There are home upgrades which will add value to your house when you do decide to sell it. However, there are certain upgrades which might not make your house more valuable come selling time. Here are some of these upgrades. If you can do without them, then I suggest forgetting it.
Home Office
Let’s face it, not everyone needs a home office. It is nice to have one, though. However, come selling time, you might regret converting a bedroom to a home office. This means that there is one less bedroom to sell, and while the potential buyers can convert it back to a bedroom, they probably won’t want that job.
Colorful marble counters
You might be taken over by a colorful fit – one which “forces” you to spruce up the house with lots of bright color. Paint walls if you must, but when it comes to counter tops, avoid colorful marble or granite counters. These are not cheap to change, and what are the chances that potential buyers would love to have a bright green counter top?
Wall to wall carpets
Not everyone is into carpeting. For one, it is such a head ache to maintain. More so, you will probably have a stain here and there after years of living in the house. Come selling time, your wall to wall carpeting job might prove to be more of a liability than an asset.
The bottom line is this: upgrade your house the way you want to if you – it’s you who will enjoy the upgrades. However, if you are upgrading with the aim of selling later on, then think hard and carefully about the changes you make.
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In my early teens Popular Mechanics and I had a short lived romance. I was exiting boy scouts and was enthralled with all things science and guru related. This article would have really been a favorite of mine then, and well it really hits home today.
25 Tips Every Man Should Know. included in this list is one of my favorite DIY activities which is Painting A Room
17. Paint a Room
Good paint jobs start before the first can of paint is opened.
Prepare the room by removing all hardware (door latchsets, receptacle and switch plates). Don’t just fill small holes in the plaster or drywall; enlarge them first so the compound can be pushed in place, and wet the hole to slow drying. Sand rough spots, wash dirty areas, then prime.
Paint the ceiling, then the walls. Use a 212-in. brush to cut in the finish color at all corners and against the trim. Switch to a roller, apply paint in a W pattern and fill it in. After you dip the roller in the paint tray, 70 percent of the paint comes off on the first downstroke; avoid splatters by starting at least 9 in. from the corner. Apply two coats.
Growing up I didn’t realize the things I was doing would later be neccesary skills in everyday life but it’s true. That’s what makes this a great article. I can imagine not everyone has a handy Dad to show them how to do all these things.
Finish by painting the woodwork and trim with a gloss or semigloss paint. It’s safest to mask off the walls beforehand, although pros often skip this step. If you do mask, use a tape designed for the purpose so the adhesive doesn’t pull the paint from the wall. Once the final coat dries, reinstall hardware.
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I was watching TV late at night one evening when on came a guy who was trying to order doors over the internet. The company wouldn’t sell to him at a wholesale price. So what was the guy to do but setup a website,get a new phone #, and claim to be a company looking to order the very same doors. And guess what? He got those doors at a much discounted rate and ended up saving a whole lot. Even with the time spent building a website.
So if you are looking to save a few bucks setup a website, and start making calls I bet ya you can get a discounted/wholesale rate and save a bundle on improving your house.
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It’s winter and slippery when wet signs bear more impact than any other time of the year. I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me that you’ve slipped more than once in your garage, although what you would be doing in your garage at this time of the year, I cannot imagine. As you might realize, I would rather be bundled up inside, warm and toasty.
Anyhow, if you have a slippery garage floor, here is what you can do to make it safer for everyone.
The basic idea is to add friction. Every engineer will tell you that friction is the solution for slippery surfaces, and a smooth concrete garage floor with some slush (probably from your car) cannot be any more slippery.
One thing that you can do is to get lots of non-slip tape from the hardware store. 3M is a tried and tested brand – get Safety-Walk. They have various degrees of coarseness, depending on what you need. For maximum grip, get the coarsest kind. The good thing about this tape is that you can put it practically anywhere. If your floor is not concrete (read: the porous kind), then you should buy primer first before applying the tape.
Of course, just because you have this tape does not mean that you should not clean up the surface of your garage floor. One major reason people slip is not only because of a friction-less surface – it’s because there are a lot of other things in the way. Your best bet is to make sure that your work area is clean and free of clutter!
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Here’s another post inspired by a slideshow I saw at MSN. This time, it’s about one of the most important rooms in the house: the bathroom. I don’t know about you, but I consider the bathroom to be very very important. It should be a place where you can relax and pamper yourself no matter what. According to experts, homeowners are starting to see their homes as a place where they can escape the harsh realities of life and the bathroom being turned into something like a spa is part of that. So here goes some of the bathrooms that may be dreams for now…
Space-age steam shower
Isn’t that gorgeous? I can already imagine myself spending hours in that shower. And why not? It has six water jets that can massage your body and they’re all fully adjustable, too! More so, the unit has controls for lighting and has a built-in FM radio as well as capabilities to be connected to your own sound system.
Luxury tubs
There are many of these in the market today, and they come in all shapes and sizes. I particularly like the idea of having a bottom that forms to fit your body shape. Name it, you’ll find it for sale somewhere. Just be prepared to pay the price.
Audio massage while you bathe
Taking a bath isn’t complete without music, is it? This bathtub from Kohler integrates music into the bathing experience. You may opt to choose from the settings or use your own mp3s to soothe the stresses of the day away. It also makes use of chromatherapy for added relaxation.
