Home Renovation and Remodeling Mistakes You Should Avoid

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="496"] (image credit: InTheNation.com)[/caption] Home renovation and remodeling is fun. However, it also involves a lot of things that could make or break your DIY project. And when you do commit mistakes, they can either be costly or damaging to your property in general. From the lack of preparation to setting outrageous budgets, you most likely will end up doing more harm than good to your home. That's why when you decide it's time to do some remodeling or renovation, you must know and be informed about the different mistakes to avoid. At Better Homes and Gardens, there's an article titled "7 Common Remodeling Mistakes" talking about how you should ideally plan a remodeling project at home. One of the mistakes that the article listed is rushing the project. Read the excerpt below:

Rushing into your project. "Develop a good plan, price it, then work it," says Klaus Herring, associate and project manager for Paul Davis Restoration in Santa Fe, New Mexico. "If you think through your project and you know what you're looking to do, that's half the battle. "When we go into a project, for example, we make a site visit first to get a feel for what our client wants. Then we develop a design and plan that is revised sometimes three or four times. By the end of the revision process, we have a project that is well put together, addresses perceivable eventualities, and will accommodate the unforeseen events that are inevitable in a remodel." See the rest of the article here.

I totally agree with the notion of doing things one step at a time. The whole concept of remodeling and renovation is made up of several components and thinking about all the components all at once is a recipe for failure. Next, another mistake to avoid is ignoring the importance of getting permits. GoBankingRates.com, in a post called "11 Expensive Home-Remodeling Mistakes to Avoid" discussed mistakes in remodeling that lead to costing you a lot of money. One of them is when you don't get any permits.

Paperwork when you want to get to woodwork is a hassle. But following the rules and making the city, county or state happy now could save you a lot later, said Macias. “If the city officials become aware of the work being done either from your neighbors or driving by and there have been major additions and major work performed, nine out of 10 times they will make you demolish all of the work and redo it to compliance and with inspections,” he said. But not only will you be out the cost of the work you’ve completed, you’ll have to pay for a demolition permit and be fined, said Macias. “It can total thousands of dollars in fees.” So do the paperwork. Want the rest of the article? Click here.

Every city or state has a building code that you should follow and adhere to. There are rules meant to regulate renovations in both private and commercial properties. If you don't intend to get a permit to renovate, then your neighbors will tell city officials. You don't want that to happen, trust me. Now if you're planning to sell your home and you want to do remodeling to improve its value, there are also several mistakes you certainly need to avoid. The video below, courtesy of Angie's List, will tell you those three common mistakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9ZDA-0TXvk You probably should have realized by now that all those mistakes mentioned above are so easy to avoid. But the thing is it's easier said than done since most of us tend to get too overwhelmed and excited about a renovation or remodeling project. Just remember to be smart enough to realize that you're putting a lot of money on this kind of project, suggesting that you can't mess it up.  

Home Renovation and Remodeling Mistakes You Should Avoid is property of Window-Treatments.net

The Secrets of Successfully Purchasing Your First Home

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="554"] (image credit: NiagaraBuzz.ca)[/caption] Buying a home for the first time isn't a walk in the park, especially if you consider the status of the real estate industry today. While everything about it can be learned by reading posts online and asking the so-called "real estate experts," there are some things that you still might not know. So this is what this article is all about - the best kept secrets in order to successfully buying a home. First of all, once you decide you'd purchase a home, you have to make it a priority. Some people make the mistake of trying to achieve several things all at the same time. For instance, you can't think about buying a new car while you apply for a mortgage. You likewise cannot quit your job and look for another one while searching for a new home to purchase. The key is priority. You must must what's yours. So now let's begin with those secrets and tips. In this website I found online called Keys To My Home, I found three secrets for first-time home buyers that are worth sharing:

