engineered stone Archives - Inspired Remodels

Orange County General Contractor Shares 5 Updates with Greatest ROI

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

Exterior upgrades continue to deliver the best return on investment (ROI) in Orange County’s housing market. If you’re looking for the most impactful, cost-effective improvements, focusing on the home’s exterior is still the smart move. Inspired Remodels, a local Orange County general contractor shares 5 updates that return the greatest ROI. Not surprisingly, four of the five upgrades impact the curb appeal of the home and only one can be seen from the interior.

Entry Door Replacement (Steel)

Adding or updating a steel entry door returns the greatest bang for the buck in Southern California. According to Zonda Media’s 2024 Cost vs. Value Report, the money you spend on a new steel entry door returns about 300% of the cost in added home value.

Factors such as a relatively low cost for materials and labor compared to the positive high impact on exterior appearance make this update a no-brainer in the bang-for-the-buck department.

Garage Door Upgrade

This perennial ROI winner falls to second place in 2024, behind the entry door replacement. For many years, garage door replacement topped the ROI lists.

Like the entry door, garage doors won’t break the bank and add an incredible amount of curb appeal to homes.

These days, people opt for wood-look doors, doors with windows, and doors with architectural embellishments. No longer just a functional panel you raise when you take the SUV in and out, garage doors contribute to the overall style of the home.

With an ROI of 293.8% on average in this area, a garage door upgrade or replacement continues to be a great way to add value and curb appeal to your Orange County home.

After general contractor adds versetta manufactured stone panels to front of California house to look like stone

Source: Versetta Stone

Manufactured Stone Veneer

This product mimics the looks of natural stone. However, it costs less and is easier to install than natural stone, allowing it to pack a real ROI punch.

Depending on the amount of manufactured stone veneer installed, you can reap an ROI of up to 220% on a $12,000 project.

Don’t relegate stone veneer to the front of the home. This material’s versatility makes it the perfect choice for the backyard as well.

Create a Grand Entrance

Welcome home! Impress yourself, neighbors, and visitors with an impressive entryway. Removing the existing door, reframing, and adding sidelights and a new door create an awe-inspiring entry to your home.

This type of project requires more materials, more detailed work, and more labor than other exterior upgrades, so the ROI drops to 163%. Quite an impressive return on creating an impressive entrance to the home.

Minor Kitchen Remodel

This is the only interior project of the top 5 projects with the highest ROI. A minor kitchen remodel keeps the same layout, updates the cabinet fronts, replaces the flooring and appliances, and adds new hardware and countertops.

You can expect to see an ROI of about 139% with this type of update. However, this return doesn’t consider the energy savings from replacing old appliances with energy-efficient new appliances. Use the Southern California Edison Marketplace to compare the energy efficiency of your appliances before you purchase. Once you factor in energy efficiency, you may find your ROI is higher.

One Orange County General Contractor For All Your Needs

Whether your goal is ROI on the sale of your home or just a more modern, functional, and beautiful space, Inspired Remodels is the Orange County general contractor for all your needs.

From whole house remodels to kitchen renovations and shower remodels, let Joe Mueller turn your remodeling dreams into reality.

Schedule a consultation today.

Is Granite Gone from the Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Scene?

Granite has been a foundational finish in kitchen and bathroom remodeling since the late 1980’s. Once considered a must have material in any upscale project, not only has it gone mainstream; it’s heyday may be over. Nobody will argue that marble isn’t beautiful. But as many homeowners have learned over the years, it is maintenance intensive. Marble has also been proven to emit radon gas. That’s just a few of the reasons that materials that provide the same clean look are taking the place of marble.

Engineered Stone

When you hear the term “engineered stone” you may think of cultured marble or Corian. Those while those are both are engineered stone surfaces (“Corian” is actually a registered trademark of DuPont, not a real stone) they are not the only engineered stone materials made. The “quartz” countertops that are gaining popularity are actually engineered stone. Engineered quartz to be exact.

Engineered quartz is manufactured in a variety of colors and finishes. It is made by mixing ground quartz with polymers, resins and pigments. The resulting material is as strong as stone, but much easier to maintain. Because it is man made, the pigments are mixed equally making for a more consistent product.

You can use engineered quartz or any engineered stone product in your kitchen and bathroom remodeling project without worrying about matching slabs of stone. The look is consistent and seams are almost invisible.

It provides a hygienic surface because it is not porous. That’s important in a kitchen where food is prepared and bathrooms that are exposed to bodily fluids. Engineered stones are tough, stain and scratch resistant and available in a dizzying array of finishes.

Concrete Countertops

Just as stained concrete is gaining in popularity as a floor finish, stained concrete is a rising star for kitchen and bathroom counters. Concrete can be surfaced in any color or pattern you can imagine. There are concrete overlays that are indistinguishable from tile. All without the hassle of cleaning the grout.

Just look as this countertop.

Does this look like concrete to you? Of course not, but it is. The surface has been highly polished to give that shine. Pigments were added to the concrete so the color and finish is now an integral part of the construction.

Because it is concrete, it was easily formed into the circular shape. That’s not a design that is easy to bring to life working with granite or stone, but because concrete is poured and shaped, anything is possible.

Inspired Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling from Inspired Remodels

Whether you want granite, engineered stone, concrete, tile or wood in your next project, Inspired Remodels can make it happen. We make your dream kitchen or bathroom a reality. Call (949) 625- 6820 today and schedule your consultation.