Antonio Piromalli Home and Art

No matter how new your home may be there are always improvements that can be made whether for necessity or sheer desire to better your homes’ appearance for your own satisfaction.

When mortgage rates are high purchasing a new home may not be economically feasible. However, remodeling your current home may reduce your urge to sell the home or until selling is more practical.

By determining a project budget, researching ways to do as many improvements yourself and shop around for fairly priced materials you will notice that some or all of your planned projects aren’t as financially devastating as you may have thought.

If money is no object when remodeling your home, it is still encouraged to do research to be certain that your chosen contractor is highly knowledgeable and seasoned in his or her specialty of remodeling. Research will also make you better aware of what going rates are for materials and labor so that you don’t fall victim to being taken advantage of by a contractor.

The list is nearly unlimited when conjuring up projects that can be done to improve a home. Projects range from changing a room’s paint color up to extravagant room additions. Below are 10 of many ways a home can be transformed by an experienced do-it-yourselfer to improve a home’s appearance and value.

1.) Modify paint colors

2.) Upgrade to tile

3.) Install wood window shutters

4.) Open the floor plan

5.) Update plumbing and electrical fixtures, cabinet and door hardware

6.) Replace old windows and doors

7.) Add switches, outlets and light fixture openings

8.) Remove undesirable ceiling textures

9.) Create sufficient built in storage areas

10). Refinish wood floors and cabinetry

Paint

Painting a room is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to improve the appearance of a home’s interior.

Interior walls that are painted undesirable colors well outside of the neutral color family may be used as a way to negotiate price due to so many rooms needing to be repainted lighter, neutral colors.

Exterior paint colors tend to weigh more on the value and curb appeal of a home when selling. Not every homeowner wants to paint the exterior of their new home right away due to the sheer size of the project.

Painting interior walls can be quite time consuming and bothersome for a homeowner. Many may consider painting the exterior a much more tedious, dutiful task due to needing long extension ladders, removal and replacement of storm doors and windows, and having to climb on roofs in some cases.

Tile

There are so many new flooring products that have come available over the years. Research shows that installing floor tile rather than linoleum in high traffic or damp areas is much more appealing and valuable to homeowners and potential home buyers.

Homeowners who have never installed or researched tile installation tend to think it will be too difficult to do themselves. This may ring true for those who just aren’t proficient at tackling new do-it-yourself tasks outside of the very basics like painting or spackling holes. However, if you are up for the new experience and can gain access to the necessary tile tools, you may be pleasantly surprised that tiling isn’t as hard as you may have thought.

You could potentially save yourself several hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars by tiling floors and back splashes yourself.

For instance, depending on the going rate for tile labor in a chosen state or city, excluding material costs

you can expect to spend $6 – $15 per square foot of tile to be installed when hiring a professional.

Floor Plan

Open floor plans help make the interior of a home appear larger than what it is. Aside from the open appearance having an open floor plan also adds possibilities when decorating, arranging furniture and when entertaining large amounts of guests.

There are a few things that can be done to open up a floor plan without costing thousands of dollars.

One way for a do-it-yourself homeowner to open up rooms throughout the home is by widening doorways

that do not require doors such as kitchens, dining rooms and kitchens.

You may not want or need to go to the extent of knocking down entire walls, but you may find it very appealing to simply widen walk ways 6 to 12 inches. Keep in mind that no matter how little you widen an opening, always be sure to extend the header above the opening to give adequate support over the opening.

Before attempting to open up a room or floor plan, be sure to consult with a contractor who is highly knowledgeable in framing and architecture of homes to help assure no structural problems arise later on.

Plumbing and Electrical

Updating plumbing, electrical fixtures, and hardware throughout the home are tasks that rank high with do-it-yourselfers due to the ease of completion in comparison to larger home improvement projects.

If you have basic plumbing and electrical skills, you have the potential to give your home a mini makeover. In just one or two weekends you could possibly replace all cabinet and door hardware, bathroom faucet and shower fixtures, outdated light fixtures, switches and outlets throughout the home.

Windows and Doors

Replacing old, inefficient windows isn’t only for aesthetic reasons but also to raise the home’s heating and cooling efficiency rating. Aluminum framed windows and sliding doors have the lowest efficiency rating of all windows and doors, especially if they are constructed with only single pane glass.

