Home Kitchen

5 Great Home Renovation Projects That Offer The Best Return On Investment

When it comes to renovating your home for resale, there are some major renovations that top the list.

1. Major kitchen remodels. (Return on investment 75-85%)

The role of the kitchen has evolved over the years and now more than ever the kitchen must meet those needs.

  • Buyers want to imagine themselves in a beautiful, newly renovated kitchen where they can really see themselves preparing meals for their friends and family, where the kids curl up on a comfy stool doing their homework, or their guests mingling on that beautiful island. Buyers want to see this in your mind and know that it is possible.
  • A major kitchen remodel may need to include a new floor plan to improve a poorly designed work triangle.
  • If your kitchen is completely outdated, isolated and compartmentalized with an inefficient floor plan and layout, don’t think that replacing the cabinets and appliances will camouflage the problem. It will not!
  • If possible, add an island to those plans. Everyone loves them!
  • Replacing all cabinets, appliances, lighting, flooring, finishes and fixtures, and new French doors and windows will capture buyers’ attention.
  • Since kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive rooms to renovate, the buyer will be glad the job is already done.

2. Extensions of family rooms. (75% ROI)

The family room is the second most popular space in the home after the kitchen.

  • Adding 400 m2. foot of bright and cheery living space (if your neighborhood allows it), it will definitely improve the home’s value
  • Increase the overall height of your space and introduce a vaulted ceiling. Creating a sense of volume instantly makes a room feel more spacious.
  • Consider the details and add beautiful French doors, floor-to-ceiling windows, or even skylights to flood this new space with light and maximize the view. Go one step further and add the mallet.

3. Addition of cover. (72-95% ROI)

Deck additions are arguably the best investments these days. They make a natural transition from indoors to outdoors, instantly expanding your living space.

And who doesn’t love that?

  • It’s an at-home vacation experience as it expands your living space and extends the summer season, forcing you to live more outdoors before the winter season begins.
  • Its design can be as simple or elaborate as the house to which it is connected.
  • Multi-level or individual, built-in seating or informal lounging areas, hot tubs, and outdoor kitchens all add to the vacation home atmosphere.
  • Covers are more popular than swimming pools and relatively easy to build.
  • Design the deck to complement the character of your home’s exterior architecture. Give it some thought when planning: it should be proportional to the size of your garden.
  • It incorporates solar lighting or low consumption led.

4. Main Floor Master Bedroom Expansion(73% ROI)

  • Add a 400 sq. ft. The en-suite master bedroom and spa-like bathroom provide a private retreat and attract many homebuyers. Main floor access is gaining in popularity.
  • Empty nesters and others, who no longer want to climb stairs, prefer the master bedroom and bathroom to be withdrawn on the main floor level of the home.
  • Immediate access to a beautiful outdoor terrace or patio also adds to the return.

5. Addition of two floors (77% ROI)

  • An 800-square-foot two-story addition could include a new main-floor family room and an upper-level master suite complete with a full bath
  • Or using that extra space and designating it, like the home office, is very attractive to homebuyers.
  • Homeowners are spending more time working from home and with the growing trend of home entrepreneurs, buyers are being drawn to the extra space dedicated solely to operating their home business.
Home Kitchen

Fixing up houses: creating space in the bathrooms without tearing down walls

Some rehabbers don’t mind stripping a house down to fit in a desirable area. For example, many old houses in Los Angeles are torn down to the ground with only a few walls remaining. However, most rehabbers like to update a home with new fixtures and features without tearing the house apart. Also, many homes simply won’t make a profit with too much rebuilding. One way to update an old house is to make bathrooms. feel larger

Bathrooms have steadily increased in size over the past thirty years, with today’s average bathroom being twice the size of bathrooms from the 1970s. However, bathrooms can be difficult to add to existing homes without tearing down walls. There are a few ways that you can create a more spacious look, without having to use mallets.

For example, you can save some space by installing a smaller bathtub, since bathtubs are traditionally the largest item in a bathroom. Modern shorter five foot tubs take up less floor space than older, longer tubs. New bathtubs are often not as tall and make the ceiling appear higher. A new bathtub makes a good impression on homebuyers, especially if your bathroom has a cast iron bathtub that is full of chips and stains.

