Summer in Minnesota

July 11, 2019

Summer in Minnesota

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Summers are short here in Minnesota and the warm temps are limited. So when the temps start to warm up we take full advantage. So how do you do summers in Minnesota? Here is our list of Minnesota favorite summer activities!

Take in a ball game whether its the Twins or the Saints. But you can also catch some fun town ball games.

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is hit up some local county fairs and of course the Minnesota State Fair. There is almost always a new food or brew to try and lots of fun things to see! And did you know that it is the second largest State Fair in the nation? We always try to attend our local Wright County Fair. You can find a list of local county fairs here.

There is nothing better than enjoying the great outdoors. It is pretty much a given for our family to take a jaunt up north once a summer to the superior coastline. The options are really endless, hikes through the Superior National Forest and scenic superior shoreline to secluding yourself in the Boundary Waters for some tenting and canoeing. And of course stopping through Duluth to view the large boats that come in and out of the harbor, the kids are always amazed!

Want to do some local hiking with some views? Head out to St. Anthony Falls and view the falls from the Guthrie’s endless bridge that jets over the Mississippi and follow the cobblestone path on St. Anthony Main to the Stone arch bridge – a Minneapolis landmark that spans 23 arches over the Mississippi. And there is more, enjoy a scenic walk through Loring Park, it’s the central park of Minneapolis. Or take a walk through Minnehaha and gaze up Minnehaha park’s 53-foot waterfall.

Of course it is a given right to most Minnesotan’s to hit the lakes in the summer. Whether it is to the beach, or on a boat we all like to enjoy our summer nights on the water!

Hitting up the local parks and rec’s. You can find rental pedal boats, kayaks, paddleboards, canoes and bikes from various parks and lake facilities making it fun to get out and enjoy Minnesota’s waters. There are some great spots to hike out in our neck of the woods, including Lake Mariah State Park and Stanley Eddy to name a few. Here is a list to all the parks throughout Minnesota.

Local summer farmers markets! There is nothing better than eating local fresh produce throughout the summer months. Our local farmers market even offers incentives for the kiddos to stop out and shop and pick their own free produce! You can find a list to local farmers markets in Minnesota here.

Get out and drink a Minnesota-brewed beer or wine – outside! There are so many local brew houses and wineries in the area. Check out the links below.

Minnesota Brew Houses.

Minnesota Wineries

Basilica Block Party. If you have not attended this outdoor music festival, you are missing out! The streets of downtown Minneapolis flood with concert goers in front of the Basilica for two nights of great tunes. This year it falls on July 12^th and 13^th. https://www.basilicablockparty.org/

Minneapolis Aquatennial, enjoy some of the best fireworks in the nation and be part of the largest nighttime parade in Minnesota, or participate in the Torchlight 5k.

We always bring the kids to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum atleast once a year. There is so much fun to be had viewing all the plants, trees and playscapes for kids. It gets the kids out in nature!

Minnesota Renaissance Festival. This event keeps showing up every year! We are not a big fan of it but for others its a blast. You can basically take a trip to a 16^th century England like fantasy kingdom right here in Minnesota.

And you can’t forget the typical summer go-places for kiddos, including the Minnesota and Como Zoo, the Mall of America and of course Valley Fair!

Cheers to the heat and enjoying our wonderful state of Minnesota!

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Design Advice

May 13, 2019

5 WAYS TO FILL THE SPACE ABOVE YOUR BED

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Even if you have a beautiful headboard, the space above your bed can seem empty if left untouched. This space can be tricky to decorate, but that doesn’t mean you should leave it blank. There are plenty of inexpensive ways to spruce up that space without much work. Here are five ways to make the best of that negative space!

1. Create a Gallery Wall

Whether it is gridded and organized or statement and staggered, a gallery wall is the perfect way to add a little more ‘you’ to your bedroom. Frame your favorite family photos or the landscape photos from your favorite vacation. We added a gallery wall above our bedroom wall along with some decorative antique lamps on our bedside tables. We kept it simple but it with the mere cost of $25 for some photos and frames, our space went from plain to decorative.

