Archive for December, 2011

Vinyl Siding – The Popular Choice

December 26th, 2011

Many people these days are reinvesting in their homes by remodeling or renovating them. A great way to add lasting beauty and gain curb appeal, is to rework or redo the exterior of the house. There are literally hundreds of options when it comes to changing the look of your home. Roofing, windows, trims, wall coverings… the list is endless. One popular option is vinyl siding.

Regardless of what you have on the exterior walls of your home, vinyl siding will not only give your house a fresh new look, it is a low maintenance option that isn’t that hard on the pocketbook compared to brick, stone, stucco, and other wood or cement based siding products. Just think, no more painting or staining that old wood siding.

Our house was built in the 50′s and had a stucco exterior embedded with colored stone and glass pieces. This was quite common in those days as there really were not many options. It served its purpose, but it looked like every other house on our block and in our neighborhood. It was time for a change and so after much research, we chose a 3 panel vinyl siding. Seeing as our home is a smaller size bungalow, we went with white siding and dark grey trims. White, being neutral, gives you the option of using almost any color of trim to accent, and also, light colors make your house appear larger and more roomy.

Not only did adding vinyl siding completely update the entire look of our house, it raised the value of our home significantly.We had a free realtor’s market evaluation done before and after the renovations just to satisfy our own curiosity. I was pleased to say the least. Many of our neighbors have followed suit and have had vinyl siding installed on their homes.

Our siding was installed over 10 years ago and still looks as good as the day it went on. Maintenance is as easy as hosing off the dust a few times a year, maybe washing it with soapy water if it is particularly dirty. People still look as they walk by. We have since installed new aluminum soffit and fascia, replaced our eavestrough and downspouts, and replaced our shingles as they were in need of attention. If you want people to take notice of your home, consider vinyl siding as one of your first options when you think of remodeling.

Posted in Remodeling Tips

Simple Home Improvement Projects

December 24th, 2011

Generally speaking home improvement projects tend to be costly. This idea has been reinforced by the fact that we hear homeowners take out large loans to pay for their home renovation tasks. However, in this tough economy spending large sum of money for some homeowners may not be feasible. This article will point out some simple and inexpensive home remodeling projects that will improve the overall quality and look of your home

To dispel a myth we need to insert that you do not always have to spend tons of money to make your home look beautiful. Yes, it is possible to achieve beauty with simple home remodeling projects. Home renovation does not always mean knocking down walls or making structural changes. Any enhancement to the look and feel of your home is considered home improvement. Now that we have established this fact let’s look at some simple and inexpensive home improvement projects that can be carried out by almost any homeowner.

Know What You Want to Achieve

Many people end up spending lots of money hiring contractors because they simply don’t know what they want to achieve. If you are uncertain, then take a look at various home decorating magazines to get an idea of what you want to do with your home. Many times a simple rearrangement of furniture or addition of certain furniture or decorative object will provide you with the look you are trying to achieve.

Freshen up with a code of paint

One of the simplest and least inexpensive home improvement projects is repaint your walls with a fresh code of paint. You will be surprised how much a fresh code of paint can do in terms of enhancing the look of your house. Select a different shade for the trims and doors. Check out various magazines and online images to get an idea of what colors are popular and which particularly appeal to your taste.

Get Rid of Clutter

Simple is beautiful and therefore do not be afraid of removing objects that are cluttering or blocking the pathways in your living room. One of the most unruly aspects of a home is clutter and it almost immediately distracts your attention from other parts or objects in your home. Therefore organize all objects and get rid of things you do not need or use.

Lighting

Lighting is another important home remodeling task that cannot be left out. Light is not only important because it controls the amount of light in your home but also because the lamp itself a decorative object. Depending on the layout and your individual taste, you may choose to use a chandelier, track lighting or pot lights. Just remember that you should hire an electrician if you need to run any wiring or make changes to your existing wiring.

Floor Enhancement

Your floor covers a large area and is quite visible. Therefore, you will have to ensure your floors look great. Flooring used to be an expensive ordeal if you did not have good handyman skills. However, with the introduction of laminate and engineered hardwood, flooring has never been easier. You can simply click the pieces together. You can also take free classes at various home improvement centers such as Home depot to give you a better idea as how to install your laminate flooring.

Posted in Home Improvement