Home Improvement Projects That Really Pay Off
Many of us watch TV shows and see the miraculous transformation of homes and gardens by professionals and amateur do-it-yourselfers. Is it really that easy, we ask ourselves. Could I do it? Where do I begin? What home improvement projects will generate the biggest increase in the value of my home? What Do You Want and What Can You Afford? There are several good reasons for wanting to redecorate or remodel your home. If your residence no longer reflects your changing tastes and lifestyle but you don't want to leave a desirable neighborhood, maybe all you need to do is make one or two basic changes. Altering a color scheme, converting a bedroom into a home office, or upgrading the kitchen and bathroom are practical improvements that add esthetic appeal and financial value. If a move is in the future, you want home improvement projects that will give you the biggest bang for your buck when it's time to sell. Whatever your motives for improving your home, make a wish list with three categories: * Must have * Would like to have * Dreams can come true When your list is complete, consider the amount of money you have available or are prepared to borrow. Unless you have unlimited funds, make a realistic estimate of what you can afford. Are you planning major renovations that will require the services of an architect or a contractor? Will you need an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, a painter, or all four? How much work can you do yourself? All these factors must be taken into account as you pare down your list into affordable home improvement projects. How Do You Begin? Every project starts with a plan. Itemize everything you want and think you can afford, and include a design of rooms to be remodeled. If you are going to require professional help, now is the time to talk to contractors, plumbers, and other tradesmen, and to ask for estimates. Comparison-shopping is a must. If you are an accomplished do-it-yourselfer, price materials and tools needed. If you can't afford to do everything on your list, reassess your prime needs and make a new plan. What Projects Are Key? The best projects for improving the value of your home are, happily, the most affordable and the easiest to do yourself, even if you are a super klutz. Ask any real estate agent for tips on how to prepare a home for resale and you will be told that the house and yard should be cleaned and all clutter removed. Creating suitable home storage facilities and cleaning and painting the interior and exterior of your house, therefore, are the jobs that top the list of desirable improvements. The premium projects that usually require professional help are kitchen remodeling first and bathroom remodeling second. These particular upgrades will provide the best return for your money, and the real estate industry has statistics to prove it. Clean Everything in Sight Cleaning your home and yard is a great improvement project, and if you are remodeling, it will be the final step after the dust has settled. You will need something heavy-duty like tri-sodium phosphate or its equivalent to wash most surfaces inside and outside the house. There are also special cleaners for glass, tile, porcelain, stainless steel, and wood, and for getting rid of unpleasant molds and mildew. Visit your friendly hardware store and read labels. There are cleaners for almost every material and for solving almost every cleaning problem. Make sure rooms are well ventilated whenever you are cleaning, carefully follow directions, and wear gloves and a mask. Removing clutter is another worthwhile project and requires adequate home storage with a combination of cabinets, shelves and bins, and sufficient strength of mind to discard all junk, no matter how much you love it. You can buy easy-to-assemble shelving and cabinets in a great variety of sizes and materials at affordable prices. Small, decorative containers can be used to organize and conceal the ongoing accumulations of such items as incoming mail. In the yard, removing clutter means getting rid of dead trees, dead branches, broken slabs and stones in patios and walkways, and tidying up the garden and lawn. When faced with clutter, ruthlessly throw it out, recycle it, hold a garage sale, donate it to the charity of your choice ? get rid of it. Interior painting and exterior painting should be next on your list of preferred home improvement projects. Fresh paint helps make your home look clean, bright, and spacious. When selecting colors for the exterior, don't forget to do something about that bland front door. Have fun! Fresh, harmonious colors add beauty and personality to your home both inside and out. Put Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling High on the List Although remodeling a kitchen seems like a daunting task, a complete overhaul pays great dividends if and when you sell your home. Purchasing new cabinets and appliances are worthy goals, but you can also make minor changes that will create impact. If you can't replace the kitchen cabinets, replace the cabinet doors at least. If that is also beyond your means, add molding to the cabinet doors, paint them, and replace the hardware. It's not that difficult or expensive to replace an outdated sink, and if you can't afford a new stove, fridge and dishwasher, don't hang on to those gold or avocado monstrosities ? buy attractive reconditioned replacements. Bathroom remodeling is the next most important improvement and the biggest dividends come from installing a new sink, bathtub, toilet, and shower stall, as well as attractive tiles and custom cabinets. Again, if you can't manage a complete makeover, replace the tired old taps, faucets and showerhead; add shelves; and paint and redecorate the cabinets. Other Projects to Consider After you have decided on and planned for the most important home improvement projects, new window covering and upgraded flooring should receive your attention. You can choose from a large array of window dressings and styles, or simply buy fabric, turn hems with iron-on tape, and dramatically drape the material over attractive curtain rods. Shutters are another possibility and lend themselves to many different decorating styles. Your choice of flooring is limited only by your taste and budget. Rip up the old carpet and replace it with contemporary hardwood flooring or laminate flooring. If you already have hardwood, simply sanding and re-staining it or giving it a clear finish may give your rooms the lift they need. Other flooring replacements that can transform a room include tile, vinyl, linoleum, or textured rubber. Finally, save a little energy and money to improve the appearance of your yard. Maybe all you have to do to improve the garden is trim, mow, weed, and then plant a few flowers. Adding or upgrading an existing patio, deck, or walkway can also be very worthwhile. Choosing the best modeling and redecorating projects will not only increase the long-term value of your home, they will also provide satisfaction and pleasure for you, the smart homeowner. Scott Gray is a successful freelance writer who has written many articles for http://www.all-about-home-improvement.com your one stop source for finding the best deals on the internet for home improvement projects , home products, garden supplies, bathroom accessories and more!
