Greetings!
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Happy New Year. We hope you had a long and relaxing holiday. 2008 promises to be an exciting year and we look forward to supporting your goals for maintaining and enhancing your home. In 2007 My Handyman grew in many ways:
- We redesigned our website. Now articles can be found in the Handyman Library when you want to refer back to them.
- We completed a full year of Handyman News and now have a 2008 Editorial Calendar. We will be inviting other professionals to contribute in their areas of expertise, such as last months article about Dream Dinners at Home.
- I co-founded 4 Walls 1 Roof, a network of women owned businesses offering products and services for the home, that compliment My Handyman services. If you would like to meet me (or take one of my Tomboy Tools workshops), the 4 Walls website has an Event Calendar shared by all members.
As the financial markets and mortgage industry sort out their problems, many home owners face the dilemma of wanting to trade up, but recognize that now isn't the right time. With a stagnant housing marketing, people aren't sure if putting more money into their existing homes makes sense. The good news is the fundamental principal of investing wisely hasn't changed. The top remodeling projects in 2007 are almost identical to 2006. Smart investments include replacing siding and windows along with bathroom and kitchen remodels. The only real difference is decks and attic bedroom remodels have moved up in value, while two-story additions have dropped in value.
To help you develop a strategy for 2008, we have included in this eNewsletter:
- Top Remodeling Projects in 2007
- Tips for Remodeling Your Bathroom
- Add More Living Space in Your Existing Home
- Solving Common Water Damage Problems (Siding)
For those dealing with significantly higher heating bills, I have partnered with a home inspection company to offer you a workshop on "how to save on heating costs." Information about the workshop is at the bottom of this email.
We need your feedback and insight about today's market. Please take 5 minutes out of your busy day to complete this survey. Everyone who completes the survey has a chance to win FOUR (4) hours of My Handyman services (or $100 gift certificates from Home Depot if you live outside our service area).
Tina Gleisner, My Handyman of Southern NH
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Top Remodeling Projects in 2007
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the housing market was better you might move to a bigger
home, but it looks like remodeling your current home is the more
practical approach. Thinking ahead to when you will sell the house, you
want to insure that the money you invest today will provide a
good return later.
From a 91.7% return on replacement siding to a 74.8% return on remodeling your bathroom, learn how you can optimize your home remodeling investments for long term value. Read about the top remodeling projects in 2007
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Tips for Remodeling Your Bathroom
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When it's time to update your bathroom, where
do you start? People often replace one item to solve a problem like a
leaky faucet. They realize when the old faucet is removed it is the
perfect time to replace the sink, and maybe the vanity? When the
project is done, the toilet might look dated. What to do?
By taking
time to plan the project first, you are more likely to feel good about the
results and cost when it's complete. Here is a simple checklist to help you plan your
bathroom remodel.
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Add More Living Space to Your Existing Home
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There are many ways to add living space in your existing home. Last year, finishing a bedroom in the attic came out on top for interior remodeling projects. There are many choices for using your attic, so the first step is evaluating what space you need to suit your lifestyle. Movin' On Up offers some great ideas while Hometime pros Dean Johnson and Robin Hartl illustrate the numerous tasks and decisions involved in an Attic Conversion.
In the attic remodels done by My Handyman, we've learned to check the following before finalizing your budget, to insure you do not have surprises later:
o Do not try to finish the attic without getting a building permit. Things like a sprinkler system might seem cost prohibitive, but will save you time and money when you go to sell your home.
o Do not assume that the structure of your home will support adding dormers for more space. We use a structural engineer (or licensed architect) to make this determination.
o Access is critical and we often find the stairs included by the builder do not meet code and must be rebuilt.
o Generally subflooring should be 5/8" or 3/4" plywood, so when the house only has
1/2" plywood you need to add another layer of material to provide the
necessary support. |
| Solving Common Water Damage Problems (Siding) |
While siding replacement is at the top of the remodeling
value rankings (highest payback when selling the house), home owners
don't always put new siding on their homes
because they want to. My Handyman frequently goes out to repair a small
water problem, which turns out to be much larger. The customer then
needs to decide if they want to replace the siding on their entire home
(with a siding contractor) or stagger the cost across multiple years,
completing one side each year to stay with in their budget.
My Handyman can handle repair of all structural damage, replace the
siding as needed and install gutters and missing flashing over windows
and
doors, to provide a water tight envelope.
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