The Most Reliable Water Heater Brands on the Market

The Most Reliable Water Heater Brands on the Market

The water heater is an essential part of every modern household. We depend on it night and day, all year long. Typically, the water heater is responsible for almost 20% of your energy bill. Those are the two prevailing reasons why everyone is interested in the most reliable water heater brands on the market. These reliable water heaters have fewer problems, recover quickly, and also require low maintenance.

The following list consists of some of the most reputable brands currently. They have been recognized as the leaders in their industry not just by the buyers, but by independent market researchers as well.

Rheem Water Heaters

Rheem is an American manufacturer that has been in business since 1925. They manufacture both commercial and residential water heaters. For almost a decade they have been considered as the largest manufacturer of water heating products in North America. They are present not just in Canada and the US, but in another 14 countries as well.

Their water heaters are available in various sizes and come with multiple warranties. Their tankless water heaters are their most popular product in the US. They are known to recover quickly and that they require minimum maintenance, like the RTEX-18. When it comes to on-demand water heaters, they are at the very top. Their energy efficiency is another of their trademarks. All in all, it is a brand that is well-known to the American consumer and one that will remain on top in the foreseeable future.

A.O Smith

A.O. Smith is a brand known not just in the US, but worldwide as well. The company is in business since 1874. They started operating in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and kept headquarter there till present day. Their water heaters are sold only by authorized dealers and contractors. Their main trait is their energy efficiency. As a result, many of their water heaters qualify for utility rebate and state tax credits.

Bradford White Water Heater

This is an American product, designed and produced on American soil. They are at the very top of most wanted water heater brands in the US. They are known for their outstanding quality and durability. They give a 10-year warranty for each of their water heaters installed by some of their authorized representatives. They are one of the most expensive brands on the market, but that’s the price of exceptional quality.

Ecosmart

Price, quality, and efficiency. That’s what Ecosmart water heaters are all about. Their patented technology can generate 60% savings. That’s 60% saving on the water heating bill. On top of that, they come with a limited lifetime warranty. All that for an unbeatable price. As a result, there is a constant flow of positive reviews on Amazon.   

Rinnai

Rinnai is a Japanese brand that has been around since 1920. They first started producing water heaters in 1964 and has been going strong since then. Today, by some industry experts, they are considered as the top-selling tankless water-heating brand in both the US and Canada. The fact that their water heaters come with a 12 years warranty speaks tons about the quality of their products. Also, there are thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon that play in their favor. According to their data, so far they have installed over 20 million water heaters worldwide.

Guest Contributor, Verner Ellen

What Are The Major Reasons For A Drain Blockage At Home?

What Are The Major Reasons For A Drain Blockage At Home?

Majority of the homeowners very frequently experience problems which are related to the blocked drains. This specific problem is absolutely time-consuming as well as expensive. We should be always aware of the various common causes of the blocked drains and along with the same you should take some very necessary preventive measures. You should hire experts who can give you an idea about how to get rid of debris and sediments from blocking the sewers and you can also ask them to build specific inlets in your home, to allow the smooth passage of water. This can be an inlet outlet or a small channel or gully.

Major Causes Of Drain Blockage

The various common causes of drain blockage are as follows:

Unknown objects

The issue of the blocked drains usually occur when the foreign materials like hair, soap, fats and food build up in between the drain pipes as well as the other pipes which flow at the bottom. In the beginning, the materials star building up inside the pipe in a small amount or thin layer. With the passage of time, the amount of the objects gradually increases and this eventually stops the flow of the water. This causes the blockage of the drainage system. Small toys, paper and sanitary napkins, hard objects, plastic objects and multiple other things like shampoo and soap pouches also lead to major drain and sewer blockages and the matter might get worse during monsoons.

Heavy rain & storms

At times of heavy storms and rain, the outdoor drains are usually blocked with the dirt and leaves. This majorly causes the drains to block very fast. This kind of a blockage in the drainage systems is a very common issue and is being faced by the several homeowners across Australia. This majorly leads to flooding around the property in a messy way.

