Monday, June 5, 2017

Bathroom Remodeling Mistakes to Avoid

We all know that remodeling your bathroom can be a costly endeavor. Obviously no one wants to waste money, but smart homeowners want to get the most value for the money they are investing. The best way to do this is to avoid unnecessary costs.

In all likelihood, a bathroom remodel will be an expensive undertaking. Whether you are remodeling to increase the value or the functionality of your home in either case you'll want to cut costs any way that you can. One of the best ways to save money is to avoid mistakes and not to waste it on mistakes.

bathroom remodeling

In our experience, the most costly bathroom remodeling mistakes fit into 3 categories:

1. Undefined or Unrealistic Budgets

You might be surprised how many homeowners fail to set a budget, or when they do set a budget it is unrealistic to put it nicely. When you are trying to get the most value for your investment the last thing you want to do is have a budget that is too high to being with.

When setting the budget for any remodeling project you have to be honest with yourself. You know what you can afford and what you cannot. If you set a budget that is too high and funds start to get tight you will have to cut corners and the end result will not be what you wanted. It is always better to set a realistic budget to begin with, then if there are a few dollars left over and you want to add a feature or two you can do so without worrying about affording.

Bathroom Remodeling Cost 2017

Bathroom Remodeling Multnomah County Costs

Knowing the bathroom remodeling Portland costs is recommended before starting a bathroom remodeling project. While looking at national averages can give a general idea, such numbers usually do not include factors which may affect the final price, such as local labor hourly rates, material costs and any local permits required for the Portland bathroom remodeling project.

As our numbers show in 2017 average cost that homeowners paid for bathroom remodel in Multnomah county is between $3,622.00 and $17,620.00.

Read More About Bathroom Remodeling on Manta

2. Poor Material Choices

Just because you buy the most expensive materials possible doesn't mean you have chosen the best materials for your bathroom. This is something that you should take some time with to consider the pros and cons of your choices. While the design and aesthetic are important, you should also consider durability and cleaning requirements.

Don't buy before you plan

You should never purchase your materials before you have had time to plan your bathroom remodel or any remodel for that matter. If you haven't taken measurements how do you know if that beautiful new sink will fit? We all know how tempting sales can be, and sometimes you can find really good deals. However, if it turns out you can't use whatever materials you bought for some reason then it winds up costing you money instead of saving.

3. Cutting corners at the end of the project

This is a problem that is caused by mistake #1, not setting a realistic budget. Your bathroom remodel starts off fine, but at the end you realize you are running out of money and you want to try to cut corners. Unfortunately, cutting corners tends to create more problems rather than solve them. It may not cost you immediately, but in the long term you will pay back any money you saved and pay more in costly problems down the road. As much as you may want you new bathroom right now, it is always wise to wait until you are sure you can afford it.

If you want to guarantee the success of your bathroom renovation project then you should take the necessary time to plan your project. Proper planning can help you to avoid the costly mistakes listed above and save you money. You should never have to compromise on quality to get the bathroom you'll be proud of for years to come.

If you would like expert advice on bathroom remodeling, call Steve's Home Improvement today at (503) 342-8234.

Find additional information on: http://www.steves-home-improvement.com

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Does Your Portland Home’s Foundation Need Repairs?

Much like roofing, it can be very easy to overlook the importance of your Portland home's foundation until there is an issue. Any time you wish to assess the overall condition of your home you should take the your foundation into consideration. If left unchecked, foundation issues can lead to sever structural damage with huge repair costs.

The Important of a Solid Foundation

It should go without saying, but your home's foundation supports the entire structure. If you have foundation problems, not only can they lead to further damage, it can reduce the value of your home should you choose to put it on the market.