2. Add a Set of Shelves

Even if you don’t need the extra storage space, you can use shelves to add small decor that is unique to you. Your favorite books, small planters, or even picture frames are a great way to personalize the shelves.

3. Wallpaper the Wall

If you’re worried about adding anything above your bed, consider creating an accent wall with floral wallpaper. Many places sell peel and stick paper so if you decide you don’t love the style or you’re renting and cannot make a permanent change, you can still try out wallpaper.

4. Consider a Tasteful Tapestry or Wall Hanging

Tapestries aren’t just for college dorm rooms. If you aren’t ready to add shelving fixtures but want something a little more than wallpaper, consider adding a pop of color with a tapestry or a statement yarn wall hanging.

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Home Maintenance

April 9, 2019

HABITS OF A TIDY HOMEOWNER

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We all have that friend whose home seems to be spotless, no matter the time of day. You could swing by for a morning coffee or stop over for dinner, and it always looks like someone just cleaned. Can you imagine if your house could be like that? Well, it can! Tidy homes are created out of habit. Here are 5 habits of people with tidy homes, so that you too can have a house that looks like a magazine feature all the time.

1. Having A Schedule

Letting clutter accumulate is the easiest way to get a messy home. If you are waiting until the mess is unbearable, you’re going to be overwhelmed by it every time. By creating a cleaning schedule, you can manage the cleaning of your home instead of avoiding it. Create tasks for each day, like a day for dusting and a day for vacuuming, so you are doing a little bit of deep cleaning every day.

2. Create Lists

Break down everything in your home that needs to be cleaned on a list. By creating a list, you will be able to cross off what you complete as you go. This visual helps you to stay on track and feel like you’re accomplishing your goals.

3. A Place For Everything

Organization is the key to a tidy home. If every item in your house has its own home, cleaning will be much easier. This especially helps to prevent junk drawers or counters overflowing with random household items.

4. Get Rid of Clutter

If a junk drawer is already overflowing in your house or you have a closet where you’ve been stuffing items with no other place to go, it is time to purge. Follow Marie Kondo’s advice and get rid of anything that doesn’t bring you joy – especially clutter.

5. Baskets are Best

While it is important to maintain organization when using them, baskets can be extremely helpful to organize and reduce clutter – especially if you have children or pets. While it is easier to manage our own clutter, it can be difficult to put every toy or childcare item away properly when we are in a rush. By having decorative baskets throughout your home, you can quickly clear out an area if you have guests coming over without scrambling to put all those items where they are meant to go. It is important to add basket organization to your cleaning list, that way they do not become just another ‘junk drawer’ of sorts.

Work on creating these habits in your own home and soon enough, you’ll be the one who doesn’t mind when your friends stop by at any hour!

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Tips Uncategorized

March 8, 2019

30 Day Spring Cleaning Checklist

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We are on the tail end of another wonderful crazy winter here in Minnesota! Despite the endless amounts of snow we have been receiving and crazy below average temps, I think we can “hopefully” say spring is on its way? With spring kicking off officially on March 20th, now is the time to start thinking about those spring cleaning projects. For many like myself, when you have kids and balancing work and home life things can get hectic. And you take one look at your house and think where to even begin?

You are not alone people! Most do not even consider spring cleaning and avoid it all together. But if you break your tasks down by day, it can make the simple tasks seem more achievable. So here is our 30-day checklist to getting your home clean from months of winter. This plan will help you declutter and get your home clean from head-to-toe without to much stress. So that we can get out and enjoy the warm months while we have them.

Day 1: Deep clean the fridge and kitchen pantry

Do you open up your fridge and wonder when the last time you even used some of those items in your side doors? Yup me too! Deep clean your fridge and freezer by removing all the shelves, racks and storage items and washing them with dish soap and warm water. Check the dates on all your food items including canned items and salad dressings. Toss out any old and unused foods as well. Soak your ice cube trays. Wipe down the sides of the fridge and freezer. Pull out dry food storage space and sweep/vacuum the flooring. Wipe down the shelving and check the dates of dry food items. Throw out anything old/outdated and re-organize the pantry space.

