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Archive for the 'Do It Yourself' category

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How to repair or resurface your kitchen countertops

Looking to repair a kitchen countertop? Maybe you are just tired of the current look of your kitchen countertops and want a change in décor. There are some inexpensive options that can help spruce up your kitchen countertop, especially if you are looking to do the work yourself.

Countertops are very important to your kitchen. They are just as useful as they are decorative. Once your countertops start to fade the overall look and functionality of your kitchen can suffer. Some home improvement stores sell an acrylic paint that is made to resurface your countertops. Although I don’t personally have any experience with using this product, this is probably the most cost effective solution. Acrylic paint is the best type of paint for laminate countertops. Another option would be to tile right over your laminate. With the new trend leaning toward stainless steel another option is to add a stainless steel look coating over your current countertop or even wood.
 
Granite countertops are expensive to install; however you can repair your granite counter mishaps with little money. One of the biggest complaints with granite is that it can stain. Oil, wine and bleach are among the biggest culprits of granite stains. A paste made of hydrogen peroxide and flour helps to pull out stains like grease, bleach and ink. To remove wine stains a mixture of bleach and flour will do.
 
Read This HouseLogic article for more information on kitchen countertop first aid.
Posted at 12/28/2011 02:12 PM by Madelene Cheney
Categories: Do It Yourself, Home Renovation and Repairs

Unique ways to save energy in your home

We came across a neat way to repurpose pipe insulation into a door draft guard, courtesy of LifeHacker.com. This DIY draft guard can be made for less than $1.50 per door, which is just a fraction of the cost of the Twin Draft Guard as seen on TV. Check it out on Lifehacker.com.

Posted at 12/05/2011 09:24 AM by Madelene Cheney
Categories: energy efficient, Do It Yourself, Home Renovation and Repairs

Cost Estimate For Home Improvement and Remodeling

Whether you are looking to remodel your current home or planning on buying a fixer upper, it is important to estimate the cost of the home renovation project you are undertaking. With so many foreclosures, short sales and REO properties on the market there is a great opportunity for a buyer to purchase their dream home at a discount. The down fall is that typically bank owned properties have been neglected and need some work. Thanks to rehab loans such as the FHA 203K loan, buyers can even roll the cost of the repairs and renovations into their home mortgage. Regardless, knowing the costs of the repairs is imperative. There are a few online tools that can assist you in estimating the cost of your home renovations.

Home Renovation and Repairs Certain home improvement projects will help increase the value of your home higher than others. Some renovation projects will not give you back their full return on investment. For instance a major kitchen or bathroom remodel may yield a 91% return rather than raising the value of your home by 100% of the cost of the renovation. For this reason, estimating the cost of the project in advance can be helpful. For local pricing information check out the 2011 remodeling cost vs value report to see the average cost of home improvement projects in the Boston MA and the surrounding areas. Many publications have also put together articles to help you decide on a the return on possible home improvement projects. One such article website that can be helpful  in deciding which project will help boost your home’s value the most is Bankrate’s Top 5 projects to boost home's value for resale.
 
Home owners can also turn to home remodeling project estimator tools such as the one on the Improvenet Inc website. This tool can give you a more detailed breakdown of the cost of the project by entering in specifics for your project. If you are looking to purchase a home that is a fixer upper there may be many hidden costs in renovating the property. If you are looking to do it yourself when remodeling a home you can use this tool to see the potential savings you can expect by completing the project on your own.
 To get an estimate for your fixer upper home or 203K loan you can use this online home renovation estimate calculator or check out Homerenovationestimate.com. These easy to use home renovation cost calculators allow you to project how much you can expect to spend on a potential home improvement project. Your best bet would be to get a professional estimate from a licensed contractor in order to get a more accurate estimate; however these tools are a great place to start.
Posted at 11/11/2011 04:02 PM by Madelene Cheney
Categories: Do It Yourself, Home Renovation and Repairs, decorating tips