  • Any time you notice cracks in walls, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem; it indicates that your foundation is shifting. This also means that your homes stability is becoming compromised. While wall and ceiling cracks may by unsightly, they also serve as a warning that your home is in some need of foundation repair.
  • Once your foundation starts to crack or shift it will allow moisture to build up in your home. In Portland's damp climate that can lead to issues with mold and lead to water damage. Fixing your foundation before it gets to that point can save you thousands of dollars and protect the health of both your home and your family. Mold damage can cause significant health issues.
  • If your home's foundation is compromised it will only get worse. If you determine that there are issues with your foundation you need to have them repaired as quickly as possible.

Foundation Repair Portland OR

Repairing your home's foundation can be expensive. The problem is if you choose to put it off you won't be saving any money. In fact, chances are your repair bill will continue to grow and your foundation deteriorates and leads to more expensive damage. If your home's foundation is starting to shift or sag you should give Steve's a call to schedule a free inspection and assessment. We can help you determine if your home's foundation needs repairs. If it does, we will explain the options available to you, and help you get the repairs done as quickly and economically as possible.

Read additional info on: Steve's Home Improvement Renovation Idea Blog

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Increasing the Value of Your Home

Increase Your Portland Home Value

What do you want to do?

When you first start to consider remodeling your home, chances are you have so many ideas you don't know what to do. In fact, the more you think about it the more ideas will come to mind. So how do you make such a big decision with seemingly endless possibilities. You have to start eliminating the impractical and unrealistic ideas and start honing in on ideas that could actually work. If you want to increase your Portland home value the potential return on all the different ideas you have should help determine the correct course of action.

What can you actually do?

Your budget is another limiting factor that should eliminate many of the outlandish ideas your brain can come up with. You have a certain amount of money that you can allocate for a remodel project so you have to be sure that you are spending your money wisely.

What is Your Portland Home Worth?

If you are trying to gauge the value of remodeling your home it helps to first learn its current value. Most homeowners can make a pretty close estimate of the value of their home, but it is still worth doing your research. Websites like Trulia, Redfin, and Zillow can come in handy. See what similar homes in your neighborhood are selling for will give you a solid idea of your homes current market value. Zillow and Trulia even allow you to get a free estimate of your home simply by plugging in your information.

Increase Your Portland Home Value

What you should do

You might notice that the most prominent elements on the home listing websites is bed/bath and square footage. This is obviously because those three factors have the greatest impact on a home's current market value. If your home has significantly less square footage or bedrooms than your neighbors then the value of your home will be a fraction of theirs. If this is the case then a home addition, or converting your attic or basement into livable square footage could have a huge ROI.

Then again, if your the value of your home is extremely high relative to your neighbors, there isn't much chance that remodeling would have any significant impact on your home's overall value. In fact, in that case your run the risk of pricing your home out of the market. We always tell our remodel clients that their budget should be in proportion to the home's current value.

The final consideration is just how long you plan to live in your current home. If your is to sell your home in the next 5 years then it is not wise to overinvest in home improvements. Curb appeal and critical maintenance issues should be your main focus. On the other hand, if you expect to live in this home for the next 10-20 years, then your decision making process is different. You should start thinking about which specific investments are important to you. And since you will have to live with these decisions for the next decade or two, you really shouldn't rush your decision. If you need help coming up with a plan just remember that Steve's is here for you.

See additional info on: http://steves-home-improvement.com

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Fireplace Facelift: A Rental Friendly 'Marble' Makeover



One of the things that I knew I wanted to change in my rental was the yellow tile surrounding my fireplace. I'll admit that once I moved in, the yellow tiles grew on me. They were more charming than I originally guessed, but I still felt that they weren't in keeping with my overall style and vision for the space. A couple of them were also cracked. (And yes, the ceiling fan is another thing I'd like to change!)

The tricky thing is that this is a rental unit, so I have to be realistic about what I can change and what I have to live with. I want to retile my kitchen backsplash eventually, so I'm saving the 'ask the landlord' question for that. Furthermore, I wanted marble and I know that it's not in the budget, and investing a lot of money into a rental doesn't make sense for me.