Category: Home Renovation

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Preparing for the Future: What’s the Right Size of Home for Your Family



Buying a home just as you are starting a family is truly exciting.  It comes with thinking about what the future holds for you.  It welcomes aspiration and inspires you to have a dream for your family.  In this exercise, however, you have to pull yourself back to the present even as you look towards your future.  There are costs involved in home buying and you have to be practical in the decisions that you make.  If you are dreaming about having a bigger family, would it be wiser for you to buy a big house now or simply to buy a small home on a bigger piece of property?  It would be easy to visualize your brood of kids running around a big house, each with his own beautifully designed room.  But, it would not be practical to buy a 4-bedroom house when you only have one baby.  You can rationalize that you can use the extra rooms for other purposes while you are still building your family.  You might want to consider the cost of maintaining such an oversized house.

albeit on a bigger lot is smaller.  You do not have to fork over a lot of money at the onset when you buy your house.  This way, you can actually spend your money for other more pressing needs.  Or, you can invest your money and grow it so that you have more money to spend when the time comes for you to expand your house.

The maintenance of a bigger house is more expensive.  You do not want to have to deal with repairs and renovations on rooms that you do not even use.  Also, think about your heating and cooling expenses.  The more rooms you have in your home, the more you have to pay for in utilities and other maintenance expenses.

There is no certainty that you would want to stay in the same house for the rest of your life.  While this might sound a little pessimistic, it is a reality that people’s needs change through time.  Many people move through several homes throughout their lifetime.  Your investment would not be wise at all when you find out that you have to leave your home because you found a more lucrative job opportunity elsewhere.  A smaller house with a bigger lot will give you some flexibility in your use of your property.  You simply have to expand your house as you grow your family.



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To Do or not to Do: Choosing DIY Projects that Fit Your Skills

To Do or not to Do: Choosing DIY Projects that Fit Your Skills

 

The popularity of DIY or do-it-yourself projects has grown over the years. That’s mainly because people are trying to cut down on costs and save some money. DIY success stories, easy access to DIY tools, merchandise and instructions, as well as home improvement reality TV shows, also encourage people to venture into these types of projects.

Most DIY ventures are simple and easy enough to be accomplished by just about anybody. But, there are also projects that are better off in the hands of experts. Amateurs should be careful in taking on tasks that may compromise safety when it poorly done or those that can ruin the appearance of valuable assets in one misstep, otherwise they may end up losing more money or placing themselves in an accident prone situation. Here are some examples of projects that require certain levels of expertise.

  • Remodeling of House Structures

    Home renovation projects that require you to tear down a wall or put up a new one require both wits and muscles. One wrong move in its demolition can bring the whole house down on top of your head, and the same thing can happen when one ends up with poorly built walls or posts. Knowledge about the building code requirements of the state is also needed or one may find himself rebuilding everything from scratch when the structures fail to meet the standards upon inspection of the proper authorities.

  • Electrical Installations and Repairs

    The building code also has provisions for electrical wiring installation and repair standards. There are even States that have explicit requirements of having these jobs strictly done by professionals only. But even without any prompting from the law, people should leave these tasks to experts. The consequences of improper wiring can range from short circuits, electrocution and even fire.

    To Do or not to Do: Choosing DIY Projects that Fit Your Skills

  • Tasks that require Technical Know-How

The consequences of poorly repaired electrical appliances is the same as that of faulty electrical wiring. Thus, it is practical to leave this job to trained electricians. Pest control and other activities that entail the handling of harmful chemicals or hazardous elements is another risky DIY undertaking. Any error in the formula mixture or an accidental spill may cause irreparable damage to one’s health or property.

  • Restoration, Repair or Maintenance of Valuable Assets

    Jewelries, family heirlooms, or any property that has sentimental value can be ruined. They could also be badly damaged when one lacks the expertise in handling it. Prized possessions are worth the care and attention of well trained hands.

  • Projects that are not within your level of expertise

    The success of a DIY project largely depends on one’s skill level. Knowing your capabilities and choosing tasks that are within the scope of your skills is one way to ensure the project’s accomplishment.

Taking on a DIY project is a great way to save on labor costs with the additional reward of self-accomplishment. But, it shouldn’t be done when safety and craftsmanship is at stake or when there are serious consequences involved. DIY is the best option when you know how to choose the right projects fitting your skills.

 

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Should You Buy A New Home or Remodel The One You’re In?

Should You Buy A New Home or Remodel The One You’re In?

If your mind is having a debate in terms of either you should buy a new home or remodel the one you’re in, this article might help you make a wise decision. I have noted down few comparisons of the two options that are surely helpful enough for you. So without further ado, here they are.

The Reason

Knowing your true intent or reason of buying or remodeling is a must. If your reason is you wanted a place that is safer for you and your family and your current neighborhood doesn’t offer it, then buying a new home is a good decision. If your reason is just to get a brand new atmosphere inside your house, remodeling is the wisest and practical option.

The Budget

If you have a good budget or if your current family income can keep up with the ever rising price of new house or real estate, I don’t see any problem for you to get a brand new house. If you are just keeping up with daily life and your family income are just fair enough for you and your family to survive, a DIY remodeling is way much better in the long run.

The Time

If remodeling your own home doesn’t fit for the time or schedule you got at hand, especially if you are an over busy human, buying a brand new one that is ready for occupancy is a decision you have to make. On the other hand, if you got all the time in the world to make changes at your home without sacrificing any job or business you got, then remodeling is the no-brainer choice for you.

Should You Buy A New Home or Remodel The One You're In?

The Price

Estimate the cost of remodeling and cost of buying a new home. For remodeling, calculate the amount of time, materials and labor. See if the two are close to each other, especially if you got a big remodeling plan at hand. If they are too close in terms of expenses, buying a brand new one will save you all the stress and hassle that price of remodeling can give.

The Future

If your current home or house is built few years back and remodeling it won’t make it stronger enough to stand the ever changing time and weather, buying a new house will be the beneficial one for you and your family and kids’ future. Also, see if the value of your current home is increasing or such, if not, then buy a new one and consider it an investment for the future time.

Still can’t decide what to choose? Well, an expert in this field can surely help you out. There is no harm in asking and consulting just make sure that the choice you will make can be beneficial not only for you but for your family as well.