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https://stacksocial.com/sales/the-ultimate-home-improvement-software-bundle

One of the most exciting aspects of owning a home is the opportunity to fix it up to reflect your style. By continually making upgrades, the value of your investment will go up.

From day one, you’ve probably been dreaming about adding that new deck, updating the kitchen or bathroom, or installing contemporary fixtures to replace the outdated ones. With all the home improvement television shows and websites out there, it sometimes might feel like you have too many options.

The important part is to go with a design that is both timeless and suits your style. Afterall, you are the one that is going to be enjoying the upgrades every day. This will come as no surprise to homeowners, but home improvement projects are costly and most people do not have the cash lying around to pay for such a big expense. Fortunately, there are less expensive upgrades you can make that will go a long way and when you are ready for the big upgrade, there are ways to finance even if you do not have the cash upfront.

Ways To Fund Major Home Improvement Projects

One option for homeowners to fund major home improvement projects is to refinance the mortgage. It may be that you would benefit from refinancing to a lower interest rate anyway. However, if you already have a good mortgage, you can look into getting a home equity line of credit.

With these loans, you must pay the minimum monthly payment, but you can take out money as needed and pay it back as you can. Another option is a home equity loan, where you borrow a fixed amount of money and pay a fixed amount over a certain amount of time.

If you are thinking about a huge project, like a knock-down and rebuild or a new addition then getting a construction loan may be your best bet. Lastly, simply getting a credit card can help homeowners get through smaller projects. Talk to your bankers, like these at , to discuss the best option for you based on the size of your project.

Small Projects that Do Wonders

While you are waiting on that loan for the kitchen remodel, or if you’ve decided to wait a year or two before you undergo a huge project, there are small upgrades that will speak volumes to “wow” your guests.

Consider putting a fresh coat of paint on the living room or touching up the baseboards to give the room a clean and refreshed appeal. If your home is older, it may be time to simply install new windows or doors, through a source like this .

Give your front entrance a facelift by painting the door a bright color. If you aren’t ready to do an entire makeover, update small details like doorknobs, faucets, light switch plates, cabinet hardware, crown molding. These small improvements will make a huge difference until you can get your ducks in a row for the major project.

The post Home Improvement in Central New Jersey appeared first on Mom Blog Society.

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Alright so today on the blog it is all about “3 Tips for Starting Your Kitchen Renovation. Home renovation projects range from the little touch ups to complete remodeling projects or room additions. The best way to prevent problems is to take steps at the very beginning that minimize the chance of issues arising later. Here are 3 tips for starting your kitchen renovation project so that it goes as smoothly as possible.

Plan It All Out Before You Start
Before you start pouring the foundation or ripping out the current walls, make sure you have a finalized blueprint for the project, a schedule for the necessary tasks and a budget for the work. This ensures that you don’t have a half-ripped up kitchen when unexpected expenses arise that you have not budgeted for. It will also save you from headaches like someone buying appliances that don’t fit in the redesigned kitchen.

Not only that, but it will guarantee that you don’t schedule specialists to come in to work before the preceding tasks have been done, such as having the drywall installer putting up walls before the plumbing is installed, or perhaps worse, inspected. Learn what permits you need before you start work and verify who is responsible for securing them before or during work.

Give Some Thought to the Appliances
Too many people see the kitchen renovation as an excuse to throw out all of their current appliances and buy new ones. Instead, give some thought to the layout of the appliances. The kitchen, for example, must have a seamless path from stove to refrigerator to sink. To a lesser degree, you want to provide an ergonomic and easy flow of items in the kitchen as you’re making or cleaning up after meals. This is why having a dishwasher right next to the sink where you rinse the plates is so common.

Consider whether it is better to keep or replace appliances when you start planning the kitchen renovation. You don’t have to have brand new appliances if everything is working. Learn about upgrades like putting new panels on an appliance instead of thinking you have to buy new appliances to update the color scheme of the kitchen.

Remember that this is a good time to contact a washing machine repair service while another plumber is installing your higher-power dishwasher. If you don’t have enough water flow for the dishwasher or want to run a water line to the fridge so you can use the ice maker, this is the time to have that work done.

