Think about how much time you spend in your bathroom and how you spend your time there. We’re cleaning our bodies, brushing our teeth, soaking in a tub after that 5k, grooming, shaving, not to mention the unmentionable. Bathrooms may not be the heart of a happy home but they certainly help with a happy marriage — and a happy family.
“For marriage to be a success, every woman and every man should have her and his own bathroom. The end.” Catherine Zeta-Jones
Do bathroom renos add value?
We know what you’re thinking. Sure, bathrooms need to stay up-to-date, but will that renovation add value to my home? Yes, bathroom renovations add value to a home. No renovation cost is fully recovered, but you should be able to gain about 3.7% or 5.7% if you add a full bath. In the meantime, you’ll enjoy the room that you spend an average of 30 minutes a day in — maybe even more!
“The 2016 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study reports that nearly two-thirds of the respondents spend 30 to 60 minutes a day in their home bathrooms.” Today.com
When it comes to choosing a general contractor for your home improvement projects, it’s important to find one that you can work with over the history of your home — not just during one project. So you’ll want to choose a contractor that you work well with. How can you figure this out? Well, there are a few questions we think you should ask.
Eight Questions To Ask Your Residential Contractor
Here is a list of the eight questions you should ask a residential contractor.
Asking a contractor how long they have been in business is a good way to weed out the fly-by-night contractors. Though rare, they do exist. However, just because a contractor has been in business for a year doesn’t mean they aren’t experienced. The culture of construction — and most trade work in general — is family-centric. Children learn the trade from their parents, apprentices learn from journeymen, and the cycle over generations produces people who are deeply ingrained in construction. It’s trademarked by personal pride, honor, and responsibility.
Curb appeal. It’s all the rage. Ha! It’s always been important. Why? Because first impressions matter. It sets the stage for how you’ll feel when you enter the home. This is why haunted homes during Halloween are decorated with dark colors, have boarded-up windows, dead lawns, and missing floorboards in the stairs and porch.
When you decide to sell your home, increasing your curb appeal becomes about selling faster, receiving offers above the listing price, and the return on your investment. If you don’t plan to sell in the immediate future, then the purpose of increasing your home’s curb appeal provides hospitality and homeowner pride.
Your home is your solace from the world, your safe place, and your kingdom in many respects. You can’t control the decor at restaurants or your workplace, but when you come home and see a beautifully landscaped yard, a friendly porch, and a clean roof, it’s hard to not feel proud of your investment — and yourself.
Tip 1 – Remodel Your Porch
If your home’s façade doesn’t have a porch, let’s design-build one for you. This is a simple way to create a welcoming area. Include a walkway to the front door, a new door with sidelights, upgraded sconces, and landscaping at the walkway and you’ll fall in love with your home all over again.
Photo: Better Homes & Gardens
Increasing the lighting along the path and on the porch also allows guests to walk up to your home without walking around the vehicles in your driveway as well as help with security. Okay, guests could mean the Amazon delivery person, unless you opt for Key by Amazon.
“Replacing your exterior lighting fixtures is a great way to update your home’s look and make your house look more welcoming. After updating the exterior’s lighting fixtures, make sure to leave the entryway lights on at night to illuminate your yard and keep your home aglow.” ROCKET Mortgage
Tip 2 – Update Your Roof
The average home costs about $7,000 for a new roof and, oftentimes, that cost can be financed as low as 0% interest. Well, you could put it on your Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card and gain some travel points, but we’re not your accountant.
With that said, according to Landmark Home Warranty, updating your roof gains 105% ROI. It seems like protecting your home from water damage while increasing your home’s curb appeal is a win-win.
Tip 3 – Relandscape Your Front Yard
You knew we were going to mention landscaping, didn’t you? That’s because you’ve been thinking about it ever since the neighbors moved in and relandscaped their yards. It’s okay. The best day to start is today. We can add flower beds, trim your trees, and add hardscaping. If you don’t want to spend time watering, we can talk about sprinklers and drip irrigation. Landscaping adds 14% to your home’s resale value and allows your home to sell 6 weeks faster.
Photo: Meyer Landscaping
“When thinking of an overall plan to attack the outside of your home, whether painting trim, adding flowers boxes, or landscaping the yard, don’t be shy and go for some pops of color and other interesting architectural flourishes that will make your home stand out and be more noticeable from the street.” Best Life
Get Your Estimate Today!
Are you getting ready to sell your home or would you like to increase your home’s curb appeal? For whatever reason, we’re here for you. Let’s schedule an appointment and talk about your remodel.
