July 12th – How Much To Spend on Your Kitchen Remodel
July 18th – Kitchen Remodeling Ideas
July 25th – Is your bathroom dull and boring?
August 1st – Kitchen remodeling floor plan is the most desirable home improvement
August 9th – Steps Involved in a Kitchen Remodel
August 16th – Home Remodeling Ideas To Update Your House
August 22nd – DIY or Professional?
September 6th – Smart Home Improvement: Kitchen Remodeling on a Budget
Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Articles of the Week – July 12th
How Much To Spend on Your Kitchen Remodel
A kitchen remodel can be quite the undertaking. You may only be updating a few things – the cabinets and countertops perhaps – or taking on the entire room floor to ceiling. Either way, you’ll no doubt agree it’s a time investment. But it can also be a colossal money investment, especially if you don’t plan before you start knocking down walls. Budgeting in general is not always easy, and remodels have a way of running over budget. But with a little planning and priority setting, you can effectively budget for your renovation. Home remodeling is a long-term investment. www.homesecurityteam.com provides around-the-clock home monitoring to help you protect your property.
How Much To Spend on Your Remodel – First, you need to know how much you have to spend on the remodel. You can find a helpful budget worksheet on The National Association of the Remodelling Industry’s website. Some questions to ask include: How long do I plan living in this house? What debts do I have? What is my gross monthly income? It’s especially important to look at how long you intend to live in your house. That will largely determine what you put into your remodel. Having the overall number that you have to work with will help you move on to choosing what to remodel.
Where Should You Spend Your Remodelling Budget? – Now that you know how much you can spend, what do you spend it on? If you’re giving your kitchen a minor makeover, like adding a sophisticated countertop (like granite), a new paint job, and new appliances, you won’t have much to consider. If, however, you plan on gutting it and starting over, balancing your money will be more complicated. So unless you have unlimited funds, this means some picking and choosing is in order. One way to know where your money should go is to decide what means the most to you. Do you have your heart set on all granite countertops or stainless steel appliances? Then maybe that’s what you should focus on, compromising or scaling down on other features like intricate crown mouldings. Think about the things that are more permanent (cabinets and tile) that you won’t be replacing soon, if ever. It may be worth investing a little more in those things. Some recommend budgeting about one-third for labour costs. Of course, you may be able to save some money in this department by enlisting the skills of family and friends – or even yourself. By doing some of the labour on your own, even just the demolition (removing old countertops, for instance), you may save money you can put toward other features of your kitchen. Always leave a financial pillow. Even with excellent planning, you may experience the unexpected. Especially with older homes, problems may arise during demolition, or you may have to make changes in what you plan to buy. Whatever may turn up, leave enough space in your budget to handle unexpected payouts.
So when planning your budget for your future kitchen remodel:
– Decide how much you have to spend on the renovation.
– Choose what you should invest the most in and scale back on secondary features.
– Save a little money by handling demolition yourself and recruiting family and friends to help with labor.
– Budget for unexpected changes in your renovation plans.
– A little budget planning will go a long way toward a smoother kitchen remodel.
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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Articles of the Week – July 18th
Kitchen Remodeling Ideas
Some people dream of sugar plums dancing in their head; some dream of myriads of flowers blowing in the wind, and others dream of completely renovating their kitchens. Does that sound weird? Anyway, all of the real cooks in the world would rather cook the sugar plums, use the flowers for decorations for their table, and have a kitchen that only appears in their wildest fantasies.
Since the beginning of time, the kitchen has been the center of the home. The kitchen provided warmth, food, and fellowship. Even in the tiniest hut, the kitchen is still everyone’s favorite room. Because the kitchen is the heart of the home, it should also be the best decorated and perfectly equipped room in the house. Unfortunately, most men build houses and have no idea what should really go into a dream kitchen. Women, of course, have input if they are buying a new home, but few if any women really know what they want in their new kitchen until they start cooking and realize what they are missing.
The Food Network had a few episodes about remodeling kitchens. Some of their superstar chefs were paired with homeowners who really needed a kitchen remodeling. I mean these kitchens were a real mess. All of these homeowners wanting their kitchens remodeled submitted video tapes which were judged. For instance, Paula Deen was paired with a couple who had a kitchen remodeling plan that was just a little bit country just like Paula. The completed kitchen remodeling design had elements of a modern kitchen with modern equipment with added touches to add that country look. The finished kitchen remodeling project was incredibly lovely. The kitchen was not the true center of that home. From a kitchen that was almost useless, this kitchen was now both useful and gorgeous.