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Planning Permission Tips UK - Pre-application Enquiries to the Council - Is the Delay Worthwhile?
The holiday season is now in full swing & for about the next 6 weeks we tend to see a noticeable downturn in the level of new enquiries which I think is pretty much typical amongst most services. This, for us, is a time when we normally attend to the updating & improvement of our internal administration, so the forecasted lull over the coming weeks will be put to good use. The strange thing is that your Local Planning Departments tend to cite the opposite & correspondence suddenly goes unanswered or the Case Officer dealing with your application is off yet again on another 3 week jaunt.
Whats So Special About My Front Door?
"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."
- Flora Whittemore
What Are The Benefits of Radiant Heating: How Do They Compare With Other Heating Applications
Some of the benefits of radiant heat
Flooring: Installing Ceramic Tile
Ceramic Tile brings a texture, richness and color to a room that Linoleum has yet to truly mimic. Tile floors can be installed in any room, however they are most frequently seen in Bathrooms and Kitchens. I particularly like them in entryways, where they serve as a transition point from the outside to large carpeted or hardwood floored rooms. They make for easy clean up and are impervious to water damage.
Designing Your Log Home: Tips To Keep You Out of Trouble
Nearly every log home is a custom design, whether you are altering a stock plan or starting from scratch. By their very nature, custom floor plans open up a large number of untested challenges - especially if you are trying to design the house yourself. With almost all log home manufacturers, an in-house architect will take your design and turn it into a set of drawings that conform to their building system. Your home will be structurally sound. However, don't necessary expect them to point out every inconvenience or snafu in your design. This is a hands-on business, and in the end, your house design is on you... and you'll have to live with it. Here are a few pointers I can suggest to make your design more efficient.
New Construction Windows Or Replacement Windows? Which Is Right For You?
Hello, my name is John Rocco.I grew up around the window and door business. My father owned a glass shop that dealt in every aspect of residential and commercial glass.Naturally, when it came time to choose a profession, i wound up in the window and door business.I have been in the business for about 27 years, and i have been self employed for 20.
Keeping Stone Floors in Tip Top Condition
I had a customer call me to make a complaint about the Limestone floor we had restored and sealed for them. The building is a state of the art facility in the heart of Covent Garden, in London. The problem was as an up market serviced office block the tenants were complaining that the Limestone Floor was resoling very fast and looking extremely dirty even immediately after the contract cleaners had washed the floor.
Discovering Fiberglass Roofing Panels for Your Roofing Needs
Roofs are an integral part of the house. The design of a roof tells a lot about the structure. They can be stylish, grand, historical, modern, versatile and so much more. When designing a house, building or any structure, the roof cant be taken for granted, they must be complimenting the whole design and yet, will be very durable and resistant to nature's elements. That is why; designers take into consideration a lot of things like the weather, the winds, the location of the structure and much more, all of them makes an influence on the design of the roof and what kind of roofing materials to use. There are many forms wherein roofs are designed and constructed. They could either be flat, pitched, vaulted, domed or combinations of those types. As stated, these designs are influenced by considerations regarding technical, regional and aesthetic factors.