Get your finances in order. Find out what your credit report and credit score are and correct any inaccuracies. Lenders look at factors called the four Cs of credit: credit history (timely bill paying), capital (money available for a down payment), capacity (income versus debt), and collateral (the value and condition of the house). Look for down-payment and closing-cost assistance programs. Some nonprofit organizations and state or local government agencies can help you with down payment and closing costs through grant money or low-interest loans. Make sure home ownership fits with your lifestyle. If you will be in a particular community for less than three years, if the local economy is not doing well, if unemployment is rising, or if your future income will not provide you with enough for mortgage payments and other financial responsibilities in owning a home, then renting may provide the better option. Read more about it by clicking the link.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] (photo credit: BankingSense.com)[/caption] It is quite true that many people fail to recognize the importance of figuring out if the kind of lifestyle they have is ideal for home ownership. The thing is owning a home is very different to that of renting. Some people opt to rent because of the kind of life they live. So if you do wish to get your own home soon, figure out for yourself if your work, social life, and your habits fit to you becoming a homeowner. Meanwhile, an HGTV.com article titled "10 Best-Kept Secrets for Buying a Home" talked about how crucial it is to get pre-approved before even starting your search for a home and being wary about border disputes.

Get Pre-Approved for Your Home Loan There’s a big difference between a buyer being pre-qualified and a buyer who has a pre-approved mortgage. Anybody can get pre-qualified for a loan. Getting pre-approved means a lender has looked at all of your financial information and they’ve let you know how much you can afford and how much they will lend you. Being pre-approved will save you a lot of time and energy so you are not running around looking at houses you can't afford. It also gives you the opportunity to shop around for the best deal and the best interest rates. Do your research: Learn about junk fees, processing fees or points and make sure there aren’t any hidden costs in the loan. Avoid a Border Dispute It’s absolutely essential to get a survey done on your property so you know exactly what you’re buying. Knowing precisely where your property lines are may save you from a potential dispute with your neighbors. Also, your property tax is likely based on how much property you have, so it is best to have an accurate map drawn up. Find out more about this article by visiting the link.

Well, as a first-time home buyer, one of the things you should avoid is wasting your time. And this is quite true because a lot of people are so excited in searching for potential homes to buy without realizing that they actually don't qualify for a loan. Lastly, BankRate.com discusses credit scores as a critical factor in getting your loan approved.

How to raise the credit score To improve their credit scores, buyers should pay off past-due bills, pay every bill on time and reduce their balances to less than 30 percent of the credit limit on every account. Also, it is best to have three to five credit accounts, such as a car loan, student loan or credit card, for one year or longer. Experts recommend against frequently switching credit cards to get the best rate, though. Lenders do not want to see a lot of credit inquiries or too many new accounts because this could indicate someone who is about to take on a lot of extra debt. Article source: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/4-secrets-to-budgeting-for-a-home-purchase-1.aspx

So you should have realized by now that buying a home for the first time is not just about the fun part of searching for prospects. The secret to succeeding is learning all the aspects of the entire process, not just the ones that are interesting to you.

The Secrets of Successfully Purchasing Your First Home was originally published on Window-Treatments.net

Increasing Your Home’s Value: Ways To Improve Your Chances of Selling It

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="450"] (image credit: DoItYourSelf.com)[/caption] Real estate is a complicated industry. It's a difficult one, too, especially if you're someone who's looking to sell your house in a tough market. But one thing you need to understand is that housing prices are constantly rising, which means that the best time to invest in your home to increase is value is now, and we mean right now. The thing is the ways to increase the value of your home are actually easier than what you expect. You have to understand and learn some tips from us. So let's start. First of all, you need to create some space. One thing potential home buyers really hate is a home that looks very crowded and congested. According to a post from ThisOldHouse.com called "Brokers Tell All: 10 Ways to Boost House Value," it is all about creating a sense of flow inside the living space.

Knock out a non-structural wall, or even remove that kitchen island. Anything that opens the space and creates a sense of flow in the house is generating a response from buyers who can afford to be choosy. For the price of a few hundred dollars, you'll transform the feel of the house. "Right now buyers want a wide open floor plan, the living room right off the kitchen. They are into big spaces," says Kristin Wellins, Senior Manager of Program Development for ERA Real Estate. Seattle broker Reba Haas says a kitchen island can be an asset, creating needed storage space. But if the kitchen has enough cabinets, it could pay to haul the island away. Haas says homeowners might want to consider a moveable island. "You can adjust them to you needs," she explains. Read it here.

