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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Expert Tips for Choosing the Right Window for Your Kitchen Remodel

Expert tips for choosing the right window for your kitchen remodel

 

(BPT) - What are the hottest updates for homes in 2015? The kitchen is one of the most popular rooms in the home to remodel, and for good reason. According to HGTV and Trulia, a kitchen update is one of the secrets to selling your home.

When it comes to remodeling your kitchen you must consider many aspects - cabinets, counters, floors and appliances - but you may not have thought about windows. According to Remodeling.com’s 2015 Cost Vs. Value Report, window replacement - whether wood, vinyl or fiberglass - provides a good return on investment compared to other replacement projects, increasing the value of your home financially and aesthetically. So whether you’re making small updates or completely gutting your old kitchen, including window replacement in your project is a smart addition.

Here are three key elements to keep in mind when choosing a window for your kitchen:

Style
Kitchen windows are often placed above counters or sinks, making them hard to reach and prone to moisture. Choosing a window style that is easy to open and close, such as an awning, sliding or casement, is a smart move.

Awning windows - which can be pulled in or pushed out - are perfect for ventilation, which can be especially helpful in a hot kitchen. Since hot air from the oven or stove typically rises, awning style windows perform the best when placed close to the ceiling or above eye-level.

Sliding or casement windows - which use a crank out method for opening and closing - are two good options for hard to reach areas, like above the counters or behind the kitchen sink. Pella motorized blinds and shades are also ideal for hard to reach window locations and can be controlled with the touch of a button.

Material type
With window placement above counters or sinks, moisture and staining can occur, so choosing an easy-to-clean material like vinyl or fiberglass, is equally important. Fiberglass windows can withstand extreme heat and cold, are energy efficient and can have the same quality look of painted wood. Vinyl windows are easy to care for, don’t require painting or staining, and stay looking great for years.

However, if wood makes more sense for you and the style of your home, then make sure to select a finish that will hold up against stains and moisture, and be prepared to do a little more cleaning and up-keep.

Features and options
Whether your new kitchen is traditional, modern or rustic, your new windows should complement the space. Window designs offer a variety of features including colors, hardware and grilles. Pella’s Designer Series windows even offer a between-the-glass solution that keeps blinds and shades located behind sinks from getting splashed. With so many options to choose from it’s easy to design a window that’s unique to you and the style of your kitchen.

Visit Pella Windows and Doors on Pinterest or Houzz for design inspiration or visit Pella.com to begin designing your new windows.

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Bath Renovation Tips

In typical homes, bathrooms don't take up a lot of floor space, but they're often the most expensive to remodel.

By Mike McClintock, Special to Tribune Newspapers

Bathrooms are not much over 10 percent of the floor space in typical homes. But per square foot, they're often the most expensive due to all the plumbing, fixtures and finishes like tile instead of drywall. That goes for remodeling, too, where estimates for updates cause sticker shock.

Bigger footprint
There are two ways to get one: build an addition, or steal space from an adjoining room. With minimal framing, trade an adjacent walk-in closet for a sauna or whirlpool tub. Reframe a long clothes closet, and double sinks can recess into the area freeing up bathroom floor space. Partial reframing can make a big change, but save time and money by leaving most of the room intact.
Adding space from scratch, though, amounts to a small slice of the full home-building process from excavating to roofing. You need plans, permits, concrete, framing, the works. The investment can pay off handsomely if the old-fashioned, one-person space becomes a modern master bath with walking-around room. Gutting also allows major improvements like radiant floor heating, and vent systems that deal with moisture automatically. But it's not worth the disruptive and expensive project to gain only a few feet.

The exception is a bump-out. Floor framing is strengthened by doubling joists or changing 16- to 12-inch centers, or both, and extended to cantilever beyond the foundation, say, by the depth of a sink counter. This increases floor space without changing the foundation footprint. But the front and both sides of a bump out become exterior walls — not the best place for plumbing. Consider upgrading the protection against frozen pipes by using 2-by-6 wall framing with room for more insulation, and adding insulating foam board under siding as well.

