4 Crucial Tips For Remodeling Your Bathroom

Remodeling a bathroom can be a huge job, but there are some things that can make it easier for you. The bathroom is one of the most rooms in the home and many people end up remodeling their bathroom at some point in time. Maybe you are tired of the old décor or you need to make better use of the space in the bathroom. Whatever the reason you are thinking of remodeling, you definitely want to make sure you do the job right the first time or you will end up wasting thousands of dollars. Here are a few great tips for remodeling your bathroom that can help you make sure you get the most out of your bathroom remodel.
Tip #1 – Keep it Functional
First of all, when you are remodeling the bathroom in your home, make sure you keep it functional. Sure, you want the bathroom to look great, but you have to think about function. It can help to think about what you need out of your bathroom. Is this a bathroom for the kids, a bathroom for guests, or are you remodeling the one off the master bedroom. Think about who will be using the bathroom and it can help you make sure you keep it functional for the people who will be using it the most.
Tip #2 – Make it a Soothing Escape
While function is definitely important, when you remodel your bathroom, you also want to make it a soothing escape. The bathroom is more than just a necessary room. You want to create some atmosphere and give yourself a place that you can escape to for some relaxation at the end of the day. Decorate with colors and a theme that you find relaxing. If you enjoy taking baths, then make sure you incorporate a tub large enough for you to relax in. Keep it functional, but go beyond function to design a beautiful room where you can escape for some well deserved relaxation.
Tip #3 – Consider Doing the Work You Can Yourself
If you have the time and the know-how, consider doing all the work that you can on your own. Having your bathroom remodeled can get pretty expensive, especially if you are having a contractor take care of all the work for you. Just taking care of some of the work yourself can save you a whole lot of money. Sure, there may be some areas you are not experienced in, such as plumbing or electrical work, so it is worth it to pay to have someone else take care of that. However, you can do a lot of the other work yourself for big time savings that free up money to put on other parts of the project.
Tip #4 – Always Decide on a Budget Before Starting
Probably one of the most important tips for you to remember when you are going to do a bathroom remodel is to decide on a budget before starting the project. Many people have no idea how much a bathroom remodel is going to end up costing them. They don’t create a budget and end up spending far more money than they really can afford. It’s a better idea to come up with the amount you can spend first and then come up with a remodeling plan that sticks to that budget. This way you don’t create a lot of debt when remodeling, yet you still get a nice bathroom that you can afford.…

Easy & Creative Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

When given the chance to remodel an area of one’s house, the kitchen is usually the first one that is chosen because it is where a lot of the family spends quite a few hours of their day. All of their meals are here, homework is done at the kitchen table, the preparations for meals are done here, and meetings are held here with various people from kids to traveling in-laws.
Aside from the living or dining room, this place is the most used room in the house. So, to have it remodeled is a great idea, especially if the house is more than 10 years old, the kitchen will definitely need updating, because of all the new energy saving ovens, stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, and microwaves that are now available. If one is planning to sell their home soon, remodeling the kitchen would add value to the house and add to the functionality of the kitchen.
Most people like to update their kitchen cabinetry at least once a decade. This gives them the chance to keep their kitchen in style because styles do not change that rapidly in home decor and it can be expensive. The first thing to consider when updating the cabinetry is the quality of the cabinets. It would not do to have cabinets that got wet one time and the facing began to peel off of it.
So, ask for the cabinets that can endure a lot of water and liquids, because there will be spills and they will not just be the typical glass of water. There will be soda pop, juice, milk, and a variety of other liquids spilt on the cabinets that could possibly strip away its beauty. A good question to ask the sales associate in the store before buying any cabinets is: Will these cabinets be stripped if lemon juice, vinegar or soup is split on it? If the answer is yes, try to pick something else.
Another quality consideration is the temperature of your kitchen. How hot does it usually get when cooking? Does the oven turn into a melting point that causes everything, including you to sweat? If so, consider the damage that could do to your new cabinets. Would you really want to have to replace them in a year or so because they are so warped from the heat that you cannot open them? Ask the sales associate what temperature heat the cabinets can withstand before they warp or are damaged.
When remodeling, one needs to consider the option of having custom cabinets made versus buying cabinets off of the showroom floor. Sure, the custom cabinets will look amazing in the kitchen and should be made of materials that are strong enough to handle the abuse of your kitchen, but will the debt of those custom cabinets be paid off before you are ready to renovate the kitchen again? With standard cabinets, you can afford to buy them and install them without breaking the bank. So, keep your budget in mind when shopping around for new cabinets.…

