Bathrooms

When getting into a bathroom renovation, it is always better to start from scratch! Newer homes are easy if the builders did everything right. Older homes is another story.

In this chapter we will be referring to older homes that are in serious need of help. The reason is if you can do a bathroom renovation in and older home, you can do any home with a lot less work.

First thing you should do is always access the situation. This is a process that can apply to every renovation project that you decide to take on.

Keep in you mind to remember the first rule it is better to start from Scratch. I always tell people they should gut the Bathroom completely.

You probably already knew I would say that so get the hammer, pry bar if you even know what they are, if not stay away from the local hardware store and go straight to the nearest Home Depot or Lowes store.

You bought this book to renovations in your home so you need good tools that you will need for this job and the next.

Take your hammer and start smashing a straight line down the middle of the back walls first, be careful there is wiring and copper pipes behind those walls. Do not even bring a hammer close to a pipe or wire. Use a little pry bar for those area’s.

Then if you should replace the tube so disconnect the drain and the vent cap. If it is a really old tub that is made of cast iron. Buy a Sludge Hammer and smash away and make sure you were your safety goggles.

Don’t leave anything that you can trip over, you will thank me latter for that.

Now that you have a bare naked bathroom. You can check to see if the wiring is old and the plumbing is leaking. If the plumbing looks old change it! If the wiring is old change it! It is always better to start from scratch! Make sure all drains are vented trough the roof because the smell is toxic and you will not be able to live in that house.

99% of the time when a drain has a really bad smell it is because it is not vented or the pipes are old. Older homes didn’t put vents in back more than 25 years ago. Use PVC drain pipe instead of iron our cooper. It lasts forever. Don’t forget the glue!

Wen soldering cooper water lines make sure you use new pipe, not the you got from a friend. Lead free paste and solder, no 50-50 here you are asking for trouble, and it is against code. You solder all pipes to the shower taps and shower head before you can put anything back together.

I always put in shut-off valves on every tap and line. Lets say you have a leak somewhere. The store is closed and you have to shut the water off to the hole house to fix it. Think first, if there is a shut off on every tap they you can isolate the problem area and still have plenty of water. Sounds better does it not.

Wiring is easy if you can remember a few things. Shut power off to any lines you are working on. Run all wires first before you put up the gypsum board. Make sure all wires have merited ends and all have a proper ground, ground the box too. Why not drywall in the bathroom or the green drywall that they say is water proof. Gypsum board is the blue stuff, just in case somebody tells you different. It is water and mildew resistant.

For the shower tile area use Denishield Boards. They are more expensive but they are water resistant and mildew resistant. Better than cement board that falls apart after 10 years. Cement produces moisture.

Make sure that every joint is taped and adhesive.

Now you can start putting the tub first after running the boards all the way to the floor. The tub should always be anchored to the wall.  Hook up drains and use plumbers putty, even if it has a gasket! Now it will never leak. Always check tapes and joints for any leaks before you close up the walls. Sometimes it may drip just a little, redo the job. At least you have a shut off valve this time.

No leaks you are on your way to freedom now! Drains don’t leak taps don’t leak what are you going to fix? TV remote!

If your going to install a standing shower use the kerdi system. It will be the best 600 after tax you ever spent. I personally use this system all the time. Shower boards should be on top of it, not behind like the tub.

Install a water proof membrane for the floor. If the subfloor needs replacing do this before you do anything you heard before. The membrane should be adhesive to the subfloor and allow 24 hours to dry.

Now the hole bathroom is safe and waterproof.

Choose a tile you wish and tile from the tub to the ceiling. Let dry for 24 hrs. Same thing for shower tiles. If you are using heavy tiles use a product that is made for it. When using marble tiles always use white adhesive. Grey adhesive will change the color of the marble!

If you can tile the floor the same day, if you wish but it is always better to do one area first. If you do the floor at the same time do not walk on the floor for 48-72 hrs.

After installing tiles, grout every joint and push the grout all the way to the wall backing board. This will last forever, if you seal the tiles and grout the next day. You can find different types of sealer and cleaners at the home depot store. For marble the adhesive and the sealer should say right on the bottle for marble. If it doesn’t go somewhere else.

