Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Remodel Your Kitchen From Cabinets To Tile

Remodeling your kitchen will improve the function of your
home and will also increase the resale value. Some things
to consider when thinking of remodeling your kitchen
include cabinet styles, counter tops, appliances and tile
style.

When deciding on cabinet styles you first have to decide
whether you would like to build your own or purchase ones
already built. There are many websites and home stores
that can provide you with the materials to build your own.
If you chose to purchase already built cabinets or build to
suit cabinets your next step would be to decide on what
type of cabinets you would like. You can choose from a
variety of styles and finishes including woods or
laminates. Which ever way your chose to go, make sure you
pick a cabinet style that will fit the mood and design of
your kitchen and home.

When deciding on kitchen countertops you must first choose
what type of countertop material you would like. Some of
the most popular picks include granite, ceramic, laminates,
marble and stainless steel. Once you choose the material
you must decide whether to install it yourself or have it
professionally installed. If you choose to install it
yourself there are many do it yourself books and websites
that will walk you thru the process of removing your old
counter top and replacing it with your new one. If you
choose to have it professionally done, it is as easy as
going into your local home store deciding on your
countertop and setting up an appointment to have it
installed.

The most important thing when choosing your kitchen
appliances is to choose ones that will match the mood and
design of your kitchen. If you have a more modern kitchen
you may want to go with stainless steel; if your kitchen is
more country you may want to stick to your basic black or
white. When designing your new kitchen, you may also want
to consider having built in appliances. Once you decide
which type of appliances you want, you have many options
for purchasing them; online, home stores and electronic
stores all offer appliances now.

One of your final steps in completing your new kitchen is
choosing your backsplash tile. You have many options for
choosing your style such as glass, stone, marble, mosaic
tile and moroccan tile. Two of the more popular styles are
the mosaic and moroccan which are both available for you to
purchase online. Once you have purchased these online,
most sites will offer you detailed information on how to
install the tiles properly. Backsplash tiles are also
available for purchase at home good stores and most will
also come and install them for you.


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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

What To Do If You Need To Sell Your House Quickly

Are you in a situation where you need to sell your house
quickly? Occasionally we all find ourselves in situations
where we need something done and we need it done right now.

In this article we will talk about one thing you can do if
you need to sell your house and you need to do it right
away.

The first thing you should do is take a step back and
analyze why you need to sell your house. Do any of these
apply to you right now?

- Messy Divorce

- Lost of Income or Job

- Health Concerns

- Relocation

- Owe More Than Your House Is Worth

- High Interest Rate/Adjustable Rate Mortgage

- Low Ball Offer on Your Home

- Avoid Foreclosure

Knowing why you need to sell your house quickly can help
you determine the correct asking price, and whether you are
going to do a traditional real estate sale or go another
route.

Are you familiar with the phrase cash buyer? Many times
using a cash buyer is a great way to make things happen
quickly. Some people are leery of cash buyers and for good
reason. Like any other business, you can run into unethical
cash buyers who do not have a win-win situation in mind.

By win-win, we mean that you achieve your goal of selling
your home quickly, and the cash buyer achieves their goal
of getting a property that they can turn around and make
more money on at a later date.

Cash buyers are perfect for homeowners in this situation,
where they need to sell their home worse than they need to
hold out for the best price.The key is to find the right
cash buyer that you can trust to work with.

Speed is the biggest advantage that you have with the cash
buyer over a regular real estate agent. Using traditional
real estate marketing can end up taking several months from
the date you first meet with the realtor until you actually
close and move out.

The sacrifice that you make with the cash buyer is you
trade speed for a discount on your sale price. This can
happen very fast. You could have an offer to buy your home
in a matter of hours.

To find a legitimate cash buyer definitely seek out
references, check the Better Business Bureau, and look for
who is doing business in your neighborhood right now. You
may even know a friend or relative who has been in a
similar situation and can contact with them.

In summary, using a cash buyer to sell your house quickly
can be a great way to take care of your immediate needs
without the stress and time of using the traditional real
estate sale.


