Whether we want to admit it or not, most of us are in a friendly competition with our neighbors – whether it’s to have the greenest lawn, the biggest deck, or the newest addition to a home. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition – especially when the additions that you make to your home could increase its appeal and market value.
Despite the state of the economy in the past few years, home improvement spending is on the rise. As of 2011, money spent on remodeling increased by 9.2% to $125.1 billion – up from $114.6 billion in 2010, according to data from the Joint Center for Housing Studies from Harvard University.
So where is your money best spent when it comes to home renovations? Check out these top three must-have home improvements that will make your neighbors jealous:
1. Wooden Deck
According to Remodeling Magazine, adding a wooden deck to your house will yield a return of roughly 80% of the cost of the project when and if you sell your home. Basically, this home improvement is a smart investment when it comes to making a convenient addition to your home.
Not only will you use a deck often in warmer weather, but it will up the resale value of your house so that you earn more money years after the project is finished. For most people, a deck provides an attractive addition because it creates the illusion of more space in a small to medium-sized home.
2. Home Security System
Choosing from one of the many alarm systems on the market is a sound upgrade to make to your home. First and foremost, it will protect your family and ensure all of your valuables are kept safe when you are out of the house or on vacation.
For most people, a home security system is the best investment that they can make because it guarantees peace of mind both inside and outside of the home. And, once again, installing a state-of-the-art home security system will increase the value of your home and up the market price if you choose to sell in the future.
3. Interior Décor
If your home is in desperate need of a facelift, or if you’re in a pinch to sell your home quickly, hiring a professional decorator for the task is a wise investment to make. When you hire a professional decorator, you will pay one flat fee. This means that you won’t have to take on the task of decorating your home yourself and attempting to buy all of the coordinating furniture, knickknacks, pictures, and other accessories to fill a room.
A professional decorator could cost anywhere from $35-$500 per hour and will quickly remedy any aesthetic issues that may prevent your home from being sold quickly. If your home isn’t on the market, the touch of a professional decorator may be all you need to stylishly upgrade your home and enjoy it for years to come.
Improvements to your home can do more than add value to it; it can add to your overall quality of life. A new wooden deck might be the feature you need to help you relax after a long day. A home security system will solve that anxiety you’ve been feeling when you travel. New decorations around the house will make it feel “new” again. Most importantly, these home improvements are sure to get the neighbors talking.
Many homeowners who have an older bathroom desire something more modern and appealing; however, a complete renovation may not be practical or affordable. Installing new tile in a bathroom is a project that most homeowners can do themselves and it does not have to be as costly as they may think.
Installing New Bathroom Tile
The most time consuming part of the project must be tackled first, which is the removal of the bathroom fixtures, large and small. This includes the shower stall, vanity, light fixtures, sink and commode. Upon removal of the shower stall, it may be necessary to repair the wall after installing the new shower base. This should be accomplished through the use of water resistant sheet rock. The new shower base should then be installed and the plumbing reconnected.
Preparing the Sub Floor
Removing the existing floor covering is the next step. Depending on the type of floor being removed, it may be necessary to install cement board over the old sub floor, and its surface must be clean before beginning the installation of the new floor. Cement board can be installed over the old flooring, but if one chooses this route, he or she must keep in mind that this will raise the height of the floor by an inch or more, making it necessary to plane the bottom of the bathroom door.
Laying the New Tiles
It is necessary to mark the starting point prior to laying the new tiles, which should be made with a pencil precisely in the middle of the room. Next, one must use a trowel to spread a generous layer of glue on the sub floor. As a general rule, the area covered with glue should be equal in size to the amount one can tile in a half hour or less. This ensures that the glue will not dry out before the tiles are put in place. Grooves should be made in the glue by holding the notched side of the trowel toward the outside of the area where the glue was placed.
One should begin by positioning the first two tiles, which should be installed on either side of the pencil mark. A spacer tile down should then be positioned in the corner where the first two tiles meet, and the tiles should be pressed together firmly in the direction of the spacer and towards the floor at the same time. Completing this step correctly is essential, as this will determine how snugly the tiles fit together. An adequate amount of time should be allowed for this step, as it does little or no good to finish the task quickly, but end up with loose fitting tiles that look sloppy and unattractive. It is also imperative to start in the middle and work outwards to avoid becoming “tiled into a corner.”
