Refurbishing and renovating are very pricey, yet, because of the rise of home decoration shows, lots of property owner believe that a renovation will instantly add value to their home.
The problem is that you cannot rely on a dollar returned for every dollar invested.
To help you make better financial choices, here are four pointers to assist you in planning effective house restorations.
1) Repairs first!
The most economical way to add value to your home is to just fix what has to be fixed. Focusing on areas that are in desperate need of attention will provide the highest ROI for your restoration dollar. For instance: dealing with a leaking roof, replacing broken tiles and rewiring an outdated electrical system add value even if they do not look sexy. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders and shows prospective buyers you care about the look and upkeep of your home. It is recommended to hire a professional Vancouver painting company for this.
2) Remodel based upon YOUR needs
Plan to remain in your house a minimum of 5 years after renovating. Refurbished kitchen areas and restrooms will certainly increase your home’s value, but not by as much as the renos cost. This doesn’t mean you shouldn't consider restorations, but you need to think about the reasons for the reno. So consider your current and future needs and then plan your renos based on these requirements.
3) Build an add-on
Larger restorations, such as an addition, are lengthy and pricey but can be a smart option for a house you wish to stay in for a long time. Think about working with a professional organizer to identify if you're using your current space to optimal potential. If, after organizing and de-cluttering, you feel there's insufficient room, you may want to add a second floor or a ground-level addition to your house.
4) Go green
More than just reducing your carbon footprint, going green can put cash back in your wallet. By renovating for optimum heat and energy performance you can conserve hundreds, even thousands on your heating, electricity and water costs.
Even better, there are usually tax breaks for undertaking this kind of remodeling. It is worthwhile having an Energy Audit done prior to remodeling. The cost of an audit -- typically $200-to-$800, depending on where you live – is worthwhile as it will provide a reasonable idea of which upgrades will benefit you most both financially and in regards to comfort and resale.
Friday, 20 January 2017
Monday, 23 November 2015
Why Bother to Paint Before Selling Your Home
It’s sometimes amazing how people
trying to sell their property simply can’t see the wood for the trees so to
speak. The trouble is, there really isn’t a lot of point tidying up the inside
of your home and doing odd jobs like putting up new drapes to try and make it
look better during viewings, if from the outside it looks as if it has just
gone through a major conflict.
It is often overlooked that the
first thing people see when thinking about a new house are the photos in the ad
– and they quite often start with a shot or two of the externals. If people see
photographs of tired paint work with staining and flaking, then there’s a fair
chance they will quickly move on to the next property details in their pile.
Of
course, with smart photo work it’s possible to make an image of something look
a lot better than it may do in reality. The problem there is that your
creativity with photo software only buys you a little initial interest from
potential purchasers and that will quickly dissipate as they drive by your
property without stopping having seen the paintwork in reality for themselves.
Now it is perfectly true that a
smart external appearance alone is not going to sell your property. However,
your first battle is likely to be trying to persuade people to come and view it
seriously and having a tatty exterior isn’t going to help you achieve that. So,
the obvious solution is to put aside a little budget for a bit of professional
house painting and overall exterior image work before you even put your
property on to the market.
Why
use professionals? It’s simple:
- The first obvious reason relates to the quality of the final product. It’s usually perfectly possible to tell at a glance whether the exterior paint work of a house has been done professionally or on a DIY basis – and one thing you won’t want to start your viewings with is an apology for your own less-than-exemplary efforts to paint the outside of your house;
- Secondly, if you are trying to give your house a thorough overhaul before sale, you may need to ask yourself if you have the time to do the exterior painting as well as any jobs that need doing internally. It might make logistical sense to allocate your time and skills onto smaller and more easily manageable jobs, leaving the professionals to deal with those that are going to be both very visible and perhaps demanding in terms of the skill levels required.
The problem with trying to sell a
property with faded external paintwork is that it might communicate entirely
the wrong message about you and your property. Remember that outside paint
isn’t just about appearances - it is helping to protect the basic structure of
your home and the financial investment you have in it.
