You are here: Home / Archives for Home improvement

What You Need to Know Before Beginning a Home Project

January 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There comes a time in every home owner’s life when the thought pops up, “I need to change some things around my house.” Sometimes, it’s just as simple as painting a wall. Other times, it’s not so simple and involved tearing down walls. Whatever it is that you have decided to do to improve your home, you need to know a few simple things before you get started. Keep the tips below in mind before you begin your home renovation project.

  1. Be realistic. You’ve got to set realistic expectations when you begin any home remodeling project. If you work full time and live alone, then it’s probably not a good idea to start projects in every room in your home. Same is true if you have small children in the house – be careful how many tools and how much debris is left lying around. Think about your time limits and your family situation and then set realistic timelines, even if those timelines end up being much longer than you originally anticipated.
  2. Set a budget. The number one mistake that most people make with home remodeling is going over budget. Set a budget and then stick to it! If you do this, you should be able to complete all the projects that you want to do in your home, without breaking the bank.
  3. Get price quotes. If you are going to ask for professional help, which you really should do, then be sure you get a few price quotes. Don’t just take the first bid from a plumber or general contractor. Ask for a few quotes, compare prices, and then make an informed decision based on your needs.

Certainly, doing some home renovation projects can be fun and exciting. Just be sure to keep the tips here in mind as you begin your project. When you do, you’ll have a successful experience.

Filed Under: Real Estate, Restoration Tagged With: ,

Keep Home Renovations on Budget

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A home renovation can be a fun and exciting experience. After all, you end up with a really great house after you are done with all the work. However, there is one thing that puts a damper on the home remodeling really quickly…and that’s the budget. When you stay on budget, it’s your best friend. But when you veer from your budget, which many people do, you often find yourself in a nightmare! Suddenly, you can’t afford the rest of the renovation and you are left with a half finished house and lots of debt! If you are ready to remodel your home, then you need to know how to budget. Below are tips to help you stay on budget with your next home improvement project.

  1. Consider your needs verses your wants. There are surely many things that you want in your project, but are those wants what you really need. For example, if you are remodeling your kitchen in order to have more counter space, you may want granite counter tops, but do you really need the granite? Consider your wants verses your needs when setting the budget.
  2. Start small. This is especially true if you are remodeling several rooms in your home. Start with a small project first. This will give you the confidence to continue with the rest of the projects. You’ll be confident knowing you can finish a project on budget and on time.
  3. Be realistic. You need to set realistic time and budget timelines. You can’t re-do your entire front room for only $300, so set realistic goals. Keep the reality of family, jobs, and your free time in mind as you set your budget.

Once you’ve considered these tips, it’s time to begin your project! Draw up some plans, set a budget, and get to work!

Filed Under: Budgeting, Restoration Tagged With: ,

Managing Expenses During a Home Remodeling Project

January 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Home remodeling projects can be fun, exciting, and expensive! While the end product of a home renovation project can be quite beautiful, the process is very straining on the pocket book. But it doesn’t have to be. If you follow a few simple tips, it’s entirely possible to complete your home remodel on time – and on budget.

  1. If you are going to stay on budget, you need to set a budget. Determine your budget from day one and don’t stray from it. If you budget $5,000 for a kitchen remodel, then don’t go even one penny over that number. No matter how tempting it is to upgrade to a fancier stove top or bigger refrigerator, it’s imperative that you stick strictly to your budget.
  2. To set a realistic budget, do some research. Setting your budget shouldn’t be a matter of pulling a few numbers out of the air and writing them down. Do some research on the actual costs associated with your remodel. You may think that the new flooring will only cost $500, but in actuality it could be closer to $1,000. Be realistic with your budget.
  3. Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help. Part of saving money is doing a lot of the home improvement projects yourself. It’s true that there are many projects you can easily do by yourself, but when it comes to an area where you are clueless, don’t be afraid to talk to a professional. If you are going to re-wire your front room and you know nothing about electricity, don’t mess around. Hire an electrician to get the job done. You’ll stay safe and save money in the long run.

Remodeling can be a really fun project. Stay on time and on budget with these tips. You’ll be thankful you followed this advice when you are sitting in your beautifully remodeled home.

Filed Under: Repairs, Restoration Tagged With: ,

What to Think About Before Beginning Renovation Projects

January 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There’s something fun and almost magical about home renovations. Taking something that is unattractive and unwanted and turning it into something beautiful and useful brings such joy into life. That’s why home renovations are so popular. However, many people begin to make improvements to their home without thinking the process through. Then, they are left with unfinished projects, no money to continue, and a very unpleasant living situation. If you are getting ready to do some remodeling to your home, take a look at these tips before you get started.

  1. Set a budget. The number one thing that holds people up in a home renovation projects is money. Set a budget before hand and stick to it. Don’t go over your budget and you’ll have enough money to finish all of your home improvements.
  2. Hire professionals. If you want to do most of the work yourself, that’s fine. But when it comes to doing work that you know absolutely nothing about, it pays to hire a professional. For example, if you are remodeling a bathroom and you know absolutely nothing about plumbing, don’t try to install a toilet or bathtub. The truth is you’ll end up spending much more money for your mistakes then you would to hire someone to get the job done right.
  3. Be realistic. Another big hold up with home renovations is unrealistic expectations. If you are gutting a kitchen, plan on 2-3 months to get it completely back in working order, not 2-3 weeks. For smaller projects you can set smaller deadlines, but keep your overall goal and the amount of work in mind when determining deadlines.

