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This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

Although we are lucky enough to live in a locale with pristine weather, far from disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes, there are still potential hazards that exist that may cause costly damage to your beautiful home. Fortunately, there are many safety precautions you can take to ensure that your family and house is as safe and as prepared as possible.

Earthquakes:

Here in Southern California, you never know if the next big one is going to hit in twenty years, or tomorrow. Although earthquakes are unpredictable and last only 10-30 seconds, they can cause severe damage. Be sure your house is earthquake-safe:

— Consider Seismic retrofitting. While it might seem costly, it will be far less expensive than the cost of repairing serious structural damage.

— Repair deep cracks in your foundation and ceiling.

— Be sure your house is anchored to the foundation.

— Identify common building problems like unbraced cripple walls, rooms over garages, and chimneys and other masonry that isn’t reinforced.

— Secure gas appliances, including water heaters and furnaces, with wall studs or floor bolts.

— Repair leaky gas lines and damaged electrical wiring.

— Install flexible fittings for gas and water lines.

— Fasten shelves, TVs and furniture to the walls.

— Hang mirrors and pictures with closed hooks and not into drywall.

— Avoid heavy objects above or near beds.

Floods:

Whether you live in a floodplain or not, floods can occur anywhere, even here in San Diego County. And as you can probably imagine, water damage can be extremely costly. Taking a few precautions however, can help save you money later.

— Know you risks. Understand the topography of your area, knowing where and under what conditions flooding may occur.

— Consider flood insurance. This is normally not included in your homeowner’s insurance, but can save you tens of thousands in case of a flood emergency.

— Elevate potentially dangerous things like your furnace, water heater, electrical panel and all other important electrical components.

— Install backflow prevention valves to keep floodwaters from backing up into your home’s drains.

— Where possible, construct barriers around your property made of concrete and earth fill.

— Stock up on building materials (plywood, plastic sheeting, saw, hammer, nails, shovels, sandbags, etc.)

— Keep important documents in a waterproof container.

Wildfires:

California leads the nation with over 2 million homes at risk for wildfires, and unfortunately, San Diego County has had its share. Be sure your home is prepared:

— Create a defensible space, or a buffer, between your home and the nature that surrounds it. This could include stone walls, a swimming pool, concrete patio, etc.

— Landscape your yard with materials and plants that will help stop the fire not fuel it.

— Use fire resistant materials on your roof and home exterior or treat your current material with fire-retardant chemicals.

— Regularly clean your roof and gutters.

— Have your chimney inspected and cleaned twice a year.

— Have building materials close by, including a rake, ax, saw, bucket and a ladder.

— Clear your yard of any flammable debris such as wood piles, lawn furniture, etc. They should be safely outside your defensible space.

— Install mesh screening around your chimney, vents, and any openings under your deck.

— Address water needs. Be sure you have a functioning hose in the front and backyard.

General Safety:

It doesn’t always take a natural disaster to cause damage to your home or valuables. There are also some basic home precautions you can take to ensure the safety of your family, belongings, and your home:

— Change the batteries in your smoke alarms at least once a year.

— Place fire extinguishers in strategic locations.

— Keep flashlights in several key places and change the batteries once a year.

— Have several emergency kits throughout the house with food, water, and first-aid kits.

— Inspect all electrical components in your house and repair any damaged wiring.

— Maintain all major appliances and have them inspected once a year.

— Educate your family. This includes CPR, first-aid, escape routes, contact numbers, and how to turn off all utilities.

It just takes a few small measures now to prevent catastrophic damage later. If you are interested in working with experienced professionals who can help
you feel confident that your house is as safe and as well-prepared as it can be, please contact us at http://MurfeyConstruction.com.

This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

By Marti Gacioch

Murfey Construction is ready to break ground in September 2014 for a five-story apartment building that will house 36 “luxury” apartments on the corner of Washington Street and Eighth Avenue in Hillcrest. “They are our main focus now,” said sales manager Jesse Lyons.

The one- and two-bedroom units will range in size from 760- to 1200-square-feet.

“Amenities will be similar to other Murfey Construction projects, including solar panels on the roof top deck complete with a BBQ, that serves as a common area for residents to entertain and socialize,” Lyons said.

Energy-efficient stainless steel appliances and energy-efficient green heating and air conditioning are also a given with Murfey Construction. The company thinks green for the environment and builds green to continue protecting it while serving its tenants with cutting edge, state-of-art technology, Lyons said.