While you won’t technically save space, you can also help create an illusion of spaciousness by covering the side wall of the tub with a simple, no-frills shower curtain. Large patterns on shower curtains tend to overwhelm a smaller bathroom and make it feel less spacious. Stick with a sheer shade or match the wall color to further enhance the airy feeling.

You can also gain some floor space by replacing the sink cabinet with a pedestal style. You’ll lose some cabinet space, but you can usually more than make up for that loss by hanging a cabinet over the toilet. You can also save space by adding a sink that mounts directly to the wall. If you like to have your sink in a cabinet, consider placing it in a smaller cabinet. There are dozens to choose from, in any color and style you like, at your local home improvement center.

If you are a handyman, you can opt for an antique cabinet or chest of drawers instead of the usual bathroom cabinet. Look for small chests at thrift stores and paint them in your target buyer’s preferred colors. You may need to reconfigure the top drawers for the plumbing. Top with a solid surface countertop; the little piece won’t cost much compared to the dramatic impact it provides. You can end up with a vessel sink that sits on the counter for a great updated look.

The toilet can also be replaced with a smaller, more efficient style. Newer toilets generally take up a smaller footprint and are not as tall as older toilets, giving you an even larger cabinet to hang over the toilet.

The easiest way to add the illusion of space is with a new mirror, especially if you have an old medicine cabinet over the sink, the kind with a stainless steel frame. These old-fashioned medicine cabinets actually date from a house. Replace it with a mirror that spans the wall to the ceiling. Or find an extra-large framed mirror and paint the frame to match your decor.

When organizing your bathroom, use towels to add softness to the hard space. Don’t use a lot of small pictures on the walls; they create a cluttered look and make the space feel smaller.

You don’t need to bring a wrecking crew to create the look of a larger bathroom. All it takes is a little imagination and some relatively simple upgrades, at a significantly lower price than tearing down walls!

Home Kitchen

Decorative concrete lining

Using decorative concrete siding is a wonderful way to make your home look more attractive and sophisticated, without incurring any expense. In fact, decorative concrete resurfacing is an extremely inexpensive way to spruce up your home, and many of the decorative concrete resurfacing options available today are so nice that most people may not even realize that the design it was made with concrete.

Some decorative concrete veneers are designed to specifically mimic some other form of natural stone. You can use a decorative concrete resurfacing on your driveway, for example, to make it look like it’s made of a nice brick pattern. Decorative concrete cladding is also used to create designs that resemble old castle stone or cobblestones as well.

Decorative concrete cladding is also used quite often indoors, as it can be used to create the look of marble, for example. Decorative concrete resurfacing can even be used as a way to create expensive looking tile designs, all made of concrete.

Another type of decorative concrete coating is done simply by using colored stains on the concrete. If, for example, you want to resurface the concrete on your driveway, but you don’t want the drab gray color you usually see with concrete, you can use a colored stain on your concrete, such as blue, white, green, mauve, or whatever you want.

If you want, the decorative concrete cladding could match the main color of your house, or it could match the lawn in the garden, or match the color of the decorative paint in your house. Using stained decorative concrete coating is a versatile, easy and affordable decorating option for almost any concrete surface need.

Some people like decorative concrete surfaces that are simply a texture rather than a specific color or pattern. Around your pool, for example, you may decide to have a decorative textured concrete resurfacing done to beautify the pool and make it safer too. Since the decorative concrete coating will have a rough texture, it will make the area much less slippery when wet.

Some people love to use decorative concrete in kitchen interiors, particularly because it allows them to create extremely strong and resistant kitchen countertops that look very beautiful. The concrete accent surface in the kitchen can end up looking like you have solid wood block counters, solid marble counters, or just about anything else you desire.

Another way to use decorative concrete surfaces is also on the floor inside your home. Since concrete surface decorative techniques can make the surface look like anything you want, such as pavers, expensive mosaic tiles, and even murals, you can end up with a beautiful and unique floor within your home that will stand the test of time.