Day 2: Clean out your closet

Yes, go through your closet and the kids closets. When it comes to your own personal closet go through and pull out any clothes you do not wear anymore or that do not fit. Put them in donation bags if they are savable. Same applies with the kids closets. Go through their clothes and store away in bins any clothes you want to save. Pull the rest into donation bags. Go through and organize the closet so finding your clothes is easy, including hanging up purses, bags, belts, scarfs and hats.

Day 3: Purge Your Kitchen Cabinets

Open those kitchen cabinet doors and start sifting through all your old tupperware. Organize and make sure you have matching pieces the rest toss to the recycling. Pull out glasses and plates and wipe down cabinet shelving. Clean the outside of the cabinet doors. Simple and done!

Day 4: Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet

If you are like us, you probably have items sitting in there just aging and unused. Go through your medicine cabinet and check dates on all your old supplements and meds. If its outdated and has not been used in quite some time, you are probably safe to toss it. Toss any liquid makeup over three months old and powder makeup over a year old. Go through and make sure you have an updated first aid kit. You always want to be ready for an emergency situation.

Day 5: Time To Dust

When you live in Minnesota, your home does not get a lot of fresh air. Those windows are squeezed tight all winter long to keep us warm. Which means additional amounts of dust will be collecting. Dust your books, knick-knacks, furniture, railings. Take a brook to the corners of your ceilings and any windows where cobwebs collect. Time to sweep and vacuum those floors. Lastly, if you have drapes get them in the laundry (make sure to follow directions per the tag and type of drape.) If you have shades wash them down with a rag and warm soap and water.

Day 6: Clean Out Your Junk Drawers

We are the worst with these in our house. In fact, I am really dreading getting this one done. We have probably four drawers in our house where a million items get thrown into. And now it is getting to the point where I cannot even open these drawers nonetheless find anything in them. Pull the drawer out, dump it out and organize. Toss anything un-needed items and store those that are used. Wash down the drawer and your done!

Day 7: Clean Your Oven and Appliances

Start with the outside including the cook top, underside of the hood and front of the hood. At the same time, clean your microwave. When it comes to the inside of your oven. The way you decide to clean can vary. Some ovens have the self cleaning option available. Or if you prefer to not risk starting your house on fire you can use this simple tip. Mix baking soda, For your dishwasher pull out the dish holders and start scrubbing.

Day 8: Organize Your Cleaning Supplies

Yes, if you are like us they are all thrown in one big mess in a cabinet or under the sink. I don’t even know what we have or half of what we have. This is a serious issue in our house. Invest in some organizing kits you can get at Home Depot or Menards. Look through and organize by type and make sure none are old and outdated. Throw out any that are old or not useful.

Day 9: Clean Your Windows

Wash your windows inside and out. If you are in a colder state like Minnesota, you might have to wait until the warmer days to get outside to reach the outside windows. If you don’t have the proper tools to reach your exterior windows I suggest hiring a professional as they are fairly affordable and save you time. Remove the screens and vacuum and soak in soapy warm water. For your windows good old fashioned Windex will always do the trick or you can use a spray bottle with vinegar and water. Wipe them down with a microfiber cloth. Dust your windowsills and the frames.

Day 10: Wash the Walls

This one can be timely but so worth it! If you have kids you know how easily their little grimy hands can leave lots of fun fingerprints on your walls. Wash any interior walls that looked stained or discolored. I usually just use some warm soap and water.

Day 11: Clean The Bathrooms

Make sure you take a deep breath, get some cleaning gloves and prepare yourself. These for most are the most un-favored chore in the house. But for most we are in a rush and do a partial cleaning. It’s time we hike up those cleaning gloves and get on our hands and knees and really scrub. This includes the walls, shower, and floors. Pull out any old shower curtains that are discolored and either wash or discard for a new one.

