flow better. I would do ceramic or travertine in the bath though if you ever want to re-do that. Ceramic tile is very expensive to lay down. Materials are not bad but labor at Lowes is $6 something a sqft PLUS $2 something for the ceramic lay (whatever that is) plus $X for getting rid of what you already have. Hardwoods are more expensive in material but half the price in labor...so I think would equal a little cheaper in the long run.

Cabinets-if they are in good shape you probably can just change the hardware for an updated look.

[HEATHER72]

Another vote for the Bruce Hardwood floors in Gunstock. That's what we have and I love them. I have 3 dogs and don't really see scratches. I go around once in awhile and take care of the random ding or nick with wood filler or a wax crayon.

[Yankeesfan]

How funny, we also have Bruce hardwood in Gunstock! No dogs, but five children, and it has held up well. It's not through the whole house because I still like the look and feel of carpet (guess I'm unfashionable!), but it does look nice where we have it.

[Green93]

[FONT=Verdana]I need help finding a realtor in the Northern, VA area. I also watch HGTV on the regular, and would like to find a nice townhome that has the latest trends or can be easily upgraded. Have you found a home yet, and do you mind sending me the name and contact information to your realtor. [/FONT]

[ShannonMilligan]

Originally Posted by Green93

I need help finding a realtor in the Northern, VA area. I also watch HGTV on the regular, and would like to find a nice townhome that has the latest trends or can be easily upgraded. Have you found a home yet, and do you mind sending me the name and contact information to your realtor.

I just sent you a direct message with the name and phone number of someone good.

[FranklyRE]

Get a professional stager to help you out. A friend of mine was planning on spending $35,000 to remodel. She came in and used design and her wholesale rates and did an amazing job for half that (cutting out unnecessary things as well).

Frank

[JfromReston]

Originally Posted by canolajetta

Note how No One actually had a company to recommend.

I have worked with two companies; hated the first (told them to leave the job before they were finished) and loved the second (will be having them back again for more work soon). I don't want to post who they are in the public forum but will give the information to anyone who PMs me.