Surfaces created with decorative concrete resurfacing techniques can also be treated in a number of ways. If you’ve done decorative concrete resurfacing to your home’s floors with a mosaic pattern, for example, you should apply a good coat of gloss finish to the pattern to help keep the floor looking newer for longer and to keep it looking smooth . more decorative too.

Home Kitchen

Feng Shui interprets attics and basements

It should be understood that the areas of a house in which a person spends the most time are the areas on which they should focus. Typically no other room competes with the heavily used bedroom(s) or home office. And yet, we can take an entire floor plan apart and interpret the effects of other areas of the house as well. A badly placed bathroom or kitchen could affect the whole family.

Some of the energies in a house are invisible, but powerful, and were created when the house was built. Earth energies move upward as the foundation is laid. The energies of the sun and stars penetrate downward and are captured in the house when the roof finally encloses the house. The time when the roof is built is called the year of construction.

With a multi-story house or building there will be repetitive energies. For example, if you have a bedroom directly above a dining room, those two rooms will have similar influences. And so it is also true that basements and attics often contain a similar energy to the rooms above or below.

This becomes very relevant when attics and basements are remodeled into regularly used rooms. Like any other room in a house, they may require certain element remedies. Also, the yin-yang theory comes into play because attics and basements are often areas that may need more light than was originally provided.

Attics that are converted to bedrooms often have sloped ceilings, and sometimes the ceilings are lower than normal. Low ceilings are good for focusing, but not at the expense of being so low that it feels stuffy or claustrophobic in the space. Basement ceilings are sometimes left unfinished where joists and air ducts or exposed plumbing lines are not ideal for high usage area.

Another aspect of the yin-yang theory that becomes more apparent with tops and bottoms is temperature. Heat rises, so an attic can get uncomfortably hot and a basement can be perpetually cold. Like its portrayal in the movies, people are often frightened by their own attic or basement, as if each of these spaces is occupied by a ghost. It’s interesting that we instinctively anticipate that a dark, messy, and unkempt space might be inhabited by spirits.

If an attic or basement is only used for storage, then having plenty of lighting isn’t critical. People ask me all the time if they have clutter or storage areas in certain parts of the house, if that can have a negative impact on any area of ​​their lives. Usually this is not the most important thing to worry about. In fact, we can say that if you are able to put all your extra miscellaneous things in the attic or basement, better there than filling the rooms you use regularly, where you need more open space.

There are no other mystical secrets to reveal about penthouses and foundations. They just need to be balanced according to the yin-yang theory to make them comfortable as living spaces. Not too dark, not too bright. Not too hot, not too cold. They must have ceilings high enough to function and floors stable enough to feel safe when walking. After that, they can be evaluated like any other floor in a house by applying all other Feng Shui principles.

Home Kitchen

Using Kitchen Storage Containers for a Clutter Free Kitchen

The following are some areas of the kitchen that can easily become cluttered if not attended to promptly. Reviewing the organization tips listed under each one will give you an understanding of how your “downtown” can look its best at all times.

Pantry

The pantry is the most important area of ​​the kitchen and it is the most prone to clutter. The first thing to keep organized is to get rid of outdated items and give away non-perishable items that you won’t be using. Pantry shelves should be lined with a heavy-duty coating that will make it easy to clean up spills, if any. The next thing is to ensure the accessibility of all elements. It’s a good idea to group similar items in small kitchen bins and then label them. Kitchen storage containers that are transparent will come in handy for storing pantry staples like flour, sugar, rice, etc.

countertops

Kitchen countertops unexpectedly become cluttered areas, leaving the cook with very little space to do what they do best – cook! Leave enough space for cooking preparation and cooking itself and keep it free at all times. Allocate specific areas on the countertop for certain kitchen equipment like the mini countertop fryer, tilting skillet, etc. Anything that is not required at frequent intervals should not take up counter space.

cabinets

These are storage spaces that are built inside and there is always a difficulty in accessing the required items from them. To avoid this difficulty, lower cabinets should have slide-out drawers, eye-level cabinets may have layered stackable shelves, and upper cabinets may have pull-out shelves. All items must be stored in appropriate kitchen storage containers. It is better to keep the most frequently required items in the first few rows.