Modern mechanicals
Remember that moving fixtures means moving plumbing. Water lines are not a big problem, specially with a flexible PEX system that requires no fittings to turn corners. Drains and their vents need more effort, like opening up the floor. Among other glitches, drain lines for older toilets flushed with more water and could carry away waste at a modest slope. Replace one with a code-mandated low-volume unit, and it may not clear waste without multiple flushes, defeating the water-saving purpose unless you re-plumb the drain with a greater slope. Low volume sounds very green — until you have to use twice as much water to make it work.

Existing ductwork for heating and cooling can usually handle a small increase in square footage like claiming a closet from the next room. If HVAC estimates show the capacity a bit shy of the new space, consider an electric heater. It might be a toe space unit under a vanity, or built into an overhead fan, enough to bridge the gap.

A contractor may also be able to steal some supply from another room with a diverter — an in-duct baffle that directs more air to the larger bath space. But when the remodel is more than a bump-out — half again as large or more — the original supply will have to be upgraded.

In a bath built mid-1990s or so, an electrician may have to pull new lines and upgrade circuits to handle more lights, more outlets, a more powerful vent fan, assuming your existing service panel has the capacity. If not, it can be several thousand more to upgrade the panel. Even on a small redo, an electrician will need to meet code with GFCIs (ground fault circuit interrupters), a quick-tripping type of outlet. In some areas, inspectors also want the protection of AFCIs (arc fault circuit interrupters.)

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Tips to Avoid Homeowner Remodeling Horrors

Thanks for reading today's blog post!  Did you know that I'm the author of not just one, but thirteen books?  For more information, please visit www.charlesirion.com, www.irionbooks.com and/or www.summitmurdermystery.com

We're looking at homeowner remodeling horrors and how to avoid them. From exceeding your
budget to withholding contractor payments or being taken by phony contractors, here's how to avoid some financial horrors of home renovation.

Nearly half of those who have ever done a home remodeling project exceed their budget, and often aren't satisfied with the work. With dissatisfaction, of course, comes the question of whether to withhold contractors' payments. Nearly one-fifth of those dissatisfied with their most recent remodeling project withheld final payments from their builder-contractor, according to a survey last month from Bolster.com performed by Harris Interactive.

Among U.S. adults, home remodeling is an extremely stressful financial event.

Eighty-five percent of Americans consider doing a major remodeling project to their home to be at least somewhat stressful, even more so than taking out a mortgage (80 percent) and saving for college (66 percent).

Among those who have ever done a remodeling project to their home, most are likely to blame themselves or their partners for overpaying or work gone awry, as opposed to blaming a contractor, architect, real estate agent, home decorator, or interior designer.

Worse, phony contractors offer to do work on your home and then disappear with advance payments, says certified fraud examiner Leon LaRosa of LaRosa & Associates in Exton.

Here's how to avoid being disappointed, or, in the worst case, defrauded, LaRosa says:
Execute a contract describing specific details of the work to be performed, warranty details, price, and payment terms.

Require your contractor to be bonded and insured. Insurance protects against specific types of losses; however, bonds provide protection if the job is not completed to satisfaction.

Check for licensing. Most states have a licensing registry for contractors where you can locate the contractor's licensing status. Check the Contractors License Reference Site online ( www.contractors-license.org). This site allows you to determine state licensing requirements and where to go to validate a contractor's license.

Check for complaints through the Better Business Bureau or your local government agency building department.

Check references of past and current work. Talk to subcontractors. Ask if payments are timely and how they are treated.

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10 Essential Tips for Designing the Bathroom by Sarah Lonsdale

Great article worth a share from Remodelista!

Among the many highlights of his Malcolm Davis of Malcolm Davis Architechtur projects? The bathrooms, which are light, airy, and full of well-considered details. So who better to turn to for advice?

