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How Often Should You Renovate Your Home?

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Home Renovations If it’s been awhile since your home has been renovated, you might be wondering if it’s time to do it now. Homes should typically be renovated about once every 15 or 20 years, but that number can change depending on how big your last renovation was and how well your home currently functions for you. Here are a few factors that will let you know it’s time to undertake a home renovation.

Your home is outdated.

If your last home renovation was done 20 years ago, chances are your home currently includes many features that are ancient at this point. Home trends come and go just like all other trends, so the inside and outside of your home is probably stuck in the wrong decade if you haven’t renovated in a while. To fix this, you should have a renovation done immediately and bring everything up to the modern times.

Your home doesn’t function as well as it used to.

Many of today’s homes are very open and airy, which is more conducive to the modern American lifestyle. Older homes don’t feature this same open layout, and as a result, they often don’t function very well. It can be hard to use a closed-off kitchen or a tiny bathroom, and it can make it difficult for you and your family to coexist. Renovating your home will fix this problem and allow your home to be more functional overall.

Your home doesn’t look nice anymore.

Just like anything else, a home will start to look worn out if you don’t renovate it. The carpeting will fade, the paint on the walls will look dull, and everything from your kitchen countertops to the doors within your home will turn into eyesores. Renovating your home will freshen it up and make it look more aesthetically pleasing.

Do you get the sense your home could benefit from a renovation? Call Scott Merle Builders Inc. at 315-409-4124 today to see how we can help renovate your home right away and make it look great again.

A Custom Home is a Dream Home

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Custom HomesAre you in the process of looking for a new home? Building a custom home might actually be your best option. Rather than scouring the real estate market looking for something that will fit the needs of you and your family, going with a custom home will give you the ability to create exactly what you are looking for. Check out some of the benefits of having a custom home below.

You can design a custom home the way you want it.

The biggest benefit of going with a custom home over something that has already been built is that you will get the chance to design it exactly how you want it. You will get to pick out how many bedrooms and bathrooms it will have. You will get to choose how large each room will be. Moreover, you will get the opportunity to add special rooms to it, if you want. For example, if you want a man cave or a game room, you will build a dedicated space for those things rather than trying to repurpose a spare bedroom or basement area.

You can pick out the materials you want to use to build your home.

Outside of designing what your custom home will look like, you can also customize all of the materials that are used. During a custom build, many homeowners will opt to go with eco-friendly options that might not always be the first choice of a contractor trying to stick to a budget. These materials might potentially cost a little more on the front end, but they will save you money in the future and make your home more desirable if you choose to sell it one day.

You can enjoy a closer connection with your home for years to come.

You can turn any house into a home. Nevertheless, you will have a special connection with a house when you spend the time designing it and building it yourself. You will be able to say, “I built that,” for many years, and if you want, you can keep the home in your family and continue to improve upon it well into the future. You will feel a sense of pride every time you look at your custom home.

Would you like to learn more about why you should consider going with a custom home? Call Scott Merle Builders at 315-409-4124 today to get more information.

 

Here’s Why You Should Consider a Bathroom Remodel

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Bathroom Remodels You use the bathrooms in your home numerous times throughout the course of a normal day. So if you really don’t like one of the bathrooms and wish that you could change it, what are you waiting for? A bathroom remodel will make you fall in love with your bathroom space again and help it to live up to its full potential. Whether you want to make the bathroom bigger, make it more functional, or just bring it up to speed so that it doesn’t look so outdated, there are so many benefits that come along with doing a bathroom remodel. Check out a few of those benefits below.

It will allow you to create a new layout.

If the current layout of your bathroom just doesn’t work for you and your family, doing a bathroom remodel can solve this big problem. You can move your fixtures around, get rid of a large bathtub in favor of a more modern shower, and even create closet space that didn’t exist before by coming up with a new design for your bathroom. The possibilities are endless when you start the remodeling process.

It will make the space more eco-friendly.

Unless you’ve updated your bathroom in recent years, there’s a good chance that it has older fixtures in it as well as older lighting. There are many toilets, sinks, and shower heads on the market today that use substantially less water than older models. There are also many lighting options that can be used that won’t eat up as much electricity as older lights. You will get the chance to make your entire bathroom more environmentally friendly during a remodel.

It will increase the value of your home.

Not all bathroom remodels will increase the value of your home. If you choose to put together a bathroom that’s customized just to you, it might not make much of a difference. However, if you work with a builder who knows how to make the most of a remodel, they will be able to show you things that you can do to increase the value of your home while remodeling the bathroom. There are many steps you can take to get more bang for your buck.

Scott Merle Builders can assist you with your bathroom remodeling job and get it done right. To start designing the bathroom of your dreams, call us at 315-409-4124 today.

Reasons to Add a Gazebo to Your Yard

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Gazebo Do you have a large backyard area with plenty of room to build? Then you might want to consider adding a gazebo to it. Gazebos are excellent decorative features and will instantly improve the look and feel of your backyard space. There are also many other good reasons to have a gazebo built in your backyard. Take a look at some of them below.

