Five Home Improvements That Homeowners Make Before Moving In A New Home

Five Home Improvements That Homeowners Make Before Moving in a New Home

Changes Homeowners Should Make Before Moving In A New Home

Being in the home improvement industry we see a variety of different customers, with different home improvement needs.  There are the homeowners that wait until the last minute to fix something. Then there are the homeowners who are always making improvements, trying to keep up with all the new home improvement trends.  These are just a few examples of some customers, however one of the most popular customers we get are homeowners who just purchased a new home.  What we intend to discuss in this blog post is why would new homeowners want to make home improvements right away, why before moving in is the best time to make home improvements, and the top five most popular home improvements that are made before new homeowners move in.

When discussing business trends with family members and friends one of the most popular questions is "Where does most of your business come from?", and upon telling them that people who just purchased a home make up a large portion of our business, the next question is "Why is that?".  The main reason why is that with no furniture in the home, it is often the easier to visualize a new design. A empty home also makes it quicker and easier for the home improvement contractor, or for the homeowner who is the do it yourselfer. Also, with nothing in the home, this can sometimes save homeowners money on contractor fees as their is no labor cost in moving furniture around. Last but not least some homes, especially historic homes, are bought with the idea of fixing them up to live in or to resale at a later date.  No matter what the reason is, home improvements being made before a homeowner moves in, is a very popular time for home improvements.

Now that we know why making home improvements before moving in a new home is a popular trend, now it is time to list the top five home improvements homeowners make before moving into a new home.  In no specific order of popularity, we will list the top five most popular home improvements made before moving in along with a brief description on why that home improvement made the list.  So without further a do, here are the top five home improvements made by homeowners before moving into a new home:

1. Painting - Probably the most popular home improvement project made before moving into a new home, we find that new paint is often included even with other home improvement projects.  Whether it be interior or exterior painting, painting will always be one of the most popular home improvements because not everybody likes the same colors, and not everybody takes the best care of their existing paint.
2. Flooring - Just like with paint, flooring comes in many styles and colors, and not every color and style fits every customers style.  Carpet and vinyl are often replaced with hardwoods or tile, then sometimes carpets and vinyls are simply replaced with different colors and/or patterns.  Whatever the reason may be, many homeowners who purchase a new home often times change the flooring products.
3. Window Treatments - While often a do it yourself project, this is a very popular home improvement that almost always gets done.  Not only can it be time consuming, it can also get costly depending on how many windows your new home may have.  Often times homeowners will hire a professional to do the installations just to save time.
4. Light Fixtures - Lots of times before a homeowner puts their home on the market, they take down their family heirloom chandeliers, ceiling fans, and other expensive light fixtures and replace them with cheaper new fixtures or with the original fixtures that came with the home.  With nothing in the home it is easy to access light fixtures, and homeowners can install the light fixtures of their choosing before moving in.
5. Closet Systems - Ever wonder why their is a whole isle or two dedicated to closet systems and storage in home improvement stores? This is why, many homeowners that have just purchased a new home want to install new closet systems, and what a better time to do it then before moving into their new home.

There are many other home improvements that new homeowners make before moving into a new home, however these are some of the more popular ones that our home improvement company runs into.  So whether your looking to make a new paint scheme, install new flooring, or simply change the light fixtures in the home, making these improvements before you move in, is definitely easier to do.  Without any thing in the way, contractors can really go to work and turnover the job much quicker, and often times at a lower cost when nothing is in the home.  If your a homeowner in the Salisbury NC or Charlotte NC area looking to make some home improvements before moving into a new home, we hope you will contact MB Construction Company to help you with your home improvement needs.  We hope this article has been interesting and helpful to our readers, and stay tuned for more blog post.

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Bathroom Remodeling Ideas - Glass Tile Accent Wall

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas - Glass Tile Accent Walls

Popular Ways to Spice Up Your Bathroom When Doing a Bathroom

A popular technique used in interior design is designating one wall in the room as a accent wall, which is a wall which differs in design then the other walls in the room.  Often times a interior designer will use a different color paint scheme or paint color to make a accent wall, however to make things a little more creative they will sometimes use a entirely different material.  As we often do on our home improvement blog, we like to share ideas some of our customers have used in their homes to make their remodeling project unique.  Recently one of our customers used a unique way to accent a wall in a bathroom remodelling project by using glass tile to form a accent wall behind the vanity.  In this blog we will discuss how to pick the accent wall, ways to blend the glass tile accent wall into the rest of the room, and how to budget for doing a bathroom remodel with a glass tile accent wall.