If you are like most people and you don’t have a Food Network Superstar designing your kitchen, you should first do your homework. You might start with watching some of the Food Network shows. I am, among other things, a Food Network junkie. I love, love, love to watch cooking shows. Anyway, look at the kitchens used in the shows. Paula Deen’s cooking show is now filmed in her own kitchen in her new house. She created a kitchen that, not only fulfilled her needs as a Food Network cook, but her needs as a home cook as well. She has a built in deep fryer, an inside grill, and many other goodies we ordinary kitchen owners can only dream about.
There are many magazines dedicated to house design and kitchen remodeling. The Home and Garden show also helps people with their kitchen remodeling ideas. Of course, unless you are incredibly wealthy, you have to figure in your kitchen remodeling cost budget. You have to create a wish list for your kitchen remodeling dreams. You might have to do your kitchen remodeling piece by piece. Draw your dream kitchen, your kitchen remodeling floor plan, and write your kitchen remodeling plan. Then you can decide what changes you can make and what kitchen remodeling ideas you can begin with.
If you like a retro look, you might want to check out antique shops for your kitchen remodeling ideas. There are many stores that completely refinish old kitchen equipment so that you have some actual antique stoves, fridges, and other kitchen appliances. Of course, for people who like a more modern look, most any store will have what you want for your kitchen remodeling ideas.
If you have a small house, you can still remodel your kitchen. Focus on planning your kitchen remodeling ideas to fit your small kitchen needs. You might even want to buy smaller appliances to give you more room for kitchen cabinet remodeling. Most builders do not configure kitchen cabinets the same way a good cook would. For instance, why do they build kitchen cabinets so high? Most women never use the top cabinets for anything but items they never use. These top cabinets are wasted unless the cook is seven feet tall. When you do your kitchen remodeling, plan your cabinets to make them useful.
Unless you never cook, you probably walk into your kitchen every day and see what you would like to change. Change is possible if you create a kitchen remodeling plan, create a kitchen remodeling cost structure, and dream big. Make your kitchen inviting and a reflection of your personality.
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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Articles of the Week – July 25th
Is your bathroom dull and boring?
Do you get excited to wake up and go ahead there, or do you fall in with eyes half sealed and go through the motions?
Your bathrooms is a sanctuary, but for many, this room just dreary and in need of a makeover. If you are less then enthused when you enter your bathroom, then it might be time to start coming up with some bathroom remodeling tips.
When it comes to bathroom remodeling ideas, there are many homeowners who second guess themselves. If you are in that position, it is advised that you take the time to familiarize yourself with some of the most common indicators that your bathroom remodeling ideas make sense. If any of the symptoms, which will be mentioned below, seem alto familiar then it may be occasion that you start thinking about remodeling your bathrooms.
One of the most obvious signs that you need to remodel your bathroom was mentioned above. That sign is unhappiness. Whether you are unhappy with the overall appearance of your home or just the bathroom, applying some of your bathroom remodeling concepts may be able to offer you assistance. If you undertake make the decision to remodel your bathrooms, you will find that you have a number of different options. You could easily remodel a small portion of your bathroom, such as your bathrooms toilet or sink, however you could also change everything close to. In fact, the choices that you will have are only one of the many benefits to remodeling your bathroom; you have the complete freedom for you to implement what ever bathroom remodeling concepts you may have.
In addition to just not liking the way that your bathroom looks, there’s also a chance that it may be dangerous or in poor condition. Whether or not you have developed a mould problem or if your bathroom is actually falling apart, you may not only want to think about remodeling your bathroom, but you may actually need to. Since bathroom is often considered one of the most used rooms in a home, there is a good chance that you, as well as other people who lives in your home, uses it multiple times a day. Reduce bathroom floor tiles, mildew, and other bathroom problems are unable to only look unattractive, but they can also be dangerous. Therefore, if your bathroom can be considered unsafe, you might think about having your bathroom renovated.
Another driver of making your bathroom remodeling ideas a reality can be if you are looking to sell your home. Within almost all cases, implementing your bathroom remodeling ideas project increase the overall value of a home, particularly bathroom was previously in bad condition. Although you are not needed to remodel your bathroom before you sell this, it may be a good idea. For more information on whether or not a bathroom remodeling ideas project can easily increase the profits that you will see when selling your home, you may want to speak to a real estate agent. You will find in which in some cases it is worth it to remodel your bathroom before marketing, but others times it’s not.
