When I was in the market for a new home a few years ago I was lucky and found just the one I was looking for, except that it had a small kitchen that seemed out of place in what was a nice, large house. It also did not have a covered patio in the backyard, and it was missing a few other amenities. I bought the house but knew it needed some changes and additions, and that I wasn't going to be happy with it until I had truly made it mine. Does that sound familiar?
A lot of people live in homes that are nice, but could be that much nicer with just a little work. And how often have you seen a house that looked impressive from the front, but in the back there was... nothing? That's too bad, as a nicely designed deck can make a huge difference. I first realized this when I saw incredibly innovative decks and terraces in beach homes on North Carolina's Outer Banks. When I got home I did some sketches and had a reputable builder do a great deck in my own backyard. A deck not only adds to the visual impact of a home, it also extends the living space. And the sky's the limit when it comes to designing and building great decks.
There are other ways to extend living space. For example, I fixed my small kitchen problem by having a contractor take out a wall and add a sunroom. It didn't cost very much, but totally transformed not only the kitchen but also my entire house. The kitchen became much larger and brighter, and we use the sunroom as a breakfast nook or just for sitting there and enjoying our yard in an open but nicely sheltered environment. It was money very well spent.
Pergolas are freestanding garden or attached structures that may link buildings or just define an outdoor space. Pergolas can turn an ordinary yard into an interesting landscape that provides shade, a place to sit and enjoy the outdoors, or a place to grow plants and vines. I had mine built over a hot tub, making it a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the hot water and a cool breeze.
Covered patios are almost like a covered outdoor room. They provide shade and protection from rain, but do not take away from the outdoor experience. A good contractor can help you design a covered patio that fits your budget and complements your home.
The bottom line is that home improvement doesn't stop at exterior painting, replacement windows, or creating a new look with, for example the rugged and attractive Hardie plank siding I've had my eyes on for a while. Such projects need to be done, of course, but while you're at it, take the opportunity to make your dreams come true. Rip out that wall and put in a sunroom. Take a good, long look at your yard and add a multi-level deck or a covered patio. You'll be much happier with your home, and you'll increase its value. It's truly a win-win situation.
home builder | custom home builder
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Re-Locate or Re-Model?
We all realize that it is not the ideal time to try and list your home, but if you are buying in the same area, then your lowered house price will also be reflected when you buy your replacement house. Nothing is lost therefore - or is it?
Sometimes we can become aware of the fact that we really must move. Maybe the children are too big and we really need to move for that extra bedroom; perhaps there is a need for a bigger rec room, or an extra bathroom.
Many circumstances make house-moving come to mind, but have you worked out the cost of re-modeling as opposed to the cost of moving? When we think about moving, we often think of all the irksome things about our home, but we do not remember all the conveniences that might not be available in the next home.
What about the qualities you really like about this home? Even small things like the sun shining into your kitchen in the morning are priceless to some people.
One of the first things to consider is your 'gut feeling'. Do you want to move because you want to get away from something that is bugging you in that house? If so, think about including that in a re-modeling project (as long as it is not an irritating neighbor!)
Write down all the things that are missing in the house you are in, that you know you can afford to buy in the next house. For instance, a third bedroom is one reason you must move, and you would like a big yard. But have you checked the prices of three-bed roomed homes with a big yard in your area?
Cost is really the biggest factor that we all have to take into account. Obviously the comparative costs of moving versus re-modeling may play a part.
It is easy enough to calculate the cost of re-modeling, you simply ask a builder for a quote. (Use several builders.) If you are doing it yourself, then it will take longer to calculate everything you need to buy. Some hardware stores offer a quotation service. There are on line services for instance on the Home and Garden Web site, where you can pick out your kitchen or bathroom type, choose cabinets and colors of your choicer, one click and it all whizzes into place!.
So the cost of re-modeling seems straightforward, but what of the fact that by remodeling, you are also increasing the value of your house. Will you therefore deduct some of the value from your 'cost' of re-modeling? Statistics say that 80% of the renovating costs for a new kitchen or bathroom are re-couped in the sale price of the house.
There are also short cuts you can take to get your dream kitchen, like just ordering new cabinet doors and drawers instead of refitting the whole kitchen. These replacement doors come in various price ranges starting from inexpensive white laminate up to classy dark cherry wood.