Other amenities will include European-style wooden cabinets, hard surface quartz counters in two color schemes, a washer and dryer in each unit, and refrigerator, range, dishwasher, microwave and tankless water heaters.

“Everything will be pre-wired for cable and Internet and there will be wall-mounted connections for flat panel TVs and LED lighting,” Lyons said. “There will be some nice panoramic views toward the ocean … a fitness center may be included.”

Russ Murfey added “With our projects, we install highly efficient, cost-effective products whenever possible, including gas appliances, which are less expensive to operate than electric appliances. We build with Quartz countertops and recycled wood flooring, including bamboo, and try to keep products out of the landfill by recycling more than 50 percent of the materials we use.”

Units in Murfey’s Famosa project at Voltaire Street and Catalina Boulevard in Point Loma (nine contemporary, 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath townhomes with 2-car garages) are now for sale. A few of the 1,400-1,500 square foot townhomes include a rooftop deck. The multi-use project will have street-level retail spaces.

“The Hillcrest and Famosa projects afford Murfey Construction the opportunity to create unique and sustainable living spaces within the urban areas of San Diego,” Murfey said. “These are just two examples of the many projects we are working on which feature green building techniques, designed to blend into the existing neighborhoods seamlessly.”

Murfey Construction is also known for its commercial construction and custom-home building projects. Among those recently completed are a hotel at Crystal Pier, the Promiscuous Fork Restaurant’s second location in Pacific Beach and a UC San Diego medical clinic.

The company is working on two mixed-use developments — Atlas Lofts in South Park and an unnamed 20-unit development in North Park.

• Murfey Construction, Inc.
1571 La Playa Ave., San Diego
(858) 352-6864
murfeyconstruction.com
• Famosa Townhomes
(858) 800-2536
famosatownhomes.com

This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

Whenever you decide to add on to or remodel a part of your home, you’re increasing your quality of life and your property’s value, but many times those projects end up costing two to three times what you anticipated. Last month, I focused on the importance of creating a budget when starting your remodel project and offered tips on how to stay on that budget. One of the items I discussed was finding places to trim your costs. Here are a dozen more specific ways in which you can keep the cost down on your remodel without sacrificing quality.

Make decisions early.

Well before the demo crew shows up, you should be pricing out your materials and appliances. If you don’t know what you want, then you have to rely on your contractor’s estimates, and the two of you may not be on the same page. It always costs more to make changes midstream.

Plan with stock-sizes.

When planning your new doors, windows, additional flooring, etc, consider the off-the-shelf dimensions. Keeping these sizes in mind from the beginning will save you plenty on custom fabrication.

Increase efficiency.

In order to add useful space to your kitchen, you don’t necessarily need to take out a wall. You just need to maximize the space you do have. For example, if you take out large cumbersome shelving and replace it with cabinet-height, pull out drawers, you will be able to utilize three horizontal places where before there was only one.

Add natural light without adding windows.

Cutting a large hole into the side of your house is not the only way to bring in natural light. By adding a “light tube” – which fits between roof rafters and funnels sunlight down into the living space – you can brighten up a hallway or windowless bathroom without the big cost or invasive construction.

Don’t move the kitchen sink.

Or the toilet. Moving these major pipe areas is often the largest chunk of your plumbing costs. If you your new layout can’t avoid this, however, use this opportunity to also upgrade the pipes at the same time.

Consider look-a-likes.

While this might not be true across the board, some imitations can really help cut costs without cutting quality. For example, there is a natural eucalyptus hybrid (brand named Lyptus) that looks and feels remarkably like mahogany at nearly half the price.

Tap your contractor’s sources.

When it comes to things like flooring, ask your subcontractor if he or she has odds and ends left over from other jobs. Useful material that may go in the trash on other sites, could end up saving you thousands.

Donate and/or recycle your trash.

About 85% of a house is reusable. By contacting a local Habitat for Humanity, you can save a trip to the dump, save on space in a landfill, and you can use the donation as charitable tax credit. As a green building expert, we recycle the majority of construction debris and divert demolition trash to a recycling facility instead of filling up landfills. Visit www.habitat.org to find an affiliate near you.

Consult an architect.

By spending a couple thousand dollars on partnering with an architect, he or she may be able to save you tens of thousands by drawing up design solutions that you can then take to your builder. We can recommend an architect that fits your style, needs and budget.

Partner with a contractor.

Along the same lines, some contractors will offer consulting and pre-construction services. You can save a lot of time and money with the help and advice of an experienced contractor, especially when the owner, contractor and architect are working together early in the design process.

