Blog

Posts Tagged ‘renovation’

Remodel or Renovate?

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Tracy Tesmer is founder of Tracy Tesmer Design • Build • Remodel • Repair, a Gainesville, GA bathroom remodeling company specializing in kitchen and home renovations in North, Ga.  Tracy has over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry and hosts a weekly home improvement radio show on WDUN discussing home renovation in North, GA.

remodeling

Can’t decide whether to remodel or renovate your room? Or perhaps now you’re second-guessing the difference between the two… Often the words “remodel” and “renovate” are used interchangeably, but this is not technically correct. How do you know which one you need? And which factors do you need to consider when deciding whether to remodel or renovate your home?

1) Long Term Plans

What you are planning on doing with your home matters. Renovating might be a good thing to do if you are considering selling your home in the near future. New appliances in the kitchen and faucets in the bathroom will help your resale value. Some home remodeling projects take on a more personal touch, such as an added sun room or finishing the attic, but might not add value to your home. In fact, some may even make it harder to sell when you decide it is time. Considering your short and long term plans will help your decide whether remodeling and/or renovating is right for you.

2) Budget

How much money you are going to spend on your project is most likely one of your primary concerns in choosing remodel or renovation. Obviously knocking out the structure of your house is going to be more expensive than added a new refrigerator to your kitchen and putting some new paint on the walls. Prior to beginning a project having an ideal budget in mind will keep things from getting out of control and help you be happy with your choices in the end.

More tips on how to renovate on a budget

3) Timeline

The question you must ask yourself is how long am I willing to deal with the inconvenience of a work in progress?  Remember, what television programs complete in one hour often requires weeks and sometimes months.  It is important that you realize that remodeling and renovations can restrict certain areas of your home for a period of time. Deciding to finish your basement on Thanksgiving by the time the family gets home for Christmas may not be realistic and could become a source of stress.

Step back and ask yourself, what am I trying to accomplish? There are many variables and moving parts that go into answering this for each individual. Whether you choose to remodel or renovate your home, both are great ways to rediscover your home and make it your own.

No Comments » Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized

How to Keep Your Kids Safe During Home Renovation

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

kids hard hats construction

When I was a little girl in the 1980s, my parents bought a microwave, big as a Buick. I always liked when handymen came to the house for installations. It gave me something to watch besides television, and someone to talk to other than myself. For a few hours, our split-level ranch would be in mild disarray but reassembled by the time my father got home.

“Sweetie, I left my carpenter’s level by the garage, can you fetch it for me?” the repairman said. I darted off, feeling helpful. But I tripped over a bucket of drill bits and roofing nails in the garage. Three rusty nails impaled my tender heel, piercing the rubber sole of my Chuck Taylors. The repairman had a first-aid kit, and I sat on my mother’s lap while he bandaged my foot, the smell of pipe tobacco redolent on his overalls.

My story illustrates why Ace Hardware recommends making the garage off limits to children, or at least taking care to store any potentially dangerous items out of reach. They suggest removing or keeping tightly closed four- to six-gallon buckets or pails, since a child can fall into a bucket of this size and drown in just a few inches of water. It’s essential, too, to maintain a first-aid kit and be familiar with its contents.

In addition, post the number of the nearest poison control center near your home phone, along with your child’s weight, allergies, and any important medical conditions. In an emergency, you might panic and forget. Also, a babysitter or visiting relative might need the information. Ipecac induces vomiting if a child ingests a poisonous substance.

If putting in a microwave can be dangerous, imagine the potential hazards of an entire kitchen renovation. Children are curious, exploratory beings, and an area with new and dangerous happenings provides an irresistible attraction. “Parents need to assess the safety liabilities on the renovation site, set boundaries, and warn their children,” says Denver personal injury attorney Daniel R. Rosen.

It’s important to talk to your contractor and introduce your children to him and his workers. Ask the contractor to lay down a tarp, and see if he’ll let your children draw a line in chalk across it. Then, instruct the children to stay behind that line, like the home renovation version of an electric fence. When rooms that children use everyday are remodeled — like the kitchen, bathroom, or a living room — it’s particularly challenging.

“Set up a temporary kitchen in a spare room, complete with hot pot and mini fridge,” advises child psychologist Kate Gorman. “It can be a little like playing house. It’s also smart to get children involved in making signs.” If a member of the household suffers from asthma, get children involved in constructing a sign that says, “Danger: Dust Particles. Asthma? Keep Out.”

