Home Improvement & Maintenance as a Way to Move Up in the Housing Market
Home Improvement & Maintenance as a Way to Move Up in the Housing Market
“home improvement & maintenance” “home improvement diy” Home improvement & maintenance is often required when you want to remodel your home or do some decent renovations in your home. Remodeling is a way to move up in the housing market without moving out. It is also one way to enhance the attractiveness of your home if [...]
“home improvement & maintenance” “home improvement diy”
Home improvement & maintenance is often required when you want to remodel your home or do some decent renovations in your home. Remodeling is a way to move up in the housing market without moving out. It is also one way to enhance the attractiveness of your home if you are planning to sell. Homeowners who chose to remodel and stay in their homes have the freedom to reflect on their own personal preferences and have fun with design and color.
Home improvement & maintenance is more popular now than ever before but home improvement & maintenance is about more than merely changing how your home looks -it’s about changing how it feels. Home remodeling is all about making you feel more satisfied with the place you live in. A newly remodeled home can represent a great accomplishment…not to mention the pleasure you get from living in the home of your dreams.
Many homeowners who are somewhat handy and wish to go with home improvement diy projects have more choices than ever. Home remodeling is a big decision, and often a substantial expense. Home improvement diy projects can help offset some of the expenses involved with remodeling houses….that is if you’re handy!
Many factors come into play when planning remodeling houses. Home remodeling is a process of restructuring or making improvements in your old house. It involves either complete makeover or adding a few things for a better looking house. When doing home improvement & maintenance it is also a good time to think about increasing the energy efficiency of your home. This is something to consider during major renovations as well because of the small incremental cost and inconvenience associated with adding energy efficiency materials to an existing project.
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Custom Remodeling, Do it Yourself Home Improvements, Home Design, Home Designs, Home Improvement & Maintenance, Home Improvement DIY, Homes Renovations, House Remodeling, Remodeling, Remodeling Costs, Remodeling Houses, Remodeling and Construction
Estimating Your Kitchen Remodeling Costs
“remodeling costs” “kitchen plans” The first question most people ask is: How much is it going to cost? What you end up paying depends on three things that you can choose and one that you can’t. First, the material you select for your kitchen plans will have the biggest impact on the price; it’s also where you have [...]
“remodeling costs” “kitchen plans”
The first question most people ask is: How much is it going to cost?
What you end up paying depends on three things that you can choose and one that you can’t.
First, the material you select for your kitchen plans will have the biggest impact on the price; it’s also where you have the most choices.
Then there is the cost of installing the materials you have selected. For this you can take the lowest bid.
Finally, how much you pay will vary with where you live. You can’t do much about this! Construction costs vary widely throughout the country so the geographic location you are in will pretty much dictate the going rates.
When doing a remodeling project figuring out how much to spend can be the big question.
Some things to consider would be:
What condition is the house in and what era does the current style suggest and what would you like it to be?
What is the current market value of your house before remodeling and what is the average market value of comparable sized homes in the neighborhood? How long do you actually plan to stay in the home? Is it a flip? Are you planning to live there for 2-4 years? 10 years? Forever?
Whatever amount you feel comfortable spending…or that your budget will allow…you should keep in mind that your home is still an investment…possibly your biggest investment…and you want to have the highest return possible on your investment, especially if your turn around time is sooner rather than later.
You don’t want to remodel all of your equity away. Some projects add value to the home and others just eat away your equity with no return at all. Fortunately a kitchen remodel is something that recaptures nearly 100% return if you stay within the maximum 15% of the home’s current market value.
It’s always a good thing to check out other homes in your neighborhood and see what the competition is with comparable homes so you can stay in the game and even have an edge when it comes time to sell. You want to make sure yours compares best to others in the same price range, however, your net profit is still the end game.
But on the other hand, if this is the home you plan to be in for many years to come, the pleasure you would receive from having your perfect dream kitchen, experiencing delight and appreciation on a daily basis, should never be underestimated either.