When all of the tiles have been installed, the grout should be added. When the grouting has dried, the bathroom fixtures should be carefully reinstalled, and any excess glue or grout should be wiped up with a wet sponge. The tiles should be allowed to set for 48 hours, and the grout should be polished with a damp cloth or according to the directions on the container of sealant.
Tracey Roper is a content contributor for floorwarmers.co.uk, an electric underfloor heating company based in the UK
Last Updated on August 22, 2022
In recent years it has become increasingly popular for homeowners to remodel and design their homes to take on a more European style. This design is not only attractive and contemporary, but can look progressive and still be efficient. While there are some general European trends, this guide will also specify which ideas can give your room a more Italian, French or continental style. There will be some information on decor choices as well as some suggestions for simple remodeling tips to transform the home without an extensive budget. Your family should wake up everyday to exotic flavors in an exotic kitchen, and your home insurance should be protecting a kitchen that will make your guests and family alike feel like world travelers.
What is Mediterranean Style?
One of the most popular European kitchen designs is the Mediterranean look. This represents the areas that border the Mediterranean Sea, such as some Italian and Greek regions. As the climate in these regions is typically quite warm, there is an emphasis on outdoor seating areas, open kitchens and elements of nature. The color schemes greatly resemble that of the architecture in the area, with lots of blue and white tiles, ornate materials and a background of stark, clean whites. To incorporate this in your own kitchen, opt for white walls and a tiled backsplash in blue and white.
What is French Country Style?
This European style is not quite modern, but relies on more rustic, rural touches to look throughout French. The color scheme should not be limited to one or two colors, but include softer hues like blue, red and yellow. The decor is not upscale or ornate, but can include embellishments like carvings in the wooden cabinets or in the wooden chair-backs. For a quick way to transform your own kitchen into a French country home, add in some brightly colored cafe style curtains, mismatched china from a flea market and fresh floral bouquets. This French style can be elaborated upon for the whole house.
What is Tuscan Style?
This European kitchen style is part Mediterranean and part country, with airy spaces and colors that reflect the natural environment. Tuscan chefs are famous for using copper pots and pans, which add a unique color to the scheme. Consider the addition of an island to recreate a Tuscan style kitchen in your own home, along with large windows that look outside. Instead of modern appliances try to hide their facades with wooden veneers to give it a more natural look. Luckily a Tuscan kitchen does not need to look polished, and reclaimed woods or distressed secondhand furniture can look striking in a Tuscan style kitchen. Consider these simple tips for a Tuscan style that many will pay a fortune for.
Contemporary European Kitchens
While the Tuscan, French country and Mediterranean kitchens are all very popular styles, a more progressive and modern style is that of the contemporary European kitchen. This style is efficient and sleek, using high quality materials and awareness of space to create the perfect room for preparing, cooking and even eating foods. Kitchen islands are very popular, as long as space permits. In some kitchens the island takes on a curved appearance to better fit the given space. This gives the room an even more unique touch. While many modern American kitchens embrace lighter colors, the contemporary European kitchen might very well consist of darker materials paired with stainless steel appliances. Lighting underneath the cabinets still provides illumination so that the space does not feel too small or constricted.
How to Decide on a European Kitchen Style
Unless you are building a home from the ground up, it is important to pay attention the rest of the home’s style before deciding on a kitchen theme. A progressive, contemporary European kitchen with dark cabinets and a sleek island will look out of place in a rural barn, but a French country kitchen might be perfect. Stick to a cohesive look throughout the house whenever possible. Consider minor renovations like refinishing cabinets or purchasing new kitchen furniture rather than redesigning the entire space. Minor renovations like these can still drastically transform the look and feel of a space without taking months to complete and a large budget.
Whether you dream of creating a contemporary kitchen in your modern apartment or a Mediterranean feel in your open plan home with a view, one of these European kitchen styles is bound to be the perfect solution.
Author Bio: Donna M. is an interior designer and freelance writer. She enjoys offering her expertise to homeowners looking to go beyond the average designs below the average budget. She has also written articles about saving money in many other areas such as car insurance.
Last Updated on February 3, 2012
In the past, many people chose to move rather than remodel. Some love home improvement projects of any size, but even those who do not have been influenced by the weak housing market to alter the houses they have. Opening up spaces with too many walls, updating a dated bathroom or totally making over an ageing kitchen can make all the difference in the feel, personality and function of virtually any home. Many choose contemporary design, highlighted by contemporary interior design. A popular improvement made on homes acquired through property auction is updating the kitchen to contemporary styling.