Remodelista: What do your clients typically ask for in a bathroom?
Malcolm Davis: When someone comes to me, they usually know what bathrooms I design; there's always some sense of the outdoors and as much daylight as possible. When clients start looking at imagery, I ask them to think of their house as the best version of what they want it to be and what look will go with that in the bathroom, as opposed to their dream bathroom. I try and have a thread of the rest of the house incorporated in the bathroom so it feels connected.

Above: A marble-clad shower with an obscure-glass (frosted) door that opens on to a wooden roof deck and a small window looking onto the trees outside.

RM: How do you manage to make your bathrooms so light and airy?
MD: If I have any way of getting daylight into the bathroom, I do it. I always try and get a bathroom on an outside wall. In a city, you don't always get that option, so then I go for a skylight. It's important to have a visual link to the outdoors; it's neat to have some clear glimpse of the outside, even if it is just one panel of a window where you can see a tree outside or a skylight where a bird flies overhead. The more light the better. Sunlight is the best killer of mold. If you can make the windows larger that's the biggest change you can make.

Above: A Davis-designed bathroom at the Cook residence in SF.

RM: What's your approach to design?
MD: I like some bandwidth in the bathroom. It needs to be a place where if you are putting yourself together you can be the most spot on, but it's also a place where if you feel terrible you can unwind in warm water and find some solace. The bathroom has to provide a good backdrop, and not work against you. It should convey a sense of simplicity and clarity.

RM: How do you create a serene backdrop?
MD: I use simple, nice materials and work with a limited palette. I really like limestone, marble, and slate. I like to bring in some sense of nature, a piece of natural wood or a Heath tile that has a handmade quality. I use a wood shelf in a lot of bathrooms. If the surfaces feel too hard and shiny, it can feel too perfect. With materials that have a softer organic feel, that's when the person starts to feel they fit in.

Above: Baird Street project. Davis explains, "A tabletop is at 30 inches so the sink needs to be higher so you don't have to bend over so much. I usually have the sink height at 34 to 36 inches high, although I am currently doing a gentleman's sink that's higher."

RM: Storage?
MD: I like hidden storage (there's something about having a million little cupboards that looks overwhelming). I like to place a couple of tall shallow cabinets hidden in a stud bay. You don't need deep shelf storage, a shallow shelf can store a lot. I try and make as many things as dual function as possible. I like to put a recess in the shower and I try and integrate towel bars to feel built in. It's hard to pull off as it depends upon the space

Above: Davis favors plain ceramic tiles in a running bond pattern as opposed to stacked shown here in the Bole project. When using darker tiles he prefers the contrast of a lighter grout
.
RM: Choice of materials?
MD: A bathroom is going to last for a long time, so I like to keep it simple. It's not clothing. When it comes to materials, I always question whether it will last for a long time. I advise clients to set out a couple of materials they like and look at them every day before deciding. Often it's the one that you thought that was boring that works in the end.

Above: In this 21st Street project, Davis notes, "I use porches a lot in my mental vocabulary where people may think that this could have been an outdoor space that has been closed".

RM: Lighting?
MD: Industrial-looking Stonco lighting is my go-to. It's a vapor tight light with a guard and they are great for tucking in a skylight shaft.

Above: 28th Street project.

RM: Favorite fixtures?
MD: I like porcelain. Duravit sinks are a favorite, and the Dornbracht Tara line is super classic, although sometimes it can be a challenge to get the hot and cold taps to line up straight. I like Chicago Faucets, but it's too bad they don't have a bigger line.

Storage: A bathroom unit with a built in towel rail in the Bartlett project.

RM: Things to note?
MD: Bathrooms don't have to be huge. When I see a large standalone tub floating in space, that's a lot of space it's taking up. I always put my mind into the small places of New York or Europe and consider how you make a space compelling.

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 Article source: remodelista.com

Remodels You Can Have Done Before Thanksgiving!

