Top New Year's Resolutions for Your Home

The start of each new year is a hopeful time. People vow to get to the gym more often or to finally quit smoking. But as winter turns to spring, even the most steadfast determination can begin to wane, and resolutions often get sidelined. The same is true in remodeling. There always seem to be things on our wish lists that we never get around to.

We spoke with three experts to identify the home improvement projects most of us think about but rarely tackle. And we got tips on how to finally get these projects done.


1. Making Our Homes More Energy Efficient

Bob Vila knows a thing or two about the home improvement projects people dream about. One that he hears mentioned frequently is increasing a home’s energy efficiency. “People often ask me about energy conservation methods, from installing a programmable thermostat to adding insulation in an attic to replacing old windows and doors,” he says.

Why It’s Important: Boosting your home’s energy efficiency saves you money—a common resolution in and of itself!

What Holds Us Back: Budget concerns can be roadblocks to success, Bob points out, but they don’t have to be. “There are $50,000 window replacements, but there are also options as inexpensive as a tube of caulking to seal out drafts.”

How To Get It Done: “Take a realistic look at your finances and start with what you can afford,” Bob advises. “For larger projects, you may have to adjust your priorities in order to save money, like taking a one week vacation instead of two weeks.”

2. Remodeling a Kitchen or Bath

Modernizing an outdated kitchen or bath is a project that Amy Matthews, licensed contractor and host of DIY Network’s hit show “Sweat Equity,” is asked about time and again.

Why It’s Important: Aside from the aesthetic qualities, a beautiful new kitchen or bath can increase the value of your home.

What Holds Us Back: “I think people feel overwhelmed by the scope of these projects,” Amy reflects. “There are other rooms you can renovate for less money, but kitchens and baths can involve plumbing, gas lines, fixtures—they are expensive places to fix.”

How To Get It Done: “Begin by making a detailed plan of your dream room, but be realistic about the costs,” Amy says. To have the stove of your dreams, for example, you may need to compromise on cabinets—or the other way around. “A good contractor will be able to help you adjust your plan to fit your budget.”

3. Conquering Clutter

“Getting rid of clutter and finally getting organized is always on our readers’ list of New Year’s resolutions,” reports Amy Panos, Senior Editor for Home Design at Better Homes & Gardens.

Why It’s Important: Clutter-free spaces not only help you save time by making it easier to find what you need, they also foster an overall sense of serenity in your home.

What Holds Us Back: The urge to get it done all at once. “Remember, you didn’t accumulate the clutter in a day, and you’re not going to organize your whole house in a day,” Amy says.

How To Get It Done: Start small. “Think about the three areas that, if you could get them organized, would make the biggest difference in your daily life,” Amy suggests. “Work on one of them each month, even if it’s only for an hour a week. Focus on one and work on it until you finish, then move on to the next one. Let success breed success.”

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article source: bobvila.com

Decorating tips to bust out of gray winter days

Fresh colors and a few new or repurposed accessories can go a long way toward perking up winter-weary rooms.

A cozy scene can be created by using greenery and give your house a new look for the new year.

The days are gray and dreary, the holidays are history and those festive seasonal decorations that gave our interiors warmth and sparkle last month are now back in storage boxes.

It’s no wonder that we — and our homes — have the winter blahs.

So what to do?

You don’t have to undertake a major makeover to give your décor a big boost, according to interior designers. Fresh colors and a few new or repurposed accessories can go a long way toward perking up winter-weary rooms. What can you do for your home to give it the life and sparkle it had earlier?

Here are tips from designers on refreshing winter décor:

• Picture the possibilities
Take photos of the rooms you want to enhance, then study them to see what’s needed.

• Accessorize
Rooms are like outfits, according to Sutphen, and can be greatly enhanced by accessories. How many is a matter of personal taste, but in her view, homes tend to be under-accessorized most of the year. “Mantels are so nicely done during the holidays and so neglected the rest of the year,” she said.
“A few more important pieces are better than a lot of little tchotchkes,” cautioned Catherine Harrington, an interior designer with Waldenwood, an Eden Prairie, Minn., remodeling firm.