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Most of the time, you hear and read about home improvements aimed at saving energy and heating costs; but we don’t really hear much about saving water, do we? If you think about it, though, saving water is just as important as saving on electricity and other utility bills. After all, water is fast becoming a precious commodity and we have to start conserving this resource NOW or suffer for it later. Here are some home improvements you can consider geared towards helping save water.
Upgrade to a new toilet. You may not know it, but flushing the commode uses up so much water; so much that it accounts for about 30% of the water consumption of a single household! There are newer models, though, which use up much less water – go for them!
Get a nice shower head AND take more showers than baths. I know, there is nothing like relaxing in a hot bath after a long hard day at work. I suppose every now and then wouldn’t hurt much, but make it a habit to take showers more than baths. In order to entice you to take showers more than baths, get a nice shower head that has a powerful spray. Newer models also use less water, so you do your part for the environment.
Check for leaks regularly. If you don’t do this, you may never find out that you have a leak until you get an astronomical water bill. By then, it will be too late – the water has been wasted and you’d have to pay for the bill. In order to avoid such things from happening, do regular checks and maintain your plumbing.
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Summer is almost here and I am sure that some of you are already feeling the heat. The air conditioner will probably we working over time pretty soon, but you know that high electricity costs might bother you more than the heat. One solution is to make use of ceiling fans as an alternative. Having air blown gently from the top creates a wind chill effect, making it cooler than it seems. Here are some considerations to bear in mind when choosing a ceiling fan to help you beat the heat.
Materials. You can find ceiling fans made of various materials. Make sure that you choose those which do not warp and are rust free. This is especially important if you live in a coastal area.
Size. Ceiling fans come in various sizes as well. The best choice would be the biggest possible for the room you are going to place it in. The size is measured from the tip to tip of two opposite blades.
Height of the ceiling. You have to consider how high the fan will be from the floor. The best height would be around 9 feet from the fan to the floor. If your ceiling is much higher than that, consider getting an extension rod that will lower the fan.
Lighting. You might want to incorporate lighting into the fan. This is not a problem since a lot of ceiling fans have built-in lighting.
No matter what you choose, rest assured that you can cool your home without having to pay much in terms of electricity. More than that, you can add a bit of beauty to the house.
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June is here and those of you with green thumbs know what that means! It’s time to get out your gardening paraphernalia and spend lots of wonderful time outdoors in the garden. Here are some things to get you started.
Get splashes of color.
One of the things that I really like about gardens are the bright splashes of color here and there. If you want “instant” color, go to the nearest nursery and get yourself several pots of colorful annuals that are already in bloom. Now all you need to do is place them in strategic spots in your garden. This will help those of you who might be pressed for time.
Get perennials for long term beauty.
If you have the time and patience – which I am pretty sure you have – I suggest you get some perennials, as they are perfect for June planting. Over the next few months, these plants will give you much pleasure as they grow and become mature. If did some perennial planting in the spring, you can also take the time this month to separate them to prevent overcrowding.
Make a vegetable garden.
If your family likes vegetables, your best bet is to make a garden of your own. While you can always gets vegetables from the market, there is much to be said about harvesting your food from your backyard. This is your last chance to plant squash and cucumber. Corn, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers should also be planted ASAP before summer gets well underway.
Happy gardening!
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I was watching a special on cable TV last night, and I was impressed at how some families created their own unique homes. One thing they have in common – the houses are all “smart” in the sense that they are energy efficient and generally earth friendly.
Did you know that you can do the same thing? While you might have to spend a bit more on some things, creating a smart home need not cost an arm and a leg. More so, in the long run, you will end up saving more. Here are some tips to help you get on your way.
Look for sustainable materials.
The trend is to look for renewable or recycled materials. This does not mean that your house will look shabby. In fact, using stone and other similar materials will actually give your house a unique look. Some ideas: cork, recycled glass, and formaldehyde free wood.
Make your fireplace more efficient.
Lots of heat is lost in the traditional midchimney throat damper. Instead of using this, why go get a chimney cap damper instead? It is akin to a storm door, but for the chimney instead. You’ll end up with more heat staying inside your home. More so, you might want to get a heat exchanger, will can increase the efficiency of your fireplace up to 65%!
Insulate, insulate, insulate.
This is particularly important for rooms such as the basement and attic. Check the edges for cracks and possible breaches in insulation. You will be surprised at how much you can save if you have proper insulation.
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So you’ve decided to knock down walls or install French glass doors instead. Are you happy with the space you’ve created now? Or maybe, there are other things that you wish your house had…things that would entice you to stay and stop looking for another place to live in. Here are more tips to make you love what you’ve got.
Let there be light.
One thing that many homeowners want these days is a space where they can enjoy both the outdoors and the indoors at the same time. You know what I’m talking about – a porch or a sunroom wherein they can be “safe” from the natural elements while at the same time enjoy the natural light. So why not consider starting a project that will give you just that? It might cost a lot, but imagine the rewards of having a sunroom to lounge in when you just want to relax!
Install doubles.
How many arguments have you had in your family because one person takes too much time in the bathroom? Perhaps your partner brushes his teeth for so long; or you spend too much time washing your face. Little things like these may seem trivial, but imagine how much better things would be if you installed two sinks. You know, a his and hers sink. If you have the money AND the space, you can even create another bathroom, or even a powder room to accommodate everyone, especially if you have a large family.
Upgrade rooms.
This one is the ultimate luxury. If you have the money, why not turn your master bathroom into a spa? How about upgrading your kitchen? I am sure you can think of something to upgrade – and you’ll be loving your house for it!
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