Fewer people are buying new homes, but everyone wants to improve what they have. With money tight right now, how can remodeling be done more reasonably without the results looking cheap?
Here are a few ideas:

1. Plan, Plan, Plan

Consider using in-house designers and decorators. Most home centers offer people that can help you design your kitchen, choose the right flooring, paint colors and more. This service will give you confidence in your selections without the added cost of hiring an independent decorator. Decide on the entire scope of work to be done before you start. Try to avoid moving electrical, plumbing, ductwork, or walls if possible to keep the cost down.

2. Give It a Try

Even if you’re not the handiest person on the block, you may still be able to do some of the work yourself to help make the project more reasonable. Maybe you can handle the tear out or removal of the wallpaper, plumbing fixtures, trim, etc. Or perhaps your can tell the contractor you will do all the clean-up or painting. Any help you provide can cut down on expensive labor costs.

3. Save, Reuse, Renew

If you decide to do the tear out yourself, take care not to damage useful items, since many of them can be used again. Light fixtures, trim, doors, hardware, and cabinets might be able to be used on the same project, in a different project at your home, or donated to a Habitat for Humanity Restore for a tax write off.

4. Looks Expensive, but It’s Not

There are many products now available that “mimic” the look of more expensive materials. Below are four examples, the cost differences and what you could save in a typical application.

Countertops

Granite: $79/sq. ft.

Granite Plastic Laminate: $38/sq. ft.
_______________________

Savings: $41/sq. ft. x 30 sq. ft. (average kitchen countertop space) = $1,230

Tile Floors

Ceramic Tile: $4/sq. ft.

Vinyl Tile: $1/sq. ft.
______________________

Savings: $3/sq ft x 100 sq ft (10’ x 10’ floor) = $300

Wood Floors

Installed Wood Flooring: $9/sq. ft.

DIY Laminate Flooring: $3/sq. ft.
______________________

Savings: $6/sq. ft. x 200 sq. ft. room (10’ x 20’ room) = $1,200

Interior Doors

Solid Wood: $78

Hardboard: $37
__________________

Savings: $41 x 12 doors (average typical home) = $492

I hope this helps you improve your home without breaking the bank!

A window seat not only enhances the look of a room and provides additional seating, but it serves as a great storage space as well. This window seat was made from ¾” oak plywood and features hinged doors on the top for storage.
It is and 21” high by 19” deep and 8’ long.

1. Frame the front of the seat with 2×4s on 16” centers.
2. Secure the front frame to the floor with screws if the floor is wood. When attaching to a concrete slab, use a powder activated nailer or plastic anchors and screws.
3. Nail a 2×4 to the top of the front frame.
4. Attach 2×4s to the back and side walls for support, making sure they’re level and even with the front.
5. Face the front frame with two pieces of vertically cut oak plywood.
6. Make a frame for the seat from solid oak 1×2s joined together with a face frame nailer or nails.
7. Cut two plywood doors to fit in the seat frame, edging them with strips of solid oak.
8. Putty and sand the doors to give them a finished look.
9. Stain the window seat, and give it two coats of polyurethane finish.
10. Hinge the two doors to the seat frame with brass piano hinges.

A fireplace mantel often serves as the focal point in a room. While factory made mantels are available, do-it-yourselfers with a well equipped shop can make one themselves from stock molding and medium density fiberboard or solid wood.

A router is used to flute the columns and cut the molded edge around the top. Apply crown molding under the shelf and baseboard around the base to give it a finished look. If starting from scratch is more than you want to tackle, consider buying a premade mantel shelf or kit.

The days when students arrived at college accompanied by a single suitcase or footlocker are long past. Today’s necessities for higher learning include a computer, printer, stereo, TV, microwave, mini-frig, DVD player, cell phone, iPod, digital camera, bike, pillow, video games, clothes, shoes, linens, toiletry supplies, towels, musical instruments, not to mention school supplies. Given all that excess baggage, consider yourself lucky if you can cram it all in the family car without having to tow a trailer behind!

Once there, the big question becomes where to put it all and how to organize it. Given that the average dorm room is only around 200 square feet—half of which is occupied by a roommate—every inch of floor space counts. But don’t despair, there are a number of innovative ideas and products that can help keep everything tidy and shipshape.

Doing Your Homework

Before you arrive, check with the school’s housing office or website to see what you’re allowed to bring and what’s considered taboo. Items that may or may not be allowed include microwaves, hot plates, televisions, halogen lamps, candles, and additional furniture.

The school should also give you with a list of rules concerning alterations you can and can’t make to the room—which usually include no nailing, screwing, painting, or any other permanent changes—as well as the standard issue items that will come with it, such as a bed, desk, and/or dresser.

