Blog

By: Jenn Zschunke

Whether it’s a simple framed-out space or a necessary update, a basement remodel is overwhelming.

Consider the possibilities of your basement transformation. The final options include storage, a playroom, office, home gym, extra bed and bath, media room — or all of the above.

Approach a basement remodel with a good idea of what you’d like to achieve. Have a vision and (hopeful) end result, as well as a good grasp on your budget, basement features, and priorities. The cost to remodel a basement can vary, with these tips you can maximize your budget for transforming your existing space.

A broad range of possibilities are available for a basement remodel. A good contractor, like Northern Virginia’s premier basement remodelers, Moss Building & Design, is the best first step.

Here are a few important considerations when determining how much a basement renovation might cost:

Ceiling Height Of Your Basement

The International Residential Code requires that “…basement living space must have a clear floor-to-ceiling height of at least 7 feet.”

If your basement ceiling is shorter than 7 feet, consider how to reach that height, either by raising the ceiling or lowering the floor.

Plumbing

If you’re considering a basement bathroom, it’s important to understand the basement plumbing.

Is plumbing already available in the basement? If so, where is it?

If you want to add a bathroom away from the current plumbing lines, extend the pipes — and consider the cost.

If no plumbing is in your basement, it’ll have to be specially drilled and constructed. Having this knowledge ahead of time and working with your contractor saves you headaches down the road! It's important to try to estimate your basement bathroom cost before you begin the project.

Basement Flooring

If you’re walking around on concrete floor, it’s understandable to want something more comfortable. These days, the range in options (and costs) is great.

Consider carpeting, tile sheets, luxury vinyl tile, or hardwood. Before putting down new flooring, a basement floor must be level, which is an additional cost. Concrete settles easily, so it’s important to hire an expert to level the floor before any top flooring is placed. This avoid future cracks and unevenness. Ensure you know how much square footage needs to be modified to add flooring to ensure you are meeting your budget.

Basement Bedroom And Egress Window

Would you like to add a bedroom to your basement for guests and relatives? It’s a great idea, especially for privacy, but take these considerations into account.

For a bedroom to be in a basement, an egress window must allow for an escape in an emergency situation. An experienced contractor is able to share what this is and its costs for installation.

These are a few of the considerations to take into account before embarking on the basement remodel of your dreams.

Are you considering a basement remodel? Contact Moss Building & Design at 703-961-7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

By: Jenn Zschunke

An unfinished basement is a blank canvas. Thinking about how to renovate your basement and make it a warm, inviting live/work/play area is exciting!

Moss Building & Design, Northern Virginia’s premier basement remodeling contractor, is here to make your unfinished basement go from blank to a space for the entire family. Check out some different unfinished basement ideas that MOSS has for your space & learn about some unfinished basement ideas for kids.

Add A Media Room To Your Basement For Added Entertainment

Why go to the movie theatre when you can show big-screen blockbusters at home? Plus, you can have your favorite snacks and drinks on hand without paying top dollar. This beautiful media room showcases the hallmark of MOSS basement remodeling work, from the boxed ceiling to built-ins. You’ll never go out to the movies again after adding a media room to your basement floor plan! Having custom lighting added to your home theatre also allows you to forego natural light, and focus on building the best quality home theatre possible.

Add A Basement Bedroom And Bathroom For Guest Privacy

What’s that saying about guests? Having visitors to your home, whether for a few nights or weeks, adds a layer of stress to your usual routine. A private basement bedroom and bathroom give your and your guest space to decompress after a long day of fun. It’s a win-win! Having a large area dedicated to guests can allow them to feel more welcome, and can be cost-effective as opoosed to remodeling a main level.

Basement Ideas for Kids: Add a Playroom

It’s a nice feeling to be able to send the kids outside to play, but they can’t do that on cold or wet days. A fun playroom for the kids in the basement is the solution. It creates organization out of the chaos and gives the kids a sense of their own space. Plus, it keeps the toys out from under your feet on the main level.

