Home Improvement Loans

Run by three friends, Three Birds Renovations blog is a well-designed, information-filled site with lots of tips, inspiration, and start-to-finish remodeling ideas. With photos and visual inspiration, as well, you’ll find get your creativity up and running. Sweeten is a service that matches homeowners and contractors for projects. But they also run a blog filled with detailed posts on all aspects of Home Renovation.

This will help you to make the right choice from scores of design options available today. Painting leaves structurally sound cabinets in place and is considered eco-friendly since it reduces items sent to the landfill to zero. Avoid using the type of standard interior acrylic-latex paint that you might use on walls. Instead, pick a cabinet paint that gives you long-lasting durability.

Homebody in MotionWhat worked in the past doesn't necessarily work today. The bathtubplanted within a truly cramped alcove, plus the lack of a shower, made using this bathroom a dreary affair. The vintage tile only further dragged down this look of this bathroom. Sugar and ClothIt's always best when your dining room has a cohesive design plan. But for this owner, the dining room felt random, with lots of mismatched furniture that reminded her of college dorm rooms.

Due to the size of the bathroom, this nook could never be enlarged. Yet wall cabinets can loom over your work area, casting a shadow and generally creating a ponderous look. And wall cabinets' doors hide items that are less than attractive. Eating Bird FoodThe brilliant solution for space-wasting refrigerators is to install pantry units to the side and above the fridge.

This kind of investor also carefully chooses remodeling projects that will result in the most value for the least amount of effort and cost. The first step of this process is to assess the other homes in the neighborhood to avoid over-improving the property. For example, if none of the other houses have crown molding and high-end countertops, adding these amenities to a fix-it-and-flip-it project is unlikely to result in a significantly higher selling price. Home renovation costs will vary based on structural or mechanical repairs, square footage, underlying issues, location and materials used. Start by using the home renovation cost estimator spreadsheet above, then talk with contractors to understand the exact estimates in your area.

The cook's needs, too, are addressed with a sink installed in the kitchen island. Dated pendant lights have been stripped away in favor of unobtrusive recessed lights. And clean lines are preserved with the counter-depthside-by-side refrigerator. Get expert advice on your home, design tips, how much to pay for pros and hiring experts, delivered to you daily. "That often becomes the biggest part of the plumbing-price increase," says Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert. If your new layout requires that you move the toilet, use the opportunity to upgrade the pipes at the same time.

Wondering how you’ll finish your new home or decorate it once the remodel is done? Check out the blog at Home Design Key for ideas, inspiration, and places to shop. You’ll find everything from ideas on the perfect tile backsplash and kitchen faucet to furnishings for your new living room. The blog at Newly Woodwards started as a way to document the renovation of a couple’s first home.

Find outdated, unattractive, or broken appliances, decor, or fixtures that you can replace for a cost-effective way to renovate your home. Work with a contractor and designer to create blueprints and a plan for your renovations. Come up with a list of things you need and a list of things that you want, which can help make future budgeting decisions easier. Try to wait until you’re finished with any other major remodeling projects before you start on floors. For instance, if you like to spend a lot of time in your living room but you don’t really cook too often, start your renovations with your living room and save your kitchen for later.

While renovating a Civil War-era bed-and-breakfast in New Jersey some years back, contractor Bill Asdal needed wood flooring. If you’ve weighed your options, and have decided it’s better to remodel your home, here are our tips. "I think that people often underestimate what it's going to cost to do a big renovation, and part of that is because they don't realize the biggest cost in a renovation usually is the labor," Nancy says.