How much will it cost to remodel my home?

I am often asked many questions before a home remodel, but the one that comes up most often is "How much will my remodel cost?".  The answer to how much your home remodel will cost depends on a variety of factors including material costs, the size of your home remodel and how well your home can blend with your desired design outcome.  The best advice I would give a customer is to come up with a budget and general design idea and ask a contractor in your area if this remodeling project can be done for your budget amount.  You may want to also ask if your project may go over your budget slightly and if so, by how much?  These costs can also depend on changes you will most likely want during your project.In retrospect you should never expect a contractor to give you a "ball park" figure on a large project, as from the time that a "ball park" figure is given until the time that design concepts are built, the price will most likely increase dramatically. Your contractor should obtain the correct information as far as design concepts, measurements, and sometimes an architect' preliminary drawings for larger projects. Your contractor will charge a minimal fee for these things. Once your cost is estimated you may wish to change certain parts of your project to meet the budget that you have allowed to spend.

Second question " can I recover my home remodeling investment" -- No one, not even your contractor, can guarantee any return on investment for any home remodel.  At best, its an educated guess from past experience; but as we all know real estate prices can change drastically for many reasons. However, when you purchase a property you should look at the value of the homes in your neighborhood and the longevity of the value. Your real estate professional will help you by providing you with comps for that neighborhood that will help you to make the decision whether a remodel project will at least hold its value.

Thirdly "can I cut costs by doing some of the work myself". There are few processes in construction that customers can perform themselves to save money. Some are minimal constructive demolitions, clean-ups including removal of waste generated from project, and painting.  Otherwise unless you are a construction professional yourself you should let your contractor handle most of the construction processes.

When do I need my flat roof replaced?

Hi there and welcome to Klein Developments Blog on Flat Roof Replacement. Lets look at this project with a special point of view.

First, please lets look at the most common question, which is is my flat roof leaking and how do I know? Our answer to this is often time we do not know that our flat roofs are leaking. The reason for this is that there are typically so many layer applied to a flat roof that the leaks may take some time to show us visibly the evidence of a leak. Because of the layers that have been applied over the years (as much as 8 layers in 80 years on most flat roofs in our area) we cannot identify where the leaks are coming from and also which part of our home that they may be leaking into. In our profession, we find that most of these flat roofs with multiple layers of roofing actually leak into your exterior walls (brick). When moisture enters the brick walls it takes time for you , the home owner to see, but after you notice it is too late for the fact that once moisture is in the brick wall it will use capillary action to spread through the mortars and brick. Capillary action of this spread of moisture could take up to five years before you will notice, but once it has happened your wall are already deteriorating. With this we suggest you contact a qualified contractor to inspect your roof at least every five years.

Secondly, lets look at how many layers of roofing that you may have on your flat roof. For replacement of that flat roof , by code and insurance company standards, you may not have any more than 2 layers. The reason why the code and insurance company want this is that more than two layers on your roof are causing too much of a dead weight load ( in other words too much weight sitting on the framing structure of the home.

So now lets look at your flat roof, how many layers are there, what indication shows that it needs replaced, and if by the standards, how much will it cost for replacement. For replacement costs, the tearing off of the old is quite laborious (if you can imagine cutting off as many layers as 8), then you have to figure out if the decking holding up the 8 layers is deteriorated (which will be an unforeseen cost) and then which type of material that you may wish to re-install on your roof.

The next part is which material would you like. We have several different options. Maybe a metal roof with a special insulation underneath to conserve energy in you home, maybe a rubber room (EDPM) with the insulation also, or maybe a bitumen (torchdown--not a mop) to secure your new roof.

These are all things to consider when you wish for repair or replacement of your flat roof. We hope this is helpful and please contact your BBB rate contractor for proper estimates and guidance that will help you have the best job performed with the best prices.