A gazebo will offer you shelter from the elements.

If you enjoy sitting in your backyard a lot but don’t have anything to provide you with shelter when necessary, a gazebo can fix that for you. It’s a place you can sit and relax when it’s very sunny and hot out without having to worry about the sunlight beating down on you. It’s also a place that will allow you to get out from the rain in the event of a sudden thunderstorm. You will be able to enjoy the outdoors without enduring the elements with a gazebo.

A gazebo will give your kids a place to play.

There are times when you want to send your kids outside to play so that they don’t make a mess inside. At the same time, you don’t always want them playing directly in the sun. A gazebo will give you livable space outside of your home where your kids can have a good old time without you having to worry about them at all.

A gazebo will make your property more attractive to buyers down the line.

You might not be thinking about selling your home right now. Nevertheless, one day, you will want to do it, and you will want to get top dollar for it. A gazebo may or may not have an immediate impact on the actual value of your home. Either way, it will make your property a more attractive option for many buyers out there, especially if you care for your gazebo and keep it looking its best.

Are you considering adding a gazebo to your backyard? Scott Merle Builders can help you obtain one. Call us at 315-409-4124 today to speak with us about building a gazebo.

Reasons to Add a Bedroom Atop Your Garage

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Have you ever thought about putting a bedroom over top of your garage? If so, you might be worried about all of the noise that a garage door can create. However, the truth is that if you take the time to insulate your new bedroom properly and upgrade your garage door with a newer model that works better, you won’t have to worry about that particular concern at all. You will also get to enjoy a ton of benefits that come along with adding a bedroom over your garage. Here are a few of them.

It will give you more space without cutting into your outdoor area.

Bedrooms Over Garages Building up rather than building out when you are putting an addition onto your home is the way to go if you want to avoid cutting into the outdoor space you currently have. By putting a bedroom over your garage as opposed to building it out into your backyard, you can give yourself the space you need without losing any of the outdoor space you want.

It will increase the value of your home instantly.

Adding another bedroom onto a home will just about always add value to the home as a whole, and that’s especially true when you do it without cutting into your overall square footage. By utilizing the space above your garage to install a new bedroom, you will make your home more desirable to buyers in the future and get more money for it one day.

It won’t cost as much as you think.

You might think that adding a bedroom over top of a garage would cost a fortune. However, in reality, you can usually do it on a pretty affordable budget. By working with a licensed contractor who has experience with adding bedrooms over garages, you can create a new space in your home without blowing your entire bank account.

Would you like to learn more about adding a bedroom over a garage? Call Scott Merle Builders at 315-409-4124 today to get started.

Reasons to Consider Window Replacements For Your Home

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Window Replacements Does it feel like you’re paying entirely too much every month in heating and cooling costs? It could be because of the windows in your home. If your windows are on the older side, they might be allowing too much air to enter and exit your house throughout the course of a day, which can, in turn, cause your energy costs to skyrocket. By replacing your older windows with newer windows, you can prevent this problem and save a lot of money in the long run. Check out some of the other benefits that come along with replacing your home’s windows.

More Comfort

Old leaky windows won’t just cause your energy bills to go up. They will also make your home a lot less comfortable. When cold air is allowed to come into your home in the winter, it can make it feel very chilly. When cold air is allowed to escape in the summer, it can make it feel very stuffy and warm. In both instances, your windows will be making your home less comfortable than it should be. Replacing them can change this immediately.

Better Views

If you wish that your home could get more natural light throughout the course of a day, installing replacement windows might be your answer. Many newer windows are specifically designed to allow more light into homes while cutting down on the unwanted heat gain that often accompanies that light. Some older windows are also difficult to see out of because of their age, so by installing new ones, you will give yourself substantially better views when you look out for them.

Fade Reduction

You might not realize it, but your older windows could be causing your home’s carpeting and furnishings to fade. Many older windows allow the sun’s UV rays to enter your home, and those UV rays can do real damage to anything that they touch. Newer windows are better at blocking UV rays than older ones and will prevent fading from taking place.

Would you like to learn more about how window replacement can benefit you? Scott Merle Builders Inc. can tell you all about it. Call us at 315-409-4124 today for more information.

The Benefits of a Finished Basement

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Finished Basement If you have an unfinished basement in your home, you could really benefit from finishing it off. It will give you and your family more space, and in some cases, it could dramatically increase the square footage of your home. You could use the extra space to add additional bedrooms to your home, set up a large play area for your kids, or even turn it into an income property that could help pay your mortgage every month. There are other benefits to having a finished basement, too. Here are just a few of them.

It will allow you to utilize the rest of your home more efficiently.

When you move your kids’ play area or your husband’s man cave to the basement, it will free up space in the rest of your home right away. Not only will you gain all of the extra square footage that comes along with a basement, but you will also regain all of the space in your main living quarters and get to rethink the way your entire home functions.

It will increase the value of your home.

