Category: Real Estate

Remodeling a kitchen is a bit like cosmetic surgery. You greatly anticipate the end result, but it’s the getting there that worries you.

Yet, despite all the concern, planning, and costs involved, there are few investments that will deliver the kind of return that a kitchen remodel will — both in terms of economic return on investment and enjoyment.

According to a 2008 survey of real estate professionals, a kitchen remodel is among the top 10 projects with the greatest payback for the dollars invested. In addition, a minor kitchen makeover that includes new cabinet doors, painting, installing energy-efficient cook top and oven, new countertops and cabinet hardware, wall covering, and vinyl floor covering costs about $22,000 and yields an average payback of about 80 percent.

Plus, kitchens sell houses. Realtors agree that the kitchen is one of the first places a prospective home buyer will look. Often a well-appointed, modern kitchen will sell a house despite minor flaws elsewhere in the home.

Aside from economics, a lot can be said for the effect that a kitchen remodel can have on a homeowner’s quality of life. A well-thought-out design with modern energy-efficient appliances, easy-to-care-for finishes, and useful well-managed storage components can make life in the kitchen a pleasure.

Once you have decided to remodel and have set a budget, the next and most important step is planning. Often a home-owner will spend too little time planning, resulting in too much time being spent in the construction phase. Poor planning can result in inferior design, unsatisfactory finishes, construction difficulties, major cost overruns, delays in completion, and disputes with the contractor.

One way to avoid being a victim is by getting help from a professional. An architect, designer, or design-build contractor can assist in the layout and design of the new kitchen. They will be aware of building codes and industry design standards and can assist with the selection of building materials and finishes. The cost for the design and planning phase of a kitchen remodel should run between 5 and 10 percent of the overall cost of the project.

Your design professional or building contractor also should be able to tell you what permits will be required to perform the work.

The next step in planning your kitchen remodel is selecting a professional to perform the work. Get recommendations from friends or neighbors who have had similar work performed. If you live in a state where contractors must be registered or licensed, make sure yours is and has the necessary insurance, such as worker’s compensation and general liability.

Don’t begin the work until you have everything in writing. Insist on a written contract. The contract should contain a firm price, a payment schedule, start and finish dates, and an accompanying set of plans.

Finally, continue to stay involved after the work has begun. Keeping the lines of communication open will probably do more to ensure a successful result than anything else.

For weekly tips and projects online, go to onthehouse.com.

Not only does landscaping make your yard look nicer, it can also increase the value of your property and help you save on energy, not to mention it’s great exercise. Other benefits include stress relief and tax deductions.

Property Value Increases: When you spend money on doing your property up, it’s only natural it will raise the value of your property. But what most people don’t understand is that doing work to the house not only adds value on paper, it increases the property’s value in potential buyers’ minds.

People will pay more for a home that looks better than the rest of the houses on the street.

Save On Energy Costs: By using proper landscaping techniques, you can keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in the summer, lowering your energy bills.

Much of the cold that comes into your home in winter is caused by wind. Adding a row of conifers, white pines, or hedges around your home and your windows can help keep the wind out and the heat in. In summer, you can keep your home cooler by planting trees that provide shade over your windows.

Effortless Exercise: Backyard landscaping is a great way to get your daily exercise, not to mention the fresh air. And gardening is known to be a great stress reliever. Getting outside and getting your hands dirty calms the body, and it’s a great way to relax after work or on the weekends.

Tax-Deductible Landscaping: It’s true, you can get money back for adding value to your home. Home improvement (not home repair) is a tax-deductible expense in America.

Container Landscaping: But what if you live in an apartment or a condo and don’t have space to landscape? Not a problem. Planting in containers is the obvious solution.

There really isn’t much difference between traditional gardening and container gardening except for one very important fact: Traditional gardens rely heavily on nature for their basic needs, but container gardens rely almost solely on you. You must provide them with the nutrients they need. Container gardens can dry out quickly.

The good news is you can grow almost anything in containers, from edible plants to decorative shrubs and flowers. You can even grow trees, though they will never get to their intended size, since their roots are confined. It’s also a good idea to select hardy plants that can survive in drought conditions.

When it comes to selecting containers, the most popular pots are terra cotta and stone. However, be careful with weight restrictions if you are putting your containers on balconies.

Taking care of a plant in a container is primarily a matter of making sure it has adequate water and good soil and that you prune when needed.

Repot them when the plants get too big for their containers, and don’t forget to fertilize as needed. If you want to slow the growth of your plants, prune the roots.

For most of us, reaching the “move-or-improve” decision can be very difficult. Of course, living through construction work in progress is also difficult. To decide if your home is worth the cost and upheaval of remodeling or if you should just move, you need to consider a number of factors:

Personal Preferences

• Do you like your home?

• Do you like your neighborhood?

• Do your school-aged children have friends in the neighborhood?

• How long do you plan to live in this home?

Financial

• How much do you owe on the house, or do you own it outright?

• Will the cost of the project exceed what you can recoup if you should decide to sell your home in a few years?

• What will your monthly mortgage payment be if you have to finance your remodeling project?

• What would the mortgage be on another home that already contains the features you desire to add to your own home?

• What are the current interest rates?

• Will the remodeling project price your home out of the neighborhood?

• How important is that to you?

• Will more money be spent to redo the basic structure than on the actual remodeling project?

• Will more money be spent to meet current codes than to accomplish the desired project?

Structural Considerations

• Will remodeling make the best use of the space?

• How is the wiring?

• Do you have lead pipes?

• Do the flooring and siding (or other products) contain asbestos?

• Do you have adequate space for expansion?

As you can see, there is a lot to consider before you can make any final decisions. If you take the time to do some research and gather the facts required to answer these questions, you will be able to make an intelligent decision, one you will be able to live with for many years.

Additional Considerations

Before you invest your time and money in any remodeling project, it is important to understand the guidelines provided by local codes and regulations. Zoning regulations can impact the use of your property in relation to its property lines. Zoning ordinances establish land use: residential, industrial, or commercial. These ordinances protect you, your neighbors, and the community from undesirable or inappropriate land uses and/or construction. Other factors to consider include:

• Special height restrictions.

• Egress window requirements for bedrooms, especially those located in basements.

• Wall thickness and insulation requirements, as determined by any state or local energy codes in force in your area.

• Minimum-sized footings and foundations for the addition of a second floor.

• The existence of covenants, which could restrict you to height, type of roofing or roofing material, color, siding, etc. You will want to check the title of your home to verify the existence of any covenants.

• If your home is a historic building or located in a historic area. You could be restricted in what you want to do with the exterior appearance. Contact the historic preservation office in your area.

Before starting any project, check with your local city or county building department for specific requirements that may apply.

Once you have answered the questions above and researched the regulations, you will be much closer to making an intelligent “move-or-improve” decision, one you can comfortably live with. The bottom line is to take your time and do all your homework before making any decisions. Let the facts guide you in the right direction.

Leon A. Frechette is the author of The Helping Hands Guide To Hiring a Remodeling Contractor and writes for the blog asktooltalk.com, where a version of this article first appeared.