After grouting wait about 20-30 minutes and use a lot of clean water, changing it every time it gets really dirty. You should see a light film on the tiles. Before sealing take a dry towel and dust it off, then seal. For marble seal before and after you grout.

Hey that bathroom is starting to look like something special. 24 hrs after that you can install the vanity and toilet, pot lights, vanity lights, mirror. Make sure all pot lights in the bathroom are waterproof pot lights. Yes you can pot them in the shower too. For a tub install a whirlpool tub for two if you can more room the better. Silicone the grout lines at the lowest joints and everywhere you think water might get in and cause damage.

Congratulations! You now have a spa bathroom remember to install glass shower doors at the end.



Sell and Rent Back

Are you renovating your home and are anxious about the looming problem of storing your household goods? Space for a growing family or time a new look may lead you to go in for house renovation or remodeling. This requires shifting and packing up your house and then the headache of storing it all safely.

Self storage facilities are the answer to your problem as they provide you with a convenient storage facility with a variety of storage units of different sizes. The advantage of these storage facilities is that you only pay for the time that you utilize its services. The easy 24 hour access and round the clock security takes a weight off your shoulders when you are in the process of renovating your house.

Organizing, packing and piling the boxes may make room in the house but you need to protect your furniture, appliances and valuable collections once the work gets going. Security and handling of house hold goods and furniture becomes a major issue of concern as your precious collections, valuable antique furniture and household goods cannot be left at the mercy of renovators and construction workers.

With many different self storage facilities available in your area, you can check them out and pick the one which suits your requirement for safe storage.

How can you evaluate self storage facilities?

Some points to consider when choosing a safe and secure storage unit to hold your household goods and treasures are:

? Climate controlled storage units

This is essential to protect your furniture and valuable collections from mildew and fungi, during the storage period. So evaluate the ventilation and climate control features. Will you have control over your storage environment?

? Insurance

Does the self storage facility provide you with insurance or do you have to buy a separate insurance cover? It is best to check before signing the lease deed. They might have stringent security but may not protect your goods against fire, floods and natural disasters.

? Security in the storage facility and storage units

If you want to store precious heirlooms and valuable collections, its best to go with a ultra modern self storage facility with state of art security systems. But if you only need to store house hold goods while renovations are underway, you can go for a less expensive self storage unit offering normal security options.

? Moving facilities

Before packing and stacking, it is better to check with the self storage company about their moving facilities. Most of the self storage companies provide for cartage and moving trucks, so you may even be able to negotiate a discount.

It is better to be prepared while packing and organizing your belongings inside the self storage unit.

Handy tips for organizing your valuables and boxes in a self storage facility:

? Judge your storage requirement and discard your junk:

You need to sort out the essential items that need storage and throw out the junk so that you rent the space for storing what you really want to keep. You will save money by renting out less space and then time when you resettle the house.

? Packing and storage inside the storage unit:

Put the heavy unbreakable items be on the floor and pile up the fragile items on the top. Disassemble and store large furniture and appliances to save on space. It is better to store goods in completely covered locked boxes to keep them away from dust and mildew.

As renovation might take some time, it is better to have everything safe, stored and out of the way. After the renovations are done, just arrange to get back your boxes put your home back together again.



Sell and Rent Back

An old friend of mine moved into a beautiful, late 19th century, Victorian style home a little more than 12 months ago. At a recent party she held at the home many of the guests commented about the quaint old fashioned style of the kitchen and how cozy and friendly it seemed. At this point my friend declared that she and her four children all absolutely hated the kitchen area and would love to renovate and modernize it but were utterly daunted by the task and so had not attempted it.

Her main fear was the perceived high cost of renovating an old home as she had heard many home improvement horror stories – People spending tens of thousands of dollars on what started out to be quite modest renovations, only to find a number of non-budgeted repairs and maintenance were also required, therefore significantly blowing out the estimated costs. My friend did not relish the idea of finding herself in a similar predicament so the idea of undertaking restoration and renovation work had been shelved. One of the guests at the party was a builder and another a professional interior decorator and they both explained that while restoration work (restoring the building to ‘as new’ condition similar to when the building was originally constructed) was quite extensive and time consuming, however, a renovation (modernization) project was relatively cheap.

