Home Remodeling and Repairs: Everything You Need to Know
When you aren’t happy with your home, you can remodel any portion of it so that it is more in tune with what you want. You may have seen a home …
When you aren’t happy with your home, you can remodel any portion of it so that it is more in tune with what you want. You may have seen a home remodel inspiration that made you make up your mind about changing your home. However, you will need a lot of home remodel design ideas before you start the work. Look through some home renovation and design magazines and websites that will show you many pictures of great features you could use in your own home.
Once you have your ideas together, you can hire a contractor to handle the home remodeling and renovation. They will do the hiring so that you have teams doing each of your major projects. They might contract with local flooring companies to get your flooring done or a closet company to handle your closet built-ins. No matter what you want done to your home, it’s important to be patient with the progress. It often takes longer to get a project completed than the estimate says it will. If your job is a complex one, there is a lot of room for things to go wrong. Just stay on course and keep making the decisions that the contractor requires of you.
It is known that in a home, people spend so much time in the kitchen. Therefore, it is essential that you make it look neat and lovely. Here are a few tips you can use to complete kitchen renovation to rejuvenate it.
Use of colours
The best way to remodel kitchen is to play with the colour palette in the room. You can add vibrant colours to make your kitchen looks stylish and beautiful.
Try and maximize the space.
You can change the 1950s kitchen renovation ideas on your floor to create more space for cooking area and entertainment purposes. You can create more space by relocating the current position of your cabinets and refrigerator.
Add natural touch into the room.
You can use kitchen remodeling services provider to bring natural elements if you love the natural setting. This will add some eco-friendly accent to it, which will be relaxing.
Open shelves
Build open shelves to complete kitchen renovation and then decorate the shelves with beautiful baskets or any other kitchen accessory. You can then display your lovely dinnerware openly.
Shapes
You don’t have to stick to the rectangular shape of building a kitchen. Customize it to any shape that you feel like depending on the available space, and ensure it doesn’t cause traffic around the kitchen area.
Updated 11/25/20
A lot of people tend to get bored with their home’s style. This, however, does not necessarily mean that they should move to a new home. Thanks to homestyle renovation loans, a person can change the entire décor of a home to create a new look. One of the key areas that determine the style of a house is the windows. If you change the color of your curtains, the house will have a new look, too. Modern homes have large windows which play a substantial role in determining the overall look of the house. One of the easiest ways to renovate your window is by searching for the best inexpensive window treatments.
You will get plenty of options that can help you to create the new look you’re looking for. If you are renovating your house, you do not have to spend a lot of money buying new curtains. The average price of curtains is enough to determine whether you would buy new ones or not. For instance, if your windows are large, you might need new window blinds to create a new look. All blinds and curtains are made to complement one another, and it would not be difficult to buy the right pair. All you have to do is search for the best kind of blinds, and you will get something to give your house a new look.
Across Chicago and the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting everyone. Every business is in jeopardy of shutting its doors for goods. Every employee is in danger of losing their job. Every family is concerned about their health and wellbeing. And every single person in America is hoping to stop the spread of this deadly virus.
One thing that isn’t stopping, however, is home renovation projects. Since everyone aside from essential workers are remaining in their homes almost 100% of the time, now is the perfect time for homeowners to improve their properties and begin (and hopefully finish) some important projects.
There is some concern over whether it’s even advisable to work on your home during this pandemic or not. Though there are some cons to beginning home remodeling projects due to the shortage of supply, potentially higher costs, and general feelings of being overwhelmed; there are plenty of advantages, too. For the most part, the costs are actually much lower right now. Several remodeling companies have come up with great deals and substantial discounts. Plus, if you’re hoping to sell your home in the next few years, taking advantage of all this downtime and upgrading your home is a great option!
Here are some important things to consider whenever starting, or even thinking about starting, home remodeling projects:
Planning
There isn’t a project on earth that wouldn’t benefit from some diligent planning beforehand. Still, so many homeowners jump right into specific projects without an actual plan in mind, which can subsequently lead to a messy home, costly remodeling expenses, and high stress levels. Even skillful do-it-yourselfers need to plan out every step of their remodeling project. Without planning, chaos will certainly be the end result.
“If you have a four-to-five-month timeline, you can talk to friends on who they used and look at Angie’s List reviews on their performance,” said Kermit Baker, project director at the Harvard remodeling program. “You can do your due diligence as you prepare to get the project ready.”
It’s important to have plenty of tools around the house, as well. If you just need a few things for a couple of quick projects, you can take advantage of tool rental programs. However, it’s best to own a legitimate set of tools so you can be fully prepared to take on any kind of home remodeling project. Here is a list of tools that every homeowner should have:
- Screwdriver set
- Hammer
- Measuring tape
- Duct tape
- Flashlight
- Utility knife
- Saw
- Set of pliers
- Wrench set
- Adjustable wrenches
- Toolbag
- Toolbelt
- Strap wrench
- Drill bits
- Multi-bit screwdriver
- Power drill
- Allen wrench
- 4-foot level
- Wire stripper
- Electrical extension cord
- C-clamp
- Electrical tape
- Zip ties
- Outlet tester
- Stud finder
- Plumber tape
- Wood screws of varying sizes
- Bow rake
- Leaf rake
- Snow shovel
- Round nose shovel
- Pick
- Outdoor broom
- Hose end sprayer and hose sprayer
- Caulking gun
- Respirator, safety mask, dust mask
- Safety glasses and goggles
- Plunger
- Putty knife
- Garden pruner
- Fish tape
- Paintbrush
- Wire caps
- Socket set
- Ladder
- Tool chest
- Watering hose
- Wheelbarrow
- Wet/dry vacuum
“Every home improvement project will cost more than you think it will and will take more time than you planned,” added Bob Harkson, a chief financial planner at Phase2 Wealth Advisors.