There are many more old, tired, outdated kitchens than there needs to be. Neither does a kitchen have to be old to be outdated. Kitchen design is such a personal choice among those for whom it is important, builders are likely to provide only a “stock” kitchen that is not offensive either to those who favour contemporary design or those who prefer more traditional approaches.
This kitchen http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/styles/modern/renovations-before-after/#page=14 provides a dramatic example. The old kitchen was cramped and covered in an array of ceramic tile colours and styles that would lead the most charitable viewer to question what the homeowners were thinking. The newly remodelled contemporary kitchen bears no resemblance to its predecessor. It has a pale wood floor with slightly darker cabinets that sport a clean, crisp design. It employs the metals important in contemporary design with the stainless steel appliances. Pot lighting illuminates the workspace, as contemporary pendant lights suspended over the sink area provides both lighting and visual interest.
Here is an example of a kitchen in traditional style that certainly was not offensive but still was outdated before its transformation to a warm but contemporary space http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/styles/modern/renovations-before-after/#page=3. The homeowners replaced the white traditional cabinets with light, natural wood cabinets designed with sleek lines and no visible hardware. The new floor is a darker brown. Other than the green outside a wall of windows, the only colour in the kitchen is in the form of the dark red cushions gracing the counter – height chairs. Another difference in the before and after pictures highlights a primary point of contemporary interior design. That is to keep the space uncluttered and visually clean.
This kitchen is a perfect example of one that had no real problems prior to renovation, but is so much more pleasing in its new contemporary form http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/styles/modern/renovations-before-after/#page=6 . The sink is still under the window, and it appears that the footprint of the kitchen has not been altered. Beyond that, the new kitchen bears no resemblance to the one that existed before renovation. The new contemporary kitchen has sleek, light wood cabinets topped with darker granite countertops. All of the dark, heavy wall cabinets have been replaced with open shelves. Again, a primary goal is to have and maintain an uncluttered space, and the renovated kitchen attains that goal.
This picture is nothing short of stunning http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/styles/modern/renovations-before-after/#page=7. In this narrow kitchen, the only functional change was moving the range from one side to the other. All of the drama of the transformation arises from the sleek new cabinets, new floor, new sink and faucet, new countertops and matching stainless appliances. This kitchen keeps the overhead cabinets, but uses translucent doors to give an illusion of open shelves while avoiding the clutter factor that open shelves can create.
The word “contemporary” is not interchangeable with “modern,” though the words often are used that way. Modern is an architectural style, but contemporary design refers only to current materials, lighting, texture and colour. Contemporary interior design is that which is clean and uncluttered. In the kitchen, contemporary design often employs an array of metals, focal point lighting and neutral wall colours that highlight designed focal points.
My name is Nisha, I represent a site called Unmodernised.com. I love to write about fashion and design.
Last Updated on February 1, 2012
Whether you own an auto repair shop, detail cars as a hobby or simply want your garage to be an easier place to clean, I’ve found that applying a concrete floor coating can do wonders to the overall look of any garage. Once you have all the tools, the entire process is relatively simple.
Epoxy floor coating has a lot of advantages in a garage environment, especially as it resists oil stains and wipes clean very easily, similar to a kitchen counter. It can be especially handy in the winter months with the antiskid additives, which help when water has beaded up.
Just make sure that you choose a coating color that is appropriate for a garage—white will leave all kinds of scuff marks if you don’t plan on cleaning regularly. If you want to update your garage floor, here are the steps you will have to take:
Prepare your floor – In order to bond properly, your floor needs to be completely clean and porous. If you have potholes, you will need to patch them, and if your concrete is sealed, you will have to use a chemical stripper.
Etch the floor – When you purchase all your supplies (usually found in a kit), you will have some etching solution. Wet your garage area and use a bristle broom to etch the floor in small sections. After you are done (etching in both directions), use the hose again to rinse the garage clear again.
Mix the epoxy paint and begin painting – You will mix the hardener and the paint until they are completely blended, and then wait thirty minutes for the chemicals to react. After that, you have two hours to completely paint your garage. Be sure to use a roller for speed, but touch up the corners and seams with a brush.
Apply color flakes – Color flakes help hide any discoloration in your garage. When the paint is still wet, sprinkle the flakes over the top at the same time as you are painting. You might want to have someone help you with this.
