Home Contractors | Yakima Furniture

Home Remodeling With “Aging in Place”

June 14, 2022 Comments Off

These seniors are choosing to remain living independently in their own homes- “aging in place” as it is termed by seniors’ advocates – for as long as possible so remodeling their current residence to suit their changing needs is increasing in popularity.
If you do choose to remodel your home for safety and accessibility what work should you be commissioning? Here are some of the essential elements of a senior friendly home.
Overall Floor Plan – A single story home is, of course, the ideal option but if you own a two story home consider having a downstairs room (an underused dining room perhaps) converted into a comfortable master bedroom. A master bedroom suite would be preferable as having a bathroom downstairs is almost an essential for less mobile members of the household.
Bathroom – Whether upstairs or down, there are a number of adjustments that can be made to ensure that bathing is a safer experience for seniors. Grab bars around the bathing and toilet areas are a must and replacing a traditional bath tub with a step in model minimizes the risk of bath time slips and falls.
Kitchen – Upper wall cabinetry should be at least 3 inches lower than is considered “usual” so that no one has to strain to reach them or use an unsteady step stool. The path through the kitchen should be open and unobstructed.
Flooring – Slippery tiled or high sheen surfaces are a no-no but while carpeting may seem like the obvious solution installing one with a pile deeper than ½ inch or without proper under padding can be just as hazardous. For safetys sake always have any new flooring professionally installed to ensure that it is properly secured in place.
Home Exteriors – The exterior of the home should be well lit for security purposes and some seniors choose to have a flashing emergency light installed so that the home is easily located by emergency services should it be necessary. Pathways should be well lit and any steps should have sturdy hand rails.

DIY Home Remodeling – Saving Money With My Own Labor

May 20, 2022 Comments Off

Handy homeowners save money. But, is there a limit to what you can do? So many people desire to participate in physical DIY labor in their home building and remodeling projects. You should be careful, however. There are pitfalls.

Question: Is it advantageous to provide some of my own labor during my remodeling (or building) project?

Answer: Providing your own labor can provide you with the biggest savings in any owner builder project … whether remodeling or building a new home. Labor is a big factor in any such project.

But, are you knowledgeable, skilled, and available? My advice is to never perform your own labor unless you possess the following:

Time: You should know that you can perform the work without jeopardizing your time and effectiveness at work.

Ability: Attempt only work that falls within your skill-sets. Sometimes friends and co-workers can provide the skill and that’s okay too.

Speed: As they say, “time is money”. In building this is also true, especially if you have a loan that you’re paying interest on.

Know your strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t have a well-designed plan of action, you must prepare one or find someone to provide one. Having these three attributes without a game plan can be dangerous.

Do You Know Exactly What You’re After?

Finally, keep your overall goal in mind. Are you focused on saving the most money, getting more of what you want in the home, or are you really wanting to maximize your enjoyment of the entire process?

If you can perform the work well and it’s very enjoyable, then go for it!

Just be sure you execute your plan properly.

