Completing home improvements can be one of the most satisfying projects in your life; however, they can also be stressful. If you’re planning to hire a contractor to do the work on your home for you, then take some of the stress out of the picture and use our helpful tips to make sure you’re hiring the right person or company to do the job.
Know what you want
As the client, you are the one driving the whole process. With this in mind, remember to take some time to think about your goals for the project – what you want it to look like, the features you want, and so on.
Get a range of quotes
It is advisable to get at minimum of three quotes for your job. However, getting up to six will probably give you a clearer picture of how the different contractors stack up against each other. It will allow you to get more of a perspective on appropriate costs, but also you’ll get an idea of the calibre of work that each contractor will provide. For example, one contractor may offer a bargain rate and provide average work, while another could have a high bid which could indicate quality.
Do background checks
Even if a friend or relative has recommended a contractor that he or she has used before, it is advisable to establish some minimum credentials. Get the full company name and address, and ensure that the firm has a current license and adequate insurance coverage. Also, find out if any formal complaints or legal actions have occurred in the past or are pending.
Investigate a contractor’s work history
It is advisable to take time to view the contractors work first-hand. You should look for three things: some similarity to your project, quality materials and workmanship, and consistent client satisfaction.
Be aware of contract details
It is vital to be aware of all the contract details between you and your contractor. Typically, a contract should include start and completion dates, information on applicable building permits and fees (typically handled by the contractor, but legally your responsibility), a description of what products and services are to be provided by the contractor, payment terms, subcontractor issues (such as license and insurance verification), and the consequences of default by either party. Default can include a contractor’s failure to pay subcontractors.
Finally, remember that home renovations, like window and door replacement, can be very challenging, that’s why it’s important to hire a qualified expert in the field, who not only can do the job to an extremely high standard but also can provide a very professional service to you the client.
Whilst most homeowners can get many years of service out of their front door, there will come a time when a door needs to be replaced. We realise that it can sometimes be hard to evaluate whether or not your door may need replacing and this is why we have put together some helpful tips on the subject matter below.
Inspect the appearance
It is important to assess the appearance of your door. If you have a wood door, it may be warping or rotting; or a steel door can get dinged and rust over time. Also, it’s possible that the style of the door may simply not match up with the design of your home and looks outdated. These are all indications that you may need to replace your door.
Check the operation of the door
You should try opening and closing doors on both dry and wet, humid days. Make sure all the components operate smoothly. If your door doesn’t close securely, or fits tightly on humid days, then it’s likely that it is leaking air on dry days, causing the home to lose energy.
Examine Your Locks
Ensure your locks operate smoothly and are strong enough to help protect your home. If you are not happy with the outcome, you should consider door replacement and perhaps think about having a multi-point locking system in your new choice of door. This system will allow for more peace-of-mind and security.
Inspect the weather stripping
Inspect the weather stripping around all sides of the door to ensure it has not worn out. On a bright day, you should aim to stand inside near your door and look for daylight flowing through the door perimeter. If light is coming in, then so most likely is external air and probably, moisture.
Assess the level of insulation
The best way to assess the insulation of your front door is to reach out and touch your door on both hot and cold days. If you feel the exterior temperatures on the inside surface, then your door may not have adequate insulation. In this instance, you should think about upgrading the door with a replacement that is more energy efficient.
Finally, if it becomes apparent that yourequire a door replacement service after evaluating your front door, it may be wise to consider a door made of fiberglass. A solid fiberglass door is up to four times more energy efficient than a solid wood door, plus it is resistance to rot, rust, dings and weather.
Many factors can influence the value of your home, for example if you have a leak in the plumbing system and spend money fixing it you won’t see a return on this investment, as a fully functioning plumbing system is something people expect to see in any home. However, if you spend money remodelling and updating your kitchen you are almost guaranteed a return on the money you put into this. Below are some areas that can greatly add to the value of your home.
Attic
If more space is what you are after then converting your attic into an extra bedroom is a good option to take. This type of conversion is one of the least disruptive and most of the work required can be done outside your home. The first thing you must do is strengthen the floor joists, which will as a result raise the floor level so you must ensure there is still enough comfortable ceiling height. Once you have created the new space make sure that access to this extra room is safe and easy and that it looks and fits in with the design of the rest of the house.
Paint
If you don’t want to spend a small fortune renovating your home one of the quickest and most cost effective ways to add value to your home is to paint it! From painting the outside of the house to freshening up the kitchen cupboards a lick of paint will work wonders in making your house seem brighter and more aesthetically pleasing. While you are painting why not clean your floors, clear the gutters and make your windows shine, these small jobs all make a positive impression on potential buyers.
