Category Archives: remodeling

7 Practical tips to consider when designing a kitchen

Posted on May 18, 2016 | Leave a comment

1. A breakfast bar overhang
Kitchen islands with bar stools are must-have commodities in modern kitchens. These breakfast bars are the perfect way to separate the living area from the kitchen, while maintaining an open living environment. Parents can cook dinner and keep one eye on their kids as they do homework, and friends can sit and have a glass of wine while their hosts cook. If you are planning to include a breakfast bar in your kitchen, ensure you include an overhang on your island. This will provide legroom for those sitting on the bar stools. Anywhere between 30 – 48 centimeters overhang on the back side of the island will ensure the sitters are comfortable

2. Close dishwasher and sink placement
If you wish to avoid dripping food and grease on the floor, place the dishwasher within arms reach of the sink. That way, when you rinse the excess food off plates, you can place them straight in the dishwasher. Otherwise you will have to travel across the kitchen dripping dirty water as you go, and I am yet to meet anyone who enjoys mopping the kitchen floor! It is also important to place the dishwasher by the sink in order to connect the dishwasher plumbing to the drain and taps.

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How to add “value”to you home in a long weekend

Posted on April 14, 2016 | Leave a comment

kitchen

With labor one of the biggest costs of any renovation, there are some big savings for those willing to tackle some of their own more strategic projects around the house.

Armed with a paintbrush, drill and plenty of stamina, you can achieve amazing transformations in a relatively short time. If you’re prepared to put in some hard yards this long weekend, here are five cosmetic improvements that will really add value to your home.

Firstly, painting should be your first consideration and virtually everyone is capable of this cosmetic improvement. Just be meticulous with your preparation and always use good-quality paint and equipment. In 25-plus years of renovating, I’ve never found anything as powerful as paint for achieving miracle transformations in really tight time frames. Opt for a neutral palette that won’t date, especially if you’re renovating with buyers or renters in mind.

The next focus should be a facelift for your kitchen or bathroom. Be warned; if your kitchen and bathroom need complete replacing, that’s certainly no weekend project. However, if they’re structurally in good condition but just cosmetically the wrong colour, or dated, then some of the specialty paints on the market will produce miraculous results.

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A room-by-room guide to remodeling for profit

Posted on April 13, 2016 | Leave a comment

“The bathroom is the most heavily criticized room in the house, yet often the smallest and costliest, and therefore the most neglected,” says Wesley Spencer, architect and director of Rara House.

“There are endless worries associated with an un-renovated bathroom. Are there plumbing issues? Is there rotting? Will the floor heights match after removal of the original fittings? These are the type of issues a new home owner would not be prepared to face if they are already mortgaged to the nines and require registered building professionals.”

A complete bathroom renovation can be between $15,000 and $50,000 depending on the room size and quality of finishes selected. However, as the bathroom encompasses several elements, renovations can be tailored to suit a vendor’s budget.

For a luxury property, Soderstrom suggests installing a combined wall-hung vanity unit and hand basin (costing between $1500 and $2500) and a new shower screen (between $1500 and $2000 for a 10mm frameless corner shower base screen).

“A large mirror or even a mirror on an opposing wall instead of tiles can make a small-to-medium-size bathroom feel so much bigger and brighter,” Soderstrom says.

For a high-end $40,000 to $50,000 bathroom renovation, Shrimpton estimates a minimum return of $80,000 to $100,000.

For a more restricted budget, modestly updating the tapware and storage space is a simple way to modernize the bathroom.

“Don’t go overboard with the fixtures … Not everybody needs a built in toilet brush holder and even if they did, having all these items built in takes the fun out of deciding where to put things,” Spencer says.

“People need an element of exploration and excitement when inspecting a home … don’t deprive them of that by dictating every small aspect at no benefit to you.”

disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Category Archives: remodeling

7 Practical tips to consider when designing a kitchen

How to add “value”to you home in a long weekend

A room-by-room guide to remodeling for profit

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