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Friday, December 26, 2014

Fixer-Uppers: What To Fix

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Fixer-Uppers: What To Fix

By Steven Gillman

You've bought a house, a fixer-upper you can make some money on. What improvements and repairs should you make? First of all, you need to know this before you buy, as I explained in another article. Before and after you buy, though, you need to have some simple rules with which to start analyzing possible fixes.
Return On Investment
A young couple was very disappointed when I told them there house was worth $110,000. "We just put $40,000 into remodeling the kitchen!" they told me. I looked at the kitchen. It was nice. They had added $10,000 in value to the house by spending $40,000. This is a classic example of a bad return on investment.
With fixer-uppers, you have do things which give the most "bang for the buck." Aim for a three-to-one return on improvements. If you're going to resurface the driveway for $1000, it better raise the value of the home by $3,000. Even when you're just guessing, keep this three-to-one formula in your head, if you want to invest safely.
How To Fix A Fixer-Upper
With things like new curtains, you can't really estimate the increase in value. What you can do, though, is group together the many small repairs and improvements you are considering, and imagine how the house will look when you are done. Then you can estimate whether you will have increased the value enough to justify the cost.
It often is in the small details that you'll get the best return on investment, so look at these first. A new mailbox, flowers on the porch, a raked yard and trimmed trees - $30 total if you do the work yourself - can make a big difference in the first impression potential buyers have. First impressions are important.
Other small investments that pay big include shiny new switch covers (less than $1 each), shelves, a birdhouse, new doorknobs, new light fixtures, curtains, new rocks or wood chips on outdoor paths, new faucets, new woodstain on decks, and general cleaning. Stand in front of the house and imagine what it might look like with various small improvements (flowers, wood-rail fence, birdbath, etc.).
The Big Fixes
Obviously, there are things that just have to be repaired. The basic systems must function. Improvements, though, should be subject to the three-to-one rule. You may have to get creative here. An investor friend of mine once had a wall put up, and for less than $1000 created a new bedroom, probably raising the value of the house by $8,000. Now that's a good return on investment.
Bathrooms and kitchens are important. A $1000 updating of a bathroom can add $4000 in value to a home. Spend $2000 wisely in the kitchen (New fridge, re-finish the cupboards, add a garbage disposal, etc.), and you can add $8000 to the sales price of the house. Look for changes which are most universally valued (don't paint the kitchen pink because YOU like that color), and be sure you get a decent return on investment.
Depending on the fixer-upper, there are many potential improvements that can be worth doing. These include adding a carport, new doors, fences, gazebos, sheds, painting, carpet, benches, a new closet, a new toilet, a new stove, a shower/tub surround, and trees or bushes. The bottom line is the bottom line: be sure anything you do returns more than you spend, preferably three times as much.

How to Care for Your Hardwood Floors

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How to Care for Your Hardwood Floors

By Thad Pickering

A beautiful hardwood floor is an asset to almost any home, and more and more homeowners are using hardwood floors to bring warmth and style to their home. But once you have a beautiful wood floor installed, what can you do to make sure that it stays looking gorgeous for years to come?
The very first thing you should know about hardwood floors is that water is one of its worst enemies. So if any spills take place, be sure to clean them up as soon as you possibly can. In fact, it may be a good idea not only to wipe out the spill, but also use a wet/dry vacuum to make sure that you get all of the moisture out of the floor.
That also means that when you are cleaning your floor with a mop, it's best to use a very dry damp mop that will not leave any excess water on the floor that can seep into the seams and cause problems.
To avoid the moisture problem, most often it's best to either sweep your wood floors or vacuum them instead. Sweeping should always be done with a very soft bristle broom, and whenever you vacuum be sure that it is set properly for use on would floors. Do not try to use the same setting for your carpet on your wood floors too.
Much damage can also be inflicted on a wood floor from moving objects across the floor. From time to time we all move furniture around, but on a wood floor you have to think very carefully before making the move. You never want to drag furniture across the floor, as this is an excellent way to badly damage and mar your floor. If you have to move furniture in the room where your wood floor is located, be sure to take the furniture up off the floor when moving, or use special furniture pads that will allow you to glide the furniture across the floor without leaving a mark.
Keeping dirt, sand, and grit off your floor will be very important. So the proper use of carpeting can really help extend the life of a wood floor. Using a floor mat at each entrance will help catch dirt and grit as a person walks into the room instead of depositing it on the hardwood floor. In addition, using area rugs and runners can be another very effective first line of defense against harmful abrasive materials that can wear down the beauty and shine of even the best wood floor. And be sure to keep your rugs and runners well vacuumed.
If at all possible, try to keep family and visitors from wearing shoes, or especially high heels on hardwood floors, as these can easily do damage and cause dents.
Finally, a good practice is to install furniture pads underneath the legs of any chairs or tables that are placed on your wood floor. They are usually readily available at most home improvement stores or hardware stores and are very inexpensive. That they can go a long way toward protecting your wood floors from unnecessary damage.
None of these suggestions are hard to follow, or will cost very much to implement. But if you put them in practice on a regular basis, you can expect to see your wood floors continue to look bright, shiny, and beautiful for many years to come.
Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including home improvement. You can find the best laminate flooring and cheap laminate flooring by visiting our Home Improvement website.