If it is poor quality or obviously
hasn’t been maintained for some time, then potential buyers might start to ask
themselves questions about how well other aspects of your property had been
looked after over time. So, for all these reasons, think about getting your
house professionally painted
before you start trying to sell it!
For Vancouver residents there is a
simple solution; hire Heritage Painting & Decorating These guys are local Vancouver house painting contractors who take meticulous care to make your home look wonderful.
There is a very good chance David Forrester and his team of experienced
painters will do a fantastic job for you.
Choosing Colors When House Painting
Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder and that also holds true for what are or are not acceptable colors for the outside of your house.
Many people quite sensibly choose professional painting services, particularly for external work, and you’ll probably want to avoid the expense of calling them back in if you change your mind. So, perhaps going for an inherently conservative and reasonably neutral colour scheme for the outside of your house is likely to be the most sensible.
Look around at the other properties in the area and the environment you are in. Try to select colours that look balanced in those two contexts. Of course, there is no reason why you can’t inject some individuality and the thought of looking exactly the same as other properties in the vicinity might not be one that appeals to you.
Many professional painters have not only huge practical experience but also a lot of knowledge of color design. They might well be able to share some very useful ideas with you. So, even if you are naturally flamboyant, try to think practically when selecting your external colour schemes. Don’t forget that one day you may wish to sell your property and designs you believe to be individual might well be seen by a potential buyers as being eye-wateringly jarring!
If you live in the south west corner of BC you might consider hiring a house painting contractor.
It’s Your Decision
Broadly speaking, how you choose the colors for your property’s externals is pretty much up to you but there are two things to be taken into account:- There might be local regulations which theoretically restrict just how excessively exuberant the colors used on the outside of your property can be. Whether these are just examples of archaic dumb laws or not doesn’t matter and they may rarely be exercised but It might be an issue in conservation areas so do a bit of research;
- If you live in close proximity to neighbors, painting your house in 1960’s style psychedelic designs just might cause friction and generate objections. Keep in mind that poorly-maintained external paintwork or color schemes that are massively eccentric just might have a knock-on effect on their property values.
Design Sense
Entire libraries are full of specialist works governing the science and ascetics of color combinations. Most people will have their own views about what is right or wrong in this area but when you are speaking about the external paintwork, there is one important factor to consider. Typically, it’s harder to change the colours of your external paintwork if you realise you’ve got them wrong than it would be in the case of your internal colour schemes.Many people quite sensibly choose professional painting services, particularly for external work, and you’ll probably want to avoid the expense of calling them back in if you change your mind. So, perhaps going for an inherently conservative and reasonably neutral colour scheme for the outside of your house is likely to be the most sensible.
Look around at the other properties in the area and the environment you are in. Try to select colours that look balanced in those two contexts. Of course, there is no reason why you can’t inject some individuality and the thought of looking exactly the same as other properties in the vicinity might not be one that appeals to you.
Hire a Professional
Many professional painters have not only huge practical experience but also a lot of knowledge of color design. They might well be able to share some very useful ideas with you. So, even if you are naturally flamboyant, try to think practically when selecting your external colour schemes. Don’t forget that one day you may wish to sell your property and designs you believe to be individual might well be seen by a potential buyers as being eye-wateringly jarring!
If you live in the south west corner of BC you might consider hiring a house painting contractor.
Heritage Painting & Decorating
Phone: (604) 818-5485
Friday, 14 August 2015
How Much Should You Spend On Paint?
Paint is paint…right? You know there are different types of house paint – oil and acrylic – and finishes, such as eggshell and high-gloss, but is there a valid reason for spending $50 on a gallon of paint instead of $25? One thing that is an absolute must is good preparations before painting.
First, let’s clear up the confusion about names: oil-based house paint is also called alkyd and water-based paints are either acrylic or latex. Water-based paints are faster-drying, easier to clean up and less smelly than alkyds. However, alkyds are, in general, more durable and give you a finish that is harder and glossier.
As for finishes, there is a tradition in North America of using high-gloss finishes only for areas subject to abuse or those where lots of cleaning is to be expected, such as window sills and bathroom and kitchen walls. But, really, the choice is up to you. If you like a glossy finish in your living room, go ahead! And bear in mind that many high-quality, non-glossy finishes now offer excellent durability.