One of the most important things you should be aware of when it comes to increasing your home's value is the fact that you'll have to spend some money to proceed, even if it is about creating space. Transformation of a space will require some retouch and renovation. You even might need to purchase some stuff to replace old and broken ones. Next, you should take it one step at a time. In an article from HGTV.com titled "10 Tips to Increase Your Home's Value," there's a brief discussion on the importance of tackling one room at a time.

Tackle one room at a time. How can you harness the energy that comes from new ideas and still be smart when you make those improvements? Make the commitment to tackle one room at a time. Whether it's a simple coat of paint or knocking down a wall, by tackling one room at a time you keep projects achievable. Make a list of all the things you dream about doing, break your list down into categories based on cost and write down how much time each project may take. What this does is help you get results. If you only have a day or a weekend, choose a project that fits within your timeframe, comfort level and financial commitment. If you set out to paint a living room wall on Saturday and you know what it will cost in time and money, it gets done. By the end of the day, you have a stylish upgrade that will add value to your home. By strategizing, you will see your dreams take shape as you transform each room before moving on to the next. See more of this article by clicking here.

We agree that the entire process is tedious and challenging. So the only way for you to succeed in increasing the value of your home is by taking it one at a time and avoiding cluttering your mind with so many ideas and plans. When you're done with one room, proceed to the next. For DIYNetwork.com in a blog post called "10 Investments to Boost Your Home's Value" meanwhile, it is as important as any other aesthetic improvement to check on the plumbing system. You should ask the question: do I need to update my plumbing? Here's what experts have to say:

If you have old, rusty iron pipes and fear that you have ingested enough metal in your drinking water to build a small ship, you might want to consider replacing the plumbing. Believe it or not, an appraiser takes the plumbing into heavy consideration when assigning the value to a home. Back in the day, it used to be a huge undertaking with walls being torn up and drywall flying everywhere. Nowadays though, re-piping is usually done with PEX (basically plastic tubing) that is extremely reliable and can be run through your walls like an extension cord. This means less holes and a lot less mess. It also means less money spent on materials and labor. Heavy metal should be only used to describe music and not the water in your home. Yes, yes — it is all about the guts. No sense in putting good money into a home when the mechanics are bad. This is a win-win situation. The scariest thing for new owners is the thought that something huge like plumbing or electrical will need work. Plus, people always think these updates cost much more than they actually do. Learn more about the other investments you can make to increase home value by clicking the link.

Plumbing is very important in every home. It keeps everything clean and sanitized and without a properly working plumbing system, the home should never even be considered available in the real estate market. To wrap this up, here are some more tips to conveniently follow, courtesy of PeakCapitalProp. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFldkLebk7o So you're planning to make your home available for sale? We guess you're quite excited at this point to start working on those improvements.

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What Is Your Decorating Style?

When decorating your home or selecting new decor for your home, it is good to know the style that you are going for. There are many different styles that you can choose from depending on your personality and interests. Not everyone falls strictly into one category but you would be surprised to learn that most people usually have a predominant category or style. The best place to start is by learning which one is yours. Furthermore, sometimes you might want a change or a different feel. As people change, they find new interests and something that may have suited you ten years ago might not exactly match who you are today. If you have no idea of what your style is, then you can find inspiration by learning what different styles there are. Know what style is your preferred one will help you make your house feel the way that you want it to. It can even help you pick the appropriate color when painting your home. Interior designers tend to have labels that they have created for these styles. In the following article by Design Like, they discuss some different styles:

Modern Minimalist Style This style is a form of extreme accuracy, nothing is too much, without heavy backgrounds. The emphasis is on simplicity, the colors may be dull or bright, in any case flashy colors. Pieces are either geometric shapes – square, rectangular, round, but the surfaces are clean, no scenery, no details. Minimalist modern style by its name, illustrates the simplified forms. Classic Style It is a refined style, developed, rich in details, which are found both in the structure of furniture, lighting, etc. as well as in sets, prints. The furniture is the “art” type, carved or inlaid details and apply. Decorated with floral elements, vegetable, various leitmotif or scenes drawn from legends. Contemporary Style The style is contemporary-modern style but maintains a hot line through selected finishes and color range used. The songs do not seem very new, modern, cool. Colors are balanced, warm, bright tones and pastel can be out of the question when it comes to these style. Elegant Country Style Rural style is elegant furniture style with influences from English, French or Scandinavian classic pure style can be called rural chic. Furniture finishes are nice, bright colors-white, pastel colors and forms were taking over traditional furniture but not abundant decorations. Click here to see the full article.