Day 12: Clean the Furniture

Move those couches and chairs, and clean under them by sweeping or vacuuming. Pull out the handheld attachment to vacuum the couch and chairs. If you have microfiber, I suggest pulling out a shampooer if you have one and doing a good scrub.

Day 13: Organize Your Shoes

Yes that is right! How many of us have a clutter of old shoes in which over half you probably do not even wear. Go through all of the families shoe supply. Toss out old and unused shoes and donate ones that you don’t wear and of good condition.

Day 14: Clean Your Garage

Okay, maybe we put this on the summer list for some. Depending on time of year and weather permitting. Get out and declutter your garage and throw out any items you have not used since last year.

Day 15: Clean Your Fireplace

If you have a fireplace gas, electric or wood burning. It is always good to ensure proper working condition that you clean it properly. We have a gas and electric fireplace. In our situation we simply remove the screens in the front and remove unwanted dust.

Day 16: Time To Clean Your Bedding and Linens

We are fairly good about doing this in our house. We try to keep up with washing our bedding on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. But if you do not do this. Now is the time to get it done. Go room by room and get those linens in the wash. This goes for iron board covers, drapes, rugs, pillow cases.

Day 17: Clean Your Car

For those of us in colder temp states this gets put to the wayside awfully quick during the colder months. Get in there and clean out your trash, vacuum and wash down the floors and seats. Depending on your budget you could just pay a detailer to do it for you.

Day 18: Organize Kids Toys

If you are like us, your house at times can look like a toy box puked all over your house. Go through all the kids toys and decide which need to stay and go. Put toys that are unused or no longer age friendly in a donation box or garage sale pile. The toys you decide need to stay I would suggest potentially cleaning down from germs and organizing them appropriately.

Day 19: Sweep and Scrub Entryway

For many that live in snowy states, we all know how hard it is to keep the mud and water from the entryway. But when the snow finally melts, it is time to vacuum, sweep and scrub the dry mud and dirt off the floor. But during the muddy days of spring, I like to keep a cloth easily accessible to clean up water and mud that comes in from the outside.

Day 20: Toss Clutter in Your Bathroom

Clean your bathroom drawers and toss out old items unused or providing clutter. Old toothbrushes, shampoo and soap bottles. Re-organize your bathroom closet. Clean towels and linens.

Day 21: Clean Your Electronics

Get the cleaner out and start wiping down remotes, televisions, phones, tablets and computers.

Day 22: Tend to Your Plants

Do you have plants and flowers in your house? Spring is a good time to trim the dead leaves and stems and add some more fresh dirt to the pot. This is a great project for kids to handle. (Under supervision of course.)

Day 23: Scrub Your Kitchen Table & Chairs

If you have kids this one will become a necessity in younger years. Kids are notorious for putting their grimy little hands all over tables and chairs. I have found myself on numerous occasions scrubbing food stuck underneath a table and chair. Depending on the style and type of wood your table and chairs are. I suggest starting with some warm soap and water and scrubbing and finishing with a wood or top cleaner.

Day 24: Scrub your Floors

I try to do this once a week if I can remember but it can get easily forgotten. If you have a steamer this is a great and easy way to tackle this project. I always put a tad bit of vinegar in some hot water and steam the floors. For others a simple swifter will work or mop.

Day 25: Clean Your Washer and Dryer

I know that this one is a task that I don’t do often enough. And there are so many suggestions out there on how to do it properly. I simply run an empty cycle with some vinegar. And wipe everything down also with a vinegar cloth. After the cycle with the vinegar is complete I re-run with bleach and let the bleach sit for an hour before resuming the cycle to rinse out.

Day 26: Go Through Your Mail Pile

Once again guilty as charged. When you are self-employed and balancing running two companies and a normal life with children, the rest gets easily put to the wayside. And right now there is a massive amount of mail and papers on our desk in the office. Go through your office space and open mail and organize those that are essential and toss/recycle anything that is junk.