Add A Workout Area

Workout motivation comes from many directions. It can be personal health, weight loss, and so on. Yet, getting to the gym is often difficult when you have children, a busy career, or other commitments. A basement workout and exercise area is a good option for anyone who needs to a quick workout or can’t get out of the house. MOSS is an expert in renovating and adding an exercise room that rivals any gym.

Create An In-Home Office In Your Basement

Telecommuting is an option for many in the Northern Virginia area. Why not consider building a home office in your basement? Carve out the space in the floor plan to consider how you work best. Would a window view help you succeed? Do you want built-in shelves for a printer, documents, and other storage? Give yourself the calm and productive space you need to get your work done.

Whatever you decide for your basement remodeling project, know that MOSS is here to work with you to make it an incredible transformation.

You can also call us at 703.961.7707 or email us atHello@MossBuildingandDesign.com to begin the basement remodel you’ve been thinking about.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Need some design inspiration? Look at the before-and-after transformation of this beautiful home in Reston, Virginia. The kitchen showcases gorgeous views of the nearby lake. The wall removal and additions of specific features in first-floor cabinetry, ceilings, and lighting achieved a final remodel that made the homeowners’ vision a reality.

Knowing the kitchen cabinets and appliances needed replacements, the homeowners realized that an expansive kitchen remodel required tackling other first-floor issues, too. This was to better use the space and make it more functional. Working with Moss Building & Design, Northern Virginia’s top home remodeler, the homeowners needs and wants were met.

An Updated Entryway

With dated chair rail moulding and a lack of natural light, the home’s entryway needed an update. By adding new a railing, front door, and an incredible chandelier, the entryway became modern, welcoming, and warm.

Kitchen Remodel In Reston, VA

The original kitchen layout didn’t have great flow. We knocked down a wall between the kitchen and formal living room and added gorgeous open shelving on an incredible hand-laid stone wall. Also, we replaced the original double-hung windows with large panes of glass. This resulted in beautiful views of the lake and a much larger kitchen area.

The kitchen remodel included a large island that the family could sit at. It also included a custom appliance garage to house appliances and to reduce countertop clutter!

Updating Your Family Room

Lack of light was a big concern for the homeowners. New windows helped a great deal, but the addition of ambient lighting throughout the room, especially over the fireplace, provided a level of warmth the homeowners were looking for.

Trim work was updated and matched throughout the entire first floor. We also added a built-in wet bar, wine fridge, and an extra dishwasher for overflow.

Are you inspired now? Contact Moss Building & Design to discuss the remodel of your dreams at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

By: The MOSS Team

Moss Building & Design gives the best remodeling tips because that’s what we do every day! Trust our experts when planning a successful home remodel.

