Revive Your Home During the Season of Renewal
Life feels differently this time of year. We feel younger, brighter, cheerful, and well, springier. We cannot help but feel a sense of wonder as the world transforms from the gray drab of winter to the budding verdancy of the Spring. As the weather around Washington D.C. gets warmer, the days become longer and our world turns myriad shades of green, it’s natural to feel a desire to revivify your home. For a number of reasons, the optimistic energy of Spring is a fantastic time of year to tackle that home renovation project you’ve been pining for.
Logistically speaking, Spring provides the perfect middle ground between Northern Virginia’s cold winters and the hot summers. Our contractors are able to work most efficiently during the mild Spring months, with fewer bad weather days delaying the construction. This all adds up to your project having a better chance of being completed faster – and under budget – than during other seasons.
If the desire to eventually sell your home is what is motivating you to renovate this Spring, you’ll be able to fetch a higher price on the open market when your renovations are completed in the Spring. Newly renovated homes attract a greater number of serious potential buyers, so completing the project during the months of renewal can have a rejuvenating effect on your home’s resale value and ability to attract buyers in a rather saturated real estate market.
Another advantage of choosing to remodel in the Spring is that you steer clear of especially hectic times of year, namely the summer and winter holidays. Starting in Spring maximizes your chances of getting your job on your contractor’s calendar before the competition. And what’s more, because many showrooms have end of winter sales with huge discounts on items from the previous season, when you start your project in the spring you can take advantage of these fabulous deals. This allows you to save precious resources on the supplies you need for construction. So say goodbye to those heavy, layered drapes and hello to fresh, breathable linen panels. Spring has sprung, and that means it’s time to spruce up your space!
Now that we’ve enumerated all the reasons why you remodel this Spring, you may be wondering: what are some practical home improvements I can deploy to celebrate this Spring with style? Read on for ideas of how to refresh your home’s style during the season of revival. And remember: our friendly and experienced team at Metropolitan Contractors will guide you every step of the way.
Whatever the season, when it comes to the ever-critical aspect of curb appeal, the exterior of your home is just as important as the interior. First impressions matter around Washington D.C. And the first impression that you, your guests, or prospective buyers will have of your home is what they see from the outside. Thus, if you’re looking to recast the exterior of your home, read on and consider these straightforward yet robust external remodeling ideas.
1. Install Stone Veneer Cladding. Cladding is the application of one material over another, and it provides both insulation and an improved appearance. The holy grail of remodel projects is achieving multiple objectives at once. Stone cladding provides this in spades. Install a classic and earthy stone veneer to freshen up the exterior of your home, provide some additional insulation and immediately increase its curb appeal (stone veneer cladding features a 92% ROI on average).
2. Pressure Wash and Paint Your Home’s Exterior. Breathe new life into your porch and wooden fencing by pressure washing away any built-up mold, algae, and mildew. Then finish it all off with a nice sanding and a fresh coat of paint or woodstain. For extra credit (and extra curb appeal), keep the pressure washer and handy and blast clean any concrete paths, driveways, or pavers. You’ll be amazed at the difference a little pressure washing makes.
3. Replace Your Garage Door. Simple job, big impact. Netting the highest ROI of any project on this list, replacing your garage door brings homeowners a 94% ROI on average!
4. Rejuvenate Your Front Door. Apply fresh paint to the front door, then frame and garnish it with potted shrubbery or flowers.
5. Freshen Up Your Flora. By removing overgrown weeds, adding mulch, and planting your favorite herbs, vegetables and spring flowers, you can frame your home with the type of budding and blooming plants the season of renewal is known for.
6. Refurbish or Replace Outdoor Furniture. New patio furniture can breathe new life into your home’s exterior ambience.
7. Build a Patio or Install a Swimming Pool. If you really want to elevate your outdoor space and you have the resources available, hire Metropolitan Contractors to build a patio, install a swimming pool, or perhaps even landscape a fire pit or stone hearth.