Glass Sinks ? 4 Unbreakable Rules of Buying a Glass Vessel Sink
1. Know your sinks
How durable are these sinks? These sinks are tempered. Tempered glass is regular glass that has been heated to a very high temperature, and then quickly cooled. This procedure strengthens the glass, making it 5-7 times stronger than regular glass.
Popular Trends in Home Technology
As a former home automation installer and a former manufactures rep, I have
observed many trends. The following items are certainly the hotest trends this year
in home technology.
Remove Carpet Stains - The How To
Your short lesson on how to remove carpet stains: act fast. Carpets today (most) come with stain-resistant treatments, so spills can be removed if you get to them quickly. The longer you wait, the more difficult removing carpet stains becomes. And no, there are no stain-proof carpets - yet.
Skip Troweling Method for Textured Ceilings
There are several ceiling texture choices to choose from when finishing a room. You can simply apply a flat paint to the ceiling, or spray or roll on a popcorn textured ceiling. However both these choices seem to be waning in popularity to the Skip Toweled look. The Skip Troweled look provides a compromise between the flat painted ceiling and the popcorn ceiling. It provides texture but to a lesser extent than a traditional popcorn ceiling.
How to Collect Physical Mold Growth Samples for Low-Cost Mold Laboratory Identification of Mold Spec
How to Collect Physical Mold Growth Samples for Low-Cost Mold Laboratory Identification of Mold Species
Reduce Noise to Reduce Stress: Sound Advice From the Rug Doctor
Maybe getting the silent treatment at home isn't a bad thing after all.
Electrical Safety and Power Tools
Power tools are one of the greatest conveniences for getting handyman jobs and professional jobs done quickly, but since power tools often run on electricity, it is essential that safety instructions are followed.
Wood Panels and Humidity
Coping with wood movement
Choosing a Vinyl Replacement Window Contractor
Whenever I write an article, it's usually tailored to the do-it-yourself homeowner to help them save some money on the high cost of labor these days. This article is for the "not so handy" homeowner who wants to have new vinyl windows installed in their home. So, where do you begin? Well, the first step is to get estimates. You should always get 3 estimates. Keep in mind that the price you are quoted doesn't necessarily reflect the quality of the product. For example, I used to wear the hat of Owner, Salesman, and Installer. So, when I would give an estimate, my only markup would be to pay my salary. On the other extreme, some companies have an inside sales staff who do telemarketing as well as mail solicitation. These people set up in-home estimates. Then, there is an outside sales staff who visit the customer for an in-home estimate. If the customer signs a contract, there is another employee who measures your windows. Then, the installation crew comes out and actually installs your windows. In many cases, you never even see or talk to the owner. Now, imagine if this company, let's call them shears, was selling the exact same window that I was selling. After you got both estimates, you might be inclined to think that my product must be inferior if I'm able to sell it so much cheaper. The reality is, it's cheaper because I pay two salaries; my salary and my other installer's salary. The other owner has to pay his own salary plus Inside sales, outside sales, field measurer, and installation crew.
How To Care For Your Leather Furniture
Leather is the most durable fabric used for furniture today. Although leather is so resistant to harm, it is always wise to take precautions when taking care of you're furniture in order to ensure it always looks great. Where you decide to place your furniture is very important if you want it to last a long time. Leather should not be placed within two feet of any direct heat source, including fireplaces, radiators or heating vents. Direct sunlight should also be avoided, because over many years the leather will begin to dry out and fade.
Heat Up the Hot Tub from 20,000 Feet
Homeowners are getting high-tech when it comes to controlling the appliances in their homes, but they insist the control systems are reliable, convenient and easily understood. Technology isn't fun to use if you feel like you need a master's degree in engineering to make things work. This is true when it comes to controlling the thermostat on your spa, hot tub or swimming pool. Picture yourself arriving home from a long day at work or getting off the airplane from a grueling business trip. You open the door to the patio and the Jacuzzi is steaming with soft music playing so everything is ready for a relaxing soak; all you have to do is stir the martini. This isn't possible if you only have a touch screen control in the living room. You must wait until you actually arrive home for this pampering luxury.
Electrical Savings System; Save up to 40% on Your Electric Bill Every Month
Once a month there's an electric bill coming in the mail with your name on it. For the next week, it's telling the kids to shut the lights off when you're done, And most of the time, you turn them off yourself. Right? Meanwhile downstairs there's the TV, stereo, lights, computer, and a play station going. You have to give them credit for their talent to do all this at one time. We are all guilty of it.
|