Damaged or dilapidated pipes

Another very major cause of the drain blockage is partially or fully broken pipes. For the water to flow without any obstruction the pipes should be in the perfect condition or else it will collapse badly. Thus, the detection and the repair of the drain blockages in such cases can be quite troublesome and costly.

Pipe installation

If the drain pipes are not installed properly, then this may give rise to a number of problems and can also lead to the drain blockage. The incorrect installation of any of the pipes can damage them big time. In case you install the pipes incorrectly, this might eventually damage the certain other parts of the property. This can lead to heavy financial loses.

Water flow issues

This is obvious that the drainage depends on the gravity to a large extent. You may certainly make inadequate falls which would eventually lead to the build-up of the debris and dirt in the drainage pipes. This leads to the obstruction of the drain pipes. You should necessarily make sure that the installation of the pipes should be done correctly. Certainly, this is not the only cause of the blocked drains. There are a variety of different reasons which lead to clogged drains.

Before a major problem arises, you would certainly witness some of the warning signs of the drain blockage and this would include the gurgling sound in the flush, water left in the kitchen sink, foul odor from the drains etc. in case of constructing storm water drains as part of your household drainage project, you can install the combined sewers and detention tanks in order to know about the water surface level and the extension that can carry off the rainwater.

Guest Contributor, Anna Wrench

Tips For Preventing Mold In Your Home

Tips For Preventing Mold In Your Home

If your home is prone to damp and condensation, there’s a good chance that you also have a mold problem. While mold is unsightly it can also be damaging too. Not only to your home, where it can rot and damage the structures, but also to your health. Mold is known to cause respiratory problems, asthma and allergic reactions, none of which are pleasant to live with and, in the case of those with a compromised immune system, could actually be dangerous.

Mold spores easily spread and are hard to get rid of, so preventing its growth in your home couldn’t be more important. Since mold can grow all over your home – on your flooring, your walls, your basement and ceiling – you need to be vigilant at all times.

If you’re worried about mold, here are some top tips to help prevent it from taking hold in your home.

1. Identify The Problem Zones

It’s impossible to fully mold-proof any property, but it is possible to make it more mold-resistant. Go around your home carrying out a full audit of all the problem zones. Do you have issues with flooding in your basement? Is there condensation on your windows? Do you have water stains on your ceiling from a leak? Take steps to address those problem areas. Rip up the carpet in your damp basement. Install mold-resistant products. Repair damaged guttering. Waterproof your basement. This is the first step to getting rid of the problem.

2. Dry Any Wet Areas

Mold is unable to grow if there’s no moisture so make sure you dry any wet areas immediately you notice them. If there has been a flood after rainfall, leaking from a pipe or just a spill on your carpet, drying it within the first 48 hours is vital. Remove any water damaged furniture, bedding and carpets following a flood if it’s impossible to dry them completely. Also, don’t leave any wet items around your home and wipe down walls and flows following showers and bathing. Avoid leaving wet clothing in your washing machine too – hang them outdoors to dry.

3. Have Proper Ventilation

Whenever you bathe, shower, do laundry or cook food, make sure there is sufficient ventilation in the rooms you’re using. Vent any appliance which produces moisture to the outside and also ways use a dehumidifier as this will also help to solve your mold problems.

4. Use Mold-Resistant Products

Whether you’re building a brand new property or renovating your existing one, choose mold-resistant Sheetrock and drywall as well as paints with mold-inhibitors built in. This will guard against problems developing in the first place.

5. Monitor Your Indoor Humidity

You should maintain an indoor humidity level of 30-60%. This can be measured with a moisture meter that you can buy at any hardware store. Look also for any signs that your rooms are too humid. Condensation on walls, pipes and windows is a sign that you need to address the moisture source.

6. Direct Any Water Away From Your Property

If the area surrounding your property isn’t sloped sufficiently away from its foundations, you may find rainwater collects there and can seep into the basement. Call in professionals if necessary to adjust the ground so this no longer happens. Also repair your roof gutters if they are damaged or clean them out if they are blocked.

7. Keep Mold Away From Your Plants

Having plants inside your home is a great way to keep the indoor air clean and fresh, however they can also attract mold. The soil used for potting indoor plants is moist and helps mold to breed and thrive. It can then spread around your home exacerbating your mold problem. Luckily, you don’t have to throw away your plants. Instead, add Taheebo tea to your plants’ water and this will help to guard against mold naturally without chemicals.

