There are many home improvements that most people can perform themselves with little or no experience.  Sitting through a free class at Home Depot or Lowe’s, when offered, will give you a head start and keep you from making basic mistakes.  Also, there is a wealth of free information available on the internet that you can find with little effort.

When approached with care, painting is probably the most popular home improvement attempted by novices and easiest to correct mistakes.  Other relatively easy to complete projects include upgrading door and bath hardware, hanging small mirrors, tile floors, countertops and backsplashes, changing out a vanity cabinet, pre-finished hardwood floors (you should have some experience with power saws) and installing window coverings, to name a few.

Do it your-selfers usually attempt these type of projects for two reasons, cost savings and pride of ownership.  After gathering all the information and instructions needed to complete a project, the best way to save yourself from becoming frustrated is to have all tools and supplies on hand before starting.  After carefully cutting in a room while painting you don’t want to grab the roller and discover you forgot to buy a paint pan!

Although some minor projects can seem intimidating, with a little patience most can be completed by amateurs.  Don’t worry; you can’t do anything that can’t be fixed!

Making The Wisest Decision

More complex projects and those needing experienced hands for a quality job (or if you just aren’t up for the task) are best left to the pros.  These would include but are not limited to, full kitchen and bath remodels, moving interior walls, etc.  Careful consideration should be taken before attempting any plumbing or electrical alterations… these may seem expensive to pay to have done, but can give you nightmares or even cause major damage to the home if installed improperly, or cause injury to yourself with a simple misstep.  After all, the idea is to improve the value of your home.

If you have recently purchased a new home or had a custom home built and want to add more of something, or make a minor change or two, your builder can give you the names of the subcontractors who performed the work so you can keep the quality consistent throughout your home.  Upgrading simple things in an older or dated home, like the door hardware style and color, light fixtures and paint color can make your home feel new again.

Have fun and enjoy improving your home!

Your main goal when decorating your home is to give it character and personality.  Whether you have a new custom home, remodeling a dated older home or maybe just sprucing up for the holidays, here are some tips that you can easily use in any home.

Make the room cozier.  If you flip through various home decor magazines, you will notice that many pictures are showing rooms that are really cozy and homey, yet stylish and elegant.  Nobody wants a room that feels overly large and cold.  You can easily create your own intimate space in any room that you choose.  One of the main methods of making a room cozy is the use of proper lighting.

Right now the fashion is on lamps with down-shades that basically give a room that proper homey and comfy mood.  If you want to increase the coziness in the room, use various soft and heavy textures for your drapes and furniture coverings.  This will give the room a feel of closeness and compactness that increases the sense of comfort in the space.

If you have a rather small room, there are several ways to make it look larger.  Using softer and even lighting will keep the room compact rather than dividing it into various smaller areas.  The ambient lighting that offers a diffused illumination will make the room appear grander than it is.  Also the furniture should have plenty of space between pieces, and they should not be crammed next to each other.  This again adds to the feel of spaciousness in the room.

When it comes to the overall colors, texture and fabric, everything should be nicely coordinated, from the walls to the fabrics of the furniture, pillows, curtains, linens and even the carpeting.  They should all complement each other and offer the room the ambiance you want to achieve, be it cozy or vibrant.  With the many types of options available today, you can create just about any look and feel you want for your entire home.

Judith Balis is a local interior decorator whom I feel is extremely talented when it comes to these techniques and much more.  Visit her website Nest Instinctual Interiors (click here) to see her work and see what I mean by viewing her before and after pictures.  You can tell by her work she loves what she does.  As you’ll see, simple changes can make a world of difference.  This is where the help of a good decorator comes in.  Best of all, you don’t have to break the bank!

Don’t be afraid to go wild…after all, it’s your home.  Show your personality!

HAVE FUN!

Your backyard is a great place for home improvements, that if done correctly, can sometimes make you feel as though you are on vacation or are “getting away from it all”.

Water features are probably the number one addition for a soothing calming effect and can be combined with numerous other improvements for your outdoor enjoyment and entertaining.  Gazebos, raised planting areas with rock hardscapes, flagstone or paver walkways or patios, outdoor fireplaces, barbeque areas, or a combination of any or all of these will not only enhance your life but will add value to your home investment.  A visit to the nursery will add color and even more texture to any project. Carefully placed, this can be achieved with minimal expense.  This can even be done in pots alone if you are working with a very small area.