Well made double and triple pane vinyl or wood windows tend to be a bit pricey for the windows themselves. However, if you are able to replace windows yourself you will have the choice of replacing just a couple at a time rather than all at once. In the long run, you will not only feel more comfortable in your own due to higher efficiency, you will also see a decrease in your heating and cooling bills.

Receptacles

Not all homes, old or new, have a sufficient amount of outlets or ceiling lights throughout. Lack of outlets and ceiling fixtures can be quite an inconvenience for homeowners. Luckily, this is another issue that an experienced do-it-yourselfer can tackle on their own in many cases.

With basic electrical knowledge and experience it is fairly easy to run 12 or 14 gauge wire to and from an existing power source. Adding outlets, ceiling fixtures and 3 way light switches throughout a home will add a great amount of accessibility when using lamps, small appliances and the luxury of turning on 1 light from 2 or more locations.

Ceiling Textures

Popcorn texture was extremely popular years ago, but is rapidly loosing its appeal amongst homeowners now. On the other hand, “knock down” texture is the highly sought after for many homeowners, much more appealing than flat or popcorn textured ceilings.

Although you don’t need to be a professional to remove or add ceiling texture, it does take quite a bit of patience and preparation to do it properly. With the proper tools and materials it is possible for a homeowner to remove hard to paint, undesirable popcorn texture to either make way for a flat ceiling surface or prepare to spray a more updated knock down texture.

Storage

Storage space or lack thereof has been and always will be a key factor when updating or selling a home. When there isn’t enough adequate storage space throughout a home there tends to be a build up of unnecessary clutter where there doesn’t need to be.

With basic carpentry skills and planning, shelves can be added to most any closet, garage walls or ceilings. For the more experienced do-it-yourself homeowner, installing or building built-in cabinets throughout areas where storage space is needed will not only become home for non décor items but
also very appealing to the eye.

Floors and Cabinetry

All too often homeowners tend to think that old, scratched wood floors or cabinets simply need be replaced due to the poorly maintained finish. However, finish is one of the aspects of wood that can be fixed and made to look like new or close to it.

Before figuring out how many several thousands of dollars it will cost to replace wood floors and cabinetry check the quality and integrity of the wood itself underneath the scuffed paint or stain finish.

If there aren’t numerous broken or cracked pieces of wood throughout, consider sanding the surfaces down to bare wood, then apply fresh paint or stain to bring back the floor and cabinet beauty.

When tackling your own improvement projects as opposed to hiring a professional you could see potential savings of 2, 5, even an upwards of 50 thousand dollars, depending on the size of the remodeling project.

Typically homes increase in value by simply maintaining its current appearance and integrity.

By performing a number of improvement projects you can potentially raise your home’s value by 10 – 20 thousand dollars in just one or two years.

Whatever the task at hand, try not to jump the gun and commit to hiring a remodeling professional. First, assess the issues that need attention and determine if you are capable of performing said projects on your own.

Once you determine whether you can or can not complete the given task, then take the next step by either planning your do-it-yourself project or start contacting licensed remodelers and shop around for the best matched contractor.

Don’t get discouraged if you have a few projects around the home that you wish you could do yourself due to not having the extra money to pay a professional. With adequate research and the advice from friends or family who already possesses the knowhow, give that project a shot yourself and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Although wooden shutters have been around for many years longer than that of vinyl, not all homeowners want to use the old time favorite for their home anymore.

There are so many reasons why homeowners choose wood over vinyl shutters and vice versa. A large percentage of homeowners who choose to stick with wooden shutters are due in part to the style and age of their home.

If a homeowner occupies a well kept 20th or even 19th century home, they typically won’t choose vinyl as their homes exterior shutter because they want to stay true to their home’s era.

However, anymore it can be quite hard to tell the difference between wooden and vinyl shutters due to vinyl’s authentic wood grain appearance which makes it hard to tell if it’s wood or vinyl.

As with most things in life, both wood and vinyl shutters have their advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages of vinyl shutters are that they are very durable, hold up to most any extreme weather conditions and vinyl is typically much cheaper than that of their wooden counterparts.

Disadvantages of vinyl shutters, depending on personal preference, vinyl shutters don’t appear quite as attractive as wooden shutters. Vinyl is also not a good choice if a color change in wanted ever so often since vinyl doesn’t hold paint as well as wooden shutters, nor is it stainable.