Kitchen Remodeling and Renovations

Remodeling and renovating your kitchen is very exciting. Creating your dream kitchen to cherish and share with your friends is one of the great pleasures in life. Your home is your sanctuary and reflects who you are and what is important to you. Walking into your home to a remodeled kitchen is a delight.
The first step in kitchen renovation is to have a general idea of what you want to do and what you want out of your kitchen. When you have lived in your kitchen you will know what you do and do not like about your kitchen. Does the location of your refrigerator bother you? Do you like your stove? Do you have enough cabinet space? All of these questions need to be pondered. What do you want in your dream kitchen? How do you want your kitchen to function? Do you need to open it up to your living area to have more of a flow for entertaining and everyday living? Do you need to create more space for cabinets? Is it set up in a functional way for cooking? Do you love wine and want to incorporate a wine cooler? Do you need a double oven for cooking for holidays and entertaining?
You want to have a clear idea of what you want so when you go to your kitchen designer you wont waste time drawing up models of the kitchen. You may ask how to find a good designer? Ask your circle of contacts if they have hired or know of a good designer. Realize that what will make a good designer for you will be that you adore their work. Your friends and family may recommend a good designer but if you love traditional and the designer is hot on contemporary he or she is not the designer for you.
Your designer can do as little as draw a design of your kitchen with kitchen cabinets or can go all the way with you to covering all the minute details necessary for a kitchen remodel. When you are looking for a designer what are the signs you want to watch out for is if the designer will limit you to purchasing any cabinets or accessories from their suppliers. Do not limit yourself, even if you end up buying from your designers recommended source you want to have the option of going to a variety of cabinet suppliers.
When you meet with a designer have your list of what you want in your kitchen along with pictures from magazines or websites. Give the designer as much detail as possible about your likes and dislikes. It goes without saying to look at past projects the designer has done, if the style of the designer is not to your liking it is time to move on and find one whose designs you do like. Don’t expect the designer to be different on your job than they are on other projects.
Another key to a good designer is whether or not they will adhere to your budget. Ideally if you have no monetary concerns the sky is the limit. However if you are like many individuals, even if you have unlimited cash flow, you normally have a budget in mind that you want to spend on your kitchen remodel. If your designer keeps pushing you to spend money you would rather not spend this is not a good sign.
Renovating your kitchen can be rewarding and exciting. A good kitchen design is timeless and will bring you years of fulfillment and happy memories. Look for plenty of photos on kitchen remodeling and renovation projects to inspire you and give you the ideas you can use when you design your dream kitchen.…

Hiring A Home Remodeling Contractor

Finding a contractor is a headache in home repair, causing the most anxiety of all phases. In a contractor you are looking for someone trustworthy who puts effort in a good job and charges a decent price. Unfortunately, contractors cannot offer guarantees. However, do your homework and you can improve your odds, finding a winning home remodeling contractor can take a ton of weight of your shoulders and relieve you of that throbbing headache.
The Overseeing General Contractor
General contractors are the people hired to oversee your project, responsible for managing every aspect of the project. Purchasing material, hiring sub-contractors is all included in the expectations of a general contractor. Usually, a contract is signed between the contractor and the party needing work performed, in order to ensure payments only be made to him. At that point, the contractor is responsible for being sure the sub-contractors and suppliers get paid. The general contractor act as a general in the military would, you can go to them if you have any concerns.
How to Find a Reputable Remodeling Contractor
Common knowledge tells us to get at a minimum three bids on the project. Most people would say ask around at your local hardware shops like Lowe’s or Home Depot and consider the word-of-mouth candidates. Ask your friends and family, even neighbors about remodeling contractors they have used in the past. In this field it’s important to believe in your instincts, consider if the contractor respond back to you promptly did they show up early or on time to your appointment? In meeting with the contractor pay attention to see if they answer questions with elaboration ask for references, lay out the expectations of the job. After the meeting has concluded ask yourself if the communication between the potential client and contractor was where it needed to be? Most importantly, you need to be sure that you can be comfortable speaking directly to this person throughout the entire process of your project you will be communicating back and forth.
Bidding
When asking contractors to bid jobs make sure you provide an identical scope of work with your plans, also include a materials list. You want every contractor to receive identical plans, otherwise they will be bidding upon different basis then you will have inaccurate bids for comparison which probably wont work out well for you. The remodeling contractor should send you bids in writing that contain itemized labor charges and a list of material.
References
When your contractor submits their references, put forth effort in checking the credibility of the reference, call and find out if it is okay that you do a drive by to take a look at the work personally. Before signing the contract, it would be a good idea to check up on how this person conducts business. Run a background check, you probably don’t want a person who is a known burglar in your house. Confirm the contractors worker’s comp as well as the liability insurance, be absolutely positive that the contractor does not have multiple lawsuits against them.…