Day 27: Clean Your Plumbing

Clean every drain in your home (bathroom and kitchen). If you have a garbage disposal you will want to do this one as well. Pour boiling hot water down your drain, add in baking soda, followed by vinegar. Cover the drain with a plug and follow in a bit with another round of hot water.

Day 28: Organize Your Bags

This includes purses, backpacks, briefcases and suitcases. Go through each and wipe down, throw out any garbage and put away anything un-necessary from the bag.

Day 29: Clean Out Cold Air Exchanges and Furnace Vents

Ours get fairly dusty throughout the winter months. I usually pull each of the vent covers off and place them in the kitchen sink with hot soapy water, dry and replace on the wall. Same applies for the furnace vents and vacuuming down the holes as much as you can reach and trying to check for toys that may have been stuffed down there by the kids.

Day 30: Treat Yourself

You made it through a month of trying to clean and de-clutter your home. You deserve a treat or better yet a massage, or glass of wine!

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MN Real Estate

January 17, 2019

Tips to Sell Your Home Quick and at Top Dollar

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It is the million dollar question that gets asked at every listing appointment. How much is my home worth and how can I get top dollar. And the answer is rather surprising. Here is the real deal. There are many reasons why a home may have not sold, but here are a few top of mind.

First and foremost, price your home to sell. If you price your home to high and in combination with less than stellar photography and lack of professional staging advice what happens can be to much extra time spent on the market and resulting in a cancelled sale. So how do we fix this. Well first things first.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE AGENT:

First and foremost, hire a professional and responsible real estate agent that takes their job seriously. And guess what you will achieve greater results with less of a headache. Studies have actually proven that sellers trying to sell independently to try and save themselves the price of commissions actually end up making less on the sale of their home. So leave it to the professional.

PRICE YOUR HOME TO SELL:

ALWAYS ask your real estate agent on a pricing strategy. There are three ways to look at a value of a home. There is taxable value, appraisal value and market value. Taxable value is a number compromised of various factors to derive what you will pay in for your taxes for any given year. The appraisal value is a valuation of a property’s value based on a given point in time. And the market value is an opinion of what a property would sell for in a competitive market based on features and benefits of that property. The market value can always flux depending on the overall real estate market, supply and demand and what other similar properties have sold for in the same condition.

So why is a pricing strategy so important? You want to make sure you are following suite with what other comparable homes are selling for in the area. Price your home a little under where you think it should be. Why? You will stand a better chance at getting more traffic in the door and it allows for more opportunity for buyers to come in above asking price. If you are selling at or above market value you are only allowing for 60% of buyers to consider your property. Studies have shown if you list 10-15% under market value your percentage increase to 90%.

Instead of trying to maximize profit, focus on creating demand for your home. And in return instead of having one buyer potentially thinking about purchasing, you will have multiple buyers contending for your property.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING:

Think about it this way. If you were browsing on a online dating site, are you going to reach out to someone with a less than stellar profile photo or that person who has a glamour shot photo? Moral of the story here, you have ONE SHOT in most cases to impress a buyer. If the photos are dingy, dark, cluttered or if the home is not staged to sell. Guess what folks, IT WILL NOT SELL. So work with a professional stager and photographer to ensure you stand out.

TIMING:

Always work with a real estate professional on the best time of year to list your home. Make sure you understand what the current health of the market is. We all know that spring time is the most crucial in Minnesota as most are trying to find a home and move before the snow flies. And for many they want to move before kids are back in school. If you list in August/September you can most likely expect to spend some additional time on the market. People are getting back to school and work after long summer vacations. In Minnesota we typically begin to see the lift in the market come late February after the super bowl.

SUMMARY:

The first two weeks on the market are THE MOST CRUCIAL to your success. During these weeks you will be exposed to the most amount of buyers and have the highest chance of visibility on the market. If you are over priced, not correctly staged and lacking stellar photography you will reap that effect. Get your pricing strategy locked in before you list so you are not spending time on the market that you could have prevented.