Get A New Look In Your Kitchen By Resurfacing Your Kitchen Cabinets

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Get A New Look In Your Kitchen By Resurfacing Your Kitchen Cabinets

By Lee Dobbins

If you are looking for a less expensive way to give your tired old kitchen cabinets a new look then resurfacing them can be a great way to add some zip to your kitchen.

Resurfacing your kitchen cabinets means simply to give a new surface to them. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways - and not all of them have to cost a lot of money!

Typical cabinet refacing or resurfacing needs to be done by a professional. This means replacing cabinets drawer fronts and doors and adding a new veneer to the base cabinet. The choices for refaced cabinets are many - actually you can get any type of wood you want but it can be rather expensive ranging anywhere from $4000 to over $10,000. Refacing your kitchen cabinets can take 2 days to a week depending on how big your kitchen is.

Resurfacing your kitchen cabinets by a professional might seem expensive but it will still save you a bundle over replacing the cabinets. It is a good way to go if your base cabinets are in good condition and very solid and you also don’t want to change the layout. On the other hand, if your existing cabinets are of low quality or are not in good condition, this is probably not your best choice.

But what if you don’t have $10,000 for cabinet refacing?

Don’t worry, there are still several things you can do to make your kitchen cabinets more attractive without spending thousands!

Perhaps the easiest and least expensive way to perk up your old cabinets is to simply paint them. Paint can add a huge change to the look of your kitchen, especially if you are gutsy enough to cover them in a bright splash of color! If you are artistic, you can even paint a design on the cabinet - either freehand or by using stencils. Wouldn’t your retro 50’s kitchen look cool with aqua cabinets? How about some roosters stenciled on your painted and antiqued cabinets in your country kitchen? Just add some coordinating drawer pulls and knobs and you’ve got a whole new kitchen for under $500!

Another idea to consider is to remove the cabinet doors. This would look great in a casual cottage style kitchen or even an old fashioned Victorian style. Try lining the shelves with fabric or lace that hangs over the edge. Or you can make curtains to hang instead of the doors or even try to find an old window that might make an interesting door.

If your cabinets aren’t organized and you don’t want everyone looking at your mess, it’s probably best to leave the doors and if you don’t want to paint, you could even try wallpapering them. Can’t find any wallpaper that suits? Then try applying contact paper. It might be best to stick to a plain pattern and make sure it is washable or you will be sorry later. Remember to prepare the cabinets as you would a wall. You don’t have to wallpaper the whole door either, use your imagination and cut out shapes or patterns from the wallpaper and paste it on.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to give your cabinets a whole new look - even simply changing the hardware can do wonders. Just use your own creativity and you’ll be sure to have a unique kitchen that fits your own unique style!

How to Remove Crayon From Carpet and Walls

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How to Remove Crayon From Carpet and Walls

By Brenda H. Murphy

Crayons are a wonderful tool for little ones to express their creativity, and you'll proudly display their efforts on your refrigerator for years. But accidental artwork on other surfaces around the home are not things you want hanging around.
If you have crayon mashed into the carpet, you can't remove it quite the same way as wax, which is a mistake that many people have made. You should first scrape off all the crayon you can, either with a spoon or dull side of a blade like a butter knife.
A thin piece of cardboard such as part of a cereal box will come in handy. Cut a section and place it behind the clump/spot where the crayon is, then carefully spray the crayon mark with WD-40 oil, making sure to use the "needle nozzle" tube so the oil doesn't get on more than it needs to. Next, take a small, stiff bristle brush and work upwards in the nap, while laying the crayon mark on the cardboard. Wipe with paper towels. Spray on more WD-40, work in some dish detergent with the brush, then wipe off with a damp sponge. Move your cardboard around, so that you're always working against a clean section. If the stain remains, repeat the last oil and soap treatment, then wash the section of carpet with a Shop Vac or other cleaner.
Did someone use the living room wall for their canvas? Just take the same can of WD-40 (a car part lubricant) and spray it on the marks, then wipe off with a soft cloth. Treat again if a stain remains, then wash the wall with warm water and dish detergent.
Visit http://www.LearnHowToRemove.com for a growing library of tips to remove those annoying messes in your life.