Great article from Service Alley's blog!

5 + 1 Easy Kitchen Remodels That You Can Have Ready Before Thanksgiving

 

So it may be a little early to start talking about Thanksgiving. I, personally, think it is (I’m still sweating from my commute to work this morning), but one thing is undeniable: we tend to start thinking about fall holidays when summer’s over. Maybe it’s the fact that, after Labor Day, we don’t get any more days off until then. Regardless, in the coming weeks, you’ll likely start dreaming of snow, evergreens, lazy Sundays, and family-fist-fights.

Want to stun your holiday visitors into submission this year?  Doing just a bit of remodeling can reinvent your kitchen, your cooking and your reputation as a host. My wife and I did it last year and, instead of Dad’s usual ‘pleasantries’, he and Mom couldn’t get over one thing: how did you do this in such a short time?

It’s true, my parents make two yearly visits to our home: one during the beginning of August (for reasons that completely escape me) and one for Thanksgiving. And in the short period of time between visits, for relatively little money, we’d completely reinvented our kitchen. Now, when I say reinvented, I don’t mean we knocked out walls, bought pricey new appliances, or put in new windows. No. I mean, c’mon, I’m a blogger. Instead, we did these five things that completely changed our space. Some we contracted out, some we did ourselves (I mean, you’ve got to know your limits, right?), but they were simple, relatively painless (except when I fell off the ladder painting cabinets) and surprisingly affordable.

The plus one (which stands out like a sore thumb because, c’mon, six) is one I’m undertaking this fall.

Thanksgiving is less than 90 days away! Here we go:

1. Chalkboard Wall:

I know this is super-popular now, but I like to think my wife and I did it before it became so (we didn’t; I’m just being wishful). And it’s popular for good reason. It’s cheap, versatile, and instantly modernizes (to some degree) any space that it’s in. Simply pick a wall, go to a store that sells paint, buy a can of chalkboard paint (it’s usually somewhere around the spray paint), and paint on two coats. We didn’t use primer (you can), but two coats is typically necessary and really renders the primer kind of unnecessary.  After you let it dry, the sky’s the limit on what you can actually do with it: meal plans, reminders, inspirational poems (I recommend “Western Wind”), drawings. Really, whatever you need it for. And it can change if, say, your kid needs an impromptu math lesson or you’ve always wanted to have a fancy menu for your Thanksgiving feast. Here’s your chance to show everyone the writing on the wall. The best part is that, when you out-grow it (like that could ever happen), you just paint over it.

2. Replace Your Countertop:

I know this seems like a hassle. Surely, your laminate counter-top can hang out for another year, collecting stains and wear. I thought mine could. My wife, however, told me otherwise. And after doing a bit of research, it started to seem pretty feasible. We elected to go with a quartz top, but the one that we really, really lusted after was actually made of concrete. The cool thing about concrete is that it can be poured in any shape, and any design details you want can be set directly into it. Now, deciding between the two is really just a matter of taste; if your home style is more traditional, you might go with quartz. However, if you find yourself favoring that modern/industrial look, concrete might be your best bet. Both of these are nearly comparable in strength and price, require little maintenance, and can easily be purchased and installed by the holiday (as long as you get on it like now). While, obviously, I can’t quote you exact prices, I can tell you that quartz runs about $3-4K (depending on quality) and concrete runs $3.5-5K. At first I thought I’ll save us on installation and do it myself. That was stupid. Really stupid. Unless you or someone you know someone does this professionally, do yourself a favor and hire a contractor. Really, the installation itself costs about $300 max. It’s worth it. I almost destroyed the countertop and was nearly crushed to death in the process.