I personally believe we should all do things that bring us pleasure and joy into our lives on a daily basis….but it’s all a balancing act so the purpose of your remodel needs to be taken into definite consideration.
The 5% to 15% Rule is a handy tool to help determine how much you spend on your kitchen project.
kitchen cabinets remodeling
Remodeling Costs * Kitchen Cabinets
Planning a kitchen remodel?
Find out the secret to remodeling your kitchen the easy way PLUS insider information that will save you 1000’s on materials, give you a more realistic way to estimate remodeling costs AND help you get your kitchen remodeling project done weeks faster! To find out more…..CLICK HERE
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Custom Remodeling, Discount Kitchen Cabinets, Do it Yourself Home Improvements, Home Design, Home Designs, Home Improvement & Maintenance, Home Improvement DIY, Homes Renovations, House Remodeling, Ideas for Kitchens, Kitchen Cabinets, Kitchen Designs, Kitchen Plans, Kitchen Remodel, Remodeling, Remodeling Costs, Remodeling Houses, Remodeling and Construction
What is the Best Order of Sequence for Installing the Flooring Material in a Kitchen Remodel?
“flooring materials” “flooring material” “kitchen remodel” There are several different schools of thoughts about what is the best order of sequence for installing the flooring material in a kitchen remodel. There are many elements involved in a kitchen remodel including installing the kitchen cabinets, the countertops, the plumbing and electrical, the flooring and appliances to name [...]
“flooring materials” “flooring material” “kitchen remodel”
There are several different schools of thoughts about what is the best order of sequence for installing the flooring material in a kitchen remodel. There are many elements involved in a kitchen remodel including installing the kitchen cabinets, the countertops, the plumbing and electrical, the flooring and appliances to name a few of the things going on during your kitchen remodel.
When exactly the best time to install the flooring is depends on your preferences really. So here are a couple of options and the reasoning behind them:
One option would be to lay the flooring down after the base kitchen cabinets have been installed, which you would do after the painting is done. The main argument for this option is that you wouldn’t be wasting flooring material where it would never be seen by anyone and would save a little money in the process…(little being the key word)….however if you ever changed appliances to ones of a different size or dimension you might have to add flooring later on and it would not only be a hassle but would also incur labor expenses too.
If you go with this option you would just have to make sure that you remember to allow enough height for your appliances or that your appliances have adjustable height capability and also make sure to have some extra flooring material saved from this project so if you need to add it later on you will have matching stock.
The other option would be to put the flooring material down first before you install your appliances. The amount of extra expense of using the flooring material under the appliances is really quite nominal in the big picture and you would actually save on labor expenses that would be incurred to trim out the flooring material around the appliances.
The benefit of going this route is that it would be a lot easier to move the appliances in and out on an even surface although it isn’t really that difficult either way. Another benefit though is if you ever changed appliances that were of different sizes and dimensions you wouldn’t have to worry about missing flooring.
So these are just a couple of different schools of thought on the best order of sequence for installing the flooring material in a kitchen remodel. Just consider which option works best for you or your contractor and go with it.
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Find out the secret to remodeling your kitchen the easy way PLUS insider information that will save you 1000’s on materials, give you a more realistic way to estimate remodeling costs AND help you get your kitchen remodeling project done weeks faster! To find out more…..CLICK HERE
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Custom Remodeling, Do it Yourself Home Improvements, Flooring, Flooring Materials, Home Design, Home Designs, Home Improvement & Maintenance, Home Improvement DIY, Homes Renovations, House Remodeling, Ideas for Kitchens, Kitchen Remodel, Remodeling, Remodeling Houses, Remodeling and Construction
LEED Certification in Your Remodeling and Construction Projects
So you’re getting ready to remodel your home and you want to go green as much as possible because you’re trying to be more environmentally responsible… and you also wouldn’t mind saving some money on utilities and maximizing your home’s resale value. Where do you start? A good place to start for your remodeling and construction [...]
LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is a rating system of sustainable green building and development practices.
LEED is also a nationally recognized, third party certification system and accreditation program conducted by the U.S. Green Building Council that certifies building projects meet high green building standards based on performance and measurable results in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
When LEED was first created it focused on new construction only but The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) partnered together to create the REGREEN Program, which has created national green remodeling guidelines for existing homes so remodeling projects can also follow USGBC guidelines. To check out their guidelines go to http://www.regreenprogram.org
In the US, our homes are responsible for 21% of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States , approximately 4 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (almost 9,000 pounds) per person per year (about 17% of total U.S. emissions) are emitted from people’s homes. The three main sources of greenhouse gas emissions from homes are electricity use, heating and waste.
Formaldehyde is another gas emission from homes. It is emitted from many materials used to construct and remodel a home. Formaldehyde is a colorless gas. At elevated concentrations it has a strong, pungent odor and can be irritating to the eyes, nose, and lungs. Formaldehyde is released into the home from a variety of indoor sources. Some resins, or glues, used to bind wood chips or fibers into plywood, particleboard, and other pressed wood products, contain formaldehyde. Cabinetry and some floor and wall materials are often made from such products.
SOME COMMON SOURCES OF FORMALDEHYDE INDOORS
Pressed wood products: particleboard, plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF); often used in cabinetry, and wall and floor materials
Consumer Products: wallpaper, paint, coatings; often a preservative in these and other products
Coatings for Some Cabinet and Furniture Products: acid-catalyzed urea formaldehyde type finishes.
Combustion Appliances: wood stoves, gas appliances, kerosene stoves
Living in a green home means that you’re helping to stop the causes of climate change and using green materials and getting LEED certification in your remodeling and construction projects can help you not only be kind to the environment but also be kind to your body and your own personal health and there are also financial benefits to earning LEED certification too.
When you do a green LEED certified homes may also be eligible for financial benefits such as lower fees for financing and lower insurance rates.
To learn more about LEED certification you can go to their website at: http://www.usgbc.org
Planning a kitchen remodel?
Find out the secret to remodeling your kitchen the easy way PLUS insider information that will save you 1000’s on materials, give you a more realistic way to estimate remodeling costs AND help you get your kitchen remodeling project done weeks faster! To find out more…..CLICK HERE
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Eco Friendly, Go Green, Green Materials, Homes Renovations, House Remodeling, Remodeling, Remodeling Houses, Remodeling Project, Remodeling and Construction
A Great Way to Avoid Remodeling Project Nightmares
“remodeling and construction” “remodeling project” “diy” “remodeling” When doing any sort of remodeling or construction project, if it’s not a diy project and you’re not the contractor or doing it yourself, you’ll most likely end up hiring a contractor or tradesman to work on your remodeling project. There are a lot of horror stories floating around [...]
“remodeling and construction” “remodeling project” “diy” “remodeling”
When doing any sort of remodeling or construction project, if it’s not a diy project and you’re not the contractor or doing it yourself, you’ll most likely end up hiring a contractor or tradesman to work on your remodeling project. There are a lot of horror stories floating around of remodeling project nightmares and litigation with contractors that probably could have been easily avoided with better communication.Communication is critical in making sure that what you’re trying achieve is clearly understood by your contractor. For an example, in some parts of the country it is standard practice for some drywall contractors to screw in the ceiling drywall but nail in the walls.
If your remodeling project is in a humid part of the country, with all the fluctuations in humidity, you’ll have the nails start popping out within a couple of years whereas screwing the drywall eliminates this problem but if you just assume that your contractor knows you prefer him to screw in the drywall instead of simply nailing in the drywall and it doesn’t go the way you assumed it naturally would there could be a problem.
