This article is part of our ongoing home construction specification plan series.
Assembling a Home Construction Specification Plan — Spec Plan K: Exterior Home
The most difficult part of your home building project is now behind you. The roof is on your home, plumbing and wiring is in place, and you just had insulation added right after the HVAC system was put in place.
Turning your attention to the outside of the home, your next decision involves the home’s exterior. Will you go with brick face or vinyl siding? Or, do you prefer aluminum siding? What about wood siding? Maybe you like to periodically change the color of your home, something that only wood will allow you to do. Concrete, stucco and stone are some other options for you to consider.
Vinyl is, however, the clear choice for many homeowners today. Our busy lifestyles mean that most people seek maintenance-free solutions in order to free up leisure time. Vinyl siding provides years of exterior protection with limited maintenance — the occasional power wash will handle any excess dirt and keep your siding looking new for many years.
Some Things You Should Know About Vinyl Siding
- Vinyl siding comes in strips that are pre-colored and bent into shape during the manufacturing process. Although just 2mm thick, each twelve foot long and approximately one foot high strip is durable and able to endure the harshest weather conditions.
- Each piece interlocks and expands and contracts according to temperature and sunlight, with channels at the corners and around windows and doors holding the siding in place.
- Vinyl can also be used for the soffits and fascia board located in the vicinity of the roof area. Perforations in the soffit allow air to travel into the attic through the ridge vents to provide ventilation.
Other Exterior Touches To Consider
When designing your home’s exterior consider the following touches to customize your home’s look:
- Shutters to enhance the windows on the front of your home.
- Gutters and downspouts to move water away from your home’s foundation.
- Railings, columns and trim can be designed to give your home a unique look, particularly if your home has a porch or other screened in living area.
- Consider adding a weather vane or a cupola to your home and/or garage.
- Lightning protection devices such as a lightning rod and surge protectors can protect your home and sensitive electronic equipment.
- Don’t forget door chimes, knockers and other specials touches (including your mailbox) to make your house truly a home.
Now that your home’s exterior is done, please check back in next week as return inside to put the finishing touches on home’s interior decor.
I once worked with someone who was lamenting his wife’s plan to redo their kitchen. She wanted an extensive redesign, which included pushing out two walls, replacing tiles, cabinets and counter tops, and bringing in state-of-the-art equipment including a six burner stove and baker’s oven along with the most amazing sub-zero freezer I had ever heard of. With new lighting, windows and doorway included, the project was going to cost him just over $100,000. When another worker heard about the pending project he added the following words of advice, “Go ahead with the new kitchen, it is cheaper than a divorce.”
Although no marriage should be dependent on a home improvement project or other gift, it is often the granting of a desired wish that promotes marital intimacy. If you are considering a kitchen renovation, you won’t necessarily pay six-figures for your project. There are a number of different ways you can update your kitchen for less money and for more personal satisfaction. Read on and we’ll explore some kitchen design options you can live with.
Most homes that have been around for twenty years or more are due for a kitchen makeover if one hasn’t been done to date. Although not too many people would consider themselves to be chefs, a cook likes to have access to all of the modern conveniences in order to be comfortable in his or her working environment. On the other hand, you know that your kitchen is really dated when the team from “This Old House” shows up at your front door stating that they want to feature your kitchen redesign project in an upcoming episode. Hey, as long as they are paying for your new kitchen cabinets, sink and stove, who cares?
For people not fortunate enough to have their kitchen re-do featured and paid for, a plan that satisfies the gourmand without straining the budget is the way to go. Keep in mind if you plan on selling your home at some point, the look of the kitchen weighs heavily in any buyer’s decision-making.
Kitchen Home Improvement, Step-By-Step
The first step in planning a kitchen renovation project is to determine if you are satisfied with the current work area. If you are, then no structural changes will be needed. If you aren’t satisfied, a wall may have to be moved or removed or part of the kitchen will need to pushed out into the yard.
Next, you’ll want to see if you are satisfied with the current cabinets space. Do you have enough space or are you looking at adding additional cabinets to the kitchen? If you are satisfied with the number of cabinets in place, consider refacing the cabinets instead of replacing them. All new cabinets can add 10-30,000 dollars to the cost of your kitchen remodeling. Cabin refacing can cost between 2-5 thousand dollars.
