DYI Diva’s Quick Tips

Are you one of the many home owners putting countless dollars into your home improvement projects each year? It is commonly believed that any improvements you do will not be money lost because it will raise the value of your home. Here are the top three reasons most people do these projects:

1. They want to improve the look or function of their home to make it a better or more ideal place for them to live.
2. They need to make repairs to keep the house and up and running well.
3. They want to add value to their home’s bottom line through upgrades.

But, do home improvement projects really add money to the value of a home? There are several different reasons that it can and several reasons that it may not. What are you planning to improve? How will you improve it? What is the value of the investment over what was already there? You can see it is very important to know what will actually improve the value. The most common upgrades are to bathrooms and kitchens. Adding another bathroom will also add value. However, this all presumes your taste is of the sort that would appeal to most, not just a quirky few.

• Does the home improvement project add space, function or added benefits to the area?
• Does the home improvement project make the area more attractive, not only to you but to others?
• Does the home improvement project make significant positive changes to the home?

If you were to walk into a home like yours without the improvement project in it, would you pay more for the home if it did have this feature? Of course, what your thoughts are do not matter as much as what the potential buyer’s thoughts might be. Your home is only worth as much as someone will pay for it, so keep the potential buyer in mind as you make changes.

One way to learn more about the value of your potential home improvement project is to talk to a home appraiser. Locate one that is licensed and talk to them about the potential added value to your home through the home improvement project. What you must realize, though, is that adding $10,000 to your home through this investment does not mean that the value of your home goes up that much. It could be more. It could also be much less. It all depends on the housing market if and when you ever decide to sell.

We keep our homes painted to protect them, but it also provides an opportunity to express ourselves and beautify our homes. The colors we choose for our home exterior reveal alot about or sense of design and taste. And it is one of the least expensive things to go to give your home curb appeal and protect it’s value.

Choosing the color scheme for your home can also depend on the surroundings and structure. New Mexico adobes might look strange painted in Cape Cod greys and blue, etc. Victorians may need 3, 4 or 5 colors including accents to make the most of the architecture. Most homes use 2 or 3 colors, depending on taste and architecture.
Here are some key points and tips that you need to consider while painting exterior walls:

• If you want your home to stand out, choosing sharp, intense colors will draw attention.
• If you prefer an understated elegance; light toned color may be more to your liking. They give a somber effect and make your home look larger.
• Darker hues will help larger surface areas to not look faded.
• When looking for trim or accent colors, matching contrast colors will show as color combinations with flow and harmony. Extreme contrasts do not have this effect.
• Mid tones add visual depth and warmth to your house exterior. Choose contrasting color with the main body paint.
• While deciding upon color samples use natural light for the study but not direct sunlight.
• If possible use light and pastel color to blend the architecture of house with natural surrounding. Changing sun rays and the shape of the house lends a regal texture to the exterior of the house at different time of the day.
• Deep color are known for the light absorbing power and creating illusions of the less volume than original yet provide substance to the exterior. Before using deep color test them on actual surface under different light shades.

You probably have a room in your home that could use a new wood floor! It is easier then you might think to get this warmth and value as an upgrade in your home. It takes some planning to get all the materials you need and the room clean and emptied out.

These videos were created by the folks that sell the flooring. You get good description of all the items you will need to purchase as well as a good walk through on doing the actual job. Watch these two gents and gain the confidence to take on adding new wood floors to your house.

Part One

Part Two

Marble and granite countertops are in fashion for a reason. They are beautiful and easy to care for. As tile and grout get grungy in older homes, the practical beauty of slab stone solutions becomes obvious. For a relatively small investment, you can completely refresh the look of your kitchen and add value to your home.

Natural stones like Marble and Granite are increasingly popular with residential and commercial builders. Both these stones have the following benefits when used while building a new kitchen or during kitchen renovation:-

1. Beauty. The variation in colors, textures, patterns and designs are endless. You can choose just the right color and texture which suits your taste.
2. Uniqueness. Every single slab of granite and marble are unique. With differing shades and patterns these marvelous stones will surly add a sense of elegance to your kitchen.
3. Financial return. Granite and marble add a lot of value to the kitchen and give it a very up market and chic look.
4. Durability. Kitchens regularly face a lot of rough and tough usage like sharp knives, hot pans and pots, stains and leakages. Granite and marble countertops can easily survive these for a longer time than any synthetic material.