Wherever you live, your region will respond different to moisture and there isn’t a single solution to preventing mold. However, if you follow these steps, you’ll find your home is better protected than ever before.

Guest Contributor, Emma Parker

Why Your General Contractor Must Have Insurance

Why Your General Contractor Must Have Insurance

When you’re getting construction work done, you need to consider a lot of things. For one, you have to set a budget that you must work to stick to for the entire project. For another, you have come up with a design that will work for you. You will also have to find a good general contractor to help make your project come to life.

Finding a good general contractor can sometimes be tough, but you need to do your best to find one who does not only have the expertise, capability, and experience to oversee your construction, but also the proper contractor insurance coverage.

Why do you need your general contractor to be an insured one? Here are some of the reasons.

To confirm that the contractor is legitimate

Many individuals offer their services as a contractor but don’t actually have the license to do so. If a contractor is insured and provides proof of coverage, then you can be sure that that contractor is legitimate. Securing a license to operate as a contractor requires having insurance coverage. So if your contractor is insured, then he or she is a licensed one.

To not be liable for injuries and damages

The most common insurance policies contractors have are general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. The former pays for any claims made for third-party injuries or property damage, while the latter covers the medical expenses and lost wages of workers who suffer an injury while working on your construction project.

If your general contractor doesn’t have them, then you will in effect be the contractor, and therefore liable for the injuries, property damage, or even deaths that happen on the work site.

To lower costs in the long term

While you may be able to save money from the generally lower rates that unlicensed and uninsured contractors may offer you, you may still end up spending more in the long run. You could be shouldering the cost for construction mistakes that need to be rectified, or pay for an injured worker’s hospitalization and medications if your general contractor has no insurance coverage.

Hard pass on uninsured contractors

Their services may come cheap, but uninsured contractors could cost you more. Aside from being unsure about the quality of work because of the lack of qualifications, an uninsured general contractor can make you a target for a lawsuit that could end up bankrupting you.

So even if someone offers you such services for cheap, steer clear of them if they have no insurance. The risks are just too high, and you wouldn’t want to take them on.

Guest Contributor, Rachel Porter

5 Good Reasons For Renovating and Remodelling Your Home

5 Good Reasons for Renovating and Remodelling Your Home

Home renovations can be pretty difficult and challenging, especially if you feel like all the other kitchens and bathrooms you see are perfect, whereas yours are outdated. Sometimes, people remodel their homes because they need to update something, but there are also cases when they only want their homes to be modern and in pristine condition. If you’re not sure whether you should renovate and remodel your home, we give you a list of 5 reasons why you should do so:

It will increase your home’s value

In case you decide one day to sell your home, potential buyers will appreciate the effort you’ve put into remodelling as well as the upgrades you've made. Work well-done means you took care of your home, and kitchens and bathrooms with modern appliances and fixtures will make people understand that you’ve invested plenty of time and money to get the desired results.

Keeping up with trends

You might have been admiring photos of beautiful homes for a long time, but who is to say that you can’t make your home look that way? You can easily add not only a scullery, but standout alfresco areas too, and have your home resemble a miniature palace or a minimalist Japanese home. If you follow trends, it’s easy to find inspiration there and invest your time and money into making your dream home reality.

Your energy bills will be lower

If you live in an old home, chances are that it is not very energy-efficient, which means that you’re probably spending more money on bills than you expect. By renovating and upgrading your home, you can make it more energy efficient, thus saving money in the long run. Great roof restoration services will save you the trouble of having to do minor repairs every few weeks; LED lights will save electricity, and water saving faucets and shower heads will significantly lower your water consumption. Upgraded kitchen appliances will also help you save money on electricity and reduce your carbon footprint.

Restoring a character home

A number of old and neglected homes are actually hidden gems whose glow you can restore with a little bit of careful planning and a few well-timed projects. Renovating such homes is a real challenge but it definitely brings a reward because you will end up with a character home that looks like it travelled back in time. Of course, it’s necessary to do your research first, so that you can focus on features that are specific to a particular historic style. Uneven floors, old plumbing, and poor structural support are common problems that contractors have to face when restoring such homes. For this reason,  you should leave a bit more room in your budget than you first thought.

