BETHESDA, MD / ACCESSWIRE / March 5, 2018 / As a home building and remodeling expert in the Washington, D.C. Metro area, Mark Scott, owner of MARK IV BUILDERS, shares his insights on 2018 remodeling trends. With over 30 years of design/build expertise, Scott has his finger on the pulse of what's hot and what's not for the year.
"Washington D.C., like many cities around the country, is populated with homes built from 1920 to mid-1940's. Though built solidly, many of these homes are generally smaller in structure, and feature crowded closets, small bathroom and kitchen spaces and no master suites, making remodeling projects more of a challenge," explains Scott. "In the city's surrounding suburbs, homes were built in the late 1940's through the 1980's, so they are generally larger and easier to work on, but built with lesser quality materials."
Whether city or suburb, big or small, old or new, homeowners embarking on a remodeling project are often looking to simply maximize the space they live in. This is a challenge Scott faces daily with his portfolio of clients.
Reinventing the Master Suite
If you live in the city, chances are that you live in a late '40s house with three small bedrooms, a hallway bathroom, a tiny master bath, and a very small or non-existent walk-in closet. This is a very popular style home in the greater D.C. area and beyond. Adding a master bedroom suite updates the home, solves space and storage problems, and creates a relaxing, open space. Although one option is to steal space from existing rooms in the house, a popular and practical solution is to build an addition. This is typically done by building onto the back of the house and add on 16' x 25' for a spacious bedroom, walk-in closets, and a master bath.
Get More Usable Space
Many homes in the Bethesda area have a formal living room and dining room. They lack that open contemporary floor plan that integrates the kitchen and family room. If you live in a house where each room has its own defined space, it may be time to tear down a few walls to help create a more open space. Another popular solution is an addition. Inside city limits, another option is to consider building up by adding another level.
Open Up the Kitchen
Formal dining rooms are nice if you've got an eat-in kitchen, but unfortunately, prior to 1970, houses weren't built with them. If you are still cooking in a small enclosed kitchen you are probably craving a more inclusive space for dining and entertaining. Older kitchens lack space for dining and are closed off from the remainder of the house. Today's open concept kitchens allow for more interaction in the family room and offer improved traffic flow throughout the main floor. There is almost always a way to reconfigure a cramped and closed-in kitchen.
About MARK IV BUILDERS
Mark Scott founded MARK IV BUILDERS, a design/build residential remodeling company based in Bethesda, over 30 years ago as a home building company. Five years later it transformed to remodeling, exclusively. The company's home building skills give them a distinct advantage in the remodeling business because they never shy away from large, complicated projects like second-floor additions or removal of load bearing walls. Mark is a master builder with 35 years experience. He helped found Remodelers Information Technology, is a past member of the Board of Directors of the local NARI chapter, and has completed his tenure as the national NARI representative to the National Institute of Building Science. Mark is the past president of the Montgomery County Builders Association, was awarded his Certified Green Professional rating from NARI and his Building Analyst Professional rating from the Building Performance Institute, Inc.
MARK IV BUILDERS Website - http://www.markivbuilders.com/
MARK IV BUILDERS Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MARKIVBuildersInc/
MARK IV Builders, Inc. is headquartered at:
1 Tomlinson Court
Cabin John, MD 20818
240-395-0400
SOURCE: MARK IV BUILDERS