Tools of The Trade For Home Remodeling
There are a lot of things that people must know prior to remodeling a home. It is essential to know all of the elements of home remodeling and to do proper research before you remodel your home or have a contractor do the task for you. One item of importance that is necessary in a lot of financial facets in life including home remodeling is building a home remodeling budget.
Building a Home Remodeling Budget
When making a budget for a home remodeling project, here are the categories that need to be considered: how much money you have coming in after taxes, what changes need to be made to your home remodeling budget, the cost of the needed materials, what the labor fees will be, and what the miscellaneous fees will be. The cost of remodeling materials ought to consist of any materials that are needed for flooring, furniture, accent pieces, etc. A miscellaneous category needs to be made for any unexpected expenses or emergency remodeling costs. Take the full budget amount, total the expenses for each category, and then you will have your home remodeling budget and any funds that are left over after the budget for the remodeling is complete. Nothing is more frustrating than not enough money to finish a home remodeling project and the job is left undone. A well-planned out budget will help you avoid this. After the budget for a home remodeling project is complete, there are other things to consider.
Other Things to Ponder While Preparing For Home Remodeling
After a budget for home remodeling is made, it is important to know exactly what you want. Spend some time deciding exactly what you want done to your home. Go to other homes for ideas on what you want regarding style and materials, visit showrooms of home improvement companies and suppliers, and read home remodeling magazines. It is also essential to shop around. Hiring the right contractor for home remodeling can make all the difference in the world, both in cost and the quality of the work. It is also crucial that the contractor knows a lot about the kinds and styles of remodeling that you want as well as the type of materials that you will be using. After these things are considered, there are reasons to remodel a home.
Ten Reasons to Remodel a Home
There are, of course more than ten reasons to remodel a home, but these are the key reasons to remodel a home. Remodeling a home does cost a lot of money and can take up a lot of time. However, the financial benefits are worth the effort. If a person ever decides to sell their home, then the remodeling that was done, will be very beneficial when seeking a new home buyer. A remodel will improve the condition of a home and what it is worth. Another benefit of remodeling is the joy a family will receive from it. Remodeling a kitchen is always a good idea since it is known as the “hub of a home.”
The Hub of a Home
In a lot of houses, a lot of time is spent in a kitchen making and eating meals. It is essential to have a space that allows for the work that is needed to be done in a kitchen to be done and having family interaction going on also. This can be a simple task if a bar or counter is built that separates the kitchen from where people eat. Adding additional kitchen cabinets gives more storage room and makes the room less cluttered. A kitchen countertop may be the location where items from school, the mail, and other items are placed everyday. Another good reason to remodel a home is to give it a new look.
Find a New Face For Your Home
If the structure of a home is sound and the floor plan is ideal for the homeowner’s needs, it may only need a simple facelift. Updating the walls inside of a home and the baseboards can give a home a new and clean look without breaking the budget. Changing some of the lightning fixtures can also make a dramatic improvement to any room. These ideas are fast, inexpensive, and can make a home feel brand new again. A remodel can make extra room from space that already exists.
Make Square Footage From Space That Already Exists
A basement can be made into prime living space. Finishing a basement is using space that is already available. It can be a great room for growing kids or can be made into guest rooms when a family has company. Other ideas for a basement space are a craft or hobby room. It does not matter what the need is, a lot of families need and will get a lot of use out the extra space provided by completing the basement. The cost of materials for remodeling a home has also gone down lately.
Material Prices Have Been Cut Down
The state of the economy has affected how much building materials cost. For this reason, people wanting to remodel their home will not have to pay as much for materials. The lowered cost of materials also gives contractors the chance to pass the savings onto their customers and get new customers for themselves. This cut in materials expenses will not last forever. Therefore, it is a good idea to take advantage of this opportunity while it lasts. The bare necessities of the bathroom is an important of remodeling a home.
