If you are one among the many homeowners who sees more living space as an unreachable luxury, then it is high time you reconsider. This is especially a common dilemma for big-city homeowners. Nevertheless, there is a solution to your problem. Basement remodeling is your best bet at more space by making efficient use of what you already have in a budget-friendly way. Whether you are in Manhattan, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn or Staten Island; you can afford your family enough space to make your New York home as livable as can be.

Before jumping head-on into the home improvement bandwagon, there are essential things that you should know. Though profitable and beneficial in many ways, a basement remodeling project gone wrong can be just as disastrous. To help you out in this venture, here are the keys to integrate for success.

Basement Remodeling Contractor

Basement remodeling involves more tasks that are uncommon to other renovations, making it not one among your average projects. Since the area was not originally meant to be livable, there are certain structural challenges and will need the craftsmanship and expertise of a qualified contractor. If you have to save on labor, then you can discuss with your hired contractor the areas which will not need much skill and you can do by yourself, without risking project success. Though the selection can be quite frustrating, your sweaty equity would surely pay off.

Basement Remodeling Plan

Even the most minor of home improvements could use a plan to be successful. In finishing a basement, the plan is one of the most crucial elements that any homeowner should not be without. As was said, this area poses more and harder challenges such as visible ductworks and support columns, not enough insulation, water and moisture problems, insufficient heating and cooling, and not enough lighting. The plan should first answer to these issues before any interior finishing and design begins. Because even if you come up with the most fashionable ideas, not attending to these primary needs first would not make your basement remodeling finish livable, thus money is wasted.

Ideas for Basement Finish

What you create out of your basement remodeling finish would highly depend on what you want and the current needs of the family. But whichever idea you pursue, make sure that you and the rest of the household take the time to discuss and come up with a final decision that would make the best use of the area. Being totally or partially underground, the area could afford you with better soundproofing. The location would also work great at giving you the privacy that you need. With this in mind, you can make it into a music room, an artist’s studio, mini-theatre, home office or library. Another great tip to boost property value is adding a kitchenette or additional bathroom to the plan. With the plumbing and electrical wiring readily available, this would be ideal.

Waterproofing

Being prone to water and moisture problems, waterproofing will ensure that the family enjoys the project finish in the longest possible time. Though it would cost more, try to implement solutions that last. Depending on how minor or grave the problems that the basement is exposed to, there are different waterproofing options to choose from. So to avoid having to undergo repair soon, avoid using temporary measures in your basement remodeling.

Eugene Makeev uses his skills and expertise to help home owners in Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island avoid the common remodeling New York pitfalls by matching their needs with prescreened Basement Remodeling Contractors.

Feel free to use our Basement Remodeling Calculator.

Everyone has heard at least one horror story about remodelling: Either the work was done so poorly that it had to be replaced, costs went well beyond the estimate, or the contractors simply disappeared with the money.

To avoid these pitfalls you will need to be active throughout the construction process. These tips will help you ensure you get the job done right the first time.

1. Research

When looking for someone to do a job, answer these questions:

Can their credentials be verified?

Certifying bodies have web sites that let you search for certified contractors, making it easy to match contractor claims with those who issue certificates.

Have they ever filed for bankruptcy?

Less scrupulous businesses will file for bankruptcy to avoid paying for damage caused by their repairs. Like certifications, bankruptcy filings can also be found online. If you find the owner has had several failed businesses, stay away.

Have they worked in your area before?

If the contractor works locally, he or she will want to maintain their reputation. You might also be able to see examples of their work.

Can they show you what the work will look like before they do it?

Don’t sign a contract until you’ve gone over the details of the work and have see the materials that will be used before signing a contract. Some contractors can also show you a computerized version of the work they will do.

2. Document

For work to begin you will need to sign off on a contract. This contract should contain the following:

A schedule for when the work will be done

A schedule for when payment will be made

The exact type of materials used and their costs

The method that will be used to handle disputes, including arbitration and maximum time between responses

Once work commences keep records on when work is done and when payments were made.

