Nathan Chesebro - Environmentally-Friendly Home Improvement

When most people come to Nathan B. Chesebro, a Maine home builder, for renovation, they would like to renovate problem areas of their home. Occasionally, these problem areas are obvious issues like a leaky roof or an unsafe deck, but sometimes the problem areas are also troublesome because they're not environmentally-friendly. Modifying a home to be more eco-friendly can help home owners feel better about their property and it can help them increase their efforts to combat global warming. If you'd like to work with a contractor like Nathan B. Chesebro to renovate your house in an eco-friendly direction, consider redoing something that already needs it and using environmentally-friendly materials.

If you're hiring a contractor to install a new deck or patio, consider using composite decking boards, made from renewable materials like recycled plastic and wood waste. Not only is composite decking material better for the environment, it won't rot, splinter, crack or warp like wood does. For kitchens that require new countertops, instead of going with the usual granite options, consider paper-based countertops. These countertops are made from wood waste and they're sustainable, stain-resistant, scratch-resistant and heat-resistant. If you'd rather go for a showier countertop, consider using recycled glass materials, which are often colorful and made from shattered windshields, stemware and bottles fused together. While you're re-doing your counters, consider using bamboo plywood instead of the usual, less-sustainable options – bamboo is sturdy, striking and it's a sustainable wood resource that grows quickly. Eco-friendly builders like Nathan Chesebro will also have custom suggestions that fit with your particular project, so don't hesitate to ask for their input in addition to your ideas.
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Nathan Chesebro - Creative Home Renovation Ideas

If home renovation is on your to-do list and you plan to work with a contractor like Nathan B. Chesebro, owner of Chesebro Construction, Inc. Inc., consider additional, more creative renovation ideas in addition to your existing plans. Contractors usually enjoy installing creative renovations and they can make your home much more enjoyable to live in. If your first thought is under-staircase storage or something similar, you're on the right track, but there are even more creative ideas available to you.

• Magnetic walls will avoid the necessity of putting holes in your walls ever again. If you're re-doing your walls anyway, why not make sure that they'll stay nice for years to come by installing magnetic panels behind them. These magnets can be strong enough to hang anything from, including that flat-screen TV you've been eying.
• Trash and recycling chutes in your kitchen will make cleaning the counters and picking up while you cook much easier. They can be installed in the space between your cabinets and counters, so if you're having the area re-done, trash and recycling chutes will make it even better than before.
• If you're having hardwood or stone floors installed, consider making cleanup even easier than a broom and dustpan. With vacuum baseboards, you'll only need a broom and the flip of a switch to remove debris from your new floors. You simply slide open the cover, sweep the debris in front of it and turn on the vacuum function.

Contractors like Nathan Chesebro can make these renovations happen and they can make sure that you're happy with the results. Browse around and pick a creative home renovation that the whole family agrees on and then talk it over with your contractor to see what they think.
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Nathan Chesebro - Working With Your Contractor

Contractors like Nathan B. Chesebro are hired to do a number of construction tasks, ranging from building new homes to completing simple home renovation projects. When you hire a contractor, it becomes both of your responsibilities to make sure that the working relationship is pleasant and ends well. It is not entirely the contractor's job to keep things running smoothly and it helps if you are proactively trying to work with, rather than against, whoever you have hired. Nathan B. Chesebro and other contractors greatly appreciate the right amount of help from their clients and they have an easier time making sure their clients are satisfied with this assistance.

The most important aspect of working with your contractor is defining what you want and need early in the process. Ideally, you should make a list of your wants and needs before ever consulting with a contractor like Nathan Chesebro. Let your contractor copy your notes or, better yet, make a spare copy yourself. Additionally, you should address any concerns that you have as they arise. This will allow your contractor to amend issues as he works and to keep you happy. Failure to address a concern could cause the entire project to turn out wrong, leaving you unhappy and causing arguments between you and the contractor. Proactive avoidance is the best way to keep both parties happy – contractors and construction companies want to make you happy so that they have a larger base of satisfied customers, so they prefer it if you address issues when you find them. Also, if you have ideas for additional renovation projects, tell your contracting company early on so that they can potentially combine purchases and labor to save both of you time and money.