1. Pick your appliances early. With so many appliances to choose from, you need to research and pick appliances early in the design and selection process. MOSS recommends purchasing appliances before ordering cabinets. Appliance models change, update, and discontinue on a constant cycle. Your dream appliance may go through dimensional changes and not fit into your dream cabinets.
2. Think about how the remodeled space will be used. Jodi Jameson of MOSS said, “I see this a lot in kitchen remodeling. Homeowners…end up duplicating their existing kitchen layout because it’s what they’re used to. They’ll overlook the opportunity to change the layout to one that could be used better.” When planning any remodel, carefully consider how your family functions every day. What’s the most beneficial layout? Do you entertain guests often or have large family dinners? How much time do you spend in this room?
3. Consider what you already own. When designing a remodel, don’t forget about what you already own. Make space for the old, too!
4. Discover what you do and don’t like. MOSS’ Project Designer tells their clients to consider what they do and don’t like in their current space. “I tell them to make a list of those things,” she said. “They don’t forget anything when they meet with their designer. Your designer needs to know everything, so they can come up with a new design that you’ll love.”
5. Talk to other homeowners. Another great way to discover what you do and don’t like is to ask other homeowners who recently remodeled. Talk about the process, from start to finish. Ask them what they would’ve done differently.
6. Understand the entire process. When a remodeling company quotes the timeline as 7 months, that doesn’t mean the construction takes 7 months. It means that part of that time is design and selection, and the other part is construction and cleanup.
7. Find your design style. This is the most fun part of a home remodeling project! Browse through Pinterest and interior design magazines to choose your preferred home design style. Turn to Houzz for expert inspiration from architects and interior designers to solidify your idea of a dream addition. Remember that every design style is interpreted differently by those involved in your remodeling like interior designers and painters. Before you break ground, identify what problems you want to fix in your home, and then discuss solutions with your chosen remodeler.
8. Choose the right remodeling company. Chip and Joanna Gaines make do-it-yourself remodels look easy, but it’s best to find an expert in your local area. First, determine your requirements. Narrow down your vision board according to your Houzz saves, Pinterest pins, and magazine cut-outs. Afterward, let the remodeler offer you solutions to get there. Second, ask the right questions about the remodeling company (permits, history in the business, licenses, proof of insurance), an outline and timeframe for your project, contract options, project plans, and more. Lastly, hire a legitimate company that cares. After seeing if their project portfolio looks similar to your dream addition, ask the right questions about the legitimacy of the company and project scope. If they answer everything to your liking, book them!
9. Understand that kitchen remodels require special post-construction care. While your entire new remodel should be taken good care of, MOSS suggests making your kitchen cabinets a priority. After the remodel, follow the cabinet care instructions for the longevity of the cabinet finishes. A slightly damp cloth should be used for day-to-day cleaning. The cabinets should be dried immediately with a dry soft cloth. Harsh cleaners like ammonia-based products, bleach, or abrasive materials, should never be used on cabinetry finishes.
10. Don’t make it too visually busy. Find one focal point for your home remodel. Crazy tile, fancy floors, and busy cabinets are overpowering. It gives the eye too much to look at. Pick a focal point in your design and complement that area with what suits your design style.

You can also reach us at 703.961.7707 or Hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com for more home remodeling advice.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

By: Jenn Zschunke

As it has for the past several years, Moss Building & Design‘s Community Relations team visited various fire stations around Northern Virginia on the anniversary of September 11th. Taking this time to bring a sweet treat and a special thank you to our area’s first responders reminds them that we are all grateful for their service to us and our community.

Today our team visited the following fire stations: Alexandria Fire Station # 206, Arlington County Fire Station #7, West Centreville Fire Station 38, and McLean Fire Station #1.

We honor and remember those whose lives were lost 17 years ago. #NeverForget

If it’s your first time planning a home remodel, we don’t want you to worry about making any mistakes. To help you avoid some common remodeling mistakes, MOSS offers a few words of advice.

• Avoid hiring an architect before a contractor. If you hire an architect to design your home remodel before consulting or hiring a contractor to build it, you’re in trouble. This is a common mistake because what often happens is that the architect draws out a beautiful new home remodel that you fall in love with. Then, when it comes time to construct, you can’t afford it because the design is out of your home renovation budget. An architect is able to capture the scope of your home and help it come to life through blueprints and in-depth conversations. However, without the expertise of a home contractor like MOSS, they don’t understand the actual cost of the work they’re designing. It’s important to work with a contractor before committing to a design from an architect.
• Understand your budget. This is a common mistake that homeowners make when planning a remodel. You probably have a dream design in mind, so you request a proposal for a home remodeling company like Moss Building & Design in Northern Virginia. Once you receive your proposal, you may have questions about the cost, especially if you’re unsure of what you want to or can spend.

  Homeowners often don’t realize all the things that impact the cost of a remodel. We’re here to help you understand your proposal. As long as you’re aware of what you can spend and what you’re willing to spend, you should be OK. Do some research and budget to understand what you can afford and what you’re willing to pay before you move forward with a design.