Affordable Bathroom Remodeling Contractor

If you are searching for the best bathroom remodeling, service in Denver CO area, there are some important things you need to keep in mind. The first thing that you need to understand is that remodeling the bathroom isn’t an easy task. There are several things that need to be done, which will take a good amount of time to accomplish. There are also several experts in the industry who can help you out with bathroom remodeling. You need to take the right step at the right time to do the bathroom remodel.
The most difficult part of the bathroom modification is space management and utilization. If the bathroom is small, getting all the bathroom items in that small place becomes a great challenge. First, you would think of the bath tub and they you would try and arrange all the other items around it. Although this is a conventional method of designing the bathroom, there are some newer, innovative ways to adding value and aesthetic appeal to your bathroom.
Good Tips For Selecting The Best Remodeling Contractor
When you take the decision of complete bathroom modification, you will have to get complete take apart the old bathroom items first. If you have only one bathroom in the house, you will have to involve the other family members as well. You and your family members can sit and discuss what will go where in the bathroom. Finding a good solution for the bathroom modification is always a welcome. If you find yourself at odds with the rest of your family members arrive at consensus by accepting some of their suggestions. If you are the homemaker and you feel that a certain design would work best in the long run, feel free to take the decisions yourself.
You may have to take ideas from experts, but it is not recommended to do all what they say. You need to have a good judgement of what is good and what is not so good for your bathroom. You will need the professional help of a trained plumber for the fittings of the bathroom items such as the bath tubs, bathroom vanities, bathroom cabinets, and so on. Before zeroing in on the various bathroom items, make sure that they will fit in the bathroom. If you are not aware of the design aspects, get help from a good bathroom modification service in Denver CO area.
When taking professional help, make sure to understand the layout of the bathroom. The bathroom modification expert will chalk out a plan, which you will approve. Check out the local newspapers for the names and contact numbers of some good plumbers. You will also find a good number of bathroom professionals on the Internet. These days, even new entrants in the field of bathroom design would make it look that they are in the field for years. So, put on your thinking cap and select the best bathroom expert not by what they say they can do, but by what they have done in the past.
A bathroom modification service in Denver CO area can cost you a lot, but you need to identify the best service that will give you the best rates. Cost of the service depends on several factors which include experience of the bathroom technicians and skills of the bathroom technicians.…

Bathroom Remodeling – 8 Things to Consider When Planning a Bathroom Renovation

Bathroom remodeling has the second highest return on investment of any renovation you can do in your home. It is right next to kitchen remodeling for ROI.
A bathroom remodel can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars, to tens of thousands. It all depends on your budget, your home and your goals.
No matter what your budget, you have 2 goals with a bathroom remodel. To increase its beauty and to increase its function.
Here are 8 areas you need to consider whether you are thinking about just freshening up, or completely renovating your bathroom. The great thing about this list is you can choose to do 1, 2, or all of them in any combination, and still make a big impact on your bathrooms usability and look.
Cabinets
The first thing you are going to notice when you walk into your new bathroom, are the cabinets. New cabinets will improve your bathroom almost instantly.
Cabinet prices range a lot, from cheap particle board to custom construction. But, you can usually find something quite elegant for a reasonable price if you shop around.
Hardware
Even if you can’t afford to upgrade your cabinetry, new hardware will make a huge difference. Whether you have replaced your cabinetry or not, there are literally thousands of different items you can pick out to enhance your look.
It is amazing how a nice set of hardware will make even a mediocre cabinet look high end.
Fixtures
New bathroom fixtures, including faucets and sinks etc should be chosen to fit in with the style of the cabinetry and the overall look. You don’t want to put modern fixtures in with elegant old fashioned cabinetry and hardware.
Even if you can’t upgrade your cabinets, adding new fixtures, as long as they are a similar style, will make a big difference in the feel of your bathroom.
Flooring / Tile
There simply isn’t a better finish for a bathroom floor than tile. Usually bathrooms aren’t that large, so the cost difference over other options will not even be that significant. Its possible find inexpensive tile if you look around for sales. It is also possible to find very expensive, elegant tile, depending on your budget.
Another popular option is linoleum, but if you can find inexpensive tile, it will definitely have a bigger impact, for probably a similar cost.
Storage
Creating a storage wall is always a great investment. Bathrooms never seem to have enough storage, but by building a storage wall, you can get small items out of your way, and create an attractive display.
Mirror
Adding a big mirror to your bathroom will accomplish 2 things. First of all, it is a very practical addition, allowing you to get ready with ease. Second, it will make your small bathroom look larger.
Lighting
If your bathroom is bright, it doesn’t matter if it is small. It will feel bright and comfortable. There are many choices of different bathroom lights available starting at the very inexpensive and moving up to very extravagant.
Tub or Shower
In Panama, bath tubs are not very popular, but they are gaining acceptance. Whirlpool tubs are built in many different sizes and shapes. They will fit into any spot where an existing tub exists, and often even where there is an existing shower.
These 8 improvements can be done on their own, or in combination with a complete bathroom remodel. It all depends on your budget and goals. But, if you want to freshen up your bathroom, these are the 8 areas you need to think about.
The first thing you need to do is determine your budget. And then, look at each one of these items to decide which you can change, and which you can not.
A bathroom remodel, whether small or large, will make your home a much more enjoyable place to be. And it will make your home more valuable when you go to sell.…

