Santa Monica Property Blog

10 AFFORDABLE REMODELING PROJECTS

January 27, 2010 on 12:17 am | In Fascinating Information, Home info, Uncategorized, all, good advice |

IDEAS TO SPRUCE UP A PROPERTY AND ALLOW FOR A QUICK SALE

Edited by Jodi Summers

Judicious home remodeling is still worth the investment, according to Remodeling magazine’s annual “Cost vs. Value Report.” They suggest these 10 big-impacts, low-cost remodeling projects -

1. Tidy up kitchen cabinets.

Advice: Add rollout organizing trays so when buyers peek in, they feel like there’s lots of room for their stuff.

2. Add or replace tile.

Advice: By retiling very inexpensively, you make a room look way cleaner that it was. Go to a discount tile store, buy $1 to $2 tiles and replace a dated backsplash or upgrade bathrooms.

3. Add a breakfast bar.

Advice: When a wall separates a kitchen from a family room, cut out an opening to create a breakfast bar.

4. Install granite tile instead of a slab.

Home owners can put in 12-inch granite tiles for about $300 in materials and get very high impact for little money.

5. Freshen up a bathroom without retiling.

Put in a new medicine cabinet for $100 to $150, light fixtures for about $100, a faucet for $50 to $75, and a vanity for $200 to $300. Put in a glass shower door. A French door adds a lot of panache and elegance for $250, and people will notice the door.

6. Freshen up the basement.

If home owners have cement block or poured concrete walls in the basement, suggest they have a contractor fill in cracks with hydraulic cement and then paint with waterproofing paint.

7. Add a room.

Look for large spaces that can be enclosed to create a new bedroom for just the price of creating a wall.

8. Spruce up cabinet fronts.

Update tired kitchen cabinets. Reconditioning is the least expensive move for under $1,000. Take out the nicks and scratches, recondition it with oil, and put new hardware on.

9. Replace light fixtures.

Replace overhead light fixtures in a foyer and in bathrooms and kitchens - this provides a lot of pop for a little money.

10. Tech-up the garage.

Replace the garage door opener with a remote touchpad entry system. The cost is about $425, but looks like a high-end system.

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http://www.realtor.org/rmohome_and_design/Articles/1001_costvsvalue_2009

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/208919614/Integrated_kitchen_cabinet_KC_030.jpg

http://freshome.com/2008/03/19/bathroom-vanities/

http://www.strawsticksandbricks.com/images/categories/multi%20pic.jpg

http://www.homesecurityinformation.com/ideas/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/garage-door-keypad-lock.jpg