Remodeling contractors everywhere advise the same thing: the more thorough you are during these crucial planning stages, the more likely you are to stay under budget for each project.
Another great idea is to keep a detailed journal documenting every aspect of your home remodeling project. This can be helpful for all sorts of reasons! For instance, if you’re working with home builders or a team of professional contractors and something goes wrong, you can use your journal in court or arbitration. Write down things exactly as they happen so you aren’t being charged for unnecessary costs down the line. It’s best if your remodeling journal includes — at the very least — the following: project start date, major milestones, inspection dates, contractor work schedules, change orders, and all financial information.
Budgeting
Planning is one thing but budgeting can make or break not only your remodeling project ideas but your financial stability, as well. If you aren’t properly budgeting — especially during these wild COVID-19 times, you are putting your entire future at risk. You need to carefully determine exactly how much you can afford to spend on every facet of your remodeling projects. Take, for example, home flooring projects. Your budget needs to account for everything, not just the final tiles. If you know what you’re doing, you should still keep a strict budget and plan for spending on tools, materials, and everything else. If you are completely lost when it comes to flooring jobs or other potentially complicated projects like residential siding or plumbing repairs, consider hiring a team of professional contractors. But be aware, doing this will likely significantly increase the amount you spend on each project, which should be reflected in your budget.
“Be realistic as you tour your home’s interior and look at it as a buyer would — with a very critical eye,” said Gina Wolter, Broker/Realtor with The Real Estate Group. “Determine projects that need the most attention. Some things on your list may require just a little elbow grease, while others may require assistance from a professional. Whichever the case, set your budget and work from there.”
Ask questions
If you’re working with a contractor, it’s important to ask as many questions as possible. This way, you’ll actually learn what’s being accomplished. You won’t have to hire a contractor for that specific project next time. Instead, you’ll be able to handle it all on your own! There is no better feeling than that. But don’t be afraid of asking questions to the professionals. Even ones that might seem like are obvious — it’s best to get the right answer than wing it on your own down the line. Plus, it’s your money that you’re spending on these projects. You should know why you’re spending that much and what’s exactly taking place!
Consider taking out a loan
It might seem like a scary thing to do during these uncertain times, but there are loans out there available that are designed to help you and your family upgrade your home in a financially responsible way. A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) 203(k) loan or a Fannie Mae HomeStyle Renovation loan, for example, are great options.
“An FHA 203(k) loan offers flexibility because you can finance up to 97.75% of the improved home value,” said Catherine Holtman, operations support manager for Embrace Home Loans. “There’s a streamlined version for improvements up to $35,000 that are nonstructural and a standard version for major renovations including structural changes.”
Additionally, taking out a home equity line of credit will provide you with the necessary flexibility to take advantage of remodeling projects. You’ll only have to pay interest on the actual line of credit being used and not on everything else. Plus, closing costs are using pretty affordable! Cash-out refinancing, personal loans, credit cards, and 401(k) loans are all great options, as well — just beware of high interest rates.
Home remodeling mistakes
Upgrading your home is exciting but it can also be quite stressful if you don’t know what you’re doing, aren’t properly budgeting and planning, or you make mistakes. Some mistakes are minor and are just a little annoying. However, some mistakes — even the minor ones — can lead to catastrophic issues and ruin your home and your bank account.
Here are some of the most common home remodeling mistakes that homeowners across the country make:
- Neglecting the basics — You might have all these grand ideas about what you want to do to your home or how you want your property to look. And that’s totally fine. But you need to make sure your home’s basic needs are being met first. You should never begin constructing a beautiful garden outside if your toilets aren’t working. Similarly, make sure you’re making sure you’re on top of your HVAC maintenance (especially AC repairs as it gets warmer out), your plumbing and electrical are all set, and your smoke detection system is functioning properly.
- Starting too many projects at once — Imagine starting a roofing repair project and then before you even reach the halfway point, you decide “You know what, I think now is a perfect time to start a bathroom remodeling project!” Not the best idea. Doing that will cause so much stress and result in your home looking horrible for weeks, possibly even months. Instead, make sure you’re finishing a project in its entirety before you begin another project. Only starting (and working on) one project at a time will help you and your family stay sane during these uncertain times.
- Thinking everything will go perfectly — This just isn’t the case for anything in life. It’s wise to have a backup plan (or two or three) whenever starting a home remodeling project. You never know what’s behind a wall that you’re tearing down or opening up. You need to be prepared for the unexpected because sooner or later, something will not go according to plan.
- Not asking for references — There is no shame in working with remodeling contractors. These are some of the most skilled professionals in the country and they can transform your property into your dream home. However, you need to make sure you’re hiring a team of competent and skilled professionals. The best way to do that is to reach out to general contractors and ask for their references. If they gladly provide you with their references and there are no issues — great! If they are skittish about providing that information to you… you might want to look elsewhere. Conversely, make sure you’re not waiting too long to consult a general contractor. It’s not giving up — it’s getting it done.
- Making too many changes during the project — Some changes are necessary, sure, and it’s a good idea to be flexible. But making too many changes can lead to all sorts of serious problems. Adderall is one of the most popular drugs in the http://hesca.net/adderall/ treatment of ADHD on the world market. For example, some of the side effects of the central nervous system include increased arousal, anorexia, hyperactivity, constant uncontrolled movements, loss of appetite, and others. Also, these side effects are seen in many studies on animals that the authors provide. Even moving a light switch just a few feet can end up costing you over $1,000. So make sure you’re careful about every remodeling decision you’re making every step of the way.
So, in short, the best way to prepare for these kinds of home renovation projects is to save as much as possible, do plenty of research beforehand, make sure you’re acquiring all the necessary tools, think about taking out a renovation loan,
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