You won’t have to wait long

Just a few years ago, if you had had the need to call a contractor, you would have waited months at a time before they came over. This was because good contractors used to be very scarce and they were very busy, but today you can easily find available contractors. This means that your projects won’t have to wait long and you can rest assured that it will only take a few days after you’ve signed a contract for people to show up at your doorstep with tools.

If you love your home, you will also embrace every opportunity to improve and upgrade it. You can think about redecorating, upgrading, renovating, remodelling, and even extending your home so that the result is precisely what you hoped it would be. Your lifestyle will be improved, you will be content, and in case you want to sell your home some day, you will be able to get a better price.

Check out A+ Construction & Remodeling for more details on remodeling.

Guest Contributor, Diana Smith

Dealing With Flood and Water Damages

Dealing With Flood and Water Damages

Water damage from a flood is one of the worse disasters that could ever hit your property, and it doesn’t even have to involve a foot or two of floodwater. Even just a few inches of water in areas inside your home or business that aren’t supposed to have water can already force you to fork out a few thousand dollars to deal with water damage.

What should you do in case your property suffers from flood and water damages?

In an ideal world, a quick call to water damage restoration services should be the only solution. However, you need immediate action, or the water damage is going to get worse. Also, if you’re relying on your insurance provider to pay for everything, things are also bound to get a bit more complicated and delayed because you have to follow a certain process, and that process could take some time.

Call your insurance company

Once you see that your property is flooded, call your insurance provider right away. Report every single detail that you see, and document everything by taking photos and videos of the affected area. Wait patiently for confirmation from your provider that you’re covered for this type of situation.

Waiting, however, means worse water damage for your property. So if you want to deal with it right away, inform your provider that water removal must begin immediately. The insurance company will likely grant your request and will give you instructions that you need to follow strictly, but until then, don’t do anything.

Remove the water

When you finally get that permission to start the cleanup, then proceed to remove all the floodwater using pumps, pails, mops, or anything that will help you evacuate everything. Once all the water is removed, you can immediately dry out the place using portable fans and even the air conditioning unit.

Call water damage restoration services

If you finally get the call from your insurance provider confirming that you are covered, then waste no time in calling restoration services. They have water damage specialists who are adequately trained and equipped to deal with the aftermath of a flood.

They will take care of cleaning up the place and removing parts that have been damaged by the flood. Once they’re done removing the water-damaged parts of your property, they will begin restoring it.  By the time they’re done, your property will look like the way it was before the flood hit.

 Guest Contributor, Judy Olsen

How Your Garage Became So Cluttered

How Your Garage Became So Cluttered

To understand how the garage came to play such a significant role in the average American acquisition, it’s easier if you have a bit of background on how architecture and the building industry affected the placement and use of the garage.

Housing developments

The first carriage houses and later, garages, were built behind the home. When housing developments became popular in the seventies and eighties, the architecture of homes changed to streamline traffic. The family garage was relocated to the front of the home and attached to the house. The average family now uses the automatic garage door as a primary means of entering their home rather than the front or back door.

Ebb and flow

Today, the garage door is also often the most significant architectural element in the front of many homes. For this reason, a new garage door can transform the look of a home. At the same time, the ease with which we enter and depart from our homes via the garage has given us the opportunity to use the garage as a holding area of sorts. Most of our purchases enter through the garage via the family car.

Much of our garbage exits through the garage door when we take out the trash cans. If items are too good to throw away but not good enough to keep in the home, they often become stuck in a holding pattern. After all, a garage isn’t a room in the house where cleanliness and comfort are required. As a result, we often allow the space to become so cluttered it becomes a safety hazard. We’ve all managed to trip over a bicycle or carelessly placed box at some point. Also, the automatic garage door can break, or its function is threatened if overstacked boxes or other items fall on the mechanisms.

