|
|
|
5 Reasons To Build A Real Estate Property Portfolio
I think you’ll agree with me that real estate investment deserves a closer look when I tell you that according to many sources 90% of the world’s richest people made their fortunes from property!
So here are just five quick reasons why I think...
Making a First Impression When Selling Your Home
So you've decided to take advantage of the booming real estate market and put your house up for sale. As you know, buying a house is the most important purchase a consumer can make.
So it's understandable that when prospective buyers come...
The Wireless Home
It was only a few years ago that Real Estate agents and Builders were promoting the “Wired” feature as a must have when buying a new home. Wired meant that the home not only had cable running throughout it, but also Cat-5 wire. Cat-5 wire...
Tips For First Time Home Buyers
First time home buyers face many challenges in understanding the process of purchasing a home, obtaining a mortgage, and knowing which type of loan will best suit their needs. Advice from well meaning loved ones can be helpful, but buying a home is...
Title Insurance – Examples Of Problems And Advice
What is title insurance and why should any buyer get it when purchasing a home (single family, townhouse, condo, apartment, or whatever format your home purchase takes)? Doesn’t the attorney or settlement company handling the closing see to it that...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. and Mrs. Do-It-Yourselfers
Mr. and Mrs. Do-It-Yourselfers Through the Thick and Thin of
Building a Concrete Countertop
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 2005 -- Concrete countertops,
recognized first by architects and designers for their aesthetic
potential and project versatility, are fast-becoming the answer
to homeowners' demands for a relatively inexpensive countertop
alternative that doesn't require a high-level of expertise to
install. In addition, they offer homeowners an exciting
opportunity to literally try their hand at being creative.
Step-by-step books, videos and hands-on training are now readily
available for homeowners to confidently engage in such
do-it-yourself (DIY) projects as building concrete countertops.
Married couple Chris and Ali Collins were excited to take on a
DIY project after purchasing their San Francisco flat. A
logistical real estate developer/construction manager and an
educational specialist, Chris and Ali are also architecture and
home design enthusiasts. With a penchant for getting their hands
dirty, building and installing their own concrete countertop
seemed a natural choice for them.
The couple's instructional guide and source for design
inspiration was award-winning designer Fu-Tung Cheng's Concrete
Countertops: Design, Forms, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and
Bath (Taunton, 2002), a national bestseller in the remodeling
and design genre).
Since its release in 2002, Concrete Countertops has been the go-
to guide for designing and building concrete countertops. The
book takes both professionals and do-it-yourselfers through the
step-by-step process of design considerations, planning,
building a concrete countertop mold, mixing and pouring the
concrete, curing, grinding, polishing, and finally installing
the concrete countertop.
"We found the book to be very helpful," says Chris. It really
was a key element to what we feel was a big success. It was a
challenging and rewarding experience. We also loved the ease of
using Cheng's mix products."
Chris happens to be no stranger to concrete: "My interest goes
back several years when I was building restaurants and retail
spaces. I installed concrete countertops and worked with
concrete artisans doing integral color and stained concrete
floors." In April of 2003, Chris and Ali purchased a two-flat
building in space-challenged San Francisco. Recently, they sold
the lower flat as a tenant-in-common unit and now occupy the
upper flat, which offers roughly 950 sq. ft. of living space.
Before they considered building their own kitchen concrete
countertop, Chris and Ali hired a contractor for an extensive
remodel of the home. Combining existing traditional design
elements with a modern aesthetic, several interior walls were
eliminated to open up the old "shotgun" style layout. The result
is an open, loft-like living space where the kitchen and living
zones flow together. Architectural details that were preserved
include the original red oak floors, 10-feet high coved ceilings
and original doors and trim.
"We both enjoy the process of designing and creating our own
living space to fit how we live. This applies to the space we
occupy as well as the details within it," says Ali. "We both
like the idea of working with our hands, using materials that
are natural, accessible, beautiful, and flexible." Chris added,
"Concrete counters are beautiful, cool, earthy, solid, and you
just want to touch them. The counters were a perfect way for us
to create something beautiful out of our own ideas and hard
work, and the uniqueness of the end product is a representation
of our unique ideas." Their
kitchen, 10 feet wide by 15 feet
long (150 sq. ft.), didn't offer much room for Chris and Ali to
work -- but that didn't stop the big plans they had for their
narrow kitchen. They wanted to have a logical cooking zone with
a work triangle, plenty of counter space and still have enough
room to accommodate a dining area.
Like most urban San Francisco properties, space is almost always
an issue. To remedy this, a straight run of upper and lower
cabinets and a concrete countertop with a dishwasher, sink, oven
and stove is located along one wall of the kitchen. A built-in
banquette and dining table is located opposite the concrete
countertop work area. An adjacent wall hosts a refrigerator and
tall cabinets.
Chris and Ali agree that the most interesting addition to the
kitchen is the concrete countertop. Having used all Cheng NeoMix
products, the finished product is a visually stunning work
surface with rich, complex colors: NeoMix Pro-Formula's
reddish-brown color, Brick, and flecks of semi-precious
Leopardskin (yellow and black) aggregates. "This particular
color combination blended perfectly with the color theme we had
for the cabinetry, tile backsplash, floor and wall finishes,"
says Ali. Understated design details of the 12-foot long, 3-inch
thick concrete countertop include rounded edges at the
countertop front and the sink openings as well as a decorative
metal strip under the front edge of the countertop to conceal
the plywood sub-top.
Chris and Ali took special note that despite the tight working
space of their basement, their collaborative work ran smoothly
from pour to finish. "Like the rest of our remodel project,
building the concrete countertop brought us closer together,"
says Chris. "We work very well together. It starts from the fact
that we communicate very well and our design ideas complement
each other."
