Improve your house - Kitchen renovation - 5 deadly sins
Prepare to sell a house - Property renovation - fixer upper
Security and Brighten your property - Landscape lighting
Improve your propery - Add a garage
Add Value to Your Property - Look at the Layout
Buy Property for profit - See Property thru Investor Eyes
Security and Brighten your property - Landscape lighting
Your Home and Property - Fencing Options
Toothbrushes and Toilets - Bathroom renovation
Tips - Caring for Granite
* Exchange US$1 = ZAR7.50
Proper planning is important with any remodeling project, but it is especially important when it comes to a kitchen renovation. Poor planning and scheduling can turn a 3-4 week project into a 3-4 month disaster. Almost every renovation project is going to have some impact on your daily activites while the construction is going on, but the kitchen may have the greatest impact. Since the kitchen is usually the hub of any home, and where all of the meals are prepared, to be without a sink, stove, and refrigerator for weeks at a time is enough to leave any family angry and frustrated. The longer the project drags on, the more intrusive it will be on the rest of your life. So how do you avoid delays and help expedite the renovation project? I have outlined some of the key points to make sure that everything is moving along on schedule.
1) Establishing a time line with your builder or remodeler - make sure this is spelled out in writing with clauses for the project not being completed on-time. If a completion date is not established, the contractor or builder is going to focus on his bottom line. If he needs to pull people away from your project for another, he might just do that. By establishing a clear cut finish date, it will force him or her to plan their time wisely.
2) Research, research, research - with some many different materials going into a kitchen, materials may be the biggest reason for a kitchen renovation not being completed on-time. Kitchen cabinets will by far have the biggest impact. Depending on which type of kitchen cabinets you buy (stock, custom, rta), it can take anywhere from 2 weeks for delivery up to several months. Just like anything else in life, you always have to plan for the inevitable. Give yourself at least an extra two weeks to inspect the cabinets and make any adjustments if needed. This will also give you a buffer for any unexpected problems, such as damages or missing pieces. Without the cabinets, the rest of the kitchen can't even be started (countertops can't be installed, walls can't be finished, etc), so if you don't schedule your materials to be there a head of time you are just setting yourself up for disaster. It is also important to make sure that your contractor or builder is comfortable working with the materials that you chose... if they are not familiar with the installation process it could slow down your project or lead to unexpected problems down the road.
3) Effective communication with your contractors and sub-contractors - Inevitably during the remodeling project problems are going to arise, and things will need to be changed. By having an open dialogue between the contractors and sub-contractors, it will prevent small problems from turning into big problems.
4) Be flexible- if you make a change to the design, you have to anticipate that it will change your time line. Every change you make to the project will have a ripple effect on the rest of the project. Believe it or not, most contractors have the same goal that you do... get the project completed as fast as possible without sacrificing quality. If you are butting heads with your contractor, it is only going to delay the process even further and may affect the quality of the work.
5) Have patience - as I mentioned before, it is going to be a stressful process. By having a good attitude and rolling with the punches, it will create a positive atmosphere on the job site and will help the project run smoothly.
Author Resource:-> I have been remodeling houses and rental properties for over 15 years. I have discovered the secret to saving thousands on kitchen cabinets. Find out my secret to buying kitchen cabinets at 30-40% below retail.
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In the realm of real estate, there are numerous ways to go about making profits. One of the most effective methods of achieving financial success is in dealing with a "fixer-upper." Home renovations are very important if you are in the business of making profits, so let's overview some of the key points that can help you in your ventures.
First of all, when you're dealing with a fixer-upper home, or any sort of renovation, it's important to keep in mind your main objective: to make a profit. It's easy to forget, sometimes, that the long-term goal of the project is not creating your dream home. Sure, a big screen T.V. may look great in the living room corner, but making big purchases are unnecessary for a home you may not be keeping for long.
Let the potential buyers take care of the details; your focus is to provide the necessities, not to practice home decoration. Your choices should be neutral and simple, in order to appeal on a basic level to a wide variety of potential buyers. Keeping it simple is a must, but this doesn't mean you should leave the home as a permanent fixer-upper. Home renovations, in this sense, should include a number of basic tasks.
The first thing you should do is to go through the property and determine what needs to go. Undoubtedly, there will be various pieces of furniture or other items around the house you may want to clear out. Get rid of anything that isn't working properly, or anything you think "doesn't quite fit" with the rest of the house. You may choose to leave carpeting for a while, even if you aren't its biggest fan; if you plan on doing any painting, old carpet can serve as the perfect placemat.