Start from scratch.

While this may be a scary concept, if you are doing a major renovation, be sure to crunch the numbers. In some cases, it may cost you less to demolish the whole house and start over than it would to add up all the major remodels. Plus you get all benefits of new construction.

Consider long-term costs.

Even though we are talking about saving on the price of your remodel, don’t get hurt in long-term costs because of short-term gains. For example, while LED lights and solar power cost more, the long term savings are incredible, not to mention the sustainable impact to the environment.

At Murfey Construction, it is important to us that you get the project you’ve been dreaming of at a price you can afford. To find out more ways in which you can save on your remodel project, please contact us at http://MurfeyConstruction.com.

This video originally appeared on YouTube.

Coastal San Diego general contractor Murfey Construction is featured in this local family-owned business spotlight. For more La Jolla contractors visit http://www.lajollabluebook.com/category/contractors—building-general And for additional videos featuring other great family-owned businesses in La Jolla, California, please visit https://www.youtube.com/user/thelajollabluebook

Murfey Construction specializes in home construction and remodeling in La Jolla and all areas of San Diego. Other services offered are construction consulting, design-build, and construction management. Please call for a free consultation.

Murfey Construction is on the web at http://www.murfeyconstruction.com/

This video originally appeared on YouTube.

Close Up on San Diego Business Welcomes Russ Murfey of Murfey Construction

This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

If you’ve ever embarked on a project as big as building your dream home from the ground up or as small as repainting a couple of rooms, you certainly know how fast the cost of a home project can spiral out of control. And while remodels are a great way to improve your quality of life and up your property value, it’s vital to create and keep a budget so you don’t end up with a half-tiled bathroom or a mountain of debt too tall to climb. There are some basic steps, however, that homeowners can take to keep on budget.

1. Ballpark the costs . It’s easy (and fun!) to flip through home design magazines or watch HGTV for hours and dream big, but before you even get started, you need to have a rough estimate of what your dreams are going to cost you. Talking to friends who have done similar projects, or spending a few minutes researching online can help you get a handle on specific prices. But in general, a major upgrade such as a full bathroom remodel or family room addition will run you $100-200 per square foot.

2. Know how much you have to spend. Once you’ve focused your project ideas and done some cost estimation, you need to take an honest appraisal of how much you can reasonably afford. If you’re paying cash, the answer is more simple. If you are borrowing, however, you need to figure out how much a bank will lend you, at what interest rate, and how that monthly bill fits into your expenses.

There are a couple different types of loans you can get, but the best option for a home improvement is a home equity line of credit (HELOC). This loan is secured by your home equity and therefore qualifies you for a lower rate, and you’re also able to deduct the interest on your taxes. Just be careful – a HELOC is a line of credit rather than a lump sum loan. You will only be required to pay back the interest each month. And as anyone who had a credit card in college can tell you, this can be a slippery slope into a debt nightmare. It’s important to be conscious of this in budgeting your monthly installments.

3. Get quotes from contractors . Get recommendations from friends, neighbors, and others you trust for at least three different contractors. Be sure to then ask to see some of their work, and check their references and online reviews. One of the keys to getting more accurate quotes is to be as specific as you can with your project details. If you know exactly what type of material, appliances, etc. that you want, then you can be certain that you and the contractor are on the same page.

4. Find places to trim. Just as our eyes can often be bigger than our stomachs, our eyes can also be bigger than our checkbooks. Be sure to prioritize what’s most important to you, and talk to your contractor about places to trim and save – it’s important that you work together with him or her in order to stay on budget. Here are a couple way in which you might be able to lower your costs: a) low-cost alternatives – for example, vinyl flooring in the bathroom instead of ceramic tile, b) keep working appliances – you can always replace that refrigerator later, c) scale down – maybe the new bathroom could work at 80 sq. ft. instead of 100. d) buy it yourself – you can save up to 20% if you buy materials yourself. Just be sure to coordinate with your contractor.

At Murfey Construction, we pride ourselves in working closely with each client. This ensures that you are not only satisfied with your upgrade, but that
together, we can make sure you stay on budget. If you are considering a home improvement project of any size, please visit us at http://www.murfeyconstruction.com/ .

