Creating And Sticking To A Home Renovation Budget!
Posted by Admirals Cove Homes on Mar 5, 2014 in Home, Real Estate | 0 comments
If creating a home renovation budget isn’t the most difficult and important aspect to renovating your home than sticking to it is. Anyone who has taken on a renovation project understands how easy it is to catch “upgrade fever” and that is why it is so important to set a sensible and realistic budget before you start. If you don’t set a budget and stick to it you run the risk of going overboard and ending up with a renovation project that you can’t pay for. You need to first sit down and think about exactly why you are considering this home renovation project and exactly what you want to get out of it. Once you have a clear end goal it is important to meet with several contractors and compare their estimates. But remember the cheapest isn’t always the best choice in this case because you are also going to get what you pay for. If you choose the lowest estimate without checking their experience or reputation you run the risk of cheap materials and poor craftsmanship. Once you have decided on a contractor it is time to sit down and really hammer out the details of the projects budget. It is silly to think that this will be the end all be all in expenses for the project so you should talk to your contractor about what potential issues could pop up and cost you more down the road. It is also important to discuss with them any ways that you can save money. Once you know these things you can work them into your budget to ensure that it is sensible and realistic and that you end up with a renovation project you can pay for. Now the important part starts where you need to be strong and not only stick to your budget but make sure your contractor is sticking to it as much as possible too. The worst thing you can do is spending...
Childproof Your Home!
Posted by Admirals Cove Homes on Mar 4, 2014 in Home, Real Estate | 0 comments
When you have small children living in your home it is imperative that you take all the precautions that you can to ensure that it is childproofed. The task of making a home safe for small children can often seem very daunting and at sometimes impossible. But there are a few keys to making childproofing your home a success. So if you need to plan for small children living in your home follow these hints and tips to ensure that your home childproofing experience is a complete success. 1.) Take A Look At The Home Like A Child Would: The best place to start is scoping the territory out and it is best to do this from a baby’s eye view. Get on your hands and knees and take a look at your home from their view looking for things that are tempting and or dangerous. Bring paper and pen with you so you wont forget anything when you go around childproofing. 2.) Find And Cover Any And All Outlets: All of your outlets need to be covered up by plastic inserts. Uncovered outlets are extremely dangerous to small children and seem very fun and interesting to them. Be sure to go around your home covering up all of your outlets to ensure that they won’t be hazards to the small children living in your home. 3.) Install Gates In Any Danger Areas: Any danger areas like stairs and rooms you don’t want young children entering need to be gated off for safety. Young children tend to have a lot of energy and want to explore so you will need to gate off any and all of these danger areas. These gates aren’t permanent and can be removed anytime you want to open up the flow of your home. 4.) Tie Up All Ties On Blinds And Curtains: It is a good idea to go around to all of your windows and tie up and away all the cords...
Home Buyer Mistakes To Avoid!
Posted by Admirals Cove Homes on Mar 3, 2014 in Home, Real Estate | 0 comments
Buying a home is typically the largest and single most important investment a person will make during their lifetime. It is an experience that needs to be handled carefully and correctly in order for it to be a success and not a failure. Avoid making these following mistakes when buying your home to ensure that you make a good investment. 1.) Not Knowing Your Budget: Before you even go into your home search you should have a budget of exactly what you can afford. Without a reasonable and sensible home buying budget, you run the risk of falling in love with a home that you won’t be able to afford. 2.) Not Getting Pre-Approved: Not getting pre-approved is a mistake that has your home search failing from the start. In today’s housing market most sellers won’t even consider talking to you without being pre-approved and most realtors will require that you get pre-approved before they will work with you. 3.) Miscalculate The Costs Involved With Owning A Home: A mistake often made by people buying a home is underestimating how much it will cost them to own and live in it. You need to know exactly how much your monthly and yearly expenses will be to live in your potential home to ensure you can afford it. 4.) Not Hiring The Right Realtor: Maybe the biggest mistake a potential buyer can make is not hiring the right realtor. It is imperative that you find a specialist in the area you are thinking of purchasing a home. They need to have the right experience to guide you through this process to ensure that it is a success. 5.) Failing To Kill The Wrong Deal: It is important that even though you may have fallen in love with what you believe is the perfect home that you keep a clear head and stay focused. You can’t let your emotions get in the way of you killing the wrong deal. 6.) Forgoing...
Go Green With These Great Home Upgrades!
Posted by Admirals Cove Homes on Mar 2, 2014 in Home, Real Estate | 0 comments
Going green is a great idea for any homeowner because environmentally friendly upgrades not only save money on utility bills they also help to boost a home’s value as well. Green upgrades also make you feel good about being environmental friendly by reducing your carbon footprint and can also afford you with some very desirable tax breaks come tax time. Here is a list of great environmentally friendly home upgrades that will help you go green. 1.) Your Roof: Replace your roof with one that will keep your home cooler. Roofs that will reflect the heat from the sun instead of absorbing it are the best option for keeping your home cool. Materials like metal do this great and will last decade after decade plus it can easily mimic the look of wood, stone, and even tile. 2.) A Solar Water Heater: A solid purchase is a solar water heater while can costly upfront it will save you a lot down the road. This is also a great upgrade for increasing your home’s value. Solar water heaters can save you as much as 80% on your hot water bills. 3.) Slow Flow Showerheads And Toilets: Replacing your showerheads and toilets with slow flow models is a great way to green and save you money at the same time. Using less water is an upgrade that any homeowner will enjoy and can feel good about. 4.) Solar Panels: Solar panels are outstanding energy efficient upgrades that can not only save you money but can even put a little back in your pocket when used with other energy efficient features. You can even write off some of the cost when tax time rolls around. 5.) Programmable Thermostats: A programmable thermostat is another great way to be more energy efficient and cut down on your utility bills. You can set your thermostat so you are only heating up or cooling down your home during the times when you know it is colder...
Home Renovation Mistakes To Avoid!
Posted by Admirals Cove Homes on Mar 1, 2014 in Home, Real Estate | 0 comments
Any renovation experience has its ups and its downs and if not done correctly can be a very difficult and stressful time. Since a renovation is basically an investment into your home you want to make sure that the experience is a complete success. Here are several home renovation mistakes that you should avoid at all costs. 1.) Not Knowing Exactly What You Want: It is a huge mistake to go into a renovation project not knowing exactly what you want. If you and your contractor aren’t completely on the same page about what you want the entire project is doomed from the start. Be sure to sit down with your contractor and set out a plan and budget for exactly what you want in this renovation project and be sure both of you stick to it. 2.) Neglecting Rules And Regulations: It can be a very costly mistake to forget about or neglect rules and regulations. It is very important to check if you need permits for this type of renovation and whether your neighborhood has any rules or regulations regarding it. If you forget to check it out or decide to just neglect it you may end up in lots of trouble down the road. 3.) Going Piece By Piece: People often think they can take on a renovation project by going piece by piece but if you want to save yourself money and stress we recommend that you do it all at once. Renovating one room at a time is a good idea but be sure to do it from start to finish and not piece by piece in order to achieve the results that you desire. 4.) Not Getting Written Contracts: It is important that you have written contracts with your contractors and builders to ensure that everything turns out the way you wanted. Once you have an agreement down on paper you can feel safer moving forward with your project knowing that you are...