Once you realize that you are serious regarding implementing your bathroom remodeling concepts project, you may want to invest in a few off the shelf bathroom design software. Most bathroom design software applications are inexpensive and will assist by producing a professional list of bathroom remodeling plans which you can give a loan officer should you decide to finance the project. Most bathroom design computer software also will generate and accurate list of bathroom remodeling costs. One closing advantage of equipping yourself using bathroom design software is that most come with a lot of bathroom remodeling pictures which could help you decide the particulars of your project.
The above mentioned bathroom remodeling signs are just a few of the many that occur. In all honestly, it does not really matter whether you need to complete your bathroom remodeling ideas or not, all that matters is if you want to. If you wish to make your bathroom remodeling ideas a reality, go right ahead; there are a fairly large number of advantages to doing so.
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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Articles of the Week – August 1st
Kitchen remodeling floor plan is the most desirable home improvement
Probably the most important aspect of a kitchen remodel is choosing the floor plan. Kitchen remodeling is one of the most desirable home improvement projects for many homeowners. A new kitchen increases the value of your home and makes your life easier. The first step to your new kitchen is to set a budget.
Decide which features you must have in your new kitchen. You can cut corners in other areas by substituting less expensive materials for the counter tops, flooring or cabinet doors. The floor plan in a kitchen consists mainly of the cabinets and island and perhaps a separate eat in area. There’s basically 5 different “shapes” in which you can configure your cabinets. Before you start planning your remodeling project, just do some research on the current trends and designs being used to remodel the kitchen.
Cabinets along One Wall
Using wall cabinets on both sides can make the room feel cramped, so consider replacing with open shelving. This could be practical if you have a long narrow kitchen. This is the least functional type of kitchen. If you have to have this type of plan, make sure the sink is in the center with the oven and fridge close by so the cook can easily prepare the food. Also make sure you have enough counter space between appliances a common mistake is to put only 8″ to a foot between appliances and layout is not conducive to family gatherings in the kitchen unless you have a larger area where you can put a table and chairs.
Galley Kitchen
This style of kitchen is often seen in apartments and smaller homes and offers an efficient use of space, making it the choice of many professional chefs. A layout with two rows of units allows room for lots of preparation space, and moving between activities areas can be as easy as simply turning around and consists of a somewhat narrow kitchen with cabinets along 2 opposing walls. The most efficient use of small space, the Corridor Kitchen allows for convenient access to the cabinets and appliances on both walls. Allow for the corridor to be at least 48″ wide. Closing one end off will cut down on traffic, but it does not leave any room for family or friends to join in the fun.
L Shaped Kitchen
An L shaped cabinet arrangement can make good use of space and be a lot easier to work in. The work triangle joins two key areas on one side of the L, with the third on the other side. The sink, cooker and fridge can be in any order, although putting the sink and cooker on opposite sides of the L works well, as you’ll have worktop space around them. The L-Shaped kitchen provides a work area largely unbroken by traffic. One of the most common kitchen designs, it provides excellent flexibility in the placement of major appliances.
U Shaped Kitchen
A U shaped kitchen requires plenty of space 8 feet by 8 feet at the bare minimum. This layout is only feasible where there are unbroken stretches of wall on three sides of the room, with no door interrupting the U. Units run along the three walls, providing maximum storage and working space. This kitchen offers a great amount of counter space and one area of the “U” may be used to separate the kitchen from the dining area. In a U shaped kitchen, the major appliances (sink, fridge, stove) should each be placed each on one leg of the U.
Islands
The work triangle is created either by you facing a run of sink, cooker and fridge along one wall, or by fitting the sink or cooker into the island.. An island can be incorporated into any of the kitchen floor plans above and can add to the ease of cooking in kitchens that are rather large as you can locate a sink or stove on the island and have it near the other appliances for ease of use in cooking and preparing food. Appliances should be at least 48″ apart (measure from center to center of the appliances). If your kitchen is too small to allow for this, try a portable island that you can move in and out as needed. Islands are great places to have an extra appliance or add an eating counter.
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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Articles of the Week – August 9th
Steps Involved in a Kitchen Remodel
Is it possible to complete a kitchen remodel in less than three months and stay sane? I believe it is. The kitchen is the most functional place in any home. Who wants it to be out of commission any longer than it absolutely needs be? That is why it is so important to be prepared before you begin any home renovation but especially the kitchen. In order to complete a kitchen renovation it is important to consult a professional for help if not to complete the entire project. Some homeowners take on more than they can chew in between family and work obligations and a kitchen remodel is not one of those things that is easily handled.
Professional kitchen remodelers have all the tools and skills needed to finish a kitchen renovation is a short periods of time. They are skilled and prepared to tackle this job and give it one hundred percent of their dedication to ensure that the center piece of gatherings within the home is finished quickly. The steps they follow are the same as if a homeowner were doing it on their own. The major difference is that it is their job and will not be interrupted by life during the renovation of your kitchen.
