The kids are back to school here in Atlanta and that signals a constant influx of backpacks, school supplies and sports equipment for many families. Do you have the pile of shoes and dropped backpacks by your back door?  If the amount of gear and lack of storage is creating havoc in your home, you may want to think about a mudroom space.

The mudroom is most often a transition space from the exterior elements to the sanctuary of your home’s living spaces.  Although some mudrooms are relatively open to other living spaces, many include a secondary interior passage door.  This secondary door serves several purposes – it creates an easy way to separate the living space from dirt & grime carried in during nasty weather, and it can even increase the energy efficiency of your home.  The mu room essentially becomes an “air lock”. A space that catches the cold air (during winter months) and hot air (during summer months) as you open and close the exterior door.  The concept of an air lock to maximize efficiency is not a new one.  In fact, every time you enter a grocery or department store you pass through an “air lock” which is used to dramatically cut unnecessary energy loss.

The other primary goal of a mudroom is often for storage. It can become the perfect landing zone for all the miscellaneous supplies needed for busy lifestyles. The design options and storage solutions can be limitless depending on needs, budget, and space. Locker style custom cabinetry can provide seamless storage with the benefit of hiding a mess behind doors.  A few well-placed cubby style shelves can keep things corralled in the right spot but still visible and easy to grab. A bench with coat hooks mounted above can be the simple solution you need.

Other functional ideas to consider may include finishes. Are you interested in a hardwearing slate floor? Would you prefer the mudroom to be an extension of your current kitchen space? Do you have pets who need a spot for their food storage or a pet door? Maybe consider electrical outlets placed in a convenient spot for electronic device charging. Is recycling a challenge? Mudrooms can be perfect spots to house recycling and clever storage can make this a breeze.

If your home is missing a transition space, or if your existing mudroom is simply not working for you, let Home ReBuilders help you work out a great solution.  We can help you transform a current space into something that works better or we can build a new mudroom addition. Our designers and staff are on hand to help your family run with better function and more fun!

Many of us have a dream house we have always envisioned. Maybe we look around our current home and wonder if there is more potential in its walls to unlock; bath renovation, and extra bedroom, a larger family space? Remodeling a home you currently own in a neighborhood you love is always a good consideration. If you find your “renovation list” becomes heavier than your “don’t touch” list you may want to consider a new custom home. There are several factors to put on the table and discuss.

How do you feel about the neighborhood you are in now? What are home values like? In so many of our in-town neighborhoods, the value of an older home is in the land and the location. If your neighbors have spent significant amounts on renovation, if home prices for renovated or newer homes on your street far exceed the value of your home, if you purchased an older home and have paid down a large portion of your mortgage, you might start thinking about tearing your home down and starting over. This time with your dream home in mind. This can feel like a drastic solution but often renovation costs on an older home with less than ideal foundations and infrastructure can start to exceed the cost to start from scratch.

After doing the math, we often find that starting from scratch for a custom home will add $150,000, give or take, to the equation.  A fully renovated older home may be around  $150,000 less than that new custom home. Then it is up to you whether the additional debt burden is worth the investment.

Maybe you have a neighborhood in mind, next to a great school, walking distance to parks and restaurants. Again the key is to closely evaluate neighborhood home values. Often small, original homes can be picked up at a price that equals the cost of the lot. Occasionally, lots are also available in sought after neighborhoods. This can be a bit of a quest to find the right spot, but with the valuable opinion of a builder and a real estate agent, you can find something.

Another great spot to start is to create a file of images of homes you love and features you feel are important in the interior. What is the style of architecture that interests you? Do you want a new home in keeping with original architecture of the area or are you drawn to clean, contemporary line? The more homework you can do to provide your architect and builder with a clear vision of your dream home, the more successful your project will be.

At Home ReBuilders, we have built many custom homes is some of Atlanta’s most sought after neighborhoods. We have also assembled a special team to get you into that dream home in the smoothest way possible. Our owner and president Bill Bartlett, has a real estate license and is experienced with finding the right home or lot to build on. Our architectural department is in house and we work together with the estimating and construction arms of our firm so your home is something you love and something your budget can accommodate when construction begins. Take a look through our portfolio and plan library. Wehave lots of ideas to help you create your dream home.

When you first move into your new or renovated home, you wonder how you are going to fill up the large, empty space. Pretty soon life takes over — and before you know it, you are wondering where all of that space went.

If you find yourself struggling to find room to store everything you’ve accumulated over the years, see if these storage options might work for you.

Before you invest a lot of time deciding where things should go, look through your closet, files and drawers to determine what can be thrown or given away. For clothes, it is a good rule of thumb to get rid of items that you have not worn in more than 12 months.