Christopher Ashe, one of the stars of HGTV’s 24-Hour Design, isn’t just a carpenter. With more than a decade of experience in the building trade under his belt, Ashe knows about the dangers that families can face when remodeling.

“I categorize construction hazards as one of two ways: immediate or long-term,” says Ashe. “Long-term hazards are usually materials that were once commonplace but have since been found to be dangerous.”

If you’re working in a home that was built before lead was removed from paint, the best way to test for lead is to have a qualified lead inspector come out to test the house. Wear approved safety gear when working around lead paint remnants. Ashe recommends that homeowners seal off any HVAC ducts and make sure they vacuum with a HEPA filter vacuum twice a day, minimum.

It’s also important to research pressure-treated wood on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, http://www.cdc.gov/. Some treated wood contains poison. It may be worth it to pay more for eco-friendly options that are safer, particularly for pregnant women.

It wasn’t any fun getting a tetanus shot after stepping on those rusty nails. And, years later, I still recall how my childhood fascination with a modest home renovation project took a dangerous and painful turn. I’m thankful that the damage was minimal. You can be sure that I will take all the necessary precautions with my own two children. By following the advice above, I will do my best to make home renovation a source of excitement and future enjoyment for my young family.

Pari Chang is an attorney, single mother of two, and professional journalist for SixEstate. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, SELF, Glamour, Redbook, and the anthology, Behind The Bedroom Door.

No Comments » Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in home improvement, remodeling

The Cheapest Renovations You Can Do To Your Home That Have The Biggest Impact

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
Cabinet hardware on display in a home store. F...

Image via Wikipedia

When it comes to the value of your home, performing small renovations can have a big impact. There are several key areas that will make a big difference in the sales potential of the property. It will also ensure that the current inhabitants are living in comfort and can enjoy a pleasant atmosphere. The most important areas of the home that can be greatly impacted by a renovation are the kitchen and bathroom. It is not always necessary to spend a lot of cash on these renovations. Most can be accomplished for under $1,000 by the do-it-yourself homeowner. The renovations that can have the most impact need not be time-consuming or done by a professional.

Curb appeal home is another important factor in the value of the home. For those who wish to sell their home quickly, it is amazing what a difference an attractive car in the driveway can make to the perceived value of the home. Those on a budget can visit used car search engine websites that allow for the quick finding of a suitable vehicle. The kitchen of most homes receives a lot of traffic and is often the focal point of the home. This is where people gather together and prepare meals. An outdated and messy kitchen is very off-putting and can instantly ruin the look of the home. Fortunately, it is very easy and inexpensive to completely overhaul this much-used hub of the home.

Refinishing or re-facing the cabinet doors is something that will dramatically change the look of the kitchen. The cabinets are left in place and only the doors are changed. This can be accomplished by going to a hardware store and purchasing new doors, or simply stripping off the old paint and putting on a new coat. Another part of the kitchen that is often worn out from much use is the counter-tops. This will require a bit more work, but the talented DIY-er will be able to easily accomplish this task. The desired material for the surface is up to the homeowner and there are many styles to choose from. Changing the floor by either putting in a new style of linoleum or installing tiles can give a contemporary look to any kitchen.

Painting the walls a more attractive and modern color will add eye-appeal and make the atmosphere more inviting. Simple measures like putting attractive new appliances on the counters and changing wall-outlets and door knobs can create a new look for very little financial outlay. The next area of the home that should always be up-to-date is the bathroom. It is easy to change the vanity and sink. Many large hardware stores carry kits that can be quickly installed. The walls should be painted with a flattering color and accessories replaced with newer versions. Shower curtains can be replaced, as well as towels and soap dishes. Putting in new flooring will add a modern look. The bathtub can receive a new coating and may not need to be replaced. These seemingly small improvements will have a huge impact on the home.

No Comments » Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Countertop Overlay, Tips/Advice, remodeling

Best and Worst Renovation Investments

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

Renovation

Many homeowners want to add value to their homes and aren’t sure of what makes for the best renovation investments. Whether you want to enjoy the renovations in the here and now or just get them done to make the house more marketable or valuable, you can invest in options that will benefit you. It’s important to consider what your budget is, what you want out of the renovation, and how sound of an investment it is sure to be for you now and in the future. Knowing which home renovations actually add appeal and value is the best way to maximize the value of your property.