First off lets discuss how to get started in planning out a bathroom remodel with a glass tile accent wall being used.  Most interior design websites, blogs, and magazines recommend using a wall that will stand out or be seen more.  In the case of the bathroom, this makes it really easy to narrow down your choices to two walls, either the wall with the toilet or the wall with the vanity.  In the case of our recent bathroom remodel project, the customer chose the wall with the sink and vanity on it, as they also wanted the wall to double as a backsplash.  With family and guest washing there hands, we feel this was a great choice as it will protect the structure from water better then painted drywall would.  The wall with the toilet would also be a great choice as most people that enter the bathroom is going to use the toilet, and it will be seen often as well.  Once we have the accent wall picked out then we can move on to what else we are going to do with the bathroom remodel.

Since we aren't using paint to accent the wall, then there should be a little more to blending the glass tile wall in, then just painting that wall.  Although we will need new paint in the bathroom remodel project, it has been our experience in providing bathroom remodeling services, glass tile will stick out a lot more then a accent wall with just a different color paint scheme.  So here are a couple of different design schemes that can enhance a glass tile wall:

• Wood Wainscotting
• Chair Rail Trim
• Glass Tile Border
• Wallpaper Border
• 1 x 4 Wood Border

These are just a few ideas for switching up the way the other walls will look in the room to help blend the glass tile accent wall into the rest of the room.  Blending more then one way is also a popular way to do walls, like in our most recent bathroom remodel project using a glass tile border with bead board wainscoting, and chair rail caps. 

Now that we have the design planned out, its time to move on to setting up a budget for your bathroom remodel project.  Although the prices of goods vary from product to product, city to city, and state to state, setting up a bathroom remodel budget involves the same process.  The first thing you are going to do is set a dollar amount you are willing to invest into your bathroom remodel.  Most bathroom remodels are going to be at least $2500 to $3000 to do a complete remodel, so consider these number as a minimum of what you are going to look at in a bathroom remodel project.  Once you have your budget number set, you will need to make a list of the materials that will be needed.  Your list should include some or all of these materials:

• Glass Tile
• Glass Tile Mortar
• Interior Latex Paint
• Chair Rail Trim
• Bead Board Wainscot
• Vanity with top
• Bathroom Faucet
• Bathroom Mirror
• Towel Holder
• Toilet Paper Holder
• Bathroom Lighting Fixture
• Semi-Gloss Paint
• Sanded or Unsanded Grout
• Grout Sealer

This is just a short list of materials that may be needed in a bathroom remodel.  After you have a list, you can go shop the materials to see what fits your budget.  After you have your materials budgeted for you will need to figure out whether you are going to do the work yourself, or hire a professional bathroom remodeling contractor.  If your not very handy with construction work, then you need to leave room in the budget for hiring a contractor.  Bathroom remodel contractor services vary depending on goals of your bathroom remodel.  Obviously tile work is going to cost more then paiting, as it requires a lot more time and tools to do, so keep that in mind when getting prices from bathroom remodel service providers in your area.  Materials and labor are usually close to the same price, and getting multiple quotes will help you know that your not paying too much for a bathroom remodel contractor.

Now that we have made the design, chosen the accent wall, and set up a budget for a bathroom remodel, its time to move on to putting the plan in motion.  We hope this article has been helpful in giving the reader not only ideas for remodelling the bathroom, but also a few ways to plan for a bathroom remodel.  If you are a homeowner in the Charlotte NC area looking to do a bathroom remodel project, then call MB Construction Company for a free estimate.  Thanks for reading our home improvement blog and keep checking back for more home improvement ideas.

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5 Home Improvements For Under $3,000

Five Home Improvements For Under $3,000

 

Ways to Improve Your Home for Under the Average Tax Refund for Homeowners

While our last blog post was about reinvesting your tax return money in home improvements, we decided to elaborate on how to reinvest your tax refund into home improvements.  With the average tax return for homeowners right at a little under $3,000, we decided to list a few home improvements that can be done for under $3,000.  While homes and room sizes vary from home to home, and neighborhood to neighborhood, we will list the average square footage of the space being described in each home improvement.  We will also list the home improvement being described, along with average material cost, and average labor cost.  While our blog article won't hold true for every home, this article can serve as a general guide for what homeowners can do in home improvements for around $3,000.  With that in mind, here are five home improvements most homeowners can achieve for under $3,000.

