I know that I have touched on this subject lightly before, but now I want to go in depth. The pictures above are of my kitchen; before and after. Before I mentioned natural light and that a lot of prospective home buyers look for natural light and the brightness and cleanliness of a space. The picture to the left is what my kitchen looked like upon moving in. The picture to the right was taken only a few weeks ago after the cabinets were primed and painted. Since this picture I have also updated the hardware. The hardware alone makes a huge improvement but can be a little pricey. I also added a pendant light about the sink. These are small, inexpensive and fairly simple renovations that can be done to improve the appeal and value of a home. Below is a summary of the information I found.
Some examples of low cost projects are: replacing or getting a dishwasher, preferably an energy-star appliance (Esswein P. 2009). Even replacing an outdated sink, would give you a more modern look and most likely be more efficient. You could also add slide out shelves to cabinets or you could spruce up the black splash with peel and stick 3x5 tiles (Esswein P. 2009).
Another way this article recommends sprucing up the kitchen is by replacing the flooring (Esswein P. 2009). The flooring in the kitchen is important because it must withstand heavy traffic. Luckily, when it comes to flooring; the options are endless (Esswein P. 2009). Your choices range from hardwood, bamboo, ceramic or linoleum. It really depends on how much you are willing to spend and if you have the ability and knowledge to do it yourself. If you do not feel comfortable doing so, then it’s suggested that you hire a professional (Esswein P. 2009).
When it comes to selecting a contractor, there are a few things you should do to be well informed and prepared. First, you need to do your research (Taylor C. 2008). You can use word of mouth from people you know or do research on the web to look up any reviews or complaints. If and when you decide on a contractor, make sure you have a contract well written and make sure it leaves nothing out (Taylor C. 2008). Verify that the contractor has all necessary licenses and insurances. Last but not least, be prepared and expect the unexpected. Expect the cost to come in at 25% over-budget at a minimum. Other things such as weather or delays in shipment can take your renovation off schedule (Taylor C. 2008).
Another item you would need to consider and remember when thinking about renovation is how much really needs to be done versus what is acceptable. According to my research spending no more than 25% to 30% of your home’s value is a rule of thumb (Taylor C. 2008). You should keep with the style and scale of other homes in the neighborhood. To come up with a reasonable renovation budget, you need to figure out how much equity you have in your home (Taylor C. 2008). If you have been living there long enough to build up significant equity, you’ll have more leeway. However, if you have only been in your home a couple years and taken 90% or 100% financing, you won’t have enough equity to work with and will more than likely have to scale back your renovations (Taylor C. 2008).
Since the cabinets in the kitchen have been painted and had new hardware installed, I love walking into my bright clean looking room. Before the renovation, there was always a shadow and a lot of low light in that room. If I had people over, we ate in the living room, now I have a room that I would be proud to have people gather in. Since the cabinets were painted I also had a new hood put in above the stove and it looks amazing and it has added a great look to the room as well as additional lighting.
I never needed to hire a contractor. Fortunately, I always knew and trusted someone to be able to do the work. I originally had carpet in the den, noted in my previous blog. The carpet was pulled up and adhesive linoleum was put down. It cost me about $350 for the floor, but the room is everything I wanted it to be. The linoleum was fairly simple to put down and so far has been durable against moving furniture and my puppy’s feet. Something as simple as a ceiling fan, a new light or even hardware on cabinets, add value and make your home more appealing.
Esswein P. (2009, November). Home renovations for $1,000.00 or less. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Retrieved October 12th, 2011 from the Academic Search Complete Database.
Taylor C. (2008, June). Profitable renovations. Black Enterprise. Retrieved October 12th, 2011 from the Academic Search Complete Database.
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