Top Renovation Investments

One of the best renovation investments you can make is in updating flooring. Floors account for some of the largest and most visible square footage in a home, and are one of the first to be noticed, especially if they are in disrepair.

Hardwood floors make for a good sound investment as they add value to the home. Not only do you have plenty of choices with the type of wood that you use, but also the color and the texture. You should start by determining where in your home you want the hardwood floors to be as this can really help you to determine what makes for a good investment or not. Utilizing hardwood floors in a high traffic area of your home can always pay off. If you are going to invest in hardwood floors in a small or remote area, that may not be your wisest investment possible. There is no one typical cost for hardwood floor installation that works for everyone, as many factors affect the price, but it is definitely worth exploring, even if you only do one or two rooms for accent.

If perhaps the cost of hardwood floors is more than you can invest, then you may want to look at installing new carpeting. Carpeting is inexpensive and yet it can add a whole new depth to a room in need of some renovation. If you combine new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint you will get the illusion of a whole new room. This doesn’t cost much and therefore can work tremendously well as an investment. You can enjoy it while you live there and it will make your home far more marketable when it’s time to sell.

Another wise investment is to renovate a kitchen. This is where many families spend the bulk of their time and it therefore works out to be a centerpiece of the home. Adding new countertops, new cabinets, and even purchasing new appliances can really make your kitchen an amazing focal point! You may even find that the cost of hard wood floor installation is worth investing in for the kitchen directly as it offers a whole new look and makes for a lucrative investment.

Renovations That Just Don’t Pay

Many a homeowner has tried to renovate other areas of the home that don’t add up in the end.

For example, unless you plan on spending much time in your home then finishing a basement doesn’t often balance out in the end. There is a good chance that you will have to put up drywall, add flooring, paint, add carpeting, and fix anything that is out of place. By the time you try to turn this unlivable area into a true living space you have spent a lot of money—the bad news is that you often won’t recuperate that cost in a sale. This is something you do for your comfort and use, but not as a way to add value to the home.

Another unwise investment when it comes to home renovations is the bedroom. The reason for this is that people tend to make this a personal choice and add their own flair to it. Whether it’s creating a perfect living space for a child or trying to add their own finesse to their current bedroom, in the end the money spent doesn’t equal out to the money you will get out of it.

One other renovations expense you really have to weigh is bathroom renovation. Unless you are a plumber this type of renovation can be difficult. Not only that but the sort of things that you do to spruce up a bathroom often results in a full tear down and rebuild. Unless you have the money to do this and don’t mind losing out a bit in the end, then this never usually turns into a wise investment.

There are plenty of ways to add value to your home, but it’s important to be sure that you are focusing on the right ones. Go for neutral color choices and universal fixes or renovations that are sure to be appreciated by everyone. Think about what will add value to the home and get you the most out of your investment.

No Comments » Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Design, home improvement, remodeling

Renovation Boom: Aging-in-Place and Universal Design

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Renovation Boom: Aging-in-Place and Universal Design

view from inside

There are close to 80 million baby boomers in the United States alone. The effect of baby boomers on many fronts is widespread due to their vast numbers, and the housing renovation industry will feel those effects over the next 20 years. At 80%, Americans over the age of 55 have the highest home ownership rate of any age group in the country.

In a March 2011 report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University entitled, “Housing Turnover by Older Owners: Implications for Home Improvement Spending as Baby Boomers Age into Retirement” (PDF), authors George Masnick, Abbe Will, and Kermit Baker write:

“As baby boomers relocate or downsize in retirement…they will release a very large amount of housing onto the market. Older homeowners (age 55+) accounted for about one third of housing turnover in the U.S. between 1997 and 2007, and this share will increase as the large baby boom generation continues to age into their retirement years.”

The study behind the report indicates that this housing turnover will increase renovation business in two ways. First, by baby boomers upgrading and repairing their homes pre-sale to increase marketability, and also by the post-sale remodeling by the younger homebuyers.

Though many people over the age of 55 will choose to sell their homes, an even greater number will decide to stay put. The results of “Fixing to Stay: A National Survey on Housing and Home Modification Issues,” released by AARP, indicate that 82% of respondents aged 45 and over would prefer not to move from their current homes. The desire to retain independence rather than seek other accommodations, such as assisted living facilities, is part of the “aging-in-place” movement.

“There’s been a growing demand for remodeling as a means to enhance Americans’ independence as they choose to remain in their homes into their retirement years,” says Leon Harper, AARP’s representative on a task force that is developing the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) program. CAPS is a collaborative effort between AARP, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and 50+ Housing Council.

