Experts offer tips for homeowners thinking about remodeling

 

Laura Borchers

 

Many Central Ohio contractors say in the spring their business warms up. Now experts are offering tips to homeowners thinking about taking on a home remodeling project.

"Being in German Village and looking around at different houses, we felt this one had everything we were looking for,” said homeowner Angie Steinhauser. “But every room needed a facelift.”
Steinhauser and her partner Ziad Shaheen hired a contractor and went room-by-room replacing light fixtures, updating walls and in some cases, tearing out drywall.

“We had to tear out something we called the ‘Medusa light’ immediately,” said Shaheen. He went on to say remodeling was not easy. “Just living with contractors, in general. Not anything personal, just the clutter and mess that comes with all of that."

That is why the first piece of advice the couple offers to others is to be careful in selecting the companies who will help you renovate.

"We interviewed a lot of contractors,” said Steinhauser. “I think finding the right contractor who you're going to work well with can make a big difference."

The tip is echoed by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. Days ago he filed a lawsuit against a home improvement contractor for failing to deliver promised services. The lawsuit accuses Columbus-based 5 Star Remodeling LLC and owner Robert Turnquest of violating Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act.

In several consumer complaints, customers said they paid for home improvement work they never received and that the company did not provide refunds.

“In this case, we found that consumers paid thousands of dollars for work they never received,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We’re seeking recovery for affected consumers and protection for other consumers so they don’t experience the same problems.”  

Attorney General DeWine offered tips to avoid home improvement problems:

• Research contractors carefully. Ask neighbors, friends, or family members for recommendations. Review complaints on file with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau. Check with the Ohio Secretary of State to confirm that the business is properly registered.
• Get written estimates from several contractors before making a final decision. Be skeptical of an estimate that is much lower than others. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Read any documents a contractor gives you before signing them. Don’t rely on verbal claims. 
• Be wary if you have to pay a large down payment, such as half of the total cost.
• Make sure the written contract includes the start and end dates and an itemized list of all material costs, labor, and services.

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Why You Should Start Your Year With These 5 Housing Projects

Every January, eager homeowners try to determine what home remodeling projects they should consider the upcoming year. While remodeling the bathroom or adding that new kitchen island you always wanted may be the most desirable, they may not bring the highest return on your investment.

Home improvement projects never bring a return on investment over 100%. In fact, the average ROI the past few years is down to just under 60%. This means that most homeowners are only recouping 60% of the money they put into a remodeling project after the home is sold. Nonetheless, this does not mean you should be afraid of remodeling. Besides the ROI, you will of course reap the benefits while living in the home. On the other hand, if you’re looking for projects that have proven to bring a strong ROI, you may want to start your year with these five home remodeling projects.

1. Replace the Front Door

Surprisingly enough, new front doors bring the highest ROI among any home remodeling project and when you break it down, it makes perfect sense. Safety is one of the most important factors when someone is planning to buy a new home. A new front door is not only going to give the house a better curb appeal, but it will also make any potential buyer feel safe. This combination ultimately allows a new door to bring a 73% return on investment.

According to ImproveNet, it costs between $400 and $850 to replace a front door.

2. Build A New Wood Deck

In a day where everything is online and out in the open, many of us enjoy the silence and privacy that wood decks bring to our backyards. Fortunately, not only are they DIY-friendly, but they also bring back a strong ROI.

The average cost of building a deck is $6,148, but a new deck will roughly bring a 70%ROI.

Once you decide, make sure you come up with a design, choose the right type of wood for your area, know all future costs (sealing) and determine the required maintenance time throughout its lifespan.

3. Replace the Windows

More and more homeowners are going green and a terrific way to make your home more energy efficient is by replacing your old windows. Not only will your home be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, but you will also save on HVAC costs down the road.

Window installation can get expensive, jumping all the way up to $5,000, but just know, on top of the HVAC savings, know they tend to bring a ROI of 70%.

To lower costs, many homeowners prefer single pane windows as opposed to double hung or storm windows. However, while the upfront cost may be substantially less, more expensive windows are usually much stronger and can hold its ground even in the worst of storms.

4. Replace the Garage Door

Just like the front door, homeowners associate safety with their garage doors. Since the garage door is typically the most common entry point, it’s just as, if not more, important to your home’s safety than your front door.

Both high-end and mid-level garage doors have been found to bring an estimated 71% ROI, but the high-end garage door is going to cost about twice as much to purchase and install.

