Tuesday, February 23, 2010

HVAC Ductwork

Howdy readers! I found some great information that I just had to share when I was checking out one of my buddy's recent posts. The information is on ductwork. Now I recently did some renovations to my home's heating and air system so this topic was fresh in my mind. We installed a geo-thermal heat pump and let me tell you I am very excited about my home going green! We also upgraded the insulation and looked at various ways to improve the energy efficiency of our home as a whole. Thankfully our ductwork didn't have any leaks and was well insulated so it didn't require much updating. However, for many older homes faulty ductwork can be a big drain on the heating and cooling system. If you haven't had your air ducts cleaned recently then I would highly recommend doing so. Just be careful and make sure that you hire a reputable company, otherwise you could end up with a bigger problem. The last thing you want is some makeshift duct cleaning machine punching holes in your ductwork so that you require an even larger expense. If you want a great resource on how to care for your ducts check out this page: Proper Ductwork Maintenance . This is one of the best information sources on the topic that I have ever found. It is by one of the hubpages author's that I have mentioned before; she writes lots of good stuff. OK folks that's it for today, check out those links and learn some great information.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Bathroom Articles

I got some great feedback on the last post that I did where I share several bathroom resources with you folks so I wanted to take a moment and share some additional resources that I have come across and wanted to share those with you all as well. I was checking out one of my favorite sites which is hubpages.com and I came across a couple of bathroom related posts by one of the top authors on hubpages. The author's name is habee and she has some really great posts. Her posts span several different areas and it was interesting to read about both her knowledge of home and bathroom decor while also reading her souther cuisine recipes. Two of the bathroom hubs that I really like dealt with modern bathroom designs. The first was a hub about frameless shower doors. Now as many of you know I have been long considering a major bathroom remodel and after having read a few articles on this topic recently I am leaning more and more toward giving it a go. I just think that the beauty of these frameless shower doors is something to really behold. Now if you are going to go with the frameless shower door, I don't think you can just have an old fashioned boring porcelain sink. Nope, I think you need to step the budget up and go for a vessel sink. The variety and styles of vessel sinks that are available these days is really something to behold. You may or may not know that these sinks are really a throwback style to days in the past. Before the advent of modern plumbing people used to wash up in vessel style sinks that held water that would serve as a washing area. Its interesting how what was old becomes new and whats new becomes old. Anyway in addition to that cool hub on frameless shower doors, I also read a cool hub about small bath tubs. These bathtubs are really gaining in popularity as well and if I decide to add one one of these little guys might definitely be an option. Since most of the space in my bathroom is taken up by the oversized shower, it might be cool to add a little clawfoot bathtub to give it a nice modern/classic juxtaposition. Well I hope you enjoy those articles. Stay tuned for more cool bathroom resources.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Landscape Designs

Have you always wanted to landscape the front or backyard but just haven't found the time to get around to it? Well I have some good news for you. There is a great site that can help you shorten the timeframe to completing your yard and help you with some landscape design ideas. I would definitely recommend that you check out the site if you have a chance and hopefully when it warms up a little you can get to work!
Now there are a few things that you want to keep in mind anytime you start a landscaping project. Let's go over a few basics right now so that you can be well-aware of these things before you begin your research.
1. Set a Firm Budget. Many people know that when it comes to home improvements, costs can start to get out of control really quickly. If you set a firm budget then you will be sure to keep this in check.
2. Hire Professionals Now in an attempt to cut costs it may be enticing to go ahead and hire cheaper labor so that you can spend more money on materials. Don't do this! This almost always ends up costing you more in the long run. If you are going to make the investment, do it right and hire a landscaper or landscaping professional.
These are just a few tips, we will go into even more detail on landscape designs and tips for implementing your ideas soon.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Bathroom Resources