According to the CAPS task force, 75% of remodelers have seen an increase in requests for aging-in-place renovations, and the aging population is the second most pressing issue to affect the remodeling industry over the next five years. “Remodelers can’t afford to ignore the aging-in-place market,” says Dan Bawden, a remodeling contractor from Houston who heads the CAPS task force.

The aging-in-place concept is growing, as is the concept of “universal design.” The two go hand-in-hand, in fact. The concept of universal design was developed by Ronald Mace, founder of The Center for Universal Design in Raleigh, NC. Mace defined the term as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”

With this in mind, tenets of the universal design concept will be beneficial to remodelers. Homeowners will want to update and reconfigure their houses for more comfortable living, as well as accommodate any special needs due to age or health concerns.

Specific suggestions include:

Lighting – Use bright lighting under kitchen cabinets to reduce eye strain, and in other areas of the house to prevent falls.

Handles - Install handles on cabinets and faucets that are easier to grasp, or use faucets with motion sensors. Lever-style door handles are also easier to grasp than traditional door knobs. Push-button controls on appliances are more comfortable to use than tiny knobs and dials.

Flooring – Floors should be slip-resistant. Natural materials are softer, and therefore cause less fatigue for someone to stand on for long periods of time. Carpet fibers should be short to prevent falls. Entrances should have low or no thresholds.

Stairs – Reduce or eliminate the number of stairs, and install strong guard rails. Keep stairways well lit and use contrasting colors from surrounding areas.

Countertops – Place countertops and vanities at a comfortable height — 36″ is recommended. Countertops that are adjustable offer more flexibility. Keep other frequently used items within safe reach, too. Sinks should be shallow, cabinet shelves should pull down, and drawers should slide out. Avoid sharp corners and edges on counters and other furniture.

Bathroom – Install grab bars and slip prevention in showers and bathtubs, as well as a grab bar near toilets. Shower and bath chairs can add comfort. Walk-in showers and bathtubs can be very helpful.

Emergency – Phones in the bathroom and smoke detectors that utilize lights as well as sound are also smart safety concerns.

Rachelle Matherne is a professional journalist for firstSTREET Online, a leading provider of innovative retirement gifts. From the Portable Electric Typewriter to the WOW! Computer for Seniors, firstSTREET has unique products to help seniors enjoy retirement, live independently, and even stay connected in a digital world

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wegmania/2338278232/

No Comments » Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Design, home improvement, remodeling

Renovations That Move Homes

Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Kitchen

With a down market, recouping the money spent on a home can be difficult; however, knowing where to spend on renovations can give you the ability to not only move your home faster, but recoup any money spent on the home. For instance spending on a new roof won’t up the value of your home, since most buyers expect the roof to be in good shape. The key is focus on the things that are important to buyers without running up the price tag.

So what areas do you focus on?

Curb Appeal

Start with the outside; if most potential buyers don’t like how your home looks on the outside, it is highly unlikely they will take the time to venture indoors. According to BankRate.com, a good first impression can add anywhere from five to ten percent to the value of your home.

Prominent improvements can be:

  • Painting a faded home is a great start, but remember to match the colors with the home. Pea green may have been popular in the 1970s, but may have a negative effect on today’s homebuyers.
  • Cracked walkways and driveways should be repaired since they lead directly to your home and are seen by anyone walking up to it.
  • Landscaping can be a fun way of adding value. It gives you a chance to get out in your yard and create a beautiful arrangement of flowers, shrubbery, as well as outdoor furniture that can be taken to your new home.

Open Your Floor Plan

In the past decade, the trend has been large open spaces, as opposed to dark and cramped. Opening your floor plan is a huge value booster. Open floor plans usually are composed of combining your kitchen, living, and dining areas all in one. Removing a wall to provide an open area can causes even smaller houses to feel larger and open.

While this is a more costly renovation, it adds value to your home and entices younger families.

Bathrooms

The national average of recouped cost is more than 100 percent for bathrooms, which means new floors, fixtures, and lights really pay off. When it comes to flooring, buyers still prefer ceramic tiles since they handle water better than wood and linoleum. Ceramics can be expensive, so if your current tiles are in good shape, a solid cleaning or hiring a floor refinisher to recolor your tiles is a great option.

