Creating And Sticking To A Home Renovation Budget!
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...
view the listing
Childproof Your Home!
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...
view the listing
Home Buyer Mistakes To Avoid!
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...
view the listing
Go Green With These Great Home Upgrades!
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...
view the listing
Home Renovation Mistakes To Avoid!
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...
view the listing
Home Buying Negotiation 101!
Purchasing a home is one of the if not the most important decisions and investments that you will make during your lifetime. The negotiation is a very integral aspect to this experience and needs to be prepared for and handled correctly. Once you have spent all the time and effort to find the perfect home that satisfies all of your needs and wants you would be devastated to lose it due to poor negotiating. The key is to take the emotion out of it and go into it reasonably and sensibly. Follow these great tips and tricks and you are sure to have a smooth and successful negotiation. 1.) Do Your Homework: It is imperative for you to be informed going into the negotiating process so be sure that you do your homework. It is important to discuss the process with your realtor and any friends and family members that have recently gone through this experience. You should also know as much as you can about the local real estate market like recent comparable sales and property tax rates. 2.) Know Who’s Selling The Home: It is a great idea to try and find out as much as you can about the seller and their situation. This doesn’t mean snoop around or hire a private investigator it just means know who is selling the home and what their motivations...
view the listing