 | Art Bryan
is president and owner of Southwestern Remodeling Contractors, Inc. Art started Southwestern Remodeling Contractors in 1970. Southwestern is a fully-licensed residential and commercial licensed general contractor in Wichita and the surrounding counties. Art has been a member of the Wichita Area Home Builders Association and the National Remodel Council since 1974. In mid-2000 Southwestern received the distinction of being named one of the "Top 25 Most Diversified Remodeling Companies in the United States.” Southwestern is listed as the 84th Top Remodeler in the country by Qualified Remodeling Magazine. Art can be contacted at his office at (316) 263-1239, fax at (316) 263-6230, or you can e-mail him at ARTSWR@aol. Com |
Home Improvement
2003-01-01 11:30:00
Upgrading one’s home
ANSWER: The general rules of thumb on remodel, repair and replace are as follows: Bathrooms - every 15-20 years you will do a total overhaul with the possible exception of the tub. A helpful hint might be to look and feel around the toilets and ends of the tubs and showers on the floor. If the flooring looks or feels raised, it is or recently was leaking.Kitchen - every 20-25 years you will do a total overhaul if the cabinets were well made and installed the first time. Roofing varies to the type of roof. Fiberglass composition roofs started out at 15-year guarantees and went to 25 years. A cheap roof won't last beyond the 15-year guarantee and a good roof barely makes it to 20. A CLUE report from your insurance company can assist with claims that were made in the past on the roof. Water heaters are every 5-7 years depending on your water conditions. If everything is original from the time of construction, after 15 years much will come due for remodel/repair/replace in relatively short order. But remember... chances are the older the home these days... the better it was built. The landscaping on older homes is irreplaceable in short order. It would take many years for trees and shrubs to mature on new construction in the same fashion as they exist on older homes. You will also want to consider the neighborhood. Aesthetics sometimes takes years to happen with new homes in a new development. If it's a question of building new or buying old and remodeling/repairing/replacing now or later... there just about as many that favor one as the other. If however the decision is what is the best value... buying old wins most of the time.