In order to catch the eye of a passer-by, you need to have an inviting exterior to your fixer-upper home. If there is a front gate, be sure to paint or replace it. Make sure the hinges and latches are in proper condition. Nothing says "Welcome!" like a picket fence, so if your home doesn't have one, be sure to get one. If so, make sure it is painted and sturdy. Keeping a healthy lawn is another must, so make sure everything is as green and tidy as possible. Pay attention to the little details, like your mailbox and shutters; these minor details aren't always as obvious, but create just as much of an impression.
Some simple gardening can go a long way, as well. Remove weeds, plant flowers- whatever it takes. This is your chance to be creative for little to no expense. When it comes to painting the exterior of the house, try to keep in the same color scheme as the surrounding homes. Make sure there are no missing or damaged shingles on the roof, and replace any cracked or broken boards. The backyard should be freshly mowed and watered.
Maybe the most important aspect of the home exterior is the front door: the grand entrance. If you have an unappealing front door, no one will want to see what's past it! Make sure to repair or repaint if necessary.
Author Resource:-> Sal Vannutini is the owner of http://www.fixerupperfortunes.com.
Did you know that he is giving away a 14 part e-course for free!
Visit now and grab this amazing opportunity, to find out how you
too can make profits from your fixer
upper home.
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Landscape lighting is an effective method of brightening your property while adding an element of safety and security. The lighting is beautiful, but its practicality purposes are undeniable.
There's nothing more aggravating than having to pick your way through the dark to get to and from your car in the dark. Landscape lighting can help shines a little light on the matter, allowing for property beautification and practical and useful applications as well. It can help you keep your basic stability and matters of safety close at hand.
Landscape lighting can help deter criminal activity. Criminals enjoy the dark, they can strike under the cover of darkness without risking being seen or identified, not to mention it gives them the fear factor advantage. It can be terrifying to be attacked in the dark. Landscape lighting can provide enough light to deter a criminal from approaching you or your property in the dark. The additional safety elements which it provides are truly worth way more than the cost of professionally installing it.
Safety elements aside, it can provide a very attractive beautification to your home or business property, which we all understand can increase the overall value of housing and business properties. When something is beautiful to look at, people tend to appreciate it a bit more. Landscape lighting is able to enhance your home's value and your business' overall popularity. Whether you live there or work there, your property can be the envy of the neighborhood with quality landscape lighting introduced into the overall beautification of your property.
Landscape lighting can make your property more identifiable. When your home is tastefully lit up with the help of it, your home becomes easier for friends and family to identify. Your neighbors will also appreciate the special added quality your lighting will provide. Your business becomes more readily identifiable to potential clients. Every time a client drives around frustrated because they can not locate your business, you lose money the instant they give up and return home or head toward a business they may feel is less equitable but they are already familiar with.
Landscape lighting attribute a sense of pride to your property. With beautification via landscape lighting, you are sending a clear message that you care about your home and that you care about the quality of the neighbourhood you live in. The more people in a single neighbourhood that represent their properties with pride and beautification, the more upscale the neighbourhood becomes. Sometimes, it just takes one person to beautify their home to inspire the rest of the neighborhood to follow suit. A sense of pride that flows throughout a neighborhood is likely to increase the value of the neighborhood, regardless of how initially upscale or down scale the neighborhood starts off.
Having landscape lighting installed is not an invasive process. A qualified landscaper with lighting expertise can install your new landscape lighting with relative ease, and since most of the work is required, sometimes all, can be completed from outside, there is no need to move furniture, rearrange a room, or even alter your daily life.
Well placed landscape lighting is simply practical. Who wouldn't be more comfortable walking around outside their home or business, whether it's to their car or out to the mailbox, in better quality landscape lighting. With the additional light, you won't be chased inside with the sun any longer. Picnics outside are more fun when they have the freedom to end naturally, not by the time of day. Burgers, hotdogs, and crab feasts are always better with family, friends, and a night of serious camaraderie. Peaceful nights on the patio are always better when there is some nicely accentuated landscape lighting illuminating your experience.
If you are interested in just exploring the possibility of landscape lighting, it is recommended that you contact a qualified landscaper to talk about your options. Not all landscapers can handle landscape lighting jobs, so be sure to research your choice of landscaper before committing or allowing them to install your landscape lighting. Beautiful lighting can really light up your property in an attractive manner, improper lighting is bound to cause headaches. Make sure that your lighting expert is truly and expert before hiring. Installing the lighting should be an enjoyable process from beginning to end, and the end result should be a phenomenal improvement to your property.