• Perk up pillows
New accent pillows can go a long way toward refreshing your interiors. “There are so many great fabrics, colors and price points,” Sutphen noted. Or make your own.

• Move things around
Harrington is a fan of creative rearranging. “Redecorating doesn’t have to be a lot of buying. It can be reusing things you already have,” she said, such as moving your living-room lamps to the bedroom and vice versa, or putting a small bedroom chest in the dining room. “All of a sudden it looks like a brand-new piece,” she said.

• Illuminate
“January is such a dark month,” Sutphen said. That’s why lighting — task, ambient and decorative — is extra-important during the winter.

“Proper lighting will bring a room to life,” she said. Try a new chandelier — they’re now popular in just about every room of the house, even over kitchen islands and bathtubs. “It can be a piece of jewelry for the home, and add a little bit of bling,” she said. “And adding a mirror to a room can do a ton to bounce around light.”

• Color therapy
“A fresh coat of paint makes everything fresh and new,” Harrington said. Try fresh spring or lime green on walls. “It’s very popular and has almost become a neutral,” she said.

• Rethink artwork
Try hanging a favorite piece of art in a new spot. Or group artwork in a new way, such as taking two prints with complementary colors or patterns and framing them as a pair.

• Add greenery
 It’s an inexpensive way to add height and interest.

• Add shine
To brighten up winter interiors, try an iridescent window treatment, a throw with some metallic threads or an antique book with some shiny gold on the spine.

• Invest in something new
Perhaps a patterned area rug. To find just the right size for your space, Sutphen advises spreading a bed sheet on the floor and folding it to different sizes. “That’s one of my favorite tricks.”

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*article source: seattletimes.com

Energy Saving Tips for Homeowners

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, homeowners can save 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by sealing and insulating their home. The typical home is said to have the same amount of air leaks as a home with a window open year round. Drafts can be eliminated by weatherizing the home.

“Preventing the unwanted circulation or infiltration of air not only improves the efficiency of a heating and cooling system, but also reduces humidity, dust and pollen; eliminates pests and noise; and even prevents the growth and spread of mold that may eventually compromise the structural integrity of a building. Bottom line, it’s an investment in your health and your home,” said Ruben Ornelas, owner of Beyond Construction & Remodeling.

Ruben shares the most common places to check for drafts and tips for weatherizing a home.

•         Check the attic – weather-strip and insulate the attic access door.

•         Seal around the outside of the chimney with metal flashing and a high-temperature sealant such as flue caulk.

•         Seal around plumbing vents, both in the attic floor and in the roof. Check roof flashings, (where the plumbing vent pipes pass through the roof), for signs of water leakage while viewing the underside of the roof.

•         Have a radiant barrier installed in the rafters or joists of the attic. This will reflect the radiant heat that strikes it.

•         Incandescent fixtures should be upgraded to compact bulbs.

•         Seal all other holes between the heated space and the attic.

•         Replace any broken window glass.

•         Re-putty loose window panes.

•         Install new sash locks or adjust existing ones on double-hung and slider windows.

•         Caulk on the inside around window and door trim.

•         Weather-strip exterior doors, including those to garages and porches.

•         Install foam-rubber gaskets behind electrical outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.

•         Use paintable or colored caulk around bath and kitchen cabinets on exterior walls.

•         Caulk any cracks where the floor meets exterior walls. Such cracks are often hidden cracks behind the edge of the carpet.

•         Close the fireplace damper, when not in use. Make sure it closes tightly when a fire isn’t burning.

To order your copy of Remodeling Hell, CLICK HERE

For more information about Remodeling Hell, CLICK HERE

To order a copy of my new book Murder on Kilimanjaro, CLICK HERE

For more information about the Summit Murder Mystery series, CLICK HERE

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Article Source:  virtual-saving.com and http://www.wenatcheeremodelingcontractor.com.