Choosing between granite and marble during kitchen remodeling is a master of taste. Consider the two stones carefully including the cost factor, look, durability and suitability. Granite is more durable, while Marble offers more artistic possibilities.

Marble will scratch easier than granite countertops. Also, acidic substances, like vinegars, ketchups etc affect the surface of marble very easily in comparison to a granite countertop; effecting the glossy surface of a marble which may be lost with time due to exposure to chemicals commonly used in kitchen. Although heat does not harm the actual marble core in any way, exposure to heat may cause the marble to discolor significantly. You will have to use heat absorbing ‘boards’ or have to replace the entire countertop as this damage can not be repaired. Granite on the other hand is the second hardest stone available and is not as easily affected by chemicals, scratching, and typical kitchen heat. Chipping and scratching granite surface is rather tough in comparison to marble, which can be chipped.

Cleaning granite surface countertops is very easy and is limited to cleaning by cloth and soap. However, you will have to “coat” the granite twice a year in order to upkeep its fresh look. One area where marble scores over granite is the choice of color, granite is limited by the colors found in nature. So, you will have to consider the color scheme you desire. You may have to go with marble instead of granite if the granite colors do not match with your color scheme.

Always wanted a breakfast bar? They are a good idea. They add functional value and an appealing look. They are simple to design and give a great return on your investment of time and effort. With a little ingenuity it’s not as expensive as you might think.

As you look at the configuration in your home, you may have a wall you wish to open up or an open space you want to ‘close off’ partially with a kitchen bar. This doesn’t make you lose the feeling of space since it leaves the visual space over the counter, while creating more usable space with seating and counter.

If you are breaking into a wall to create a breakfast bar, you will need a contractor or a good understanding of what is in the wall. What is helping support the cabinets and structure of you home, etc. before you remove walls or vertical supports.

Filling in open floor space with a new bar is much easier, requiring a base, few L-shaped brackets, and your choice of counter tops. L-brackets can be used to attach the counter tops with cabinets placed below. They are also required for attaching the breakfast slab to the floor. It is a good idea to have an electrical point on the bar. The electrical work should be made on the underside of the breakfast bar rather than above it.

Your breakfast bar is not complete without some bar stools. You can choose from a wide variety of bar stools available in the market. Bar stools in appropriate designs and colors are advised so that they mix easily with the overall look that you want to give through kitchen renovation.

I’m sure you will be satisfied with cost effective update to your kitchen. It offers a casual way to serve meals, chat over coffee, visit with family members as you do kitchen tasks and in general make the kitchen a more social and functional room in your home.

Before you select a color and paint your bathroom, you need to consider the room size, dimensions, structures and location in the home.  Who is going to use this room?  Your bathroom deserves a paint job that suits it.  

Coordinating how you use the color with the rest of your home will create a flow, giving a sense of harmony to your home. Colors speak, so what do you want to say? 

* In your bathroom, bright colors like red and orange can be used to provide brightness and freshness to boost physical energy. With the intense colors, as you might expect, a little of a good thing goes a long way.  Plan hues or a color or plan colors that complement each other and use the intense tones as accents.

* White and blues are popular and calming, which is why they are commonly used.  They also make cleaning easy because everything shows up against them.  They are solid choices but do not necessarily inspire!

* Remember that dark colors draw the eye and light colors make the room look bigger.  You can use dark and light shades to work with the contours of your space to keep the room interesting and make the most of the space.

* There may be more maintenance with darker colors, especially in the moistness of a bathroom, as they tend to fade over time.  The moisture may also make it fade unevenly.  They hold more heat and so absorb more moisture.  In highly moist bathrooms that are not well ventilated, mildew problems can occur.   Solve most of these issues by using dark colors only as accents.

Finally, choose the right paint for the job.  Some paints are specially mixed to deal with the humidity in the bathroom.   Prep the walls well and be sure to paint a color you will enjoy!