We Hope You Have Had A Great Start To The Month And Enjoyed A Wonderful Easter With Family/Friends

Back on April 1 ^st, CNN posted some historic April Fool’s Day pranks, including these gems:

• In the early 1950s The BBC ran a “news” item about the annual spaghetti harvest in Switzerland.

• Beginning in 1986 press releases for the [fictional] New York City April Fools’ Day Parade were released—and continue today.

• In 1996 Taco Bell Corporation ran a full-page ad in major newspapers claiming it had purchased the Liberty Bell and renamed it the “Taco Liberty Bell.”

• In 2008 The BBC ran a video clip of flying penguins in their Miracles of Evolution series showing penguins escaping the cold, harsh Antarctic weather by flying to the tropical rainforests of South America.

April may be a great month for pranks, but planning the remodeling your home is no joking matter. You may feel like it’s time to update or upgrade things around your home, but how do you decide what to do?

Two simple steps can help you choose wisely instead of foolishly.

1. Identify a Problem or Something That Needs Improvement:  The whole purpose of remodeling is to increase the comfort and convenience of your home.

First you need to figure out what you don’t like (the problem) and then identify how you want things to improve. You don’t have to figure out how to make it happen. You just have to identify what the problem is and what you want things to be like once the problem is solved.

Here are a couple of examples of what that might look like:

• Problem:  Master Bathroom is crowded and dark and it’s a pain to get ready for work in the morning when sharing a sink.
• Solution : More space; a double sink, and more light (natural light if possible)

• Problem: Kitchen feels crowded, dark, and cut off from dining area. It’s not ideal for entertaining guests.
• Solution: Open up kitchen space; redesign configuration for more efficiency; open up view to dining area; bring in more light.

2. Establish Priorities:
You may have several things you’d like to do, but what are your priorities? What should you do first? It can be helpful to think in terms of “Must-Haves” (things that are really essential) and “Nice-to-Haves” (things you’d like to do if you have the time and money). Let’s use the kitchen project above as an example.

• Must-Have : A more efficient kitchen with enough room for family to eat together.
• Nice-to-Have : A larger, dramatic-looking kitchen with top-end appliances, and more space to entertain guests.

Again, you don’t have to come up with the solution; you only need to communicate your priorities to us. But go ahead and share your “Nice-to-Haves” as well. Sometimes we may be able to satisfy your “must-have” needs, and some of your “nice-to-have” needs at the same time.

April 1 ^st may be a fun time to enjoy foolish pranks, but wise homeowners identify their real needs and then prioritize which ones to work on.

Closing Bit:

Everybody will cut you some slack if you get fooled on April 1, but you’re on your own for the other 364 days of the year! —Anonymous

Keep in mind…

Your home and property are always good places to invest your dollars. Give us a call ( 203-269-9204 ) with any project questions – we are here to help. Thanks again!

Mark & Nancy Benson