Kitchen Renovation

Perhaps the most important area when preparing your home to be sold is the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the home and is the number one way to add value to your home. Updating your kitchen can be a fun process as well. Many buyers are drawn toward granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and plenty of cabinet space. A shiny new sink and faucets can be a plus as well.

While updating the kitchen can be expensive, the Reliable Remodeler says the average home remodel returns 80 to 100 percent of renovations.

Updating your home can be a chore, but sitting on your home waiting for it to be sold is even worse. Many home upgrades can be done through buying a few DIY books, while larger renovations can be done through hiring subcontractors. When it’s all said and done, an updated home not only sells faster, but can fetch a higher price than a competing home.

Matt Polsky is the Senior Content Manager for VA Mortgage Center.com, the nation’s leading provider of VA home loans. Connect with Matt on Twitter @mattpolsky

Photo thanks to Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale under a creative commons license from Flickr.

No Comments » Tags: , , , ,
Posted in home improvement, remodeling

Modernize Your Bathroom On A Budget

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

modern double sink vanity

Many modern homeowners find themselves faced with a problem. They want a modern bathroom renovation, but need to stay on a strict budget. Is there a way to achieve one without sacrificing the other? Certainly. Here’s is a foolproof plan to get you started.

Choose only 1 item to spend the most money on. For many people, when they think of a modern bathroom, they see a glass enclosed shower stall, a separate soaking tub, a beautiful vanity—I could go on and on. Don’t worry, for the sake of time and your sanity—I won’t.

To tear out and replace all of these fixtures to create this look, for most, is way out of their budget’s reach. If what you are starting with is a smaller, simpler bathroom that won’t allow for all of these changes, choose one item to drop the most money on. Take a mental inventory of what you like and what you can’t stand in your current bathroom. If your vanity saw better days in the 1960’s, then this would be a good place to start. If your shower enclosure used to be ivory and now appears yellowed—then here is another option to change. Remember, you can decorate around this one item to modernize the entire look of your bathroom. After you’ve decided on what’s got to go—go shopping. To stick with a modern bent, you’ll want to find something with clean lines and simple design.  Give yourself a lot of options. This is the one big ticket item you’ll be using—so make your choice count!

modern single sink vanity

Modernize the rest of your fixtures to match. If your vanity was the piece that went, start modernizing the rest of your room around it. Simple and inexpensive switches abound here. A good place to start is with a fresh coat of paint. A new color or often–just another coat—can really breathe a new feeling to a space. Next, you’ll want to check into getting new hardware to match that of your vanity. You’ll find a wide variety of towel bars, door handles, or light fixtures, for example, at any Home Depot or Lowes. In addition, try changing out your old medicine cabinet for a funky new mirror. Most modern bathroom vanities allow for a good amount of storage. Utilizing this space will allow you to add a great accent right above your vanity—making it even more the central focal point of your bathroom!

Should you have decided that the shower was the piece to be updated, no worries here either! You can always update your vanity by sanding it down and adding a new finish to it. This is labor intensive, but certainly worth the effort. Another option would be to paint it. If you’re going for a clean, white look, try sanding your vanity down and adding a bright white coat of paint. You’ll find it may appear that you did get a new vanity altogether! (Remember to use a paint that is suitable for bathroom conditions—nothing looks worse than chipped or peeling surface.) Fixtures can still be replaced but now can include the vanity faucets as well.  In addition, if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even change out the tile!

modern vessel sink vanity

There are tons of ways you can update the look of your bathroom without breaking your budget. Start first with choosing one expensive item to replace. Once you’ve got that installed, pull together the inexpensive items to complete the transformation. You’ll be happy with the cost and the completed project! Good luck!

Hillary Hansen is a featured author for the site www.UniqueVanities.com, where you can find a large selection of beautiful modern vanities for every style, size, and budget!

No Comments » Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bath Transformations, Services, home improvement

