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A guide to choosing wallpaper for your new baby that he won't hate when he's 4 years old.
Disney Babies, Elmo and friends, little ducklings, Beatrix
Potter, Noah's Ark, Candyland jungles, sailboats and stars and
moons and teddy bears and choo-choo trains - and those are just
a few of the thousands of wallpaper patterns that are...
Faux Painting Techniques
In the last 10 years, faux painting techniques have gone from obscure to popular, from the realm of professionals to do-it-yourself projects. These techniques are not difficult although they can be time consuming (what decorating or remodeling...
Putting PASSION back into home decorating
For most people, they can count the times they redecorate their homes in a lifetime on one hand. It's a shame because this is not because they don't have great ideas about how they want their homes to be, but that the thought of redecorating brings...
Refinishing A Hardwood Floor
Want to bring your hardwood floors back to their former beauty, but don’t have the money? Then read on for some tips on how you can refinish the floor yourself.
If you have the time and don’t mind doing the work, then refinishing ...
Should You Sell Before the Housing Bubble Pops
For the past several years housing prices have risen dramatically. With interest rates continuously moving up, and more and more people being priced out of the market, all signs point to an imminent housing market correction. So should you sell...
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Home Improvement
Home Improvement is an art that most women have imbibed in them. Home Improvement increases the worth of the family residing in it. Also By maintaining it and improving it, you’ll ensure it continues to increase in value.
Maintaining Your Home
Taking regular care of your appliances and checking plumbing and heating/cooling systems regularly can save on costly repairs or even more costly replacements. Review your home inspector’s report to help you prioritize tasks. It is worthwhile to consult a professional for anything you have a hard time fixing or inspecting. Some professionals may charge a fee.
Cosmetic Changes vs. remodeling
you have visions of color and comfort. The back porch could use a fresh coat of paint. The kitchen cabinets need to be updated. When do cosmetic changes (paint, window treatments) turn into major remodeling and renovation projects?
To keep the cost of remodeling from increasing dramatically it’s best to set a budget first and work to maximize the features you want within that budget. This may also help set the limit between cosmetic and major improvements
Many homeowners believe that any improvement will automatically increase the value of their property. Appraisers offer a more cautious perspective.. In other words, if you live on a street of modest two- and three-bedroom bungalows, don’t turn your home into a six-bedroom mansion.
Cosmetic changes such as new paint, flooring and window treatments are considered matters of personal style and therefore, add the least amount of value to a home.
Your home is your greatest financial asset. Take proper care of it and most likely, it will do the same for you.
Planning takes time and includes lots of mundane tasks such as getting permits and financing. But the benefits are immeasurable both in time and money saved.
Individual plans will vary depending on the scope of the project. Steps overlap and sometimes changing in one aspect of your plan forces changes in others. But almost every plan will include at least these five steps.
1. Dream It
Make sure your concept for the addition blends with the existing houses materials and design. For example: Adding on a Cape Cod family room to a 50s ranch style home would look silly at best.
Do a quick sketch of the
addition you're planning even before consulting with a builder or designer.
2. Design It
If your plans require the removal or alteration of a supporting wall, contact a building engineer or architect to learn if your idea will affect the strength of the existing structure. Major structural changes may increase the time and cost of your project. A consultation may provide you with alternatives.
3. Paying for It
Establish a budget for this project and determine where the money is coming from. The money available will impact the scope of the project.
Remember that anything not included in the original contract will cost extra. It's tempting to start making changes and expanding the original plan. Try to control yourself or you might be adding hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars that will shatter your budget and your time line.
4. Permits and Codes
If you've hired a local contractor or architect, he should be able to tell you if your idea will pass the building inspection. A professional should be able to handle the entire permit process, from drawing up plans, applying for the permit and scheduling inspections.
If you're doing it yourself, visit your planning department and research the codes that pertain to your project. If the agency requires certified plans, you may still have to consult with an architect or engineer who can provide them.
5. Timing
Establish a time frame for the project. Much of an addition is exterior work and will need to be accomplished according to the seasons. Your start date should be the date you actually beginning construction, so make sure your financing is in place before this date.