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From the Team

January 9, 2019

New Year, New Goals, New Homes

lakewood homes and remodeling, lw homes and remodeling, minnesota contractor, minnesota real estate, minnesota realtor, minnesota remodeler, mn contractor, mn real estate, mn realtor, mn remodeler

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And just like that the holidays are over. The tree made its way to the composite site and the decorations have been put away. We took some much needed time to ourselves as a family to be present with our kids. However, we hope you got some needed rest and downtime to reset for the new year. And if you are like us, with two very young kiddos that rest time is few and far between. Either way, we sure hope the holidays brought some rest and rejuvenation to start your new year off right.

As Brandon and I take a minute to reflect on 2018 and all that it encompassed, I think the right thought right now is “phew what a year.” This past year has been an absolute whirl wind, we conquered and accomplished goals we thought were not achievable and grew exponentially both professionally and personally. With every business and every part of each of our lives personal or professional we have our ebbs and flows, it is a natural part of our daily life cycle. Things simply cannot always go the way we want them to. But the goal is to take each challenge, face it dead in the face and push through it. And the goal, to hopefully learn something valuable and apply it.

In 2018, our team completed over 30 RENOVATION PROJECTS from bathroom, kitchen and living room remodels to decks, siding, windows, doors, flooring and a complete overhaul of a corporate office space. We highlighted some of our projects in the blogs gallery. On the real estate side, Lisa closed a total of 14 closed sales for the year, selling $3.7M in property. So in short, we are extremely grateful for every supporter and client for your business and support. THANK YOU for believing in us.

But as we close the book on 2018 we look to 2019 with new goals and plans in mind. And we cannot wait to share each new milestone along the way.

Wishing you all the best this new year!

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Tips

December 12, 2018

Holiday Home Improvement Ideas

home remodeling, home renovations, minnesota remodeler

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It is that time of year again. We are all in the midst of the holiday craze with event after event and finishing up last minute projects to close out 2018. And for some it can be a time where we finally can use the holidays to catch some much needed down time and start planning for our 2019 year. So why not start thinking about those much needed home improvement projects now.

Start by prioritizing your projects from what is of most need in the home. Is it extra space? If that is the case maybe you need to consider finishing that unfinished basement or speaking with a contractor like ourselves on how you can expand the current home your in. A great idea to consider is adding on a four season porch. This provides some extra space for guests to relax and visit especially if you are known to host holiday gatherings. To keep your room at a consistent temperature it is vital that you work with your contractor to ensure higher quality grade windows are installed. Especially here in Minnesota where our winters tend to be a bit colder. And if your existing space or home seems drafty or seems to not be securing air properly, it may be time to think about window replacements. Our team at Lakewood Homes and Remodeling can walk you through the window installation process and types and styles.

But maybe you are fine with the space you are in but just want to give it a good uplift. Some easy things you can do are some clean paint on the walls or maybe it is some back splash or new counter-tops in the kitchen. Or maybe it is as simple as organizing your closets or cleaning out your cupboards or maybe attacking that junk drawer.

But if you are ready to impress your future house guests or looking to give a gift of a home remodel to your spouse this holiday season. We are here to help. Schedule a free home consultation today.

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Tips

December 6, 2018

Holiday Greetings & Gift Guide

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We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It is hard to believe we are in December and counting down the days until Christmas. It is one of the most joyful times of year and yet hectic. We recently made our annual trip to the tree farm in search of that perfect tree. The kids enjoyed spending time decorating and me trying to keep them from breaking ornaments on the floor. Phew!

We introduced a new family member this year, the Elf has arrived and we named him Willie. The kids are having a blast looking for Elf every day. His new adventures bring loads of giggles to our home.

As avid Amazon shoppers, we figured it would be fun to share some of our favorite deals we are still finding out there. So if you are looking for some last minute gift ideas check out a few we suggest below. Amazon Echo’s are a huge hit this year. Did you know we are giving away an Amazon Echo Dot as part of our monthly giveaway? We also are big Kindle users in our home. Both of our kids have the kids version and we absolutely love them.

