Yes, hiring an experienced, top quality, professional general contractor or full-service remodeling contractor to manage your home's remodeling project saves you time, effort, and money. But doesn't hiring a general contractor add an “extra” expense to your project? Yes and No. Yes using a general contractor adds
When looking for ideas for remodeling your home, you may have heard the term Universal Design. What exactly does that mean? Universal Design is the concept of making living areas accessible and safe for all – young, old, and every age in between, as well as people
At this time of year, many people love to be scared and to scare others, and some go to great lengths to make their home look super spooky for little ghosts and goblins. But remodeling your home should NOT be a frightening experience. So have no fear; we
You’ve been staring at the inside of your home for months now. By now you are probably fully aware of all of its shortcomings and outdated features that are due for a change. Where should you start? We suggest you think of what annoys you the most and
For some home additions the answer is unfortunately yes. Certain home additions can make your home harder to sell and lower its resale value. But, home additions that are designed and built well, normally improve your home's value. Why? Because not all home additions are created equal. This
Many homes today feature an “open concept” layout, also called an open floor plan. You’ll see it all over when you look for home remodeling ideas on Houzz or social media, and it’s one of the features homeowners ask about most when they start thinking about updates to
We know it’s been really tough spending so much time at home, trying to maintain some kind of routine and get work done, doing your best to isolate your family to make sure they stay healthy. You, no doubt, have noticed things about your home that you would
What we are doing to help keep you safe and keep your remodeling project moving along as much as possible during the coronavirus pandemic. When Not Under Shelter in Place Restrictions: We will abide by area Shelter in Place restrictions while they exist, but if not in place
Staying Home, Staying Safe, Staying Connected. It’s a very stressful time here in Northern Virginia, throughout the US, and all over the world. The rapid spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, has focused our attention on keeping our loved ones safe and healthy. So, we scrapped our planned newsletter
For a number of years, the most popular color for home design has been some shade of gray. Any discussion on Houzz and interior design blogs about choosing colors for your home has centered around, not which color, but “which gray” is best for your walls and
Many times, our first job as a home addition contractor is to help clients determine if building a room addition or even a second-story addition is the right answer. Sometimes this is a great solution, but sometimes even the best home addition won’t solve all the problems
Yes, it’s cold and dark outside and you’re dreaming of a winter getaway. But we have a suggestion for some “island time” that doesn’t involve plane tickets or resort reservations. We’re guessing that a good deal of your time is spent in the kitchen. And in today’s kitchens,
The holiday season and the ritual of list-making are two things that go hand in hand every year. Gift lists, grocery lists, and guest lists help make life easier during this very busy time. But a list that can make life easier for years to come is the
No it doesn't. You know you want a home addition but you have no room on your lot to build one. Or you may want to save some money when building the addition. So might want to know that home addition can begin with space you already
If you are a homeowner in Northern Virginia, you probably would like to stay in your current home for as long as possible, because you love your location or maybe because of the skyrocketing cost of real estate in the DC Metro area. So, thinking ahead to future
As we head into autumn, just thinking about relaxing in front of a fireplace evokes warm feelings of comfort and family togetherness. Maybe that's why we love them so much. A fireplace serves as a focal point in a room, creating ambiance and providing a gathering point
Nobody has ever said to us, “I want my master bathroom designed so it feels just like the locker room at my gym.” Nope, not a single person! We think you’d agree that the master bath should be a place that’s warm and relaxing, not cold and
When you’re planning on remodeling your kitchen, you know that great design, quality construction and attentive customer service don’t come at bargain basement prices. At Merrill Contracting & Remodeling we know you don’t want to write a blank check either, so we believe it’s important for you to
When the “hazy, hot and humid” days of summer hit the DC Metro area, we know the best way to keep cool: stay indoors in an air-conditioned space. Historic heat waves like we’ve been experiencing mean we also tend to want meals that are lighter and having
A Comparison of Kitchen Counter Material Choices Remodeling your kitchen can be fun when you’re making plans and imagining how it will look when it’s done. Along the way, however, there will be lots of choices to make: selecting appliance options, picking colors, and deciding on fixture
