Considering home improvement, or adding on to your home? Stay on top of the latest trends, and get the most for your time and money. With 45Fix, home improvement is as easy as 1-2-3. From start to finish we'll be working so you can enjoy a job well done. 45Fix For Home Improvement ProjectsRobert and Elizabeth Beverly wanted to finish their basement and turn in a large, open space into living area. But like many customers in the Charlottesville area, the Beverlys have had some bad experiences with contractors and service people. Robert heard about a company called 45FIX, a company that specializes in connecting homeowners with reliable contractors. Convinced that going with 45FIX was a better solution than dealing with contractors on their own, the Beverlys project was started and completed to their utmost satisfaction. We hired 45Fix to supervise our project, Elizabeth stated. We liked the idea of having a middleman to intervene if necessary and be our advocate when dealing with the contractor. As it turns out, 45Fix recommended an excellent contractor. Liaison businesses offer personal, customized services"In addition to our background checks, 45Fix meets face-to-face with every contractor who wishes to join the 45Fix service provider network," Hoekstra says. "We also continually monitor service-partner performance during each project and record customer comments." 45Fix finds contractors through referrals as well as through networking with local and national trade associations. 45Fix supports the regional representative with lists of candidates generated by its research department. Local company makes home improvement easyWith house prices continuing to escalate, more homeowners are choosing to invest in their present home through remodeling or additions instead of making pricey purchases. For a successful experience, it is important that homeowners understand what such a project entails in terms of time, money, and overall personal involvement.
Middlepersons: They want to take guesswork out of contractingAnyone who's come home to mysterious holes in their walls, swarming insects, or a flooded basement knows that the process of selecting reliable contractors can be a project unto itself, and a stressful one at that. Which companies will do the job well-- and on time? Which offer the best deal? Two local businesses now aim to take the guesswork out of hiring home contractors. Refer MadnessCould it be any easier for homeowners to find home improvement contractors? Only if the online referral industry maintains its current torrid growth rate. Having emerged in the 1990s and then largely imploded in the dot-com bust, this industry is back and bigger than ever. Hundreds of services exist today, from national behemoths that “match” contractors and consumers automatically to one-person companies that know every client by name. 2007 RE/MAX Housing Study: Home Owners Continue to Invest in Their Homes Despite Economy
Metro Detroit homeowners remain vigilant in improving their homes despite the slow economy. According to the 2007 RE/MAX Housing Study, 60 percent of metro Detroit homeowners made improvements to their homes in the past two years, down only slightly from 66 percent in 2006. The study included Oakland, Wayne, Macomb and Monroe county residents. Oversized Garages, A/C Most Important to Homebuyers, Survey Finds
Home buyers in increasing numbers want garages with two or more spaces in their homes, according to the 2007 Profile of Buyers' Home Feature Preferences, released by the National Association of Realtors®. Since the last survey in 2004, oversize garages saw the biggest growth in terms of what recent buyers considered very important in a home, gaining 16 percentage points to 57 percent. Among buyers who purchased homes without this feature, 56 percent of them said they would have paid more for an oversize garage, compared to only 6 percent in the 2004 survey. Interior Upgrades More Important to Home Buyers; Research Shows Future Homes Will Showcase Luxury Rather Than Size
The average family may be smaller than it was 10 years ago, but the average single-family house is larger - and more luxurious. It has more bathrooms, higher ceilings, more elaborate master bedrooms, and bigger kitchens and outdoor space. Contractor complaints consistently rate among highest in state
John Raymond was looking for warmth. Instead, he got burned. It has been almost two years since Raymond hired a Cambridge heating and cooling company to install a boiler in the 84-year-old house he bought in Cambridge in 1992. Natural Stone is Number One for Kitchen Counters
A key element to making a kitchen both elegant and functional is a great countertop. According to the National Association of Home Builders, granite or natural stone is the number one choice for surfaces and countertops. However, people are moving away from shiny granite and going for matte finishes such as soapstone and slate in kitchen countertops, says Tom Tessier of Thurston Kitchen and Bath in Eagle-Vail, CO. Many people are attracted to having soapstone as a countertop because of its soft feel. Homeowners Pan Home Depot's Installation Work
One of the biggest names in home improvements is under fire throughout the Tri-state and across the country. Homeowners have filed complaints against Home Depot, which boasts the motto, "professional installation you can trust." "I don't trust them, and I would not recommend them," said former Home Depot customer Beth Scheid. Garage Remodeling The Latest Trend
The allure of Petur Workman's $2 million home isn't a stainless-steel kitchen or over-the-top home theater. Visitors to this house can't wait to see Workman's tricked-out garage, complete with painted walls, seamless epoxy floors, canned lighting and custom cabinets. Five Home Trends: Kitchens, Closets and Laundry Are on the Move
Never mind the traditional home layout. Judging from the exhibits at the recent International Builders' Show here, new homes now are increasingly about what their residents want, wherever they want it: Kitchens in the backyard, Jacuzzis in showers, laundry rooms near bedrooms and closets everywhere Homes Evolve for 55+ Crowd
The "New American Home 2007" was unveiled last month at the International Builders Show in Orlando to showcase the latest in home design and technology. The ultramodern three-level home comes with a wheelchair ramp and an elevator. There are two bedrooms on the ground floor, each providing a full bath -- one with a shower, the other a tub -- equipped with a sliding door. Dangers of Design TV: Keep It Real
Remodeling contractors report about one quarter of the jobs they are asked to estimate are do-it-yourself projects gone bad. They make it look so easy on TV, a whole room done in a day or two with just a little money. The next time you're tempted to start a makeover inspired by something you've seen on a "reality" show, ask yourself these questions: Do I have the time? Heart of the House - What's Happening to the Kitchen?