3. Paint Your Tile Backsplash:

In my last apartment, there was this completely gruesome backsplash. It must have been installed in 1981 when Norman Rockwell-style fruit basket sketches were a thing one might want to look at every morning.  It drove me insane. The deal my wife made with me was, as long I didn’t complain about it EVERY DAY, when we got a home of our own, it would never have anything like that in it. Fast-forward to us finding our dream starter home last year, complete with IDENTICAL backsplash. I thought this was a dark, cosmic joke, that someone out there was really living it up at my expense, that I was doomed to be followed by ugly flowers against a nicotine-yellow tile… and then I read that you can paint a backsplash to look however you like. So I did that. It’s really a fairly simple process:

1. Buy some oil-based, semi-gloss paint of your preference and a gallon of Adhesion Primer (do not omit this)
2. Scuff the backsplash with sand-paper. Do this a lot, until it’s no longer smooth
3. Apply two coats of Adhesion Primer (again, DO NOT OMIT THIS)
4. Let primer dry and then roll on two coats of that oil-based, semi-gloss paint you bought.
5. Enjoy your new backsplash.

4. Change out your hardware:

This is honestly something that wasn’t even remotely on my radar until I met my wife. It never occurred to me that all those cabinet and dresser knobs were actually screwed into the furniture and could be removed/changed out. The first time I took one off, I showed her proudly while she gave me that look that only a smart person who loves an idiot can give. Needless to say, I’ve been pretty excited to change hardware since then. Mostly because it’s easy, cheap, and can be a real game-changer. If you’re looking for micro-design details to accentuate the larger-scale stuff you’ve already done, this is your calling. Depending on your budget, you can get hardware at a variety of places (stores like Home Depot or Lowes, specialty stores with home sections like Anthropologie, or online from sites like Knobs N Pulls) and, if you look enough, you’re guaranteed to find one that fits your home. And, I mean, even if the one’s you select don’t have the same measurements as your current ones, simply drilling new holes/widening current ones will get the job done. If you accidentally drill a hole in the wrong spot on your cabinet (guilty), or just have a handle-to-hole mismatch, you can find wood filler at a local hardware store that matches the wood tone of your cabinet, or that you can stain to match it in just a few minutes.

5. Spruce up your cabinets (or replace them entirely):

At this point in my career, I’m a sprucer. Now, some of you may be replacers, and more power to you; please know that I envy you from the bottom of my everything. If you’re a replacer, you’ll need to get started on this now. While it’s totally feasible to have your cabinets replaced by Thanksgiving, the process can take some time, so the sooner you get started, the better. Now if you’re a sprucer, boy do I have some good news for you (not really). Cabinet painting can be a pretty involved process, but is very approachable. You’ll need to remove all doors and hardware, sand everything, and get plenty of the paint you want before you get started. There really isn’t a secret to painting things—sand surface, apply paint, allow to dry, reapply paint, allow to dry—but, if you’re an advanced sprucer (or just one who really hates paint-brushes), you can apply a spray-on finish instead. I don’t know a whole lot about that, but here is a very solid how-to. Either way, taking time to do this process carefully and correctly will leave you with stunning, inexpensive results (but you’ll be really tired). Also, from my experience, if you can’t quite reach the corner of a cabinet from the ladder you’re standing on, get down and move the ladder. Otherwise, you could become much more intimate with the fridge, then the ladder rung, then the floor than you might otherwise care to be.

If you complete these things before Thanksgiving (I did, but, I was otherwise only sporadically employed at the time), two things will happen: 1) you will feel like a champion, a real Sean Connery or Lucy Lawless and 2) your kitchen will look completely different, brand new. If you don’t have the time to do all of them, don’t worry. Pick and choose what’s going to work best for you. Pair them, if you like. Anything will help (though any of the painting tasks will make more dramatic differences than if you, say, change your hardware.) What’s most important is that you get your space back, really make it yours, and maybe stifle some holiday drama in the meantime…

PLUS ONE!!!