Kitchen Renovation Ideas – Without The Fear Factor

Most homeowners, my friend included, have the perception that old houses are especially difficult to renovate purely due to their age, but this is not entirely correct. In reality whether the house is old or quite new, a kitchen renovation nearly always turns out be very cost effective and the habitants will see a marked improvement in the area. Kitchen renovation ideas for old homes can be planned so that new items and appliances can be integrated along with the kitchen’s older features, for example your new stainless steel refrigerator would not appear to be out of place being in the same kitchen as an old wood-burning stove.

The true key to affordable and effective kitchen renovation ideas is in the planning stage and this applies to any kind of home, whether new or old.

First on the list of all sound kitchen renovation ideas is to adequately cost your planned renovations. This is the most critical aspect as you should not attempt any substantial renovation project unless you have enough funding available or you can enlist the help of your bank or mortgage provider. Notwithstanding the fact that you require substantial funding, take heart in knowing that you can reduce costs in some areas without sacrificing the over-all quality of the renovation. It is important that you allocate adequate funds for the key aspects of the renovation, namely the design component, labor costs and appliances and fixtures.

If you propose to undertake extensive remodeling or structural changes then be aware that this type of work is extremely expensive. When structural changes are part of your remodeling project then it is essential that you employ a builder who can work within your budget. Always ensure before you start the work that any structural changes, such as the addition or removal of a room divider or the installation of a seat-window or skylight, have been adequately costed into the overall project.

When you are reviewing your kitchen renovation ideas always build in an allowance for unexpected contingencies such as repairs being necessary to plumbing, heating and electrical equipment. There is nothing worse than having an aesthetically pleasing kitchen which is great to look at but in reality is a fire-hazard or energy-monster because of the old and ineffective equipment. In old houses it is highly likely you will need to spend money upgrading this type of equipment.

Once you have addressed the structural and services (heating, lighting, plumbing etc) aspects of the kitchen renovation you can then turn your attention to other aspects like choosing counter tops, cabinets and floor coverings. This is a great area in which to control costs as it is possible to use many alternate materials, that are just as durable and impressive as for example marble or granite, however they cost a fraction of the price of the real material. It is also recommended that you consider buying stock cabinets instead of custom-fitted ones as this too will save you a great deal of money.

If you are like my friend and own an older style home and are not sure whether you can afford to implement your kitchen renovation ideas why not consult with a friendly builder and get an idea of what restoration work is required as well as the cost of appliances and fixtures…. you may be pleasantly surprised.



Rent Back

With former PM Tony Blair having agreed to EU targets of reducing Carbon Dioxide emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020, how much chance does the UK have of achieving a shift towards Alternative Energy sources?

Here in the UK, we seem to be insistent on making it as difficult as possible to become a greener, less polluting state, regardless of the opportunities that we are presented with. Residents complain about wind farms near their homes, a not in my back yard approach. Sustainable technologies cost too much to implement without government grants.

The regulations that the government has set on construction and planning seems to be preventing much progress from being made towards the objectives set out in PPS18. Perhaps it is about time that the national government stopped dancing around the subject with documents and policies which are then translated and diluted by regional development agencies, and did something proactive about the problem. The government needs to stop distancing itself from getting its hands mucky.

Regardless of what you believe about global warming, we have a huge problem providing power and heat energies that are affordable to the average household without compromising our environment. The average home creates over 5 tons of carbon dioxide per year, and with another 3 million homes planned by 2020, we could potentially see an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide produced by 15 million tons at current levels of emissions.

The government has set the standards for energy efficiency, with better insulation in homes, encouragement to build close to urban areas, and all the rest of it. But when are they going to realise that it is the provision of the power for these homes that needs to be sustainable, rather than merely the homes cutting the amount of energy they use? The households of the UK account for one third of the total in carbon emissions.

With so much development happening in the UK, both house-building and commercial, the scope for Alternative Energy is huge. Were those 3 million homes fitted with sustainable energy alternatives, such as solar panels, ground-sourced water and district heating systems, how much less would emissions be?

Of course, the average family would struggle to include such items in any house renovations even with government grants which are currently available, but house-builders and the government should take the bull by the horns and do something. It is not a case of homes becoming self sufficient, rather that they consume less unsustainable energy than before. New households could also look forward to lower energy bills, whilst still being able to light and heat their homes efficiently and cleanly.