The Bare Necessities
All homes have at least one bathroom. It is more than likely the busiest room in any home. For this reason, efficiency is essential. It could be time to get a new toilet or fix a leaky faucet with new features that will give a bathroom the facelift it most desperately needs. Replacing the old bathroom floor with ceramic tile and a molding that looks good can really change the appearance of a bathroom. The expense of household utilities can go down after a home is remodeled.
The Cost of Utilities Can go Down
A brand new home does not have to be purchased in order to lower energy and utility expenses. Some kitchen remodel phoenix or upgrade projects may lower energy costs by hundreds of dollars every year. Getting rid of old windows not only saves homeowners money, but will also make a home look better on the inside and outside. The energy efficient windows that are available today will greatly lower utility costs and upgrade the look of a kitchen as well. Remodeling a home is also easier than moving.
Remodeling is Easier Than Relocating
A lot of families that have small children do not wish to move to a new neighborhood or town due to how it will affect their children. Moving is not only stressful, but it is a major life disruption. It is compared to losing a job or going through a divorce. Having to leave your home is difficult for adults, but it is life altering for children. As I mentioned before, the cost of materials has gone down due to the economy. Use this to your advantage by purchasing remodeling materials and remodel the home that you currently live in. This is not only less expensive than moving, but, more importantly, it will keep your family life stable. A home remodel that is well planned out will create the space and atmosphere that a family wants right now and will love down the road. Remodeling a home can also allow a family whose children have moved out of the home to make changes to their home that they need or want to make and can also give a family something different that they desire.
Changes in Family Structure and Wanting Something Different
If a family’s children have grown up and no longer live at home, they may want to change their home. Upgrading one or two rooms is a good idea and can give a home new life. A wall to a room can even be removed to make new space and prepare a family for the changes in their lives. Homeowners may also just want a change in their home. The design of their home may meet the space needs that they have, but they no longer like design and style of it. If a remodel is in the budget and they are ready for it, then they should go ahead and glam up their home. As I mentioned earlier, the kitchen is a very busy part of a home. It is often a room that is remodeled and homeowners can even do some of the remodeling themselves.
Do-It-Yourself Kitchen Makeover Ideas
Changing The Layout of a Kitchen
Location is no longer just important in real estate. The design of a kitchen will determine how user-friendly and energy-efficient a kitchen is. This does not have to be a difficult process and is a cost-effective way to make an old kitchen look new again. The ideal layout for a kitchen depends on how a kitchen is used. If a person stays home all day, is in their kitchen a lot, and makes a lot of meals from scratch, they may want a kitchen that is shaped like a u. This design places the refrigerator, stove, and sink in a triangular pattern to make sure the kitchen is safe and to make it more energy-efficient. However, if a person likes to cook with other people, spend a limited amount of time in the kitchen, and only make a few meals from scratch, additional storage and a more efficient use of space is essential. In this case, a kitchen design with a lot of work centers close to the kitchen’s major appliances may be a very practical idea. Getting new energy efficient appliances is a good idea also.
Energy Efficient Appliances Are a Good Element
Purchasing brand new kitchen appliances will give a kitchen a look that is fresh and new will make a kitchen look better and lower a homeowner’s utility bills. The Department of Energy gives Energy Star labels to appliances that have a high energy efficiency level. An energy efficient refrigerator will use twenty percent less energy than a standard one that was made in 2001. Safety is another important reason to remodel a kitchen.
Safety is Super Important
Whether a family has young children or older adults living in a home or someone else that has balance issues lives with them, or a person just lives with their cat, it is essential to have a safe kitchen. Simple remodeling ideas can turn a kitchen from a death trap into a delightful room. Moving appliances around (such as the stove), will ensure that the kitchen entry doors will not affect the use of a stove. Another good safety idea is to install kitchen cabinets that have rounded edges, putting locks on doors, and putting timer devices in appliances will lower the chance of an accident taking place in a kitchen. Knowing the style of kitchen that you want prior to remodeling a kitchen is very important also.