Another example is the exact height or placement of something. I remember one project I had to put in a through the wall air conditioner into a room and to me it seemed logical that the contractor would line up the top of the air conditioner with a hung picture on the adjacent wall because aesthetically that would flow much better and it never even occurred to me that he wouldn’t automatically know to do that. I had only left the room for a few minutes but when I came back the hole was already cut and it was nearly 6 inches below where I assumed it would be but I hadn’t specified this with the contractor so he put it where HE thought it would be most logical to put it.
Photos are another great way to get your point across. For example if you are trying to design your landscape you might take a photo of your house to the nursery so they can give you their suggestions about what might be most suitable to what you’re wanting to achieve. Or if you are having issues with the building inspectors and something isn’t passing inspection bringing a photo to them can be very helpful for clarification.
Don’t just assume your contractor knows what you want. Make sure you specify everything EXACTLY how and where and when you want it. Putting all the exact details in writing is not just good practice but an absolute must. That will save you lots of frustration, do overs, and possibly even litigation.
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Contractor, Custom Remodeling, Home Improvement & Maintenance, Homes Renovations, House Remodeling, Remodeling, Remodeling Houses, Remodeling and Construction
How To Find Out if Your Contractor is Licensed
“contractor” “contractors” Some of the biggest problems with contractors can be easily avoided by simply checking out the contractor first and making sure that you’re hiring a reputable, well established and professional contractor. While most states license electrical and plumbing contractors, only 36 states have some type of licensing and registration statutes affecting contractors, remodelers, and/or specialty [...]
“contractor” “contractors”
Some of the biggest problems with contractors can be easily avoided by simply checking out the contractor first and making sure that you’re hiring a reputable, well established and professional contractor.
While most states license electrical and plumbing contractors, only 36 states have some type of licensing and registration statutes affecting contractors, remodelers, and/or specialty contractors. The licensing can range from simple registration to a detailed qualification process. Also, the licensing requirements in one locality may be different from the requirements in the rest of the state.
Check with your local building department or consumer protection agency to find out about licensing requirements in your area. If your state has licensing laws, ask to see the contractor’s license and make sure that it’s current.
Since not all states require licensing you may have no choice in hiring an unlicensed contractor. This can still work out if you know what you are doing and he knows what he’s doing. The license doesn’t necessarily mean you get expertise, but it does mean you get leverage. A contractor will right his wrongs to avoid losing his license.
You can also check out the contractor with your local consumer protection officials. They can tell you if there are any unresolved consumer complaints on file, however, even if there aren’t any complaints on record it doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t any previous problems. It may be that problems exist but haven’t been reported or another possibility could be that the contractor is doing business under several different names….but checking anyway doesn’t hurt.
If the contractor doesn’t have a phone number listed in the local telephone directory that might be a red flag and should definitely warrant further investigation. Reputable, well established contractors are usually at least listed in the phone directory and many also have websites as well although not having a website is NOT an indication that a contractor isn’t professional and well established but an unlisted phone is certainly questionable.
I found this really great contractor’s license reference site that is very useful: Contractors-License.org/
For any state that requires a contractor or tradesman to be licensed they will keep records of the license and this site has direct links to every state’s contractor’s licensing board. So you could easily call or go online and check out if a contractor is licensed or not.
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Contractor, Custom Remodeling, Remodeling, Remodeling and Construction
Home Equity Loan or Equity Home Line of Credit for Home Improvement Projects
“home equity loan” “equity home line” “credit equity line” “consolidation loan” “debt consolidation credit” Home Equity Loan or Equity Home Line of Credit to Double as a Home Improvement and Debt Consolidation Loan With any remodeling and construction projects you do on your home there are many payment options available for most home improvement remodeling projects. For [...]
“home equity loan” “equity home line” “credit equity line” “consolidation loan” “debt consolidation credit”
Home Equity Loan or Equity Home Line of Credit to Double as a Home Improvement and Debt Consolidation Loan
With any remodeling and construction projects you do on your home there are many payment options available for most home improvement remodeling projects. For example, you can get your own loan such as a home equity loan or credit equity line or ask the contractor to arrange financing for larger projects. For smaller projects, you may want to pay by check or credit card.