I would like to share some great bathroom resources that I've come across with you all today. These are articles and posts on various topics that I think are worth reading, particularly if you are thinking about doing any bathroom remodeling. Bathroom remodeling can really add value to your home but at the same time spending too much money on a remodel is foolish. You want to ideally take the time to analyze what your investment will yield in terms of return on investment(ROI) prior to deciding how much money you are willing to spend to update your bathroom.
The first article that I came across talks about frameless glass shower doors. This article talked about many of the various types of frameless shower doors. These are very popular in higher end remodels and I think that they will continue to gain in popularity amongst the masses as prices continue to come down. A frameless glass shower door adds both beauty and function to any bathroom.
Another article I saw that was about shower screens. Shower screens function much in the same way as shower doors but they typically have various advantages and disadvantages over doors. This article gives a nice breakdown on when to use shower screens and how to select the right shower screen for your particular situation. It is definitely worth reading and I would encourage you to check it out.
Now sticking with the theme of bathroom remodeling, you may also want to check out this post on toilet bowl parts. Now when you remodel a bathroom you may want to consider updating your toilet to a low-flow or a power flush toilet. These can be environmentally friendly and add value to your home. If you are on a budget and need to keep your existing toilet then check out that post to learn a little more about how your toilet works so that you can be confident fixing any problems if and when they come up.
The last bathroom post that I am going to recommend today is one on small bathtubs. This post gives lots of useful information for people who want a bathtub but are stuck with a home that has a small bathroom. Many bathrooms can't accommodate the standard 5 foot bathtub and this article gives lots of nice options for bathtubs that can fit in smaller spaces. Even if you don't want a small bathtub it might be interesting to learn about the various options that are out there for people who do need a smaller tub.
That's all for today, I hope you enjoy reading the articles.

Friday, February 5, 2010

How to Determine When Home Improvements Increase Property Value

One of the biggest questions for home-owners when they are considering whether or not to make certain home improvements is whether or not at the end of the day their efforts will have a positive net effect on their property value. This is a very logical concern so let's discuss a few ways to determine whether or not this will be the case for an improvement that you are considering. First of all the overall cost of the home improvement should be determined. If you are looking to remodel a kitchen then you will want to first determine what you are able and willing to spend. Once you have that number you can compare that to what the value of a new kitchen would add to your home. So if you are willing to spend $25,000 on a kitchen and see that a new kitchen could add $50,000 to your home's value then this is certainly a reasonable thing to pursue. However, if you want the latest and greatest of every new appliance and kitchen technology you might start out with a budget of $60,000 -$70,000. At this point you should be able to recognize that your budget is too high since the maximum increase in your property value will be $50,000.
Now the next question to ask is to make sure that whatever improvements you are doing will actually add the most value to your home. For this you may want to consult a local real estate professional who can tell you the buying tendencies of people in your neighborhood. You might be in love with a classic Victorian design but that might not work well in a climate where buyers want a modern look.
In summary, make sure to do a littl leg work up front to make sure that your improvements will indeed have a positive net effect on your home's property value.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

New Orleans Kitchen Cabinets

New Orleans Kitchen Cabinets
For those of you in the Louisiana area who are interested in kitchen cabinet refacing, I have found a great resource that I would like to share with you. This is a site called New Orleans Kitchen Cabinets. This site offers lots of information for home-owners in the Big Easy who may be interested in doing a little kitchen remodeling. Whether you are interested in cabinet refacing, corner cabinet installation, or a variety of other cabinet related renovations, this site has something for you. If you are not in the New Orleans area then their information probably won't be as helpful but you might still learn something. When you have some time check out the site and let me know what you all think by leaving a comment and sharing your opinion of the information that they present on the site. I'd love to hear some of your feedback.
I had a close friend who recently did some remodeling in their kitchen and they paid a pretty penny for all of the new cherry cabinetry that they installed. Since this is generally one of the biggest expenses in a typical kitchen renovation it makes sense to investigate it thoroughly. Sites like New Orleans Kitchen Cabinets make this process a lot easier. Whenever you consider any major remodel you should stop and ask yourself a few questions. One, will the renovation increase the value of my home enough to pay for the costs? This is a big one. If you spend $50,000 re-doing your kitchen but it only increases your property value by $20,000 then you have just sunk $30,000. Now if you plan to live in this house for the rest of your life then you might be willing to take the hit but for most people this isn't very smart. The average person only lives in a home for 5-7 years so this could be disastrous. This is even more important if you plan to finance the renovation with a second mortgage or some other type of loan. The last thing you want to do is have to pay back big money out of your pocket down the road.
Another question that you should ask yourself is whether or not you can really afford this renovation. The first thing people do when they get a lump sum of money is to spend it on the things that "they've always wanted but couldn't afford." This isn't always very smart. Don't risk your future for a new set of pine or cherry kitchen cabinets. OK so that is enough for now but if you get a chance check out the site and let me know what you all think.