Monday, August 31, 2015

The 3 Most Costly Bathroom Remodeling Mistakes

In all likelihood, remodeling your bathroom will be an expensive undertaking, so you want to cut costs in every possible way. The most obvious way to do that is to avoid waste and unnecessary costs resulting from mistakes you can avoid.Here are 3 of the most costly but, unfortunately, common mistakes that homeowners make when remodeling their bathrooms:1. Budgeting ProblemsFailing to set a budget or setting an unrealistic one is surprisingly a common mistake made by homeowners, despite the fact that in most cases, the amount of money available for a bathroom renovation is limited.Sarah Littleton offers valuable advice on this:

Being Unrealistic About a Budget

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="538"] Photo: fotosearch.com[/caption]Be honest about the budget. If you have only a limited amount of money to work with, stick to what you can afford. If you overspend, you'll have to cut corners somewhere and won't be pleased with the results. Extra costs do arise, however, so err on the safe side by budgeting an extra 15 to 20 percent for surprise expenditures. More advice here...
2. Poor Choice of MaterialsThe materials you buy for your bathroom could cost a fortune, but that doesn't mean you've made the right choices. Taking your time to consider the pros and cons of the materials you choose, such as cleaning requirements and durability. You also need to plan your purchases carefully if you are going to buy the right materials, as highlighted by Scott McGillivray in the following post:
Buying before planningI can’t stress this enough: Don’t buy materials or appliances until your renovation is planned out and all measurements have been taken. Online sales can be tempting, but that great deal on a 24-inch dishwasher isn’t going to save you any money if you only have room for an 18-inch model. Read full post here...
3. Cutting cornersYou may be running out of cash, but cutting corners is not the solution to your problem. It is only going to cause you problems in the future - costly ones. Planning appropriately for emergencies will go a long way in helping you avoid this problem.As Catriona Harvey-Jenner of Good Housekeeping points out, you would rather wait a little longer to have the money needed to guarantee quality:
Cutting corners: ‘As in all walks of life, you generally get what you pay for. Cutting costs will inevitably have an impact in the longer term. If you spend more on a product, it's usually more innovative, design-led and better quality. Spending money on installation should also be a high priority. The thing most likely to ruin a bathroom design is the way it’s fitted. If you don’t spend enough on a good-quality installation then your design may not become a reality.’ Read full article here...
Taking the time to plan your bathroom renovation is a critical factor in guaranteeing the success of your project and avoiding the costly mistakes mentioned above. Remember that you do not have to compromise on quality to get a bathroom you'll be proud of for years to come.If you would like expert advice on bathroom remodeling, contact Gainesville Home Pros today.Featured Image: Image Credit

The 3 Most Costly Bathroom Remodeling Mistakes was first seen on http://gainesvilleva.localhomepros.net

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Helpful Tips for Your Kitchen Color Choices

Choosing the right colors for your kitchen is something you really need to carefully consider, whether it's part of a bigger kitchen remodeling project or you simply want to change the look of the home's heart.You don't want to simply pick colors you like; these should be colors you'll love for years to come and that actually work for your kitchen.For instance, while you may want to use a color that matches your bold personality, this may not necessarily be a practical choice for your kitchen, as Lisa Kahn points out in the following post:

Why You Shouldn’t Paint Your Kitchen Your Favorite Color

Tempted to spread your favorite hue across your kitchen? You might want to think twice.[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] You may be gaga for green, but a pro will tell you neutral palettes work best in kitchens. You can add pops of your favorite color with accessory items, like a rug or window treatments. Image: Anna Williams/Offset.com[/caption]The kitchen is the heart of the household, a place where you prepare meals and make memories. So it only makes sense that your kitchen’s color scheme reflects your unique tastes and personality, right?The answer to that is yes — and no. Read full post here...
You can choose your kitchen colors based on the season of the year, and you won't even have to worry about it becoming irrelevant next season. Simran Chhibber shares a few great examples of fall kitchen colors and smart tips for carrying them over to other seasons:

Home Decor: Inspiring Colors For Your Fall Kitchen

Burnt Umber And Wood Shades[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Bring in rich wood shades Image via: Townsend Homes[/caption]Fall encourages the shades of nature. Why not use natural wood colors on our kitchen cabinets and floor to bring in the rustic wooden element of nature. Wooden shades bring in the requisite warmth and snug that cooler seasons call for. Topping the decor with some contrasting shades like aquamarines and blues in terms of crockery etc can add that extra glamour. See more fall kitchen color ideas here...
Different aspects of your kitchen will need to be considered when choosing the color scheme for your kitchen. This is because the best color choices are often a combination of various hues for the different elements of your kitchen area.Kitchen Design Ideas highlights the 7 most important kitchen aspects you need to think about when making your color choices:

