Category Archives: remodeling

how energy-efficient upgrades can increase your home’s value

Posted on December 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

Energy-efficient upgrades can not only shrink your utility bill; they can increase the value of your home.

Have questions about ee upgrades on your home? In SoCal contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com.

Homebuyers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of energy-efficient homes. In fact, they’re often willing to pay more for homes with “green” upgrades, says Sandra Adomatis, a specialist in green valuation with Adomatis Appraisal Service in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Just how much your home will increase in value depends on a number of factors, Adomatis says, like where you live, which upgrades you’ve made and how your home is marketed at sale time. The length of time to recoup the costs of green upgrades also depends on the energy costs in your area.

In 2014, upgraded homes in Los Angeles County saw a 6 percent increase in value, according to a study from Build It Green, a nonprofit based in Oakland, Calif., that works with home professionals. Upgraded homes in Washington, D.C., saw a 2 percent to 5 percent increase in 2015, according to a study Adomatis authored.

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Reality TV Remodeling shows – Chicago experts discuss TV magic

Posted on November 25, 2016 | Leave a comment

It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to point out that entertainment doesn’t always imitate life.

Just as one might argue Bravo paints housewives the world over as, well, prickly, HGTV can make realty agents, contractors and interior designers look like time-defying, cost-erasing wizards, capable of finding cheap homes and cranking out remodels lickety-split.

Need to know if the remodel will add value to your home – contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your home value questions.

So we passed them the mic. Here are the myths real estate and design experts encounter, and the truths homebuyers and sellers should keep in mind.

Pray for patience, and put away the hard hat.

A 5-year-old can do the math: It takes longer than approximately 40 minutes to find, renovate and decorate a house. But some consumers do believe a bathroom or kitchen remodel can be carried out in a fantastically quick timespan.

David Roberts, owner of Roberts Architects and Construction in Evanston, has heard prospective clients sing this tune: “Well, a bathroom remodel might take a week, because when we see it on TV, you know, the carpenter shows up, they take the old stuff out, the tile guy comes the next day, he puts the new tile in, and then the next day the plumber comes in and hooks up the toilet and the lovely new sink and shower, and then we put some glass doors in the shower and some light fixtures and by Friday it’s all done.”

That simply ain’t so.

An extensive bathroom remodel, Roberts said, one where you toss the old tiles, tear out the tub, install a shower and rework the plumbing, can take six weeks to eight weeks. Involved kitchen remodels — moving the sink to the island, resizing windows, rearranging appliances — also take a couple of months.

Remodeling surprises that could blow your budget

Posted on October 17, 2016 | Leave a comment

Hidden damage – You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive but less than 40 per cent of home buyers get their property inspected before they buy, according to Archicentre, the building advisory and design service of The Australian Institute of Architects.

“It is very important that homebuyers know the condition of a property before they buy to limit the risk to their bank balance” says Archicentre manager, Michael Appleby,”Some of the most common faults and defects found by our inspectors include the need to restump the property, termite infestation, structural faults and the need for expensive plumping and wiring to be replaced as urgent safety issues.”

Other hidden costs are asbestos removal and damp issues.

“In Sydney and Melbourne, a lot of older terraced homes have issues with rising damp” says Rich Harvey, president of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agents Association of Australia (REBAA).

“Be wary of rising damp especially in properties that are 80 to 100 years old,” he says. “Look at the paint work and see if there is any discoloration coming up above the architraves or bubbling in the appearance of the paint that is evidence of excess moisture. There are ways to treat it but treating rising damp is quite expensive.”

Category Archives: remodeling

how energy-efficient upgrades can increase your home’s value

Reality TV Remodeling shows – Chicago experts discuss TV magic

Remodeling surprises that could blow your budget

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