Unfinished basements and attics are fairly common. In fact, both spaces were originally intended to be left unfinished. As homeowner preferences change, and everyone seeks more space where they can find it, fully finished basements complete with bedrooms and attics finished off for office use are increasingly common. Finishing your basement or attic can mean creating a flex space, an entertainment room, or even an in-law suite—but is it worth it to finish your basement right before you sell? In most cases, yes. Many basements and attics were originally left unfinished because, due to building codes, even if finished, the space would not count toward “livable” space, and therefore a listing’s square footage. That said, a finished basement or attic will certainly affect both your home’s appraisal and fair market values. Basements and attics are often used to host guest bedrooms, office spaces, children’s playrooms, and/or entertainment rooms. As much of the country embraces more flexible work setups, including a lot of opportunities to work from home, finished basements and attics have risen in appeal. The best way to find out exactly how much finishing your basement or attic will add to your re-sale value is to discuss the project with a licensed real estate agent who can show you the sale prices of comparable homes in your market both with and without finished basements and attics. When it comes to completing the work, your agent can work with Curbio to get the job done quickly so you can get on the market and sell quickly while maximizing your profits from the sale.

The Rancho Estate provides a level of luxury that sets it apart from any residence in Los Angeles, breaking the record for the most expensive home ever sold in the Encino area. The Eden Group worked with the client to achieve all their development goals by providing integrated design and engineering services which developed concurrently achieving project milestones while staying within the construction budget. Our residential design team used modern aesthetics which entailed of design elements tailored to provide spacious and unparalleled views of the San Fernando Valley. Attracting a dream buyer is the most important aspect in the eyes of any real estate developer and that is why we chose two words to describe the amenities we incorporated into the design: Vast & Spectacular. The estate allows you to swim with infinite views, get your work out on at the indoor gym, shoot hoops with your friends in the indoor basketball court, go for a round of bowling with your child, chomp on popcorn in your theater, get a massage after the steam room at your private spa, putt a couple hole-in-ones, and if you get bored you can always choose to go for a ride from the collection inside your 16-car garage. Majestic high ceilings mixed wide span openings created a challenge for our engineers given the strict rules in the Baseline Hillside Ordinance and the California Building Code. Our structural engineers prepared innovative design plans which entailed of 150 deep pile foundations mixed with steel and laminated timber framing members. We also used permanent shoring techniques to reduce construction cost by eliminating the need for temporary shoring plans for both the structure foundation and on-site retaining walls. Given that California has some of the strictest stormwater management requirements and the total amount of non-permeable areas on this project, the client was required to construct a 35,000-gallon rain harvesting tank per the Low Impact Development Plan Best Management Practice (BMP’s) standards. Our specialized drainage design team captured all on-site stormwater through trench drains, area drains, and downspouts which routed water to a mechanical sump pump that connected to the storage tank for irrigation use later. Innovative design engineering techniques used on this project allowed for increased safety and sustainability making the Rancho Estate a masterpiece of contemporary construction.

First time home buyers found a foreclosed home that was abandoned for over a year. The previous owners removed ducting, copper pipes, punched holes in doors and removed the furnace and water heater unit. Finesse, Inc. was hired to completely renovate two bathroom, kitchen, bring the garage up to code, install a new furnace and ducting and upgrade the electrical with a sub-panel. Re-configuring the walls in both bathrooms allowed to create a real master bath. During the course of construction the clients agreed to open up one wall to create a better flow between the living room and kitchen. Many decisions were made together to create a beautiful and peaceful environment for a young family just getting started. PC: Aaron Gilless

The oddly shaped screened porches are a concession to the zoning code, but still provide functional outdoor space with protection from the misquitos (a real problem during the season)

Example of a classic home design design in Los Angeles

The Squaire is an office building in Frankfurt, Germany. It was built between 2006 and 2011 on top of an existing train station (Frankfurt Airport long-distance station) near Frankfurt Airport. The building has has a length of 660 m, a width of 65 m, and a height of 45 m with nine floors. With a total floor area of 140,000 m2 (1,506,900 sq ft) it is considered to be the largest office building in Germany. The Squaire is directly connected to Terminal 1 of Frankfurt Airport through a connecting corridor for pedestrians. It is one of three buildings in Frankfurt to have its own postal code (60600) the others being the Messeturm and the Opernturm. The accounting firm KPMG, two Hilton hotels, and Lufthansa occupy space in The Squaire.KPMG has rented 40,000 square metres of office space with 2,150 staff members. (source: wikipedia) The Squaire just won the MIPIM Award in the “Best Office & Business Development” category. The Awards, sponsored by trade fair host Reed Midem for the 23rd time, are considered the “Oscars of the real estate industry”.