Kitchen
If you only had the option to focus on one room to add value to your home the kitchen should be it. The kitchen is the heart of any home and one of the easiest room to tell the condition of the rest of the house from. If you remodel your kitchen correctly you could be looking at a potential 100% return on your investment. What most people look for in a kitchen is space, especially counter top work space. Another instant way to add value to your kitchen is stainless-steel appliances, you must ensure that all of your appliances co-ordinate as it adds to the cohesiveness of the room. One addition that has become increasingly popular in recent years are island counters. These standalone counters in the middle of the room are not only a great way to add space but also become an interesting focal point in the kitchen.
Windows
Change the windows if they don’t match the style of the rest of the property or if they require replacing as they are not operating efficiently. A new window installation will see a real improvement on the value of your home as it reduces noise levels, regulates indoor temperatures and enhances home security.
Bathroom
Adding extra bathrooms to your property instantly adds extra value. Even if you are not adding another bathroom(s) updating your current ones will be beneficial. Adding extras such as heated floors, bathtubs, his and her sinks and steam showers will all drastically increase value. You should also consider what finishes you include in the bathroom, for example opt for ceramic tile floors instead of linoleum or wooden as they don’t last as long in water.
Protecting your home from unwanted intruders can be greatly helped by the home security mechanisms you put in place. While many people think that investing in security systems with alarm monitoring, CCTV cameras and motion detectors will prevent break ins, even the most elaborate home security systems begin with investing in the structure of your windows and doors, and the quality of the lock mechanisms that you install. Here we give you a step by step guide on what to focus on.
Step 1: Make a List
Make an inventory of all the locks and locking mechanisms you need to have in place for both your windows and doors. Check all of your current locking mechanisms on each and every window and door before going to your local hardware store to purchase what you need.
Step 2: Replace Exterior Hinges
If the structure of your doors and windows are old or in poor condition, replace them. There is no point buying top grade locks, if the structures can’t support them. Even with locks, aged windows and doors are easier to break through. Exterior hinges are susceptible to burglars popping the door off the hinges. Replace exterior doors with those that have hinges on the inside of the door.
Step 3: Install Deadbolts
Install deadbolts on every door. When you are in the hardware store, look for steel bolts that have an extended length that would fit into your door frames. Ideally check that the strike plates come with screws that are at least 6cm and will penetrate the door frame. This will prevent the door frame from being pried off or kicked in.
Step 4: Get Sash Stops
Purchase sash stops for your windows that come with locking mechanisms. Fit these to the top sash of your window to restrict how far the window can be opened. If you have double hung windows, install bolts and nails on these.
Step 5: Steel Over Turn Key Locks
If your doors have turn key locks, replace them with steel locks for additional security. Steel locks contain a steel pin that cannot be sprung with a credit card or infiltrated easily.
Step 6: Vertical Bolts and Anti-Lift Plates
If you have an exterior sliding door, purchase vertical bolts and anti-lift plates to secure the sliding door. You can also include heavy duty locks on the inside edge of the door frame.
Top Tips for Home Security
-> Install new hardware immediately or have a security expert or locksmith install them for you.
-> Remember to change your locks anytime you move into a new house or apartment because you don’t know how many people who lived there before have keys to the existing locked doors.
-> Don’t forget about basements and cellars. Always look for retractable window grates that provide security as well as ventilation.
Having construction work done in your home can be a stressful time, there are lots of rules and regulations for the people carrying out the work, but you, the homeowner also have a part to play in the process. Here is a guide for homeowners to follow when having work done in their property.*
Before work even begins on the project you wish to get carried out it is vital that you research who to hire. Appoint competent people to carry out the work and for more advanced and long term jobs you must also hire a project supervisor to coordinate the work. It is also important to hire the right people for the job, for example if you want a roof replacement in Calgary hire a Calgary roofing company, not a general builder.Check the credentials of the people you are hiring and ensure they fully comply with all necessary safety standards and that the have enough resources to carry out the work safely.Ask friends and family for recommendations, read any testimonials on their website and shop around. Don’t just hire the first company you see or the cheapest price quoted to you.
When undertaking any work in your home the right insurance is paramount. Check your contractor’s liability. If something goes wrong and the contractor is not insured you may be liable for the fees incurred.
Once you have selected your builder it is advised to have a conversation with them before work starts about how to optimise safety. Discuss boundaries in the home e.g. they may use the downstairs bathroom facilities but not the upstairs, they can use the kitchen to make tea/coffee etc. It is these small things that will make the experience a more positive one. If you have children make sure you have told them about how to stay safe and to stay out of the way of any construction work. If the work carried out is substantial, notify the relevant authorities to check if planning permission is needed, so you will have enough time to apply.
Where at all possible try and segregate your home life from the construction work. Try and have the work carried out, for the most part, at the times you are away from the house at work and while any children may be at school.
