Just before my neighbor placed her house on the market last Spring, she had a contractor come in to make several updates. Among the items replaced were her worn down kitchen counter, an aged light fixture, and a section of torn carpeting. Lastly, she had her construction guy update her laundry room.

The laundry room part surprised me as I never would have considered this part of the house to be all that important for the potential buyer. I was soon proven wrong when the house sold within a week, my neighbor boasting that the updated laundry was the clincher.

Making Improvements To Sell Your Home

Well, it turns out that a laundry area is important for some people particularly for the new owner who has four children and uses that room a lot. My former neighbor, Betty, didn’t have to gut the laundry to make it presentable, but she make several updates which helped her cause:

Cabinet Refacing or Painting — Betty’s home was built in the early 1970s, but the laundry room was updated once before her contractor got to it. Still, the twenty year old cabinets needed sprucing up, leaving my neighbor with a choice: paint or reface? She chose to paint.

New Tile Flooring – Broken tile thanks to damage from the washer and dryer meant that new flooring had to be put down. With wood floors underneath, Betty could have had everything stripped down but she chose to add fresh laminate to protect the wood and add some extra sparkle.

Wall Improvement — Other than having a side shelf installed to hold those items which wouldn’t fit into the cabinets, Betty chose to have the walls repainted. She chose eggshell white which goes well with her floors and shelving.

Lighting — I like recessed lighting, but my neighbor chose to keep the existing fluorescent lighting in place, simply to limit all of our repairs to under $5000. My new neighbors have since installed the recessed lights which are bright without causing strain on the eyes.

Odds ‘n Ends — There are no windows in this laundry room, so shades, blinds or curtains aren’t needed. Betty’s old stereo system still pumps music into the room, providing a momentary escape while doing household chores. If a laundry is big enough, a chair to relax might nice provided that the ventilation in the room is adequate enough to remove bleach fumes and a soapy smell.

Should You Make Changes Or Not?

Prior to her speaking with a realtor about listing her home, my neighbor hadn’t planned to make too many updates to the home. However, with a few glaring deficiencies present and a tight housing market to contend with, Betty went ahead with the work and was able to sell her home quickly and at full price. Not every home improvement project needs to be handled in advance of placing a home on the market, but in this case one did and succeeded.

Tags: home buy, home sell, housing contractor, laundry room

Backyard Leisure

Although I never have owned my own pool, I’ve visited quite a few homes where the owners have built backyard retreats centered on the pool, a barbecue, even a horseshoe pit. In these days of high gas prices, lots of homeowners are glad to have their favorite leisure activities nearby.

If you live in a more northerly climate, your swimming season is typically short and sweet, perhaps three months at best maybe even four if September remains warm. For the person who enjoys swimming only in the hottest weather, then this limited period of aquatic activity is enough for them, but for everyone else extending the season by several months is desirable and becomes a possibility thanks to a pool heater.

The Benefits of a Swimming Pool Heater

Even if you live in Florida, a pool heater makes sense if only to guarantee year ’round swimming. Taking a dip in the pool following a night where temperatures dropped into the 50s is an unpleasant experience; it take hours for the water temperature to rebound to an acceptable level.

When it comes to choosing pool heaters, you have three choices to consider: a solar heater, gas heater, or a heat pump heater. Costs for all three start around the same price, but the most economically efficient heater is also the one that is the most environmentally complementary: a solar heater.

Three Types of Pool Heaters

Let’s take a look at the three types of pool heaters:

Solar Pool Heaters — The key ingredient for a solar pool heater to successfully do its job is sunshine. The more sunny days you have as well as exposure to direct sunlight, the better.

Without going into explicit detail, a solar pool heater consists of four parts: a solar collector (which can be placed on the roof of your home, on a nearby garage, or on top of some other stable outdoor building; a filter; pump; and a flow control valve. Pool water is pumped out of the pool through the collector and back into the pool once it has been heated. You’ll still burn some energy via the electric or gas pump that operates the system, but you’ll use a lot less fuel than had you selected the other choices.