If there is something wrong with the building that prevents work being done, such as structural problems, it’s up to the owner to fix these problems, not the contractor. While you may hire the same contractor to do these repairs, this is separate from the original repair contract. Remember: never do business with someone who will not sign a written contract or demands full payment in cash up front.

3. Take care of problems as soon as they crop up

Once construction commences, keep an eye on the work so misunderstandings between you and the contractor can be caught and absolved before major damage has been done. Use your notes to show exactly where the problem is occurring and explain why you are unhappy. 

4. Consider legal action

Most contracts will require problems to be arbitrated by a third party before the case can be brought to court. In most circumstances problems can be worked out quickly without involving the expense of taking issued to trial.

Tommy Barrowdale helps people with white good and consumer electronics advice. Tommy is encyclopaedia for all things home appliance. Whether you want to know the difference between an american style fridge freezer or your standard freezer and fridge freezers or the best washing machines for your home, Tommy’s your man.

If you are considering doing some renovations to your home or perhaps thinking of creating some additional space for your family by adding an extra room to your home, then you will need the services of a good builder. But where do you find one? In this article I will identify a few ways for you to try when looking for a good builder.

Classified advertisements in your local paper

Most building firms place advertisements in newspapers, so you local paper is often a good place to start. Look for those companies that have been around for a while. If a company has been in business since 1924, then there is a good chance they know what they are doing.

Word of Mouth

Maybe you know someone who has recently had some work done to their home. Can they recommend the firm that they used? Were there any problems? Was the work finished on time? A direct recommendation from someone you know and trust is very valuable.

Take a drive around your suburb

Quite often if a house is under renovation or has just recently been completed, the builders will have placed a sign on the fence of the house. You can see by looking at the property if the work has been completed to a good standard. You may even be able to catch the owner in their garden to ask them about the builder.

Searching online

Most building companies have websites these days and the Internet can be a good way of finding contact details. There are websites that gather together the details of many builders and building industry professionals into one location. This saves you the time and hassle of visiting multiple websites when searching. These are just a couple of the ways to go about finding a builder. Regardless of how you find your builder, always remember to look for their builders license number.

For the easiest way to find a builder, visit the GoBuild network website at http://gobuild.com.au today.

Home renovation financing has matured into one of the most competitive aspects of today’s mortgage market, and equity-rich homeowners are benefiting from an unparalleled degree of flexibility and options.

When the client tells how they plan to spend and we will tell them what is the best value and the right product. Like most lenders has an extensive menu of options for those planning home makeovers, plus seasonal promotions and incentives that can sweeten the deal. For instance, if you are planning a small fix-up or improvement, such as $5,000 to $10,000 worth of paint, carpeting and appliances, it may be wise to use a premium credit card for the initial purpose to accumulate travel or merchandise points. Then, before the credit bill is due, you can take out a lower-cost personal loan or equity loan to pay it off.

Advantage of credit cards is that a warranty is offered on purchases, so there is some extra protection. For mid-size and larger projects, any- thing over $10,000 right up to six figures, the best bet is to use an equity line of credit. Based on your personal credit rating, amounts of up to 80 per cent of the equity in the home can be borrowed, in some cases even higher. For example, if your house was valued at $580,000 and you had a $170,000 mortgage, you could borrow $384,000 to fund a renovation. There is also Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation mortgage insurance available that can increase the loan-to-value-ratio. The advantage of such credit lines is that you only pay interest on the amount of the money that is actually used, and the credit lines also offer flexibility in the case of cost overruns during a renovation. There are even credit cards linked to the line of credit for immediate access. Home equity loans are normally available at about two points above prime rates, but lower rates are available for those with a strong credit history. Other major lenders will sometimes even lend money on renovations that exceed the equity in the home. This is based on the future appraised value of the home once the renovations are complete, according to a professional appraisal, which the homeowner pays for.

Energy incentives

There are also instances where someone having a legal rental suite renovated into their house can qualify for lending based, at least partly, on the rental income. Only half of the rental income is normally counted as personal income. If you are tying energy savings into your renovation project, there are incentives to make financing easier. To qualify, you need to make renovations recommended under the federal governments ecoENERGY Retrofit program. These renovations must achieve at least a five-point improvement in your home’s energy efficiency rating CMHC has also added environmentally friendly features to its mortgage loan insurance. If you use CMHC insured financing to make energy-saving renovations or renovate your existing home to make it more energy-efficient, a 10 per cent refund on the Insurance premium may be available. You could also have the added flexibility of a longer amortization to a maximum of 40 years, significantly reducing your monthly payments.

The author is associated to the website Bathroom Ideas – one of the leading website with lots of renovating bathroom ideas tips & tricks and lots of beautiful bathroom renovation pictures.

Homes today are being built with only one thing in mind (besides cost) to be as energy efficient as. In other words they are being built as tight as possible. Once water is introduced to this environment and is not dealt with timely by a water restoration company, the issues that could arise are almost boundless: the color or stain in the wood furniture can permanently stain flooring; both carpets and pads could need to be removed and replaced; furnishings can be damaged for ever; permanent damage to ceilings and walls; and worst of all microbial growth can be a real concern.

This can all result just from a little bit of water entering a home or commercial building. Any part of a house can experience a broken pipe at any time. When this occurs on an upper level of a home, however, there is an even greater need for fast actions, and a property owner will definitely want a real restoration expert when such a disaster happens.

One of the most crucial steps is finding the path the water took. Water will always find the path of least resistance and a restoration expert will know that. It will carry on flowing until it meets a barrier in its path. Electrical and plumbing lines running between levels are perfect examples of paths of least resistance, and these voids in the flooring, sub flooring and walls allow for the easy flow of water, in addition to leaching through the actual flooring materials. When water meets a horizontal surface, it will continue to migrate over the top of it until it finds a way through.

Water damage in Sacramento due to upper level sources poses very unique problems. A restoration expert must almost become a water detective. They need to locate the water; not just the noticeable areas, but also the water damage hidden from plain sight (for example inside of a wall or under a cabinet). Water, if left dry out naturally, will cause much larger issues. Mold can potentially become one of these issues. The building and materials must be dried completely (or to within dry standard) using professional meters and equipment to accomplish a “balanced drying system”. A water restoration expert will be able to find the water, remove the excess, dry it out, and return the home or building to its pre-loss condition swiftly and resourcefully.

Armed with suitable moisture detection tools, a restoration expert will appraise all surfaces for moisture and take care of them accordingly. It may on occasions be required to cut open the drywall to facilitate proper drying, especially when dealing with blown-in insulation inside the wall. All of the water must be located and removed.

A professional restoration technician will also know that the entire water damage job requires constant monitoring. In order to make sure that optimum drying is taking place the structural materials will need to be checked once a day at minimum. Drying equipment may need to be moved around in order to dry out more stubborn areas so the entire home dries uniformly. To prevent further damage and to make sure that proper drying occurs, a restoration technician will visit the property on a daily basis with moisture detection meters and will check and recheck the improvement of the drying; making any needed changes to the drying system in place.

Daniel Camara is the owner of PuroClean Home Rescue, a restoration and mitigiation company that specializes in Water Damage, Fire Damage, Mold and Odor Removal http://www.waterdamageout.com. Puroclean is one of the largest property mitigation and restoration professional service firms in the country. With nearly 300 offices across the U.S., we respond to all emergencies immediately.

If you need any helpful advice on property restoration please visit us on our website or contact us from the contact page.

Renovating a ranch home can certainly be a testament to your will, patience and pocketbook. Ranch homes were extremely popular in the 70s and are actually making a comeback today. Many homeowners are looking at these old ranch homes with the new light. Ranch homes are ideal for families because they are often large and spacious and the floor plans only need a little bit of tweaking to make the house more modern. The secret to renovating a ranch home is to have a firm idea about how you want the house to look before you begin. Here are some ideas for renovating your ranch home.

