We're Celebrating National Coffee Week!

It's National Coffee Week, but we at Hodorowski Homes celebrate this wonderful beverage every week, every day of the year! Whether it's flavored, hot, cold, with cream and sugar or just black, we drink a lot of the stuff.

Melanie, our Accounts Payable Manager, making her morning brew.

Jennifer, our Service Manager loves Pumpkin Spice from Dunkin Donuts.

When we're able to leave the office, the Capital Region offers a number of great coffee roasters and purveyors.  Some of our favorites are Civitello's on Jay Street in Schenectady.  While known for their great Italian pastry, it's also a good spot for a traditional espresso or cappuccino.

Civitello's on Jay Street - Hasn't Changed Much!

Also in Schenectady, and right next to our J. Luke Buildings of 245 and 242 Broadway is Villa Italia.  Family owned and known for great pastry and gelato, you can also sip espresso after a show at Proctor's Theater.

Villa Italian in foreground, with 242 Broadway Apartments beyond.

In Troy, there is Superior Merchandise Company, specializing in pour-over coffee, or Little Peck's, featuring Tandem Coffee Roasters and an eclectic interior with a pink espresso maker!

Little Peck's.

Whether sipping at our desks, or out and about, we at Hodorowski Homes love our coffee and we happily celebrate it this week.

Nespresso brewing in Paul Hodorowski's office.

Hodorowski Homes is the Capital Region’s premier home builder building single family homes in Schenectady, NY and its surrounding areas. Please visit www.hodorowskihomes.com for more information.

Holiday Lights

When the holiday season comes around and it's time to hang decorative lights, most people tend to bring out tangles of extension cords, duct tape and hope for the best! It's usually a bit of a mess. However, over the years, we've had a number of customers come up with some very clever ideas on how to install electrical items on their homes during their Mechanical Walk .

Our Favorites:

Admiral's Walk Townhouse with Candles

Outlets are placed in our homes, by code, about every 10 feet.  It is very helpful to add or center an outlet under windows for illuminated candles or wreathes.

Loudonville Off Site Renovation

Another great option is to add a couple exterior GFI (ground fault interrupted - for exterior use) outlets on the underside of a porch.  Such outlets can also be put on a switch, so that you can control your twinkling light show from the comfort of your home!


Recessed Lights Up High, Spotlights Down Low

Exterior recessed fixtures or spot lights placed in landscaping beds are great options for washing your home with light.  Beyond that, plant shelves often sit behind a large, upper Foyer window.  This makes it the perfect visible spot for putting decorations. Placing an outlet in a high spot ahead of time makes for convenient decorating.  Connect that outlet to a switch, and you can hide cords and won't ever never need to climb on a ladder to access your plug. We're all about making the holidays LESS work for you! 

Merry Christmas!

We here at Hodorowski Homes wish you and yours a holiday season that is happy, healthy, merry and BRIGHT!

Hodorowski Homes is the Capital Region’s premier home builder building single family homes in Schenectady, NY and its surrounding areas. Please visit www.hodorowskihomes.com for more information.

Add Personality to Your Kitchen

Add an inspirational sign in lieu of the traditional backsplash. 

For many families, the kitchen is the most commonly used room in the entire house. It's where we spend the most time, besides our bedroom. Our kitchens have evolved over time in that they are no longer a closed off area from the rest of the house where it's only function is to make dinner.  The Kitchen has become an all-purpose, all-inclusive room. We begin the day there with a cup of coffee  catching up on daily news, make lunches, sort the mail, help our kids with homework, and with the rise of open concept floor plans, probably even eat dinner in the kitchen if space allows for a bar or small table.

Since the Kitchen is one of the rooms where we spend the most time, we think it should reflect your family's unique personality. We searched though Houzz.com and our collection of houses we built to find you some of the best ways to add personality to your kitchen.

* Take command of your command center: 

This command center is *perfect* for hiding everyday clutter behind closed cabinet doors.  

Create a charging station for your devices that you can stow away. 

* Accent with color. 

Add pops of your favorite color, like we did with red in our model home in Rolling Hills.

* Change it up: 

Renovating? Opt for a non-traditional island like this Kitchen's wood slab island.