Wooden shutters too have their downfalls, such as higher price, manufacturing times and greater chances of deterioration than that of vinyl. Not everyone minds paying more for wooden shutters when quality and custom appearance are important factors. However, when dealing with wooden shutters a homeowner should be aware that wood shutters are bound to deteriorate over time.

If the wood shutters are constructed well and made of a quality wood, they should last many, many years, but only if the homeowner maintains proper care of the shutters. Wooden shutters last the longest when properly cleaned and paint every few years, which is something vinyl owners need not worry about since vinyl does not deteriorate like that of natural wood.

Wood being the old time favorite also has advantages that some find to outweigh the perks of vinyl. Wooden shutters, when made with high quality material and craftsmanship, are very durable, they can be painted or stained almost any color imaginable and create an appearance that vinyl can’t quite top.

When it comes to needing 100% custom shutters made, wood may be the only option, depending on the exact size(s) needed. Although vinyl shutters are available in many, many sizes, wooden shutters are available in any size imaginable, even down to a 1/16”.

A common mistake people make is to assume that their house is “ready for sale” just because it is a livable, functional place that is not in need of repair. This mistake can not only make your home take longer to sell, but can also mean you will be accepting thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars less for the home than the amount you can get with a few smartly done improvements.

As the old saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. When dealing with selling your home, this translates into creating a better “curb appeal” to draw in potential buyers. Many things can be done to improve “curb appeal”, such as a fresh coat of paint, installing new siding, doing some simple yardcare and landscaping, and adding “finishing touches” to the house. While the cost of such improvements can sometimes be prohibitive, when doing them smartly yourself you can literally improve the value of your home with little more than some elbow grease and a few hundred dollars.

One of the best ways to get the most bang for your buck is by installing vinyl exterior shutters. Measuring for and installing exterior shutters can usually be done in a few hours depending on how many windows face the street and will give prospective buyers the “wow” effect you are hoping for.

There are 2 basic types of exterior vinyl shutters:

1. Custom-made vinyl shutters

2. Prebuilt or stock shutters (often called standard-sized shutters)

If measured correctly, custom-made shutters will always go from the top to the bottom of the window frame within 1/4″ of the actual height of the opening. Custom exterior shutters come in several widths, usually starting around 6 inches wide and are available up to around 30 inches wide. Standard sized shutters usually only come in height increments of 2 or 3 inches and are only available in 12 inch and 15 inch widths.

While custom-made shutters will certainly look the best, it can cost 150%-250% more to buy custom shutters than stock sizes. Another thing to consider is that custom made shutters can take 2 weeks or longer to be built, while stock sizes are prebuilt and ready to ship. This can be a major factor if you are in a hurry to sell and are on a budget. Of course, custom made shutters can be made quicker and ship faster if you are willing to pay an additional shipping charge, so be sure to ask the vendor if this is an option.

A good balance between cost and good looks is to order standard sized shutters for windows that are within an inch of one of the available heights, and order custom made shutters for the windows that need a more exact fit – especially the windows on the front of the house on each side of the front door.

The color of the vinyl shutters is also an important factor, since painting can only be done if you order the paintable type of plastic. Black and white are the most popular colors and therefore they are usually shipped the soonest because they are typically stocked very well. Ordering the paintable type of plastic shutters is also a way to receive them quickly, but of course will require you to put in some more work to paint them before installing them.

If you have more time, it is possible to order a vinyl shutter color sample kit before ordering the shutters. This is a good way to get an exact match with your trim, or to get the right color of paint if you have also decided to paint the house for the sale. Color samples can be ordered for as little as $5 and most places give you the cost of the sample back when you order the shutters. This is also a good way to get some idea of what the shutters will look like because the samples are moulded from the same vinyl material as the actual shutters.

Once the shutters arrive, installing them is just a matter of drilling a few holes and either screwing them to the outside surface of your home or using shutter-loks, which can be tapped in with a few strokes of a hammer. Of course, it is important to download the instructions from the web site that you buy them from as different shutter manufacturers recommend slightly different installation and not doing the installation correctly can result in a voided warranty. Some exterior shutter warranties are even transferable if you sell your home, which can be another way to improve your home’s value for sale.

Additional shutter measuring and shutter installation instructions can be found at http://www.shuttercontractor.com/, as well as other helpful resources such as an exterior shutter glossary of terms. Good luck with your home makeover and sale!