Home Remodeling and Renovation Tips for Homeowners

Maryland homeowners are undertaking renovations and remodels for several reasons in today’s real estate market. Many owners who purchased in the last 5 to 7 years have been forced to stay in their homes because they owe more than the present market value. They realize that since they will be staying in their home for a while, they might as well make improvements that they will enjoy. Others, who are considering a move, are improving their homes to make them more market ready when they decide to sell. Upgrading a home to the standard of the neighborhood is usually a wise choice for a value-conscious homeowner.

Return On Investment

Whatever the reason, making careful and thoughtful decisions about home improvement is the key to getting the most return on investment. Most improvements that are made do not bring the full return of the cost at the sale of the home, but some improvements bring a better return than others.

In conjunction with National Association of Realtors, Remodeling Magazine conducts an annual survey that is one of the most comprehensive and most cited on the subject of return on investment when it comes to home remodeling. The 2010 survey has just been published at .

The average payback on home improvement projects in the Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes a large part of Maryland, is 64%, with a low of 48% on a home office remodel, and a high of 147% on a steel entry door replacement.

The 5 top ROI projects are:

An attic bedroom at 90% ROI

A basement remodel at 84% ROI

Siding Replacement at 80.5% ROI

A wood deck addition at 79.8% (A composite deck has a 71.2% ROI)

Window Replacement (wood) at 78.4% ROI (Vinyl widows bring 76.4% ROI)

What gets the least ROI?

Office Remodel at 48% ROI

Sunroom Addition at 55% ROI

Backup power generator at 60% ROI

Bathroom addition at 62% ROI

Garage addition at 66% ROI

Renovations on Older Homes: Lead Paint

The median age of homes in the U.S. is 36 years old. In other words, half the homes in the country were built before 1974. The median home age in Maryland is 42, half of the homes in Maryland’s communities were built before 1968. Lead paint was not banned until 1978. Many of these older homes contain lead paint, which is a health hazard and requires special treatment. New environmental regulations took effect this year, requiring a contractor to have a certification by the EPA to perform work on homes with lead-based paint. The enforcement of the rule won’t start until October 1 of 2010, to give remodeling contractors time to get the certification.

The rule doesn’t apply to do-it-yourself homeowners, only to professionals. But homeowners who undertake renovations should become familiar with issues surrounding lead-based paint. The EPA publishes guidelines in “Renovate Right”, found on their website.

To find out if your home has lead based paint you can use a test kit found at your local hardware store. You can also hire a certified risk assessor or contractor to find out.

Greening Your Home

Once the testing is out of the way, the possibilities for renovation plans can be endless. Green renovations are just one of the considerations to think about. Green construction is getting much more positive press these days, from builders and from buyers. Green renovations could make your house more desirable to buyers in today’s market. In a recent survey by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and McGraw-Hill Construction, the results show that interest in green-friendly renovations and building strategies are on the rise. Some of the findings:

Green building combines smart design and careful material selection to reduce energy and water consumption. One of the many resources for green design ideas is the U.S. Green Building Council. When planning green renovations, remember the Federal tax Credits for certain qualifying energy efficient renovations, but also remember that Maryland’s tax credits and grants for certain home renovations.

If the renovations you are planning are beyond your scope, hiring a reputable contractor is a wise choice. The cost is often well-spent when the results are professional. But how does one select a contractor who will do a great job for a reasonable price?

Tips from the Better Business Bureau

While the cost vs. payback factor is important in planning renovation projects, it’s not the only consideration. For homeowners who are renovating to be able to “age in place” or who need to care for an elderly family member, or remodel for a home office so they don’t have to commute, other issues may be more important than return on investment. For some projects, the satisfaction and quality of life while living in a house that you love is the main priority.

Gather bids from between 3 to …