Ah, spring! We love this time of year at Georgetown Development, the Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC are in full bloom and families from Bethesda, MD to McLean, VA are slowly emerging from their homes after a long winter, ready to celebrate spring. What better way to celebrate than embarking on a home renovation project.

Georgetown Development has worked on many home renovation projects and the kitchen is always a great place to start as that’s where most families tend to converge.

Here’s a great article that we found from The New York Times about the importance of installing proper kitchen ventilation in your home. There are many choices when it comes to range hoods in today’s market including Broan, Wolf, Sub-Zero, Jenn-Air and GE. No matter what your taste is, there’s a range hood that’s right for you and your home and we’d love to not only help you find it, but help you design your new kitchen around it!

To learn more about how Georgetown Development can help you renovate your home, please visit www.georgetowndevcorp.com

Happy Building!

At Georgetown Development, we are all for innovation. We seek out products that are new and change the way people look at everyday custom and luxury home design. When we first heard about Novabrik, we were immediately intrigued. Mortarless brick? How does this work? Well, we soon found out! Novabrik, developed in Canada (we’re willing to trade the gold in hockey for the latest in brick technology) presents homeowners with a façade that never needs painting, prevents mold and doesn’t warp, dent or fade.

More than traditional brick, Novabrik can withstand the effects of severe weather, high winds and fire. Its special “rain-screen” design prevents water from penetrating the wall from the outside and the mortarless construction helps prevent any molding that could occur over time. We think that any homeowner, whether it’s a renovation project or a new custom home design will appreciate the ease and speed with which Novabrik installs as well as the look of timeless brick – for less than the cost of traditional brick. It can be installed year-round, which is great for the Mid-Atlantic region, from the freezing temperatures we had in Washington DC this winter to the sweltering summer days that are upon us. We think that product works great for either new or remodeled homes. 

To learn more about Georgetown Development, please visit www.georgetowndevcorp.com

Oh the times they are a changin’. According to a recent article from Builder Magazine, in 2008, 49 million Americans (about 16 percent) lived in a household that contained at least two adult generations, up from 28 million in 1980. This 33 percent increase over the past three decades represents a significant reverse trend, considering multigenerational households declined by more than half between 1940 and 1980, from 25 percent to 12 percent.

Why not plan ahead? From custom new home design to total home renovation projects Georgetown Development can help you prepare for houseguests either temporary or permanent.

So why not make mom, dad, grandma and grandpa more comfortable? We can help you ensure that you won’t be sharing a bathroom!

For more information on how Georgetown Development can help transform your home, please visit www.georgetowndevcorp.com

We don’t think that the weekends were meant for chores, they were meant for spending time with family; at least here at Georgetown Development that’s what we think! We like to get up and go and not spend the day wrestling with the vacuum and other household items.

When we’re helping homeowners design their custom home or working with home renovation projects, we like to suggest products that make keeping the home clean a snap, that’s why we often suggest installing a central vacuum system. Most systems are available in both bagged and cyclonic versions and are typically engineered to fit easily into both new and existing homes. Most central vacuum systems feature an internal sound suppression system that greatly reduces motor noise, while cooling airflow at the same time.

A great system is the Central Vacuum System manufactured by Nu-Tone^® which features a tap-n-clear HEPA cyclonic filter, which never needs to be replaced. After emptying the debris pail by simply tapping on the top of the filter, homeowners are able to restore the filter to good-as-new status. Homeowners who select the bagged version will appreciate the fact that the bags are self-sealing and the adaptor makes bag changing easy.

So unplug that pesky vacuum cleaner and get outside, Washington, DC! The snow has finally melted and we’re free to roam about the metro area!

Bigger isn’t always better. At Georgetown Development, we’ve seen the housing trend transform from McMansions in McLean, VA to shabby chic starter homes in Bethesda, MD and just because homes are getting smaller these days, doesn’t mean that they aren’t less creative or impressive.

Check out some of these new home designs across the country; we guarantee that there’s a style to fit every homeowner! To view the new homes of 2010, click here.

Georgetown Development is here to help you with all of your home needs from luxury custom homes to more sustainable renovations. From solar living to living off the grid, Georgetown Development is here to help you design the home you’ve always dreamed of!

To learn more about how Georgetown Development can help you, please visit www.georgetowndevcorp.com

Happy Building!

Builder Magazine recently posted their Top 20 Healthiest Housing Markets for 2010 and Georgetown Development is happy to announce that Washington DC, Alexandria, VA, Arlington VA market was ranked at #8!

To read the full article click here.