Prepare and paint the top coat – Once you mix the top coat, you will again have to wait thirty minutes for the chemicals. Like the first concrete floor coating, you will have two hours to evenly distribute the top coat.
Once you have completed all these steps, you simply have to wait for everything to dry completely. Don’t drive a car on your new coating until you have waited 72 hours, but then enjoy the ease of a hard concrete floor coating in your garage space.
Last Updated on February 1, 2012
When you are selling your house, keep one thing in mind: Potential home buyers do not use a lot of imagination when house shopping. That is to say, if a potential buyer walks into a house that has dirty and stained carpet, they can be easily turned off and disinterested instead of realizing that changing carpet isn’t that expensive.
There are five features that can make or break a closing. If you are putting your house on the market, look at the following features in your home from the potential buyer’s point of view. If you think it looks old or unattractive, so will they and may very well dismiss an otherwise wonderful home.
1. Kitchen Cabinets & Counters
It used to be that the living room was the favorite room of the house. Nowadays, the kitchen is where the family gathers most frequently and spends the most time. The size of the kitchen doesn’t matter as much as the overall appearance. The cabinets are the first to be noticed. If they are old and outdated, it could be an instant “no, thank you,” from a buyer. An outdated counter is less noticeable but just be sure the cabinets match the counter in color. An updated kitchen is extremely important these days. If you put money into only one room in your house, let it be the kitchen.
2. Lawn
It is not necessary to completely overhaul your lawn for a new buyer. You don’t know what their plans may be. However, it is terribly important to tidy up the lawn as much as possible. If a potential buyers uses any imagination at all when looking at houses, it will be in the lawn and garden. This is an easy and enjoyable area to personalize. Just remember, if a front or back lawn is overgrown and full of dead bushes and weeds, a buyer will be instantly turned off. Simply remove all dead bushes and mow the grass. If necessary, pull up all the dead grass and leave the new buyer with a blank canvas, so to speak. It is better for a buyer to see a clean field of dirt instead of a yard deeply in need of cleaning.
3. Light Fixtures
In the same way that kitchen cabinets can instantly date a house, the light fixtures have the same influence. If the light fixtures in your home are basic and lack any definite style, you can possibly get away with neglecting this feature. However, if you have the extra time and several hundred dollars to invest, switching out old fixtures for sleek new fixtures will charm any buyer. It is not just the look of the fixture that is either attractive or unattractive. The amount of light and the color of light that the fixture gives the room has a sub conscience effect on how a person feels about the room.
4. Flooring
Treat your flooring as you would if you were staying in the house. If your carpet is dirty but fairly new, shampoo it and keep it vacuumed for viewings. If the carpet is in such bad condition that shampooing does not help its appearance, it must be replaced. The last thing a new home owner wants to do is shampoo carpet or lay down new flooring. Also, tile and wood floors always increase the value of a house and tend to be desired by most people.
5. Paint
There is no need to paint the walls a different color. Simply touch up the walls in the color they currently are painted in. That is, unless every room in your house is painted black or some other unusual and unpleasant color. In that case, wash over it all with a primer at least. In the case that the walls are a usual tone, just touch up the baseboards, doorframes, etc. The only reason a home seller should touch up their paint is to give each room a look of freshness and cleanliness so touch up wherever is necessary. Paint is the quickest and cheapest way to breathe new life into a room. Similar to light fixtures, freshly painted walls have a positive sub conscience effect on potential home buyers.
This real estate resource provided by <a href=”http://www.buildingsguide.com”>BuildingsGuide.com</a>, a leading online resource for steel buildings and homes, metal building kits, and pricing tools for the DIY home enthusiast.
When you are selling your house, keep one thing in mind: Potential home buyers do not use a lot of imagination when house shopping. That is to say, if a potential buyer walks into a house that has dirty and stained carpet, they can be easily turned off and disinterested instead of realizing that changing carpet isn’t that expensive.
There are five features that can make or break a closing. If you are putting your house on the market, look at the following features in your home from the potential buyer’s point of view. If you think it looks old or unattractive, so will they and may very well dismiss an otherwise wonderful home.
1. Kitchen Cabinets & Counters
It used to be that the living room was the favorite room of the house. Nowadays, the kitchen is where the family gathers most frequently and spends the most time. The size of the kitchen doesn’t matter as much as the overall appearance. The cabinets are the first to be noticed. If they are old and outdated, it could be an instant “no, thank you,” from a buyer. An outdated counter is less noticeable but just be sure the cabinets match the counter in color. An updated kitchen is extremely important these days. If you put money into only one room in your house, let it be the kitchen.
