Archive for the ‘Preparation / Demolition’ Category

A home equity loan can get you the bathroom you have always wanted. If you have been thinking about renovating your old bathroom but don’t have any extra cash stashed under your mattress but you at least own your home, then revamping the old bath may be closer than you think. A home equity loan is a type of loan in which the home owner uses the equity in their home as collateral; so in essence, the loan becomes secured against the value of the property. These home equity loans can be used to finance major expenses such as a bathroom home improvement project or rudimentary home repairs. The way it works is that a home equity loan creates a lien against the borrower’s house, thereby resulting in a reduction of the actual home’s equity. The only real prerequisite to getting a home equity loan is that the homeowner is required to have fair to good credit history, and reasonable loan-to-value and combined loan-to-value ratios. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you been thinking of getting a home improvement loan? The nightmare of a bad credit score and depleted bank account are just some of the hurdles that homeowners have to face when the thought of home improvement is placed on the table. Luckily, with the many home improvement loans that are being offered by numerous financial institutions this nightmare has been transformed into a different reality with a happy ending. This twist around has caused many people to embrace the thought of securing home improvement loans that will allow them to do bathroom renovations, change fixtures and fittings and make hundreds of other home improvement changes. Not only does this mean more comfort for families, but with the use of home improvement loans homeowners can also increase the market value of their house. Below we have listed some of the many home improvement loans that are being offered on the market to make home improvement anything but a distant dream for most people. Read the rest of this entry »

Home insurance and bathroom renovations go hand in hand because if something goes wrong with your renovations you will be covered with your household and contents insurance. Homeowners must have home insurance. It may seem like a no-brainer for homeowners who are considering a renovation project to first work out if the investment they plan to make in upgrading their bathroom is going to be one of value. When it comes to home insurance benefits, it may come as a surprise to most homeowners that some bathroom upgrades are less financially advantageous than others. To the laymen, when considering homeowners insurance, bathroom repairs or redecoration are the most predominant ideas that come to mind, however, safety improvements and energy saving measures are another way to proceed that will make your insurance broker happy. It is also reassuring to know that bathroom renovations offer homeowners a 75-100 percent payback potential of return on their investment. Talk to your resident home insurance agent if you’re planning on renovating your bathroom or adding a new addition to your home. Ask your agent what factors regarding home renovations may affect property insurance premiums and inquire how you can keep your costs to a minimum. Another thing you may want to ask your insurance broker before hiring a contractor is if they have any local contracting companies on file that they recommend. Protecting your largest asset, your home, can prevent it from becoming an unnecessary liability when bathroom renovations go awry. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are a first time renovator, coming up with usable bathroom renovation ideas can sometimes be daunting. But don’t fret; many others have traveled in your shoes before, rest assured you are not alone. So, let’s shed some light on how you can come up with some good bathroom renovation ideas, get it done right the first time and save yourself a few headaches. First lets examine the problem. The good thing is that in every renovation problem lies the solution. If you break down exactly what you need accomplished and then what you plan to do to get there, then with a game plan, your renovation project should proceed according to your outline. As obvious as this may seem, you’d be surprised at just how many homeowners out of unbridled frustration run down to their local home improvement store and start buying on a whim as they go and then regretting it later when they have to return the items or worse, having to live with their impromptu purchases. Before you even step out of your home you must decide just how far you are willing to go with your bath ideas. The first question you should be asking yourself is – what is my budget and then the next question is whether or not you plan on changing your bathroom layout. Read the rest of this entry »

Most bathroom renovation or remodelling projects begin with a trip to your local home improvement store or surfing the net to gather ideas just to see what’s out there. Another good place to start is to get to know the jargon and terminology that the trade’s people in the home refurbishment industry are currently using. This is beneficial so you won’t get totally lost when you try to communicate with them as to what you want. Here is a short list of common bathroom renovation terms encompassing: plumbing and lighting, flooring, framing, planning and design terminology. This is not a complete list but more of a work in progress and relevant terms and descriptions will be added on a regular basis as we assess them. Read the rest of this entry »

Sooner or later you are going to want to spruce up the old bathroom. Bath Renovations can be a picture perfect dream upgrade if you can find the right renovator for your decorating project. In this article we examine who you need to look for when planning your next washroom remodelling endeavour. It should be mentioned here that you get what you pay for so be sure that you acquire a qualified renovation specialist; communication is the key so don’t expect him/her to know what you are thinking. And remember be realistic, just because you saw it in Kitchen and Bath magazine doesn’t mean you can fit it all into your small 5 x 8 ft bathroom. Get those contractor references and don’t forget to get it all in writing to seal the deal. Read the rest of this entry »

Before you dive into any bathroom renovation or remodelling job it’s always a good idea to create an objective checklist to make sure you are actually ready and able to begin the tasks ahead. Look at the entire project with a critical eye. Leave no stone unturned. First and foremost give yourself a realistic amount of time to get each undertaking done. A complete bath redo involves careful planning, a certain amount of skills, patience and the ability to work safely. Most people don’t even realize that Read the rest of this entry »

Your bathroom design will be determined by the amount of planning and construction you want to take on yourself. Be sure you are really willing to begin a job by taking a hard look at your DIY skill set and be realistic about your learning curb. Do you just want to do the preliminary planning and hire someone else to do all the work or maybe you want to do most of the demolition yourself then Read the rest of this entry »

To round off our bathroom survey checklist, we will now examine the remaining elements we need to address before we can fix any lingering problem regions in our bathroom. These areas include surfaces, accessories, heating and any other special needs or spots of interest we need to focus upon. As stated before there Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you are simply remodelling or wanting to do some major renovations by adding a bathroom as part of a home addition project, by addressing these following question you will not only identify the issues in your bathroom you want to tackle but it will also give you insight into the various design elements you should Read the rest of this entry »