To learn more about how Georgetown Development can help you with your custom home or renovation, please visit us at www.georgetowndevcorp.com

When Georgetown Development is working on a custom home or a renovation project, we always check out the local Washington, DC designers to see what’s new and innovative in the world of design. What good would we be at our jobs if we didn’t support our local design community!

We know, we know, when you think of Washington, DC you don’t immediately think of designers with an incredible eye for style and design but we’re here to prove you wrong!

This year, we plan on checking out the 2010 DC Design House located in Chevy Chase, Maryland. From April 9 to May 10, 2010 a historic 1905 mansion which once hosted an inauguration party for Harry S. Truman will be transformed to showcase 19 designers who have been chosen to redecorate spaces in this incredible space.

The 2010 DC Design Home is located at 3911 Bradley Lane in Chevy Chase, MD and admission is $20 per person.

For more information on the 2010 DC Design Home, click here.

For more information on how Georgetown Development can help you transform your dream home into a reality, please visit www.georgetowndevcorp.com

Here at Georgetown Development, we like to stop, take a look around and see what homeowners around the country are up to. Whether it’s a renovation or a new luxury home, everyone has their own ideas and their own style.

We wanted to share this article from Builder magazine where they take a look at how adding vintage touches can change the look and feel of any home.

To view the article, click here.

To learn more about Georgetown Development, please visit www.georgetowndevcorp.com.

Happy Building!

Mother Nature is unpredictable! For any of you that missed it, the Washington DC metro area was recently buried with about two feet of snow and thousands of homes from Fairfax, VA to Bethesda, MD lost power.

Here at Georgetown Development, we work on a number of renovation and new custom home projects around the Washington DC metro area and one of the products that we recommend for any home design is a standby power system so that when Mother Nature packs a punch, our clients are prepared for it all!

Installing a standby power solution in the home is a growing priority for Georgetown Development and the homes that we design. When a home loses power, the food in the refrigerator spoils, the security system and sump pump becomes disabled, potentially causing more serious damage to the home.

One option is the newly introduced and economically friendly CorePower^™ System

from Generac Power Systems, Inc. The CorePower System provides homeowners a compact design and an all-weather enclosure making this system a non-obtrusive addition to any home, guaranteeing that if and when the lights go out, you’ll be the home on the block that is a safe haven for all! Best news is, starting at less than $2,000, it’s a minimal investment to protecting your renovation or custom home. Because of their favorable emissions profile, gaseous-fueled generators, like the new Generac CorePower System, are becoming increasingly popular as an environmentally conscious solution for backup power needs.

But don’t take Georgetown Development’s word for it. The American Red Cross suggests that during power outages, permanently installed stationary generators are better suited for providing backup power to the home than portable generators. An automatic standby generator senses an outage and responds immediately. There are no extension cords to plug in, gas tanks to fill or switches to flip. Alternatively, portable generators can cause hazards such as carbon monoxide poisoning from toxic engine exhaust, electric shock or fire.

To learn more about Georgetown Development and all of our renovation and new luxury custom home projects, visit us at www.georgetowndevcorp.com.

Happy building!

Did you know that at least 64 percent of homeowners agree they have at least one hot or cold spot making parts of their homes uncomfortable during certain times of the year? At Georgetown Development, we deal with a number of renovation projects as well as new custom home design and with each home, new challenges arise.

With renovation projects, duct work is often an issue, especially when working to design more sustainable homes that reduce energy costs. When renovating a home, installing an HVAC system can often mean re-ducting that adds cost and time to any project. With custom home design, many of our homeowners want a system that is ENERGY STAR^® rated and can help earn available residential tax credit, as stipulated in the Stimulus Bill.

There are a number of residential split ductless systems that are available on the market today, from some of the leading manufacturers including Sanyo, Fujitsu, Samsung and LG, allowing new luxury home design and renovation projects to have a little more freedom regarding overall room design. Systems like the M-Series STAR LINEUP from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating Solutions features enhanced indoor and outdoor units designed for maximum energy efficiency and limited or no duct work. Installing the new M-Series in the home can help homeowners save up to 40 percent on air-conditioning usage when compared to standard window units. Several of the M-Series systems are ENERGY STAR^® rated to help homeowners earn residential tax credits.

When it comes to designing luxury homes that are not only cutting edge but are also energy efficient, Georgetown Development looks to split ductless systems to allow for unlimited room design options with added sustainability features.

For more details on what Mitsubishi models qualify for up to $1,500 in tax credits, please visit www.mehvac.com/taxcredit/

To learn more about split ductless systems and how Georgetown Development can help you “green” your home, please visit us at www.georgetowndevcorp.com.

Happy building!