This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

Is your home almost perfect? Maybe it was perfect when you bought it, but it’s getting a little cramped since you got roped in by that infomercial and now own a home gym set. Or maybe your son or daughter unexpectedly moved back in with you after graduating from college, so you don’t get to turn their bedroom into that coveted wine cellar after all. Of course, you could move, but do you really feel like packing, hiring movers and reorganizing everything? Maybe a home addition is the answer. Generally, a less expensive option than moving, home additions offer many benefits:

More space for stuff: Our homes never end up having enough space. After living somewhere for a while, it’s natural that we accumulate more photo albums, more appliances, and more electronics. But it’s not just that we accumualate more stuff; our lifestyles change. Sometimes our home becomes our office, or we develop new hobbies and require an art studio or a music room.

More space for family: Increasingly, our kids and our parents are moving back in with us. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, almost 40% of young adults live at home with their parents, and according to another study, 4.6 million elders moved in with their kids. You might not have planned for this when you bought your place. However, instead of uprooting completely or feeling cramped, you can look into adding an extra bedroom, and if the plumbing allows, it can include a bathroom.

More sunlight: Generally less expensive than other home additions, a sunroom has many benefits. Natural light is so important. Studies show that it improves our mood, it promotes healing, makes us smarter (a study showed that test scores were higher among students when their classes were illuminated by natural light) and makes us more productive (a study found programmers in offices with natural light spent more time at their computers than those in offices without windows). Sunrooms can also add natural light to surrounding rooms.

More luxury: If you’re at that point in your life when you feel like you deserve a little more luxury, why not build that walk-in closet that you’ve always dreamed of or that luxury bathroom with the giant, gorgeous shower and his and her sinks?

If you are considering a home addition, it’s important to remember that a home addition that isn’t designed and planned well can look awkward. It might not match the style or shape of the existing house. It’s also important to make sure that all home additions adhere to San Diego building codes. If they don’t, you will have to pay fines, and you may have to return the home to its original state.

At Murfey Construction, we are well-versed in great design principles and San Diego building codes and regulations. If you are considering a home addition, please visit us at http://MurfeyConstruction.com.

This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

San Diego has been referred to as “heaven on earth,” which means that owning a home in San Diego means that you own a little piece of heaven. The only thing more special than owning a piece of heaven on earth is building your dream house from scratch there. There’s something wonderfully gratifying about having a vision and playing a role in turning that vision into a reality. But as gratifying as it is to be involved in the process, unless you have a lot of time and expertise, hiring a general contractor to deal with the nuts and bolts of your project has some real advantages.

Experience: Even if you have hired talented sub-contractors, it’s important that you know how to manage and oversee the process. For example, you must know the order in which the activities must be completed. It’s also important to have a thorough understanding of the work your sub-contractors are doing to make sure the work is being done properly.

Time: If you already have a job, it will be challenging for you to find the time to oversee a complex project like building a home. Even if you meticulously schedule everything, due to unforeseen circumstances, things generally don’t always go according to schedule. There are also other time consuming things that must be done, like securing permits, making sure the house is being built according to code, and scheduling inspections. Hiring a general contractor to take care of these things can ease your stress.

Relationships: An experienced general contractor has formed relationships with quality sub-contractors, which can be a challenge to find. Also, because these sub-contractors have loyalty to the general contractor in a way they might not for a first-time client, chances are they will make your job more of a priority.

Complications: Unfortunately, there can be pitfalls when building a home, but a general contractor runs into these issues all the time and knows how to find solutions easily. Also, because experienced general contractors know which complications are likely to happen, they can likely anticipate and prevent them.

Legal issues: San Diego construction is regulated by building codes, which a general contractor deals with on a daily basis and knows how to comply with. Another legal issue to be aware of when building a home is liability. If a friend, neighbor, or someone who is working on your home gets injured while your home is under construction, proper liability insurance is essential, which can be complicated and expensive to get on your own. Professional contractors usually carry both worker’s compensation and liability insurance, which will protect you from any legal ramifications.

Warranty: If you build your home yourself, there is no warranty for your own work, and you are responsible for the quality of your project. General contractors usually provide a warranty for their work and are responsible to fix any issues that arise.

At Murfey Construction, with the expertise and legal know-how to properly manage and oversee your project, we look forward to helping you turn your vision of your San Diego dream home into a reality—log onto http://MurfeyConstruction.com.

