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8 Reasons to Finish Your Basement – Home Remodeling

Why should I finish my basement? It is a lot of stress to do it, and right now it looks so dark and dreary I really don’t see it being that nice of a place. I can give you a few reasons.
1) With the economy the way it is you will really get some bang for your buck. A Basement Finish Contractor is now charging around 20% less than they did in the past.
2) There is less waiting time. It used to be that you had to wait until you contractor had an opening, but with the economy the way it is you can now expect contractors to bend to your time line.
3) As a way to make up for the recession large stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s now offer volume discounts that could potentially save you thousands.
4) There is plenty of manpower available. The construction industry has really slowed to a halt the last couple of years, so there are tons of highly skilled workers waiting to do your job.
5) Loans have never been easier to obtain.
6) It is still cheaper to finish a basement than it is to build a new home.
7) Expanding your space can increase your equity in the home. It is estimated that for every $1,000 you spend on your basement you will be building $1,500 in equity.
8) You can now enjoy different kinds of living space. Some people build playrooms, workout areas, entertainment rooms, the use of the space is only limited by your imagination. If you need a Good Denver Remodeling Contractor look me up.

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Home Renovations Tips On Hiring A General Contractor

What comes to mind when I say home remodeling? Dread I bet! Remodeling, renovations, sprucing up, whatever you want to call it can all be done without headaches guaranteed. I know it is hard to believe but it is possible to do kitchen and bathroom remodeling, flooring renovations, home additions, porch upgrades and general upgrades without stress or breaking the budget.
Our home, like many, is in a constant state of repair and could always benefit from a minor remodel or home renovation. I can think of many things that need to be done right now. The bathroom renovations would include a flooring renovation along with updates faucets and a new styled mirror. The kitchen remodel could easily start with cabinet refinishing, flooring upgrade and hardware touches. This is not to mention we could use a room addition for extra storage and possible a guest bedroom along with some work in the basement. A basement transformation would be on that wish list too. I am sure if you spoke with my husband an out building, shed addition would be first on his list.
Of course these are the major things. This does not touch base on the millions of little items that could use some handyman touches. The doors get loose, moldings could be updated, crown molding added, pavement outside needs some repair and I am sure you could find some lose boards on our porch and deck not to mention some staining efforts could be used. There is always something big or small to be done.
This is when I begin to tell you the secret to painless home renovations. Listen close. The key to stress free remodeling is to hire a trusted contractor. When you hire a contractor you are not only hiring that person but a team of experts that support him. A licensed contractor has resources available at the touch of a button. If you need an electrician, a plumber, general handyman, painter or skilled carpenter they will be able to show you the way to a trusted professional. I am not saying that finding a contractor will be easy but the effort will pay for itself tenfold.
There are some things that will help lead the way in helping you find a licensed skilled contractor that best fits your need. The first step in finding a contractor you want to work with is to get a list of contractors from friends, family and acquaintances have used in the past. This is a great place to start. If you are new to the area a quick Google search will lend a hand in supplying a number of home renovation specialists. A terrific way in which to find out a lot of information quickly is to check their website. A website is the front window to their "store". Your gut will help steer from here on whether you want to interview them in person.
Once you have a list the next step is to call and do some preliminary checking. You will want to only work with insured, licensed contractors. This is an important first question. If they are not licensed and insured move on to the next home remodeler as a possible source for your renovation needs. Eventually you will decide on a few to meet in person. Ask them to bring a portfolio with references. Most general contractors will let you know what their specialty is. Finding a home remodeling specialist will not be difficult. Your first impression will immediately tell you whether or not this person is someone that is a professional or a quack. Ask basic questions, get a general feel and move forward. It is this simple.
A contractor should be willing to vouch for the professionals they hire to work alongside them. Professional renovators will ensure satisfaction and will guarantee that a job is not complete until the client is one hundred percent satisfied. Once you have found someone you like. Trust and that does work that impresses you refer them often and use them often. A reliable general contractor is a commodity and should be treated as one. You will find that the quality of work they do is good but is better when you are pleasant and helpful in continuing to help them grow their business as well.

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Stick to Your Construction Budget – Home Construction Ideas

I seriously can’t remember ever building a home, when I was working for another contractor, where the construction budget was actually balanced. Whenever they were my projects, I made sure that we finish the job on budget, unless the homeowner really wanted something extra and understood the consequences.
I can’t stress this enough, to anyone who is interested in building a new home, renovating an old one or simply remodeling your bathroom. If the contractor gives you a price of $25,000 to remodel your kitchen and your budget is $26,000, this should send a clear signal that you only have an extra thousand dollars to mess around with.
I was working on a whole house remodel one time and the budget was around $400,000. The contractor that I was working with at the time wanted to please the homeowners and really didn’t think twice about going over, as and on the construction budget.
When the job was completed, the homeowner had spent over $625,000 and that’s $225,000 over budget and I’m sure that it put this family into some strong financial burdens. This isn’t the first time something like this happened to someone that I was working with or working for.
If you’re building a home and the contractor doesn’t give you a fixed price, you need to find another contractor. You must know what the home is actually going to cost when finally completed. In case you didn’t hear what I just said, make sure that you have a fixed price contract from your general contractor and that everything is included in the contract.
The worst thing that can happen to anyone building a home or remodeling one is to start with a construction budget that is already more than you can afford, only to find out later on that the cost overruns are going to force you into financial devastation.