Upgrade to Wood Flooring
If you’ve been thinking about replacing your drab existing flooring with shiny new hardwood floors, Spring may be the perfect time to do it. Below are just a few reasons why Spring may be the best time to replace your hardwood floors.
1. Optimal Temperature and Humidity. Wood planks are sensitive to temperature and humidity, and thus are prone to swelling or contracting. In order to prevent problems later, wood floors must be acclimated to the environment in which they will be installed. This acclimation process is much easier during the Spring months, when the temperatures are moderate and before the hot, humid weather sets in.
2. Good Ventilation. Wood flooring installation requires good ventilation, due to increased dust and fumes. Replacing hardwood floors in the Spring means we can open windows for fresh air without making your home either an icebox or a sauna.
3. Save on Energy Bills. When we install a floor, not only do we prefer open windows, but your doors will open and close frequently as flooring technicians bring in the wood planks, tools and supplies, remove waste, etc. In the winter and summer months, this can make your furnace or air conditioner work overtime, resulting in a spike in your energy bills. In the mild spring weather, this is less of an issue.
4. Get Ahead of the Summer Rush. Spring and Summer are the busiest times of year for contractors. In addition to a high demand for renovations and floor replacements, the warmer months are “prime time” for home builders in general. By calling Metro early in the season, you have a better chance of making your remodel dreams a reality before the busy season begins.
Renew Your Home’s Siding
Just as the new buds now forming on the branches will eventually fall into decay, so too will your home’s siding not last forever. Dilapidated siding has a devastating effect on curb appeal, but there are many other reasons besides that for a conscientious homeowner to replace them. Metropolitan Contractors are experts at all things siding and will ensure that the project is a success.
1) Rot and Insect Damage. The most pressing concern about the cracks, gaps and fading in your siding is that it can compromise the structural integrity of your home. Holes in your siding is often evidence of insect infestation, and new siding must be installed as soon as possible (after you call your bug guy).
Improper siding installation can sometimes cause dry rot in the home’s underlying wood structure. With this condition, moisture penetrates the siding, allowing fungus to grow and eat the wood away. All the more reason to trust the installation to the experts at Metropolitan Contractors.
2) Water Damage and Mold. Damaged siding allows water and moisture to creep into your home. If you notice mold growing on interior walls or ceilings, check the corresponding area on your home’s exterior and examine the siding’s condition. Mold spreads quickly, so plan a siding replacement as soon as possible if you detect water damage.
3) High Energy Bills. If your utility bills keep going up, it could indicate the need to install new siding and insulation. If you notice drafts near walls, windows, light switches or electrical receptacles, old, worn out siding could be the culprit.
Expand Your Home with an Addition
Do you require more space in your house? Are you ready to really transform and elevate your living situation? This Spring, no project has the ability to transform our home like a home addition. The benefits of an addition are myriad, including an excellent ROI, increased space to enjoy your home, and money saved by not having to move into a totally new house. An addition allows you to stay in the home you’ve put so much into, while truly revolutionizing its potential and resale value.
Below are a few types of additions for you to consider this Spring. Whatever addition you choose, our team of experienced experts at Metropolitan Contractors will help make it happen in a timely and professional manner.
1) Second Floor Addition. Second floor additions offer multiple benefits, in that they allow you to keep your yard space, enjoy the stunning views you gain from some elevation, and achieve additional privacy in your home.
2) California Room. A California room is an indoor-outdoor living space with a ceiling and large glass windows. Many California rooms also have a section that can fully open to the outside to maximize airflow. California rooms are fantastic, because in addition to their being stylish and unique, they also bring natural sunlight and fresh air into your home.
3) Chef’s Kitchen. If you like to cook and throw big soirees for your family and friends, you should consider investing in a kitchen addition. Aside from having more space, a chef’s kitchen can also fetch a high ROI, unlock increased functionality in your kitchen, upgrade aesthetic appeal, and provide a more comfortable, less cramped environment for working your culinary magic.