Storage

As the middle class expanded, advertising told people to buy more stuff.  Even if you already had a coat, for example, advertising reminded us that the styles had changed and for a relatively reasonable price, you could own a brand-new stylish one. Since the old coat wasn’t worn out, you kept that one, too. Soon, we all had a mountain of old outerwear, dishes, knick-knacks, and kitchen appliances. It seemed reasonable to store the old stuff in the garage until the next garage sale, drop-off at the thrift store, until someone needed it, or until some mishap befell the new one.

Municipalities and HOA’s have added to the temptation to store items in the garage because many of these governing entities stopped issuing permits for sheds and other structures, or banned them altogether.

Hobbies and sports

Since the middle class is no longer required to work long hours to keep families from starving, there are new opportunities for leisure activities such as hobbies and sports activities. The tools and equipment from these activities are often stored in the garage as a matter of convenience.

Looking forward

In light of our new understanding of how the garage came to be a kind of private loading dock, we no longer have to be victims of an architectural decision from years ago. By rethinking the garage as a living space specifically for the car will help us become more respectful of the area.

Just as warehouses use floor tape to designate areas which are to remain clear at all times, a family can create a mental ‘safe zone’ in their garage, one in which walkways are clear, and boxes or other items aren’t abandoned: they ’re either appropriately stored or hauled away. If the project is overwhelming, asking for help is reasonable. Garage storage units can also be helpful.

Guest Contributor, Danny Cappello

About the author: Danny Cappello is a co-founder of Quick Response Garage Doors and Quick Response Garage Cabinets. When not busy with work Danny enjoys playing tennis, and spending time with his family.

Deciding On The Best Flooring For Your Bathroom

Deciding on the Best Flooring for Your Bathroom

Some home trends in bathroom floors are much more practical than others. Although some interior design professionals recommend high-end flooring materials such as marble, recycled glass and encaustic cement for the bathroom, this article will outline a number of durable options that are substantially more affordable.

As you conceptualize your well-outfitted bath, you're the interior design person, at least in the beginning stages. There is much to consider. Of course, you'll want to invest in a material that matches your existing design, isn't easily damaged, and doesn't require a lot of maintenance. You're sure to gain valuable insight as you go over the following flooring home trends. If you're ready to decide upon the ideal material, remember to enjoy the process—this is going to be fun!

Hardwood

Although you may love the look of solid hardwood, and have it installed in other areas of your home, you'll want to be careful about choosing this material for your sanctuary room. Let's face it -- hardwood is beautiful, warm, and rich-looking, yes. But rooms with plumbing are much more prone to moisture and standing water than other rooms in the house. For this reason, genuine hardwood isn't generally recommended for use in kitchens and restrooms.

Should you choose to go ahead and install it anyway, the hardwood is likely to expand and contract due to high humidity levels. Eventually, the wood will begin to crack and warp. Having gone to all of the trouble of having the hardwood installed in the first place, you surely wouldn't want to have it all demolished in a few short years and replaced with a more suitable material. A well-ventilated and rarely used half bath or guest bath is an exception, but if your lavatory gets a lot of use or contains a shower or bathtub, you might consider some of the other home trends in floors for the powder room.

If you must have hardwood in your powder room, however, you could go for engineered hardwood planks. It's made from a plywood base that is overlaid with real wood. This material tolerates moisture better than natural hardwood. Even so, a busy loo is probably not the best place for this material.

Porcelain Tile

Now if you're still stuck on wood but don't want to deal with all of the moisture-related problems, take heart. Home building materials have come a long way, and now science has come up with wood-look tiles. And guess what? You will find that a wide selection of these are made out of the title material.

You might be surprised at porcelain's resemblance to real wood, especially when the floor has been completely installed. And you'll be happy to know that these tiles are completely waterproof and resistant to scratches and other potential day-to-day damage. Given all of these advantages, you'll still want to be careful about dropping anything heavy on these types of tiles. The impact could seriously damage a tile or two to the point that they would need replacing. Think about it: if you drop a plate, the impact shatters it.

These tiles come in all designs and sizes, however, not just wood-look planks. You can find them in a plethora of hues, including earth tones, white and gray, and popular square sizes range from 12” x 12” to 24” x 24” and beyond. If slightly rectangular or glazed tiles are your thing, you'll find much to choose from there, too.

