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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

What is the correct size area rug for a room?

Decorating may not be your strong suit but you can help pull the look of a room together with an area rug. When choosing a rug it is important to get a size that will enhance the look of the room. Getting a rug that is too large may make the room look smaller. While there is not magic equation as to what size rug would work for every room, there are a few rules of thumb that may help. Most people feel that leaving a “border” of bare floor around the rug of about 18” will help to make the room look better proportioned. In smaller rooms it may be better to use a bare floor calculation of 8”-12”.

Setting the room to view placement of furniture will also help you choose a rug size. Keeping all the furniture legs on the rug will help pull the room together. For a dining room table, keep room around table for the back chair leg to remain on the rug even when someone is sitting in chair at the table. This is typically 2 feet. Area rugs under the bed should extend at least 18” on both sides and the bottom of the bed. It may be helpful to use masking tape or painters tape to create a border where the rug will lie. You will want to place the rug in a way that is right for the room. Decide if the rug is the focus of the room and take the above steps from there.
While there are no real rules, hopefully this will help guide you toward choosing the right rug for your room.
Posted at 11/11/2011 11:07 AM by Madelene Cheney
Categories: home decor, decorating tips, Home Staging