Your time frame needs to take into account who is doing the work. If this is a do-it-yourself project, your time will probably be more limited because of job and family. If the job takes eight full days to complete, and you can only work weekends, it will take you four weeks. Consider if the money saved by doing it yourself is worth the extra time.
About the author:
For more information on Home Improvement please visit the Home Improvement resource center at http://www.home-inprovement-guide.info
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| Lowe's Home Improvement |
| Retailer of a complete line of home improvement products and equipment. |
| www.lowes.com |
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| Do It Yourself Home Improvement, Repair, and Remodeling ... |
| Doityourself home improvement and diy repair at DoItYourself.com. Includes diy home improvement projects, home improvement how to, home repair, ... |
| www.doityourself.com |
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| "Home Improvement" (1991) |
| Home Improvement on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... |
| www.imdb.com |
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| Hometime: Home Improvement, Remodeling and Repair |
| Hometime features step-by-step information to home improvement, remodeling, and repair. Projects include decks, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, landscaping ... |
| www.hometime.com |
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| Home Improvement Cyberfans |
| Information on ABC's hit sitcom Home Improvement, it's cast and their acting careers. |
| www.morepower.com |
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| Home Improvement Encyclopedia |
| Home repair, do-it-yourself and improvement advice for hundreds of home improvement projects. |
| www.bhg.com |
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| the home depot |
| www.homedepot.com/ - 2k - Cached - Similar pages |
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| Home Improvement - Do It Yourself - Home Remodeling | BobVila.com |
| Home improvement projects, featured products, tip library, bulletin board, designer tools, and information about television programs hosted by Bob Vila. |
| www.bobvila.com |
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| Do It Yourself Home Improvements - Home Improvement Information ... |
| Research do-it-yourself improvements with home improvement information from our website. Search home repair articles by subject, task or location. |
| www.bobvila.com |
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| Energy Star Home Improvement Toolbox |
| Improve Your Energy Efficiency at Home. Use our Home Improvement Toolbox to save money and help protect the environment without sacrificing comfort. |
| www.energystar.gov |
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| Home Tips: The Web's Most Helpful Home Improvement and Repair Site |
| Free home improvement advice, great remodeling tips, and appliance buying guides by leading home improvement authority, DIY expert and HGTV personality, ... |
| www.hometips.com |
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| HGTV : Decorating, Remodeling, Home Improvement & Gardening Ideas ... |
| Take a fresh approach to the way you live with HoFind ideas and inspiration from HGTV's videos to transform your home through decorating, home improvement, ... |
| www.hgtv.com |
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| Home Improvement - Decks, Flooring, Lighting, Tiling, Renovations ... |
| Do-it-yourself home improvement projects and home improvement videos for decks, flooring, lighting, tiling, renovations and more, plus tips and step-by-step ... |
| www.diynetwork.com |
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| Home Improvement TV Show - Home Improvement Television Show - TV.com |
| Home Improvement TV Show, TV.com is your reference guide to Home Improvement Show. Episode guide, photos, videos, cast and crew information, forums, ... |
| www.tv.com |
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| Home Improvement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| From the outset of Season 2, Tim and Al would make a theme of a particular home improvement project or item on Tool Time by hosting a week long "salute" to ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Home Improvement Archive |
| Home Improvement Archive -- Episode Guide, scripts, articles, and much more! |
| www.hiarchive.co.uk |
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| Free Home Improvement Contractor Matching Service and Resources ... |
| Be matched with qualified and screened, expert contractors in your area in seconds with no obligation now. Improvenet offers the largest free contractor ... |
| www.improvenet.com |
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| DIY Home Improvement, home repair Tips |
| DIY home improvement, remodeling, house repairs and maintainance Help Center...How To instructions for all your projects. |
| www.alsnetbiz.com |
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| Amazon.com: Home Improvement: Electrical, Plumbing, Hardware ... |
| Online shopping for Home Improvement from a great selection of Tools & Hardware; Electrical, Plumbing, Hardware, Heating & Cooling, Building Materials ... |
| www.amazon.com |
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| Home Improvement |
| AsktheBuilder.com: Build and remodel your home the right way. Learn how the master craftsmen of old built things to last. |
| www.askthebuilder.com |
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