And don't forget that the tiles can be laid in patterns that give a more upscale look to your floors. Having the tiles installed in, say, a herringbone or stacked pattern can cost more at the outset, but the end result could be well worth it. Maintenance will be a breeze with just a soft mop or vacuum. This material continues to be a popular option because of its durability, style and cost-effectiveness.

Ceramic Tile

Another viable option is ceramic tile. It's important to note here that there are only slight differences between the two tiles, including the price. Porcelain tile is higher-priced than its counterpart, and there is also the fact that the tiles are considered to be more water-resistant than ceramic tiles are because of their density. These tiles are, therefore, thought to be more durable as well. Do remember that both kinds of tile are included in the same broad category.

With all of that in mind, you might give serious consideration to adding this type of tile to your space. This tile resists stains and scratches, especially when topped with a protective glaze, and it comes in a beautiful array of designs and colors.

Laminate

Laminate consists of four layers that are fused together: wear, decorative, core, and balancing. Some of the advantages of laminate are that it resists dings and scratches, and it's easy to clean and install. You may even choose laminate pieces that look like tiles. Laminate is also budget-friendly.

Now for the downside of using laminate on your floor. Laminate will warp if exposed to excessive moisture, so standing water can be a costly hazard. The material can also be slippery, so care must be taken to quickly clean up those occasional spills.

If you choose laminate for your floors, however, you'll want to avoid the kind of laminate that just snaps into place. Unfortunately, it will do nothing to prevent the seepage of water into the seams. Once it reaches the floor's sub layer, the end result is the dreaded warping. Instead, invest in laminate material that has seams that are glued down. The glue will act as a deterrent to water seepage.

You'll find laminate in various shapes, finishes, and textures. You might even be able to install this particular flooring yourself if you're handy.

As you can see, each of the materials above can be a great choice, and you're sure to find something that fits your design tastes as well as your overall budget. Once you decide what you want, the process should go very quickly. Good luck and have fun redesigning your bathroom floors!

Guest Contributor, Julia Ellison

4 Essentials to Make Your New House Feel Like Home

4 Essentials to Make Your New House Feel Like Home

A new house doesn’t become a home on its own – you have to make it a home. It’s never easy changing neighborhoods, bed positions, toilet orientation etc. (especially in the morning when you’re still half asleep and don’t know where your toothbrush is), but the more you invest in adapting, the better you will feel at your new place. Here are some tips to start with, but don’t forget that making  a home out of a living place is not just a one-time thing, but a process that takes time and lots of getting used to.

Make sure everything works

First of all, you can’t start calling home a place where nothing works for you. If you haven’t checked the electricity, the heating, and the plumbing before you’ve bought or rented a house, now would be a perfect time to do so. Always check the plumbing first, because this can be the biggest issue if not fixed on time. Afterwards, see how the heating works (don’t wait for winter to find out that you’re freezing). Doors and locks are also an important issue, because you want to feel safe and sound in your home. Windows can make hollow noises if they are not of good quality, and they can also let the unnecessary cold in, so see whether they need repairing, too.

(Re)create your favorite places

You always get the “home sweet home” feeling as soon as you experience your home visually and olfactory. So, make sure that you fill your new home with important pieces of furniture from your previous one, but don’t make it look exactly the same, because then those nostalgia blues will never go away. Instead, arrange some of your favorite pieces in a different manner and you will see how the room transforms into a familiar and cozy space. Put your favorite chair in the new living room next to a brand new TV set, desk or coffee table. You can also find quality antique rugs that collectors gathered from various parts of the world so that if you are moving far from home, you can find rugs with motives from your cultural background to remind you of home every day. 

Bring up some pictures

Not just any piece of art will do, but the one that you value most, and that is of sentimental value. Art can be anything you wish, especially pictures with your friends and family. You can even make a wallpaper out of the numerous pictures you have, both old and new. If you have some pictures only in digital format, this would be a great reason to make hard copies from them. Each time you look at this monumental memory, you will be reminded of the persons that you shared precious moments with and you will be instantly transported into those places that are now far from you. Be careful not to exaggerate, because nostalgia can catch you easily.

