Entering the Summer season, some people feel the epitome of leisure and luxury is having an outdoor pool. Pools are expensive to install and maintain. Chemicals typically cost more than $500 per year. The electricity to run the pump, heater, etc. can add $100 per month to utility bills and many find it surprising to learn that outdoor pools do little to increase the value of a home. The expensive upkeep discourages some potential buyers.
When you or your family have outgrown your current living space, trying to decide if adding a room- addition,n or buying a larger house requires careful thought and consideration. It can be less expensive to add an addition and the homeowner has more control of the costs, however, the process can disrupt family life. Services and use of certain areas are temporarily interrupted. Dust and dirt are tracked in the house. Such renovations may require the house being vacated or furnishing being placed in storage for awhile. Building an addition does not automatically guarantee increased home value. The style and size of the addition, as well as the condition of the real estate market, are factors that determine if the cost of the addition will be recovered.
Major remodeling projects do not always yield the most favorable investment return. Visible changes that cost less often do more to increase resale value. Tim McKeough, a design writer, suggests painting walls is one of the most cost effective renovations. Interior and exterior painting has an estimated 50 to 100 percent return on invested amount.
Applying paint to areas that are in need of renovation can save a great deal of money, and the cost is easier to recover. Instead of replacing counter tops with poured concrete counters, applying a faux concrete finish to existing counter tops saves ripping up the kitchen. Some elbow grease and faux magic yield counter tops that look great and cost around $200 rather than the $5000 price tag of poured concrete tops.
The garage is an often forgotten area in need of renovating. Oil-stained concrete is an eye sore. One of the most economic projects is to paint the garage floor. It improves the garage’s aesthetics and usability. A uniform floor with a smooth, glossy finish will reflect light better than the dirt floor it replaces. The paint job takes the garage appearance to the next level.
The term painting my be misleading. Garage floor epoxy is standard for tough, good-looking garage floor surfaces. Floors stained with rust, grease, and oil are best remedied with an epoxy coating. Paint and epoxy are not the same things. Epoxy is a bit more complex to prepare for and apply. The time and effort are worth it. Renovators suggest beginning with garage floors. Painting the walls supplies the economical finishing touch.