1.) New Paint - While one of the most popular home improvement projects, this home improvement ranks at the top of our list because many homeowners are capable of painting the interior of their own homes.  In addition, painting tools are generally not as much in cost compared to the tools required to do other home improvement projects.

• Average Square Footage: 1,500 square feet
• Average Material Cost for New Paint: $600-$1,000 (based on quality, texture, and brand)
• Average Labor Cost: $0-$1,000 (based on if homeowner performs labor, height of walls, amount of trim, etc.)
• Average Price for Painting Home Improvement: $1,300

2.) Bathroom Remodel - Remodeling the bathroom in the home is also one of the more popular home improvement projects homeowners like to take on.  While this project is probably not something the average homeowner could take on by themselves, a advanced DIY'er could probably handle this home improvement with a little help from a professional plumber or flooring expert.  Our bathroom example will include a new toilet, new vanity with top, new faucet, and new flooring.  This example will be based on the assumption a professional bathroom remodeling specialist will be performing all the work.

• Average Square Footage: 75 square feet
• Average Material Cost for Toilet: $100-$250
• Average Material Cost for New Vanity: $150-$300
• Average Material Cost For New Faucet: $100-$150
•  Average Material Cost for New Flooring: $250-$400
• Average Total Material Cost: $850.00
• Average Labor Cost For Bathroom Remodel: $800-$1,500 (dependent on demo cost, materials used, and scope of work)
• Average Price for Bathroom Remodel Home Improvement: $2,000

3.) New Flooring in Living Area - In today's era of technology, many families and homeowners, spend a lot of time in the den or living room of their home.  From watching television, to playing entertainment systems games, to trying to get better wifi connection, the living room is one of the most used rooms in a home.  With large amounts of foot traffic, flooring can get worn, stained, broken, or just plain boring to look at.  Also, many homeowners may be looking to upgrade to a more durable flooring product for this high traffic area.  No matter what the reason, new flooring in the living room is a very common home improvement project for many homeowners.  This example will also be based on the assumption a professional flooring contractor will be performing all the work.

• Average Living Area Square Footage: 400 square feet
• Average Material Cost for New Flooring: $1,000 (based on $2.50/sq. ft. price)
• Average Labor Cost For New Flooring: $1,000 (based on $2.50/sq. ft. price, including demo cost to remove old flooring)
• Average Price for New Flooring in Living Room/Den: $2,000

4.) Partial Kitchen Remodel - Another room in the home that sees high traffic is the kitchen.  Families and individuals spend lots of time in the kitchen cooking, eating, working, etc.  As with any high traffic area, the kitchen can get worn and dull to look at.  So instead of doing a complete kitchen remodel, many homeowners will decide to do a partial kitchen remodel leaving more expensive items like appliances, cabinets, counter tops, and furniture for later.  For our example, we will be doing the cost of new flooring, a kitchen back splash, and new paint.  All prices will be based on the assumption a professional kitchen remodeler will be performing the work.

• Average Kitchen Area Square Footage: 300 square feet
• Average Material Cost for New Paint: $300 (based on quality, texture, and brand)
• Average Material Cost for New Flooring: $750
• Average Material Cost for Back Splash: $150
• Average Labor Cost for Partial Kitchen Remodel: $1,350
• Average Price for Partial Kitchen Remodel: $2,550

5.) New Outdoor Deck - While all our other home improvements have focused on the interior of the home, this home improvement concentrates on the exterior of the home.  With spring right around the corner, many homeowners will be looking for an outdoor living area to spend their time in the warm spring days and summer nights.  Four our example, we will again be using a average deck size, using traditional lumber, and based on professional installation.

• Average Deck Size: 340 square feet
• Average Material Cost for Lumber: $1,500-$1,800
• Average Labor Cost for Deck Construction: $1,000-$1500
• Average Price for New Outdoor Deck: $2,900

While just a general list of some of the most popular home improvement projects being done in our area of the country, you can see there are a lot of home improvement projects that can be done for under $3,000, the average tax refund for many homeowners in America.  Your home may be larger or smaller then the average square footage sizes we have used in our examples, however this can be a good guide for how to budget for these home improvements.  Not only will these home improvements make your house feel like a new home, they can also help when going to sell you home.  If your a homeowner in the Salisbury NC, Charlotte NC, or Concord NC areas looking to use your tax refund to make home improvements like these, then contact MB Construction Company for a free estimate.  Thanks for reading our blog, and stay tuned for other interesting home improvement news, tips, and ideas.

