Associates in Building & Design, Ltd. Awarded “2011 Guild Quality Certificate of Distinction”

 Bob & Rita Peterson, Co-Owners of ABD, are proud to announce today it has been awarded the 2011 GuildMaster with Distinction award for exceptional customer performance. GuildQuality is a third party survey and public reporting of remodelers, home-builders, developers and contractors who rely on customer satisfaction surveys to help provide exceptional service. We want to thank you, our clients, who have taken your valuable time to evaluate our company on your projects.  We find this information valuable to not just receive the testimonials of positive feedback, but to also hear how we may improve ourselves thru your experience on an interior design project, remodel, custom home or commercial tenant finish. 

"Guild Quality reviewed more than 18,000 surveys received on behalf of the 2011 GuildMaster Award applicants. Based on the review of ABD’s surveys’feedback, Associates in Building and Design, Ltd. has earned recognition as a 2011 GuildMaster With Distinction for their superlative performance."

                            Geoff Graham, President & Founder,  GuildQuality, Inc.

You are invited to view ABD’s survey reporting, go to www.abd-ltd.com/affliations/guildquality.com. 

For more information on any project we may be of service, please call 970.225.2323 or go to our website, www.abd-ltd.com

 "Living Larger with Less, How Big is Small?"

Small is a relative term.  For some, a 3000-square-foot house qualifies as small, while others think a home that size rivals the Taj Mahal. Since the housing market collapsed, homes have been shrinking.  The average size of a home peaked in 2007 at 2,521 square feet, the average is now 2,392 in 2010, with 2,386 square feet average in the West, according to figures from the National Association of Home Builders. Sarah Susanka, author of the "Not So Big House" and more recently the "Not So Big Remodeling" book, states "the attributes and benefits of a Not So Big house is a house that's about one-third smaller than you thought you needed but that's filled with the special details that make it completely personal and give it that feeling of 'home' we all crave.  Not So Big puts the emphasis on quality rather than quantity and is designed to fit the way we really live today."

There seems to be the assumption that a small house is cramped, but just the opposite is true. By eliminating the little-used rooms, more of the house is available for everyday use, so that in a well-designed small house, "you are actually living in more square footage than in some larger, newer homes." states Susanka. If you are considering remodeling your home, or purchasing a home, there are three options Susanka sites for remodeling your home in a Not So Big way.

• Work within the existing footprint
  • Don't assume you have to add on.
  • Generally, depending on your needs, with space planning you don't have to change the original footprint by removing or opening up a wall, adding built in's, or redesigning the way you move thru a room.
• Bump Out
  • Consider a bump out, or two, if your needs can not be made within the existing footprint.
  • Cutting thru the exterior of the home adds a bigger investment, but adding just a couple feet can make a big difference to the use and aesthetics of the space.
• Add on just a little
  • Consider adding a little square footage rather than a big addition. 
  • This solution adds more investment dollars, but even a small addition can be cost effective when compared to a substantial renovation, moving, or new building needs.

When you've remodeled and made your home fit you to a tee, after you've moved on there will be others who'll recognize the love and attention that has gone into its making and who in turn will want to take care of it with the same diligence you have.  Each new owner will make a few changes of their own, and the home will continue to live on, gaining in character with each set of homeowners.  This is how it has happened over the centuries in Europe and other parts of the world where they know how to build for centuries rather than decades, and this is how it can happen here.  We don't have to keep tearing down and starting over.

That's the potential of all our homes.  There's so much that's possible in home design, so much that can make every dwelling place a better fit and a more expressive reflector of its owners' lifestyles and passions, but to realize the potential, we have to think more creatively, more durably, and more three-dimensionally.  No matter what your house challenges are, and no matter what your budget, there are things you can do to make it a better place to live, both for you today and centuries to come. 

ABD appreciates the opportunity to work with you thru our design/build process and help you create your Not So Big, Living Larger with Less Home.  Our designers and consultants will bring the creativity to reflect your lifestyle.  Please call  970.225.2323 or go to our website, www.abd-ltd.com to contact us.  We appreciate your business and referrals, thank you.