While a good return on your investment is important in every remodeling project, experts say that the most important factor in your decision should still be whether the project improves the way you live in your home now.
When looking into any kind of home improvement, a home-owner needs to plan in advance exactly what they hope to achieve by making improvements.
SouthEnd has developed a program that shows homeowners the cost versus value for each remodeling project. We will show homeowners which project they should consider for repairs, improvements or replacement. And, which project has the highest priority with the quickest return on investment.
"The fact of remodeling is that you never get your money back instantly," says Finley Perry of F.H. Perry Builder in Hopkinton, Mass. "If you're undertaking a project because you're going to stay in your home awhile, and it will enhance your lifestyle, then great -- do it. It's tough to put a price on the happiness many young families get from fixing up their house and truly enjoying it for the next 20 years."
Overall, home owners recouped an average of 63.8 percent of their investment in 33 different home improvement projects, according to REALTORS® who responded to the survey.
Since the peakremodeling year of 2005, exterior replacement projects have gone to the top of the chart. Front entry doors rank the highest in the return on investment along with siding and window replacement. Why? Because these types of improvements not only increase the curb appeal of the home but can also make your home more energy efficient while improving the decor inside the house.
On average in 2008, households whose homes had appreciated by at least 100 percent over the previous decade spent over 2.5 times more on improvements than those whose home values increased less than 50 percent.
At the end of the day, be happy that you have the best quality that you can afford. Cheap fittings and finishes certainly do not have the same durability as guaranteed good quality ones, and cutting price by opting for low quality doesn't always pay, as the work will deteriorate and lose value quicker than had the work been performed with better quality materials.
What you are trying to achieve is getting the best value for money that you can, and often the cheapest option isn't the best.
It's tough to put a price on the happiness, but you can consult an expert to discuss your options.
http://www.sehomeimprovement.com/
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Why not now?
In these trying times, many folks are asking themselves one strong question,
"Is my money safe?"
We need to know that when we pay for something it has value. We want to invest where it matters.
Your house is your prize possession. Right?
It is the largest investment you'll make in your lifetime.
Then, why gamble? Why take chances?
With a majority of homeowners planning to stay in their homes instead of moving in 2010, they'll look to preserve or increase their home's worth by spending an average of nearly 5 percent of its value on making improvements.
This is not a trend. We are staying put. We need to protect our investment, our prize possesssion.
And, every American homeowner will have a home improvement project over the next six to eight months that they are considering. All of us need to make the necessary repairs to our homes.
A project that can see a quick return on their investment and energy savings that could range from a 8-30% per household.
Why not now?
Call your contractor, schedule a home consultation. If you are like me, you want to trust your contractor. You want to know the facts before you begin your remodeling projects.
Hire a professional.
Invest where it matters, invest in your home.
So, why not now?
http://www.sehomeimprovement.com/
"Is my money safe?"
We need to know that when we pay for something it has value. We want to invest where it matters.
Your house is your prize possession. Right?
It is the largest investment you'll make in your lifetime.
Then, why gamble? Why take chances?
With a majority of homeowners planning to stay in their homes instead of moving in 2010, they'll look to preserve or increase their home's worth by spending an average of nearly 5 percent of its value on making improvements.
This is not a trend. We are staying put. We need to protect our investment, our prize possesssion.
And, every American homeowner will have a home improvement project over the next six to eight months that they are considering. All of us need to make the necessary repairs to our homes.
A project that can see a quick return on their investment and energy savings that could range from a 8-30% per household.
Why not now?
Call your contractor, schedule a home consultation. If you are like me, you want to trust your contractor. You want to know the facts before you begin your remodeling projects.
Hire a professional.
Invest where it matters, invest in your home.
So, why not now?
http://www.sehomeimprovement.com/
Friday, February 12, 2010
Home Star Program - Cash for Caulkers.
Over the past weekend, my neighbor caught me in the yard and walked over to ask me what remodeling projects were we working on this month. I mentioned that most of our work has been roof replacements, siding projects, installing windows and a few bigger projects such as a detached garage.
As I described each project, my neighbor nodded that he too, would need to replace his roof within the next four months or that his wife wanted to take advantage of the Tax Credit for replacing windows before the deadline in November of this year. He seemed overwhelmed by the thought of each project, but agreed that these "home repair projects" were a necessity.
My neighbor is not alone.
More and more families are facing the same situation. We are living in homes that need to be "remodeled" or retrofitted. Regardless of the builder and no matter which decade your home was built, every house will age through stress, weather and the changing environment.
And, my discussion with my neighbor reminded me of a phone call that I received about a month ago from a past president of the NARI. He invited me to join him on a conference call to discuss a program that could be the most impactful intiative for us as American homeowners.
I am hoping that this is not the only time we will hear of the Home Star program. My wish for every homeowner is to have the opportunity to protect their biggest investment of their life, their home.
Last November, a program was proposed to the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) stimulus program similar to Cash for Clunkers program. This program would create more jobs in the construction indsutry as well as nd Retrofitting or remodeling homes require less energy to operate.
A $23 billion program to weatherize thousands of American homes. It is still too early to know if the program will be enacted, but it is currently gaining momentum at the highest levels of government.
As a struggling homeowner, I need this to be pushed through. I know that I am not alone.
"Home Star" (in a nod to the Energy Star program), the program would consist of $18 billion in homeowner incentives, $2 billion for quality assurance audits on energy efficiency projects, and $3 billion in retailer incentives as well as funds to create awareness for the program.
The question is, how quickly will we see this stimulus program gain momentum and can we get this pushed through Congress and the Senate?
Will the politicians delay such an important program for us to protect our homes and make the much needed repairs that are on the "to-do list" for every American?
Mark Whitlock
SouthEnd
mark@sehomeimprovement.com
http://www.sehomeimprovement.com/
As I described each project, my neighbor nodded that he too, would need to replace his roof within the next four months or that his wife wanted to take advantage of the Tax Credit for replacing windows before the deadline in November of this year. He seemed overwhelmed by the thought of each project, but agreed that these "home repair projects" were a necessity.
My neighbor is not alone.
More and more families are facing the same situation. We are living in homes that need to be "remodeled" or retrofitted. Regardless of the builder and no matter which decade your home was built, every house will age through stress, weather and the changing environment.
And, my discussion with my neighbor reminded me of a phone call that I received about a month ago from a past president of the NARI. He invited me to join him on a conference call to discuss a program that could be the most impactful intiative for us as American homeowners.
I am hoping that this is not the only time we will hear of the Home Star program. My wish for every homeowner is to have the opportunity to protect their biggest investment of their life, their home.
Last November, a program was proposed to the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) stimulus program similar to Cash for Clunkers program. This program would create more jobs in the construction indsutry as well as nd Retrofitting or remodeling homes require less energy to operate.
A $23 billion program to weatherize thousands of American homes. It is still too early to know if the program will be enacted, but it is currently gaining momentum at the highest levels of government.
As a struggling homeowner, I need this to be pushed through. I know that I am not alone.
"Home Star" (in a nod to the Energy Star program), the program would consist of $18 billion in homeowner incentives, $2 billion for quality assurance audits on energy efficiency projects, and $3 billion in retailer incentives as well as funds to create awareness for the program.
The question is, how quickly will we see this stimulus program gain momentum and can we get this pushed through Congress and the Senate?
Will the politicians delay such an important program for us to protect our homes and make the much needed repairs that are on the "to-do list" for every American?
Mark Whitlock
SouthEnd
mark@sehomeimprovement.com
http://www.sehomeimprovement.com/
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