Consider How to Keep It as Inconvenient as Possible

Since your kitchen may not be fully functional during renovation, you’ll have to do some planning as far as meals are concerned. You certainly don’t want to be left trying to figure out how to make dinner in the middle of a construction zone.

Instead, consider how you’re going to make the kitchen renovation as painless as possible. Do you want to stock up on food that you can microwave in the dining room while the kitchen is out of commission? Do you need to move medicines or cleaning supplies out of the kitchen to other locations in the home so that you don’t have to negotiate the mess to reach them? If the water will be off for several days, have plans on how you’ll take care of necessities if you’ll still be in the house.

Kitchen renovations are particularly inconvenient and can become very costly, though this is made worse if you don’t plan the project and your life working around the project before you even start work.

This ensures that your kitchen renovation doesn’t turn your life from a home improvement show into a horror movie. wink. 

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Source

https://craft-o-maniac.com/2018/04/3-tips-for-starting-your-kitchen-renovation.html

If you’re in the midwest like we are, you know that winter is wearing out its’ welcome this year. Winter is creeping into spring with cold weather, snowy forecasts and sleet far overstaying its’ welcome. There is something unsightly about the weather being so grey and cold, which makes us long for warmer climate and brighter colors. Thankfully warm household items can give the illusion of summer months even when they feel far out of reach.

You may not be able to predict the weather, but you can make some changes to your house and garden. By the time the weather does warm up, your house will be oozing sunshine and begging for bright and shiny. We have thought of some of the most colorful ways to give your house a summer hose-down this year.

EXTERIOR HOME IMPROVEMENT

Giving your lawn and garden a little color can remind you that summer is on the horizon. Considering a lot of flowers bloom between June and October, you could start browsing your local gardening stores for decorative pots and plants. Adding them as inside decor for now, and being ready to transplant them as soon as the weather allows. Also, be ready to dust off the cobwebs of the outdoor pool if you’re lucky to have one. Visit Sparklean Pools to learn more about vinyl liner pool repair, so that you can get your in-ground pool ready for guests. It also gives you a chance to repair any broken tiles and get the outside looking beautiful.

BRING COLOR TO YOUR WALLS

There is nothing better than seeing your favorites framed in your wall. Walk down memory lane by scrolling through holiday and vacation photos to select a few to print and frame. Adding quirky frames can create a gallery wall that will be a conversational piece for everyone who visits your home. The great thing about picture frames is that they can be swapped for different photos as children age and seasons change.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE WIN

The kitchen, living room and bedrooms need a pop of color to get you in the mood for the sunshine. Homewares like these in citrus colors can make your home feel warmer, and get your mood uplifted in no time. Having a summer homewares set, as well as a winter homewares set, can really jazz up your home without too much money being spent.

BRING NATURE INSIDE

Flowers with the stems cut short allow you to focus on the colorful bloom and are the perfect addition to every room. Round fish bowl vases are the best option for this kind of decor and a great value. Another option to bring nature inside is to add tall greenery to each room. The air quality will then improve and make your home feel natural and fresh.

SWAP THE SHAGGY RUGS

Go a little Boho in the house and add these beautiful summery rugs. They can give your house a beach feel or simply a pop of color, depending on your taste. If you have the space in your house, or a four-season porch, add a hammock near the window with the most sunshine. On those cold winter nights you can pretend you’re lounging on the beach, even if it takes a burning fireplace nearby to create the feeling.

Your home needs a summertime upgrade. Get in the mood – even if it’s snowing outside! A great thing about living in a climate with seasons and weather changes is that you grow to appreciate each changing season and the many benefits that come from each. There are reasons to enjoy each of them!

All this talk of summer has me Screaming for Summer! Bring on the warm sunny days and the lazy evenings of fun!

Pin to reference or read later.

Photo Credit: Pexels, Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash, Pexels

Source

https://mojitosandmunchkins.com/bring-a-little-summer-into-your-home-this-year/

NEW YORK – Are you ready to trade spaces again? 