Author Resource:-> Bill Dittman is President of Custom Landscape & Irrigation, an acclaimed commercial and residential landscaping contractor located near Houston, Texas. Dittman serves residential and commercial clients in many Houston suburbs. Visit http://www.customlandscapeandirrigation.com to learn about more.
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Often times, you may find yourself wishing you had purchased a house with a garage. You may need a place to store vehicles, or that lawn mower that is taking up room in the yard or shop. Fortunately, this is a solution.
Now, more and more people are deciding to add garages to their homes. Whether you wish to add an attached or detached garage, it doesn't have to be that difficult. This article contains tips that will help you in making the various decisions that will be necessary, and will assist you in getting started.
A garage addition will help you use your property to its full advantage, and will provide you with many storage options. You will be able to store cars, boats, tools, and much, much more. They may be built as an add-on to the house, called an attached garage, or apart from the house, which will make it a detached garage. Depending on the amount of space you have close to your house, you may decide to build a larger garage as a detached structure, which will allow you to construct a larger building. If this is not an issue, an attached garage will probably work just fine.
A garage addition will also allow you to gain extra much needed space, develop a rental unit such as an apartment for college-aged children or your mother-in-law, or even establish a home office that will give you privacy while still allowing you the luxury of working at home.
By optimizing the location of your garage, you will be able to diminish the importance of the garage, while allowing your house to become the focal point of your property. Also, adding a garage to your property can enhance your property value, which can be very useful should you ever decide to sell.
If you are looking to minimize cost, try to use existing foundation. This, of course, will depend on the location of the foundation, as well as its load bearing capacity. This may also help you decide how large your garage will be because of the space you will have available for building the structure.
If location is important, keep in mind how you want others to see your garage. For example, if you want it to be visible from the street, do you want it to look like a garage? Would placing it somewhere else have a better overall effect? This, of course, will depend on the space you have available and how useable it is.
Make a list of what you want this new addition to contain. If you are just looking for a place to park cars, you won't need as many amenities as you would if you want a shop or to build a small apartment or living quarters. Keep in mind the budget from which you are working, and be sure to stay within it. Plan carefully, after all, the addition is permanent.
Author Resource:-> Future Metal Storage Building are based on the strongest architectural design ever conceived, the arch.
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We all know that we have to do a bit extra work on our investment to get it up to scratch and make it appealing to Mr and Mrs Buyer. Remember, rather than spending less, they will be looking to spend the same, but get a bit more quality for their money. This pushes up the price on mid-quality homes - so we go for the low quality homes and fix them up, right?
We make them more attractive to the market and in fact we make them into those mid-quality homes that are now commanding a fair price. So how exactly do we do this? We have to renovate more seriously.
One good way to do this is to look at the layout. Many times the layout can be modified to enhance the visual appeal of a room or even the whole house. You may be able to add an en suite to the master bedroom. That will jump your value up tremendously compared to what you spend. Some master bedrooms do have enough room in them to fit a new en suite, but in many cases you may only need to close one door off and put another one into a different wall to make the general bathroom into the en-suite. Look for another area that can be used for a family bathroom, or there may be two bathrooms in the house already.
Try replacing a blank wall with picture windows. This could open up the home to a view that people may not have realized was there. Look for original cladding. Restored to pristine condition, it may give the home value that was previously never thought of. Another great move is to use garage space for an extra room - a family room or an extra bedroom perhaps. Install a carport to replace it, or if it's a two-or-more car garage, use half for the extra room and keep the rest for the car.
You may be able to add a deck out the back, with sliding glass doors onto it from the house. Or maybe the house would have better curb appeal if you pulled down that filled-in front porch. If the bedrooms are small, you may be able to make them look bigger with the addition of mirrored doors on the built-ins, or by enlarging the windows.
The yard is another area where major improvements can increase the value. You don't have to be a gardening expert. There are plenty of D.I.Y. gardening magazines around. Simply find a garden of a similar size and climate to yours in one of them and copy it.
These are the kinds of things to look at when you want to add lots of value to bump up your price.
Author Resource:-> Discover exactly how Sal Vannutini combined two of the easiest (yet brutally powerful) real estate investing strategies and made an insane $31,510(+-ZAR235,000)Profit In Just 49 Days... And How You Can Do The Same! Visit http://www.FixerUpperFortunes.com
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Successful real estate investors train themselves how to look at property through the eyes of an investor, not the eyes of the consumer. Essentially, that means they have the ability to consider and evaluate real estate investments without getting emotionally attached to them.