7 Steps to a Kitchen Color Scheme

There are seven essential steps to take when selecting colors for your kitchen remodel...1. Choosing cabinet colors: Kitchen cabinets typically take up 50% of your budget and occupy about 40% of the visual space in your kitchen. For these reasons, it's best to start out by choosing a cabinet color that fits your personality and your home's style before deciding the other colors in your kitchen. Read full post here...
Finally, the following slideshow video by Interior Kitchen Designs should give you some inspiration as you consider what colors you want in your kitchen:
If you would like to get expert assistance for your kitchen remodeling project, contact Gainesville Home Pros today.Featured Image: Image Credit

Helpful Tips for Your Kitchen Color Choices is courtesy of Gainesville Home Pros Remodeling

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Basement Remodeling Issues to Bear In Mind

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="550"] Image Credit: http://www.home-style-choices.com/image-files/basement-lighting-550x255.jpg[/caption]Basements provide a suitable option for expanding the living space in your home, which is why you may want to put some money aside for a basement remodel. However, there are many obstacles to be surmounted in making the basement habitable.The following post by Lee Wallender gives some of the most basic considerations you need to make before you decide to renovate your basement:

Basement Remodeling Basics

...The word of caution here is that basements were never intended to be fully functional living spaces (unless you live in a newer house that already took this into consideration). So, you will have many obstacles to surmount in turning this accessory space into one that is habitable by humans.Let's look at some of the basics you must consider before turning your basement into a livable space. See full post here...
Due to the potential problems you may encounter if you decide to transform your basement into livable space, the most important thing you will need to do at the very start is to determine whether your basement can actually be finished.The following post by Home Style Choices provides a detailed explanation of the prerequisites that must be considered for a finished basement:

...The Prerequisites For Any Finished Basement

One of the best notions within any list of basement ideas doesn't have anything to do with decor or style. Rather, it's the concept that you should do a thorough assessment of your basement to determine if it's even suitable for finishing.That's right -- it's not the most glamorous idea but it's probably the most valuable.If done correctly this exercise will bring you the right result -- whether that means a great finished basement or the security of having saved yourself a lot of heartache and frustration down the road (because finishing the space ultimately wouldn't have been a good idea). Read full article here...
Most of the problems you will encounter during basement remodeling have solutions, so while it may take more money and effort on your part to make the renovation a success, you can still go ahead with your project successfully.The following post by Jon Labelle highlights some of the most ignored things when finishing basements, and offers practical advice on how to deal with them effectively:

Top 5 Ignored Things While Finishing a Basement

...1. Condensation problems.It’s important to determine whether you have a condensation issue or a larger waterproofing problem. Securely taping 2-foot x 2-foot plastic sheets in several places along the walls and floor will provide a good test. If after 48 hours water vapour has collected on the underside of the plastic, you’ll need to coat the concrete with a waterproof sealer or paint before covering the area. Running a dehumidifier will also help dry the air. More solutions here... 
Basement remodeling is no easy task, but going about it the right way should give you the results you are hoping for and make your investment worthwhile. If you'd like expert advice on how to get started, contact Gainesville Home Pros today.Featured Image: Image Credit

The post Basement Remodeling Issues to Bear In Mind was originally seen on http://gainesvilleva.localhomepros.net/

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

How Much Creativity Can a Small Bathroom Take?

Most of us would love a big bathroom where you can disappear whenever you need to wind down. The truth is that many people only get a small bathroom, but this does not mean you cannot make the most of it.The size of your bathroom may limit the number of items that you can put in it, but it does not limit how much creativity you can fit in there when having the bathroom renovated or simply touching it up.Note that in order to make the most of your small bathroom, you will need to keep the space organized. This will help ensure you do not lose any free space to clutter. Small bathroom cabinets often take the most clutter, but as Amy Locurto reveals, this need not be the case:

Quick Bathroom Organization Ideas | Before and After Photos

One of my goals for the year was to declutter small areas of my home one month at a time. My bathroom is a place I tend to forget about trying to keep organized, especially if it’s behind cabinet doors! When I can’t see the mess, I forget about it. Before:
After: Wow! I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner? Most of what was in my cabinet was tossed out to make a lot of room for what I really needed.
Read full post here...
The following video on the Simple Home Art Decor Channel offers some nifty hacks to keep things in your small bathroom organized.
Once you have your space figured out, you can now work some decorative creativity into your bathroom. Take advantage of various elements including color, lighting, a focal piece of art and many other options that will give the room some personality.The following post by Kathy Woodard gives some pretty neat decorating tips to inspire you:

Small Bathroom? Great Ideas!