According to ImproveNet’s numbers, the average price to install a garage door is $964.

5. Update the Kitchen

Finally, while the kitchen may not bring the strongest ROI, it does attract new buyers.

The kitchen is where life happens and has been known to make or break a sale. Rather than spend upwards of $20,000 on a kitchen remodel, invest wisely in a few DIY projects you can do over the weekend, such as:

• Replace the knobs on the cabinets
• Paint the cabinets
• Add a backsplash
• Change the wall paint
• Install lights under the cabinets

People like new and these projects give any kitchen the new look and feel they desire.

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FrogTape(R) Launches iPad App to Inspire Home Design

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Homeowners Can Virtually Paint and Design Rooms With New Interactive Tool

Within the past five years, the popularity of DIY projects -- especially painting -- has significantly increased. New homeowners are eager to personalize their spaces, and those who have lived in their homes for years are looking to freshen things up by doing it themselves. However, the thought of where to start can be daunting. To help homeowners find inspiration and start planning their paint projects, FrogTape® brand painter's tape is excited to introduce a new, interactive iPad app to assist with the process.

The new FrogTape app will provide homeowners and paint/design enthusiasts with inspiration that they can use in their own homes. Users can virtually place a number of FrogTape products on an interactive canvas to create unique designs, patterns or shapes. Once their layout is finished, users can select and apply the perfect color combinations within the canvas, finishing off the virtual wall. Best of all, they can see how the finished product will look in a number of room settings, including living and dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, then save these designs within the app.
Key app features include:

• Tape Selections - choose between FrogTape Multi-Surface or new Shape Tape™ in chevron, scallop or wave patterns.
• 72 Paint Color Options - an extensive paint palette is available for users to mix and match colors as they create their projects and designs.
• Room Prototypes - for a realistic approach to DIY projects throughout the home, the app includes a living room, dining room, bathroom, bedroom and a blank room prototype that users can paint and style as they choose.
• My Designs - Users can save their designs to view later when they are ready to make their virtual DIY projects a reality.

"FrogTape has always been rooted in innovation, and we're excited to continue on that path with our new app," said Dave Rodgers, senior digital marketing manager, ShurTech Brands, LLC. "Many decisions go into DIY painting, and the FrogTape app will help to alleviate stress by giving homeowners a place to visualize their design and work through color and design choices before the painting even begins."

FrogTape is the only painter's tape treated with patented PaintBlock® Technology, which reacts with latex paint and instantly forms a micro-barrier to seal the edges of the tape, preventing paint bleed. There are a number of tapes available within the family of FrogTape products including FrogTape Multi-Surface, FrogTape Delicate Surface, FrogTape Textured Surface and FrogTape Shape Tape.
The FrogTape app is free and available for download at FrogTape.com/app or from the iTunes store.
For project inspiration, or to learn more about FrogTape brand painter's tape, visit frogtape.com.

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repost from: consumerelectronics.net

Money tips for home remodeling

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Homeowners expected to spend more on remodeling

By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch 

 

A 20-year-old house in suburban Atlanta is getting a makeover to create a more open floor plan for its kitchen, dining room and living room. The homeowners had wanted to make the improvements for a while, but because they purchased the home when prices were at peak levels, their plans were shelved. 

Until now. 

“The rebounding economy gave us the confidence to invest in our property — even though it is still worth less than what we paid, at peak,” said Jeffrey Ulrich, who lives there with his wife and three children. “At the same time, we have no intention of going anywhere else. This is our home, and we made a decision to invest in our everyday living, and think it will pay dividends now and in the future.” 

Researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies think there will a fresh crop of homeowners like Ulrich, finally going forward with postponed remodeling plans in 2014. In fact, they are expecting 10% to 15% growth in remodeling spending through the third quarter of this year, compared with the same period a year ago — which would add up to a “very good year for the industry,” said Abbe Will, the research analyst who puts together Harvard’s Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity. The projection is based on a wide variety of housing data. 

“Homeowners are starting to feel much more confident about the fact that their homes are not just retaining value, but are starting to see home-price increases in many markets,” Will said. To fund these discretionary projects, there’s an improving environment for home-equity lending; until just recently, home-equity loans and lines of credit were nearly impossible to get. 

Remodelers are getting more requests for kitchen and bath remodels, home exterior improvements, changes to help homeowners age in place — even additions, said Tom O’Grady, chairman of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s strategic planning and research committee, as well as president of O’Grady Builders, based in Drexel Hill, Pa. 

