Professionals who understand home values will often say that there are two areas in a home which are most important to people: kitchens and bathrooms. This is made known when a home is being put up for sale as these rooms in the house are often the deciding factor whether someone will purchase a home or not.

That is also why when you consider making any kind of home renovation, you take a hard look at your kitchens and baths to see if these areas could use a complete overhaul or a minor refreshening. If you are looking specifically at your bathrooms for what you can do there.

When considering a bathroom renovation, you’ll need to keep the following in mind:

How extensive of a project are you looking at? Do you want to do a complete gutting down to the studs and floorboards or are you looking at replacing a counter top, a light fixture, and an exhaust fan? Of course, the more complicated the job, the more time it will take and the more money you will have to expend.

DIY or contractor? Will it be a do-it-yourself project or will you need to hire a contractor? Assess your skills, the time needed to complete the work, and your willingness to tackle the project. You may be able to handle replacing a vanity, toilet, or a shower stall, but making structural changes involving electricity, plumbing, and moving walls could be beyond your skill sets.

Out of pocket or bank financing? Do you have the funds available to do the work or will you need to take out an equity loan or secure a line of credit to finance the renovation. With the latter, you could gain an important tax deduction and a low rate on funds borrowed. You will, however, take on some debt. Fortunately, bathroom (and kitchen) renovations usually allow you to recoup your investment. Work on a budget to see what you can afford.

If you’re looking simple for a fresh look consider putting in a bath/shower liner, swapping out the wall paper, replacing a mirror, and changing a closet door. These can be especially good things to do if you plan on selling your new home in the future — you’ve brightened up the bathroom without expending a whole lot of money.

Tags: bathroom, counter tops, electrician, equity loan, flooring, home exhaust, Home Improvement, home renovation, joists, kitchen, line of credit, mirrors, plumbing, sconces, shower, sink, tile, toilet, tub, vanity, walls

Homeowners who are preparing to put their houses on the market are understandably nervous these days. Will a buyer be found? Will they be approved for a mortgage?

This sort of uncertainty has some owners thinking about spending extra money to make repairs in a bid to improve the marketability of their homes. While major repairs should be handled before the home is offered for sale, most sellers can make minor repairs and still sell their homes.

Before you sell, you need to assess how your home looks to potential buyers. A skilled real estate agent can suggest what repairs you should make before marketing your home; those tips are likely to include the following:

Clean up your landscaping — your front lawn could make or break a sale; if your home doesn’t have curb appeal, then buyers may not be able to “look past” the front door. Trim bushes, put grass seed down to fill in patches, plant flowers, and lay down mulch. Trim trees which are obviously diseased too.

Refreshen your front door — does the entranceway to your home “wow” your visitors? If not, consider applying a new coat of stain to the front door, fix broken glass, clean the light fixture, lay down a new welcome mat, apply a fresh cost of paint around the frame of the door.

Interior walls — short of painting your home’s interior, touching up walls by removing smudges and repairing cracks could be all that is needed. If wallpaper has obviously aged and looks dated, remove same and repaint the walls with a soft color.

Too much furniture — remove extra furniture as too much furniture can make a room look smaller than it should. If a chair or sofa is worn, put a new slip cover over same or remove that piece.

Carpeting, flooring — ripped carpeting should be fixed. If old, replace it or if there are wood floors underneath, have the floors refinished — you’ll save money over buying a new carpet.

Bathrooms — replace that old toilet seat with a new one, fix dripping faucets, caulk the shower/tub, clean the tile, replace the shower curtain and rug.

Kitchen — keep all appliances even if they are old as long as they work. Your next buyer will probably replace these items anyway. Re-stain or repaint cabinetry and fix counters that are cracked, worn, or otherwise needing a makeover. Remove excess small appliances when showing the home to create a more spacious appearance.

Closets, nooks, and crannies — sticking everything in closets or other out of the way places is a no-no. Organize these areas to “show” exactly how they are to be used; avoid filling up your attic, basement, garage, and shed with stuff you really don’t need and won’t ever use again.

HVAC — an old furnace, air conditioning unit, or hot water heater could be a sale stopper. Replace these appliances before putting the home on the market.

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars readying your home for sale, you could spend just a few hundred to a couple of thousands of dollars and have a home that will sell quickly. The key, of course, is to do the minimum repairs in advance of marketing your home, to help you maximize your profit and move on with your life.

Resources

Doors and Windows

Garden Maintenance

Home Projects

Upstairs/Master Bathroom

Tags: bathroom, bedroom, carpeting, deck, dining room, floors, FSBO, home exterior, home interior, home renovation, home repairs, home sell, kitchen, landscaping, porch, real estate, realtor, roofing, siding, walls

Not every homeowner has the deep pockets to carry out an extensive home improvement project, but there are several smaller jobs you can do which will add value to your home and bring you satisfaction. Especially if you are preparing your home for sale, you’ll want to make it look its best in order to attract buyers who are willing to pay your asking price.

Basic Projects Which Maximize Value

The front of the house is the first thing buyers see, so if your home’s street presence isn’t what it should be take an honest look at what needs to be done to spiff up your home.

Trim back overgrown brushes, plant flowers, and tidy up the lawn. Remove lawn clutter — i.e, lawn statues, bird baths and furniture — that could be overwhelming your yard. You may not have to paint the house, but touching up the garage and around the windows and doors can take you far. If window panes are rotted or the front door is broken, repairing the problem may not do. Consider replacing windows and doors in one project to save money.

If you aren’t selling your home, the newer windows will reduce your home’s energy costs, giving you back some of the money you spent on the work. Inside the home, there are several projects you can handle yourself:

• Paint whatever walls need painting and repair carpeting that is ripped or worn.

• You may not have the skills to re-tile your bath, but grouting the tile can brighten the bath’s appearance while preserving the tile.

• Your kitchen flooring can be ripped up or you can place a fresh layer of new tile over the existing tile.

• Instead of refacing the kitchen cabinets, add a fresh coat to them. Visit your local hardware store to obtain the latest tips and color choices.

• If you have wood floors in the home, apply polish. If the floors are heavily stained or showing a lot of wear, consider renting a sander to strip it free of imperfections, applying a durable and long lasting stain finish when done.

When done, your home can look like a million bucks without you having busted your budget in the process. Whether choosing to sell it or enjoy it, your basic projects can add value and enjoyment to your home.

Resources

Doors and Windows

Garden Maintenance

Home Projects

Upstairs/Master Bathroom

Tags: bathrooms, carpeting, dining room, doors, home projects, home renovation, Home Tips, kitchen, living room, windows