By Carol Freyer
Thinking of remodeling or renovating? Make sure you do not 'improve' your home out of the neighborhood. It is okay to do this if you want to stay living in it, but if you are making improvements to sell your home at a higher value - beware!
Realtors accept that there is a ceiling in realty prices, no matter which location you live in. The catch-phrase 'location, location, location' is not just for fun; every location has a 'bottom price and a top price'. If you live in a top location area - the sky is the limit - but sadly most of us do not!
If you are living in a lower price area and put in a swimming pool and an outdoor kitchen before you list your house, it will most certainly bring the buyers to your home. It will no doubt bring in offers for your home and all this is good news.
However, while you will be able to sell at the top neighborhood price, the sale price may not reflect the total cost of your improvements.
In order to avoid this error of judgment, ask an expert in the field of neighborhood prices - your local realtor! He or she will be happy to come and advise you on which specific improvements may potentially add value to your specific home in your specific neighborhood.
This is the type of advice that you want if you are improving solely to make money. Many home improvements have been 'analyzed' to see which ones give the best returns on their initial outlay.
For instance, in the 'Money Magazine' they recommend adding a quality deck to bulk up the potential square footage of your property. It should be no larger than the one third the size of your home.
A deck can be transformed into a luxury class fairly inexpensively - outdoor lighting around the deck area, waterproof speakers and an entry via French doors will help. If you use 'cute' strings of outdoor lighting and decorate with potted trees, the deck will have an appealing ambiance.
A report from HomeGain.com suggests that the outlay for updating a kitchen can add double of the initial cost of the improvement to the value of your home. If you have a closet that you can turn into a pantry - go for it!
The pantry is a sought after feature in a kitchen at the moment. Islands are another wished-for feature, although preferably with a secondary function such as a sink or breakfast bar stools.
Once again, keep a ceiling on your prices. If your neighborhood is for the average family, it is not worth investing thousands of dollars in top of the line appliances if this will price your home out of the local market. The report suggests that looks and newness are the most important factors.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Interesting ideas on home renovation
By Sharon Samraj
Home renovation is a fun activity, it is the best ways to provide your house with the right kind of new appearance, and in short it is a dream fulfilling activity. Home renovation and home remodeling are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings attached to them. Home renovation is the tem wherein you aim at improvising and increasing the functionality and the amenities of the house. On the other hand home remodeling is often used for upgrading the décor, style and the fixtures of the house. Let me explain this with an example consider the case in the restroom incase you are replacing an old countertop with a new granite slab then this is referred to as home renovation but incase you are installing a new ventilation fan then this is referred to as home renovation. It is to be understood that the major remodeling projects often include lots home renovation tasks. This article will provide you with some of the home renovation ideas.
One of the most important renovation ideas is the replacement of the doors and windows. Replacing the doors and windows is relatively cheap; this will improve the décor of the house to a greater extent, they make the look and the feel of the house really better. A high amount of heat loss occurs through the window opening, incase you intend to install the double or triple window openings will increase the number of windows in your house. Further more number of windows will help to prevent heat gain, air leakage and the resistance towards the condensation can be improved. As time passes by the entry doors which are made out of wood shrink, this can cause the entry door difficult to open and close, or creating a strange sound while you open the door. Doors can be repaired when they have this problem but it is important to remember that these are signs of replacing the windows and the doors. Wood is a traditional and timeless option but it is important to understand that the fiber glass and steel these days are offering better durability and performance options.
Insulation and the ventilation:
Roof insulation is one of the most important components in the insulation of your house. As we are all aware of the fact that the heat rises and much of it goes up through the roof. The insulation of the roof will help you to keep this heat inside the home. The essential criterion which is to be remembered that we need to make sure that we do offer proper ventilation facilities along with the roof insulation so that we can prevent the wood rot and ice dams.
Another insulation idea which you can think of is the basement insulation; it is a better idea that you install the basement insulation ideas along with the basement walls. It has been followed by many people that they fix the basement insulation in the basement ceiling so as to prevent the cold floors upstairs.
Home renovation is a fun activity, it is the best ways to provide your house with the right kind of new appearance, and in short it is a dream fulfilling activity. Home renovation and home remodeling are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings attached to them. Home renovation is the tem wherein you aim at improvising and increasing the functionality and the amenities of the house. On the other hand home remodeling is often used for upgrading the décor, style and the fixtures of the house. Let me explain this with an example consider the case in the restroom incase you are replacing an old countertop with a new granite slab then this is referred to as home renovation but incase you are installing a new ventilation fan then this is referred to as home renovation. It is to be understood that the major remodeling projects often include lots home renovation tasks. This article will provide you with some of the home renovation ideas.
One of the most important renovation ideas is the replacement of the doors and windows. Replacing the doors and windows is relatively cheap; this will improve the décor of the house to a greater extent, they make the look and the feel of the house really better. A high amount of heat loss occurs through the window opening, incase you intend to install the double or triple window openings will increase the number of windows in your house. Further more number of windows will help to prevent heat gain, air leakage and the resistance towards the condensation can be improved. As time passes by the entry doors which are made out of wood shrink, this can cause the entry door difficult to open and close, or creating a strange sound while you open the door. Doors can be repaired when they have this problem but it is important to remember that these are signs of replacing the windows and the doors. Wood is a traditional and timeless option but it is important to understand that the fiber glass and steel these days are offering better durability and performance options.