The increased demand had many remodelers entering 2014 with jobs in the pipeline, something that hasn’t happened for years, he said. Remodeling activity started slowing back in 2006, O’Grady added. 

Renovation of distressed properties is also helping fuel the remodeling industry, as owners invest money into foreclosures and short sales that have been neglected over the years, Will said.

Before you remodel

If you’re planning a remodel of your own, consider the following before hiring a contractor. It will make for a smoother process, and ensure you’re getting the most for your money. 

Collect ideas: Go online to get ideas, and share pictures that you like with your contractor, Ulrich said. That will help you communicate your desires, and will make it easier for the contractor to quote jobs. “It puts everyone on the same page from the beginning,” he said. 

Set a budget: For yourself, set a maximum budget and make sure you have a contingency for any splurges you may want to make or problems that you could run into, said Liza Hausman, vice president of community for Houzz.com, a home remodeling and design website. Then, create a goal budget to share with your contractor. As much as you can, research materials to understand what they’ll cost. That will help you understand whether your budget is realistic. 

Take a breath: Don’t rush into major remodeling jobs if you’ve just moved in. “Live in the home for a few years so you know what you want to fix,” Hausman said. Only then will you understand how your house works — and what really needs improving. 

Research contractors: Contractors should be licensed and insured. Read online reviews, but make sure that the site you’re using allows both positive and negative reviews (some only post the positive), Hausman said. Don’t forget to ask for referrals from former clients, and reach out to them to find out how they liked working with the contractor, she said. 

Break down bids: Bids should include detailed information on what everything should cost, including materials and labor, Hausman said. But there can be wide variations when it comes to material costs, she said. Find a contractor who can “value engineer” your project and “help you find ways to pull stuff out or do things in a creative way,” so you’re spending your money in a smart way and getting elements that are the most important to you, she said. 

Trust your contractor: Choose a contractor you trust, but also make sure that the person who gets the job is a good communicator. That will go a long way to making sure you’re happy with the final result. “We’ve heard plenty of horror stories from friends,” Ulrich said. His contractor was good about following up after the initial inquiry — and Ulrich took that as a good sign. 

Start with a small job: Although he had a good feeling about the team doing the work, Ulrich gave his contractor a smaller project, a bathroom remodel, first, before hiring him to do his large-scale great room project. “How you’re treated on a small project is going to be how you’re treated on the big project,” he said. “They treated us like the most important customer they had, and it showed.” 

Prepare for inconveniences: Workers will be in your home all day, and if you’re redoing a kitchen, take-out dinners will become the norm. And then there’s the dust. But remember that remodeling requires a spirit of adventure, Ulrich said. “Take a deep breath and say ‘This is all going to turn out great, and it’s a small price to pay for decades of enjoyment.’” 

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DIY Pest Control Can Save You Money!

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Spring is project time.  From DIY  home renovations and landscaping projects, even pest control becomes a big part of a homeowner's to-do list.  Unfortunately, pest control services can be pricey, rangig anywhere from $300 per year for a basic quarterly pest control service, to over $250 for just one ant or rodent job.  But there is an alternative to hiring a pest control company.

One option homeowners can turn to is do-it-yourself pest control.  Professional pest control products can save homeowners a significant amount of money, especially in today's economy.  they can also be just as safe to use as most other chemical household products, as long as customers follow the label.

The DIY pest control industry has grown significantly over the past several years mainly because of a new breed of internet pest control stores that sell professional pest control products.  These companies cater specifically to homeowners and businesses and often profile certified pest control experts on staff and a wealth of information to guide homeowners on how to treat their issues just like a professional, something people can't get from a big-box store.

Larger savings can be gained by replacing termite jobs and bed bug control with DIY alternatives.  For example, a termite job an cost anywhere from $1000 to $1500 for a typical residential home.  Bed bug control jobs can cost as high as $5000.    Compare this with DIY termite control products for $300 and DIY bed bug control kits for around $100-$250.  In general, savings by going DIY can be as high as 70% or more.

While there is no question professional services will be necessary in some cases, the fact is the majority of pest problems can be handled by a homeowner.  Customers are capable of reading a label and following directions and getting rid of pests on their own.  Pest control is not rocket science.  

Of course there can be risks with any DIY project, but the power of the internet is providing homeowners and businesses with the knowledge and products to solve their own pest problems safely and effectively.

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