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Carpet, Tile & Floor Covering

2008-01-01 14:23:00

Improvements to increase home value

What are some home improvement projects that will increase the resale value of my home?

Answer: Here are a few ideas you might want to consider. Bathroom Remodel It costs about $10,500 to replace the tub, tile surround, floor, toilet, sink, vanity and fixtures. You’ll get back an average of $10,700 at resale, a recoup rate of 102%. If you can pipe a child’s name on a birthday cake, you can re-caulk a tub. Use a softener to get rid of the old caulk. Fill the tub with water after you’re done to stretch caulk while it dries. If your old tub is too large to fit out the door, re-glaze it for a like-new finish. Cost: $300 to $400. Landscaping The average homeowner spends about $3,502 for landscaping and another $1,465 on a designer, according to the American Nursery & Landscape Association. Not sure where to start? Local garden centers often offer free design services, or ask the neighbors what works for them. Sod costs about 30 to 35 cents a square foot, so a 5,000sq. ft. yard would cost about $1,500 to sod. Kitchen Remodel A minor kitchen remodel averages $14,913 and brings in $14,691 at resale, a recoup rate of 98.5%. Go for the minor remodel when your kitchen needs a cosmetic update and not a drastically different floor plan. A $15,000 kitchen update covers 30 feet of re-facing for cabinets and drawers, a new wall oven, cook-top, sink and fixtures, laminate countertops and resilient flooring. You may want to consider recessed lights 3’ to 5’ apart on center and 18” from cabinets to light the countertops. And remember running the lights between two joists is easier than running through the joists. Sun Rooms The average family room addition costs $54,464 and adds $45,458 at resale, a recoup rate of 83%. However the highest recoup rates occur in high- cost Western markets. A sunroom counts in the home’s square footage only when the room is heated and cooled for year round use. A sunroom normally will only add value in upscale neighborhoods. It won’t bring in higher bids in lower-end neighborhoods. Bed Room Updates Cost for new lighting will vary from $100 - $500. For a romantic design touch, swap the old light fixture for a small chandelier. The formula for sizing a chandelier: Room width + Room length in feet = Chandelier diameter in inches. If any dry wall repair is needed, less really is more. Using as little joint compound as possible makes it easier to even out the surface when sanding later. Scale your window treatments to your room size. Cost to rent wallpaper steamer: $20; new bedding and window treatments: $300. Hardwood floors are hotter than ever. Pull up worn carpeting and refinish old floors to let the wood shine. Sanding hardwoods is physically demanding and if you do it wrong, you ruin the floor. Hire a pro to do the sanding and then do your own staining and sealing to save money. Cost: $1 to $1.50 a foot. Fill carpet tack holes with putty. Living Room For about $25, you can freshen up the living room walls with a coat of paint in a light, neutral color. And don’t overlook the trim--brighten it up as well with high-gloss white paint and caulk any open seams between the molding and ceiling and baseboard and wall. On the average, quality hardwood flooring ranges from $3-$8 per square foot. For a 200 square foot area, expect to spend about $1,200 if you install it yourself. Tack on another $3 per square foot if you have it professionally installed. (recommended) Sanding hardwoods is physically demanding. If you make a mistake, the floor could be ruined. Hire a pro to sand and then do your own staining and sealing to save money. Cost is $1 to $1.50 a foot. Fill carpet tack holes with Color Putty. If you have carpet in the living room, either have it professionally cleaned ($100-$150) or replaced if it’s torn, stained or has an unrelenting odor (on average $10-$30 per square foot).