Counter tops usually need to be replaced periodically as they are subject to wear and tear as well as to style changes. Granite counters and engineered stone are beautiful, but expensive. Laminates and ceramic tile are much more reasonable, but more difficult to clean. Butcher block looks great but you’ll have to maintain these counter tops by sanding and resealing as needed. Stainless steel is perfect for hot pans, but noisy and expensive. Soapstone, concrete and marble are some other choices worth considering.
Your kitchen hood should match the stove, so why not replace both of these items at the same time? Gas ranges start at around $500, but can easily top $2000 depending on number of burners selected and oven space. Yes, some of those baker quality stoves will set you back tens of thousands of dollars. A matching hood should cost no more than $500 for most standard ovens. Add in additional costs if duct work needs to be redone or reconfigured.
Floor tiling can add thousands of dollars to your kitchen redesign project depending on tiles selected and your kitchen’s square footage. You may also want to consider backsplash tiling that will match your floor and the counter tops. Popular tiling used in kitchens today include slate, granite, porcelain, ceramic, terra cotta, marble, glass, engineered stone, and concrete. Prices will range from a dollar or two per square foot for slate tiles to over ten dollars per square foot for glass, granite or marble.
Are you satisfied with your current refrigeration? How about the dish washer, sink, and garbage disposer? A basic white refrigerator/freezer can be had for less than $500 through most any big box retailer while some elaborate stainless steel side by side models will run as much as $6000. Expect to pay tens of thousands for a Sub-Zero freezer if that is the direction you want to take.
Sinks, lighting, seating, disposal, and decorative trim are some of the points to consider when renovating your kitchen. Yes, your project’s price range can vary from just under ten thousand dollars to well over six figures. For someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, a kitchen home improvement project could be the way to go. Finally, you will want to consider how your new kitchen will add value to your home and whether you will recoup that investment if you were to sell your home.
Christmas is over and a new year is about to begin. Like so many people, you’re probably thinking about making some important resolutions such as losing a few pounds, reading more books, perhaps taking control of your personal debt. Christmas shopping, medical bills, and credit card debt can add up putting more financial pressure on you then ever before. You’ve tried to cut back, but there is only so much meat on that bone!
Debt Consolidation Loans: Are They Right For You?
One way that consumers are getting a handle on their debt is through debt consolidation loans. By combining outstanding balances to just one monthly payment, hundreds of dollars in interest charges can be avoided and monthly payments lowered. Although a traditional debt management loan is one option, a home equity loan or home equity line of credit could be the better option for home owning consumers. Let’s examine how using your home’s equity can offer to you an appealing debt solution.
HEL or HELOC
A Home Equity Loan (HEL) or Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) are types of loans where your house is used as collateral for your debt. With a HEL your loan amount, interest rate, and loan term are pre-set, while a HELOC allows you to draw on your equity credit line as needed during a specified “draw period”. Like a HEL, a HELOC must be paid back within a certain amount of time, but the consumer has the option of borrowing all the way up to the loan limit or nothing at all. With a HELOC you only pay interest if money is borrowed, but with a HEL your interest charges begin to accrue when you borrow the money.
Some points to keep in mind when considering tapping your home’s equity includes:
- The loan is lien on your home. If you fail to pay back your HEL or HELOC, then the lender has the right to go after your home. Usually, a home equity loan is the second loan on the home, after the mortgage loan, but sometimes it is the first loan. In either case, the lender reserves the right to foreclose on your home if you default on payments.
- Your interest rate is established based on your credit history, amount borrowed, repayment ability, current market rates and loan term. People with a better credit history are eligible for a lower rate, but your interest rate may fluctuate if you take out a variable rate loan.
- There may be fees involved with the closing of your loan. These can include a title search charge, origination fee, attorney costs, appraisal, and more. Your lender is required to disclose what your fees will be, if any. Some lenders will absorb all of your fees while others will give you the option to add these fees to your loan (costing your more money in the long run).
- You may be able to deduct a portion of your interest rate payments from your taxes. Please check with a lone advisor to see if you qualify.
Is a home equity loan the right debt management solution for you? That is something for you to carefully consider. Shop around for a loan, compare rates, and understand the terms of the loan before moving forward. Your home is on the line when it comes to a home equity loan, but the lower interest rates and manageable monthly payments are two attributes worth noting.
