Recent Articles
Home Improvement Projects That Will Not Give You ROI
Mar 30, 2010 Home Improvement Leave a comment
We all want our homes to look great, or better said – we want to be the envy of the neighborhood. Updating and remodeling your home is a good thing but you should take into consideration the type of project that will give you a return on your money, when it is time to sell. Aren’t all home improvements good? – You may ask. Not necessarily. Sometimes it goes beyond the type of room you are improving; sometimes it comes down to material and trends.
So how do you know which projects will be good to tackle? Usually the most used rooms are the ones that will give you a better return when improved. Rooms such as kitchen and bathrooms. While updating that old and dingy kitchen will benefit your pocket when it is time to sell, adding a second kitchen will not. Moreover, a second kitchen on a single family home will discourage some buyers. Unless you are adding a kitchenette to the basement which you are converting into an entertaining room with bar and amenities, a second kitchen will scare buyers away. And even that converted basement is not a priority on rooms that will give you the best return. That basement will become a bonus. Read More..
Keeping a Home Improvement Diary
Mar 7, 2010 Home Improvement Leave a comment
When you own a home, the projects to maintain and improve its appearance are endless. Weekends turn into trips to the home improvement store. The satisfaction after a project well done fuels your desire to start the next project. There is always something to be done, even if you bought a brand new construction. Once the project is finished, all that planning and measuring, type of materials, and any research that you did, gets lost. That information may result valuable later, so why not keep it?
By keeping a home improvement diary, you can log important information on your projects. This diary can take the shape of a written journal, recorded video, PC journal, and step-by-step photographs of the project. You can also do a combination of all.
You can use a binder, a journal, a scrapbook type, an album, a photo box, or anything that you can think of. The important issue here is that you are able to organize it and can find the information easily when you need it. Read More..
Benefits of a Pellet or Wood Stove
Feb 22, 2010 Home Improvement Leave a comment
The increasing cost of energy and heat is draining our pockets. We may feel the pinch more in these tough economic times. Looking for alternatives to save money is necessary to keep our quality of life. If you are facing high electric, oil, or gas bills maybe it is time to look at other ways to heat your home. You may consider a pellet stove or a wood stove. Either of those will save you a considerable amount of money during the year.
Although they may look similar in appearance, these stoves work very differently. They both save you money, are easy to operate, and give you good heat during the winter season. They are both economical to use. In addition, they give a cozy atmosphere to your home.
A wood stove is installed with your chimney or an exhaust tube that will vent outside. It requires wood to be burned to produce heat. The wood must be seasoned (dry with no moisture in it) and you can either buy the wood in cords or chop it yourself. A benefit to you is that you can find wood available free, so the cost will be $0.00. A cord of wood will cost you about $175 and in a normal season, you will use about 3 or 4 cords of wood that is for the entire year. So even when you buy the wood it beats the price of heating gas or oil. Read More..
What to Do After You Buy a House
Jan 9, 2010 Home Improvement Leave a comment
After months of searching for a house to buy, you found it, made and offer, which was accepted, got into escrow, went to the closing table and became the proud owner. Now what?
If the home that you bought needs some home improvements, there are some things that you can do before moving in. If you need to move in right away, follow these easy tips.
Before unpacking, take a note pad and go around the home to look for things that may need improvement or fixing. Categorize these in three columns: To fix right away, intermediate – can wait, and will become a future project.
Now that you know what you have to take care of right away, you can unpack, but try to leave room around the areas that you are going to work in right away. Since the rest of the items in the other two columns can wait, you can unpack on those areas. Stuff will be moved when it is time to fix those. The items in the first column are your priority.
Take each item that needs fixing and create a budget for it. Look at alternatives to save money, and for new and different ways to approach the project. Look for discounts and free resources too. Read More..
Making the Best of Your Small Space
Dec 11, 2009 Interior Design Tips Leave a comment
Just because you live in a small cottage or a small place does not mean that your space cannot be comfortable and relaxing. Many homes with tons of square footage are furnished in a way that they lack comfort or feel crowded. When looking to make the best of your small space, look beyond square footage. Instead, look at type of furnishings, room purpose, furniture placement and use, and of course, practicality. Considering this will help you in making your cottage a comfortable retreat.
If your small place is furnished, you may have to think of getting rid of furniture that does not serve the purpose of is not practical for the space. Sell it, donate it, or give it away. Look at the different rooms and ask yourself if they serve the purpose according to your lifestyle. For example, if you never have any staying- over guests ( and think that this will not change much in the future) but you work at home a lot, then get rid of the guest bedroom and convert it into an office. Buy a small size sofa bed that you can convert into a bed if the need arises.
Look at every piece of furniture and ask yourself if you really use it, or need it. In this process, you will have to pare down some things and declutter your home. Most important, you will have to get rid of any doubles. By doing this, you will find that you do not need some pieces of furniture that were just storing extra stuff. Get rid of any piece of furniture that has become an extra, and pieces that are too big or clunky, for the space. Read More..
How to Hang Window Blinds
Oct 20, 2009 Interior Design Tips Leave a comment
If you’ve decided to go with window blinds over buying curtains, there’s a few simple steps to consider on how to hang them. When deciding on where to put your roman blinds, it depends entirely on the window itself. If the window opens inward, your only choice is to put the blinds on the outside of the frame. If the depth of the window frame is sufficient – you can put the blinds on the inside of the frame or in the window recess. Another consideration is the window shape and whether the window is even square – if it is not, then placing the blinds on the outside is best.
How to Measure for Blinds
- For outside the window recess, you can choose to put the blind on the window frame itself, or to
measure approximately 5-10 cm on both sides of the recess and 5-10 cm above and below. - If measuring within the window recess, measure the width and drop of the area. Make sure to choose three different spots along the width of the window – and choose the narrowest measurement to ensure the blind can move up and down without hitting the sides.
When choosing blind or curtain material, consider your current decor. While polyester blends tend to be crease resistant, cotton, linen and even silk make excellent drapery choices. But keep in mind that silk, while gorgeous and decadent, is easy prey to sun and water damage.