Drawers

Drawers are another area that gets damaged easily. The use of modular or expandable organizers will contribute to optimal use of space. Items can be separated based on the occasion of use and also by size, shape, and frequency of use.

sink area

Sponges, scouring pads, and utensil soap should be stored on the side of the sink. The soap can be used through a pump dispenser; this adds to the cleanliness of the place.

Other areas

Apart from the areas mentioned above, your kitchen space should be used wisely. Large kitchen containers that hold bulk foods such as onions, potatoes, etc. should be kept in inconspicuous locations on the floor. In a commercial establishment, care must be taken to ensure that there is not overcrowding at the service counter as well.

In summary, it can be said that it is a good idea to follow the organization tips mentioned above so that your entire kitchen along with the serving counter will definitely look neat and clean.

Home Kitchen

Home Remodeling: Increase the Value of Your Home Real Estate Value

If you plan to sell your home, remodeling your home can add market value. Without a doubt, you can earn more money with it. You don’t need to completely rebuild, but can instead work on the major areas that play an important role in adding value to your home. Kitchen remodeling and foundation remodeling are some of them. The most attractive part is that you do not have to spend a lot to remodel these areas since they are not very large by nature.

Some changes that can be made to remodel the kitchen are to start by changing the cabinets. The cabinets are the ones that most attract the attention of those who enter the kitchen. Adding new appliances plays an important role in a kitchen remodel. Replacing older sinks with new stainless steel sinks adds beauty and a fresh look. Removing the old tiles or backsplash and gluing on the new ones transforms the look. It would be a good idea to do some floor work to coincide with the changes mentioned above. A fresh coat of paint can make your kitchen feel new and smell fresh, too. New countertops and replacement furniture such as breakfast tables and chairs, island carts, etc. will look nice to shoppers.

In most houses, the bathrooms will be much smaller. So it doesn’t cost you as much as a kitchen remodel. Only a few areas can be concentrated, such as replacing bathroom flooring and tiles, replacing cabinets, countertops and vanities, sinks, and changing bathtubs and showers. You can also give a coat of paint if necessary. If you think that remodeling your bathroom can increase your home value, you can include more bathroom remodeling jobs.

Roofing plays a vital role in increasing the value of your home. A complete restoration of the roofs is necessary if they are too old to withstand climatic changes. The same goes for gutters, siding, decking, and patio covers. Although it is not necessary to cover all of these areas, any repairs in these areas can be resolved to avoid any of the problems.

Although it is not necessary to remodel your house, if it can benefit you fiscally, you can carry out the work blindly. Yeah! When you sell your home, you will be charged capital gain tax. This means that any money made above its value will be taxed. However, you can report evidence of improvements made to the polish, such as kitchen remodeling, plumbing or wiring, exterior upgrades, etc., for tax benefits.

The above may sound easy until you find the best and most reliable remodeling company at your service. These changes can only attract buyers with a good finishing job. Therefore, choosing the right remodeling or construction company is a must.

Home Kitchen

A Designer Kitchen Backsplash That Fits Your Budget

GENERAL VIEW:

The glass kitchen backsplash is an explicit pattern feature found in almost every modern and designer kitchen. You can choose anything from marble, ceramic tile, glass mosaic, marble mosaic, stainless steel, and you can even go for 24ct. gold plated tiles. Everyone who wants to go for something that can be affordable and within their budget should design their kitchen with a beautiful backsplash pattern. It’s definitely a bit more time consuming, but it’s pretty cheap, and sometimes it’s perfectly free, but it depends on your resources.

HOW TO START?

The first step is to decide on the color of the tile, marble, stone, glass tile or anything else that suits and appeals to you. To get a magnificent work, you will need to calculate the proportion of the material that is used and then use it in the area of ​​one square foot. Almost all full glass backsplashes are available between 16 and 18 inches. So if you have 10 linear feet of full glass backsplash, you can cover an area of ​​about 15 square feet.

The next step is to make a decision on the color of the tile that dominates your choice and your mind that can be used in the splash. For example, you decide to have a beige tile that is 50%, and then you want other color percentages that you want to install. So your hypothetical backsplash will have a 50% beige tile and other colors such as a 20% brown tile, a 15% purple tile, a 10% biscuit tile, and a highlighted gold tile. 5 %.

