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Showing posts with label home remodel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home remodel. Show all posts
You Probably Need to Remodel Your Home - And Why
Remodeling can come in various shapes, sizes and levels of complexity. It may be as simple as painting a room or as complex as adding a second story onto your home. Statistics show that the average person moves once every six years, so why go to the time, effort, expense, and, sometimes, aggravation of a home remodel? Families consider remodeling for a variety of reasons.
When considering whether to remodel or move, there are several factors you will want to think about. With your family, consider these questions.
1. If we moved, what additional costs would there be over and above the cost of the new home itself? According to the American Homeowner Foundation, selling your home and moving typically costs about 8-10% of the value of your current home. Much of this cost goes to moving expenses, closing costs and a real estate broker. So any comparison to the cost of a remodel would need to take this into account.
2. How important is your current location to you and your family? It is not very likely you will find a new home in your same neighborhood and school district. Moving to another neighborhood could change the schools your children attend as well as impact your daily commute. If staying where you are is important to you, then remodeling may be the answer.
3. How much room is there on your current lot? If you need to add a room, you will need to take into consideration what space there is on your land and if there are any setbacks or easements that could limit your usage. If you were thinking of adding a second story, you will need to check for any height restrictions in your area.
4. Do you have any time constraints? If your decision to either remodel or move is driven by, say a new addition to the family, you will need to determine if the remodel or a move are most likely to meet your timetable.
5. How long do you plan to stay in your home and if you remodel and what will it do to the value of your home? The general rule of thumb is that any remodeling project that brings your home's value up to the neighbor's is a worthy investment. Real estate experts recommend that a remodeling investment not over-improve (raise the value of your home) more than 10-15% above the median sales price in your neighborhood. If you over-improve, you will have to hope that when you sell your home, you can find a buyer who likes what you have done, loves the location and is willing to pay your price.
6. Will it cost more to remodel than find a house that has the features we are looking for? To answer this one, you will need to do some homework. Take some time to do some preliminary design work and talk with a contractor about estimated costs. Then, talk with your real estate professional about comparable homes in the areas in which you and your family want to live. If the cost of one choice is significantly more than the other, then you will need to determine if cost is the most important factor for you and your family. If the costs are roughly comparable then some of the other factors we've talked about here can help you determine what is right for you.
7. Can you to stay in your home during the remodel? If not, where will you and your family live and for how long? Ask your contractor what he/she recommends. In some cases, you can live in the home throughout the remodel but may be limited in using portions of the house such as the kitchen, a bathroom or a bedroom. In other instances you and your family will have to move out. If you can stay in your home, you will need to take into consideration whether your lifestyle will accommodate the chaos and confusion created by a remodel. As an example, if there is a new baby in the house, can your coexist with the noise that is normal to any building project?
- They need more room for an expected addition to the family.
- The house is older and they want to update its interior and/or exterior.
- They want a place for the teenagers to be with their friends, separate from Mom and Dad.
- They need a place to store their boat or they just need more storage, period.
- Loans for New Construction are not available.
When considering whether to remodel or move, there are several factors you will want to think about. With your family, consider these questions.
1. If we moved, what additional costs would there be over and above the cost of the new home itself? According to the American Homeowner Foundation, selling your home and moving typically costs about 8-10% of the value of your current home. Much of this cost goes to moving expenses, closing costs and a real estate broker. So any comparison to the cost of a remodel would need to take this into account.
2. How important is your current location to you and your family? It is not very likely you will find a new home in your same neighborhood and school district. Moving to another neighborhood could change the schools your children attend as well as impact your daily commute. If staying where you are is important to you, then remodeling may be the answer.
3. How much room is there on your current lot? If you need to add a room, you will need to take into consideration what space there is on your land and if there are any setbacks or easements that could limit your usage. If you were thinking of adding a second story, you will need to check for any height restrictions in your area.
4. Do you have any time constraints? If your decision to either remodel or move is driven by, say a new addition to the family, you will need to determine if the remodel or a move are most likely to meet your timetable.