4) Dormer. A dormer is a roofed structure that extends an area of a home’s second story. Dormers are often associated with Cape Cod homes, but they work with a wide array of other house styles as well. Our team at Metropolitan Contractors are dormer experts, and know just how to cut into the roof to create this extension of space. Dormer additions provide your home with natural light, more living and storage space, and increased curb appeal.
Trust The Experts at Metro
Whatever the project and no matter the season, home renovations and remodeling represent challenging projects for a homeowner to complete. But rest assured: making the beauty of your home stand out like a Spring wildflower, while increasing its value, is just another beautiful day here at Metropolitan Contractors. We have remodeled thousands of homes during the Spring months. Because of the complexity and risks of home renovations, it pays to hire expert remodelers like our team at Metropolitan Contractors.
Our specialists are equipped with the experience, know-how and training to handle even the most complicated remodeling tasks. No matter the job, our team always does it right the first time. We know how to make all the nuanced changes you desire for your home without causing any damage to the underlying structure, and without compromising aesthetics and style.
Metropolitan Contractors Has A Long History of Transforming Homes
Beginning in 1991 as a Class A Licensed and Insured General Contractor in Northern Virginia, we had initially focused primarily on custom home renovations (interior and exterior), room additions, and common areas. We have the necessary certifications and real-world experience to successfully estimate, design and build beautiful and functional dream kitchens.
We’ve taken our 32+ years of custom kitchen remodeling expertise to homeowners with the most complete home restoration experience Northern Virginia has to offer. Taking our years of experience and processes as a custom remodeler/builder, and applying these same standards to repairing homes damaged by Fire, Water or Storms, we have been able to offer that same “custom touch” approach and excellence standards to repairing or rebuilding homes covered by an insurance policy. There are clear differences between the two remodeling modalities, but understanding the reality of the process, and utilizing insights we have gleaned over the years, can provide unique opportunities to clients that might otherwise have been overlooked.
Why Choose Metropolitan Contractors for Your Remodel?
Restoring or remodeling your home quickly and efficiently is important, but it is just as important that the repairs are done correctly. This is why we take the time to listen to and truly hear our clients, and to fully understand their repair and remodeling expectations. We will discuss each step of the process and collaborate with you to make sure that your repairs and remodeling exceed all of your expectations.
Creating a clearly defined plan upfront is probably the most important step. Whether we are producing new architectural plans, working from existing ones, or merely creating a rough draft upfront, we work to ensure that all stakeholders involved are on the same page. We have worked hard to build a reputation of providing the highest quality services, and we pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with our customers.
Here at Metropolitan Contractors, we also provide smaller damage repairs or improvements for commercial and residential buildings such as replacement windows, siding, roofing, moving walls, flooring, & the best water damage restoration services in Centreville, Fairfax, and all across Northern VA.
All restoration and remodeling projects are conducted by experienced and time-tested professionals. If the repairs or replacement work to be performed is part of an insurance claim, we have years of experience in negotiating the scope of work and associated costs with your insurance adjuster.* We, however, represent you as the Owner and our primary responsibility.
We understand that serious damage repairs can’t wait, which is why we provide 24-hour emergency services to help our customers start the rebuilding process as quickly as possible. When fire or water damage restoration is needed, it’s important to act quickly to avoid further problems.
Serving Northern Virginia Since 1991
Metropolitan Contractors is located at 3909 Railroad Avenue, Fairfax, Virginia. For over 32 years, our company has grown and expanded our services to serve Northern Virginia’s homeowner needs in an ever-changing and ever-expanding market.
Alexandria, Arlington, Centreville, Dulles, Fairfax, Manassas, Reston, Sterling, Vienna, and surrounding areas in Northern Virginia.
Metropolitan Contractors have repaired or rebuilt over one thousand homes over the past three decades, and we are proud of our friendly and experienced team of expert remodelers.