Real Estate Professionals

So you have finally purchased that 19th century farm house that you have always pictured yourself living in the problem is how do you finance the restoration? It is easy to get mortgages for the value of the home even a little extra if you have a good credit rating but today a renovation can cost more than the original purchase price of the property.

The first option s to look at your available assets. You can get a home equity loan if there is any equity in your house. Use your credit cards for short term renovation or borrow money from your parents these ideas are only usable in a short term renovation once the renovations completed you should be able to refinance your home and pay of the relatives, high interest credit cards and roll your home equity loan into your mortgage.

You may be able to get a “line of credit” a line of credit is usually easy to get up to $30,000.00 with out much effort and with a minimal amount of paperwork these lines of credit are good for short term renovation that are under the $100,000.00 dollar mark. The interest rates tend to be on the high side but you can draw out the money as you need it and only pay interest on the cash that has been withdrawn and again once the renovation is completed you can refinance and pay of the line of credit and combine all your loans in the mortgage.

Depending on the scope of your renovation you may be eligible for store loans and credit card offers. Many home stores now have their own credit cards they offer deal such as interest free credit for one year you may be able negotiate a longer term. The important thing here is to pay off the loan/credit card prior to the free period expiring otherwise the interest will revert back to the initial purchase. Some stores will also offer you a interest free construction loan for your project the terms of these construction loans vary from store to store read the fine print carefully like the credit card deals these usually have a time limit. Again one the renovation is completed you can refinance and pay off the loan avoiding high interest dept.

Construction loans are generally reserved for larger projects this kind of loan is a short term loan the money can be taken as needed and interest is paid on the money that has been taken out. Almost everyone now offers construction loans this completion has brought the costs of these loans down. The nice thing about construction loans is that you can withdraw the money as you need it once the renovation is done you can refinance and have one closing and one mortgage. One thing you should keep in mind when shopping for a construction loan is the fees and finance charges as always keep an eye on the fine print for hidden charges.



Quick Property Sale

We all have our dream homes. However, most of us do not have enough to purchase our dream house. If only we could find a great house like those at Gilbert Homes with a lower price, it would be great.

We often associate beautiful houses with big bucks. That is why we often settle for smaller simple houses. There is nothing wrong with living in a simple home. All that matters is that it is safe and comfortable.

Although we could settle for the smaller house, we want to experience living in a beautiful abode.

It is indeed difficult to find an affordable house. It also seems that now is not a good time to invest on anything. However, what would you do if you can purchase a beautiful house at a price lower than its market value?

It is not impossible to find a beautiful house at an affordable price nowadays. One of the best ways to purchase a house at a cheaper price is to buy foreclosures. Foreclosed homes are those houses that the lenders took hold of, because the homeowner was not able to settle their debt.

They are most of the time valued less than their true market value.

The value of a foreclosed property is lower because lenders often times want to recover the amount unsettled by the homeowners. Foreclosed house are usually valued at 5 to 10 percent lower than its market value. However, it can go to as much as 20 to 50 percent, depending on the lender and the property.

The best way to find foreclosed houses is to ask lending companies. There are also government agencies that have a list of foreclosed houses. You can specify the location and check if the house appeals to you. You can also attend auctions for foreclosed houses. This will also help your strike a good deal.

Another advantage of purchasing a foreclosed house is that the miscellaneous expenses that go with it are also cheaper. Therefore, you will be able to get a good bargain for a very low price.

You can also profit from investing on these houses. Like the Gilbert Homes, you can set it up for sale. Most foreclosed houses need a little renovations and repairs. By spending some for its repainting and other repairs, you can resell it at a much higher price and generate more profit. In fact, this is what most investors do today. They look for cheaper houses, renovate them, and sell it at a much higher price.

However, buying a foreclosed house is not a walk in the park. You might encounter a few challenges if you do not do your research ahead of time. For a smooth transfer of ownership, make sure that you know what goes with the house when you purchase it. This includes unpaid taxes and other liens. In addition, you have to make sure that the previous owners are no longer staying in the property. This can be very difficult to handle as previous owners may refuse to leave.

You can benefit from purchasing foreclosed house, just make sure you know more about the property before making the purchase.



Sell and Rent Back