Step one involves prepping the kitchen for the remodel. This involves removing furniture, appliances, food, dishes and anything else that lives within your kitchen area. Make sure all gas is turned off in the area if that is applicable. After everything is removed from the kitchen it is time to start dismantling the cabinets unless you are going to refinish them. If you are refinishing the cabinets now is the time to unscrew the doors from their hinges and label them so they can be put back in place properly. Make sure to unhook all plumbing fixtures and remove them before any countertops are removed.
The next step involves prepping cabinetry. This is the step in which cabinets are either refinished or removed. If the cabinets are to be refinished the doors will be removed, sanded, and primed for finishing later. The base cabinets can be unscrewed and moved to a storage area while renovations continue in the kitchen area.
Once everything is cleared it is time to paint. In order to paint the surface should be patched, sanded, washed, primed and then painted with two layers. This will improve the look of the paint job. Another thing that should be done during this part of the kitchen remodel is the countertops should be measured and a plan of action should be made to access where the sink will be placed.
The flooring and cabinets can be installed next leaving the final touches in the kitchen remodeling process to be the backsplash and putting appliance back into place for use. If the cabinets are being refinished also that process should be completed while you are working on painting the kitchen. This will ensure proper drying time for the cabinets before items are put back in place.
As this illustrates there are many steps to think about and coordinate before a kitchen remodel. It is probably best to hire a kitchen renovator to do this major home renovation. It takes a great deal of time and energy to complete each phase of the multi-level process of kitchen renovation.
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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Articles of the Week – August 16th
Home Remodeling Ideas To Update Your House
Home remodeling ideas are a dime a dozen. Just ask any home owner and they can usually spout off anywhere from one to five projects at random that they would like to tackle when given the time and available funding. But the real question is not what they are looking for in regards to home remodeling ideas, though inspiration can spark from others suggestions; the real question is what are you looking for.
A place of beauty both outwardly and in. A refuge from the storm that is life. A tangible representation of the wealth and accomplishment they have gained in their professional life. A castle to which they can play king or queen.
Each home owner wants to achieve something a little different in their ideal dream home and so when asked about their home remodeling plans, the answers tend to vary greatly. Have you started considering what aspects you would like to make over first? Let’s consider a few now and get the creative juices flowing on your own home remodeling ideas.
First, there is the housewife that would love nothing better than to have enough room to entertain family and friends while still maintaining that homey air she desires. Sounds like a larger great room and perhaps a separate dining room might be a good match for her. Next we have the entertainment addict.
This personality type needs to have some form of entertainment available to them twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Their love of music and movies is only out weighted by the limits of their budget and yet this is still not a problem. A home remodeling estimate will bring things under control budget wise for them in a hurry while setting those plans for a dedicated entertainment room for the house into action will help give them a place to explore their interests further.
What about the budding cook in the family? Whether merely experimenting with their next creation or settling in to prepare a masterpiece beyond your wildest dreams, for them the kitchen is where it is at. Commercial grade appliances, a combination kitchen island and work station with power and even running water, top of the line cabinets and storage space…all things that work their way right into their home remodeling ideas and with the right planning, well within reach.
From the simplistic to the futuristic, the old fashioned familiarity to modern day wonders, whatever your end goal, home remodeling ideas should be considered in all their various forms. You never know when inspiration may strike you next and with a little planning the wildest and raw ideas can be shaped into something truly memorable. Take a chance. Let your dreams take flight and see just where a little imagination can take you with your next home remodeling ideas. Your dreams reality may just be the work of art you were searching for.
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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Articles of the Week – August 22nd
Kitchen Remodeling: DIY Or Professional?
Are you a homeowner? More importantly, are you a homeowner who would like to have your kitchen remodeled? Whether you are looking for a change or looking to redo a poor quality kitchen, you may seriously be thinking about kitchen remodeling. Once you have officially decided that you would like to have your kitchen remodeled, you will need to decide how that remodeling will occur. When it comes to kitchen remodeling, you can remodel your own kitchen or hire a professional to do it for you.
With kitchen remodeling, one of the most popular remodeling methods is self remodeling. Self remodeling is when a homeowner decides to do their own remodeling themselves, without professional assistance. If you are tying to decide whether or not you should do you own kitchen remodeling, it may be a good idea to examine the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. You will find that there are a number of advantages to doing your own kitchen remodeling, but you will also find that there are a number of disadvantages as well.
