Entries Tagged 'Renovate' ↓
August 25th, 2008 — Contractor, Handy Man, Renovate, Repair
There are times when even the best of us may not have the qualifications needed to fix something around the house. Every year, there are thousands of disaster stories where homeowners thought they could do the job on their own, only to end up causing costly damage to their property. If you are not certain that you can handle the job on your own, you may want to consider hiring a contractor to help you. However, before you do, there are a few questions that you will need to ask.
1. Are they licensed?
The average handyman won’t have a license, but commonly, contractors will need to be licensed and certified. It is a good idea to ask them for their qualifications and find out if they are licensed in your state. This can be very helpful when you are trying to pass an inspection after the work is done. A qualified contractor will already know everything that needs to be completed to pass that inspection.
2. How do they calculate pricing?
Most contractors should offer you a free estimate of the work that will need to be done. However, this estimate may be completely off depending on the availability of materials or if anything goes wrong. It is important to find a contractor that will offer you a guarantee of some sort, or at least some sort of pricing threshold. If they won’t you will need to make sure that they come to you for approval for anything that will put you over your budget. Staying on budget isn’t easy, but it helps when the contractor is working in your corner.
3. Do they have a particular specialty?
General contractors can usually do a variety of different tasks, but that doesn’t mean that they should. For example, if you need help with your wiring, it may be best to hire an electrician, rather than a general contractor. It is a good idea to make sure that they are qualified to handle the exact job you need done. You can save a lot of time and heartache by going through this step first.
4. How do they plan to stay on schedule?
Repairs and renovations can take months to complete and it is vital to find a contractor that can stay on schedule. Try to get as firm of a completion date is possible and then ask them what they will do if they go over on that time period. These extra days, weeks or months can completely destroy your budget, so it is very important to find out how well they work on a schedule.
5. Do they have references?
A good contractor will be more than willing to provide you with references. You need to follow up on these and make sure that the homeowners are happy and satisfied with the work. Some may even allow you to see the work that was done so you can form your own opinion on the quality of the job.
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August 7th, 2008 — Flooring, Handy Man, Hardware, Low Budget, Renovate, Sink, Tile
If your kitchen is looking a little worse for the wear, but a huge renovation isn’t in your budget, it’s time to do a makeover. You can set whatever budget you’d like, but most of these tips can be achieved for less than a total of $1000, even if you use them all. Feel free to add anything your own kitchen may need, but these are some general makeover tips that will leave your kitchen looking and feeling like new.
1. Replace all your hardware.
Most of us are dealing with the stock knobs and drawer pulls that came with our homes. Depending on how old your house is, this probably means they are pretty dated. A simple change of some hardware can make your whole kitchen feel like it’s brand new and it will look much more current. Look for brushed nickel finishes for an edgy look, or go with black iron for a more traditional and country approach.
The sky is really the limit with today’s hardware and you’ll have a lot of options. If you can’t decide which one works for you, get one of each of the styles you like (keep the receipt) and try them out live in your own kitchen. Return the ones you don’t like and get the rest of the hardware to complete your kitchen.
2. Replace aging fixtures and/or sinks.
Again, we’re dealing with something that came stock with your home and since our faucets get so much wear, it’s probably past time to get it replaced. There are so many new options out there that it may be a little overwhelming.
Try to stick with a finish that matches your new hardware, or have some fun with some copper fixtures. Just remember to buy the fixtures that will fit your existing sink, unless you are planning on replacing that too. A new sink is cheaper than you might think and this can really change up the whole kitchen. Look for one that solves your existing problems (not enough room, too shallow, etc…) while still fitting in your existing cabinet.
3. Put in a new floor.
With today’s new laminate flooring or peel and stick tiles, it is a lot easier and more economical to get an entirely new kitchen floor. Stay away from dated floral and marble prints and feel free to get a little edgier with your design. A dark floor gives a kitchen a very dramatic look, but if your kitchen is on the small side, look for a light colored material.
Since the goal is a cheap makeover, we really recommend going with a flooring that is easy to install on your own. For example, laminate flooring can just click together over your existing floor and doesn’t require a lot of labor or know-how to get the job done. If you’ve got the skills and the budget, we really recommend ceramic tiles for a modern and fresh look.
These are just three simple ideas that can dramatically change your kitchen in just a few hours. See what you can come up with and then get that makeover started!