I’m sure you thought I forgot. I mean, really, I’ve already concluded, and this seems almost unnecessary. But I’m so excited about doing it that I just can’t resist. This year, I’m going to build AN OUTDOOR FIRE PIT! Both my and my wife’s parents had these when we were kids, and we’re both so really looking forward to carrying on some of those memories. On holidays, my family would gather around, drink mulled wine, and talk. My wife’s family would cook a whole animal over theirs (they’re obviously from a much more exciting culture than I am). So this fall, you’ll be able to find me in the backyard following this DIY tutorial. I’ll probably let you know how it goes unless I fail hard. Or if I undercook the turkey out there (because of course I’m cooking our turkey there.)

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*article from servicealley.com blog

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

Women Leading the Way in a Man's World

While DIY may be traditionally seen as a man's work, a new survey says roles are being reversed with women leading the way and showing up their other halves' handy-work.

The survey by the AA's Home Emergency Response Service has revealed men are losing their traditional DIY skills as more women step up and take over around the home.

Young men are now less than half as likely to perform the tasks their fathers and grandfathers could, like rewiring a plug or bleeding a radiator. The findings show 35 per cent of men aged 18-24 can no longer change a light bulb, compared to 29 per cent of women the same age. It also states that women aged 18-24 are more competent than males of the same age at assembling flat pack furniture – 64 per cent against 54 per cent. Women are also catching up at hanging wallpaper, patching holes in a wall, and replacing locks.

It seems this trend has been gathering momentum for some time, with females working professionally in male-dominated industries, including plumbing, construction and electrics.

Justine Wood, 40, has been running her own successful painting and decorating business in Cheltenham for 14 years. After working several different jobs, she ended up painting almost by accident, but soon found her services in high demand.

"I was taking a gap year and needed to earn some cash, so I started with the painting and decorating, and before I knew it I was working full-time.  It was quite unusual and people were surprised to see me at first, but in the last seven or eight years people don't seem to mention it," she said.

Justine believes she brings things to the job which male firms cannot, and that there are many benefits to hiring a woman to work around the home.

She said: "It's all about attention to detail, taking care and knowing you're working in somebody's home, not just a site. Where we come through is in applying those finishing touches, the little things that others may miss, and communication is important – letting people know what's happening as we go, rather than just turning up and getting on with things."

Do you agree?  Do you think DIY repairs are no longer just a man's world?

To order your copy of Remodeling Hell, CLICK HERE

Easy Kitchen Remodeling Tips

Remodeling your home can exponentially increase the value of your home. It is important to remember when renovating your home to begin with the less expensive endeavors. This will create a greater gain when the time comes for re-sale. Simple fixes include fresh paint, new appliance coverings and a new sink. The video below gives tips and ideas on easy kitchen renovations.

plumbing---never get your plumber mad

leaky pipes---there could be 100's of reasons but some you might not think of include that those leaks are there on purpose!
remember that plumber you insulted, did'nt pay fully, the one you thumbed your nose up at--well he could have revenge after all.
that pipe he replaced---it looks fine and works fine when you tried it but he intentionally left off the glue that would hold that new pipe together with the old pipe. It didn't fail for 2 months but when it did the damage was enormus.
new pipes needed, new drywall,new carpets,new paint etc.
you must know who you hire and treat them with respect if not you could havethose leaky pipes!

www.remodelinghellthebook.com will save you $1,000's potentially!

review from a reader 1-10

I have been buying, remodeling and selling homes for the better part of thirty years. A friend of mine told me to read "Remodeling Hell" by Charles Irion. I have thanked that friend on numerous occassions and I thank Irion for writing the book. I wish he would have written it a long time ago. I'd have had a lot fewer headaches that came from dealing with contractors and sub-contractors. Irion writes from his own remodeling experiences and couldn't have told this story and the truth any better. It was informative and yet entertaining. If you, or anyone you know has plans to remodel, whether it's one room or an entire house, has to read "Remodeling Hell" first. You'll be glad and then you'll thank me for telling you about it ...oh, and you'll thank Charles Irion for writing it too. GREAT READ! Sincerely, Raymond (avid Irion fan) Cardi