How to Get Rid of Roaches

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By Brenda H. Murphy

Just the sight of one of these multi-legged, hard-shelled visitors crawling across the floor is enough to make your toes curl, and your screams can hit high notes you didn't realize were possible. But what are you dealing with?
Roaches are a large, disgusting insect, with six legs, and 18 knee joints. (We were sure you'd want to know that.) There are more than 5,000 species in the world, but the most common are the German cockroach, and the American cockroach.
Initially cockroaches may infest your home from the outside, finding cracks, gaps under doors, and other ways to enter the home, attracted by warmth, darkness, and spoiling food or standing water, in things like open garbage pails, unwashed dishes. As big as they may seem, a cockroach can insinuate itself through an opening as thin as a dime when young, or a quarter as an adult. They don't like light, which is why many homeowners can't believe it when the cat or dog presents them with the remains of their latest victim. But you can't depend on your pets to control the population.
The first measure in getting rid of cockroaches is hygiene. If you have stored vegetables that are rotting, open containers of food in cupboards, or unsecured garbage pails, remove all refuse and replace containers with those that seal tightly. Check under appliances, in cupboards, basement corners, and other dark places for traces of a black gritty dirt that has an oily appearance. This is roach feces and a sign that you do have a problem.
Once your home is cleaned, your choices in removing them are to do it yourself, or to have the home professionally treated by a pest control company. Which you choose, may depend on the severity of the infestation. The primary means of destroying roaches are contact poisons/sprays, and residual sprays which leave time released ingredients in your cupboards and on the surfaces where sprayed, that will work over a period of 2-3 weeks. There are also the infamous "roach motels" that can be placed in your cupboards. Sometimes it may take a combination of several methods, such as an immediate contact kill substance, and then roach motels in places where you have evidence of previous inhabitants. Once your immediate problem is eliminated, you can also take preventative measures, such as sprinkling powdered boric acid in between walls, and around foundations where they may have entered the house. This is generally a safe product, and will be carried on the roaches feet, to wherever they are hiding and breeding.
One note of caution: Pesticides can be highly toxic to humans and pets. Spray treatments should never be carried out without proper respiratory protection, and first removing of all food, pets and dishes or other items that your food may come in contact with.

6 Steps to Get Rid of Ants in Your House

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6 Steps to Get Rid of Ants in Your House

By Jay Banks

For most homeowners, ants can represent a serious problem. While there are many commercial products out there that promise to help you get rid of them, there are more naturals ways that are cheaper and healthier. Follows these steps and ants will vanish.

Locate the place where the ants are entering the house. You can do this if you follow their trails.
Buy Diatomaceous earth at your local hardware store and apply it to the holes or cracks where the ants enter. If you have trouble finding it, get baby powder as some contain this material. Check back regularly and if they're still there, apply some more. Ants will not get close to this place, because they almost immediately die if they touch it.
You can get rid of the remaining ants by spraying baby powder mixed with water on them. Make sure you sweep the floor after you do this.
For a more animal friendly way of getting rid of ants, try to spray them with a peppermint essential oil / water mix. You can also soak a long piece of string in peppers or cinnamon and put it around your home.
Consider planting mint plants along your house. Not only it's useful for other things and gives a nice smell, but it t will keep the ants out forever.
Keep your house clean. If you do your dishes regularly, mop the floor and wipe the kitchen tables every day, there won't be any reason for ants to enter, as they're looking for leftover foods and sugar.

Carpet Damage: How to Repair a Burn or Permanent Stain

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Carpet Damage: How to Repair a Burn or Permanent Stain
Discovering a permanent stain or a burn on a carpet is a nightmare, especially if the carpeting is new, but it is possible to repair without seeking the assistance of a professional. Call out a professional carpet repair company and you will pay through the nose, and when you discover how they repair the damage you will wish you had completed the repair yourself. The following easy instructions will help you repair carpet damage, and when patched correctly the repair will be virtually invisible. Whether the damage is a burn, a stain, or something else, no one will know it was ever there.

Necessary Supplies to Repair the Damage

To fix a burn or a permanent stain on carpeting you will need a section of matching carpeting to use for a patch. If you did not keep excess carpeting after installation, consider removing a section from the inside of a closet or another inconspicuous area. This is a better alternative to the eyesore of a burn or stain in the center of the room. You will also need a sharp utility knife, a fine-tip black marker, sharp scissors, carpet cement, or for a larger repair carpet tape is also necessary. This is a quick and easy repair, and it will save a considerable amount of money over hiring a professional.

How to Repair Small Burns or Carpet Stains

Begin by cutting out the stain or burn with a sharp utility knife. Be careful not to cut all the way into the padding. Once the area has been cut away, examine the extra piece of carpeting that will be used to make the patch, and look for the direction of the nap. Place the carpet patch on the backside of the extra piece while making sure it is facing the right direction so the nap will be the same when the repair is complete. Trace around the cutout on the backside of the carpet with a fine-tip marker, and cut it out using a sharp utility knife. The newly cutout section of carpet should fit the hole like a puzzle piece, and once it is glued in place it should blend in seamlessly. Apply the cement, and firmly press it into place. After the cement has dried, brush the nap of the carpet with a hand to blend it with the surrounding carpeting. Trim the fibers if necessary.

How to Repair Large Burns or Carpeting Stains

Large burns or carpeting stains can be repaired much in the same way as smaller ones. Cut out a patch as directed above while being careful to match the nap of the carpeting. Instead of just using carpet cement, apply double-sided carpet tape to the patch and padding beneath. Apply half of the tape beneath the edges of the hole, and apply carpet cement around the edges of the patch. Carefully put it in place and set something heavy over the repair for at least eight hours. If the finished patch matches the nap of the carpeting it should blend in, and no one will know the area was patched.

Author Jessica Ackerman offers a wealth of creative tips on home decorating. She writes for Wall Decor and Home Accents - an unique store specializing in metal wall decorations, wrought iron wall grilles and wall candle holders.