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July 8th, 2008 — Aesthetics, Cabinets, Countertops, Flooring, Handy Man, Kitchen, Low Budget, Project, Renovate, Sink
Remodeling your kitchen can dramatically increase the value of your home. Whether you are trying to sell your home or you just want it to look nicer, there are a lot of options you can use when remodeling your kitchen. Before you get started, you’re going to want to come up with a budget and then determine how you want to spend it. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to discuss some basic options such as replacing countertops, sinks, cabinetry and flooring. The amount of work your kitchen needs is completely up to you and your budget.
First, let’s discuss new countertops.
There are numerous different surfaces out there that range from really cheap (formica) to very expensive (poured slabs). You’ll need to think about how you normally use your countertops before picking the new surface. Formica is pretty durable, but it is easy to stain. Marble looks terrific, but does have some maintenance issues. Poured surfaces are costly, but last the longest and need the least amount of care. Try to get some samples of various surfaces before you decide which one is right for you. For a compromise, try marble tiles. They’re cheaper than marble slabs and easier to install.
For your new sink you’ll also have quite a few options.
Most are easy enough to install, and come in sizes that will fit most existing installations. If you’re completely replacing your countertops, you’ll have more options when it comes to the kind of sink you can use. When picking a surface, remember that stainless steel looks nice but can be hard to keep shiny. Ceramic is a good solution, but make sure that it is properly sealed to reduce the amount of scrapes that can come with normal daily use.
New cabinets can be pretty exciting, and again, you’re going to have a lot of new options here.
Glass doors add a touch of class to any new cabinets, and you can add some variety by having a few with solid doors and a few with glass. If you can’t find the stain or color you like, get some unfinished cabinets and stain or paint them yourself. If your budget won’t allow new cabinetry, you can still overhaul existing cabinets by replacing doors, adding new hardware or simply giving them a fresh coat of paint or a stain.
When it comes to floors, the sky is the limit.
There are so many options right now it can be hard to decide which one is best. Many new kitchens feature poured concrete floors that are then stained to match the décor. However, this is expensive and labor intensive. If you’re remodeling on the cheap, you can find peel and stick tiles that can go on above your existing floor. This is a very easy and economical way to jazz up your kitchen with very little effort.
When remodeling your kitchen, try to figure out how much work you can do on your own. If you’re handy, you can save a lot of money that can be used for better fixtures or options, if you do the work yourself.
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June 27th, 2008 — Book Review, Project, Renovate
George Nash’s book, Renovating Old Houses - Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes is a wonderful resource for those of us that are living in aging homes. If you’re trying to recapture your home’s fading glory or you just need some tips on how to easily fix common issues in older homes, this is a terrific resource that is well worth the purchase price.
Before Nash gets into the actual projects, he provides the reader with some different philosophies and mindsets when it comes to renovating older homes. There are definitely purists out there that will only use old materials and techniques to fix up their homes, while there are those who will use new materials and change them so that they fit the character of the house. You’ll be able to use this section to determine which techniques and materials you should be using for your home as well as some useful workarounds if you can’t match something perfectly.
It should be noted here that there is definitely a difference between renovating and remodeling. When you’re renovating, you’re preserving the heritage of the home - remodeling is usually associated with modernization. While there is nothing wrong with remodeling, this book focuses mainly on keeping with a home’s original traditions and renovating it for restoration purposes.
Part of the best part of this book is that it is useful even for those who aren’t quite ready to tackle their own home improvement projects, but are interested in buying an older home for the purpose of fixing it up. Older homes are usually much cheaper, but there are some warning signs that you’ll need to look out for when buying it. Nash gives some great hints on how to get an inspection and how to find an older home that won’t turn into a money pit.
After the preliminaries are out of the way, Nash gets down to business with ten chapters that cover some of the most common renovations you can try with an older home. The best part of these chapters are definitely the color photos which make it easy to see what the project entails and how your house will look when you’ve completed the projects. Again, if you’re a fan of old homes, but not really handy, you’ll still get plenty of enjoyment out of the book for the pictures alone.
Necessary things such as handling cellars that are frequently breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Older homes tend to have issues with this, especially in humid climates, but you’ll get plenty of information to help you fix these issues quickly. You’ll also learn about fixing little things, like rotting window sills and how to replace the windows with newer and more efficient windows without losing the original charm of the older windows.
Sewage systems are also covered and this is very important for any older home. You’ll need to know how to bring everything up to code, from water lines to sewage lines and this book will walk you through everything you could ever want to know about fixing up an old home the right way.
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