Authored by:

Brad Basinger
MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone:704-267-7763 (Brad)
Email: brad@mbconstructioncompany.com
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Historic Home Restoration | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Porcelain Tile Installers | Mosaic Tile Back Splash Installers | Deck Construction & Deck Repairs | Laminate Floor Installer | Bamboo Flooring Installers

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Reinvesting Your Tax Return By Making Home Improvements

Reinvesting Your Tax Return By Making Home Improvements

Why using your tax return to make home improvements is a good investment.

With tax season upon us, many United States citizens will be receiving tax refunds.  Homeowners often receive, on average, more money back from taxes thanks to tax breaks given to homeowner who have mortgages.  Most financial and tax publications estimate the average tax return at around $3,000 per family.  $3,000 is a sizable amount of money that can either be saved or reinvested.  The purpose of this blog post is to show why reinvesting some of this tax return money into the home.

The first reason why making home improvements is a good investment for homeowners is that all home's need maintenance, and just like with a car, preventive maintenance will keep a home in good working and livable shape. Doing home improvements like painting, installing new flooring, or remodeling the bathroom will not only spruce up the look of the home, it also prevents things from deteriorating.  Carpet gets worn, paint gets dull, and bathrooms get grimy, and making improvements to them helps keep things from getting out of control, leading to more costly renovations at later dates.

Another reason why doing home improvements is a good reinvestment for homeowners is that homeowners generally are good money managers.  To qualify for a home mortgage, banks screen potential homeowners for credit, savings, down payment, etc.  Generally speaking, banks do a good job at making sure a homeowner is financially sound before loaning money on a home.  So most homeowners aren't dependent on tax return money for living expenses, thus spending tax refund money on a home improvement can keep homeowners from dipping into saving for money to spend on the home.  Also, homeowners get tax deductions for mortgage interest, so using that tax break to improve the home, is almost like using the interest on the loan to fix up your home.

Last but not least, making regular home improvements leads to higher resale values and quicker resale time frames, when the time comes to sell the home.  Most Realtors will tell you that home's with modern flooring, bathrooms, kitchens, etc., will always sell quicker then home's with outdated flooring, bathrooms, and kitchens.  While some home improvements won't increase the value of the home, almost all home improvements will make the house more sellable.  In addition to being up to date, many home buyers will get a professional home inspector to inspect a property for damages and costly repairs, and being up to date on home improvements will reduce the amount of problems a home inspector will find.  Often times if a home inspector find damages, many sellers will either have to make the repair, or deduct money from the sale price to cover repairs.  So keeping up with home improvements can make selling the home a lot easier when the time comes.

In conclusion, using tax return money is a great way to reinvest money in your home.  Keeping a home well maintained, not having to dip into savings for home improvements, and keeping the home in a sellable condition is always a good investment.  What better way to find money to make the home improvements you've always wanted. and/or the home improvements you need to make?  If your a homeowner in the Salisbury, Charlotte, or Concord North Carolina areas looking to make home improvements after you receive your tax return, then give MB Construction Company a call or a email.  We have free estimates on all of our home improvement services, so it cost nothing to see how affordable making home improvements can be.  Thanks for reading our blog, and check in for new blog post frequently.

Authored by:

Brad Basinger
MB Construction Company
224 Prescott Drive
Salisbury, NC 28144
Phone:704-267-7763 (Brad)
Email: brad@mbconstructioncompany.com
Website: http://www.mbconstructioncompany.com

Home Improvement Services | Historic Home Restoration | Kitchen and Bath Remodelling | Flooring Installers | Tile Installers | Handyman Services | Rental Home Maintenance | Painting Services | Home Repairs | Porcelain Tile Installers | Mosaic Tile Back Splash Installers | Deck Construction & Deck Repairs | Laminate Floor Installer | Bamboo Flooring Installers

Charlotte NC | Concord NC | Salisbury NC | Kannapolis NC | Mooresville NC

Rowan County NC | Mecklenburg County NC | Cabarrus County NC | Iredell County NC |

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