Nathan Chesebro - Home Resale Renovation Mistakes

Nathan B. Chesebro is a Maine-based home builder and renovation contractor who helps his clients build their dream homes and increase their existing homes' values. Even when using an experienced contractor, though, it's easy to make renovation mistakes that sabotage your efforts to increase your home's resale value. For example, many clients come to contractors like Nathan B. Chesebro and they make their home renovation sound like it is just for them when they're actually looking to increase its value on the market. In cases like these, contractors will build an elaborate shower or turn a spare bedroom into a pricey theater room without question. If, however, the client would have told the contractor that they were renovating for resale, the contractor might have recommended something more reasonable and more likely to interest buyers.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when renovating their home for resale is to insist on stone countertops. Yes, stone countertops are desirable, but if they tack on an extra $12,000 cost to selling a $200,000 home, they're not worth it. New, cheaper countertops, on the other hand, can be worth every penny. Another issue that contractors like Nathan Chesebro frequently encounter is people who underestimate their budget. Unexpected costs pop up and, if you're not prepared, they can cause problems. Once you decide what a project will cost, re-evaluate it considering construction fees, and then add an extra 15 percent to allow for unexpected costs – the worst that can happen is that you'll have money left over after the renovation. Of course, there are many other mistakes that renovators see all of the time. These can include skimping on the necessities, making a home too modern, sticking with stagnant floor plans or assuming that everyone wants hardwood floors throughout the house.

Nathan Chesebro: Eating Organically On A Budget

Eating organic food, those which are grown or produced without pesticides, hormones or other additives, is great for your health and the environment. But getting back to the basics of growing food can be costly. Organic foods are more expensive since the producers need to use labor not chemicals. But many people are willing to pay a higher cost for these foods because of the benefits they offer. Nathan B Chesebro tries to eat organically whenever possible.

1.      Use coupons and specials. Checking coupon websites and even the brand of your favorite cereal can help you save at the grocery store. You can also check your local grocery store for weekly specials and sales.

2.      Compromise. Not everyone will have the budget to eat 100% organic. Choose which foods to spend the extra money on. Use the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists, found in the link below, to determine where you should splurge and buy organic and where it’s not necessary.

3.      Grow your own food. This may seem like an extreme way to eat on a budget but it will save you money and you will know 100% where your food is coming from and what was used in the process. Start small with a backyard or even kitchen garden with herbs and your favorite vegetables.

4.      Buy local. Not only is local food cheaper because it costs less to ship, it can help your local community grow by supporting farmers that live nearby. You can ask the farmer directly about their growing methods to ensure they fit with your beliefs. Many local farmers won’t seek USDA certification even though they grow organically because of the high cost associated with the organic seal. 

Nathan Chesebro enjoys growing and eating organic food. 

Sources:

http://foodbabe.com/2013/05/20/how-to-eat-organic-on-a-budget/ 

Nathan Chesebro - Giving Back To Get More

Volunteering in your local community isn’t just good for your neighbors, it’s good for you too. Nathan B Chesebro gives back to his town of Bristol by supporting local organizations and donating his time and skills to those in need. It is important to understand some of the health benefits to volunteering.

1. Volunteering increases self-confidence. If you are doing good for your community, you will most likely feel a sense of accomplishment and greater purpose. When you see the good you are doing, you will feel more confident with a greater sense of pride and identity.

2. Volunteering combats depression. With all of this new-found confidence and pride, you will feel more positive and be less likely to experience depression and the symptoms it brings. You can also fight off depression with the social support system you are building when volunteering. Meeting all of those new friends will help you focus on the positive parts of your life and have someone to turn to in times of need.

3. Volunteering fights off physical disease. One of the best ways to prevent diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes is to stay physically active. Working in a community garden or painting over old graffiti will get you moving and provide you with your daily dose of exercise. This will not only help stave off disease it can boost your self-esteem when you see how great you look.

Donating your time to improve your local community is well worth the effort. You will be able to see the effects of your hard work not just in your neighborhood but in yourself too. Nathan B Chesebro has donated his time and skills as a home builder to help a family in need after they lost their house in a fire.
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Nathan Chesebro - Helping The Community Grow

Nathan B Chesebro believes in supporting and giving back to his local community. He understands the important giving back holds. Sadly, not everyone comprehends why giving back is so vital. These are just a few of the many reasons why you should try to pay it forward and help out in your town.

1. Build relationships. Volunteering is a great way to meet new friends and network. You can also strengthen existing relationships by coming together for a common cause. Taking the initiative to help your community will allow others to see you as a trustworthy leader who wants to improve the lives of those around him.
2. Make an impact. It goes without saying that by volunteering in the community you will make improvements to it. The results can be visible, like seeing the different in a before and after park clean up. But there are also things that can’t be seen, like the growing trust and pride that community members will feel.
3. Improve and develop skills. Getting out into the community and leading a hand has so many facets that you will more than likely learn a new skill. You may not know how to garden but you can learn by helping out in a community one. Learn for the expert gardeners in your area so you can not only keep the community one alive but you can start your own too.
4. Because it feels good. This may the most obvious but it is important to remember that giving back makes you feel good. It gives you an internal sense of pride and accomplishment.

Nathan Chesebro enjoys lending his skills and expertise to help his local community. He and a team of local professionals even rebuilt a home that was lost in a fire for a family in need.
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