4.) Garage Addition: This is another project that should be tackled only under the awareness that the average regain will average just above 62%. The average cost of such a project will amount to more than $58,000. Garage additions are labor intensive – They involve slab work, roofing, new siding, paint, doors, etc. Erecting a garage addition only differs from new home building in that it does not require insulated walls for HVAC purposes. Essentially, the garage addition process is no different than the building process of assembling a miniature house.

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Here it comes. Holiday hassles, Christmas clutter and winter woes. All outdoor landscaping, siding, painting and roofing projects are placed on a multi-month hiatus. The dream deck remodel will be pushed back another year, and the plans for the new pool and/or pond will be tossed back into the pile of “Gee, maybe someday.”

But wait! There is still work to be done. Being the proud homeowner that you are, you are well aware that your work is never done. Even during the winter months, there are tasks to undertake. Check this list out, and feel free to check it twice (that’s my lame attempt to elude to a naughty or nice holiday joke):

*I stole Santa from these guys: http://blogs.smarter.com

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Evidently we are in the midst of “National Work At Home Moms Week.”  Did you have any idea that such a holiday existed?  Well you do now!

WAHM’s (Work at home moms) spend the majority of both their professional and personal lives at their home.  From a professional standpoint, these women often operate as business owners, freelancers and subcontractors.  And from a personal standpoint, they practice a masterful balance between family and work.  This, ladies and gentleman, is multi-tasking at its finest.

In an effort to help my WAHM’s out just a little, I’d like to provide the web link to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry below.  This link can act as an excellent tool when trying to find assistance with your next home remodel project (You just can’t always do it yourself, right?).  Using a NARI certified contractor will provide guaranteed Quality, Professional & Accredited Work.

This is a great starting point.

NARI Kansas City

(And yes, that is my Pat Strand near the bottom of the list–Too bad they won’t let me submit a photo for their site.  I’ve got a few good ones!)

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1. Where will your contractor be able to drop lumber and store materials?
2. Parking.  Where will the crew be able to park?  What about you?
3. Which bathroom will the workers be allowed to use?
4. How will floors and carpets be protected form dirt and dust?
5. Are all breakables packed away for safe keeping?
6. Window treatments will most likely get very dirty.  Should you pack them away, as well?
7. Consider closing off the job site from the remainder of the house with a piece of plywood or plastic.

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Looking to finish your basement?  Have family or pets who are allergic to mold & mildew?  Maybe you’re just looking to remove the Rainforest-like atmosphere from your little dungeon.  Either way, if you’ve got soggy basement issues, it’s as good a time as any to cure those basement woes.

In addition to allergen issues, moisture in the basement will rot wood, drywall, carpet and just about any other material left in its presence.  When we first moved to our new home several years back, we stored all of our belongings in the basement while we remodeled the upper levels of the house.  Slowly, we brought our stuff upstairs and were able to integrate it into the home.  Our leather furniture set was one of the last items on the list to join the land of the living–it had been buried in the very back of the basement amongst other boxes, tables, tools, etc.  By the time we were able to dig the leather set out from underneath all the other stuff, we discovered the pieces were covered in a greenish, moldy film.  Not only were the exteriors ruined, but the interior mechanisms and hardware had been affected, as well.

Your moisture problem can stem from something as simple as a grading problem.  If the ground along the outside of your foundation doesn’t slope down and away from your house, it will collect rain & snow melt against the foundation.  This excess water will then seep into your basement.

If this is the case, you will need to build up the soil around the foundation to where water runs away from the house.

You can also check your gutters and downspouts.  Make sure there are no leaks allowing water to soak into the foundation.  Extensions can be used on the downspouts to force water to drain away from the house.  (Downspout extensions should drain water at least 3 feet away from the house).

If these little tricks don’t work, you’ll need to call in the big dogs.  Get in contact with a licensed waterproofing contractor.  This guy will be able to give you a good work over–Be forewarned that his services may not be cheap, however.  Permanent solutions can involve excavation or installation of all new drain tile alongside the footings.

But believe this: the longer you wait to tackle the damp dungeon issue, the more damages will be done to your property and to your wallet.

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I would like to share a little excerpt from a fellow blogger.  This comes to us from Jamie Goldberg, Kitchen & Bath Design, LLC in Tampa, FL:

“The best builders, contractors and trades have much greater scheduling availability right now, which gives you access to professionals you might not otherwise be able to get.  As the New York Times put it, during the boom years, ‘Good contractors were as hard to get as celebrated doctors.’  Their knowledge and skill are unchanged.  It’s just that many have more down time at the moment.”

Get it while it’s hot.

Check out more of Jamie’s Blogging

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Wallpaper Calculator

As if hanging wallpaper wasn’t hard enough–The wallpaper roll manufacturers expect us to be able to bust out with our handy-dandy Geometry/Trig skills as we’re standing in aisle 4 trying to decide between solids and stripes!

The above link is a super little tool.  It will help you out with your next wallpapering project.  I think it’s confusing to try to estimate how much wallpaper to purchase for a project, but you can use this link to enter your wall length and height in order to get a really good idea as to how much paper will be needed.  It even subtracts paper for doors and windows.  How cool is that?!?

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According to the folks over at the APPA (they do a national survey every year), 63% of U.S. households own a pet.  This is equal to 71.1 million homes.  Curious to learn the most popularly owned pets?  Dogs, Cats & Freshwater Fish–In that order.

It’s no wonder these guys occupy millions of homes throughout the nation.  The benefits we reap stretch far beyond love and companionship.  According to research, people who own pets make fewer trips to the doctor’s office.  They also experience lower blood pressure, reduced stress, lessened symptoms of depression and lowered risk of heart disease.

With all the benefits that we receive from our furry/feathery/scaly little friends, it’s no wonder so many of us find ourselves spoiling the heck out of them.

Here are a few fun remodeling ideas that are totally geared towards our pets.  If you love your buddy as much as I love mine, you might want to allow one of these ideas for consideration during your next renovation task.

• Doggy Overlooks-Is your pup as nosy as mine?  This concept would allow him to stick his head through a decorative opening on the second floor and keep tabs on his owners below.
• Heated Floors-What little guy doesn’t like to be warm and cozy?  Heated floors are a nice touch for us, but think about how awesome something like this would be for them!
• Wood/Linoleum Floors-If you’re a pet person, and you perform any kind of floor remodeling whatsoever, I highly recommend you take advantage of the inherent pet-friendly qualities that these surfaces offer.  A high-end linoleum floor can be a beautiful finish to any remodeled kitchen, bath, basement or rec room.  And a light to medium finish will minimize scratches.
• Indoor Pet Retreat-Use that extra room in your house to design your own, customized, state of the art pet playland!  These are sometimes located with a pet door for easy pet indoor/outdoor access.  You can design your retreat to include such amenities as automatic feeders and drinking fountains or maybe even a pet washing station!
• Matching Fabrics & Carpet-Can’t say that I would use this tip, but I think it’s a practical one, nonetheless.  For owner’s who don’t like the look of shedding hair on furniture, fabrics, rugs, carpets–Choose non-toxic fabrics that match the pet’s fur.  In my case, I might consider purchasing black and white carpets and couches.  (Actually, that might look kind of cool).

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