Now you need to apply all the color tile percentages to a one square foot area and add the waste component. This way, you will be able to know the square footage you will need to install the separate color tiles.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO INSTALL THEM?

When you’re ready to use the tiles and almost done, you’ll need an all-purpose putty, a pair of tile tongs, a grout trowel, and your chosen color of grout. Don’t feel so confused because you can easily buy all of these items at any local store or store for just $25.00 or less or you can get it from any of your neighbors who have done it before.

OK LET’S START:

This is full of entertainment and fun because you have to break the tiles. It is recommended to wear gloves and some eye protection to avoid any accident of getting any sharp piece of tile into the eyes or serious injury. You can easily break the tiles with a hammer, wood or just place the tile on top of a pencil and then just press down from both sides and the tile will break. You can make adjustments with the tile clamps.

Now putty a smaller area of ​​the wall once at a time and start gluing the tile pieces with proper knowledge of the ratio of different tiles you are using. Keep the caulk as is without touching it for approximately 24 hours after the installation is complete. You will admire the design and appearance of your kitchen….

Home Kitchen

DeLonghi AS1870B Rotisserie Convection Oven

I’ve heard nightmarish stories about buying convection ovens. The nightmares included problems with the unit’s heat, size, and appearance. So I did a lot of research before settling on this unit. After quality and price, some of the biggest concerns I had were the height and appearance of the oven. I was looking for something a bit more retro and streamlined. I have had my DeLonghi oven for three months now and am absolutely satisfied with it. It looks amazing with black and chrome accents AND fits with plenty of room between my counter space and the cabinet above.

I use my DeLonghi mainly to cook rotisserie chicken, and it does an excellent job! My whole family loves the way the inside of the bird stays juicy and moist while the outside browns evenly. I just tie the bird up and put it on the spit, set the timer and come back when it’s done. Cleanup is also pretty easy as I just line the crumb tray with aluminum foil and throw it away when the cooking is done! I can always throw some veggies in foil and cook them with the chicken, so the total time I spend preparing the meal is usually less than ten minutes…that means a lot to me!

Another one of my concerns was how hot the outside of the oven gets during cooking. All the reviews I read about different countertop ovens said that heat was a big problem. Since I don’t keep it near anything that can be damaged by heat, that hasn’t been a huge problem for me. But even though the unit gets warm to the touch, it definitely doesn’t heat up the kitchen when I use it. That makes it so much nicer to use than my big oven, which makes cooking pretty cumbersome, especially during the summer. Also, with my children around, I feel more secure.

I have also used it to bake mini loaves of bread, steam vegetables, cook personal size pizzas, and have even made homemade jalapenos with it! It works much better than my larger oven for preparing snacks and small meals. The only negative I can say about this oven is that they say it will cook up to a 12lb bird, the largest I have been able to fit that will rotate properly on the rotisserie was an 8lb. It could fit a larger bird, but it would have to be broiled, not roasted. I am very pleased with this oven and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great looking unit that has a broiler, convection, and fairly small counter space.

Home Kitchen

Knife blades and dangerous edges, the poison arrows of Feng Shui

Do rough corners hurt you?

Rough edges are a feng shui trouble spot. Many times these edges are easy to miss and can be hidden. Sharp edges and corners can come from doors, square columns, shelves, cabinets, even furniture arrangements.

In feng shui, strong, rough edges are similar to the blades of a knife, and their energy should be treated that way. However, some edges are worse than others. Rear-facing edges, such as those on shelves behind a desk, or at the neck, on shelves on a wall, or on open cabinets, are considered especially dangerous.

Look around your home and office to see if there are any knife edges pointing to any place of importance, such as your bed, your desk, your dining table, or anywhere you spend a lot of time. Then consider whether it’s worth the risk of exposing yourself to these rough edges. Most of the time, through a simple rearrangement, you can keep the shelf or cabinet without having to get rid of it.

Protective feng shui is one of the first steps to take when looking to improve the feng shui of a home or office. Protecting yourself from rough edge hazards should be on your checklist so no one is left unprotected or exposed. Read the tips below for more ideas on how to handle damaging edges.

