Aging in place

More budget advice for your home remodel

 

It’s a rule of life: Money talks.

In the remodeling world, budget can be a four-letter word. But in order to have a successful experience, homeowners need to be honest about how much money they are comfortable spending.

Fortunately for you, we have a helpful article from The Washington Post that outlines several budget tips.

First, you need to decide on a goal. What do you want your home to look like? What area or areas of the home will you be working on? Do you want a spa-like master bathroom? Do you want to open up the kitchen?

Next, you need to figure out what you want everything to look like. Doing so will help pin down what kind of materials you will require. The materials you prefer will have different price points, so it’s helpful to pin those down and get a rough idea of their costs.

Doing these first two steps will lead you right into Step 3: Figuring out how to pay for everything.

Unless you are paying in cash, like the article notes, you will be borrowing the money from somewhere. Figure out whether that is a home-equity loan, a home equity line of credit, or a good old fashioned lending institution, the article says.

With those tasks completed, your attention must turn to the future: Is this a project in a forever home or are you probably going to sell at some point? If it is the former, feel free to splurge, the article says. If the latter, make sure you are getting the most return on your investment.

Now you are ready for your quotes. Contacting contractors will give you an idea of what your projects will cost. Going through quotes with a designer and contractor will help you figure out what you can save money on and where you should splurge. And don’t forget to budget a little extra (the article says 10 percent to 15 percent) for hidden expenses.

One thing you might not have thought to budget for in a remodel is something for your pet(s).

Yes, even our four-legged family members want to age in place. According to a post from Remodeling online, more homeowners are including dedicated dog showers in their remodel.

Have a great week!

Cabinets can make or break your kitchen remodel

We will never pass up an opportunity to talk about our love for cabinets. Whether they are made in a factory or custom, cabinets can make or break your kitchen remodel.

In addition to adding storage and convenience, cabinets add style and serious wow factor to any kitchen, as this article from the Houston Chronicle points out. If you are in need of inspiration, our friends at Top Reveal have assembled a comprehensive list of kitchen cabinet and shelf ideas to help create a one-of-a-kind look for your space.

The article does a great job of explaining some of the differences between factory-made cabinets and custom cabinets. One big myth that the article dispels right off the bat is that factory-made is not as good as custom. That’s not the case. Both types of cabinets offer high quality and can totally deliver on what you want, it just depends on your needs.

Factory-made cabinets are trimmed by hand using first-class equipment and boast an impeccable finish that’s applied in a controlled environment, the article says. While custom cabinets offer a precise fit, their finish cannot match that of a factory finish, since it’s in a less controlled environment, the article says.

A remodeler well-versed in both types of cabinets can come up with options tailored to your needs. And lucky for you, we know just the people.

Beautiful disaster

I love a good transformation story, and this Curbed article has it all. It chronicles the journey of a 1910 Craftsman cottage from dilapidated and stinky to stylish and prosperous.

While there aren’t any before pictures, it is worth nothing that the owner relied on her instincts (to buy an ugly house with good bones) and expertise (as an interior designer) to turn the project into a dream home.

Last but not least

Finally, here are some tips from an expert on ensuring a successful remodeling project. It’s a long read, but it highlights the importance of doing your homework, talking to a designer (hint, hint), and accounting for 10% of wiggle room on a realistic budget.

Have a great week!

Make sure to learn from others’ remodeling mistakes

Remodeling horror stories are everywhere. They are a hallmark of many reality TV shows and appear on the pages of our favorite websites all the time.

Learning from other people’s mistakes can help ensure you have a smooth remodeling experience, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Take it from our good friends at Angie’s List and their article about botched remodeling jobs.

One unsatisfied customer talks about how she went with the lowest price instead of doing reference checks on the three companies who supplied prices. That ended up costing her more in the long run.

While Angie says getting three estimates to determine a fair price is a good start, but it’s not the end of your research. Make sure to speak to past clients, ask about anything you are unsure of, and don’t be afraid to tie payment with progress. Holding back final payment until all work is done to your liking is a common practice.

Like most people with remodeling experience, Angie stresses the importance of communication in a remodeler-client relationship. Put price away for a moment, and think about which remodeler you can have an honest conversation with. That’s the remodeler you want to choose.

Uncovered treasures

It wasn’t a home remodel, but crews working on a shopping center in Albuquerque discovered a mural from 1974 depicting New Mexico’s history.

The artist, Ross Ward, painted the mural at Laramie Square Shopping Center after losing out on a bid to paint the mural at Albuquerque International Sunport.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the mural will have to be torn down since it was done on cement and not easily preserved.