2. Lawn
It is not necessary to completely overhaul your lawn for a new buyer. You don’t know what their plans may be. However, it is terribly important to tidy up the lawn as much as possible. If a potential buyers uses any imagination at all when looking at houses, it will be in the lawn and garden. This is an easy and enjoyable area to personalize. Just remember, if a front or back lawn is overgrown and full of dead bushes and weeds, a buyer will be instantly turned off. Simply remove all dead bushes and mow the grass. If necessary, pull up all the dead grass and leave the new buyer with a blank canvas, so to speak. It is better for a buyer to see a clean field of dirt instead of a yard deeply in need of cleaning.
3. Light Fixtures
In the same way that kitchen cabinets can instantly date a house, the light fixtures have the same influence. If the light fixtures in your home are basic and lack any definite style, you can possibly get away with neglecting this feature. However, if you have the extra time and several hundred dollars to invest, switching out old fixtures for sleek new fixtures will charm any buyer. It is not just the look of the fixture that is either attractive or unattractive. The amount of light and the color of light that the fixture gives the room has a sub conscience effect on how a person feels about the room.
4. Flooring
Treat your flooring as you would if you were staying in the house. If your carpet is dirty but fairly new, shampoo it and keep it vacuumed for viewings. If the carpet is in such bad condition that shampooing does not help its appearance, it must be replaced. The last thing a new home owner wants to do is shampoo carpet or lay down new flooring. Also, tile and wood floors always increase the value of a house and tend to be desired by most people.
5. Paint
There is no need to paint the walls a different color. Simply touch up the walls in the color they currently are painted in. That is, unless every room in your house is painted black or some other unusual and unpleasant color. In that case, wash over it all with a primer at least. In the case that the walls are a usual tone, just touch up the baseboards, doorframes, etc. The only reason a home seller should touch up their paint is to give each room a look of freshness and cleanliness so touch up wherever is necessary. Paint is the quickest and cheapest way to breathe new life into a room. Similar to light fixtures, freshly painted walls have a positive sub conscience effect on potential home buyers.
Last Updated on February 1, 2012
No matter if the business you run or manage is major or small, office design is essential to its success. It is vital to be trendy, current and modern when it comes to the atmosphere projected by your business HQ, for all your potential business partners and customers will look at it as a manifestation of your work, ethic and strategy. Therefore, if you’re considering an office space design overhaul, you’d better know where to start. Doing things randomly will only likely create a bigger mess than what’s going on right now—and that is definitely not the kind of look you are going for! As such, we’ve highlighted three areas which are apt to give you trouble when it comes to design and redesign. Read on, then implement at will.
Doors
Next time you rent office space, do not forget to check the state and quality of the doors, their locks and hinges. If they creak, fail to close properly or are in any way damaged, definitely take the issue up with the owner or broker. Down the line, poorly functioning doors will cause you lots of nuisances. If your office space is small, but the nature of your employees’ work allows for it, consider taking out all the doors and creating one large open space. Alternatively, you might decide to have screens put in, to delineate spaces with various functions, or install sliding doors, which take up substantially less space.
Storage Space
Messy offices are not only ungainly to look at, but they often create inefficient employees, who are having a hard time focusing on their tasks at hand because of the clutter. What can one do in order to avoid this issue? Invest in good storage solutions. Figure out if your current space configuration would allow you to set up a storage room, no matter how small. If not, invest in good cabinets for each employee, or at least for the ones who appear to be drowning in paper work at the moment. Make sure each cabinet can be locked. It is also a good idea to purchase filing cabinets on wheels, since they are much more efficient when cleaning, or for the case in which you might decide you want to change the office’s current layout.
Window Coverings
Windows are essential in design, since they basically set the mood for the entire room. Windows in offices are all the more important, since your staff needs to be exposed to natural light as much as possible. Consequently, take a look at your current window coverings and figure out if they truly are the best solution for your offices. If your HQ is in an elegant, old-style villa, chances are your windows are fitted with shutters in massive wood, which you can’t quite replace in the bat of an eye. However, you can light up the room by getting rid of classical, massive, dust-ridden curtains. Replace them with lighter, airier fabric panels or curtains made in lighter materials. Vertical curtains and aluminum blinds are rather passé in terms of design—so if yours have been around for ten years plus, perhaps the time has come for you to bid them farewell.