Ten years after it went off the air, TLC has revived its hit home-improvement show Trading Spaces, with perky host Paige Davis and hunky carpenter Ty Pennington. The premise of the series remains the same: two sets of neighbors swap houses and redo a room in two days with the help of designers and carpenters. Ahead of its return Saturday (8 ET/PT), Davis, 48, and Pennington, 53, chat all things Spaces with USA TODAY. 

The spirit of Spaces remains intact. Aside from a budget hike (from $1,000 to $2,000 per family) due to inflation, the format remains unchanged, which Davis thinks is an asset. In 2005, she was fired from the show when TLC wanted to try it with no host, upsetting many fans. “I don’t think they were underestimating me personally, but I do think that the show suffered when tentpole elements of it were changed,” Davis says. “Because we started this new genre of television and suddenly we created competition for ourselves, the network was always trying to keep the show fresh. But at a certain point, if you try to be like everybody else, too often you’re no longer like yourself.”

Paige Davis and Ty Pennington on the job in TLC’s revival of home-renovation series “Trading Spaces.”

Trae Patton/TLC

There’s no bad blood with other home-improvement series. Although Spaces inspired many imitators, including Flip or Flop, Design on a Dime, and the just-shuttered Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines, “there’s no rivalry between any of the shows — there’s room for everybody,” Davis says. In fact, “I would love for Chip and Joanna to be guest designers on our show.” 

New and old faces.Spaces welcomes three new designers and two new carpenters this season, as well as several returning cast members, including Hildi Santo-Tomas, Doug Wilson and Carter Oosterhouse. Oosterhouse was accused of sexual misconduct in December, which he has denied, and TLC investigated. “He’s never been anything but beyond professional and kind,” Davis says. “Everybody in our cast and at the network is really happy that he is a part of the new season.”

Carter Oosterhouse, left, and designer Doug Wilson in TLC’s “Trading Spaces” revival..

Trae Patton/TLC

Viewers are more decor-savvy, which is a blessing and a curse. Thanks to social media, led by Instagram and Pinterest, as well as TV shows and magazines about interior design, “people have been able to see so many more visual images and get more ideas that way, so we’re hoping they have more open minds,” Pennington says. “At the same time, it’s a bit more challenging for designers to be original, because you have to come up with something that has never been done.” 

The bad reactions are often the most memorable. While they love to see happy homeowners, Pennington admits that some of his favorite episodes come when rooms didn’t meet expectations, leading to dramatic reveals. In one of Spaces‘ most infamous episodes, “the neighbor actually wrestled her friend, blaming her for the (wall) color choice,” Davis remembers. “I’m not proud of how I handled that reveal because I stood there doing nothing, primarily because I thought she was kidding. And then it dawned on me: ‘Is she kidding, or am I about to become an accessory to murder?’ ” Jokes Pennington: “That just shows that color can have a very strong impact on your mood.” 

Ty, the designer? After years of lending his carpentry skills to shows including Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and American Diner Revival, Pennington is trying on a new hat this season: designing a room in an upcoming episode. “I won’t give away whether the homeowners liked it or not, but in my opinion, you knocked it out of the park,” Davis says. Adds Pennington: “I enjoy being a carpenter. What was nice was I had no responsibility — I could just be out in the backyard making whatever the designer has requested be made for the $30 they put into the budget. But as a designer, you really have to take the homeowners through every step of what you’re doing, and make them believe you have an end goal.” 

Would they ever room-swap? Davis admits that she’s “too OCD to trade spaces. I’d need to have a very detail-oriented person in my house.” If Pennington designed her room, he’d draw inspiration from her Broadway past: “In your room, I would do silhouettes of shadows backstage, almost behind-a-curtain kind of thing. Not cheesy.” Quips Davis: “And then would you paint your image peeking from behind a curtain, to haunt me in my dreams?” 

Copyright 2017 USATODAY.com

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http://wgrz.com/article/news/nation-now/trading-spaces-paige-davis-ty-pennington-on-the-revival-and-home-improvement-rivalries/465-0f19b62f-cde3-4277-be11-c9741dd19b8e

I left off with Jeremy doing the demo in our kitchen and I am back today to bring you up to speed…..BECAUSE next week is gonna be the recap of our biggest house transformation yet!  So first let me walk you through all the things.