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Lighting Ideas for Your Home

New lighting is an excellent way to compliment any interior of your home. Recessed lighting, placed in different distinct patterns, can update your kitchen & bathroom or highlight any room in your home. Placed around the perimeter of your dinning room, recessed lighting can add depth and glamour.
Very unique and versatile track lighting can highlight your bookcase, mantle or paintings. Cove lighting, behind a soffet or crown molding offers a soft glow that will enhance your dining, theater or family room. Built-in custom lighting centered in your kitchen, with wood trim and a modern style diffuser, can really accent your cabinets or island. In addition under mount cabinet lighting can add a beautiful warm glow to your countertops. Wall sconces can add life to any hallway or staircase.
If your thinking of adding a dimmer switch to your existing lighting, make sure your lighting circuit is either a single or a 3-way switch and the dimmer you purchase is also rated for the volts, amps and the total wattage of the lighting you are connecting it to.
Enhance the curb appeal to your home with elegant outdoor lighting. Accentuate your landscape and the front of your home with strategically placed flood lights. Give your home a touch of sophistication with antique style coach lanterns on either side of your front and garage doors.
Gas or electric post lanterns are also very popular with many homeowners, placed at the end of the walk or around your backyard will create a traditional illuminating glow. Target dark areas of your backyard with flood lights, tight up against your wall will create beautiful shadows and depth. Stone or copper fire pots is also a very classy way to show off your patio and pool.
If your thinking of purchasing low voltage flood, tropical or landscape lighting, be sure of all your distances and number of lights you will need. There are many different manufacturers and all there systems have different limits on there lighting circuits and transformer placements. In addition, try to select a system with a quick and easy wire connections at each light, this will help if relocation of any lights will be necessary.
Creating more natural light in your home is very important as well. Installing a window(s) or skylight(s) is an excellent way to brighten the decor of any room: kitchen, bathroom or family room.

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Home Remodeling – Different Requirements for Every Home Owner

When considering home remodeling, there are many ideas to select from. Home owners always wish to make adjustments to their home and to make it better in every aspect possible. However this can only come to life if the appropriate funds are available. Any home owner might have a number of ideas to select from but all might not be appropriate. At the end of the day, the real question which must be asked before any home remodeling project is undertaken is what really do you want? How do you wish to transform your home?
Would you like your home to be remodeled into one which looks beautiful both on the outside as well as inside? Would you want it to be a place where you can retreat comfortably after a long days work? Would you like your home to display how wealthy you are or would you simply want it to be a house which fits in with the others? Every home owner is likely to want different areas of their home remodeled and for them, home remodeling would mean something completely different, than it is done to someone else. When given the chance to conduct home remodeling and to achieve your dream house, not everyone is likely to opt for the same thing. Therefore, before opting for home remodeling, you need to consider certain aspects with the help of which you can begin coming up with home remodeling ideas to discuss with your contractor.
Every home has a number of individuals living in it. The needs and requirements would be different for each of these people and hence would have to be considered when conducting home remodeling. If you are married and have a wife, for her, home remodeling would consist of having room to entertain her friends and family while at the same time being able to maintain a good home. Most wives also wish to have a proper dining room along with a sitting room as part of remodeling.
Then, there are those members of the household who are constantly wishing to have fun and entertainment. They wish to watch movies and listen to music all the time and at times, this passion and addiction is much larger than any available financial budget. For such people, it is absolutely vital for a budget to be allocated for remodeling or else the likelihood of going overboard is very high. By having a budget, perhaps one room of the house could be allocated to entertainment rather than exploring within the entire house.
Then, there is that one person at home who wishes to cook and absolutely loves staying in the kitchen all day, coming up with new and delicious recipes. Remodeling for such an individual would consist of having high quality and top grade appliances, cabinets and wall fittings, adequate storage space, running water, a good work station and the list goes on. With the right kind of remodeling planning, this can be made possible.
Remodeling ideas have a number of forms and different home owners are likely to have different interests when considering home remodeling. There is a great deal of inspiration which goes into remodeling and the simplest of ideas can be executed into the best remodeling projects, if they are planned correctly. Without taking a chance, nothing is possible so let your imagination run wild whenever you come up with your next remodeling idea. You could just end up with something fantastic and your home would be completely transformed to a little extra imagination.