The cost of moving is harder to calculate, as it contains many hidden costs. For instance all the small costs like a day off work to move, the cost of moving boxes, the paint costs to touch up the outside of the house and those extra shrubs you will buy to make the yard look good.
The larger expenses are easier to spot, for instance: the fee to the realtor, the difference between the cost price of selling your home and buying the new home, the closing fees and legal fees for both houses.
Then there is the actual cost of the physical move, will it be by a removal company or do you plan to do it yourself? Once in the new home, what of drapes and any extras that will be required.
Once all the figures are in, and you have done the math, you may find it easier to make a logical decision and you also feel better in knowing all the cost factors involved - so there will be no surprises.
home builder | custom home builder
Sometimes we can become aware of the fact that we really must move. Maybe the children are too big and we really need to move for that extra bedroom; perhaps there is a need for a bigger rec room, or an extra bathroom.
Many circumstances make house-moving come to mind, but have you worked out the cost of re-modeling as opposed to the cost of moving? When we think about moving, we often think of all the irksome things about our home, but we do not remember all the conveniences that might not be available in the next home.
What about the qualities you really like about this home? Even small things like the sun shining into your kitchen in the morning are priceless to some people.
One of the first things to consider is your 'gut feeling'. Do you want to move because you want to get away from something that is bugging you in that house? If so, think about including that in a re-modeling project (as long as it is not an irritating neighbor!)
Write down all the things that are missing in the house you are in, that you know you can afford to buy in the next house. For instance, a third bedroom is one reason you must move, and you would like a big yard. But have you checked the prices of three-bed roomed homes with a big yard in your area?
Cost is really the biggest factor that we all have to take into account. Obviously the comparative costs of moving versus re-modeling may play a part.
It is easy enough to calculate the cost of re-modeling, you simply ask a builder for a quote. (Use several builders.) If you are doing it yourself, then it will take longer to calculate everything you need to buy. Some hardware stores offer a quotation service. There are on line services for instance on the Home and Garden Web site, where you can pick out your kitchen or bathroom type, choose cabinets and colors of your choicer, one click and it all whizzes into place!.
So the cost of re-modeling seems straightforward, but what of the fact that by remodeling, you are also increasing the value of your house. Will you therefore deduct some of the value from your 'cost' of re-modeling? Statistics say that 80% of the renovating costs for a new kitchen or bathroom are re-couped in the sale price of the house.
There are also short cuts you can take to get your dream kitchen, like just ordering new cabinet doors and drawers instead of refitting the whole kitchen. These replacement doors come in various price ranges starting from inexpensive white laminate up to classy dark cherry wood.
The cost of moving is harder to calculate, as it contains many hidden costs. For instance all the small costs like a day off work to move, the cost of moving boxes, the paint costs to touch up the outside of the house and those extra shrubs you will buy to make the yard look good.
The larger expenses are easier to spot, for instance: the fee to the realtor, the difference between the cost price of selling your home and buying the new home, the closing fees and legal fees for both houses.
Then there is the actual cost of the physical move, will it be by a removal company or do you plan to do it yourself? Once in the new home, what of drapes and any extras that will be required.
Once all the figures are in, and you have done the math, you may find it easier to make a logical decision and you also feel better in knowing all the cost factors involved - so there will be no surprises.
home builder | custom home builder
How to Save Big Bucks Building Your Own Home
When we decided to build our own home a few years ago, it was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. The end cost was going to be tight so we were exploring different ways to cut costs. We decided on a contractor who was willing to enter into a "Cost Plus" contract. With normal building contracts, the customer is presented with a quote for the cost of construction, and that is the total amount they pay, even if the end cost is higher or lower.
In a Cost Plus scenario, the builder provides an estimate that fluctuates based on the actual end cost of building. So if the kitchen runs an extra $2000 because of those cherry cupboards you have to have, the cost of building is increased as well. On the other hand, if you can find a deal on material, or agree to do some of the work yourself, the customer celebrates the lower costs. We started scanning our builder's estimate, analyzing where we could pitch in to save.
Flooring: The one that hit us hardest was the flooring estimate for $30,000. We priced around, found sales and decided to install the basement flooring and cork flooring in the kitchen ourselves. We would let our contractor install the hardwood in the rest of the house. This concession saved us $15,000 – we had cut the flooring bill in half! Hmmm, this was fun, what else could we save?