With the completion of the project and the creative work done,
Chris and Ali admit that their biggest challenge was building
the concrete forms. "Particularly for the sink cut-out, which
has radius corners and two different size basins," says Chris.
Though Concrete Countertops afforded them a solid guide
throughout the project, there were a few questions they had that
went beyond the book, they received assistance and guidance from
Cheng Concrete Exchange, the designer and author's online
resource for frequently asked concrete countertop questions,
image galleries from other DIY projects, and complete line of
mixes and finishing products to make a countertop.
Despite a couple of minor learning curves, Chris maintains that
there is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment upon completing
their concrete countertop. "The best part is seeing and feeling
the finished product and knowing we did it!" It's been said that
if a couple can survive a home remodel -- especially -- a DIY
project together--they can survive anything.
From the looks of a job well done on their first concrete
countertop, these happy do-it-yourselfers are in it for the long
haul. Chris says of future projects, "We plan to create a
concrete fireplace surround and perhaps a hearth to go with it!"
For more information about concrete countertops, please visit:
http://www.concreteexchange.com/
About the author:
Fu-Tung Cheng is both founder of Cheng Design and author of two
books: the recent Concrete at Home: Innovative Forms and
Finishes for Floors, Countertops, Walls and Fireplaces and his
first bestseller Concrete Countertops: Design, Forms and
Finishes for the New Kitchen & Bath (both published by Taunton
Press).
|
|
|
|
|
| Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent ... |
| Comprehensive real estate and property listings. Includes information on buying and selling, tips on building, an auction timetable and other helpful ... |
| www.realestate.com.au |
|
| Real Estate | Homes for Sale | Houses for Sale | MLS Listings ... |
| RealEstate.com provides home listings , homes for sale , REALTORS , house listings , apartment locating services. We have Florida real estate , Texas ... |
| www.realestate.com |
|
| REALTOR.com: Real estate listings & homes for sale |
| Search for a new home or find mortgage rates, real estate agents, and relocation services throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. |
| www.realtor.com |
|
| Real Estate on Yahoo! Real Estate - Homes, Mortgage Rates, School ... |
| Yahoo! Real Estate is the most comprehensive place for real estate, housing market information, school reports, local mortgage rates and more! |
| realestate.yahoo.com |
|
| Find Your Home Value, House Values and Prices on Yahoo! Real Estate |
| Yahoo! Real Estate - Free instant home values and comparable home valuations for millions of houses. Check your home's price or any house value. |
| realestate.yahoo.com |
|
| Real Estate, Houses for Sale, Rentals, Commercial and Businesses ... |
| Real Estate, Houses for Sale, Rentals, Commercial and Businesses for sale at Realestate.co.nz. |
| www.realestate.co.nz |
|
| Real Estate - Buy, Sell or Rent a Home - New York Times |
| Online real estate listings for properties in New York and nationwide. |
| www.nytimes.com |
|
| Century 21 Real Estate Agents and Brokers |
| Agency with franchised offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Find local offices and agents, ... |
| century21.com |
|
| Zillow - Your Edge in Real Estate |
| Zillow provides a free Home Valuation Tool for Real Estate enthusiasts. Whether you're an agent, broker, buyer of investment property or first time ... |
| www.zillow.com |
|
| STLtoday - Homes |
| Real estate agent revels in the boom in downtown St. Louis living ... [more real estate news as seen in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch] ... |
| www.stltoday.com |
|
| Real estate - Boston.com |
| Boston Real Estate - Search the Boston Globe and Boston.com for Massachusetts Real Estate, Boston Condos, Land for sale, Vacation Rentals and more. |
| www.boston.com |
|
| ABCs of Real Estate |
| Real Estate ABCs consumer tips, hints, and resources for home buyers, sellers, and mortgage borrowers. |
| www.realestateabc.com |
|
| washingtonpost.com - Washington DC real estate, Maryland real ... |
| Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland homes, real estate news and headlines. [Registration required] |
| www.washingtonpost.com |
|
| Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation |
| Real Estate from Coldwell Banker ®. Buying a home, selling a home, or finding a real estate agent is easy with Coldwell Banker. Find a home, sales associate ... |
| www.coldwellbanker.com |
|
| Detroit News Online | Real-Estate |
| Sellers around the state have been frustrated with the slow sales patterns of Michigan real estate over the past year or two. But buyers have been enjoying ... |
| www.detnews.com |
|
| Newsday.com - Long Island Real Estate for Nassau County and ... |
| In a real estate market increasingly defined by niches, ... Real Estate Resources. Search by school district for recent home sales in Nassau and Suffolk ... |
| www.newsday.com |
|
| Real Estate for Sale, Rent and Share @ Domain.com.au |
| Real Estate for Sale, Rent and Share @ Domain.com.au. Houses and apartments for sale or rent all over Australia. Thousands of properties in Sydney, ... |
| www.domain.com.au |
|
| Luxury real estate news and features - Forbes.com |
| Luxury real estate news and features at Forbes.com. Core topics include real estate, mansions, condos, co ops, oceanfront realty, second homes, ... |
| www.forbes.com |
|
| Real Estate News - Prices, Mortgages, and Calculators from CNNMoney |
| Latest on mortgages, refinancing, & home tips from CNNMoney.com. Calculators for refinancing, mortgage payments and more. |
| money.cnn.com |
|
| Los Angeles, California, national and world news, jobs, real ... |
| Los Angeles' leading online source for local, state, national, world, entertainment, and sports news. Plus jobs, real estate, cars and shopping information ... |
| www.latimes.com |
|
|