Turn Your Underused Attic into the Loft You’ve Always Dreamed Of

Guest Post

Thanks to Christa Blair of Buildables.net for this post.

There are a ton of boxes and memories stored in your attic and, while you cherish them, they just take up too much space. The truth is that you store most memories on the inside and getting rid of some of the clutter can turn into a wonderful and therapeutic experience. It will also give you the space to turn that attic, no matter the size, into a dream loft or hideaway spot in your home.

Cleaning up is just the start; there are many ways to turn that attic into the perfect loft and here are some trusty ways to do it.

• Use light colored paint – It is not the norm for attics to have a lot of space. If your attic is small with little head room, try a light colored paint. This brightens the room to give the illusion that it has more space.

• Try not to section the room – Sectioning your attic gives it too much definition and takes away from the loft feeling. Remember a loft has few partitions and a lot of space. To mimic this in an attic, you must not use furniture or other objects to define specific areas.

Read more…

How to Reduce Everyday Bills

house leaks

Want to save some money pretty easily? Check out this list:

  1. Lower your mortgage rate. Yup. Especially if you have a loan backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac – this is the perfect time. The Home Affordable Refinance Program has been extended until June 30, 2012. Loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are being refinanced at 4%-5% and (best part) with NO closing costs.
  2. Lower your energy bill. Contact your utility company. Find out if they offer free energy audits by inspecting your home for energy effectiveness and recommending inexpensive ways to cut energy costs. Ours does. I had to wait several months because they stay so backed up, but Duke Energy gave me a free energy audit and gifts!
  3. Cut down on drafts. Speaking of lowering your energy bill, this one trick can lower your bill 3% to 18%! Here are some way to stop/reduce drafts:

Read more…

Heading to Australia?

Australian beach house

What an amazing property! Great ideas and themes for building or decorating. Click on the photo and see if you find any ideas you can use. Happy Decorating!

Australia beach house

The House of Tomorrow

Disneyland house of tomorrow

Disneyland House of Tomorrow

I read an interesting article about another housing dilemma; what do buyers want from builders? One thing for sure, building the same boxes over and over is no longer working.

Here’s the thing.. Baby boomers are down sizing. We want one level, open space, fewer bedrooms. We’re giving up some of the bells and whistles in order to compensate for retirement incomes and fuel costs.

The next generations, X and Y apparently, want more urban life than we baby boomers had. They are not interested in the typical box house and they definitely don’t want to live in a subdivision. X-Y’s want to live in cities, close to where they work and shop. They’re more focused on health and exercise which includes running and biking trails. They want less dependence on cars and want even their homes to be energy efficient.

Homes of the future will have less space and will be configured differently. There’s no longer need for a formal living room but, instead, most buyers are looking for a game or media room. More people are working from home and need a room configured as an office designed for use with digital media components.

And, there’s the green movement. Tankless water heaters, green walls, efficient windows, and the use of recycled materials like bamboo.

What is it that you want in a house? Can you find it?

Construction and Renovation as Investment

Guest Post

In our business, we do about 6-7 “flips” per year as well as many smaller renovation projects.  Our personal home is always a priority and we keep it well maintained at all times.  The following is a post written and submitted by Drake MacDonald of Construction Management.net.  I thank him for his article and please feel free to leave your comments here for Drake.

“Although home improvement projects often involve lots of time and hard work, they should not be regarded as money-sinks. In fact, working to build and increase the equity in your home can improve your overall financial position. One way homeowners do this is to carry out renovations on their own property. Construction projects that involve expanding or remodeling existing buildings can go a long way towards strengthening and protecting the property value of your home. Like any investment, renovation projects entail a monetary commitment (and also require homeowners to handle the challenges of construction management), but you stand to make a considerable profit on the resale of your property.

Read more…

Time to Plant Trees

Trees

And may I say that the leaves are falling like crazy in my yard and on my deck right now. Not necessarily because Fall is approaching, but because of the drought we’ve been having, but I digress..

This is the perfect time of year to plant trees, at least here in North Carolina. Cooler temps and more rain makes it easier to give the young trees a good start and nurseries are discounting trees and shrubs to get rid of their stock before winter.

For your real estate, it’s all about the landscaping and there’s no question that landscaping adds value.

Smaller trees that shade windows cut cooling costs and tall trees that shade the roof are big energy savers.  The U.S. Forest Service estimates that three 25-foot trees can reduce summer cooling costs by as much as twenty five percent. And, it’s always a good idea to shade your air conditioning unit.

Interesting tree facts:

Read more…

Designing a Bathroom

Bathroom

Ok, so I’m designing a bathroom. We’re renovating and adding a master bath that has about 9.5 feet by 10.5 feet.  So far it’s gutted (ugh) and I have to figure out what to put back in.

Do you know the standard sizes and dimensions for items inside bathrooms? I’ve been finding out!

* 2-1/2 feet x 5 feet is the standard bath tub size

* 32 inches x 32 inches is the typical size of shower stalls

* 2-foot depth is standard for actual space for clothes along a closet wall

* 2-foot deep cabinets in the bathroom are standard

* 32-inch doorways are ideal

Read more…