Simple Home Improvement Projects

December 1, 2021 Comments Off

Generally speaking home improvement projects tend to be costly. This idea has been reinforced by the fact that we hear homeowners take out large loans to pay for their home renovation tasks. However, in this tough economy spending large sum of money for some homeowners may not be feasible. This article will point out some simple and inexpensive home remodeling projects that will improve the overall quality and look of your home
To dispel a myth we need to insert that you do not always have to spend tons of money to make your home look beautiful. Yes, it is possible to achieve beauty with simple home remodeling projects. Home renovation does not always mean knocking down walls or making structural changes. Any enhancement to the look and feel of your home is considered home improvement. Now that we have established this fact let’s look at some simple and inexpensive home improvement projects that can be carried out by almost any homeowner.
Know What You Want to Achieve
Many people end up spending lots of money hiring contractors because they simply don’t know what they want to achieve. If you are uncertain, then take a look at various home decorating magazines to get an idea of what you want to do with your home. Many times a simple rearrangement of furniture or addition of certain furniture or decorative object will provide you with the look you are trying to achieve.
Freshen up with a code of paint
One of the simplest and least inexpensive home improvement projects is repaint your walls with a fresh code of paint. You will be surprised how much a fresh code of paint can do in terms of enhancing the look of your house. Select a different shade for the trims and doors. Check out various magazines and online images to get an idea of what colors are popular and which particularly appeal to your taste.
Get Rid of Clutter
Simple is beautiful and therefore do not be afraid of removing objects that are cluttering or blocking the pathways in your living room. One of the most unruly aspects of a home is clutter and it almost immediately distracts your attention from other parts or objects in your home. Therefore organize all objects and get rid of things you do not need or use.
Lighting
Lighting is another important home remodeling task that cannot be left out. Light is not only important because it controls the amount of light in your home but also because the lamp itself a decorative object. Depending on the layout and your individual taste, you may choose to use a chandelier, track lighting or pot lights. Just remember that you should hire an electrician if you need to run any wiring or make changes to your existing wiring.
Floor Enhancement
Your floor covers a large area and is quite visible. Therefore, you will have to ensure your floors look great. Flooring used to be an expensive ordeal if you did not have good handyman skills. However, with the introduction of laminate and engineered hardwood, flooring has never been easier. You can simply click the pieces together. You can also take free classes at various home improvement centers such as Home depot to give you a better idea as how to install your laminate flooring.

Current Home Remodeling Trends

August 21, 2021 Comments Off

Some home remodeling trends never change. People are always looking towards home improvement to do one of two things. They either want to increase the value of their home or they simply want to make their living space more comfortable, functional and beautiful. The two main areas that seem to get most of the attention are the bathroom and the kitchen, and the easiest way to go about it is by simply updating everything. That means better mirrors and counters in the bathroom. Perhaps some additional and attractive lighting can be added as well. In the kitchen it’s the same thing. Better counters, lights, cabinets and appliances all the seem to get most of the attention. Some will go even further and add an island.
But if you are looking for trends, consider this. It seems like most of the projects going on right now are designed with the homeowner in mind. That means big upgrades for the sake of making the home more livable. The upgrades come in the form of either making something more attractive or more functional. In a struggling economy people are spending their money on things that will improve their life as it is right now, rather than thinking of moving or taking a nice vacation.
Expanding existing space is also becoming trendy. Again, bettering your current home is taking priority, and in almost all cases is less expensive, than looking for a new place to live. Adding space can mean anything from creating another bedroom to adding what might be termed luxury space. That would include things like a library, wine cellar or even a craft room.
Taking the home comfort theme even further is the colors that are being selected now. You’ll find that most projects are geared towards adding more natural colors that make the occupant feel “at home” and comfortable. Earthy colors are definitely in. In fact even if you get high quality paint, painting is one of the least expensive ways to make your home look and feel better both inside and out.
Home remodeling has become a trend in and of itself. Where people once were looking to move, they are now looking for ways to make their current home more appealing. And by doing so they are, in most cases, adding value to the property as well.

3 Tips on How to Spruce Up Your Home

March 31, 2021 Comments Off

Are you looking for tips that can help you give new life to your home? If you want your home to look well put together without having to pay for the services of an interior designer, then let this short article help you out. The good news is you can easily spruce up your home just by following a few easy tips. All it takes is a sense of creativity and some patience.
But first, you need to get rid of all the clutter you have managed to collect for the past years. Look around and decide on the items that you still want to keep and those that you can already throw out. Learn to work with what you have so that you won’t have to spend so much money buying new furnishings and decorative items.
Next, get inspired by the items that you have decided to retain and start thinking up of a theme for your new design. Whether you decide to take the minimalist approach or a fusion between Asian design and modern technique, make sure that the theme works well with the space that you have. Your design elements should be able to blend into each other seamlessly so that you don’t end up with a mismatched room.
Lastly, don’t forget to get a new paint job for your room. Not only will the room look much cleaner, but with the right colours, it can look brighter as well. If you’re planning to use wallpaper instead, be sure to choose a design that can give your room an interesting twist.