1. Never place shelves overhead.

These types of shelves can put pressure on the head. If they are simple boards, the sharp edges of the boards can be harmful. Placed on a desk or against a wall, a sharp edge above your head will make it difficult to think clearly or make good decisions due to the pressure being exerted. Remove them and put them somewhere else.

2. Beware of raised or tray ceilings.

These are very popular in home construction now. If you have one of these on your head while you sleep, you may feel pressured, have a headache, or have trouble sleeping. You could even have financial difficulties. Try moving the bed away from this edge, or create a canopy that covers the edge with fabric.

3. Be careful with the shelves.

Bookshelves should never be directly in front of or behind you. This can cause confrontation and backstabbing, especially if these shelves are at work. Move the shelves so that they are not in line with your body. This is especially important at work or while you sleep.

4. Avoid bookcase headboards.

These have a LOT of sharp edges and are not good for you. In addition to fuzzy thinking, you could also suffer from head ailments ranging from sinus problems to poor vision and headaches.

5. Notice the L-shaped arrangements.

These types of arrangements create the effect of “knife” or “axe”. The long side is the “blade of the knife.” Where do you see these? In L-shaped desk arrangements where the long blade of the knife is usually your desk! Separate the furniture. Do the same with the sofa arrangements as well.

6. The square columns have rough edges.

Hang a 6-rod hollow wind chime in front of the column to raise the energy, or place a vine at the bottom to grow around the column, or place a tall plant, curtain, or screen of some sort in front of the column. column. These columns are very dangerous if they are aimed at your table, your bed and, what is worse, at the door of your house.

7. Wall shelves create knife blades.

Wall shelves, especially neck-high ones, act like sash. Make sure they are covered and not up to your head or neck, especially if they are located somewhere you work or stand a lot (for example, next to a stove or sink). Head blades can cause very serious losses.

Home Kitchen

Deciding on tables for home and office

Tables come in all shapes and sizes. In addition, they are suitable for specific needs and can be used to design various niches and blank walls throughout the house. Each table comes with a unique skill set and style.

Here are some given below:

  1. rectangular: A classic table style suitable for the cafe, rectangular tables fit perfectly with sofas that are larger than life. Dining tables are the most popular in rectangular formats
  2. Square: Square tables have effortless style and are a great complement to compact sofas and sectionals. Ottomans combine as square tables and are very popular with sectionals. Square tables are also popular options in smaller gathering avenues and in offices.
  3. round: With a modern design, these tables fit perfectly into contemporary homes. Round coffee tables are also a great solution for smaller living rooms, as they take up less space. Round tables are very popular for conferences.
  4. oval: An alternative to round tables, oval tables tend to be longer and fit well in larger living rooms.

No matter what your furniture style is, choose from a wide variety of tabletop options. Have a mix of classic coffee and end table styles, as well as some contemporary designs. Space-saving options are available in the form of nesting tables that come in sets of two and three. Of the previous formats, the tables are designed to adapt to each space in your life according to your requirements. The dining tables adapt to rectangular, square or circular formats to suit your needs and space. Living room spaces accommodate square, oval, circular, and rectangular tables that are used to accent or highlight sofas or alcoves. Small format square and rectangular tables are used to highlight the beds for a complete bedroom look.

Office is a whole different ballgame. Office tabular formats are segregated by area and designation with some additional personalization and personalization entries. Most of the tables used by most of the people in the office are made up of square or rectangular formats with functional areas assigned to each section of the table. Round and U-shaped desks along with rectangular desks are popular choices for office conferences. Corner offices and senior management quarters are intended for large format desks that are typically rectangular or L-shaped. These come with many accessories and features for a complete desk solution for everyone.

Usage is another important factor in selecting the right table for you. Some tables are designed purely for coffee and conversation, while others are used as display pieces or added to break up the monotony of the design. Oval tables are used as statement pieces and to keep magazines and papers close at hand. Square and rectangular tables are placed in corners or niches to add cozy corners to your spaces. Dining tables come in various formats to suit your needs, of which an island dining set is the most popular when placed close to the kitchen.

A table eventually is much more than a table.