5. How long do you plan to stay in your home and if you remodel and what will it do to the value of your home? The general rule of thumb is that any remodeling project that brings your home's value up to the neighbor's is a worthy investment. Real estate experts recommend that a remodeling investment not over-improve (raise the value of your home) more than 10-15% above the median sales price in your neighborhood. If you over-improve, you will have to hope that when you sell your home, you can find a buyer who likes what you have done, loves the location and is willing to pay your price.
6. Will it cost more to remodel than find a house that has the features we are looking for? To answer this one, you will need to do some homework. Take some time to do some preliminary design work and talk with a contractor about estimated costs. Then, talk with your real estate professional about comparable homes in the areas in which you and your family want to live. If the cost of one choice is significantly more than the other, then you will need to determine if cost is the most important factor for you and your family. If the costs are roughly comparable then some of the other factors we've talked about here can help you determine what is right for you.
7. Can you to stay in your home during the remodel? If not, where will you and your family live and for how long? Ask your contractor what he/she recommends. In some cases, you can live in the home throughout the remodel but may be limited in using portions of the house such as the kitchen, a bathroom or a bedroom. In other instances you and your family will have to move out. If you can stay in your home, you will need to take into consideration whether your lifestyle will accommodate the chaos and confusion created by a remodel. As an example, if there is a new baby in the house, can your coexist with the noise that is normal to any building project?
Once you have answered these questions, you and your family can make an informed decision on what is the best way to create your dream home and UBuildIt can help.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_H._WarrenderAds by Google | |
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How to Go about a Home Remodeling Task
By : Bathroom Remodel  Submitted 2011-09-11 23:48:13 |
| Our homes are constantly in need of repairs. Could be the bathroom faucet is leaking, door hinges are loose, electric sockets dangling loosely or cracked pavement blocks on your driveway. Might be you are seeking for a complete home remodeling. Some minor repairs can be done without necessarily getting help from outside. However, for a professional touch and finish, you might need to hire a licensed contractor to do the job. Some simple repair tasks can be quickly fixed by a handyman. For complicated jobs, you are advised to hire a contractor more so a licensed contractor. Instead of engaging one person to do the home remodeling, a contractor would fare much better. Contractors employ workmen who are endowed with a wide range of experience and different areas of specialization. Take a home remodeling project for instance. If you bring in a licensed contractor on site, the work will be done in a very short time. These guys come fully loaded with electricians, plumbers, carpenters and painters. Your home is turned into a busy hub as the grinders hammers, drills and saws get into work. Contractors are very systematic. After the initial consultations, they will send over a handyman or several of them to your house. These will conduct a thorough check of the areas to be covered and note down on their work books. What’s more convincing is that most of the licensed contractors in your area do have a reputation for quality work. Take inventory of your home modeling task and decide how you want it done. Before selecting a licensed contractor, visit their website and pay special attention to their work portfolio. If the site has a feedback section, read through it for an insight of how past customers regard the contractor. Visit other sites of licensed contractors and compare each with the other. Make notes detailing what you like about the contractors as well as what does not please you. This information will come in handy when deciding who to grant the home remodeling task. Obtain their contacts and make several cold calls seeking for catalogues and price lists. If they can provide you with details of their charges via email, the better. Shortlist the contractors who seem to impress you based on their service portfolio, completion periods and feedback from clients. Focus more on licensed contractors. Check whether they specialize on home remodeling. Visit them and get a first impression. You can always tell a quack from a professional, their work premise easily gives them away. If possible you can request to be taken to the site where work is ongoing. Be very careful with contractors. Some are known to do shoddy work. Always go for licensed contractors. Home remodeling jobs are meant to give your house uplift. Hence it should be done properly. In case of shortcomings, you can ask that the work be repeated or opt for legal recourse. Now you can go ahead and engage the selected licensed contractor. Discuss the nature and scope of work and agree on the overall fee. |
| Author Resource:- Contractors is the author of this article on Home Remodeling. Find more information, about Granite Countertops here |
| Article From Base Articles |
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