Five essentials that make up a great Man Cave

We all want our own 'space' to get away from the daily grind and relax.  Heck even Batman had a man cave.  Ok, he is a fictional character who was always saving the world and a fictional millionaire also, but you don't have to be a millionaire to get your own affordable man cave. 


First of all, lets look at what kind of space you have to create your man cave. What are your essential needs in this man cave? These needs will require a certain amount of space to build your man cave. For instance, would you like a bathroom, a bar, an entertainment system? All of these will require a certain amount of space to make your man cave a comfortable area.

Lets take a look at a bathroom for instance, do you want a 1/2 bath (toilet and hand sink) or a full bath with a shower. Is there a bathroom already available in the area where you want your man cave? If not, then we have to look at the cost of the plumbing and electrical to install a new bathroom. You may wish for a walk in shower in this bathroom. These items are going to designate how large of a space you may wish to have for your mancave.

Now lets look at another popular item for your man cave....a bar. Wow, you may need a refrigerator and or a wine cooler, a sink for washing small dishes, a microwave for warming snacks, and a serving area. You may even also wish for a kegerator. All of these will constitute the amount of space needed for the bar area of your mancave.

Another item to consider on this space of your mancave is your entertainment system. You may wish for a large flat screen TV to watch movies and games on and a sound system to work with the TV. These will require a certain amount of space which we need to incorporate in to the man cave design area but also require a certain amount of behind the wall wiring. Also you will want a comfortable seating area for your family or guests, so keep this in mind for the size needed for your mancave. As a matter of fact you may wish to incorporate an island with bar stools and a drink ledge over the seating areas. And speaking of the entertainment area in your mancave ---are you going to have smokers, like cigars and cigarettes? You may wish to have an adequate ventilation system to accommodate.

Other ideas from man caves that we have built previously are saunas, Jacuzzi's, and large walk in showers. Look for a good contractor in your area to give estimates for your man cave, however we always recommend searching through the Better Business Bureau to find an accredited, qualified contractor to serve your construction needs.

Voila! Its that simple!  Extra tip: Want to sell your wife on the idea?  How about a trade off and giving her a space she can enjoy -- either a new bathroom jacuzzi or a home addition with outdoor living space are great options.

Storm Damage Repair

Hi, and Welcome to Klein Developments Blog on Storm Damage Repair. We are often asked questions on some of the following issues.

1: My roof was damaged in a storm or tornado and I do not have insurance, what should I do? Unfortunately, this problem does not allow much of a remedy as the storm damage repair expense will be "out of pocket".
However, depending on the extremity of the storm or tornado watch closely for your area to be considered a "state of emergency" or disastrous storm area. You may then be eligible to apply for local government grants or loans to repair your storm damaged home.

2: I have insurance on my home, but now how do I proceed with collecting the correct amount of money to fix my storm damaged home? This can be a grueling process, however these following tips may help.

A: Report the damage to your insurance company immediately, schedule for your insurance company to meet with you to access the storm damage, and be prepared to immediately perform temporary repairs that may keep elements from your home such as wind, rain, etc.

B: Call your local Better Business Bureau and ask for 2-3 Accredited companies that you may call and get estimates. You will need these estimates to prove the real cost of your storm damage repairs to your insurance company, otherwise they will most likely give you a sub-standard generic cost for the repairs. Never sign a document stating that you agree with the insurance company's cost until you have acquired the Accredited Contractor's Estimates. Even though the insurance company may not agree, be prepared to pay your chosen Accredited Contractor a deposit or Down Payment (normally 1/3 to 1/2 down is Ok as they will procure that money to buy the repair material needed but also this should be clearly stated in a Signed Contract). Should you choose a BBB unaccredited Contractor, be aware of paying very much of a deposit.

C: The insurance company may require inspections as work is being performed before finalizing payments for storm damage repairs.

Klein Developments hopes that this information is helpful and wishes a speedy recovery for your home and its storm damage repairs.

How much will a home addition cost?

 
When customers call me the first question I get asked is "How much will my new addition cost?".