If at any point you feel the work being carried out is not being done in a safe manner talk to your contractor. It is your home so you have control over the work being carried out.
*Please note this is a guide to follow when having construction work carried out by professionals in your home, not a guide for DIY Projects (Do It Yourself)
The Window replacement process can be a stressful and costly time for homeowners. Most homeowners will have to go through this process at least once, therefore, it is fundamentally important to have the process carried out by professionals and the right windows installed for your requirements.
There are a few key signs to look out for to tell if your current windows need replacing. Irregular temperature is always a sure sign that something is not working cost-effectively. If the indoor temperature is never comfortable regardless of heating systems or air conditioning units then air may be escaping out through windows or coming in from the outside.
The working efficiency of the window is another simple way to tell if a replacement is required. If you are having trouble opening and closing the windows or if they are getting stuck half way open and tend to stick a lot then you probably need new windows. If your windows have locks that are no longer working it is important from a security perspective to either change the lock or replace the whole window unit.
Damp anywhere around your window is a cause for concern. Keep an eye out for foggy panes of glass or a collection of water drops on the glass pane or window sill. If you see any mould or damp patches it means that your windows are no longer up to standard. Chipping paint and peeling wallpaper in and around the window area is also a giveaway.
Once you have established that your windows need replacing it is important to hire professionals who can carry out the removal of the old windows and the installation of the new windows. These professionals can advise you which type of window replacement will best suit your needs from vinyl, aluminum, composite and wood windows. Along with choosing the right type of replacement a few final factors you should consider are glazing options, window security and maintenance. There are many different glazing options available so it is important to consider all of these to benefit not only appearance but also energy efficiency. Window security is key, windows are an entry point into your home so you should ensure the best locks and hardware are used when installing new windows. Finally, maintenance is an often over looked aspect of the window replacement process, once the new windows are installed it is important to keep up the maintenance for optimum effectiveness from your windows. Cleaning, repairing and painting the windows all are part of maintaining new windows.
Top Tips for Renovating Your Home
Inaccurate measurements, cheap materials, skipping the preparation work, using the wrong tools, forgetting about lighting …………… there are so many things that can go wrong when renovating. Sticking to a practical and realistic plan can help alleviate all of these. Renovating your home can breathe new life into it and be significantly less costly, less hassle and take less time than moving house. Renovation when done correctly, can increase the value of your house if you do decide to move in a few years.
Top Five Renovating Tips
The Biggest Impact Rooms
Many people make the mistake of taking on too much work at once. Don’t focus on the entire house. Focus on one room at a time and don’t move on until it is complete, exactly how you want it to look and you can afford to budget for the next room.
Kitchen
Renovation experts, interior experts, property and estate agents all agree that the one room in the house that increases a houses value more than any other is the kitchen. It is the core of any house and the room where families spend most of their time. Key upgrades include replacing appliances with stainless steel upgrades, installing granite countertops which are easy to clean and look impressive, and replacing the knobs on kitchen cabinets. Changing the lighting and upgrading the windows to add more light can brighten up and make a big difference to a kitchen.
Bathroom
A big bright beautiful bathroom with his and hers sinks, double showers and a built in Jacuzzi might be at the top of the list but when these are not possible due to time and budget constraints, small changes can make a big difference. Lighting is key to a bathroom. Installing a window into a bathroom totally changes the room and natural light will illuminate it. Re-glazing a bathtub is a very practical step to upgrading your tub without the cost of purchasing a new one. Installing a vanity that recesses into the wall will save on space and give the impression of a bigger room.
The Overlooked Spaces
Have a small single downstairs bedroom that is never used? Convert it into a pantry to store all of your cooking items which tidies up your kitchen. Add in a second fridge for drinks storage or a large deep freeze to increase storage options. If you are not much of a cook, but hate having laundry all over the house, convert it into a laundry room. Take the washing machine and dryer out from under your kitchen sink and place them here. Purchase some simple shelves and hang them on the wall to place fabric softeners, cloths pegs and baskets, and general cleaning supplies. Use this room to store mops, brushes and buckets.
Renovation Benefits and Challenges
One of the most significant benefits of renovating your home as opposed to moving house is that it is cheaper. There are no moving haulage costs, no dealing with banks, no storage costs in the interim and no having to rent in the middle of moving because your new house isn’t ready yet. Renovation also breathes fresh life into the house and adds value if you do decide to move at a later stage.
If you have children then you don’t have to relocate them to a new school if you are staying in the area and you don’t have to go out and find new amenities or get to know new neighbours. You still have all the benefits of staying where you are. The main challenges involved in any home renovation project is putting in time, project management, and budget management and knowing when you have overstretched your skillset and being able to ask for help from the experts.
