By Carl Kinnebrew

I recently bought a house at auction to fix up and turn around at a profit. I felt that my initial investment was low enough, and with a little work I would be able to do all right with it. This is not my first endeavor into this growing business. The more experience you have, the more you learn, the more money you make.

There are certain areas where you should focus the most attention to and these areas can be argued. I have also found that you should do every improvement with the best materials and workmanship for it to pay off.

One area that I am always concerned with is the outside appearance of the house. If the outside is not appealing then your potential buyers will be very picky with the inside. If the outside looks great, then the potential homeowners will clearly be able to see the potential for some inside improvements. The outside should have a well landscaped lawn with trimmed bushes and trees. The grass should be cut before any showing of the home.

The house siding is very important also. This particular ranch type house had Alcoa aluminum siding that was very old. I check into how to clean aluminum siding but decided that it was not an option. Therefore I must choose a new siding. I looked into the average cost of vinyl siding and also considered Cedar red siding. After looking at a lot of different home siding material, I chose a thin brick siding.

Thin brick siding is inch clay bricks that can easily applied to a substrate. Then you add mortar to the joints and it looks as if you had a professional brick layer do the work. There are no footings, foundations, or supports necessary, and I was able to do the work myself. The best part of all is, brick homes bring higher prices than vinyl siding homes.

The thin clay brick siding cost me more that having vinyl siding applied. But we all know that brick homes bring more money than vinyl siding homes. I was able to see a very substantial profit to my investment. This is something that I will remember when I come upon another similar project.

About the Author: For more information, try

Lotta Siding

or

Search Siding

Source:

isnare.com

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isnare.com/?aid=122849&ca=Home+Management

By Anna Hart

Many people like the idea of bathroom design that spotlights nature. TV advertising shows a person washing hair or showering under a pristine waterfall, and it strikes a chord within us. Nature is, to most people, linked to ideas of cleanliness. Clean and green.

A nature bathroom design focuses on this inner response. It builds on the theme, incorporating water, trees, rocks, grass, and flowers. It may include fish or seashells. Anything that is a part of nature is potentially a part of a nature bathroom design.

Private Spa

A nature bathroom design can achieve the feeling of a private spa. It is said that the word “spa” comes from the town of Spa, Belgium. That town has been known for its deep, soaking baths and relaxing atmosphere from the reign of Julius Caesar. Achieve that relaxing atmosphere with nature’s designs. Keep your colors warm, your design quiet, and your spirit free.

Natural Lighting

Natural, soft lighting is relaxing. Work skylights into your bathroom design, if possible, to let in the natural light. If skylights are not possible, use long, narrow windows in the upper part of your walls. Make the bathroom airy.

Halogen lighting is more natural than more conventional incandescent bulbs. Install dimmer switches so that you can enjoy relaxing light for a deep tub soak, or bright light for personal grooming.

Natural Walls

A nature bathroom design originates in the backdrop of natural walls. Make them set the tone. Grasscloth wallpaper, treated to withstand the humid conditions, is a textured natural wall treatment in muted tones of green and tan. Consider using marble wall tiles on the lower part of the wall. Choose colors that resemble nature’s rocks. Alternatively, choose warm wood wainscoting for the lower wall to give the feeling of trees in your bathroom design.

Natural Floor

Your floor, too, should be natural. If you have used light colors on the walls, use dark flooring. If your walls are dark, use light flooring. Skip the carpeting and vinyl. Choose ceramic tile or laminate wood flooring for a more natural look in your bathroom design. If the budget allows, consider natural stone flooring such as travertine or marble.

Natural Showers and Tubs

Your nature bathroom design should be mirrored in your choice of shower or tub. A marble or imitation marble tub is a good choice. Use warm, deep brown shades of marble. Where price is not a consideration, look for a natural wood or stone tub.

If you want a shower stall instead of a tub, choose a clear glass stall with swinging door. Install rock wall tile inside the shower, and a rain shower head.

Natural Vanity and Sink

Wood and stone are important to carry the nature bathroom design into the vanity and sink. Your vanity is the bathroom’s focal point. Bamboo would be a good choice of wood. Mount a stone vessel sink on top of the vanity for a clean, natural looking bathroom design.

Natural Faucets

Look for faucets with a bamboo design. The most natural resemble upright bamboo sections intersected by a second, angled section. The second section ends in an inch or so of half bamboo, allowing water to flow forth as it does in Asian fountains. Choose a metal with a bamboo wood tone finish.

Natural Accessories

Once you have completed the larger part of your nature bathroom design, you will want to accessorize in the same theme. Look for natural materials for accessories. Use wood freely – towel bars and shelves – mirrors framed in wood. Use wicker baskets for extra towels or magazines. A hollowed out stone makes a good soap holder. Hang a picture or two, each showing a nature scene.