This is a difficult question to answer as it has many factors involved and cannot possibly be estimated without some important factors.
Some of these will include:

1. Size of home addition and will it be constructed on the first floor of the home, will it have a basement, or will it be added as an upstairs (second story) addition? The first floor addition with just a foundation will generally be the most cost effective. The first floor addition with a basement will most likely be the most costly addition. The second floor addition may be near as costly as the first floor with basement depending on its size. I.E. Is it going to be the whole house or just a dormer (small room) addition that will require a part or whole new roofing system?. When you have an idea about these items then contact Klein Developments for your free consultation and we will be able to help you configure the rest. 
2. The new addition: what purposes will it serve? Will it contain a new bathroom or kitchen ? These will be important as you may need new plumbing service, electrical service, and heating and cooling services. These items may inflate the cost of you home addition according to the size of the home addition  and municipal building code requirements. 
3. Once you have the above items planned then your next part of cost will be your interior finishes. Do you like marble or granite flooring and counter tops? Are you more satisfied with a carpet flooring and normal cultured stone or Formica counter tops? Would you like your wall coverings to be elaborate wall paper or just finished drywall? Will you have windows or skylights installed and how many, what type of quality are you wishing for? All of these items may inflate your cost depending on your choices and should be discussed with your General Contractor and their interior design expert. 
4. The final thing you may consider of an inflation of cost of your new home addition will be the following: Are you going to have any concrete or stone sidewalks added to the exterior? Will you possible want a deck, porch or patio added?  Or maybe you will wish for a master bedroom with a garage connected to it. 

Please inquire with a BBB Accredited General Contractor such as Klein Developments for all of these items listed above concerning your "New Home Addition". Thank You for reading our blog and feel free to call with any questions. Please come back to our site soon for a new construction blog.

How much will my basement remodel cost?

Hi, welcome to Klein Developments blog. We are happy to help you with your question of "How much will my basement remodel cost?".  Any legitimate construction contractor will tell you that their are many different variables that need to be considered. We advise all of our customers to consider the following items when considering their basement re-model.

1) Plan a budget of what you can afford to spend, look at different pictures of basements, and look at the materials that you may wish to use on walls, floors, bathrooms etc.

2) Sketch out a floor plan of how you would like your basement to look when finished. Don't worry about measurements we just need an idea of your design concept. The floor plan will only show your basement space and how you would like the rooms to layout. You may visualize this by thinking of looking at your finished basement as a bird flying over it may see it I.E. birds eye view. Be sure to add bathrooms and/or kitchens as they are the most expensive part of the basement remodel.

3) Make sure that your basement walls and floors do not leak water, if so you may inquire with us on how to fix this problem before putting your money into the basement remodel.

4) Your contractor may then meet with you and take measurements to be able to figure their accurate material calculations.

5) Klein Developments recommends a flooring system that let the concrete floor breath and also deliver any water underneath the flooring system to drain properly to existing floor drains. This is very important to keep your new basement remodel smelling clean and minimizing the risks of mold.

6) Be ready to match your budget with the contracted cost of your basement remodel. You may have room on the cost to add more items or you may need to reduce some of your item costs to meet your budget.

7) As always, we recommend that you obtain at least two estimates from different qualified contractors. Please refer to bbb.org to find those qualified contractors.

8) You will need to have the basement area clean for the remodel process I.E. furniture removed, any living facilities vacated etc.

9) Any job of this kind may require permits, especially if you wish for new plumbing, electrical, or HVAC systems. Your contractor will obtain these for you but they are an additional cost of building.

These are enough steps to get you started on your basement remodel and being secure with the cost. However, there are many other details that you will need to discuss with your contractor. Feel free to contact Klein Developments at 314-322-7896 any time for advice. Thank you for viewing our Blog and visit us again soon for new pictures and construction advice.

How do I start building my new home?

So you think that you would like to build a new home? Let me try to briefly help you understand the critical processes of building your new home.