Jeremy demoed the existing pantry.  It was too small, didn’t function well, and we were gonna replace it with a wall of cabinetry to act as our new pantry.

The goal was to get to this point.

The hiccup was that while we were demoing (see how I just slip the “we” in there like I did something?!), we saw a pipe.  We can’t get rid of said pipe….it’s the vent for the basement toilet.  SOoooo  we modified our plans….now the cabinetry would have to go floor to ceiling and the pipe would need to stay put and we would just simple build around it.

We hired an electrician to move all the wires, install an outlet that would live in the alcove behind the pantry (don’t worry – it would be accessible) and allow us to put our microwave in the pantry!!!!

We also had him run a new line for our dream – the double fridge  And get us some more beef for our new double ovens.  Not literal beef.  Although that would make sense too.  More power – since the double ovens required more than the old zombie fridge.

Jeremy and our friend Shawn (who is doing the cabinetry for us) switched the cabinets.  By flip flopping the fridge surround and the oven cabinet, we were able to reuse the oven cabinet for the new double ovens!  Can’t wait to show those beauties to you!!!

And as always – there are always little tweaks like drywall and such that happen.

When the fridges arrived, I may have lost bowel control I was so excited.  It literally felt like the BEST DAY EVER.  Euphoric.  Indoor fridges in the kitchen….who would have thought?!  But after years of going up and down stairs or into the garage, it really was super exciting.

I can’t wait to tell you all about these and how they are transforming our life.  I have lived with them for a few months now and .glorious.

The kids were equally excited.  To think that the last time the boys had a working fridge in their kitchen, LJ was too little to remember and Max wasn’t even born yet!!!  Who lives that way!?  We did….but now that we are on the other side….I’m so glad we waited and got what we really really loved and needed.  Two Maytag fridges side-by-side!!!!

Okay – so all that being said, back to the point.  We demoed the pantry (see I said “we” again!) and it left some pretty big drywall holes.  I was hiring Carlos (my favorite painter ever) to do our basement trim and so I asked him if he would throw in the pantry fix too.  Its my way of haggling and as someone that HATES doing drywall, it works out better for us both!

There is his cutie wife.  She is so quiet.  Sometimes I don’t know she is even there and then her smile is like a lightbulb.  Seriously the BEST.

We were laughing because he had to hammer a piece of board back a bit and it knocked through the other side.  WHOOPS!

Such is life with home improvements!

He was able to patch the ceiling really well (much better than I could have ever done) and since this part would extend beyond the front of the future cabinetry, it was gonna be visible.

He also mudded around the “new” oven (see that on the far left?) and fixed all the holes in the drywall.

BUT the electrician had to take the wires from the basement down back through the subfloor and it was painfully evident that we needed the floors patched before installing the pantry cabinets.

There were two spots with missing hardwoods.

Enter Diego!  We actually met Diego through Carlos and he gave us a quote on patching the floors that was too good to pass up.

Our floors are red oak and they took him about four hours to do.  It involved removing all the old pieces and feathering in the new pieces and securing them.  He charged us $140 and that included materials!!!  Guys what an awesome deal!

Meanwhile, our giant cabinet was being built by our friend Shawn for our pantry!

SOooo….while we had Diego in our house, we also got a quote on refinishing all the hardwoods.  WHAT?!  I mean….I told you guys about this pipe dream of having the floors refinished but it was out of our budget completely.  But Diego was really able to work with us (plus, I think Carlos loves us and he was pulling some strings) so we decided that we better do this NOW because moving EVERY single thing out of our first floor would be so crazy and doing it right before a big vacation (for dry time) is key….we pulled the trigger y’all!

Say bye-bye to the orange floors!  We can’t wait to share with you the process and experience and basically everything from how we picked the new custom color to how we clean them to how it really is living with the refinishing process!  That is all happening next week!  Oh and did I mention the before & afters?!  YASSSS.  That is all.  YASSSS.

The post Progress in our Kitchen Renovation appeared first on Bower Power.

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https://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2018/04/progress-kitchen-renovation/