OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
A New Life for Your Space. A Better Life for You.
Since the 1990s, Myers Constructs has been satisfying homeowner needs for improved living spaces. We find that these same happy homeowners have called us again and again when they need more work done, or when they move on to their next homes. Past customers also often pass our name on to friends neighbors and family members, and we even get great referrals from the people who wish they had hired us but went with someone else and were disappointed with them in the end. Consider us for your next project, large or small, including maintenance services such as: adding a closet, pantry, or storage area replacing windows or doors repairing a garage finishing a basement space early spring maintenance to repair windows or doors installation of storm windows to make old wooden windows more efficient porch repairs, including wooden floors, steps, railings, and fancy millwork powder room and bathroom facelifts[...]
Do I Need to Move Out During My Home Renovation?
(Part 3 in a series that examines our remodeling customers' most frequently asked questions.) Our design build company has been providing high quality kitchen, bathroom and whole house renovations to fine homes in the greater Philadelphia area for more than 20 years. We find that many homeowner questions repeat, and this is a common one. When you decide to renovate your home, there are many decisions to be made: colors, finishes, appliances, and whether to stay in the house or temporarily find other living arrangements. The right choice for this latter decision really depends upon the scope of the project, the other rooms available for your use during the renovation, and your tolerance level for the inherent messy stages of construction. If, for example, you are renovating your kitchen but have an extra utility area with a sink, a refrigerator, and space for a microwave, you can certainly remain in[...]
Spring “To Do” List: Projects Big and Small
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina With the first day of Spring (finally!) arriving this week, homeowners invariably turn their collective thoughts to refreshing their homes and yards. Whether you are planning a full design build renovation of a kitchen or bathroom, or any of the following smaller, repair and maintenance projects that will enhance your overall enjoyment of your Philadelphia area home, we are happy to help. Additions or space-enhancing design solutions to help the house you have feel bigger; Kitchen and bathroom facelifts, including new tile, paint, fixtures, stone counters; Hardscaping, patios, and decks; Energy-efficiency improvements that make the house you have cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in; Roofing, flooring, painting, tile, siding, and masonry, including pointing, block and flat work, and slate work; Family rooms, mudrooms, entryway enhancements, closets, and other storage solutions; Home offices, libraries, work spaces,[...]
How Long Will My Renovation Take?
While it is difficult to discuss how long a remodeling project will take without being specific about the type and scope of room being done, generally speaking, most of our projects take between two and five months from start to finish, with the average being three and a half months. We manage a number of complicated, inter-related phases of work during a project. Here's how it breaks down: Design — Whether you are considering a kitchen, bathroom, outside space, addition, or redesigned interior space, you can expect the design phase to last 2-8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the project. Our design team will conduct a complete site survey and meet frequently with you to learn what you want from the project, your aesthetic sensibility, and your budget. With this input, the design team will prepare and revise schematic drawings and elevations, accompany you on supplier visits, and otherwise[...]
How Much Will My New Kitchen Cost?
(Part 1 in a series that examines our customers' most frequently asked questions.) New clients often call us wanting to know what a new kitchen will cost them. The simple answer? Until we visit their home and find out what they want us to spec out for the project, we don't know what the exact price will be. But we can provide some general pricing information. Kitchen remodels can run from $15,000 to well over $200,000. However, most of our kitchen customers spend between $45,000 and $90,000 for a soup-to-nuts, gut-to-the-studs-and joists total refit to their kitchen. Let's take a look at what one of our kitchens in this average price range looks like. This is what we mean when we say "gutted": In this case, we didn't take the floor down to the joists, but that happens on many projects in older houses. We gut a room like this[...]
Personalized Renovation: Your Home Should Tell Your Story
When we work with homeowners during the design phase of a home improvement project, we ask about them about how they live their lives and how they use their rooms. We inquire about their hobbies and the attributes of a home that are really important to them, and we actively listen to their answers. We do this because we want their homes to tell a special story about their lives, interests, and personalities. We then help them prioritize their product and design decisions based on what they have told us. This is, after all, the project they’ve saved for and dreamed about for years. The right choices to tell a homeowner’s story never lie in builder-grade solutions or cookie-cutter renovations that look just like their neighbors’ homes. The photo on the left shows a recent kitchen renovation we did for a couple in Center City Philadelphia. In our initial discussions[...]
How Does Your Home Fend Off February Chill?
This week started off quite brisk and windy. We noticed that this made our house exceptionally chilly, even though the temperature outside was no lower than some other nights this winter. The wind made the difference — and the reason why that happened is because we have some leaks in the "envelope" of our older home. While we have invested in many energy-efficient upgrades, such as insulation and new windows and doors, we still have more steps to take until we reach optimal efficiency that will keep our house warmer on cold, windy nights (and cooler on hot summer days, too!). But because we had an energy audit we know where those further improvements need to happen and we have a plan in place to get them done. If your house is drafty on a windy night too, don’t let anyone tell you that your older home can’t be efficient,[...]
Home Buyers + Construction Pros = Due Diligence
Most people who are in the market for buying a home that is in need of repair or renovation are not home-construction experts — and they don't know what the various necessary upgrades will cost them. That's why it makes sense to reach out to a reputable local construction expert for information before you make the offer on a property purchase. We get calls from people in this position often, and this is the advice we give them: Your real estate agent, who is working on your behalf, should provide you with comparable values for the property you are considering. Your agent can also tell you where that property may be falling short, in terms of value and saleability. For example, does it have enough bathrooms? Is it up to date? What other features should it have to be at the top of comparable values in the area? Are those[...]
The Art of Studio Design
We often receive requests to design spaces that integrate our customers' professional work into their homes. These spaces dedicated to our clients' needs to work, play, and be creative in their homes are sometimes single rooms, entire floors, or even entirely separate buildings! Not only do these studio spaces minimize costs by avoiding the need to rent space elsewhere, but they also maximize home and family time — a win/win, all around. Shown here is a his-and-hers art studio that we created at our clients' Manayunk residence. As the photos reveal, the interior finishes of these studios — such as hard-wearing plywood walls and floors, and a simple HVAC system — were chosen with the intent of making them true work spaces. During the design phase of this project, we really focused on getting the desired amount of natural light in the right orientation. Both studios have skylights, so creating[...]
Mixed-Use Redevelopment Project Launches
On deck this week: A mixed-use three-story building renovation in Fishtown. We are currently in the planning phase of this project with our client, who recently purchased this building "shell" with plans to renovate it into one residential rental unit, one commercial rental unit, and an apartment and studio space for her own use. There is also a garage that will be addressed at a later date. We met with our client last week to discuss zoning issues. Without proper planning, the zoning approval and permit process could hold this project up for many months. However, Tamara and our architect thoroughly understand local zoning issues and where the various triggers for challenges lie — including facade, entrance, ADA and use issues, stair height requirements, property line setbacks, and such — so we expect to navigate through the zoning and planning phases very efficiently for our customer. This is especially important[...]
