OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
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[...]
Nice Review
There's a nice, positive new review on our Houzz page: http://www.houzz.com/browseReviews/myersconstructs/myers-constructs-inc
Design: A Pet Project
At Myers Constructs, we love animals of all kinds, and we enjoy when our designs benefit our customers' four-legged friends. As part of any design-to-build™ project we undertake, we spend some time in the beginning learning about our customers' goals and priorities, what problems will be solved with the renovation, and, of course, who will use the finished space. If our clients have pets, we want to know that information so we can keep it in mind from the outset and plan for it. In designing kitchens, for example, that can be as simple as making sure there's a place for the dog's food bowls to avoid being kicked, a place to store those big bags of food, the leash (and, these days, the dog's sweater!). Sometimes, we find that folks have gotten so used to working around their pet bowls that they don't even realize that they are in[...]
When the Designer Becomes the Customer
I am a design to build remodeler. That means that I renovate other people's homes for a living. But when it came time recently to start my own living room remodel, I started the process the same way most of our clients do: by looking at magazines, websites, and other sources of inspiration. I knew the direction I wanted to take with the room, but was having some trouble with furniture selection. Sorting through these resources helped to narrow down my choices and get a feel for some of the textures, styles, and options out there. After taking some measurements, I then had to choose a professional who would be the right fit for this project. While I had the advantage of being able to wear two hats — that of the homeowner and the designer of the space — I still knew I'd want to bring in a pro[...]
Social Icon Expansion
We've added Pinterest and Houzz icons to our navigation menu, adjacent to the existing Twitter and Facebook icons. Have at it, social network enthusiasts!
Tamara’s Thanksgiving Salad
Tamara's Thanksgiving salad:
The Mindset of Custom Renovation
The average first-time buyer of a custom home renovation typically has to adjust their expectations about some aspect of the process. Why is this true? Nowadays, most people aren't used to buying anything that is truly "custom made." Most of us don't hire tailors to make our suits, shirts, or dresses. We don't go to milliners. We don't have butchers who grind our beef to certain specifications. Even our most expensive cars are "off the rack" with limited options. How do these points apply to home renovations? The houses we work on are typically 50 to 100 years old and built by a developer who had his own ideas about how homeowners might actually want to live in them. At that time, labor and raw materials were also relatively inexpensive, so houses and other handmade things were comparatively cheaper to build and maintain. Times have changed! Labor is now very[...]
