Home improvement

If you’re like most people you may be having the urge to change things a bit in your home but have no idea where to begin. Remodeling and home improvements are exciting endeavors to consider. It is a time when your imagination can run wild and you get tap into your more creative side. Don’t worry about whether or not your new space will earn a spot in the latest home improvement magazine. Sometimes we feel like we have to make our home like a museum for it to be beautiful. Not so. Just relax and create a space that it truly comfortable for you and your family.

Everybody sees home improvement ideas on TV shoes, in magazines, in hardware stores and on the Internet. The internet is nice because you have access to it more easily and can really take a thorough look at things like kitchen remodeling pictures, before and after photos, bathroom remodels, room additions, and much more. You can even find a full kitchen layout or detailed remodel plans for various rooms on the web. You may find some that you could use as a template or as inspiration. However, if you need firm design plans it is best to consult a professional contractor or designer to make sure you get what you think you are getting.

The easiest place to begin with is the budget. This dictates many things. At the same time, you need to know which rooms need the most love and attention. Some may just need a simple new look that can be achieved with a coat of paint and new window treatments. Others may need some serious upgrading. Decide on priorities and budgetary constraints. If you happened to have purchased a fixer-upper or your home is older, you may want to look into home improvement financing. This can help you with the costs. It is important to weigh out how much you are spending on the renovations with the overall value it will add to the house. Look at how much you bought the house for, how much it is worth now, and how much the renovations will add to the value. This should help in determining your overall budget.

Once finances are squared away, you may want to start price comparing. Price comparing can refer to quotes from contractors or to finding out how much granite countertops will cost compared to quartz. It also involves finding the most economical but quality supplier of the items you will need. Generally, for bigger jobs you want to let the contractor take care of that. Your job will be to check the references of the contractor and to get quotes from several. If you do that, you will have to have a general idea of what kinds of things you would like to see happen to your space and what features or finishings you want. Things like hardwood or carpet will greatly influence the quote you get.

This doesn’t have to be a scary experience. Just take your time, walk carefully, and move wisely. You will be so thrilled with the end results. Everyone loves a home improvement.

By: Alice Lane

Happy New Year!

I hope you enjoyed the holidays and had some quality rest and relaxation. I know I did. I also spent some time contemplating my new year resolutions. My wife would probably classify the effort as more like planning my new year home projects, and she is probably more accurate, but no matter. Planning and setting goals are always a good thing to do at the start of a new year, regardless of what they are.

On the top of my list of new year resolutions (a.k.a. home improvement projects) is re-shingling the roof. It is followed by re-siding the home with vinyl siding. I am still contemplating this idea, as I have never been a big fan of vinyl, but after years of painting I am getting more wetted to the idea of vinyl. This may be the year I break down.

Third on my new years resolution list is replacing a couple of all wood windows with vinyl clad windows. I did this on a number of other windows on my home already, and have been thrilled
with the look and performance of them.

In addition to my top three resolutions, I have a number of other items that I am also still contemplating for 2006. They include: installing a Hot Tub, re-surfacing a deck, and landscaping.

Over the next week I will sharpen my pencil and cost out each of the “resolutions” and try to maximize the resolutions with the allowed budget. A must task for every home improvement Do-It-Yourselfer.

I know 2006 is already shaping up to be an exciting year in our home. I hope it is the same for you.

By: Mark Donovan

While it most often refers to building projects that alter the structure of an existing home, home renovation can include improvements to lawns and gardens and outbuildings like gazebos and garages.

Home improvement projects generally have one or more of the following goals:

Beautification and added features

* Wallpapering and painting walls or installing wood paneling.

* Adding new flooring such as carpets, tiling, linoleum, wood flooring, or solid hardwood flooring.

* Upgrading cabinets, fixtures, and sinks in the kitchen and bathroom.

* Replacing siding and windows

* Improving the backyard with sliding doors, wooden patio decks, patio gardens, jacuzzis, swimming pools, and fencing.

Comfort

* Upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC)

* Increasing the capacity of plumbing and electrical systems.

* Waterproofing basements.

* Soundproofing rooms, especially bedrooms and baths.

Maintenance and repair

Maintenance projects can include:

* Roof tear-off and replacement.

* Concrete and masonry repairs to the foundation and chimney.

* Repairing plumbing and electrical systems.

Additional space

Additional living space may be added by:

* Turning marginal areas into livable spaces such as turning basements into recrooms or attics into spare bedrooms.

* Extending one’s house with rooms added to the side of one’s home or, sometimes, extra levels to the original roof.