These styles summarize the fundamental styles that can be seen in interior design. There are other styles that are not mentioned that you might fall under. These include cottage, bohemian, industrial, modern and more. One way of learning what kind of style you really are interested in is by taking a style quiz. Below are two style quizzes that you might find helpful and fun:

• Coastal Living Style Quiz
• County Living Style Quiz

Here are some videos that also display some different styles that might inspire you:

What Is Your Decorating Style? was originally published on http://www.window-treatments.net

Kitchens: Decor, Organization & Augmenting Space

The kitchen is said to be the heart and the soul of a home. It is also the busiest room in a house because it is typically where families spend the most time. If you are lucky and have a decently sized kitchen then there are some decorating ideas that you can incorporate since you have the space to do it, without limitation. However, some of us have a small kitchen and it can seem like you are constantly battling how to create more space. This article will discuss some interesting decorating ideas for both the big and small kitchen. Then it will focus on some organizational ideas that you can use for a small kitchen and what you can do to give the illusion that your kitchen is bigger than it actually is.

Since the kitchen is the most popular room in the house, then you want it to be the room that is decorated and organized the way that you want it. It needs to be functional since the room itself is a very "functional" room. In the following article by HGTV, they talk about some great ideas of kitchen decor:

Your first decision when considering a theme for your kitchen design will be how extensively you want the theme to integrate with your overall design. If your theme is color-based — for example, black and white — you'll need to decide if you want the theme to be reflected in a few elements of your design, in a slightly larger selection, or in almost the entirety of the design elements in the space.

Kitchen themes can also reflect the interests and lifestyle of homeowners, help to create a warm and welcoming space for guests and family members alike, and reflect an overall aesthetic or cultural interior design.

Whether your kitchen design is a subtle hue that runs throughout the space or bolder thematic elements that reflect a cultural or historical period, adding a distinct theme to your kitchen design can be an efficient, economical and attractive way to enliven the cooking and eating space in your home.

Click here to see the rest of this article.

Choosing a theme for your kitchen can be fun and there are many options available to you. A theme can be color-based, interest-based, but the whole point is that the kitchen needs to be warm and welcoming.

If you have a smaller kitchen, then you might wonder if it is even possible to have a "dream" kitchen. The first place to start is by organizing your kitchen properly. In the following article by HGTV, they discuss some of this in further detail:

Small Kitchen Organization Solutions and Ideas.

Expanding the space in your kitchen without changing the floor plan is absolutely possible. First, reconfigure your cabinetry, whether that means a customized project or a no-construction-necessary addition. In the first category, consider building out kitchen cabinets to ceiling height.

Secondly, introduce order to cabinets by rethinking the interior space.

When space is tight, corralling all of our things is key, so swap chaos for organization inside drawers, along walls and on open shelves. Line kitchen drawers with removable dividers to give everything from eating utensils to measuring cups a proper place to belong.

Half of the battle when you have a small kitchen is by making use of the proper tools that are out there to make sure that everything in your kitchen has its place. Also, make sure that you utilize dividers and all of the vertical space. You can afford to lose horizontal space.

Not only do you need to set your kitchen up in a way that is extremely organized, but you also need to utilize decorating tools that make your kitchen feel bigger. In the following article by Apartment Therapy, they talk about some ideas that you can incorporate into your own kitchen:

Low Contrast Color: Keep everything in the same color family, with minor variation. Light colors, or all white helps too.

Elongated Patterns: Choose geometric and striped walls and floors that draw the eye lengthwise or vertically and make the room appear longer or taller than it actually is.

Light Furnishings & Decor: Certain elements — like backless barstools, wire kitchen islands, or glass pendant lights for example — leave sight lines open and don't trip up your eye as you move around the room.

Little Visual Clutter: This isn't just keeping things tidy and tucked away (although it's that too). It's about maintaining clean lines, without tons of overly decorative details.

Click here to see the rest of this article.

If you have a small kitchen, then you can, by all means, make it look bigger by following the above steps. Furthermore, you can also organize your kitchen in a way that helps utilize the space that you have. The first step to all kitchen decor is picking out a theme.