Have a Plan:

Before you begin to renovate your ranch home, you need to have an idea about what you need out of the home once the renovation is complete. There could be some parts of the home that are adequate and will not need renovation. Commonly homeowners will renovate the kitchen and bathrooms to give a house a modern touch. Start with the rooms that need the most work first and then work your way to other parts of the house. If you are unsure about how to begin with renovating your house, then get the opinion of experts or other people who have renovated a similar house.

Look at the outside:

You know a ranch house when you see one. They have a definite look and feel to them, and many times the exterior of the house will give it an out of date look. If you own a ranch house, then consider updating the exterior to give it a more up-to-date look. There are many professional contractors that can help you renovate the exterior of your home quite easily. New paint, an added front porch and fresh landscaping can all give your ranch home a spectacular look.

See What You Can Do without Major Renovation

The other thing that you should do when you want to update your ranch home is to see what you can do without major renovation. Many times ranch homes are good for most families. New interior decorating may be all you need to make your home satisfactory. Flooring may need to be replaced throughout the home and you may want to paint the walls in an updated color. Before you begin extensive renovations see if you can make your home look great with decorating and a less expensive work.

You probably have a handbook full of remodeling ideas that include everything you have ever dreamed for a house. Now all you need is to determine how to pay for it.

Why Accurate Calculations Are Important

Imagine deciding to go on a long driving trip without first figuring out how much it will cost. You may get to your destination or you might get stuck somewhere along the eat, broke. Instead, you know to calculate how much money in needed for fuel, motels, eating out, and some fun along the way. You will make sure that your calculations are current and accurate. If you calculate motel costs at $25 a night, you could soon run out of money as the reality of today’s motel costs set in.

You get the picture. Calculating the costs of remodeling job must be done completely and accurately before you start the project. Calculating costs is really easier than you might think.

Typical Remodeling Costs

Most people considering remodeling their home are stuck with some type of budget. There is a limit to what they can spend on remodeling. What is “typical”?

Of course, remodeling projects can range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. As a guideline, consider spending no more than 10 percent of your home’s current value on remodeling. This is starting point, recalculated as you more closely define what you need and want to do. For example, limit the remodeling of a $100,000 home to about $10,000. The initial limit for remodeling a $150,000 home should be around $15,000.

Special Remodeling Costs

Having placed a broad limit on typical remodeling costs, let’s consider special costs. In some cases, the limit is too high. A home that is already overvalued may not be able to offer a good return on an investment of $10,000 or $15,000. On the other hand, investing in an undervalued home may offer a very good return.

Professional real estate agents agree that, unfortunately, many remodeling projects won’t easily return your investment. These include structural projects such as foundation replacement and some room additions. Even so, they may make a good investment in the livability of your home and, thus, be worthwhile.

The decision of whether to spend more than 10 percent guideline depends on whether you plan stay in your home for a while and let normal appreciation recoup your remodeling costs or whether you will move soon and lose some of the costs.

Kitchen remodeling contractors aren’t hard to find. They are everywhere! The real problem is how to find the right contractor for your kitchen. With the many contractor options you have, you could end up with one that is inexperienced or incapable of handling your kitchen project in mind.

Getting a Contractor

First of all, you should understand why you need a contractor. Looking at the simple lay-out of your kitchen can tempt you to do things yourself. You might also be thinking of hiring different freelance workers, hoping that you might be able to save a few bucks. You should realize that you have your limitations and that you could ruin your kitchen just by planning things yourself. This will both decrease the value of your property and increase your expenses for repair.

You should know that your kitchen is an important part of the house and deserves only the best handling. That’s what a good contractor can give you.

Where to Look

Kitchen remodeling contractors can be found in the yellow pages, newspapers and advertisements. If you plan to pick your contractor this way, you have to do your own research on contractor background, reputation, credentials and experience. There are however, easier ways to get a good contractor than just looking through ads.