* Coffee anyone?
 

Create a coffee bar with meaningful photos or special memories to enjoy as you sip.  

* Create a baker's corner: 

For the one who loves baking, this baker's nook in our model home at 12 Roger is perfect for you!

 * Make room for the bar cart:
 

This option doesn't require any renovation- just a corner for a bar cart!

 *Spice things up:

Green thumb? Create an area for herbs and spices you use regularly.

*Shed some accent light:

Add under-cabinet lighting like our model at 20 Maiden to accent your backsplash and highlight other features.

* Shut the barn door: 

Save space by switching out your standard pantry door with a sliding barn door. It also adds character!

What have you done in your home to add personality to your house? Tell us! 

Hodorowski Homes is the Capital Region’s premier home builder building single family homes in Schenectady, NY and its surrounding areas. Please visit www.hodorowskihomes.com for more information.

Warm Up By the Fireplace

This fireplace in a Churchill model has "Beach Walk" ledgestone and the Lexington mantel.

As the weather gets colder and colder, the appeal of curling up in front of the fireplace gets warmer and warmer. Hodorowski Homes has built countless houses over the years, each with it's own unique fireplace. We thought it would be fun to share with you some of the fireplaces we have completed in the past couple of years, and hopefully give you inspiration for your very own fireplace.

This Ashley home design has a custom cultured stone fireplace with "Shale" ledgestone & Manor House mantel.

This 2-story Great Room in the Country Manor design is cultured stone with a barn beam mantel.

 

This Country Manor home design selected City Collection 'Cream' tile with our Gettysburg mantel.

In this Saratoga B, the homeowner selected 'Tumbled Walnut Chocolate Brown' 4x4 travertine.

We love how this Abington homeowner stained their mantel to match their hardwood!

This beautiful corner fireplace has Philadelphia ledgestone and the Lexington mantel.

This McKinley design matched their island & fireplace with cultured stone. We love how this looks!

Carbon ledgestone was the selection for this gorgeous and rustic Broadway design.

This grand cultured stone fireplace sits in a Hoover model, with a floating barn beam mantel.

This Harrison home design opted to match their fireplace with their handrail & hardwood to tie them all together.

Which fireplace suits you the best? Tell us in the comments below!

Hodorowski Homes is the Capital Region’s premier home builder building single family homes in Schenectady, NY and its surrounding areas. Please visit www.hodorowskihomes.com for more information.

Easy Ways to Increase Your Home’s Value

Are you ready to build your dream home with Hodorowski Homes, but you need to sell your current house first? Before you put your home on the market, take a look at some of these tips below to how to raise your house’s value before you sell.

$- Plant flowers or hang potted plants. Start from the outside of your home- the exterior is the first impression that your buyers have, make sure it’s a good one! HGTV says: “No question that shrubs and colorful plants will add curb appeal to any home, but when shopping at your local garden center, make sure that you "think green." Purchase plants that are native to your region or plants that are drought-tolerant; these require less water and maintenance.” 

$- Clear the clutter. The best way for the rooms in your home to appear larger is to clean up the clutter. If you must, rent a storage unit and put unused bulky furniture or clutter in a storage unit. Better yet, have a garage sale or donate any unwanted items that are in good condition.

$$- Paint. Before you list your home, put up a fresh coat of neutral paint on your walls. This will not only refresh the rooms, but it’s potentially one less thing the person moving into your home will have to do. Also consider the front of your home- give your front door a fresh inviting color.

$$- Add dimmers to light switches. This Old House suggests that “lighting noticeably enhances a home's appeal.”  Lighting can make a space appear larger and with the correct hue, it can create warmth and set the mood.

$$$- Clean/replace carpet. Along with the same line as paint, if your carpets have stains or odors, it would really benefit the value of your home if they were shampooed or better yet replaced. “Nothing turns buyers off more than the thought that they will immediately need to replace all of the flooring in a home. Ideally, you may want to replace them all, but if a limited budget puts a snag in that plan, start by replacing the carpet in the room that shows the most wear and tear and replace the others as your finances allow.”

$$$$- Update your bathroom(s). One easy way you can update your bathroom is to replace the outdated vanity with a more modern one. If you have cracked tiles or an outdated flooring, you may want to just consider a small gut renovation. Be sure you hire a professional.