People tend to take good care of their homes. They are a significant investment, they are a safe place to live, raise a family and grow old. It is part of normal, everyday life to ensure that your home is not suffering from the elements or accidents. However many people have a tendency to ignore their roof, only attending to it once a leak develops or someone repairing something else in the house sees the problem is caused by a fault in the roof. Roof troubles need not be more expensive to deal with than a problem with a dishwasher or drains blocking up. Still many people see roof repairs as a considerable expense, and this is in part due to a lack of proper maintenance of roofs.
Maintaining your roof does not necessarily mean hands on work on a continual basis. The most important aspect of roof maintenance is to spot a problem as it begins and prevent it from becoming a serious problem down the line. You should inspect your roof on a monthly basis, and particularly after strong winds and heavy rain. Walk around your house and see if anything on the roof has come loose or if anything has fallen on the roof. Marks or signs of damage to individual tiles are often an indicator that something more severe happened which might result in further damage down the line. If you do notice any problems the sooner you act to repair them the better the chances are that the cost will be minimal.
Twice a year you should clean your drains and gutters. A ladder that folds into a platform is best for this as it means you will not have to move repeatedly to gain access, and it is also far more stable and safer than a ladder. All you need to do is remove built up gunk, leaves, twigs and branches. It is best to do this twice a year, before and after the winter or wet season.
Another check that should be carried out is to see if any drain or gutters have been moved, are disconnected or are backing up. If water builds up it can start to seep into your attic and attack and destroy the waterproof materials underneath the roofing. Build ups can lead to pools of water forming and can eventually lead to part of the ceiling collapsing. Water getting into the walls of the house can cause serious structural problems. Similarly it is important to ensure water is flowing to where it should be. If water is draining or flowing onto other parts of the roof it will eventually erode and damage your house.
If you experience particularly warm weather it is also important to check on your roof. A wide range in temperature going from cool at night and hot during the day can cause your roof to expand and contract putting extra strain on it. This can result in significant damage that might not be obvious until the first period of heavy rain. This is why it is important to inspect your roof before and after the winter.
Finally, you should have your roof inspected professionally ever few years. A professional can spot underlying issues that would not be visible to someone untrained.
We all dream of finding the house that we can settle down in: a home that will see us through our retirement years, comfortable and relaxing with every corner a friend to our heart. For many people there might be expansion into a new home when families expand, then downsizing into a better placed home as children grow and leave. Most people don’t spend their entire adult lives in the one home so it is important to add value to your whenever you make a change. Hopefully when it is time to sell it you gain a lot more than you put in. There are a few key things that you can do to add value to your home.
The best place to start is with not wasting money. Unless you plan on spending decades in a home there are some things that might make a couple of years more pleasant in your home, but that do not benefit a sale and could even hinder it. The first of these is an extensive, landscaped garden. While you might enjoy a multi-tiered garden with exotic plants that you can spend the drier months fixing up and maintaining, for a potential buyer that could be a turn off. Buyers rarely buy a house ready to go. They like to see potential in a house that they can turn into their own home. A detailed garden represents someone else’s work that they have no investment in and have to maintain, or even spend a lot of money to get taken out. Simple changes to a garden are of value, planting a few trees that might have grown by the time a new buyer retires in the home, properly maintained lawns and decking are all a plus. Water features and pools are a definite turn off, especially to families with young children.
One area of the house that can be improved represents a big plus to a small, but significant section of the market can be achieved if you ever have electrical work carried out. Laying cables for satellite and cable TV and electricity is extremely common but few places have cables laid for a computer network. To the affluent tech savvy market a network ready house can be turn a maybe into a definite yes when it comes to buying. It’s not worth paying to have them specifically put in, but if other work is being carried out then their relatively minor extra cost could see a significant bonus in a sale.
An area that cannot be understated and will see sales abandoned, let alone a reduction in price is any bad insulation or poor doors and windows. If you’re selling your house as a property to be fixed up then it’s not worth replacing and repairing them. If you have plans to sell your house in the next five years, then not only is it worth replacing them at the earliest stage but delay in replacing them could be the beginnings of permanent structural damage. That damage might not have an effect for twenty or thirty years, long after you have left the house but any engineer will be warning potential buyers that it could represent a significant future cost to them if not repaired. Anything that damages or holds the prospect of damage for the integrity and structure of the house could make your property unsellable.
Probably the biggest improvement that can be made to a home for a sale need not cost much money at all. Converting a spare bedroom into an office or crafts room only takes moving out a bed and closet and moving in some shelving, a desk and painting the room. What it represents for a buyer is a space for them to contain their personal interests and hobbies. It’s a small difference but it has a big effect on a buyer.
Windows play an important role in defining the style of your house; whether it i...
Please let us know how we did, your feedback helps us do a better job. Please click to on logo to leave your review:
