However, forfeiting some renovation projects and important repairs might not be the smartest choice. That outdated HVAC system, the old windows, and cold basement might be costing you big bucks. The next rainstorm may flood your basement. In other words, the money you’re trying to save in repairs might be being spent instead in utility bills or depleted in bigger repairs later on due to the lack of proper preventive measures.
Even in tough times, there are some improvements that actually pay off, lowering your energy consumption, preserving or increasing the property value, and giving you much-needed peace of mind.
Below is a list of the five of the most cost-effective home improvements and the best investments you can ever make in your home.

Basement Finishing
Finishing your basement will do more that just add living space to your home. It will actually pay you back and eventually, even prove itself profitable! To sweeten the deal, it can be done at half the cost of building an addition.

Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report lists basement finishing as one of the few investments in which you will be recovering most of your money right away in added property value. You can recover an average of 75% of the cost if you sell the property immediately.

However, the most significant benefit of a finished basement is the ability to improve the home’s energy efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that an average 1,500 square-foot home that has a finished basement with R-10 insulation, and is heated by natural gas (at $0.72/therm) can save anywhere between $200 to $400 a year.

Add to that the fact that, even considering ups and downs in the housing market, the U.S. Census Bureau shows home prices tend to increase in average 251.69% every 20 years interval. Therefore, in 20 years, the added value to your property will not only fully cover the remodeling costs; it will prove profitable!

Crawl Space Encapsulation
That moldy, filthy, rotten crawl space is more than just unsightly and unpleasant. It’s a black hole in which not only your money disappears, but also your home’s value, structural integrity, indoor air quality, and your family’s health.

Because of the way the air moves inside buildings, everything that goes on in the crawl space has significant impact on how structurally sound, comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient your home is.

As the air in the house is heated, it rises and escapes through any openings in the upper floors. To replenish the air supply, new air is sucked from the lower levels, mainly from your basement or crawl space. That is called the “stack-effect” and because of it, everything that is in that filthy crawl space air, including mold spores and dust mites, is consistently entering your home.

It is estimated that 1/3 of the air you breathe inside the home is crawl space air. In addition, the typical crawl space moisture that is also being carried in with the air makes your home harder to cool and heat. During the winter, cold air is also sucked in through the floor. If air ducts run through the crawl space, energy losses can amount to as high as 50% – half of the money you pay in to heat and cool your home is literally wasted.

Crawl space encapsulation is a relatively inexpensive new technology that can control moisture and prevent moisture-related problems in this space. It protects your floor joists and wooden structures from mold and rot, and keep dust mites and other moisture loving pests at bay. Furthermore, according to studies conducted by Advanced Energy and Habitat for Humanity, sealing and conditioning a crawl space can make your home an average of 18% more energy efficient.

Battery Operated Backup Sump Pump
Say that you have a very good drainage system and a quality sump pump, which is well maintained and in great condition. Nevertheless, one morning, after a big storm, you wake up to a flooded basement and thousand of dollars in damaged property. The storm knocked down the power, and with it, the sump pump was rendered useless.

There is no way to fully protect your basement from flooding without a backup sump pump system, preferably one that does not run on electricity or depend on a generator.
During a long-lasting power outage, you will want the generator to spend its energy keeping your refrigerator, appliances and lights running.

A battery-operated backup sump pump is, in that case, your best option. If you have a finished basement, or you store anything of value in your basement, a battery-operated backup pump is a must. It saves you a lot of money and lets you sleep better, knowing that your basement is protected.

Replacement Windows
Replacing your old, obsolete windows with new Energy Star rated windows can help save a lot of money in energy bills.
According to the Alliance to Save Energy, a non-profit coalition of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders, installing energy-efficient replacement windows can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to 30 percent! New double-hung, wood-clad windows with double-pane low-E glass, can reduce drastically your heating and cooling costs, besides improving significantly the looks of your home and adding value to the property.

HVAC Upgrades
Replacing obsolete furnaces, which usually operate at only 60 percent efficiency or worse for a new, high-efficiency two-stage unit, that rates at least 90% efficiency, can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

Likewise, replacing your old A/C system with a new unit that achieves a minimum of 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) can save you big bucks in cooling costs during summer. In addition, most new models use non-ozone-depleting refrigerants, making them more environmentally-friendly than older units.

In addition to all the benefits, some of these improvements, such as basement insulation and HVAC upgrades, may qualify for loans, grants and tax incentives under different local, state, and federal government energy efficiency programs.

In conclusion, a good assessment of your home’s overall condition is fundamental in times like these. You can’t afford to let your property, which is probably your most valuable asset, lose value. Sometimes, the best way to save money is to invest in technologies and repairs that will keep you from wasting it.

The Sky’s the Limit

If money isn’t an option for you, the possibilities for bathroom remodeling are endless. There are a number of new products and systems designed to make your bathroom feel like a personal spa. A Bathroom Guide recommends products like towel warmers and heated bathroom tiles to keep your bathroom feeling warm, comfortable and cozy.

Investing in a multi-jet shower system can turn your regular morning shower into a much more luxurious experience. A professional bathroom remodeling contractor can create a shower system for you with jets installed above you and all around you. Steam showers are a great finishing touch for your spa-inspired bathroom and can provide a relaxing escape.

Budget-friendly Ideas

If money is tight, there are a number of affordable changes you can make to your bathroom to make it feel brand new. A quick and fairly easy way to change the look of your bathroom is to add a new coat of paint on the walls. You can also add some decorations around like scented candles or wall art.

