Category Archives: remodeling

Sourcing Safe Product Materials for your Home

Posted on August 22, 2016 | Leave a comment

Chemicals used in everyday renovation products – such as paint, surface finishes, glues and other building materials – come under the classification of “industrial chemicals”. “In Australia we have a regulator to regulate those chemicals,” Immig says. “But the fact is we have 34,000 un-assessed industrial chemicals that are in common use in everyday products in Australia.”

Keep it natural

Choose natural, raw and unprocessed products where possible. “A piece of wood without any paint on it is a much better idea than lots of sawdust that’s all glued together and made into some artificial timber,” Immig explains.

Terms like “natural” and “organic” can be abused. Read the manufacturing information to ensure you’re getting the real deal. And, while those wood or bamboo floors might be advertised as “natural”, take note of what they’re varnished, treated or glued with.

Minimize chemicals

Select products with the least amount of chemicals. One chemical is usually a safer bet than twenty. Indoor plants can also minimize airborne chemical pollutants.

Choose water-based

Favour water-based products over those based on chemical solvents. A solvent is a substance (usually a liquid) able to dissolve other substances. Chemical solvents include toluene in paint, varnishes and adhesives.

Buy secondhand

Anything second-hand may be better from an outgassing point of view, as well an environmental one. Many building and finishing materials, including paint, varnish, sealers, glues, rubber cement and PVC-vinyl, outgas VOCs – toxic chemicals that continue to emit from the material they’re in.

Moving Vs. Remodeling

Posted on July 26, 2016 | Leave a comment

Family situations are dynamic. Additions to the family, or a new hobby, may mean that you need to upgrade your home. This prompts the question – should you move or renovate?

Both options bring hassles. As a person who has both moved and renovated, let me assure you that both create major disruptions in your lifestyle. However, my suggestion is to renovate if possible. Selling one home and buying another could cost you nearly 10 per cent of the price of the new home. If you sell a home for $600,000 (this is in aussie dollars not USA) and buy another for $900,000, you would be looking at close to $90,000 in expenses such as agent’s commission, legal fees and stamp duty, loan fees and removalist fees. That is a huge loss of capital.

Will remodeling add value to your home? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your home valuation questions>

If you renovate, the main danger is overcapitalising – this means you spend so much on your home that it becomes far more expensive than the rest of the houses in the street. You can avoid this by asking an agent to give you an appraisal of your home’s value to see how it compares with those around you. If its price today, plus the renovations, does not exceed the average price in the street, overcapitalising should not be a problem. Let’s assume your house is worth $600,000, and the average price in the street is $800,000: you could safely spend $200,000 in renovations. That’s just over double the non-productive costs of moving house.

You already know how to buy a house, so let’s focus on the steps to successful renovating. Once your budget is clear, get a building inspection on your property to ensure it is structurally sound and capable of being renovated, and a survey to ensure the boundary pegs are in the right position. All too often, we hear of renovations that have encroached on a neighbour’s property.

Green Remodeling

Posted on July 18, 2016 | Leave a comment

Big Picture Planning

If you’re undertaking a major remodeling project, you probably have other goals in addition to energy efficiency. You might want to add square footage or reconfigure the space to work better for you — for example, by adding an extra bedroom or a bathroom. Your budget will be a major factor, and you’ll want your home to be even more comfortable and enjoyable.

Will it add value to your home? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your home value questions.

Almost everyone on our panel of five energy experts — including architects and specialists in energy efficiency who together have numerous successful remodels behind them — suggested the same starting point: Get a thorough home energy rating, which will illuminate what’s possible for your home and help you set priorities.

“A certified home-energy rating is worth every penny, and it’s rarely more than $500,” says Jeremy Knoll, an architect and co-founder of Historic Green. “It gives you a priority list based not on your gut feeling, but on measured data of what’s going to make the most difference in your home in terms of energy repair work.”

You can find a certified home-energy rater in your area through RESNET, the Residential Energy Services Network. Be sure you talk to the rater before scheduling the audit, and pick someone who is good at answering your questions and explaining the details. A home energy rater should be able to recommend reliable people who can do the energy upgrade work. Getting an energy rating can also help you qualify for different financing options, such as an energy-efficient mortgage, if that interests you.

Category Archives: remodeling

Sourcing Safe Product Materials for your Home

Moving Vs. Remodeling

Green Remodeling

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