Plumbing: We determined how much of our $15,000 estimate included fixtures and were able to go out and purchase our own sinks, tubs, toilets, etc. on sale for better prices. Don't forget, the plumber gets a discount, but he doesn't shop around for the best deals. We ended up saving about $1,100 on plumbing fixtures, but used that saving to upgrade to slate walls in the shower.
Electrical: Our electrician allowed $2,500 for lighting fixtures which we were able to purchase at a local do-it-yourself box store for about $1,200 – a $1,300 saving!
Kitchen: Our contractor estimated $29,000 for kitchen cupboards based on mid to upper scale cabinets. After meeting with the cabinetry people, we got just what we wanted for $22,000 – a $7,000 saving!
Doors: I couldn't get past an estimate for $7,500 for doors in the home – how could they justify that much money? After counting the doors and getting a price on hardware and securing a quantity discount, we got that price down to $4,000 – a $3,500 saving!
Painting: Our contractor allowed $5000 for painting which is not bad, but still too much. We had no desire to rent scaffolding to paint the high ceilings upstairs, but we decided to take on the basement ourselves, saving $2,500.
Trim: The trim was priced at $6,000, and since we were doing drywall returns on all the windows, we only required trim on the bottom sills of the windows, around the doors and baseboard. My husband had a handy trim air-nailer that rarely got used – up until then. After purchasing the material, we saved $4,000 on labor.
Landscaping: The quote for landscaping was $25,000, much of that figure involved heavy machinery to move dirt and add rocks for a retaining wall. We left that to the experts, but dealt with the grass seed and shrub planting ourselves, for a total savings of $5,000.
All totaled, we saved over $39,000 by putting in a few hours work and doing some extra shopping around. Part of that was used to lower the mortgage, the rest paid for our dream trip to the South Pacific.
home builder | custom home builder
In a Cost Plus scenario, the builder provides an estimate that fluctuates based on the actual end cost of building. So if the kitchen runs an extra $2000 because of those cherry cupboards you have to have, the cost of building is increased as well. On the other hand, if you can find a deal on material, or agree to do some of the work yourself, the customer celebrates the lower costs. We started scanning our builder's estimate, analyzing where we could pitch in to save.
Flooring: The one that hit us hardest was the flooring estimate for $30,000. We priced around, found sales and decided to install the basement flooring and cork flooring in the kitchen ourselves. We would let our contractor install the hardwood in the rest of the house. This concession saved us $15,000 – we had cut the flooring bill in half! Hmmm, this was fun, what else could we save?
Plumbing: We determined how much of our $15,000 estimate included fixtures and were able to go out and purchase our own sinks, tubs, toilets, etc. on sale for better prices. Don't forget, the plumber gets a discount, but he doesn't shop around for the best deals. We ended up saving about $1,100 on plumbing fixtures, but used that saving to upgrade to slate walls in the shower.
Electrical: Our electrician allowed $2,500 for lighting fixtures which we were able to purchase at a local do-it-yourself box store for about $1,200 – a $1,300 saving!
Kitchen: Our contractor estimated $29,000 for kitchen cupboards based on mid to upper scale cabinets. After meeting with the cabinetry people, we got just what we wanted for $22,000 – a $7,000 saving!
Doors: I couldn't get past an estimate for $7,500 for doors in the home – how could they justify that much money? After counting the doors and getting a price on hardware and securing a quantity discount, we got that price down to $4,000 – a $3,500 saving!
Painting: Our contractor allowed $5000 for painting which is not bad, but still too much. We had no desire to rent scaffolding to paint the high ceilings upstairs, but we decided to take on the basement ourselves, saving $2,500.
Trim: The trim was priced at $6,000, and since we were doing drywall returns on all the windows, we only required trim on the bottom sills of the windows, around the doors and baseboard. My husband had a handy trim air-nailer that rarely got used – up until then. After purchasing the material, we saved $4,000 on labor.
Landscaping: The quote for landscaping was $25,000, much of that figure involved heavy machinery to move dirt and add rocks for a retaining wall. We left that to the experts, but dealt with the grass seed and shrub planting ourselves, for a total savings of $5,000.
All totaled, we saved over $39,000 by putting in a few hours work and doing some extra shopping around. Part of that was used to lower the mortgage, the rest paid for our dream trip to the South Pacific.
home builder | custom home builder
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