Knowing Your Style is Key
Before making an remodel plan, it is key to know what your kitchen design style is. The three main styles are: modern, transitional, and traditional. A modern kitchen has: clean lines, angles, and edges and an overall cool aesthetic. To get a modern kitchen, obtain stainless steel items, streamlined cabinets, and very few items on top of the countertops.
A traditional kitchen is a cozy kitchen that has a very home-like feeling. To make a kitchen feel like home, purchase items made out of natural wood and ones that are curved also. A transitional kitchen is combination of a modern and traditional kitchen. It is a gourmet kitchen with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances and a natural stone countertop, but also provides a natural and inviting atmosphere. Kitchen cabinets are also an important of remodeling a kitchen.
Picking Out Kitchen Cabinets
The style of a kitchen that a person desires will determine what type of kitchen cabinets that they desire when it comes to door style, finish, and color. Custom cabinetry is a good idea for those people that are completely gutting their kitchen. Cabinet refacing is ideal for those people that like how their cabinets are currently laid out, but want to modernize the design. This option is also environmentally friendly and it also may save a person thousands of dollars. Cabinet spaces can still be repurposed and/or integrate high-end hinges and closers. Countertops can also add some creativity to a kitchen.
The Creativity of Countertops
The kitchen countertops that a person chooses for their kitchen is very important. They reflect a person’s values, how they use their kitchen, and, of course, their style. Eco-friendly cabinets are made of materials like Quartz and Corian. These materials are made from post-consumer recycled products, low-toxicity synthetic materials, and are very strong. They also do not require a lot of upkeep. For a luxurious countertop, granite countertops are still thought of as a top-shelf countertop finish with a lot of colors available, and also many patterns to select from. You have to ensure that the granite is sealed. This will preserve its natural beauty. For those people getting new countertops on a budget, laminate countertops have drastically improved in the past fifteen years. Some of them are a lot like Corian and natural stone counters. There are a few more tips that will turn a very ordinary kitchen into something extraordinary.
Kitchen Island
A kitchen island can give a person more counter space, storage space, and even an additional sink to a kitchen. They do not even have to be permanent. A portable kitchen island still provides water and power hook-ups for for all food preparation needs. If a permanent kitchen island is placed inside a kitchen, a homeowner can think about placing a pots and pans rack over the island which will give them more cabinet and counter space.
Heated Floors
This floor may seem extravagant, but for those who live in cold areas, a heated floor can really be needed to stop floor tiles from cracking and pipes from freezing. There are a lot of various methods of putting in a heated floor that include heated floor tiles, installing a mesh heating system under the floor or installing baseboard heating along the floor perimeter. There are kitchen flooring heating kits available on the market at any home improvement store that can make this task easier.
Natural Light
Natural light is helpful to kitchen because it helps people save money on their electricity bill. One way to get natural light in a kitchen is to get bigger windows or additional windows placed in a kitchen. Another method is to open up the kitchen to the rest of the house by taking out some of the walls that separate the kitchen from other rooms that have large picture windows, which allows for additional light to get into the room. A homeowner can also think about putting in a skylight in a kitchen if the kitchen ceiling has direct access to the roof. As I mentioned earlier, the bathroom is the busiest room in the house. Therefore, it may need a remodeling from time to time.
Beautifying The Bathroom
There are a lot of reasons for remodeling a bathroom. The fixtures may be old or outdated. The structure could have had a lot of wear and tear over the years. The space may not be big enough or there may not be enough lighting. A family could just be bored with it also.
A paint job or or resurfacing the tub could make a bathroom look like new. A family can also save money if they do the remodeling by themselves. If the bathroom requires a lot of work, more planning will be needed. A checklist for a bathroom remodel is essential. The checklist needs to include: a detailed plan that includes measurements and exact placements of all features, gathering materials, getting rid of old furnishings and fixtures, cleaning up after the remodel, and decorating the bathroom after the remodel is complete.
All of these ideas, tips, and suggestions are great tools of the trade for home remodeling. If you follow them, they can make your ho hum home into a home that you love to live in and love to show off.