Increasing the square footage of your home will just about always increase the value of it. In addition, when you finish off a basement, you will see a big jump in both the total square footage and the overall value of your property. Finishing off an unfinished basement is a great way to make your home more valuable, and if you ever decide to sell your home, your finished basement will be a very attractive feature to potential buyers.

It will make your home more energy efficient.

Most unfinished basements aren’t insulated properly, so they allow air from outside to enter your home and wreak havoc on your HVAC system. When you finish your basement, you will obviously need to address this issue, and by insulating your basement the right way, you will reap the benefits in the form of lower energy bills and a more comfortable home.

Scott Merle Builders can help you renovate your basement and finish it off. To get started, call 315-409-4124 today to schedule a consultation.

Tips for Selecting a Home Contractor

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Home ContractorHiring a home contractor to complete a project on your house can be stressful. There are so many different home contractors who would be more than happy to tackle a project for you, but which one will give you the best deal and make sure the job gets done right? Before you jump headfirst into the pool of home contractors in your area, you should spend some time thinking about who would be the best choice. Here are some tips that will make selecting a home contractor easier.

Ask your family, friends, and neighbors for recommendations.

One of the best ways to find a home contractor is by asking those you know for recommendations. If you know someone who has had work done on their home recently, ask them what their experience was like and if they would recommend their contractor to you. This will allow you to get a better sense of what a contractor is like before you bring them into your home for the first time.

Find reviews on potential candidates.

If you don’t know anyone who can recommend home contractors to you, you can also scour the internet for home contractor reviews. This will take a little bit of effort on your part, but you should be able to find plenty of reviews from the last year or so. You can use these reviews to narrow down your search and to find candidates that you might not otherwise find.

Resist the urge to base your entire decision on price.

Price is obviously going to be a factor when it comes to picking out a home contractor. You want to hire a home contractor who fits into your budget. Nevertheless, you don’t want to pick someone based solely on price, because that person could very well be the type of contractor who will cut corners and do a shoddy job. You want someone who will give you a fair price while also delivering quality work.

Are you looking for a home contractor in the Liverpool, NY area? Scott Merle Builders Inc. can help you with your home renovations and do it for an affordable price. Call us at 315-409-4124 today to speak with us about your next home project.

Understanding Energy Efficiency Terms

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Here at Merle Builders, we know the words used to describe energy-efficient homes can be very confusing to home owners. Here are some simple definitions to help you understand some of the energy saving options for your home.

 

Energy-Efficient Home

An energy efficient is a house that uses less energy than a traditional home without reducing the functionality of the house.

You can make your home more efficient through things such as closing gaps in the thermal envelope (the ‘skin’ around your home), building with solar generated electricity in mind (whether it be solar panels or facing the house to make best use of daylight), low-e windows and, new energy efficient appliances.

To achieve energy efficiency in your home you will reduce or eliminate services and/or energy usage to save energy.

Living in the Central New York/Syracuse/Baldwinsville area it is important to know how your home stacks up. Learn how efficient your home is currently and ways to improve your home’s efficiency with ENERGY STAR’s Home Energy Yardstick .

 

Net Zero-Energy Home

A home in which energy production and consumption are equivalent.

This simply means  that the amount of energy you produce in the home equals the amount of energy you use in the home. Solar panels are perhaps the most common way for homes to produce energy.

 

Net Positive-Energy Home

A home that produces more energy than the household needs.

It may be possible for a home owner to receive credit from their utility company for returning the excess energy they have produced in their home to the grid. Contact your local utility company to learn more about this possibility.

 

For information in planning your Energy Efficiency upgrades please feel free to contact us today!

Luxury Townhome Vs. Luxury Country-Style Home

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Luxury Townhome Vs. Luxury Country-Style HomeWhen you move, you’re faced with numerous decisions.

Should I rebuild an older home or build new?

Luxury Townhouse Or Single Luxury Country-Style Home?

If you find yourself going back and forth with these questions, you aren’t alone.

Here are the facts about townhomes and country homes to help you make your decision.

A Matter Of Preference

When it comes to a single Luxury country-style home that is all yours, you own everything from the building to the land.

You are also able to create some privacy for yourself, but that’s at your discretion.

Along with that, you will be able to build your home any way you choose.

The catch is every repair or necessary maintenance falls solely on you.

But that’s something that is universal, as any time you choose to build a new home, you will have freedom, but all responsibility falls on you.

In the case of a constructing a luxury townhome, things are a little more uniform.

It’s quite possible that if you construct a townhome, that it will have to be built very close to all of the other townhomes if you live in a complex.

In addition to that, there more rules you will need to oblige to.

That’s because the gated communities are typically run by a Homeowners Association.

They make every rule for the area including the colors of the home and what size your pet can be.

So if you want to build a new townhome, it might have to look in uniform just like everyone else’s.

There’re no real downsides to either, as building yourself a new home can be quite stress relieving from the opposite, which might be repairing an older home that is falling apart.

Merle Builders specializes in building custom luxury homes and townhomes.

We design and construct each house according to your lifestyle to give you the luxury home you have always dreamed of.

For more information on our services, please feel free to contact us today!