A lot of your household financial documents and papers may be available online through the provider company’s website. If that is the case, discard old financial statements or bills that you can more easily access electronically. Invest in a paper shredder for these documents to protect your identity and accounts.

It is very easy to allow cabinets and drawers to become cluttered over time, especially when you have to do a quick cleaning of your home when you have surprise visitors. Declutter those drawers periodically to keep from accumulating outdated flyers, menus, magazines and newspapers. This will open them up so you can store more day-to-day items that you need to quickly reach.

If you are looking to replace old, worn-out furniture in your home, buy pieces that also can serve as storage. Consider a coffee table that has drawers or an ottoman that can open up and double as a spot to store your blankets.

In closets and in the kitchen,use all of the space that is available to you. Often home owners are giving up valuable square footage if they don’t install cabinets or shelves that go up to the ceiling.  Store items that are either out of season or that are rarely accessed — such as holiday decorations — on the higher shelves where they are out of the way. This will free up the lower shelves to allow you to get to the things that you use on a regular basis.

Bed risers can be found in home design and improvement stores in different shapes, styles, textures and colors to complement your current bedroom furniture. They are inexpensive and not only give you added storage space, but will also give your bedroom a new look. By simply raising the height of your bed a few more inches, you can gain a lot more storage space that is also hidden away.

The ranch home has long been a symbol for American suburban expansion and represents a period of economic growth after WWII. Young soldiers were home, starting families, and looking for housing.  The ranch provided an affordable entry into suburbia and became a staple in the architectural landscape of America.  The humble ranch had a lot going for it, an open floor plan, large building lots, access to yards, an affordable price tag, and typically well built.

For Atlantans, these ranches built in the 1950s are often found in desirable neighborhoods that have grown and changed around the ranch.  The large lot remains and can provide a fantastic setting to build upon.  The simple structures of the first floor of a ranch makes an easy “foundation” for a future two story home so many growing families now desire.  The neutral nature of the ranch is another selling point for renovation.  This blank palette can become a stately Tudor, traditional Georgian, or contemporary stunner. At Home ReBuilders, we have designed and built them all and have helped clients take their basic ranch in a beloved neighborhood, and turn it into the home of their dreams-whatever the style may be.

If you are thinking of adding to your family, or just need some more room to grow, consider adding up on your ranch home. It is economical and proves to be one of the best returns on renovation investments of any project we know. By adding up on the home, you keep the first floor structure, basement, landscaping and hardscapes. Even if we take the existing ranch down to the first floor, the saving in a ranch conversion verse removing the home completely and building new is substantial, typically at least $100k. This can go a long way towards furniture, the kitchen and baths or college. So if you own a ranch or are perhaps looking to buy one, remember this style has a lot going for it!

If you would like to explore your ranch conversion in more detail, please call Bill Bartlett at 404-876-3000.

Spring may seem like a long way off but in Atlanta the temperatures tend to rise overnight. Soon we’ll be in the thick of one of the South’s loveliest seasons. No one does springtime quite like Atlanta and a screened porch can be just the place to enjoy it. Of all the many projects we do at Home ReBuilders, screened porches are one of our favorites. Atlanta’s mild climate (and plentiful bugs), make a screened porch a valuable addition to any home. Some porches can be extensions of the front entry making a welcoming spot to watch the neighborhood and greet friends. Other porches provide a location to catch a football game on a flat screen TV or enjoy the warmth of an outdoor fireplace. If you are thinking about adding a porch onto your home, now is the time to start the process to get you into that space for spring. Our design phase begins with a site visit to measure your existing home, document all current materials, observe the style of your home and neighborhood character. We talk to you about how you hope to use the space, what type of furniture and seating you may want to use and how you envision the exterior to look. Some factors to consider when thinking about a porch addition concern the current style of your home. Is your roof pitch in the style of a peaked Tudor home? Are Craftsman elements existing on your exterior facade? When adding an exterior element to your home, consider the style and how to capitalize and improve on it. At Home ReBuilders we think a lot about these details. Exposed rafters, bead board ceilings, timber framing, and custom brackets are all details we can employ to create a thoughtful addition to your home. The list of material choices and selections can be infinite in deck repair and construction, from salvaged brick flooring installed in a herringbone pattern, painted wood deck flooring, or fieldstone on to the type of screen material to be used. After the design phase, we can move through to obtaining the proper permits and then start breaking ground. A good timeline to keep in mind is 3-6 weeks to get a project through the design phase and Atlanta permitting typically runs about 4 weeks. So in about a two months, ground can be broken for that new screened porch!