3M Command
Recharging Station

Check to see if the bed is a standard single (39” x 75”) or extra long (39” x 80”), so you’ll know what size sheets to buy. While some dorms come with loft beds that allow space underneath for a desk or dresser, students are usually not allowed to make that kind of modification themselves.

Once you’ve been assigned a roommate, check with them to see if they would like to share larger items, like a microwave or mini-frig, to reduce expenses and avoid unnecessary duplication.

Getting It Together

After you’ve compiled a list of everything you think you’ll need, go over it again and pare it down to the essentials you can’t live without. With list in hand, check newspaper flyers and shop around for back to school bargains. Look for items that:

Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Lift

• Fold for easy storage when not in use, such as a collapsible laundry hamper like one from Caddie Concepts.
• Use bed risers (if allowed) from Bed Bath & Beyond to raise your bed and increase the storage space underneath. You can also make your own risers from 2×4s and PVC pipe. Cut 4″ diameter PVC pipe to the length of the bed leg plus the desired riser height. Next, cut a 2×4 to the riser height and slip it inside the piece of pipe. Raising the bed more than 6″-8″ can make it unstable and pose a safety hazard.
• An attachable bedside shelf, such as the BunkPal from Bed Bath & Beyond, is handy for keeping an alarm clock and other essential items close at hand.
• Make use of wasted space, including shoe or hat racks that hang over the top of a closet door.
• Fit under your bed or can be stored under it in pull out drawers.

3M Command
Picture hangers

Once you have everything in hand, pack it in storage containers that can be used in the dorm room, rather than suitcases which will have to be stored or returned home when you arrive. If you’re traveling by air, mail what you can’t carry aboard the plane, or shop for bulky items after you arrive.

Moving In

When the big day arrives, make the most of your limited dorm space:

• Take advantage of limited floor space with tall, narrow bookcases and drawer units.
• Use removable adhesive wall hangers like 3M Command Strips to hang pictures and other items without damaging the wall. Other Command products include a docking station to charge cell phones and MP3 players.
• Attach posters with removable mounting squares or safe release double sided tape.
• Double the hanging space in your closet by installing a second clothes rod below the existing one. Units are available that hook over the top rod for instant installation without having to screw into walls.
• Use tension rods to hang curtains without damaging walls.

1. You can’t go wrong with trendy

Remember pink ceramic floors and harvest gold appliances? It’s no secret that design trends come and go so it’s always better to stay with neutral colors and practical choices when selecting materials. Research and plan—then research and plan some more—to make sure your space will match your personal style preferences. Start by looking through magazines, at websites online, and by visiting home centers and showrooms to find colors and styles that not only suit your taste, but give a timeless feel.

2. Remodeling always adds value to your home

We all want to bring life to outdated spaces and infuse them with our own personality. There’s nothing wrong with that, but adding an unusual feature that few people will appreciate can make it harder to sell the home later. Where you see a pool as a place for summer fun, many potential buyers will see liability, added maintenance, and additional expense. The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report reveals that home improvements don’t always add a dollar for dollar return to your investment.

Projects that top the list as ones to think twice about include a home office remodel, which on average only recoups about 57% of the investment, and a sunroom addition, which gives a 59% return. Just remember that there are pitfalls to every project and some of them may cost you more than you bargained for. On the flip side, making too many expensive improvements that exceed what’s found in your neighborhood can come back to haunt you when it’s time to sell.

3. I can save money by doing it myself

Thinking of designing a remodeling project yourself? Not so fast. . . . Few homeowners know enough about building codes or have the experience of professional builders or designers.

Think it through before you commit to doing all the nitty-gritty work yourself. Granted, there’s plenty of home improvement advice available, but ask yourself if you have the skill, time, or license required to perform the work. A remodel or home improvement is a big commitment and while tackling it yourself can sometimes save money, it’s important to know your limits and not be afraid to seek out the help of a professional. At least if they make a mistake, it doesn’t come directly out of your wallet, and it’s on their time, not yours. If you’re able to take on a project yourself, or a smaller part of a large project, be prepared for mistakes. No one’s perfect!

4. If I run out, I can always buy more

It’s best to plan for and buy all the materials you’ll need for a project before beginning work in case items are discontinued or have different batch or lot numbers. That or you’ll have to wait for weeks for additional materials to be ordered. Remember to figure in at least 10-15% for waste as well.