For the larger projects a home equity loan, or a credit equity line also known as an equity home line of credit, can be a good solution because the interest rates are often better than other types of loans or credit and, depending on the amount of equity you have in your home, you might also be able to use it as a debt consolidation loan at the same time to pay off high interests credit cards and other high interest debt so you can be relatively debt free with just the equity home line of credit at a lower interest rate and improve your home and bring up its value at the same time.
What is the Difference between a Home Equity Loan and a Home Equity Line of Credit?
A home equity loan is a loan that is secured by your home. It is also sometimes referred to as a closed-end home equity loan or a second mortgage and is a fixed amount of money that must be repaid over a fixed term just like your original mortgage. You get the entire loan amount upfront all at once. You have predictable, consistent monthly payments.
A Home Equity Line of Credit in many ways is similar to a credit card. It is a a form of revolving credit in which your home serves as collateral. You can borrow as much as you need, whenever you need it, by writing a check as long as your total borrowing does not exceed your credit limit. Because it is a line of credit, you make payments only on the amount you have actually borrowed, not the full amount available. What makes a Home Equity Line of Credit so popular is that interest paid is usually tax deductible under federal and most state income tax laws.
Whether you use a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit for a home improvement project or as a debt consolidation loan or both it’s a great way to make your debt tax deductable and improve the value of your home at the same time.
Planning a kitchen remodel?
Find out the secret to remodeling your kitchen the easy way PLUS insider information that will save you 1000’s on materials, give you a more realistic way to estimate remodeling costs AND help you get your kitchen remodeling project done weeks faster! To find out more…..CLICK HERE
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Home Improvement, Remodeling Costs, Remodeling Project, Remodeling and Construction
Finding a Contractor for Your Remodeling and Construction Project
“remodeling and construction” “kitchen remodel” A question you might want to ask the contractor is how many remodeling projects like mine have you completed in the last year? Ask for a list as this will help you determine how familiar the contractor is with your type of project. If he primarily specializes in fireplaces and [...]
“remodeling and construction” “kitchen remodel”
A question you might want to ask the contractor is how many remodeling projects like mine have you completed in the last year? Ask for a list as this will help you determine how familiar the contractor is with your type of project. If he primarily specializes in fireplaces and all his previous remodeling and construction projects were fireplaces and you’re doing a kitchen remodel or a bathroom, he might not be the right contractor for you.
You should also always ask the contractor for a list of references. The contractor should be able to give you the names, addresses and phone numbers of at least three clients who have projects similar to yours. Ask how long each of those jobs took to complete and how long ago they were completed and ask to see them. You can also tell the contractor you would like to visit some of his current remodeling jobs in progress.
When you contact the clients he gave you as a reference you may want to ask them if you can visit their home to see the completed job. You can also ask them things like: were you satisfied with the remodeling project? Was it completed on time? Did the contractor keep you informed about the status of the project, and any problems along the way? Were there any unexpected remodeling costs? And if so, what were they? Did the workers show up on time? Did they clean up after finishing the job?
Probably the most important questions though would be were you happy with the work? Would you recommend the contractor? Would you use him again?
Happy clients are your very best bet!
remodeling and construction remodeling costs kitchen remodel remodeling
Planning a kitchen remodel?
Find out the secret to remodeling your kitchen the easy way PLUS insider information that will save you 1000’s on materials, give you a more realistic way to estimate remodeling costs AND help you get your kitchen remodeling project done weeks faster! To find out more…..CLICK HERE
Tags
Custom Remodeling, Discount Kitchen Cabinets, Do it Yourself Home Improvements, Home Design, Home Designs, Home Improvement & Maintenance, Home Improvement DIY, Homes Renovations, House Remodeling, Ideas for Kitchens, Kitchen Cabinets, Kitchen Designs, Kitchen Plans, Kitchen Remodel, Remodeling, Remodeling Costs, Remodeling Houses, Remodeling and Construction