A residential area is a type of land use where the predominant use is housing. In areas that are zoned residential, buildings may include single family housing, multiple family housing such as (apartments, duplexes, townhomes (or similar configurations), condominiums) or mobile homes. Zoning for residential use may permit some services or work opportunities or may totally exclude business and industry.

It may permit high density land use or only permit low density uses. Residential zoning usually includes a smaller FAR (floor to area ratio) than business, commercial or industrial/manufacturing zoning.

In certain places there is a lot of partying situations residential areas may consist of quite large tracts of land which have no services whatsoever requiring a trip to town in order to fulfill basic needs. Because of the large distances involved most of these numerous trips involve using a motor vehicle.

In the case of a land development the pattern of development is usually set forth in the restrictive covenants contained in the deeds to the properties in the development, but may also result from or be reinforced by zoning. Restrictive covenants are not easily changed as the agreement of all property owners (many of whom may not live in the area) may need to be obtained to effect a change

By: Virgilio Vallecera

Just as a home improvement project can be very beneficial, it can also cause as much disaster when not done right.?Year after year, the number of New York homeowners jumping into the home remodeling and improvement bandwagon is getting larger and larger. ?A percentage of this population fails miserably in one way or another.?To avoid becoming one among this number, here are the 5 most common home improvement mistakes to avoid ideal whether you are in Manhattan, Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, or Staten Island.

Not Checking with the Community

Before even creating your home improvement plan, it is a must to check your property’s local zoning codes.?Not doing so could lead to ugly legal bouts, and not knowing is never an excuse with the law.?Contact the City Hall and inquire about the requirements to acquire permits for your project.?Some homeowner associations might also have their set of imposed design specifications.?And certain home improvements are restricted if your home is located within a historic neighborhood.

Failing to Plan… Properly

With the lot of warning homeowners are getting, those undertaking home improvement projects have already taken action.?Many now prepare a game plan before actually tackling just any project.?But the question is, have you drafted your plan well enough to ensure project success??A well-detailed plan is one of your keys to a beautiful as well as functional result.?And any area overlooked in the plan could create the greatest of disturbance in the progress of the project or worse – failure and a waste of time, effort, and money.???

Not Accepting Your Limitations

When weighing the skill set that you posses, pushing your limits can not only lead to backbreaking tasks that results to wasted time and effort.?What you think saved you some dollars by doing yourself might end you up with more bank-breaking bills.?Yes picking up a paint brush can be a breeze but with projects that require larger tools and more intricate knowledge, better hand the home improvements to qualified contractors.?With your experience in project management and time available, carefully consider whether you’ll need a part-time supervisor or a general contractor.?Do your home and your pocket book a favor and don’t risk it.

Hiring the Wrong Contractors

As craftsmanship is what makes up high quality results that stand the tests of time, who you hire is among the most important decisions you have to get to in the life of your project.?Hire a qualified contractor through considering: proper and valid license, BBB membership, unresolved complaints filed, applicable liability insurance coverage, professional background and references.?To hire the home improvement contractor to give the best value for your money, get multiple bids before making the big decision.??

Not Doing Your Part

Being a homeowner means that you still shoulder the greatest accountability, and take note, this is the case even if you have hired a general contractor.?Every so often, you still have to check on your hired home improvement contractors and subcontractors and the work that they are doing.?Keep complete records of important project documents and have easy access to them for quick reference in case of confusions and arising issues.?Leave the lines of communication open to resolve problems in its earliest stage enabling immediate resolution that is within budget.?And provide a good and comfortable working environment for your workers.

By: Eugene R. Makeev

With the overwhelming rash of repair work that will be needed to take care of the damage caused by one of the worst winters on record, many people will be looking for contractors to do work on their homes. But who should they hire? Will hiring a contractor registered under the state’s recently enacted Pennsylvania Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act allow them to move forward with confidence?

Pennsylvania begins its first full year with this new law that requires contractors who conduct any sort of home improvement to register with the Bureau of Consumer Protection, which is part of the Attorney General’s Office. However, the question is how much does this new law really protect you, the consumer? Unfortunately, there are many homeowners who thought that being registered meant that the state had approved these contractors and the quality of the work they do. Many of these homeowners have since found out that is not the case.

While the law represents a first step in the right direction, consumers should not allow it to give them a false sense of security. Smart consumers still need to do their homework in order to protect themselves. A quick look at what the law does and does not do will tell you why.