If you have a small home like me, chances are you also have a small bathroom. Or two. I think we forget to make our bathroom special. It should be a place that makes us feel good, and also a place where we can stretch our creativity muscle. After all, you don’t spend hours a day in there, so take a few creative risks in the bath is a good thing. So here are some quick small bathroom decorating tips, and some great inspiration to get you rolling up your sleeves! Read more here...
The following gallery also offers 20 good examples of nicely designed small bathrooms that you could incorporate into your renovation:

20 Small Bathroom Design Ideas

Find inspiration with small designer bathrooms that combine DIY fixes, bold paint colors and pretty decorating details. See full gallery here...
If you are planning to renovate your small bathroom, remember that the size of the room puts no limit to your creativity. If you would like to speak to an expert, contact Gainesville Home Pros today.Featured Image: Image Credit

The post How Much Creativity Can a Small Bathroom Take? is courtesy of Gainesville Home Pros Remodeling

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Turn Your Home Into a Hot Cake for Buyers

Any smart homeowner would want to increase their home's appeal to buyers when planning for a home renovation. Regardless of whether you intend to sell your home soon or further out in the future, you need to think about what value your renovation adds to your home and whether it will pay off once you decide to sell it.In order to make your home more appealing to buyers, you need to think like one. A buyer wants to make the most out of his investment, so you need to turn your home into a place that feels like a gold mine.Fortunately, this can be done with a few smart moves on your part to improve your home's appeal from a financial standpoint. The following post on HomeAdvisor gives 4 helpful tips to help you get started:

4 Immediate Ways To Dramatically Increase Your Home’s Worth

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="749"] Image CredIt: Image via Ciro Coelho, Home Adore[/caption]Every homeowner wants to increase the value of his or her home. Whether you’re planning to sell your home tomorrow or five years from now, making the most out of your investment is always a financially prudent move.Here are 4 tried and true techniques to help you get the most out of your home quickly: Read full post here...
If you have installed smart technology, then your home will draw interest from a lot more buyers than a home without smart technology. This fact has been established through research, as discussed in this article on the Charles and Hudson website:

Smart Homes are Coveted by Home Buyers

Coldwell Banker and CNET have presented a comprehensive smart home survey of 4,000 adults. 81 percent of the respondents stated they would be more likely to buy a home if smart technology was already installed. That’s a huge percentage and something that realtors should take a much closer look at.
  • 81 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to buy a home if smart technology was already installed.
  • Smart home technology is most often utilized in the living room, followed by the bedroom, family/recreation room and kitchen.
  • Smart home technology is saving owners an average of $98.30 per month, which equates to more than $1,100 a year. Read more here...
Once you decide to go ahead and sell your home, the things you do or don't do right before you have prospective buyers come in could make a world of difference. The following slideshow on the Bob Vila website highlights some of the common mistakes that homeowners make when selling their homes:

9 Mistakes Not to Make When Selling Your Home

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="538"] Image Credit: http://fotosearch.com/[/caption]Posting Too Few Images In these digital days, your home will likely make its first impression on the web. Take the pictures you post seriously—extra angles of each space, crisp focus—as they could be key in clinching an in-person viewing with a prospective homebuyer. If you doubt your own photography skills and don't know anyone handy with a fancy camera, consider making room in the budget to hire a professional. Read more here...
Making your home more sell-worthy is an important consideration when upgrading your home. If you would like expert assistance for your home renovation project, please contact Gainesville Home Pros today.

Turn Your Home Into a Hot Cake for Buyers was originally seen on Gainesville Home Pros Blog

Monday, August 10, 2015

How to Create a Clutter-Free Minimalist Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most essential parts of the home, but because of its frequent use, it can quickly become cluttered. This reduces efficiency and could make any time spent there altogether unpleasant, even after spending a good amount of money remodeling your kitchen.What most of us don't seem to take note of is the fact that there are a lot of things in our kitchens that we could easily do without, and it is these seemingly important items that create the clutter.A great example of a clutter-free kitchen can be seen in the following post by Kristin Appenbrink:

5 Lessons We Can Learn from This Minimalist Kitchen

Modern Minimalist KitchenWhen we came across this kitchen, we were immediately drawn in by the elegant simplicity of it. The cool blue of the cabinets combined with the natural wood and copper create a welcoming look that is still very serene. And we're going to guess this room would pass the KonMari test with flying colors; the minimal aesthetic means everything is deliberate and has a designated space. See more details here...
As you can see, aiming for a minimalist kitchen is the way to go. Simply put, a minimalist kitchen is one where function is given the ultimate attention. Rather than having everything you want in your kitchen, you aim to limit the items taking up space to those you actually need.This helpful post by Jules gives a couple of ideas of some things you might assume are important but if you really think about are not quite so essential:

things to avoid in a minimalist kitchen

1. icecream machine It’s no secret that I LOVE my icecream machine. But since it’s on its last legs and it’s pretty un-minimalist to own one, I’ve been looking around for good frozen desserts that deliver on the heavenly creamy texture of icecream but don’t need special equipment. Still not ready to part ways but one step closer with my machine-free honey ice cream recipe below. See full list here...
This video by The Minimalist Sparrow also offers some pretty good ideas of some of the things your kitchen could do without to create a simple kitchen:
You'll also notice that minimalist kitchens are actually quite trendy. More and more homeowners are choosing them simply for their appeal and aesthetic quality. The following post on the Apartment Therapy website reveals several examples of modern minimalist kitchen styles.

Less is More: 13 Super Modern Kitchens

If your perfect kitchen is more modern and minimal than country cozy, we've got a treat for you. You won't see a lot of decorative flourishes in these 13 kitchens, but they still manage to be effortlessly, elegantly beautiful, proving once again that less is more. See full post here...
It should be pretty clear by now that having a minimalist kitchen has a lot of benefits. In fact, it's difficult to come up with any disadvantages to it, except maybe saying no to clutter. If you'd like expert advice for a kitchen remodel, contact Gainesville Home Pros today.

How to Create a Clutter-Free Minimalist Kitchen is courtesy of Gainesville Home Pros Remodeling Blog

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Clever Storage Options for Your Basement Finishing

One of the commonest uses of a basement, whether finished or unfinished, is for storage purposes. However, finishing your basement allows you to make use the most use of this space. In fact, when you have your basement storage space organized, it will probably leave enough room to put the room to more use, such as turning it into an entertainment area.There are various options on how you can turn your basement into an efficient storage space. The following gallery on the Better Homes and Gardens website offers several ideas on how to utilize your basement for storage:

Basement Storage Ideas

Storage space is often a necessity for basements. Find ideas here to determine what type of storage would work best for you.Storage with the StairsBuilt-in shelving is a practical and visually appealing way to display personal items or hide other items inside cabinets. Here, the maple cabinetry fits in beautifully with the floors and railings. Slanting downwards with the stairs, the look is both unique and sleek. Obtain a similar look by finding what finish would look best with your home decor. See more storage ideas here...
The way you organize your basement is crucial in ensuring the room is utilized efficiently. Finding your stuff when you need them later on seems to be a major problem for many homeowners simply because they did not organize their storage space adequately.Total Basement Finishing offer their advice on how to go about ensuring that your basement storage is organized from the onset:
Got stuff? Or, better yet, do you know where your stuff is?Storage areas in basements are common, but finding what you're looking for when you need it is exceptional...Tips for Basement Storage:
  • First of all, if you really don't need it, consider purging it.
  • Build or buy sturdy shelves.
  • Store by seasonality to make retrieval quicker.
  • Use clear storage bins so you can see what is stored, and create clear bin labels.
  • Store heavier items on lower shelves.
  • Lowest shelf should a few inches up from the floor, in case you ever have a plumbing leak. See full post here...
The design you choose for your basement finishing will also play a crucial role in ensuring the space is efficiently utilized for storage. The following gallery on Houzz shows a few designs that make for an organized space that is not unattractive:
Design ideas for a traditional look-out basement in Burlington with red walls, no fireplace and light hardwood floors. — Houzz Around my laundry room! Shelving — Cathy See more photos here...
Another great example of a finished basement used for storage can be seen in the following video. This architect created an efficiently organized storage space for his 250,000 Lego pieces in his basement:
Using your basement for storage does not mean it cannot be appealing. By working with the right team of experts, you can transform your unfinished basement into a useful and attractive space for your and your family. If you are thinking about finishing your basement, contact Gainesville Home Pros today.Featured Image: Image Credit

The following blog post Clever Storage Options for Your Basement Finishing is republished from Ken Wehr's Blog