• Have a realistic timeline. This common mistake is frustrating for homeowners and home contractors. Home remodeling contractors understand how long a home remodel takes, but a homeowner often wants it done as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this timeline is unrealistic and can cause tension during the remodel. To avoid this, it’s important for both parties to have a clear understanding of what a realistic project timeline is.

  For example, if you need your kitchen for a graduation party or wedding reception in two months, hold off on a remodel until after the event. You’ll have a full working kitchen for your event, and no one will be stressed to get the project done in a short amount of time.

  Remember: Each remodeling timeline varies, depending on the scope and any design or construction changes that happen along the way. Be sure to communicate effectively and clearly with your home remodeler to understand your specific project timeline.

• Understand why you want a home remodel. Oftentimes, you think you want or need something new, but you don’t know why. Why do you suddenly want an open floor plan? Why do you need a finished basement? Why do you crave a new family room or at-home office? Through Moss Building & Design’s consultative sales approach, we’ll help you get to the root of why you want a particular project, design, or layout. Using a series of in-depth questions, we’ll be able to determine more about how your family uses the space and how a new space solves any pain points that you’re experiencing.

To help you avoid making a remodeling mistake, Moss Building & Design is there every step of the way. To help with design, we offer MOSS 360. It’s our virtual design capability that helps you avoid design mistakes. With MOSS 360, you’re able to feel for yourself if the countertops are the right height, if the sink is in the right spot, and if the paint colors look as good in the sunlight.

For more information on how MOSS can help with your next home remodel, download the Beginner’s Guide To Home Remodeling. Click on the button below to get started:

Summer days are definitely upon us and with them, our usual Northern Virginia weather: hot, hazy, and humid. Yet, like every year, fall will soon be here. We welcome cooler weather, shorter days, school, holidays, fall sports, and family gatherings.

With that in mind, fall is a fantastic time to consider home remodeling projects with Moss Building & Design, Northern Virginia’s top home remodeler. Here are our top three recommendations for projects this fall.

Remodeling Your Mudroom

Mudrooms are a great way to slow down the traffic coming through your home. It gives your family (especially the kids!) a place to take responsibility in storing their shoes, backpacks, and sports equipment. There’s also a satisfying feeling of “out of sight, out of mind” with a well-designed mudroom. Items are stored neatly, the rest of your home is kept less messy and dirty, and you can enjoy the lack of clutter! 

This remodel in Oakton, Virginia, features a mudroom with built-ins and associated baskets and hooks for each family member.  

Kitchen Pantry Organization

Getting out of the house every morning can be a race against the clock for busy families. An organized and neat kitchen pantry, where the kids can grab snacks and lunchbox food quickly, is a crucial element to a well-oiled morning machine.

This home remodel in Fairfax Station, Virginia, included a kitchen pantry that is an organizer’s delight. The ability to walk in and visually see everything can make even the most stressful days easier! 

Entryways

With the holidays approaching, early fall is a good time to think about updating your front porch, sun porch, and/or entryways (side doors, for example). The weather is still comfortable enough for work to happen, and it’s a lovely time to research ways to add outdoor decor for upcoming festivities.

Have you been thinking about fixing the front steps? Worried that someone could take a misstep on a loose stone? Is the lighting dated? Fall is a great time to update any or all of these. 

This Oakton home’s screened porch is a perfect example of a well-designed backyard with a beautiful back entryway into the home. 

Interested in starting a home remodeling project this fall with MOSS? Call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com for more information. You can also download our guide to home remodeling, if you’re a little new at this project. Click on the button below to get started:

Preparing Your Northern VA Home For Fall

After many hot, and humid days this summer, we all anxiously await the cooler temperatures of fall. While you and your kids might be ready to jump into the next season, is your home properly prepped for the change?

Moss Building & Design is the perfect remodeling company to get those handyman items off of your honey-do list. We’ll take care of prep items, too, before the weather gets chilly.

Here are specific maintenance and remodeling items to prepare your Northern Virginia home for fall.