This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

How many of you have spent a lazy afternoon binge-watching episode after episode of HGTV’s “The Property Brothers” or “Love It or List It”? Watching contractors transform their clients’ homes into their dreams homes is certainly addicting. As a contractor, I know that there’s nothing better than the look on my client’s face after a successful renovation. And as a contractor, there’s nothing worse than the look on a client’s face after a nail gun accident. In order to keep a smile on your face during your remodel, here are a few things I would recommend NOT doing:

Don’t do it all yourself: I definitely encourage my clients to get as involved in their remodels as their time and expertise allows. Not only can this save them money; there is also something satisfying about playing an active role in creating your space. However, the proliferation of DIY TV shows, design blogs, and YouTube videos misleads many into thinking that they can tackle every aspect of their remodel. Trying to take on projects that are outside your comfort zone can, first of all, ultimately add to the cost of the remodel. More important, however, is the safety factor. Working around electricity, power tools, and without the proper safety equipment can be dangerous, and has landed many novices in the emergency room.

Don’t be afraid to speak up: One aspect of the home remodel that I encourage my clients to participate in 100 percent is communicating their ideas and desires. Some clients get intimidated because they feel that the contractor is the expert, and some feel that what their wish list is way outside their budget so it’s not worth mentioning all of it. However, I encourage my clients to get as detailed as possible. Write down a list of what you are hoping your remodel achieves and gather as many pictures as possible from design magazines and blogs. Experienced contractors have devised creative ways to problem solve, so you may be able to get a lot more than you think. And if your budget doesn’t allow for everything, you can talk with your contractor about completing it in stages.

Don’t ignore San Diego building codes and regulations: It’s tempting to want to bypass the time and bureaucracy associated with getting your remodeling plans approved by the city, but it’s not worth it. If your remodel violates the city’s codes and regulations, you will be fined and required to make the changes needed to meet the city’s codes or return your home to its original state.

At Murfey Construction, we look forward to making your wish list into a reality. We also have years of experience working with San Diego’s building codes and regulations so you don’t have to navigate the process alone. To find out how we help you with all aspects of the remodeling process—general contracting, construction management, budgeting, and maintenance—log onto http://MurfeyConstruction.com.

This article originally appeared on La Jolla Light.

Your home has been good to you. It’s provided you with a place to sleep, eat, and entertain friends. Maybe it’s even given you a place to raise a family. But you have to ask yourself: has my home really given me everything it can? Most likely it hasn’t. Chances are there’s still a lot of untapped potential in those walls, that ceiling, and underneath that staircase. Here are some creative remodeling techniques that can do everything from increasing storage space to decreasing cleaning time to really upping your home’s coolness factor.

Most likely there’s an avid reader, a wine connoisseur, or someone with a shoe fetish in your household—or maybe there’s all three. In other words, you could really use more storage space! If you have a two-story home, the solution might be right under your feet. Why not turn the space underneath your staircase into a bookshelf or a wine rack? Or if you are a dog lover, why not build Fido his own little dog house under there—that way you won’t wake up your household with a squeak when you trip over his toy on the way to your midnight snack. Other creative ways to maximize storage space are building a platform into your guestroom where you can store your things while keeping it usable and installing baseboard drawers in the bathroom and kitchen. And speaking of kitchens, a kitchen island with drawers or an extra refrigerator can also create a lot of storage opportunities.

We’ve made room to store everything; now wouldn’t it be nice to also cut down on cleaning time? Let’s start with the kitchen. If you have a big family, most likely you feel like you’re constantly loading and unloading the dishwasher and taking out the trash. Now that you have the space, why not think about installing another dishwasher? And how about installing chutes in your kitchen for trash and recycling that funnel straight into the garage? On to the bathroom: One of the hardest things to do is remove that soap residue from the glass wall of your shower. Well, it’s not hard at all if you build a walk-in shower without a glass wall. And I want to leave you with two words: baseboard vacuum.

Now that all the practical stuff is taken care of, here are some remodels that will do more than help you keep up with the Joneses; they will help you run laps around them. First of all, do you have an attic? Why not turn it into a pillow room where your kids can have the best slumber parties ever, and you can use as a refuge to meditate, watch a movie, or curl up with one of the books from your stairway bookshelf. Speaking of bookshelves, if you install bookshelves on the door to one of your rooms, it will look like you have a hidden room. And if you have a really tall ceiling, you can stretch a hammock across it and swap out the ceiling above for a star-gazing sunroof.

Murfey Construction would love to help make your house more spacious, easier to maintain, and more enjoyable. For years we have built lifestyles. For more
information on how we can help you with creative remodeling ideas to enhance yours, log onto http://MurfeyConstruction.com.

*These and more creative remodeling ideas can be found here.