Enjoy your in the new kitchen

Now that you’ve finished unpacking everything, after a long moving day it’s time to order a pizza. No, wrong – you want to prepare a meal in your new kitchen! Actively discovering your new space and getting used to it means using it as much as possible, at least for the first couple of months. If you are ignoring this call you might still be negating the fact that you have moved, and this is a step backwards instead of stepping confidently into your new life. Take matters into your own hands and cook that first meal on your own. It doesn’t matter if your former kitchen was longer, wider or brighter, because you will have to learn to manage in these new conditions, and learn to love them, as well.

However, try not to change too much of your daily routine. You have made enough changes already by moving. Take one step at a time, because this process can last for as long as you need. Once it is finished, you will be able to enjoy every corner of your new home.

 Guest Contributor, Chloe Taylor

Seven Home Improvements That Do Not Increase Your Home Value

Seven home improvements that do not increase your home value.

A survey by the Homeowner Protection found that fifty-eight percent of homeowners in the U.S intend to carry out some kind of home remodeling in the next twelve months.

Most of the proprietors surveyed said that they wanted to renovate their homes so as to increase the value of the house when they do eventually sell it.

Not all home enhancements add value to your house. Some home renovations do not add value worst still various improvements can detract from the value of your house.

Here are eight home renovations that can lower the value of your house:

1.   Bright and Bold Paint Colors.

Trendy homeowners might feel the need to invest in painting the exterior of the home in bright colors. However, bright paint colors may not add to the value of your house especially if the house is ultimately sold to someone who does not like bright colors.

Instead, homeowners should paint both the interior and exterior of their house neutral colors before placing the house on the market.

Neutral colors can help the new homeowner to easily envision themselves in your home.

2.   Extreme High-end Kitchen renovations.

The kitchen is one of the rooms that most homeowners invest huge sums of money. However, homeowners do not recoup the full amount spent in the kitchen remodel as kitchen’s resale values are below the actual remodeling costs.

To avoid making this mistake, buy middle range kitchen appliances in place of high-end kitchen appliances.

3.     Luxury Bathroom.

Luxury bathrooms increase the value to your home, but over personalized finishes and over-the-top whirlpool tubs may not be too attractive to would-be buyers with a different bathroom preference.

To ensure that your house is desirable to many people install a walk-in shower and avoid extremely luxurious bathroom finishes.

4.   Combining two bedrooms to create a bigger room.

Knocking down walls to create one big bedroom might seem like a good idea to a young couple or to a retired couple whose children have moved away from the house. But this is a bad idea for homeowners who want to sell their home in the future.

Young families with children, want their children to have separate bedrooms, and they, do not mind if the rooms are small.

Each separate bedroom adds about fifteen percent value to the home, so try and implement simple décor tricks in the small bedrooms to make them seem bigger instead of taking down the wall.

5.   A swimming pool.

Families with kids and people who live in places with high temperatures at least six months in a year, may opt to buy a house with a swimming pool.

However, if the home is located in a place that is quite cold throughout the year a swimming pool will not add any value to your house.

6.   A hot tub.

For families with young children, a hot tub is a safety hazard in the home. Hence such families might offer to buy the home a certain price, less the cost of uninstalling the hot tub from the house.

If you have to install a hot tub to your home, consider installing a moveable hot tub that you can carry with you once you sell the house.

7.   Costly landscaping.

Lavish landscaping decorations may increase the curb appeal of your home, but they will not raise the value of your home.

Prospective buyers will only see the high maintenance costs required for the decorations and this may make them fearful of buying the home.

Homeowners should install simple easy to maintain garden décor which can be removed easily should the need arise.

8.   Creative interior décor.

Unusual wall colors, too much wallpaper, and quirky wall-to-wall carpets are some of the creative décor installations that detract from your home.

If the prospective buyer dislikes the décor installations in your home, they will most likely be calculating how much it will cost them to remove such items. Accordingly, they will offer to buy your house for a low price taking into consideration that they will incur additional uninstalling costs in the home.

When decorating your home avoid over personalizing your home as most probable buyers may not share similar décor preferences with you.

Avoid all the mistakes discussed above, for you to get the best possible price for your house when you do decide to sell it.

 Guest Contributor, Danny “Wheels“  Margagliano