Erie Construction Co., Erie Construction Mid West
Category: Kitchen
Want to Sell your Home? Make Sure, it’s in Tip-Top Shape

Let’s face it, our current real estate market is soft at best. What this means is that it’s not impossible to sell a home, but if you want to get a decent asking price you need to make sure it’s in tip top shape. In order to attract more buyers and make your home more memorable, consider room upgrades or additions, such as landscaping, high grade windows or a new roof.

Residential roofing is a huge make it or break it element of your home. No one wants  to have to replace the roof as soon as they move in. So, if you want the buyers to make an offer on  your home you need to make sure your roof in in great shape or replace it. Many are even opting to go the metal roof route because it lasts pretty much forever and can withstand severe weather conditions.

Asphalt shingles perform extremely poorly in adverse weather conditions.  Plus, asphalt typically only lasts 10-15 years! Erie Construction of Evansville, Indiana is a trusted leader in the industry and would love to show you your roofing options.

Making sure your kitchen and bathrooms are in great shape will also help you sell your home because buyers are not after fixer uppers anymore. Many want turn key homes they can move their belongings into and call it a day. If your home is not move in ready, buyers will most likely move on to the next house and we all know there is definitely not a shortage of homes on the market right now.

Update Your Cabinets Without Spending A Lot Of Money
| March 12, 2012 | 11:51 AM | Bathrooms, Home Design, Kitchen | No comments

If you are sick and tired of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets you are definitely not alone! Many homeowners “live” with their cabinets for years and years because they simply don’t know how to change them without having then ripped out and starting fresh. Well, I want you to know that you don’t have to “live” with ugly, old looking cabinets any longer. You also don’t have to spend thousands of dollars having them ripped out and having new ones installed. All you have to do is buy some paint and supplies, and roll up your sleeves. Exerting a little time, energy, elbow grease, and about $50 is really all your need to transform your cabinets into the focal point of your space.

The first thing that you need to do is de-gloss the cabinets or no paint is going to get good adhesion. Don’t skip this step, it is vital to getting a good result! Once the prep work is done (the most important part) then it’s up to the look you want. A brush is always going to result in a brush stroke look while a roller will give you a more even finish. If you have a raised panel door you would need a brush to get into the nooks and crannies and then you could finish with a roller. A sprayer will give you the most even finish.

Take the handles off the doors and string them up through the handle hole. Then spray. This will give you the best look (just be careful the spray paint doesn’t run). Purchase some new hardware and once everything is dry, start screwing them in. If you don’t skip any steps and take your time, you will love the final results. Plus, you can brag to your friends that you did it yourself!

New Kitchen Design Trends
| March 5, 2012 | 9:54 AM | Kitchen | No comments

We all know that a kitchen is the heart of a home. Like any room in the house, more storage is better than a lack of storage. New kitchen design trends show that homeowners are putting their money, time, and effort into creating their perfect kitchen design, with a smooth integration of both form and function.

Among the more popular kitchen design trends is the addition of a Butler’s Pantry. A Butler’s Pantry can be added to a home of nearly any size and budget. The purpose of the Butler’s Pantry will help determine the size and cost of the space. Common uses for a Butler’s Pantry is storage space. Butler’s Pantries are really convenient because you can have them built with cabinets, shelves, and doors, perfect for easy reach of often-used items.

Butler’s Pantries provide additional serving area you may need to put the finishing touches on a meal, while keeping the main kitchen areas clear for conversation.
The Butlers Pantry can include decorative shelves or display areas, plate racks, wine racks, stem glass holders, and more. This would be a great place to show off your china, silver, and wine selections. Before you just have your Butler’s Pantry built anywhere, keep in mind that the location can often be determined by the intended use. Common locations for a Butler’s Pantry include between the kitchen and formal dining room. However, Butler’s Pantries make great use of small hallways, particularly around staircases.

Just remember that while your Butler’s Pantry is designed to give you more storage and help you while entertaining. It needs to not be a throwaway space. Treat it as another room that you would show off to your guests. This will look appealing to potential homebuyers who may not have a Butler’s Pantry in their homes right now. A definite selling feature!

How To Make Your Kitchen Appear Larger
| February 22, 2012 | 9:41 AM | Home Design, Kitchen, Remodeling | No comments

If you’re like most homeowners, the kitchen is truly the heart of your home! It’s where we spend the most time, and of course it’s where we indulge in some really delicious food! Nobody wants a tiny, cramped kitchen! Nobody!

So if you don’t have the bucks or the time to get started on a big, humungous tear down, what should you do to make your kitchen seem bigger?

We all know that remodeling to add square footage to your kitchen is expensive. So you might want to consider a smaller-scale project that removes a wall or portion of wall to an adjacent room. Think of it like you are borrowing space to bring in more light and a sense of openness without changing the layout of your kitchen.

If remodeling of any kind is not an option, a few simple visual techniques can make a big difference. The nice thing about these ideas is that they rely more on creativity than cash. I like the sound of that!

Respected interior designers say if you truly want your space to seem bigger, color is crucial! Painting your kitchen walls white, for example, will make them seem to recede. If you can paint the cabinets white and add a white backsplash, that will help too. Try to avoid patterned wallpaper and busy flooring because they make a small room feel even smaller. Go for a streamlined look instead. If you want patterns, make them big so the eye has longer lines to follow.

And of course, if you’re trying to make your kitchen feel bigger, you have to de-clutter it! Get rid of all the paperwork, mail, soccer applications, etc. Get a filing cabinet and place it in your office. If you don’t have an office, what about a laundry room, or even your garage? Just don’t keep that kind of clutter in your kitchen. I promise you, if you stay streamlined, and follow the color rules, your space will seem bigger and you will enjoy your time in there a lot more!