• Remodeling Guy offers these tips for budget-friendly bathroom remodeling:
• Replace or paint your bathroom vanity
• Replace bathroom fixtures
• Get some cool bathroom accessories
• Replace your bathroom lighting
• Paint your bathroom in a hot new color
• Or just get a new shower curtain!

There are many options out there for someone who wants to remodel a bathroom so get creative! If you need help, call a professional to make sure it gets done quickly and correctly.

Article originally posted here: http://www.homeremodelingct.org/article_view.php?articleid=11

HGTV offers these steps you should take when remodeling your kitchen:

• Find inspiration for your new kitchen.
• Plan your total remodel budget.
• Locate, hire and manage a contractor.
• Determine your kitchen layout.
• Choose the right flooring material.
• Decide whether to replace or reface your cabinets.
• Buy appliances that match your needs.
• Pick a countertop surface that fits your lifestyle.
• Select faucets and sinks with style and utility.
• Complete your new kitchen with proper lighting.

The key to successful kitchen remodeling is organized planning and hiring high-quality professional help. Before you even contact a contractor, make sure you have a clear vision in your mind of what you want your kitchen to look like. Browse through design websites and magazines for inspiration. Just remember, though, that it’s always more rewarding and fun to design a unique living space for yourself rather than copying a room from a catalogue.

Along with budgeting money properly, you should also make sure that you budget time correctly. If your kitchen remodeling project falls during an important event that you need your kitchen for, you will run into problems. Check your calendar before scheduling any work to be done.

Kitchen remodeling doesn’t always have to cost an arm and a leg. There are many budget-friendly ways to make your kitchen look like new! Instead of replacing all of the cabinets, you can just have them refaced if they are in good condition. You can also go for more affordable products such as laminate countertops rather than granite. If you get the right color and style to go with your home, it will look good and no one will know how much was spent.

Article originally published here: http://www.homeremodelingct.org/article_view.php?articleid=10

Define the Space
First and foremost you must determine what you’ll be using the basement for. Do you want a play area for your kids? Do you need a craft area, guest room or home office? Define the areas before you decide where they should be located in the room. Also, some things in your basement can’t be changed or would be costly to change, such as a metal beam. As doityourself.com says, your basement layout will have to work around these aspects.

Some homeowners may want to build an apartment in their basement with a living room, bedroom, kitchen and full bathroom. Others may want something simpler like a game room, personal gym or laundry room. The website QandAs.com writes that by deciding on the purpose of the space, you can then determine the basement layout. For example, a bathroom may have to be located near a wet bar with a sink to keep the plumbing simple.

Plan and Measure
Once you’ve planned your basement layout and chosen a reputable basement contractor to help you, it’s time to start measuring. QandAs.com recommends starting out by measuring the outside perimeter of your finished basement. Doityourself.com suggests using 1/4-inch graph paper to lay out your design. Make 1/4 inch equal one foot, and if you don’t have enough room on your paper, tape more graph paper together. Try to keep your measurements as accurate as you can get them so you don’t end up installing something that doesn’t fit! QandAs.com writes on their website that you should allow at least 8 to 12 inches of space from the outer perimeter to account for walls built around ductwork and pipes. They write that it is easier to hide mechanical works behind a new wall rather than creating bump-outs and boxes around a wall-hugging design.

You could also try using 3D software to measure the layout of your basement. Doityourself.com recommends using the Ikea Home Planner to lay out the basics of what your basement might look like. It can also help you plan where things like electrical outlets, windows, doors and interior walls would go. There are a number of other programs you could use for designing layouts as well, such as Home Design from Better Homes and Gardens. However, doityourself.com cautions that there are many factors that can interfere with a 3D software design. Use them only for visualization purposes.

Make a Budget
Set a budget and stick to it; there are ways to remodel your basement without cashing out your 401K. You can find various calculators online that can help you determine how much you will have to spend on certain materials. These are just ballpark figures, though, so the real number may be different. Basement contractors can also help you figure out what you will need and how much everything will cost.

Article originally published here: http://www.totalbasementfinishing.com/basement-finishing/basement-finishing-ideas/articles/basement-layout%3A-what-goes-where

To make matters worse, a slow economy is causing people to postpone bigger expenses, and the credit crunch made it harder for potential home buyers to qualify for mortgage loans. As a result, there are tons of homes for sale and not nearly enough qualified buyers.

Sellers trying to move the property quicker, and not willing to lose money on the deal, know that they need to make their property appeal to a home buyer. That means investing some money in improvements in order to make the home more “sellable”.

However, not every home improvement actually pays off, as this article in the New Hampshire Magazine states:

Basement waterproofing and finishing, however, remains one of the best investments you can make in your home in this difficult market, especially if you are planning to sell. In a normal market, an unfinished and wet basement is a major deal breaker. In a market with so much competition, it renders your home virtually impossible to sell.

Lets face it: who wants buy a “fixer-upper” when there are so many affordable homes out there in much better condition?

The good news is that finishing your basement with our patented basement finishing system is affordable, and with our flexible payment options, you can do it in your own terms in a way that is comfortable for you. In addition, we offer a transferable warranty at no charge.

Article orginally published here:  http://www.totalbasementfinishing.com/basement-finishing/basement-finishing-ideas/articles/remodeling-to-sell%3A-not-every-improvement-pays-off