You get what you pay for…right? Well, that’s usually the case. However, as with most things you purchase, a little research can help you in determining whether or not those extra dollars are really worth it.
One of the best data bases for paint value is Consumer Reports. They regularly evaluate dozens of paints from a variety of manufacturers and give objective information on coverage, hiding power, durability, clean-up and so on. I am sure many people would be surprised to learn that Brand X’s Premium red paint behaves quite differently from its blue paint.
One thing you do get with more expensive paints is a longer warranty. Again, this is something you need to investigate because not all warranties are the same. Read the fine print (there can be lots of it!) to find out just what a warranty covers.
Does a lifetime warranty mean that you will get your home repainted for free if it is fading noticeably in 20 or 30 years? Absolutely not! Excessive fading is covered by lifetime warranties, but excessive fading isn’t the same as no fading. All paints fade over time. Premium paints will maintain their fresh look and colour saturation longer than will cheaper paints, but not a whole lot longer. So…read the warranties and balance what it with what you need or expect from the paint.
Here it depends on your needs. Premium paints do offer advantages. Generally, they are thicker and more elastic and will withstand weather at least somewhat better than bargain paint. You can expect better hiding power and improved resistance to peeling from more expensive paints.
But, as for a lifetime warranty…are you likely to stay in the same house forever? And, if you do, would you want it to be the same colour for forty or fifty years? Most people will answer no to both questions. So it all depends on your needs. In the end, you have to make a choice and the best way to do that is to think about what it is you really want in a paint and do the research.
For peace of mind and assurance that the paint job will last as long as possible, consult with a professional. Heritage Painting & Decorating are established house painters worth looking up.
What’s The Difference?
First, let’s clear up the confusion about names: oil-based house paint is also called alkyd and water-based paints are either acrylic or latex. Water-based paints are faster-drying, easier to clean up and less smelly than alkyds. However, alkyds are, in general, more durable and give you a finish that is harder and glossier.
As for finishes, there is a tradition in North America of using high-gloss finishes only for areas subject to abuse or those where lots of cleaning is to be expected, such as window sills and bathroom and kitchen walls. But, really, the choice is up to you. If you like a glossy finish in your living room, go ahead! And bear in mind that many high-quality, non-glossy finishes now offer excellent durability.
What Does More Money Get You?
You get what you pay for…right? Well, that’s usually the case. However, as with most things you purchase, a little research can help you in determining whether or not those extra dollars are really worth it.
One of the best data bases for paint value is Consumer Reports. They regularly evaluate dozens of paints from a variety of manufacturers and give objective information on coverage, hiding power, durability, clean-up and so on. I am sure many people would be surprised to learn that Brand X’s Premium red paint behaves quite differently from its blue paint.
One thing you do get with more expensive paints is a longer warranty. Again, this is something you need to investigate because not all warranties are the same. Read the fine print (there can be lots of it!) to find out just what a warranty covers.
Lifetime Paint Warranties
Does a lifetime warranty mean that you will get your home repainted for free if it is fading noticeably in 20 or 30 years? Absolutely not! Excessive fading is covered by lifetime warranties, but excessive fading isn’t the same as no fading. All paints fade over time. Premium paints will maintain their fresh look and colour saturation longer than will cheaper paints, but not a whole lot longer. So…read the warranties and balance what it with what you need or expect from the paint.
So…Is It Worth It?
Here it depends on your needs. Premium paints do offer advantages. Generally, they are thicker and more elastic and will withstand weather at least somewhat better than bargain paint. You can expect better hiding power and improved resistance to peeling from more expensive paints.
But, as for a lifetime warranty…are you likely to stay in the same house forever? And, if you do, would you want it to be the same colour for forty or fifty years? Most people will answer no to both questions. So it all depends on your needs. In the end, you have to make a choice and the best way to do that is to think about what it is you really want in a paint and do the research.
For peace of mind and assurance that the paint job will last as long as possible, consult with a professional. Heritage Painting & Decorating are established house painters worth looking up.
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