Gas Pool Heaters — By far the most popular type of pool heater, gas pool heaters are prized by people who want to heat up their pools quickly. They also consume the most energy.

Gas pool heaters can use either natural gas or propane. The pump circulates the pool’s water where the water that has been taken from the pool passes through a filter and then onto the heater. The fuel burns in the heater’s combustion chamber, creating heat that transfers to the water which is then returned to the pool.

Heat Pump Pool Heaters - More fuel efficient than a gas pool heater, a heat pump captures heat via electricity. Air that circulates through the unit is heated up and turned into a gas which then heats the water that circulates through the heater with the help of a condenser, compressor, and heating coils to warm up the water.

Which Pool Heater Should You Choose?

Choosing between the different types of heaters available depends on your needs, where you live, and how often you use your pool. Although a basic unit can cost as little as $500, most comprehensive pool heating systems will run you between $3000-$4000 installed plus annual energy costs and maintenance.

Finally, a swimming pool heater can add value to your home as a heated pool is a more attractive selling point for the buyer who enjoys swimming and wants to extend their swimming season beyond its limits.

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Adv. — You can tap your home’s equity to cover the costs of any type of renovation including the addition of a pool heating system. Give your home an edge by choosing a quality unit, comparing equity products and learning how to make your home improvement project a reality.

Tags: equity line of credit, gas pool heaters, heat pump pool heater, home equity loan, Home Improvement, solar pool heaters, swimming pool

Unless you move on a fairly regular basis, at some point you’ll have to replace your home’s roof at least once. A roof that does its job well is important because it protects your home from everything that nature can throw at it. Rain, wind, sun, snow, hail, sleet, ice, debris, and much more must be repelled and only a roof that is in good shape can get the job done.

You have several options available when replacing your current roof, but not every choice may be feasible. Shingle roofs are the most widely used materials for new roofs, offering a good price and available in a number of different colors (black, gray, earth tones, even vibrant colors) and styles. Derived from asphalt and reinforced fiberglass matting, the cost of materials has risen sharply this past year as have all petroleum based products. If working with a contractor, get the price of the shingles to be used in writing.

Longer Lasting Roofs

Most roofs will last between 20-25 years, but some shingles have warranties which extend their usefulness to 40 years, even longer. You’ll pay more for better quality shingles, but you’ll have a roof that lasts longer and, if you plan on selling your home, a roof that will add value.

Beyond shingles, some homeowners prefer metal roofs because they are more durable and able to hold up against high wind and can resist fires. Businesses and factories favor steel and metal roofs, but homeowners are finding that they can provide superior protection for their homes too. Tip: Check with your insurance broker to find out if your metal roof would drop your homeowners premium too!

Contractor or DIY?

If you are searching for a roofing contractor, find someone who is licensed and can provide local references.  Check with the Better Business Bureau or your Chamber of Commerce for local roofers. Get your estimates in writing and insist that everyone who steps on your property is covered by the roofing company’s insurance.

If you are planning to tackle the roofing job yourself, then shopping around for supplies can save you money.  To plan your project, you’ll need to do the following:

• Measure the entire room, section by section. Width x length for each section and then add those numbers together to determine how much shingles you will need. Divide that number by 100 and then add 5-10% to your total to cover waste, mistakes, and eventual repairs.

• Follow the shingle manufacturer’s guidance on the type of nails to be used and the recommended number of nails for each shingle. Multiply that amount by the square footage to determine the amount of nails needed.

• Purchase enough roofing felt to cover the entire roof.

• Roofing cement will be needed for ridges, flashes, and edges. Other roofing materials can be purchased as the same time as your shingles.

Most roofing jobs can be completed in about two days for an average sized home, by using a team of workers to strip and remove the old roof and lay down the new roof. Once done, you’ll have a home that looks great, is more energy efficient, and ready to withstand whatever nature will be throwing at it over the next 20, 30 or 40 years.

Tags: asphalt, fiberglass mat, Home Improvement, metal roof, new roof, roof, roof warranty, shingles, steel roof