One of the most common reasons why homeowners choose to do their own kitchen remodeling is because of the cost. When it comes to hiring a professional contractor, the cost will vary, but it is sometimes quite high. That cost often does not include the cost of supplies and materials; however, if it does you will easily be able to notice because the overall cost will be high. If you are able perform your own kitchen remodeling repairs, you may be able to save yourself a fairly large amount of money. One of the reasons for that is the fact that you only have to pay for your supplies and materials. If you are looking for a low-cost way to remodel your kitchen, self remodeling may be the way to go
In addition to saving money, self remodeling is also preferred by homeowners because it enables them repair or remodel their kitchen anyway that they see fit. If you hire a professional contractor to remodel your kitchen for you, they will be using your ideas and suggestions; however, last minute changes are sometimes frowned upon and they may even cost you money. If you are doing your own kitchen remodeling, you will not have this problem. You can change your mind about any aspect of your remodeling project at anytime, rarely with any consequences.
As previously mentioned, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to doing your own kitchen repairs. Although it is nice to save money and be able to have complete control over your kitchen remodeling project, you will find that it often takes a lot of time to do your own kitchen remodeling. Professional contractors are not only good at what they do, but they are also experienced. That is one of the reasons why they are able to complete most of their jobs in no time at all. If you do not have any home improvement or remodeling experience, the job could take you twice as long, if not longer, to complete. If you are limited on the amount of time that you have available or if you have a deadline, you may find it difficult or impossible to do your own kitchen repairs.
In addition to the time it takes, when deciding whether or not you should do your own remodeling, it is important to consider the damage that can be done. It is no secret that it isn’t always easy to remodel anything, let alone a kitchen. The difficultly will all depend on which areas of your kitchen you plan on remodeling. If you do not have home improvement or remodeling experience, you need to be careful with how you approach the situation. A quality remodeling project is likely to increase the value of your home, but a poor one may reduce the value of it. That is something many homeowners do not realize or even think about it.
As you can see, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to doing your own kitchen remodeling. In addition to the above mentioned factors, it is also important to take the size of your project into consideration. If you are only doing a small project, such as replacing your kitchen sink, it may be a good idea to take the time to familiarize yourself with the process instead of automatically making the decision to pay a professional.
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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Article of the Week – September 6th
Smart Home Improvement: Kitchen Remodeling on a Budget
With kitchens as the new heart of homes, kitchen remodeling is undoubtedly one of the best investments you could undertake. The expense, however, can be the one and great drawback that is often enough to make homeowners stop at their tracks to realizing their dream kitchens. Even if you are on a tight budget, there are still ways to make a success out of the renovation project without cutting corners. Here are top tips for kitchen remodeling on a budget ideal whether you are in Katy, Sugarland, Champions, Rosenberg or The Woodlands.
HGTV and the World Wide Web have opened doors for many homeowners wanting to cutback on labor costs. With countless resources, one can easily learn the ropes of doing a lot of things and this includes home improvement and renovating kitchens. When undertaking a budget kitchen remodeling, it is important that you become creative with your purchases. The first, most important thing, to do is prepare and this means drafting a plan. In your plan, it is crucial that the tasks and additions you enlist into the renovation project will address your primary concerns and that these would make the heart of your home more functional and updated.
All Wood Ready-To-Assemble Cabinets
Ready to assemble cabinetry are one of the best buys that you can get especially if you opt for all-wood construction. Aside from affording your home the exquisite touch of the most popular hardwood species, you are also lending durability to your budget remodeling project and thus getting the most value for every buck spent. The many ways that you can save through all wood RTA include:
- Less contractor fee since even the most inexperienced homeowner can successfully assemble the cabinet units on the first try.
- Flat-packed, you can enjoy low-cost shipping as well as faster delivery.
- Online store discounts.
- Not needing to replace all wood RTA cabinets soon.
Stainless Steel Sinks
Another trendy and at the same time functional addition that you can implement in your renovation project is replacing your scratched, stained or pitted sink with any of your luxurious choices of stainless steel sinks. Stainless steel sinks are fabulous in modern kitchens and can still work gorgeously when added into a classic or traditional design. Depending on your needs and preferred style, you can choose from various shapes, depth and sizes, as well as top mount or under-mount or single or double sinks.
Other Low Cost Ideas
Other low cost ideas that you can consider in your budget kitchen remodeling that can bring great impact to the overall look, feel and functionality of your kitchens include:
- Replacing lighting and plumbing fixtures
- Interior painting or wallpapering
- Adding tile backsplash
- Decorate to give the room more character. Accent ideas for your budget kitchen remodeling include draperies or curtains, rugs, attractive food containers or jars, etc.