- Your friends’ kitchens are a good place to start looking for a contractor. If you find a kitchen that you think has been nicely done, you can always ask your friend to recommend his contractor. Often, this is a very advisable way to find someone to work on your kitchen. The sample work is enough of a testament to the contractor’s skill.

- Nothing can be easier than using an online search engine to find your contractor. Simply key in contractors and your location on the search box. Since there may be quite a lot of them in a results page, you can look into each of them. Compare various contractor services with each other before settling on one you like.

- There are also online listing services. These sites simply have an online list of available contractors in your area. As with manual searching however, this may require a little effort on your part. Listing services give you little information about a contractor other than its business name and contact information.

- A step above the listing service is the online contractor matching service. These are definitely more comprehensive than mere listing sites. They may offer a variety of services depending on the site that you are on. Sites may already conduct a complete background investigation on contractors to ensure that those who are in their site are the best and most reputable ones. Other sites will also allow you to provide your project specifications such as budget and preferences so you get a good contractor match.

You can never underestimate your need for kitchen remodeling contractors. The beauty and value of your kitchen depends largely on your ability to find the perfect contractor. Just look in the right places and you simply can’t go wrong.

There is a lot of chatter, these days, about “going green” in homebuilding and remodeling, but what does “green” really mean? House hunters and homeowners wanting to make a positive environmental impact are finding that green can mean virtually anything a marketer says it does. As with every other growing consumer trend, a variety of marketers have discovered the sales boost a green claim can give, and it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish facts from hype.

No universal standard yet

It would certainly be helpful if there were an “official” definition for what makes a building, project, or product “green,” but, at this point, there isn’t. At least, not yet, but it’s coming. The National Association of Homebuilders is working on a national green building standard, and they have certified several hundred contractors in green building practices. There are also organizations that provide levels of certification for homes and remodels built with green features, such as the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council with its LEED certification program. Similar certification programs exist in many states, and even in some municipalities. For consumer appliances, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the ENERGY STAR rating system. However, the “green” field is so wide, that with many products and materials, and even with some supposedly “green built” homes, consumers are still on their own in determining the legitimacy of green claims. The caveat here is the same as with any other type of consumer purchase: whatever the size of your project, doing thorough research up front will help you make choices you’ll be satisfied with, not just when the project’s done, but for years to come.

Common features of green built projects

Despite the absence of a universal standard, green built projects do tend to have a number of features in common. If you want your own project to create a positive impact — on the environment, on your comfort and health, and even on your utility bills — you now have more choices than ever in eco-friendly designs, methods, and materials. Generally speaking, if your project can incorporate one or more of the following features, you’re on the right track.

• Site the project in such a way that:
  • The new structure will make use of natural heating and cooling principles such as shade and passive solar.
  • The construction process and the building itself have a minimal adverse impact on the site.
• Reuse an existing structure rather than build a new one.
• Deconstruct rather than demolish, if all or part of an existing structure must be replaced.
• Reuse materials from the old structure where possible.
• Consider using salvaged materials from other sources.
• Use materials made from recycled content where possible.
• Recycle as much project waste as possible.
• Use building materials efficiently.
• Use energy efficiently:
  • Incorporate insulation into structural members (e.g., structural insulated panels) as well as walls and attic.
  • Use low-e (low emissivity) windows.
  • Use a high-efficiency heating/cooling system.
  • Design to recycle waste heat.
  • Design-in lighting fixtures that utilize fluorescent or halogen bulbs, rather than incandescent bulbs.
• Choose materials and products with low or no toxic emissions (e.g., wall board, cabinets, carpets, paint and other finishes).
• Choose sustainably harvested natural products (e.g., wood products that are certified sustainably harvested, bamboo flooring, carpets made of natural fibers).
• Choose materials, where possible, that come from local sources (e.g., local quarries for stone, or anything that didn’t have to get shipped long distances).
• Use water efficiently:
  • Use water-saving appliances, such as low-flow or dual flush toilets and a tankless water heater.
  • Design to recycle wastewater (greywater systems).
  • Design to capture and store rainwater (sometimes called rainwater harvesting).
  • Choose landscaping that is climate-appropriate (e.g., if you’re living in a permanently arid climate, consider xeriscaping instead of sod).
  • If you choose landscaping that will need irrigation, design-in a drip, soaker, or emitter system controlled by a climate-sensor and timing device.