Natural Plants

A nature bathroom design would not be complete without plants. If you have sufficient light, use real plants. Hanging, trailing plants are especially appropriate in the climate of a bathroom. If you have insufficient light, or don’t want the care of real plants, choose good quality silk plants that will keep their realistic look over several years.

Helpful Tip

You will achieve the best results by taking time to plan your entire nature bathroom design before making the first purchase.

About the Author: 2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about bathroom design at

easybathroomremodeling.com

. Anna has also posted articles on that site about bathroom decorating. If you want to learn about

bathroom design with outhouse style

, you wont want to miss her article on the subject.

Source:

isnare.com

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isnare.com/?aid=149374&ca=Home+Management

Slab leaks apply-to water leaks of plumbing pipes installed in or below the concrete slab bottom of a house. Beneath certain situations slab piping leak out water and lead to high-priced structural ruin. Out of sight, leaky underground piping are not at all times detectable unless homeowners apprehend the 5, most common slab leak symptoms. For their attacking nature, slab water seepages need early on discovery before serious damage happens.

Property owners have got to keep eyes open for the following warning signs of water seepages beneath slab concrete: high water bills, sound of leaking water when water is turned off, excessive humidity beneath carpets, warm patches on floors or cracks on floors and walls. If your home shows the above mentioned red flags, take immediate action and engage plumbers for leaking slab discovery and correction. Slab leaks take place under certain circumstances like faulty piping, improper setting up of piping and couplings, friction, electrolysis or incompatible earth triggering a chemical response that corrodes the copper pipes. Rusted pipes are more prone to leak out water.

Breaking the slab concrete bottom to find the leaky source is unsatisfactory. Leaking slab diagnosis apparatus is applied by plumbing contractors to find the source of the water leakage in a non disruptive way. As soon as spotted, your concrete slab leak fixing options are replacing the leaking zone of the pipe or repiping the entire line. Slab leaks might additionally happen because of electrolysis – different kinds of metals touch and the electric current streaming thru creates perforation water seepages in copper piping. In-place-epoxy coating can be employed to mend the cavities with no excavating the genuine slab concrete.

Article Source: sooperarticles.com/home-improvement-articles/how-slab-leaks-occur-under-concrete-foundations-53996.html

About Author:

A- plumbers offer slab leak detection and repair for water leaks under slab. Find out how slab leaks form, slab leak symptoms and repairAuthor: David Jones

By Stewart Wrighter

If you are a homeowner, you know a lot goes into keeping your home in good shape and taking care of all of the maintenance. It may seem like a never-ending battle, keeping things working, running and efficient. The best way to make sure things stay on track and that you get everything done that needs to be done is to create a plan. If you are able to stay on schedule and focus on things that are a priority from year to year, you will have a comfortable home that retains its value and serves as a heartwarming living space for your family. There is a lot to remember for homeowners. Everything from duct cleaning to heat pump repair needs to be taken care of, so you should develop a strategy that ensures all of the work gets done.

Get organized by creating a master list of home chores. This may take awhile to get in order, but it will be a blessing once you have created it. You can even pass it on to the next set of homeowners, should you ever decide to sell your home. If you sell to inexperienced homeowners, they will love you for taking the time to create something like this. Even the most experienced owners may have a hard time keeping track of everything, so a list will serve as a reminder and allow you to tick off items as they are completed.

Once your master list is complete, break the tasks on the list into seasonal jobs. Keep in mind, this is not a list of to-do’s that get done one time, like repairing a broken gutter or replacing an old appliance. These are items that need to be done on the yearly or bi-yearly basis. Of these, you may need to only do one thing one time all year. For instance, if you clean your furnace in the fall, before winter sets in, you will likely not need to have it cleaned again until the following year. Organize your master list into seasonal tasks, so you can follow the list at the start of each season to ensure your chores are completed.

Remember, there is nothing wrong with calling in the pros for a certain job. Some homeowners, especially if they are proactive and organized, like to handle things on their own. This is fine for small jobs and things you are familiar with doing. However, when it comes to more complicated items on the list, contact the pros for a job done right.

Finally, do an overall evaluation once a year to make sure nothing new needs to be added to the list. You may also get to subtract things, should you upgrade or remove something from your home. For instance, if you install siding that eliminates the need to paint the exterior of your home, you can remove items from your list. Take a few minutes to look over your list annually to make sure it is still a complete list.

About the Author: Stewart Wrighter has often called on the expertise of a Dayton heat pump repair specialist to fix heating issues in his large office building. He scheduled to have a Dayton duct cleaning specialist to remove dust and dirt from the ductwork throughout the house.

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=738307&ca=Home+Management