5. Going Green is expensive

Some green products do cost more, but the additional cost is actually lower than you might think. As an example, major paint manufacturers now offer paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for less than $2.00 extra per gallon. But who says going green needs to be about buying more stuff? Sure a new high-efficiency heating system or energy efficient windows saves money and natural resources over the life of the products, but it can cost nothing to start living green by making smart choices in everyday activities, such as by:

• Dressing appropriately for the temperature outside. Then program or raise your thermostat a few degrees higher in summer, and grab a sweater and lower the thermostat in the winter.
• Turning out the lights when you leave a room. Keep at it until it becomes second nature.
• Unplugging your electronic toys or use a power strip. Things like TV’s, DVD players, and many AC wall adapters continue to use electricity even when not in use. Power strips reduce this “phantom” electricity draw.
• Using less water by turning off the faucet when brushing those pearly whites or scrubbing dishes. Try taking shorter showers as well.
• Reusing rather than throwing away to reduce waste. The Freecycle Network is a great resource to help find a new home for useful items that you no longer need.

6. It’s just wallpaper, we can hang it

Slapping wallpaper on a wall looks simple, but this is one of those projects that can quickly become a nightmare. Before tackling, consider the room you want to paper. Any obstacle within the room, such as a vanity or toilet, will require that you cut the wallpaper and match it up to go around it—not always an easy task to do.

7. Cracks in walls indicate big problems

Most cracks are a result of normal expansion and contraction and not a structural failure. In the rare case when it’s something more serious, however, you may need to call in a structural engineer. If your home is exhibiting several symptoms of foundation problems like expanding cracks, sticking doors, or uneven floors, you may need a foundation repair. Experienced professionals can give you an accurate analysis of your home and design a foundation repair solution.

8. Only one more trip to the home center and I’ll have everything I need

It’s good to be optimistic, but it’s also very hard to anticipate or remember everything you’ll need, so never say…last trip!

Kitchen Cabinets

• Countertop: 25” deep x 36” high
• Base cabinet: 24” deep x 34½” high
• Base cabinet kick space: 3” deep x 4” high
• Drawers: 4” high and up
• Hanging cabinet: 12” deep x 30”- 42” high
• Space between countertop and hanging cabinet: 18” high
• Space between range top and hanging cabinet: 24” high
• Distance between island and cabinets: 42” wide
• Distance between island for walkway: 36” wide

Bathroom Vanity

• Sink: 30” - 36” high
• Vanity: 21”- 24” deep

Furniture

• Chair seat: 16”- 18” high
• Coffee table: 18”- 28” wide x 16”-19” high
• Desk: 24-30” wide x 28”- 30” high
• Desk knee hole: 26”- 28” wide
• Dining table: 36”- 42” wide x 29”- 32” high

Mattress Sizes

• Single (twin): 75” long x 39” wide
• Single (twin) extra long: 80” long x 39” wide
• Double (full): 75” long x 54” wide
• Queen: 80” long x 60” wide
• King: 80” long x 76” wide
• California King: 84” long x 72” wide

Interior decorator Diane Berry of Unique Designs, Inc. discusses how to work with a client to design the perfect master bedroom suite. In addition to a bed with upholstered headboard; the room will include a reading area, desk for writing, and a built-in breakfast bar.

To help you make sense of house plan blueprints, keep in mind that:

• House plans are usually drawn to ¼” scale, which means that a quarter inch on the blueprints represents one foot on the job site. A special ruler with a ¼” scale can be used to convert the blueprints to the actual measurements, or you can use a standard ruler and multiply each measurement times four.
• The number next to each window and door on the plans give the number of units followed by the width and height of each unit in feet and inches. So the designation 2-2640 would indicate that there are two window units together with each one 2’6” wide by 4’0” high.
• To understand what the various symbols on the plans represent, look them up on the symbol list found in the legend on the plans.

More information on this project can be found at (637) Today’s Addition (Part 1).

To reduce wind damage from a hurricane or tornado, joints connecting the framing of a house are tied together from the roof down to the sill using metal straps and hardware.

Finishing a basement can pose unique design challenges, but if done right, a remodeled basement will enhance the value of a home and provide much needed additional space.

Companies like the Finished Basement Company specialize in basement design. Their showroom displays some of their most popular options, including bars and rooms devoted to home theater systems.

The company also includes distinctive features like built-in benches to conceal ductwork and a “mouse hole” nook under the staircase that serves as a play area for children.

Hiding structural beams and the maze of exposed ductwork, wires, and pipes that are usually found in a basement requires careful planning and innovative ceiling design.

To keep the ceiling from appearing too utilitarian, additional design elements are often incorporated into it.

One of the biggest potential problems that needs to be addressed early on when finishing a basement is the presence of moisture. This is often best handled by removing the soil around the basement.

Once the excavation work has been done, the walls are waterproofed from the outside.

When it is complete, a finished basement can provide a restful retreat from the world above.