A great kitchen is more than a terrific range. It's not only granite countertops and custom cabinets. Those may be part of a great kitchen, of course, but what really make the difference between a great kitchen and a mediocre one are things that might not be seen at first glance. Renovate or Move? What to Do When Your House Won't Do
The closets were tiny and the kitchen was outdated in Bill and Nichole Van Zilen's Bergenfield Tudor. "Everything was ancient," said Bill Van Zilen. The Van Zilens considered moving, but they liked the short commute to their tech jobs in New York, as well as the vintage charm of their 1920 house. So they took out a home equity loan, plunged into more than $100,000 worth of improvements and created the house they wanted out of the house they had. The Whole Kitchen-Kaboodle : Complete Makeovers With Lavish High-End Touches Are Heating Up Remodeling
Exotic wood cabinets, granite countertops, custom lighting and commercial-grade appliances are just a few of the highend touches you might find in a luxury home kitchen. Some homeowners spend $100,000 or more to create their dream kitchen. Conspicuous consumption? While showing off is certainly a perk of doing a high- end kitchen, homeowners and builders say there are practical reasons for making the investment: ease-of-use and keeping pace with home values and trends. Baby Boomers Starting To Downsize
As longtime owners of a nearly 4,000-square-foot house in southern California, Ciji Ware and her husband, Tony Cook, enjoyed spacious living. But when he received an unexpected job offer in northern California, they made an abrupt change. They put their possessions in storage and moved into a 395-square-foot apartment in San Francisco. Buyer (and Seller) Beware
Confused about the direction of the housing market? It's no wonder. You hear stories about sellers slashing listing prices to attract buyers, but home prices nationally have risen more than 10% over the past year. Inventories of unsold homes are on the rise, yet homebuilder Lennar Corp. just reported a 34% jump in earnings. And the much feared rise in 30-year mortgage rates seems to have stalled. Selling Your Home in Trickier Times
The boom may be fading, but a little knowledge of local conditions and a few improvements can make all the difference. When Vishal Khatri and his fiancéee put their condominium in Falls Church, Va., on the market last August for $240,000, nobody bit. They dropped the price on the decades old one-bedroom to $225,000, and that still didn't help. It's What's on Top that Really Counts
When it comes to protecting the home, it's what's on top that really counts. On top, as in the roof. It's the home's first level of protection -- against sunlight, rain, snow and wind -- but the last thing a homeowner usually thinks about. When Dream Kitchens Meet Real-World BudgetsThe cost of an average kitchen remodel has hit $20,000, according to the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C. Many homeowners, however, spend far more once they've installed new cabinets, high-end appliances and increasingly, multiple equipment such as two sinks or dishwashers, granite countertops, handcrafted tile backsplashes and a wine cooler. In fact, designer Sarit Catz, founder of the design firm Refuge in Short Hills, N.J., has had clients who've spent as much as $250,000 before they've said, "The Chinese take-out has been delivered." Don't Let Shoddy Contractors Demolish Your Budget
When someone comes to your house and starts smashing down walls, tearing out appliances and punching holes in ceilings, it's best to know exactly who you are dealing with. Now is no time to get nailed by a shoddy contractor. According to the remodeling activity indicator released Jan. 13 by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, Americans spent $149.5 billion on home improvements last year, up 4.3 percent from 2004's total. What's Hot, What's Not In Home Improvements
Home remodeling has become one of the great American pastimes -- $127 billion spent in 2004, and $150 billion more in 2005, according to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. And there's no letup in sight. Kermit Baker, director of the center, says that a "significant core" of the population spends more than 50 percent of their homes' value on remodeling and improving -- some solely to enjoy the updated space, others for investment, hoping the outlay will pay big dividends when they sell. |
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