Don’t worry if you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars!  At the last home we lived in, my wife and I spent many enjoyable evenings sitting in front of a chiminea we purchased at the local Home Depot for under $100. When properly cared for, these charming Mexican outdoor fireplaces will bring you years of enjoyment.

Care and Maintenance of your Chiminea Guide (click for information)

On the other side of the coin…if you have a larger budget, small free-form swimming pools properly designed and placed will make you never want to leave!  When building your new home I can show you how to do this to tie everything together with the landscaping for a truly customized project that fits your lifestyle.

There are literally thousands of ways that fit all budgets to improve your outdoor living space that will make you want to spend more time there.  With the winters we have here in the Treasure Valley of Idaho, I don’t know about you but I am going to take advantage of every minute I can enjoying outdoor living this time of year.

Get outside and create your own little piece of paradise.

Have a great day!

As you walked through the house you couldn’t put your finger on it but it just felt different from other homes you’ve looked at.  Other than a great floor plan to start with, odds are it was all the little details and extra touches a good custom builder makes sure are in every home to catch your attention and make you feel like “this is the one”.

In this highly competitive real estate market clients/buyers are looking for that standout property at the best price possible with as many extra features included as standard.  This is starting to show up in even some smaller entry level and move-up size models.  The builders’ biggest challenge is to give as much as possible to remain competitive while still making a decent profit to keep cash flowing.

When meeting with a custom builder for a new project always remember if you spend a little extra money carefully in the right places, a few thousand will “feel” as though you’ve invested much more.  Build these features into your new home and you’ll enjoy them for years to come.

From minor architectural details like arches or art niches, to slightly more costly effects like a tile inlay in a hardwood entry floor, will make these eye catching details turn the average home into a home that feels like a true custom build.  The best custom home builders should be able to recommend how and where your money is best spent to get the overall design and specific details you’re looking for to personalize your floor plan.

In this turbulent real estate market everyone is trying to get the best deal possible on a new or previously owned home, and sometimes that means attempting to fly solo without a Realtor.  Experienced real estate investors with many deals under their belt are usually very savvy and can get deals closed with little, if any problems.  This can be a major mistake, and can lead to frustration and heartache if attempted by the inexperienced.

A Seasoned Realtor not only knows their respective market but are also connected with a network of other pros to help them (and you) get to the closing table without a hitch.

This network including but not limited to, quality builders of new custom homes, lenders to finance your home, title companies, home inspectors, etc., are chosen by each Realtor from many past experiences, and gives them the edge needed to give their clients a low stress rewarding experience.

Some clients are under the illusion a Realtor just makes too much money.  Let me tell you they earn every penny!  For every “easy deal” that comes their way, there are many more that are a struggle all the way through to the final closing and signing of the documents.  And please know that each Realtor does not always make 6% on every sale!  The real estate commission can be split four ways between the agents involved and their brokers, or a resulting percentage of the commission goes to the home office.  Many times they have to get right in the trenches, helping to do other peoples’ jobs to get things done on time.  The client is usually unaware of the “behind the scenes” activities, and only sees a small percentage of what the Realtor does for them.

If you want to see how “easy” it is to sell real estate just look at how many agents have let their license expire in the last two years.  Kudos to those who have hung in there and adjusted to this ever changing, challenging market.

An experienced Realtor keeps up with real estate laws, constant flux in the housing market, all the different subdivision covenants, and many other ever changing issues to make sure their clients are protected and taken care of.

Help narrow down what you may be looking for ahead of time (your agent will help you with this), be realistic about what you can afford and by all means go take advantage of this market.  Whether house hunting through the assistance of a Realtor or directly with a Custom Home Builder, it is always advisable to contact a lender to determine what you can afford in a new home.  This will make the entire house hunting experience less stressful by not having to walk away from a potential dream home you can’t live without, only to learn from your lender it is out of your price range.

The Treasure Valley, located here in Southwestern Idaho, has some of the finest quality custom builders in the country that are proud to be marketed by professional real estate agents waiting to help you.

Thanks to all of the agents for their hard work!

Contact me if you should need a referral.  Happy house hunting!