The first time I walked through a potential investment property you should have seen the expression on my face. I was visualizing what it would be like to live in that particular property and since it would be in a low or moderate income neighborhood and in need of repair, the image that I was seeing was not very appealing.
It took awhile for me to get used to this sort of thing and I had to repeatedly say to myself "I'm not going to live here". After the real estate investment property "shock" wore off, I was able to see with a different set of eyes. That was the most difficult hurdle to jump over and I bet you experience the same thing.
I then started viewing these properties as opportunities instead of headaches and was looking to find places that needed more work rather than less. It makes going to the table to negotiate that much more in my favor since there tends to be more work needed before tenants could move in.
A prime example is one of my more recent purchases in Albuquerque. I flew over there with a list of 15 potential properties to evaluate and ended up getting a great deal on 4-plex that needed about $10000-$15000(R75,000-R112,500) in fixing up. I offered under asking price at $170,000(R1,275,000) and the seller accepted. Similar multi-family dwellings were selling around $200,000(R1,500,000) so I knew even if I had to put in $15,000(R75,000), I'd still end up ahead. Prior to the offer I calculated a $500(R3,750) positive cash flow each month once all four units were rented out. The numbers worked so I pulled the trigger.
There is a big difference between how you look at investment property and how you look at a property you plan on buying for yourself. The property you're buying to live in needs to suit your personal preferences and lifestyle. When you're buying a property as an investment, it's all about the numbers and not so much the looks. There's nothing a new coat of paint and carpet can do to change the appearance of a rundown apartment building. All those minor things just take a little extra cash which you can write off as part of the investment.
So what will it cost and how much revenue will it generate? It's an easy formula to figure this out. If the numbers work, you buy the property. If they don't work, you don't buy. Just make sure your "investor eyes" are seeing clearly and you don't get caught up in an emotional battle.
Author Resource:-> David Cowgill is a successful real estate investor and is passionate about sharing his knowledge.
For further information visit: Real Estate Investing Blog
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"Good fences make good neighbors", wrote a beloved American poet decades ago. There is some truth in the idea that some of us function better when we know and respect common boundaries. This can be especially true when we put up fences in our lawns and around our property to keep trespassers out and the children or pets in. Still, it's not easy choosing where to put up fencing, the type that will best fit a property, and the most effective for a particular purpose. Here are a few tips that might help as you face this particular dilemma.
1) Choose a style that meshes with your property style. For example, if your home is a Victorian, look for old-fashioned fencing designs that bring back the days of old, like a white picket style. Instead of the painted wood framework that quickly peels and can easily rot, you can now get vinyl fences that look like traditional wood but will actually hold up much longer and require little maintenance.
2) Look for fencing that will fit your property structure. For example, even if you love wrought iron spikes, they may not look that great on your country farmhouse lawn. Choose a design that flows with the overall theme of your yard or lawn. You might want to get a few sample pieces and try them in various places of your open space to see how they fit. Or check out images on the Internet and possibly drive around the neighbourhood for some ideas on how to use fencing in creative ways.
3) Get the type of fencing that serves your purposes. An invisible dog fence will help to keep your pets from wandering off the premises. But it will not keep other dogs or animals from approaching your dog. You may need a chain link fence to prevent other kids or pets from wandering over your lawn and perhaps doing damage or causing problems by digging up a flowerbed or chasing your cats.
4) Decorative fencing adds attractive accents. Consider adding a wooden rail fence in just a corner of your yard as a focus point, perhaps accented by clusters of daffodils or mums. A low vinyl picket fence makes a nice border along the side of the garage or shed. Use your creativity while shopping at lawn and garden stores or browsing catalogs to select a useful or attractive fence that will add to your property's value.
Fences can be functional or aesthetic in nature, it's really up to you. There are numerous styles, materials, and designs available today, and you can shop online if you aren't able to get out to the stores. Fencing all or part of your property can help to protect it, discourage intruders, and make it attractive simultaneously. Don't overlook fencing options when planning next year's lawn or garden.
Author Resource:-> You still have a lot to learn about fences, so why not visit the Fencing Cart at http://www.fencingcart.com
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You may remember hearing something horrible about the bathroom once and how, if you can keep your toothbrush in the same room as your toilet, every time you flush your toilet droplets of toilet water go on your toothbrush! Supposedly they say, you might as well be brushing your teeth with toilet water. Naturally, people immediately go out and buy all the materials to redo their bathroom and they build a wall between their toothbrush and the toilet. Well, maybe they aren't that extreme but it does bring up some concerns about the bathroom.