Painting & Basement Remodeling Projects

‘Tis the season for a good interior paint job. The winter is too cold to shut all the windows, and dive into large-scale interior painting projects. The summer is too hot, but fall offers the perfect time to spruce up those rooms that need a little extra TLC.

Make sure your basement is in tip-top shape for all the indoor time ahead. If you’ve been thinking about remodeling your basement, now is the time. Turn your basement into the perfect playroom, home theater, or extra bedroom. Add a kitchen and bar area for that extra entertainment space.

This basement remodel in McLean, Virginia, completely transformed to update a living space, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. The dark birch cabinets in the wet bar create a coziness in the basement. The tile choice makes for easy spill cleanup. This basement definitely has what it takes to become a home for the family in the winter and a house for out-of-town holiday guests.

Exterior Repairs: Gutters, Roofs, And Windows Need Extra Attention

You also need to tend to gutters, roofs, and windows this time of year. Clear out gutters and keep them clean as foliage begins to drop. Now’s the time to repair any damage that occurred from summer storms. If your gutters clog or break come winter, ice buildup could damage your home’s framing and drywall. Avoid this at all costs!

Seal any roof leaks before freezing rain and snow piles up. Don’t forget about the chimney, as well. Annually inspect chimneys for critters, cracks, and soot buildup. You may stoke a fire sooner than you think.

Check doors and windows for cracked or frayed caulk and weatherstripping. Air leaks cause the heating bill to rise as the weather turns colder. It’s an easy fix you or a handyman can catch.

Check Your Deck

Summer activities take a toll on your outdoor space. Make sure you address any loose boards, nail pops, or other deck issues while you still want to be outside. Once winter hits, small deck problems are exacerbated by wintry weather conditions.

Also, consider a renovation or remodeling project to enclose your deck to make an all-season space. Build a new deck or patio for a great space prepared come spring again! For example, check out the below McLean, Virginia, porch addition.

Prepare Your Home For Fall With Northern Virginia’s Best Contractor

Do you want to talk to about renovating your Northern Virginia home? Do you need a contractor to prepare your home for the fall? Call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.

We’re always excited to showcase home remodel projects that MOSS, Northern Virginia’s top remodeler, completes. This particular remodel in north Arlington, Virginia, is a stunner.

Two fallen trees from a spring storm damaged this home. MOSS turned this home into a beautiful light-filled showcase. Its open kitchen concept represents the owners’ love for entertaining and family time.

The owners of this home considered remodeling for awhile. When the trees fell and damaged most of their home, they moved forward with MOSS as their home contractor. Working with our designers, this family had specific goals for their home remodel, including the following:

• An eat-in kitchen with plenty of room to accommodate all family members
• An open, informal space for entertaining with lots of light
• Maximum deck space for use in at least three seasons 

Kitchen and Dining Rooms Transformation

Before renovations took place, the kitchen was too small to accommodate this family’s needs. Making meals, hosting family gatherings, and enjoying family time felt forced and cramped. This was one of the homeowner’s main goals that MOSS worked with them to achieve.

Now, they have a space where everyone can be together but not on top of one another. The kitchen remodel offers different zones for cooking, working, and hanging out.

Deck Updates

Before the remodel, this home had ample deck space, but it wasn’t useable outside of the summer months. When MOSS remodeled the kitchen, we added interior square footage. This allowed us to add exterior space, too.

The exterior space included covered seating, a wood-burning fireplace, heating elements for year-round use, and mounted television!

This family wanted a separate dining area as part of the open concept kitchen. Beautiful lighting and an extended dining table with comfortable seating allows for entertaining and family meals.

Main Floor Mudroom

Before the renovation, this family didn’t have a central location for their young children’s belongings, sports equipment, and toys. MOSS created a mudroom near the front door that keeps this family well organized.

At MOSS, we work with our homeowners at every step of their remodel. By truly listening to you and how you plan to use your new space, we can help you improve the quality of your life in your home. The before and after photos prove how significant these changes were for this family! Imagine the possibilities for your home!

If you’re interested in MOSS and our home remodeling services, call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com.