For years, it has been said that “all you need to be a contractor in Pennsylvania is a hammer and a pick-up truck.” Perhaps that has been one of the reasons that the majority of Pennsylvanians are not pleased with the quality of the work done on their homes. A national survey found that fifty percent of people would not recommend their contractor to another person. In Pennsylvania, the odds are even worse because, until now, there was no registration, licensing or certification process.

Many states have licensing and certification requirements for contractors. Most require the contractor to take some kind of written or physical test. Some require a contractor to be bonded with the state. Until last July, Pennsylvania was one of the few that did not require anything. At least now, Pennsylvania requires a contractor to be registered. What does registration mean, who needs to be registered, and how does the registration system ensure accountability? Can a registered contractor be trusted to treat you, your home and your property with the respect and care you expect and deserve?

Under the new law, essentially all improvements to your home and property must be done by a registered contractor. With the exception of landscapers, anyone making more than $5,000 a year doing construction, installation, or work dealing with non-decorative structures, must be registered with the state.

To register with the state, a contractor must provide his name, address, phone number, date of birth, driver’s license number, and the address, name, and description of his business. He must also provide the names of all his business partners. The State also requires a statement on whether the individual applying has ever been convicted of a criminal offense related to home improvement, fraud, theft, or a crime of deception.

Registration costs a contractor $50 every two years. In return, the state provides a unique contractor ID number. This number must appear in all written material and advertisements that carry the name of the business. Most importantly, the number must appear on all contracts the company prints. If you are considering a contractor who does not display his number, there is a real possibility that he is not, in fact, registered with the state of Pennsylvania.

To prove reliability, a contractor must state whether or not he has filed for bankruptcy, or was decided against in court for a home improvement complaint within the past ten years, and whether or not he has ever been suspended or debarred from participating in any Federal, State, local, or not-for-profit program.

Lastly, a contractor must provide proof that he possesses a $50,000 liability insurance to cover any damage to the home he is working on or any personal injury to the homeowner. Although it is required by Pennsylvania employment law, a contractor does not have to prove that he has Workman’s Compensation insurance to cover his people who might get injured while working on your home.

One critical side note about contractor insurance: make sure your contractor has it. Do not risk simply taking the contractor’s word on this. A reliable contractor needs proper and adequate insurance coverage to protect you. While $50,000 of liability insurance may seem like a lot, it is only a drop in the bucket compared to the value of most homes. If the contractor accidently burns your home down, the maximum you’ll get, assuming there are no other claims against him is $50,000. A reputable contractor will have at least one million dollars worth of liability insurance to protect homeowners.

Workman’s Compensation insurance covers any employee of the contractor who happens to get injured while working on your home. The contractor does not need to have this insurance on himself, but he must have it on anyone who works for him. Consequently, every person who is working on your property must be covered by Workman’s Compensation insurance or have their own individual Liability insurance policy and State registration number. If they do not and they get injured, you, the homeowner, could be liable for their injuries. Additionally, most Homeowners’ insurance policies exclude contractor caused damage or injury from their coverage. Because they cannot assess the risk associated with the contractor you hire, they rely on you to determine whether or not your contractor is adequately insured.

The law provides for an internet-accessible database which lets you know if a contractor is registered and if he has any kind of criminal background. That is it! The database does not provide any assessment of the reliability of the contractors. There is no way to tell if a contractor has left behind a string of unsatisfied customers and shoddy workmanship. Being registered is no assurance of quality, professionalism or honesty! Anyone can register today as a contractor with absolutely no training or experience. On the state’s database, there is no difference between that person and an established, reputable company. So don’t expect the state to protect you. It is still up to you to protect yourself.

The laws defining home improvement fraud are equally weak. Essentially, fraud is committed when a contractor misrepresents the real cost of a job, fails to do the work he is paid to do, or deviates from the written and signed contract’s plans, specifications and costs without a written change order. When a contractor misrepresents his skills or does a hackneyed job, he does not violate the definition of home-improvement fraud outlined in the law.

The problem with many home improvements and repairs is you can’t see the end result until the work is done. In most cases, at that point it is too late to get any remedy without a lot of time and aggravation. A smart consumer spends the time upfront to make sure they have a reliable, qualified contractor.

In summary, while the new HICPA law is a step in the right direction, it is not the type of law that is going to cure the ills caused by incompetent contractors. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security that it does; that responsibility still lies with you, the homeowner. To get the kind of job you need, want and expect, you must take control. Do your homework, educate yourself, understand your options, and check out references. As with any major investment, it always makes sense to be a smart consumer.

By: Drew Barto