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Remodeling & Home Improvement Ideas
You found "the perfect" house, the home of your dreams...almost! It only needs...! And with the excitement surrounding that "find" it's natural to think expansively.
Take a few minutes to also think practically, to fairly add up the total needs in time, money and inconvenience. We don't want to rain on your parade, mind you, just ask you to consider these questions.
- How long will it take to make this perfect house& perfect, just the way your dream pictured it?
- Will your family "survive" the remodeling time, inconvenience and disruption?
- What is the total cost of all the improvements& plus 15% for the inevitable surprises and errors in estimating labor and materials?
- How will you finance the costs and be able to complete the remodeling within your price and time budget?
- Once finished, will your dream home be priced above the market, above the neighborhood, above the size or type home most sought after in your community?
KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO AND WHAT YOU CANNOT DO
You may have home owner friends who seem to be able to do just about anything to their home and who insist that everyone else "can do it too." Don't be coerced into starting a do-it-yourself, home improvement project that either you are not capable of finishing with an appropriate level of workmanship or don't have adequate time to complete without disrupting the life of your family for months.
Before you even start to plan, it's a good idea to know if the remodeling project is even feasible. Your best bet to gain an objective opinion on that question is to consult with an architect or qualified designer-builder in your community. Expect to spend between $250 and $500 for a feasibility consultation that will give you an overview of structural considerations, approximate budget and local building code regulations. Building codes are there for your own protection in spite of the fact that they seem to promote little more than unnecessary red tape and paperwork. Before starting an addition or any changes to electric or plumbing systems, be sure to file for the necessary building permits in your community.
"TYPES" OF REMODELING AND HOME IMPROVEMENT
Most people think of remodeling and home improvement only in terms of either additions to their home or significant changes to the exterior or interior, requiring the work of professional architects, designers and tradesmen. Hare are five types of improvements to consider, at least three of which many home owners tackle very effectively, alone:
- Refinishing
- Replacement
- Enhancement
- Conversion
- Adding-on
Refinishing is the most common, quickest, easiest, most financially and emotionally rewarding home improvement. Painting, wallpapering, refinishing hardwood floors, polishing brass fixtures, knobs and hinges, touching-up nicks, washing windows and screens' all make their own unique impact on the look, feel and value of your home.
And anyone, indeed everyone can participate in this type of home improvement activity. Here are three refinishing tips to follow:
- Preparation is essential. If you are painting; sand, wash, clean and prepare the surface to accept the paint and to achieve a solid, smooth and lasting finish.
- Use materials and/or equipment designed for each refinishing project!
- Use the correct type of brush or roller for the type paint or varnish you are applying. There is a difference!
- Buy quality tools designed for specific jobs. With a minimum of care and simple, adequate storage, quality tools will last a lifetime and continue to give satisfaction as you complete new home improvement projects.
- Use quality materials. You may find paint or varnish, for example, at "half-price" only to find the product you buy at discount requires twice as much labor and twice as many coats to get the quality of finish you desire.
Replacement is another popular type of D-I-Y, home improvement project. Replacement includes a multitude of exterior, interior and mechanical systems project including:
- Landscaping, sidewalk, driveway
- Entry or exterior doors, windows
- Storm/screen windows and doors
- Closet and other interior doors
- Hardware, hinges, knobs, locksets
- Ventilation/insulation products
- Appliances/mechanical systems
Many building product manufactures and retailers now offer custom sized, replacement windows and doors that home owners can install themselves. New space-age technology has provided home building and improvement product manufacturers with new finishes that won't tarnish or pit, sealers that actually resist mildew and prevent decay, insulation with significantly enhanced characteristics, glass that protects against ultraviolet and other damaging rays, and appliances with significantly improved energy efficiency.
Enhancement. You may be considering the purchase of a home in just the right location, with adequate room for your family, in an architectural style you prefer& with a case of the blahs. Adequate but unexciting! Enhancement may just be the right choice to make your house into the exciting home of your dreams. How? Here are a couple of simple ideas.
- Start with the front door. What can you do to add interest, excitement, a feeling of welcome? Add new, more elaborate trim? Replace the door, lockset, add side lights, and change color?
- What's the first thing you see on entering? A dramatic, marble or parquet floor? Rich, enticing paint colors or wallpaper? Formal mouldings, exciting lighting, period furnishings? Or a dull, unimaginative foyer?
You can transform a basic bath into a room with character and panache by improving lighting, combining mirrors with dramatic wall or window treatments and spending a few dollars for a marble or granite floor. Enhancing small spaces like a hall bath can give your home a significant face lift at a modest cost.
Conversion of existing space within a structure is often the type improvement that gives the best value or "bang for the buck". Conversion is just what the word says; conversion of existing space from its current use to a new use. Examples include converting a basement storage area into a playroom or home office; an attic into a guest bedroom or child s study area; or a garage into a family room, extra bedroom or an all new kitchen.
An excellent conversion project is the expansion of a small kitchen into a combined family-room-eat-in kitchen by converting an adjacent porch or attached garage into usable, exciting, interior living space.
If you are handy with tools and want to tackle a do-it-yourself project in your new home, a conversion project may be one you can complete without professional help. Be sure to talk with the Building Department of Planning and Zoning commission in your community before you begin any remodeling. There may be several permits to obtain and an inspection procedure to follow before, during and after your project is completed.
Adding additional living space is generally best handled with at least professional design assistance, if not total responsibility for design and construction delegated to a competent architect, designer, or home building contractor. You are not just adding space to an existing home, but rather changing the look, feel, flow, function and value of a structure and a group of systems. Ostensibly, all existing systems were designed to work together to provide adequate heating-cooling ventilation, domestic hot and cold water at a predetermined pressure, protection from the elements, disposal of waste materials and overall comfort for inhabitants.
Someday, you will move on, sell this home you have enjoyed living in, and worked hard to improve. Will you recapture most, all, or even more than your cash investment when the time comes to sell? Or, will you "take a loss" in actual dollars on the largest investment you probably made in your life? One way to avoid the loss (or at the very least, to be made aware of the potential loss) is to obtain the advice of a qualified, licensed architect to help you plan and design any and every addition to your home.
Remodeling, particularly adding on, makes the most sense when you can recover your investment at the time you sell your home. Ask your REALTOR to estimate the value of your home, with and without your planned improvements.
MAKE SURE THE ADDITION IS:
- Architecturally consistent with the existing structure
- Structurally safe over the long term
- Mechanically safe and efficient
- Cost effective
CHECK FOR TAX SAVINGS:
If you are converting existing space or building an addition to gain a home office, talk with your accountant about declaring that part of your home as business property. You may gain a tax benefit. (Ask the local IRS office to send you publications 521, 523 and 551.)
RETURN ON YOUR HOME IMPROVEMENTS:
Some home improvements not only provide great creature comforts, but are also solid financial investments. Home buyers historically pay virtually full price, or more, for some improvements but are willing to pay far less than actual cost for others as this chart shows. Often, necessary but out of sight improvements you make are expected to be in place and are not recognized as added value.
 Download The Complete Remodeling & Home Improvement Records PDF Form
 Download The Complete Remodeling & Home Improvement Records Microsoft Word Form
Download The Remodeling & Home Improvement Chart PDF Form
Download The Remodeling & Home Improvement Chart Microsoft Word Form
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This article provided for you by Edge Real Estate, 303-681-8888. Reprinted with permission from Homes & Land Magazine. © S.M.A.R.T. Marketing, Inc.
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