Bathroom remodeling is a major industry these days. The question is, is it really necessary? Everyone seems to be into tearing their house apart and putting it back together again, usually starting with the bathroom or the most inconvenient place possible. Is it possible to have a simple bathroom that is pleasing to all members of the family without investing enough to put several kids through college? I set out to find out. Here are some great remodelling tips:
1 Shower/Tub: Try cleaning these parts of the bathroom first. If you have to buy a new one, don't spend more than 200 bucks.
2 Toilet: If it works in the bathroom, don't fix it. If it doesn't, replace it.
3 Sink: If it's cracked, keep it under $150 tops.
4 Vanity: You can usually fix up your bathroom with a nice one from Home Depot or Lowes at a very low cost.
5 Lighting: Recessed lights are always very important in the bathroom
6 Floor: Try linoleum for most bathroom floors as it cleans up easily.
7 Painting: The cheapest remodel of all for your bathroom is to slap a new coat of paint on it.
So, is remodeling your bathroom really about replacing things that don't work anymore or is it more about changing something in your life to make you feel better about yourself? For that matter, isn't home remodeling in general all about that?
Taking a wider view, bathrooms go back to before the Roman empire and everyone knows abut the Roman baths which were great big pools of water where the whole community bathed together. For them it was a social occasion: time to discuss the events of the day and so forth. In places like England and Europe it's not even a bathroom; it's a water closet or the loo, and it doesn't always include all these luxurious fixtures you find in a bathroom in America. Sink, toilet, and bathtub/shower all in the bathroom together is mostly an American invention, it turns out. Not that I don't think it's a good one.
Truth is, my current bathroom is in three different rooms: toilet in one, shower in another, sink outside of both. It's not always as convenient as I'd like. I'm always wrapping myself in a towel to go from one room to the next. But I think I'll stick with the current arrangement; remodeling my bathroom as a route to reinventing myself sounds expensive. At least my toothbrush isn't in the bathroom with my toilet. There's really nothing to worry about as long as you keep your toilet clean enough.
Author Resource:-> This article was written for www.findthisonline.com - an online resource guide that offers a variety of articles written on different subjects. Visit us at Here for more articles on bathrooms.
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By Jim Ames
Many people enjoying beautiful granite floors and countertops in their homes. They are stylish and beautiful.
But how can you take care of these beautiful floors and countertops and keep them looking their best at all times? To care for granite may not be as difficult as you may think. Get help with these tips on keeping your granite beautiful.
• First of all you would want to use a stone sealer that impregnates the granite so that you have an invisible protective barrier for the surface of your granite countertops or flooring. Stone sealers are widely used by professionals in the stone fabricating industry.
• Even if you have granite showers this stone sealer will help you to keep your shower cleaner and it will keep your granite looking good. You may apply a stone sealer periodically depending on the usage of your granite.
• Then you may just use a stone soap, which is a highly concentrated water based cleaner that you can use for your granite tiles. This cleaner can be diluted according to the instructions on the container. Stone soap is specially formulated and is the best care for your granite as is does not leave any residues or cause the surface to be slippery, and it does not dull or damage your beautiful granite countertops and floors as some regular cleaners do.
• This will also eliminate your worries about having granite floors in the bathroom, since you may have been thinking that a granite floor may be slippery and dangerous in bathrooms. But you now you can have these beautiful granite flooring in your bathroom without a worry, by just simply using a stone soap.
• Stone soap does clean thoroughly all the way down into the pores of the your natural stone and you are able to remove dirt, dust, grease and food and even scuff marks.
• When you dilute the special stone soap you can put it into a spray bottle and just spray it on your granite counter tops and flooring and wipe it clean.
• This does not have to be difficult and it certainly keeps your home looking great and your beautiful granite will always still look like brand new even after many years.
• When installing granite floors and countertops you would want professionals take care of the installation and you may just ask them where to buy the needed stone soap and the stone sealer best in your local area.
So having a granite flooring and countertops is truly a wonderful experience and to keep them looking great always is so easy!
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The above articles were published here to give you some advice on renovations and house maintenance etc. and can be used for all house renovations - not just your kitchen.....
It will be a sin to not take these 5 pointers to heart and read through the other property articles.
Any questions, please email us at - Always4Africa@Yahoo.com
Asking Price: SOLD