Archive for December 2011
10 Things You Must Know When Building or Renovating
December 12, 2011 | 
Author By Megan Bower
There are many sad cases of home renovations not going as planned – often going way over budget or schedule, or unforeseen complications popping up unexpectedly and ruining even up to years of work.
Most of these situations would never have gone so awry with some careful planning and early decision making sooner in the renovation process. Below are a few issues that it is vital to think about before you begin your home renovation.
10 Things to Think About BEFORE Beginning Work
Prepare a budget
Be aware of council regulations
Find a general contractor
Know your start and completion dates
Selecting Products
Prepare plans
Purchasing products
What should I purchase myself?
What services are available to my property?
What sort of hot water unit do I need?
Prepare a budget
Before you start shopping for your new bathroom or kitchen you must know your spending limits. Whether you are getting a loan or paying cash, you need to work out how much your project is going to cost. Some businesses also offer finance solutions for approved customers.
Be aware of council regulations
Find out all the information you can before you arrange contractor. If your home is heritage listed you will need to meet strict council regulations. Many renovations must be approved by the council before work can commence. Contact your local council for more details.
Finding a contractor
Speak with family and friends who have done renovations or built a home. It is important to find a contractor that you can communicate with. Make sure you understand everything they are telling you. Book a contractor well ahead of time, as they can be booked for months in advance. Ensure that your contractor is licensed. Your product warranties are only valid if installed by a licensed contractor.
Know your start and completion dates
Communicate with your contractor and come to an agreement of realistic start and completion dates for your project. If you have a specific date that the job must be finished by, for example you have relatives coming to stay, let your contractor know. Keep in mind that unexpected problems can hold up your project, no matter how well you have planned it.
Selecting Products
It may take a few shopping trips for you to decide on the products that give you the look you desire and are also practical for your needs. Browse through a print or online catalog. Once you have decided on a style (modern, heritage or easy living) this will narrow down your product choices. Be aware of any size restrictions of the room. Print out or write down product specifications and measure up your bathroom. You may use the online bathroom planner at the Bourne Bathroom and Kitchen Center website to layout the products you have chosen.
Talk to your contractor about your choices. If the contractor tells you that a product you have chosen is unsuitable, find out why. It may just be that extra work is required that they don’t want to do. Remember, it is your home and you need to be satisfied once the job is complete.
Prepare plans
It is important that you draw up plans of your bathroom or kitchen. Discuss the plans with your contractor. Let him know what sort of products you would like, so he will know what work needs to be done. For example if you have chosen an in wall cistern, the contractor will need to know so he can set up the plumbing correctly before the tiling is done. It is best to have specifications of all of the products you have chosen so the contractor knows exactly what work is required.
Purchasing products
When selecting products, find out how long it will take for delivery. Some goods such as tap ware and toilets will be in stock, while others such as spas and vanity units are custom made and can take up to 1 month to order in. Often these custom made products are non-refundable so confirm your product choices with your contractor before ordering. Find out from your contractor which products they will required first. Generally, the first products needed are the shower base, bath or spa and mixers if they are being installed on the wall.
As an owner builder, what should I purchase myself?
If you are owner building, make sure you purchase all of the main products for your bathroom, kitchen and laundry. This will ensure that you make all of the decisions and achieve the result you want. There will be things you will not think about when placing an order, such as different handle types on a vanity unit, the pump position of your spa, that you will need to decide on. It is important to make these decisions yourself as they will affect the overall result of your project. Smaller fittings for plumbing can be purchased by your trades person.
What services are available to my property?
It is important to know whether you need gas or electric appliances (hot water unit, cooking appliances). If you live further out from the city, you may need LPG appliances. If you currently have electric appliances and you want to change to gas, speak with your contractor to determine if this is going to be cost effective and worthwhile in the long run. If you are building a new home, decide on the appliances you want before building begins, as the plumbing will need to be roughed in based on your product selection.
What sort of Hot Water Unit do I need?
There is a wide range of hot water units available and it can be quite daunting to try and choose one. If you are replacing an existing unit your choices can be limited, so speak with your contractor. The instantaneous hot water units are popular at the moment, but they use a larger gas line than the standard storage units. This can mean major plumbing changes which can be quite costly, though in the long run the instantaneous systems are cost efficient.
Many of these points seem somewhat obvious, but the problem arises when you start taking things for granted. When you don’t make sure that all your bases are covered, you may find that you have invested a lot of time, effort and money in a home renovation that you may end up unhappy with.
For more home improvement tips and tricks as well as information about getting your home ready to sell for top dollar contact Megan Bower, your local Realtor specializing in St. Petersburg, Clearwater and the Tampa Bay Beaches 727-742-2699, or better yet schedule a FREE consultation!
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10 Ways to Jazz Up Your Outdoor Living Space
It’s the time of year in Florida where Floridians have the chance to comfortably enjoy themselves outdoors. Now is the time to spruce up your outdoor living space to be able to enjoy it fully for the coming months and capitalize on all the great whether coming your way. While the rest of the country is shivering and shoveling snow you can enjoy the wonderful weather around you. Take the time to do the following activities and you’ll have the best winter ever!
1. The easiest way to jazz up your outdoor deck or patio is by using splashes of color. Sometimes it only means investing in a few accent pieces that make a bold statement and your outdoor living space perks right up. You don’t always have to buy new – with a little elbow grease and some creativity you can make second hand items look brand new. Here are some ideas to help get you started.
2. Before you begin, clear everything off of your deck or patio and give it a good pressure wash. If it needs staining, all the new furniture in the world won’t help – bite the bullet and give it a new coat of stain or paint. This is actually a great place to get started with colorful accents. Try painting your fence posts a bright, coordinating color such as teal. Or paint a pattern or border around the edge of your deck.
3. Decks are for socializing, so show that you are ready for company. The addition of metal furniture is inexpensive and comes in lots of great colors. Place a colorful bar cart in the corner and load it up with bright acrylic glassware.
4. Give your old wicker furniture a facelift by painting it in bright sunny colors, or if you’re feeling adventuress, use a stencil and add flowers or other patterns. Just use acrylic paint, but seal it with varnish to protect your paint job.
5. Get a hold of a galvanized bucket or oblong container, paint it bright blue or orange and add a vine pattern on the outside. Voila, now you have a fancy ice-bucket for all your coolers. Remember, unless you’re using a food-safe paint, the surface should not come in direct contact with food.
6. Use themes such as the seashore, by incorporating fishies, sea shells and beach balls in your accents or stencils. A citrus theme works well by using pale greens, oranges and yellow as colors for chairs or bistro tables. Try painting a slatted table top with two or three different corresponding shades.
7. Who says garden sheds have to be brown and boring. Add colorful window boxes, gingerbread trim and some wild stripes on the walls.
8. Funky lighting goes a long way to perking up a patio area. Colorful lanterns or strings of lights can be hung from overhanging trees or beams providing a fun, economical source of lighting.
9. What to do with the white vinyl furniture that’s still in great shape, but you hate to get rid of? Not to worry. With paint specially formulated for vinyl furniture, and some new cushions, you can make your old chairs look brand new.
10. Use color wisely by tying everything together with your accessories. Take four chairs each painted in a different primary color and add a cushion in a common color such as red or green, and place them around a neutral table top.
For more information about home improvements to help your property gain the best bang for its buck or if your looking to buy or sell property in Tampa Bay’s Beaches, St. Petersburg or Clearwater contact Megan Bower the St. Pete real estate expert.