First of all, are you going to consider this new home your "home for life" or an "investment property. Typically if it is going to be your home for life then you might consider that you may spend more money as you will wish to acquire settings that will fit your tastes, I.E. custom tile or marble, custom wood working, large rooming, and custom blueprint designs etc. On a investment property you will probably only wish to have normal grade materials, minimum design features, and feasible  marketing features enough to quick sell or rent.

Next, we always get a question over the phone or a website inquiry of "How much would this cost"? Be aware that if a contractor can tell you that cost over the phone or email reply they may not be very credited as a home builder. The following will show the ways to get your accurate cost for your new home.

To start, you have to envision of how you want your new home to look like. A good way to start on this process is sketching out a floor plan on a piece of paper. This does not need to be accurate as it will help you and your preferred contractor/architect understand what you would like to see as your new home. Another way is to view floor plans via the internet and get ideas from those. You may even wish to purchase them which should include a full set of code compliant building plans. Each of these ways will help you to get an idea of the square footage of your new home which will allow your contractor to estimate materials properly.

Have you already purchased the property for your new home? This cost should be added in above the cost of the new home itself. Will you need a well, septic system, possible ground excavation? We recommend that you would call a contractor to help you decide these items. Also you should contact the city,county, and/or the neighborhood associations to help you understand the rules and codes you may need to follow in the process of building your new home.

Choose a good contractor that can show you homes that they have already built. See if they an accredited company with the Better Business Bureau and if they have any complaints or bad ratings. Make sure that the hold and carry proper insurance liability. Klein Developments takes pride in the fact that we work on quality and Not Quantity. A lot of times we end up re-doing  poorly built homes built by companies that choose quantity over quality. So please choose your contractor carefully.

Thank You for reading our Blog and come back soon for more valuable information on any of your construction needs. Also feel free to call us anytime at 314-322-7896 for advice.

What is Green Construction?

As a general contractor, I'm often asked what the heck is 'Green Construction?'.  Simply put green construction is the process of construction that promotes energy efficiency and environmentally friendly building materials.  This means minimizing the environmental impact of construction in all phases of the 'green construction project'.  To do so requires general contractors to use environmentally friendly products such as recycled materials which help reduce waste.  You may be wearing right now a good example of what could one day help someones green construction project--unless you have some 'fancy solar paneled hat' I'm guessing you didn't realize the jeans your wearing can be make a great insulator for your home.  The folks at Blue Jeans go Green, a company that specializes in turning everyday products into materials for green construction, estimate over 600 tons of denim have been diverted from landfills to help insulate thousands of homes.  Many of these homes, including those being built by Habitat for Humanity ( a great cause by the way), convert denim into UltraTouch (TM) Denim insulation that is distributed to communities in need across the country to be used as home insulation.
 There are many other factors involved in Green Energy Building. Some of these will be our own renewable energies as the following:
1: S.I.P. (Structurally Integrated Panel) Construction {These are prefabricated wall sections already insulated with a styro-foam based filler}
2:  Solar energy (panel systems collecting solar light and transforming into electric to power your home)
3: Geothermal energy ( a series of piping buried underground that will collect the earths natural 60 degrees temperature and fan forced into your home creating a lower heating and cooling cost)
4: Hydro-electric power ( a system that will utilize a near by running water source to generate electricity via turbine technology)
5: Wind Energy ( simple wind mills that will use natural air currents to generate power and preserve into a battery type system that will then be converted to the normal voltage your home needs to operate)
6: Off the Grid  construction using Adobe built walls for construction (a mixture of  clay mud, grass, and roots to build walls).


These are all new Green Energy Construction methods that may help you in determining your renewable energy sources. Please follow our blog as we will describe all of these in great detail to help you better understand Green Energy Building.


Klein Developments in St. Louis, Missouri can help you with your next green building project.  Give us a call at 314-322-7896 and let us help you make your next construction project green.

photo credit: Wayne National Forest via photopin cc