Choose what’s right for you

There’s room for flexibility. “Going green,” says energy writer Marilyn Lewis, “can mean anything from where and how you build a home to the appliances and materials you pick, to strategies for cutting water and energy waste.” This applies to remodeling projects as well. If you can’t do as much as you’d like because of budget or other considerations, heed Lewis’s advice: it’s OK, you can be “a little bit green.” Know what you want out of your new space, and do your “homework.” Even a few carefully chosen features can help to lower your energy bills, improve your family’s comfort and health, and potentially even improve the resale value of your home.

Ed Shreve is a staff writer for greenremodel.net, a website for homeowners looking for practical green remodeling resources and DIY advice.

With global warming and pollution being ever-present topics on the news, it is important for everyone to contribute to making the world a cleaner place. One way to do this is to use ecologically friendly materials when building your home. The wave of the future is green roofing.

A green roof is a roof that is covered with vegetation. Essentially a rooftop garden, green roofs were developed in the 1960s in Germany, and have become quite popular in many European countries. It is only recently however, that green roof technology has begun to catch on in the U.S.

A green roof is excellent for city dwellers who often lack green space such as a yard or a deck. The addition of a green roof can provide a space to express one’s creativity, and bring nature back to the city. In fact, by planting native vegetation, you can invite insects, birds, and butterflies that would otherwise have nowhere else to go. As an added benefit, green rooftops are aesthetically pleasing and offer a visual contrast to the pavement and steel that dominates the cityscape.

The environmental benefits of a green roof are many, and include the reduction of water runoff that occurs with typical homes. A reduction of runoff is good for the entire community, as too much runoff can result in flooding and water contamination. Because green roofs feature soil and plant life, these roofs are able to absorb as much as 75% of falling rainwater. This moisture is then released back into the air through condensation. A typical roof on the other hand is built to be totally waterproof, so every drop of water runs off and drains into the sewers.

Besides reducing water runoff, green roofs are also able to reduce the presence of toxins in the environment. Pollutants in the air and water, as well as carbon dioxide are absorbed by plant life and rendered harmless. These plants also produce oxygen.

Not only are green roofs great for the environment, but they are also an excellent investment. A properly installed green roof can last at least twice as long as typical roofing material, thereby saving you thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs.

Green roofing can also significantly reduce your heating and cooling bills throughout the year. According to a recent study, building a green roof can reduce your heating and cooling needs by 26%. In cities especially, changes need to be made to the way that structures are built. Temperatures in cities are much higher than in surrounding areas because there is such a prevalence of buildings in a small area. These buildings are made with traditional materials, which absorb and then re-direct the sun’s heat. Cities are therefore much hotter than rural areas where there are less structures, and more green space. In order to combat the rising temperatures, some cities are offering incentives to builders to add green roofing to their projects.

If you decide to build a green roof, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. First, there are two types of green roofs. Traditional style roof gardens, which feature large plants or lawns, require a great deal of maintenance. Feeding, watering, and soil care are all necessary to keep this garden in good condition. Extensive roof gardens on the other hand, have only a thin layer of soil, and require very little work to maintain.

Great for the environment, good for your pocket book, and pleasing to the eye, green roofs are a budding trend that can have a positive impact on the environment. Not only that, but a well constructed green roof can increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars.

Doug Jones is an award-winning San Diego REALTOR with a solid reputation for getting results. Learn more about San Diego real estate today!