And if you are still scratching your head on what to give others in your family. Here is a list Amazon put together for you holiday gift givers this year!

Happy Holidays!

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New Builds

November 7, 2018

Four Season Porch Addition & Dual Maintenance Free Decks

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Our team has been beyond excited to share this project with you. As 2017 drew to a close last year, we were unable to get these photos in time to share with you all before the holidays. So unfortunately, we had to wait through a long Minnesota winter.

With each of our featured projects we hope that each client will find that this is not just a job to us but a passion. We are not satisfied unless our clients are gleaming with excitement over their new project. Our hope is that our clients will look back in years to come and create endless memories in their new spaces. And we achieved just that with this project. And it’s clients like this one that remind us why we do what we do each day.

As we start each project whether big or small we know not one or the other are alike. And with some we are lucky enough to get to know our clients and sometimes even have fun stories to share. Our client on this project has been saving her hard earned money to finally put her vision to reality. And there is nothing more exciting and rewarding than being able to do just that for someone. We will always remember her story and decision to go with Lakewood Homes & Remodeling. When making the decision on which contractor to go with she simply told Brandon, I have talked to others and you just seem genuine and trustworthy so I will give you a shot. We appreciated that comment and I think there is some truth to this in all industries. Sometimes its not who is the most affordable or has the biggest brand reputation. But it is the people behind the brand. And we will never forget the day we got to help her pick out the windows, decking and other materials. Our son Grayson decided to tag along with Dad for work and lesson learned don’t let your kiddo have sugar before helping Dad and client with shopping for a project. But thankfully, our client on this project got a good chuckle out of the situation.

And so we went to work. Our client handed us a Pinterest photo and said can you make this real? And guess what, we set out to do just that. For the decking we settled on utilizing Trex composite maintenance free decking. This allowed less stress on the homeowner to worry about upkeep year over year. We wanted to keep a modern feel to both decks and went with Westbury aluminum railings. Hardy board was used for both exterior trim and wrapping of post beams.

The goal of the four season porch was to create a warm and cozy place to relax. Whether it be a quiet place in the morning to drink that first cup of coffee or to unwind after a long day at work. Our client had hopes of a room that would bring in as much light as possible. We used custom Marvin windows throughout. The interior of the four season porch included spray foam flooring to help contain the heat. Layered on top was engineered hardwood floors. We went with a white toned rustic tongue and groove for the walls to really bring that warmth and brightness to the room. And at the end of the project our client asked for one last request shiplap paneling on the ceiling. And we can’t forget those doors. Two of the doors installed were Bayer built doors.

We are very appreciative to you Mary for the opportunity to build our portfolio with your home addition. Thank you for entrusting in us to get this done!

All The Best,

Your Lakewoods Team

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Exterior Projects

October 31, 2018

2018 Summer Decking

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If there is one thing Minnesotan’s have come to terms with when living in this state, it is the highly unpredictable weather. This year mother nature showed no mercy extending our winter right through the spring. Our team had plenty of 2018 outdoor jobs lined up waiting for the spring thaw. And when that spring thaw finally arrived we hit the ground running with a full month of June deck projects.

We decided to feature two decking projects our team completed in June of 2018 that were completed simultaneously on Maple Lake.

Our first project required quite a bit of planning and preparation. Owners were in need of an addition to their pre-existing deck that would accommodate for wheelchair accessibility. The new decking on top level allowed for a wheelchair to get access to an elevator that would be able to lift an individual to lower level deck in which our team built another set of wheelchair accessible decks to allow access to boat launch and view of lake. It was an extreme honor to help this family out with this huge project. And we sure hope their family member will now be able to get to view the beautiful views of Maple Lake.

Our second project we spent building new steps with two landings to lower level deck on the lake. We used Treks decking and fascia as well as Westbury Aluminum Railing and solar light caps for a final touch.