This was a major remodel where the kitchen was completely gutted, flooring and soffits were removed and all the electrical in the kitchen had to be reworked and brought up to code. We used Waypoint Living Spaces for the perimeter cabinets and used a riser and crown molding to connect the cabinets to the ceiling. We chose Medallion Cabinetry for the island because the customer had her heart set on a green painted island. The hardware we used is from the Mulholland collection by Amerock. The customers have large family gathers and it was very important for them to have an island that was moveable. We used casters from Richelieu to create and island that could move easily, as well as having brakes to keep the island in place when they wanted. Giallo Traversella granite was used on the perimeter countertops to tie together the greens and beige tones of the cabinetry and we used John Boos, walnut butcher block countertop for the island to compliment wood tones from the existing millwork in the home. The customer provided me with an inspiration picture for a backsplash, she knew she wanted a glass patterned backsplash. Ceramic Tiles International had released their Debut Petal mosaic tile and the customer loved it. Prior to the remodel, the kitchen was very dark and very crowded, it did not function in a way that worked for my customer. We added under cabinet LED lights, one general ceiling fixture and LED Brio Disc lights with dimming capabilities so the customers could adjust the lighting to their specific needs. Light fixtures were updated in the hallways as well as the kitchen. My customer didn’t know exactly what they wanted as far as plumbing was concerned. They wanted products that were durable and easy to maintain. I chose the Blanco Performa undermount sink in the Truffle color due to is durability and the color complimented the other materials. We used Moen’s Arbor single handle pull down spray faucet and transitional soap dispenser due to its simplistic design, functionality and warranty. We used a ¾ horsepower Insinkerator disposal and a deluxe Steamball strainer basket. The customer originally had Parquet flooring and they liked the look of real hardwood. Madeira 5” planks in Dark Gunstock oak was chosen for its color and durability. The flooring brought in warm neutral tones to compliment other materials. My customer wanted a larger window, but they had some safety concerns. We addressed their concerns by providing a larger Awning style window, using tempered glass and double locks.

Elegant kitchen photo in Los Angeles

The oddly shaped screened porches are a concession to the zoning code, but still provide functional outdoor space with protection from the misquitos (a real problem during the season)

The Rancho Estate provides a level of luxury that sets it apart from any residence in Los Angeles, breaking the record for the most expensive home ever sold in the Encino area. The Eden Group worked with the client to achieve all their development goals by providing integrated design and engineering services which developed concurrently achieving project milestones while staying within the construction budget. Our residential design team used modern aesthetics which entailed of design elements tailored to provide spacious and unparalleled views of the San Fernando Valley. Attracting a dream buyer is the most important aspect in the eyes of any real estate developer and that is why we chose two words to describe the amenities we incorporated into the design: Vast & Spectacular. The estate allows you to swim with infinite views, get your work out on at the indoor gym, shoot hoops with your friends in the indoor basketball court, go for a round of bowling with your child, chomp on popcorn in your theater, get a massage after the steam room at your private spa, putt a couple hole-in-ones, and if you get bored you can always choose to go for a ride from the collection inside your 16-car garage. Majestic high ceilings mixed wide span openings created a challenge for our engineers given the strict rules in the Baseline Hillside Ordinance and the California Building Code. Our structural engineers prepared innovative design plans which entailed of 150 deep pile foundations mixed with steel and laminated timber framing members. We also used permanent shoring techniques to reduce construction cost by eliminating the need for temporary shoring plans for both the structure foundation and on-site retaining walls. Given that California has some of the strictest stormwater management requirements and the total amount of non-permeable areas on this project, the client was required to construct a 35,000-gallon rain harvesting tank per the Low Impact Development Plan Best Management Practice (BMP’s) standards. Our specialized drainage design team captured all on-site stormwater through trench drains, area drains, and downspouts which routed water to a mechanical sump pump that connected to the storage tank for irrigation use later. Innovative design engineering techniques used on this project allowed for increased safety and sustainability making the Rancho Estate a masterpiece of contemporary construction.

Beautiful white shaker cabinets replace outdated oak cabinets. Contemporary quartz counters imitate the beauty of white carrera marble while the real thing is used on the backsplash tile. Restoration hardware pendants bring it all together.

This was a major remodel where the kitchen was completely gutted, flooring and soffits were removed and all the electrical in the kitchen had to be reworked and brought up to code. We used Waypoint Living Spaces for the perimeter cabinets and used a riser and crown molding to connect the cabinets to the ceiling. We chose Medallion Cabinetry for the island because the customer had her heart set on a green painted island. The hardware we used is from the Mulholland collection by Amerock. The customers have large family gathers and it was very important for them to have an island that was moveable. We used casters from Richelieu to create and island that could move easily, as well as having brakes to keep the island in place when they wanted. Giallo Traversella granite was used on the perimeter countertops to tie together the greens and beige tones of the cabinetry and we used John Boos, walnut butcher block countertop for the island to compliment wood tones from the existing millwork in the home. The customer provided me with an inspiration picture for a backsplash, she knew she wanted a glass patterned backsplash. Ceramic Tiles International had released their Debut Petal mosaic tile and the customer loved it. Prior to the remodel, the kitchen was very dark and very crowded, it did not function in a way that worked for my customer. We added under cabinet LED lights, one general ceiling fixture and LED Brio Disc lights with dimming capabilities so the customers could adjust the lighting to their specific needs. Light fixtures were updated in the hallways as well as the kitchen. My customer didn’t know exactly what they wanted as far as plumbing was concerned. They wanted products that were durable and easy to maintain. I chose the Blanco Performa undermount sink in the Truffle color due to is durability and the color complimented the other materials. We used Moen’s Arbor single handle pull down spray faucet and transitional soap dispenser due to its simplistic design, functionality and warranty. We used a ¾ horsepower Insinkerator disposal and a deluxe Steamball strainer basket. The customer originally had Parquet flooring and they liked the look of real hardwood. Madeira 5” planks in Dark Gunstock oak was chosen for its color and durability. The flooring brought in warm neutral tones to compliment other materials. My customer wanted a larger window, but they had some safety concerns. We addressed their concerns by providing a larger Awning style window, using tempered glass and double locks.

Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in Los Angeles

Elegant bedroom photo in Los Angeles

This was a major remodel where the kitchen was completely gutted, flooring and soffits were removed and all the electrical in the kitchen had to be reworked and brought up to code. We used Waypoint Living Spaces for the perimeter cabinets and used a riser and crown molding to connect the cabinets to the ceiling. We chose Medallion Cabinetry for the island because the customer had her heart set on a green painted island. The hardware we used is from the Mulholland collection by Amerock. The customers have large family gathers and it was very important for them to have an island that was moveable. We used casters from Richelieu to create and island that could move easily, as well as having brakes to keep the island in place when they wanted. Giallo Traversella granite was used on the perimeter countertops to tie together the greens and beige tones of the cabinetry and we used John Boos, walnut butcher block countertop for the island to compliment wood tones from the existing millwork in the home. The customer provided me with an inspiration picture for a backsplash, she knew she wanted a glass patterned backsplash. Ceramic Tiles International had released their Debut Petal mosaic tile and the customer loved it. Prior to the remodel, the kitchen was very dark and very crowded, it did not function in a way that worked for my customer. We added under cabinet LED lights, one general ceiling fixture and LED Brio Disc lights with dimming capabilities so the customers could adjust the lighting to their specific needs. Light fixtures were updated in the hallways as well as the kitchen. My customer didn’t know exactly what they wanted as far as plumbing was concerned. They wanted products that were durable and easy to maintain. I chose the Blanco Performa undermount sink in the Truffle color due to is durability and the color complimented the other materials. We used Moen’s Arbor single handle pull down spray faucet and transitional soap dispenser due to its simplistic design, functionality and warranty. We used a ¾ horsepower Insinkerator disposal and a deluxe Steamball strainer basket. The customer originally had Parquet flooring and they liked the look of real hardwood. Madeira 5” planks in Dark Gunstock oak was chosen for its color and durability. The flooring brought in warm neutral tones to compliment other materials. My customer wanted a larger window, but they had some safety concerns. We addressed their concerns by providing a larger Awning style window, using tempered glass and double locks.

First time home buyers found a foreclosed home that was abandoned for over a year. The previous owners removed ducting, copper pipes, punched holes in doors and removed the furnace and water heater unit. Finesse, Inc. was hired to completely renovate two bathroom, kitchen, bring the garage up to code, install a new furnace and ducting and upgrade the electrical with a sub-panel. Re-configuring the walls in both bathrooms allowed to create a real master bath. During the course of construction the clients agreed to open up one wall to create a better flow between the living room and kitchen. Many decisions were made together to create a beautiful and peaceful environment for a young family just getting started. PC: Aaron Gilless

Teenage boy's room
Example of a small trendy light wood floor bedroom design in San Francisco with blue walls

Home design - traditional home design idea in Los Angeles

Unfinished basements and attics are fairly common. In fact, both spaces were originally intended to be left unfinished. As homeowner preferences change, and everyone seeks more space where they can find it, fully finished basements complete with bedrooms and attics finished off for office use are increasingly common. Finishing your basement or attic can mean creating a flex space, an entertainment room, or even an in-law suite—but is it worth it to finish your basement right before you sell? In most cases, yes. Many basements and attics were originally left unfinished because, due to building codes, even if finished, the space would not count toward “livable” space, and therefore a listing’s square footage. That said, a finished basement or attic will certainly affect both your home’s appraisal and fair market values. Basements and attics are often used to host guest bedrooms, office spaces, children’s playrooms, and/or entertainment rooms. As much of the country embraces more flexible work setups, including a lot of opportunities to work from home, finished basements and attics have risen in appeal. The best way to find out exactly how much finishing your basement or attic will add to your re-sale value is to discuss the project with a licensed real estate agent who can show you the sale prices of comparable homes in your market both with and without finished basements and attics. When it comes to completing the work, your agent can work with Curbio to get the job done quickly so you can get on the market and sell quickly while maximizing your profits from the sale.