Love the home you’re stuck with
by Tom on June 24, 2008
in Uncategorized
Jun. 24, 2008
Money.cnn.com has a good article about home improvements that can be worthwhile in terms of ways to make the house that you are living in comfortable. I’ve put highlights from it below…..
Trapped in a house you don’t want but can’t sell? Here’s how to make it more livable while you wait for the rebound.
(Money Magazine) — ……..
Well, here’s a crazy idea. Rather than tackling improvements as a way to move on up, why not do them to make yourself happier staying put for a while? You might not have a choice. With home sales down nearly 18% over the past year, it’s a spectacularly lousy time to put your place on the market.
So if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with. Give your house the features you’ve been wanting the next one to have, from a luxe breakfast bar to a spa bathroom.
Create the illusion of size. If you’re saddled with the claustrophobic rooms (and overabundant doors) of the typical Cape or other starter home, begin with this simple and cheap fix: Take unneeded doors off their hinges and stow them away. Either live without them or install glass French doors in their place (they run about $400 each). The interior of your home will immediately feel lighter and more spacious, designers say.
If that’s not enough, get out the sledgehammer. Surveys show that 40% of homeowners want only a half wall separating the kitchen from the family room; another 38% want no wall at all. Removal costs vary ($1,500 to $4,500), with load-bearing walls at the high end of the range.
Convert wasted space into living space. There may be no need to add to your current floor plan. Just finish your basement or another underused area, suggests Heather Harrison, a realtor in White Plains, N.Y.
Add an outdoor room. In the past few years there’s been a surge of interest in creating outdoor living space, according to surveys of architects.
Add a second sink. You can make a master bath – or any shared bathroom – more efficient by adding his-and-hers sinks.
Build a laundry room. Most homeowners think of a separate laundry room as a “must have,” according to a recent survey. But the vast majority don’t want to have to trek to a dark, dingy basement to get to it.
Add central air.
Turn the master bath into a spa. “Make it spacious and uncluttered and give it a calming color, stone and wood surfaces, and a big soaking tub,” says New York City realtor Deanna Kory.
Upgrade the kitchen. Nothing says luxury like a great-looking kitchen.
“Who knows if granite will still be the In surface in 10 years, but it certainly won’t be passé,” says Schaumburg, Ill. realtor Joe Stacy. One thing he guarantees: The Formica you’ve got now will not be back in style. Ever. 