For more tips on how to increase the value of your home, visit HGTV’s website.

Hodorowski Homes is the Capital Region’s premier home builder building single family homes in Schenectady, NY and its surrounding areas. Please visit www.hodorowskihomes.com for more information.

St. Patrick’s Day Treats to Make at Home

Bring out the green because St. Patrick’s Day is next week! St. Patrick’s Day was invented in honor of patron saint St. Patrick, who was the known for bringing Christianity to Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated as a day of spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries around the world. As you know, here in the US, many people will be celebrating this Irish holiday by sporting top hats, green clothing, shamrocks, and toasting good luck to their neighbor with a Guinness. If you’re looking for some creative ideas to bring St. Patrick’s Day into your home, we’ve put together seven lucky St. Patrick’s Day inspired treats for people of all ages.

Beginner: (Perfect activities to do with the kids)

1). Make Your Own Pot of Gold: 

www.makeandtakes.com

2). St. Patrick's Day Rice Krispie Treats:

www.classyclutter.net

3). Healthy Rainbow Snack Ideas:

www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

 


Intermediate: (For those who are a little more adventurous) 

4). Leprechaun S'More Hats. 

www.thecakeblog.com

5). Shamrock Buns (Our personal favorite!) 

www.creativetryals.blogspot.com

 Advanced- (21 and older)

6). Extra Stout Brownies: 

www.debbiesweets.blogspot.com

7). Green Apple Sangria:

www.madewithhappy.com

There is so much more about the interesting history of St. Patrick’s Day, which you can read here. If you and your family decide to make any of these treats, we’d love to know and share it on our Facebook page! 

Hodorowski Homes is the Capital Region's premier homebuilder building single family homes in Schenectady NY and it's surrounding regions. Please visit www.HodorowskiHomes.com for more information.

New Year’s Resolutions for Your (Hodorowski) Home

Each New Year brings new personal goals and resolutions whether it be to eat healthier, exercise more, budget better, etc. One resolution that is typically forgotten about is our home. So whether you are a brand-new, first time homeowner this year or you’ve lived in yours for years, Hodorowski Homes brings you some helpful resolutions for your home in 2015: 

- Get rid of clutter:  One habit which slows us down is having too much clutter, and not having a place for everything. One suggestion is to create a command center (like this for example) for mail, loose receipts, and assorted papers as well as a family calendar. 

- Set goals (realistic ones):  Rather than attempting to clean the entire house from top to bottom in one day, (which is a very daunting task!) instead make goals for individual rooms or zones in your home. A good example of a goal is set is: Clean out the pantry, and donate any extra canned goods to the local food pantry.  Not only are you making steps to a more organized Kitchen you are also helping those in need in the process. If you are looking for tips on how to set goals, check out this helpful article. 

 

- Check or change your smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries:  By making sure your safety detectors are working in proper order, you are doing a huge part in preserving the safety of your family and your belongings. Another good idea is to plan several escape routes with your children in case there is a fire or other emergency in your house. 

- Take 10 minutes:  One really great habit to have is to take 10 minutes at the end of the day to straighten up any loose ends in your home. Put those extra dishes in the dishwasher, pick up the stray clothing items and put them in the hamper, gather all the loose mail and papers and sort them in their proper bins, etc. By taking 10 minutes to do these small tasks every evening, it will prevent all these little things from adding up and end up saving you time later on in the week. 

- Refresh your entertaining spaces: With the holidays behind us, now is the time of year to freshen up your entertaining areas. Simple ways to refresh areas of your home are to update your throw pillows and drapes in the living room, or finally go out and splurge on new dinnerware to replace the older, odd set.  For other great tips on how to refresh your home, check out these ideas.

Your home is the center of so many important areas of our lives. It’s where our kids grow, it’s where we gather and make memories and it’s a place for laughter and sanctuary. Make your home a priority this year. We wish you all the best for 2015!

 Hodorowski Homes is the Capital Region’s premier homebuilder building single family homes in Schenectady, NY and its surrounding areas.  Please visit www.hodorowskihomes.com for more information.