8 Overrated Home Improvement Options

Thursday, July 29th, 2010
For many of us this pull-out-your-hair frustrating recession has caused many of us to scrap our grandiose plans for home remodeling. Luxuries regularly seen in homes in booming 1990’s probably wouldn’t get the same positive bat-of-the-eyelash in today’s economic climate. Melinda Fulmer, a columnist for MSN Real Estate, talked about eight home projects that are overrated and that, she predicts, will soon be on their way out entirely. Some of these fading renovation choices might be sitting in your home as we speak. If that’s the case, don’t sweat it – they’re already there and you probably love them, but for those of you thinking of installing one of these soon-to-be home remodeling  pariahs you might want to think twice.
Starting off with the overrated home addition closest to our hearts: countertop material selection! Fulmer says marble countertops, and similarly porous surfaces such as limestone and heavy poured concrete, “requires more pampering and attention than a spoiled princess” as it is susceptible to getting burnt by hot pans and to stain far too easily. She recommends granite countertops and man-made quartz composites as better long-term countertop selections.
I’ll lump these two together as they both deal with the art of lounging in hot water in the comforts of your own home. Both whirlpool bathtubs and hot tubs make the eight-item long list. Fulmer suggests that in this day and age more people are opting for the more functional and less involved walk-in shower. The time commitment of filling a tub, taking a bath, and then draining and cleaning it has proven to be a less then desirable post-work activity. Hot tubs, on the other hand, are a generally more attractive and inviting option to soaking the body than a bathroom-bound tub. The problem is, hot tubs require a large amount of power and when a technical problem arises the cost for repair can sometimes be massive. Hot tubs, while luxurious, can sometimes prove to be never-ending sources of financial drain (but they sure are relaxing.)
If you own this next home addition faux pas and worry that you don’t use it enough, don’t worry – you’re in the majority. About 90% of people, according to Stewart Davis, the design director of CG&S Design Build in Austin, who have had a deck installed as an offshoot of the master bedroom never use it. That’s right – never use it! That claim seems to have some validity, because it’s hard to imagine your coffee maker sitting bedside and it would be one moseying morning to go downstairs, fill up a mug, stroll back upstairs and enjoy the deck views. It’s an overthought luxury much of the time.
Speaking of additions to the home, far too often people add additional rooms when a space already present can be suitably converted. Attics, basements, old children’s bedrooms or offices, can all be converted into dens, game rooms, bars, offices, and guest rooms. Allow for some
creative juices to flow before you plop down a colossal chunk of change on a new room to augment your home.
This one might seem aggressively obvious to us today, but to tell a home theater owner in the 1990’s that he will one day be able to replicate the experience almost entirely while spending less than half the price of home theater installation he might call us crazy. Well, it’s true. For a home theater to be installed, an investment that can cost $20,000 or more when the seating, screen, projector, and lighting has been figured out, you’ll really have to want to have a single function room in your home. Nowadays you can purchase a 50” high definition television, a BluRay player, crisp digital surround sound, and comfortable couches and chairs all for the fraction of the cost of going the grandiose route and installing the whole shebang. It makes the resale value a tricky proposition as well, as you probably can’t command what it cost.
Fulmer talks of the many ills of over-complicated home automation. Sure, we’d all love to own a house like Bill Gates’ where we can change the colors of the walls and let a room know which occupant is currently, well, occupying it, but keeping things simple is a respected (and inexpensive) virtue. If you’ve ever visited a home with centralized controls for heating, air, audio, lighting, appliances, and home security systems, you can bet the cost of roping them all together in such a technologically bumbling way came at an astounding premium.
Finally, we return to a comfort zone for us here at GT: the kitchen. In an American quest for kitchen remodeling with classically European accents of ornate and detailed kitchen fixtures, the pleasure does not always match the price. As everyone’s favorite (mine at least) home improvement personality Bob Vila pointed out “People will go into hock finding themselves surrounded by $150,000 of polished granite and fancy French or English cabinetry. They’ll wind up saying, ‘I’m still paying on that and what the hell pleasure am I getting out of it?’ Going overboard with any aspect of home remodeling can be a mistake.” We couldn’t agree more Bob. Quality, cost-effective kitchen and bath remodeling is our M.O. here at Granite Transformations and we hope you check us out before succumbing to one of these also-ran home improvement choices.

For many of us this pull-out-your-hair frustrating recession has caused many of us to scrap our grandiose plans for home remodeling. Luxuries regularly seen in homes in booming 1990’s probably wouldn’t get the same positive bat-of-the-eyelash in today’s economic climate. Melinda Fulmer, a columnist for MSN Real Estate, talked about eight home projects that are overrated and that, she predicts, will soon be on their way out entirely. Some of these fading renovation choices might be sitting in your home as we speak. If that’s the case, don’t sweat it – they’re already there and you probably love them, but for those of you thinking of installing one of these soon-to-be home remodeling  pariahs you might want to think twice.

Some people just keep adding, and adding, and adding...

Some people just keep adding, and adding, and adding...

(more…)

3 Comments » Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Fun Facts, Tips/Advice