Insulation and the ventilation:
Roof insulation is one of the most important components in the insulation of your house. As we are all aware of the fact that the heat rises and much of it goes up through the roof. The insulation of the roof will help you to keep this heat inside the home. The essential criterion which is to be remembered that we need to make sure that we do offer proper ventilation facilities along with the roof insulation so that we can prevent the wood rot and ice dams.
Another insulation idea which you can think of is the basement insulation; it is a better idea that you install the basement insulation ideas along with the basement walls. It has been followed by many people that they fix the basement insulation in the basement ceiling so as to prevent the cold floors upstairs.
Add Warmth and Character to Your Home
By Carolyn Capalbo
Front Entrance: Add grills to your sidelights and transoms. Either paint your front door the same color or get a wood or wood-look door and stain a warm cedar color. Ditch the old screen door and replace it with a Victorian screen door. Re-use centers or salvage yards are great places to find bargains on wood character doors
Floors: If your carpet has seen its day, consider replacing it with hardwood floors. They provide a warm, cozy atmosphere in a home, have a timeless style and are easy to maintain. There are so many varieties and colors beyond the traditional oak floors that you're certain to find something to fit your decorating scheme. For eco-friendly versions, look to bamboo or the non-toxic, oil stained finishes.
Fireplace: If you have a painted mantle, consider having it stripped and re-finished in a warm stain. Add a tile or stone border to make your living room feel like a mountain getaway.
Trim: Changing your style of baseboard or adding cornice can totally transform a room. Purchase wide, salvaged baseboard and cornice trim and simply repaint. A faux version can be achieved by using 1 x 8 baseboard on the walls and 1 x 4 strips on the ceiling. Add 5/8 inch thick brackets to the ceiling trim.
Interior Doors: If you have french doors, consider staining and adding grills and porcelain or brass hardware.
Paint: Warm up your walls by venturing away from the neutral beiges and whites. Popular colors for 2009 are bright yellows, navy, slate blue, and chestnut mixed with rose. If you aren't ready to add color to all your walls, consider punching up one accent wall and add decorative accessories in similar shades.
Wainscotting: Add a chair rail to convey a traditional look. For a board and batton style that gives the impression of a recessed panel on your walls, run 3 1/4 by 36 inch battens down the wall from the chair rail, meeting at the bottom with 1 x 8 baseboard. Beef up the chair rail by adding brackets and a small shelf.
Cupboards: Instead of replacing outdated cupboards, repaint them using an rich shade of ebony and add some cornice trim at the top. For a country feel, place painted brackets under the trim and chamfered feet under the cabinets.
Bathroom: Combine old with new by placing a granite counter on a wooden vanity. These combos are easy to find at local centers. Go to salvage yards to find old medicine cabinets, or add a painted wood frame around a new one.
With a little creativity you can create your own vintage wall mount sink. Check the granite outlets for a scrap 22 x 28 slab. You'll probably pick it up for the cost of polishing. Add a recessed sink and backsplash. Add a couple cast-iron shelf brackets under the sink, keeping the pipe exposed. Hang a mirror with some filigree trim and a decorative lighting fixture.
Front Entrance: Add grills to your sidelights and transoms. Either paint your front door the same color or get a wood or wood-look door and stain a warm cedar color. Ditch the old screen door and replace it with a Victorian screen door. Re-use centers or salvage yards are great places to find bargains on wood character doors
Floors: If your carpet has seen its day, consider replacing it with hardwood floors. They provide a warm, cozy atmosphere in a home, have a timeless style and are easy to maintain. There are so many varieties and colors beyond the traditional oak floors that you're certain to find something to fit your decorating scheme. For eco-friendly versions, look to bamboo or the non-toxic, oil stained finishes.
Fireplace: If you have a painted mantle, consider having it stripped and re-finished in a warm stain. Add a tile or stone border to make your living room feel like a mountain getaway.
Trim: Changing your style of baseboard or adding cornice can totally transform a room. Purchase wide, salvaged baseboard and cornice trim and simply repaint. A faux version can be achieved by using 1 x 8 baseboard on the walls and 1 x 4 strips on the ceiling. Add 5/8 inch thick brackets to the ceiling trim.
Interior Doors: If you have french doors, consider staining and adding grills and porcelain or brass hardware.
Paint: Warm up your walls by venturing away from the neutral beiges and whites. Popular colors for 2009 are bright yellows, navy, slate blue, and chestnut mixed with rose. If you aren't ready to add color to all your walls, consider punching up one accent wall and add decorative accessories in similar shades.
Wainscotting: Add a chair rail to convey a traditional look. For a board and batton style that gives the impression of a recessed panel on your walls, run 3 1/4 by 36 inch battens down the wall from the chair rail, meeting at the bottom with 1 x 8 baseboard. Beef up the chair rail by adding brackets and a small shelf.
Cupboards: Instead of replacing outdated cupboards, repaint them using an rich shade of ebony and add some cornice trim at the top. For a country feel, place painted brackets under the trim and chamfered feet under the cabinets.
Bathroom: Combine old with new by placing a granite counter on a wooden vanity. These combos are easy to find at local centers. Go to salvage yards to find old medicine cabinets, or add a painted wood frame around a new one.
With a little creativity you can create your own vintage wall mount sink. Check the granite outlets for a scrap 22 x 28 slab. You'll probably pick it up for the cost of polishing. Add a recessed sink and backsplash. Add a couple cast-iron shelf brackets under the sink, keeping the pipe exposed. Hang a mirror with some filigree trim and a decorative lighting fixture.
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