Keep these three ideas in mind as you begin your home improvement projects and you’ll have a much easier time. It won’t be long until you are living in a gorgeous and completely renovated home.

Filed Under: Restoration Tagged With: ,

The One Home Improvement That Pay’s Big

January 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you want to increase the value of your home for a future sale focus on your kitchen.

This is the one room with the highest revenue return for your investment.

Not sure where to begin? Start by visiting new homes during the builder’s open house. Take note of the current popular colors, appliances, and even the flooring.

Be sure not to overlook the hardware styles that are being used for the faucets and cabinets. Paint colors and cabinetry are areas you want to pay special attention to as well. Try to pull your personal tastes and personality out of the picture; especially if your improvement is for the sole purpose of selling the home in the near future.

New construction is a great way to get an up to date idea on the types of improvements to make that will increase the value of your home. These homes are planned around current trends and what the general public is looking for in a new home.

Another great way to get ideas for a kitchen update or a complete renovation project is magazines. Gather your favorite magazines and scan them for pictures that catch your attention, remove the pictures and start a file of the ones you like.

Creating a realistic budget is important before you buy even a gallon of paint. As you look around your kitchen and decide on the areas you would like to change, keep a notebook or printed budget sheet with the amount that you are able to invest and note the cost of each improvement. This will give you a visual and help keep you from going over budget before you actually spend any money.

Filed Under: Repairs Tagged With: ,

DIY Projects Are Easier Than You Think

December 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

You may be looking to do a few do-it-yourself projects around your home. We all know that any improvements that are made to a home will help maintain or even increase its value in the real estate market.

However, a lot of us may be a bit reticent about taking on any type of home improvement project because with think they are only for professionals and there’s no way we could ever do them. Many home projects look more difficult than they really are. Here’s a look at some home projects and see just how difficult they really are.

Installing an Electrical Outlet

Because there is electricity involved with this project many people will not even attempt it. While caution needs to be taken, if you take the proper safety measures this is a fairly easy project. First of all, you will be completely turning off the electricity with the circuit breaker so you won’t really be working with”live” electricity. There are also tools that you can use to double-check whether there is electricity at the site of your project.

Installing a Toilet

This one appears difficult; however the only really difficult part of this home project is lifting the toilet ” both the old one and the new one. This is an easy project, so there’s no need for a professional for this DIY project.

Installing Laminate Flooring

This may seem like a very daunting task. While it’s true that installing hardwood flooring can be difficult because it entails cutting, nailing, gluing and so on. But laminate flooring is easy, easy, easy. Just think of it almost like installing a jigsaw puzzle. While there may be some minimal cutting involved, generally you just fit the pieces together.

So as you can see a lot of those projects we may have been afraid to tackle are really simple.

Filed Under: Landscaping Tagged With: , ,

Home Improvement Doesn’t Have to be Difficult or Expensive

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

We all love the feeling we get from owning our own home. The pride of ownership. It’s great to be away from those rules and regulations that we lived with for so long that told us how we could remodel or decorate – and those rules were usually very restrictive. With your own home you can truly let your imagination run and do all those projects you’ve always wanted to do. In addition, regular maintenance and updates to your home will help keep it looking fresh and keep its market value.

Do-it-yourself projects or renovations do not always mean a huge expense or a lot of time. There are plenty of smaller projects that can spruce up the look and feel of your home. For instance you can take an afternoon and change all the handles on your kitchen cabinets and drawers. If you want to go even further, you could actually paint those cabinets. How about getting creative and doing a stencil project right on to those freshly painted cabinets? You can also consider a new stain instead of paint. It’s just all about making your cabinets look fresh!

Another great home improvement project is to update the flooring. You may be thinking of replacing that tired, worn carpet with some fresh, new hardwood. With some of the newer laminate floorings, this can be an easy, do-it-yourself project. Some floor has pre-glued pieces that easily fit together for an easy-to-do project. Another flooring update you can do easily is to replace or place trim around your existing floor. It’s an easy, quick and inexpensive way to update your floor and the whole room.

If you just take a little time and effort to explore your home improvement options, you’ll probably find that you will have new renovations in a jiffy without spending a lot.

Filed Under: Landscaping Tagged With: , ,

Considerations For Home Improvements

December 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Are you wondering whether the time is right to do some home renovations or improvements? Or are you just ready to take on the next project in a long list of improvements you have scheduled for your home. As you know there are a lot of reasons for doing renovations on your home; but here’s some things you might want to consider when deciding “which” improvement to do and perhaps putting that project list in a manageable order.

Your first thought should be about safety. Any project that will improve the safety of your home should top the list. This includes replacing old or faulty wiring or plumbing; or perhaps your ceiling needs replacing from an old leak.

What kind of satisfaction and enjoyment are you going to get from the project? We know there’s almost no better feeling that standing back after completing a project and getting that huge feeling of satisfaction of a job well done. And since you spend so much time in your home, improving the comfort and feeling should be a priority. However, you don’t want to overspend your renovation budget. What good is it if you have a lovely house, but you can’t enjoy it because you are worrying about how to pay for those renovations?

Improvements and renovations can be very important if you are considering selling your house. Do your homework, because some projects may cost money that you will not recoup in the end. While you may not get your entire investment back, some improvements will improve your home’s selling points.

Finally, some renovations may be need if a family member needs to have the home adapted for a changing lifestyle. These changes can include a disability, ease of mobility for an aging senior or even a new job that requires a new, larger office space.

Filed Under: Landscaping Tagged With: , ,
Newer Posts »