----------------------------------------------------
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Window Illusions - the "Magic" of Window Treatments

Do you live in the perfect house where windows are
symmetrical, evenly spaced, logically located and
aesthetically pleasing? Wait, don't answer that. I will -
you don't - none of us really do. The majority of homes
have windows that are not placed exactly where or how we
might want them. And sometimes it takes a bit of
imagination to make the look perfect.

Color is your friend! Think of the walls in your home as
your Artist's canvas. Even if you don't care about the
beauty of your rooms and windows, you still need window
coverings for a variety of other reasons: privacy, light,
heat and UV damage control, and even to control noise
levels. Just a little information about how colors work can
give you added dimension in your rooms as well. Dark colors
draw your eye, and seem closer to you. Lighter colors push
back away from you and seem to disappear. To give a room
some depth, use color to prevent having a "flat " feeling
in the room. Think about a room where the walls are painted
in light tones. If you have a room where you want window
treatments to be noticed as a focal point, you should use
darker hues of the colors you like. To leave window
coverings unnoticed, go with lighter colors - even matching
the wall colors as closely as possible. The reverse will be
true if the walls are painted in darker shades. Rooms where
"tone on tone" or similar colors are used throughout the
room, can feel too monotonous for some tastes, but others
love the simplicity. You decide what happens within your
own walls.

Use walls to your advantage. Another way to create an
illusion with window coverings is by placement of drapery
panels and valances. You can take an unevenly centered
window and hang the draperies further into the wall area,
beyond the edge of an ill-placed window, evening out the
wall space. To make a window appear larger, or taller, you
can hang draperies to the left and right of the window, and
not into the window space at all. Vertical Stripes draw the
eye to the ceiling and make draperies appear longer.
Horizontal lines will make windows seem shorter and keeps
your eye lower on the wall. You can also create the
illusion of a curved window by placing a curved shape at
the bottom of a cornice or valance. What were once boring,
rectangular windows, now take on a much more interesting
shape, giving character to the room.

Get in the mood. Dark colors tend to give rooms warmth that
causes us to feel safe and cozy. Lighter colors also create
a feeling in our minds: airy and open. Think about the mood
you want to generate in each area of your home when you
select window coverings for the rooms. Some colors
stimulate your brain, others can put you to sleep. Shades
of red in a bedroom may keep you awake during the day, but
in the dark, red absolutely disappears. Lighter colors show
up at night and in low light. Light affects colors more
than any other single factor. Light also affects you and
how you feel, even though you may not consciously pay
attention to its influence.

So now that you know little "tricks" to make your windows
more interesting - which one will you use?


----------------------------------------------------
Vita Vygovska, Owner of V2K Window Décor and More, a
full-service custom window treatment company, will
transform your ordinary window to extraordinary with
professionalism from beginning to end. To set an
appointment or receive your free Special Report: Top 10
Know How's on Custom Window Treatments plus the 'Curtain
Call' ezine, visit http://www.vita.v2k.com .

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Refinishing Hardwood Floors - Do It Right The First Time

Now that you have decided to give that old hardwood floor a
new shine it is time to plan the job properly and in
advance. The first and most obvious thing to do when
planning is to decide when to do the job. Once you have
that, then you make a list of everything you will need.
Some things you will want on this list are: A Sander, a box
of trash bags, masking tape, a couple of plastic sheets or
a role of plastic, vacuum, dust pan and broom, a clear
floor sealer, floor stain if you want to change the
coloring, pieces of sample wood that match your floor
sanded down, a pry bar for any baseboards you are going to
replace, face mask and gloves to help keep you safe. Also,
do not forget hardwood floor cleaner that does not have any
wax added to it. Making sure you have these items will
make refinishing your Hardwood Floors an easier task.

When Refinishing Hardwood Floors, the first thing you have
to do is begin removing all the furniture, wall hangings,
window treatments or curtains, and any closets connecting
to the floor you are working on have to be emptied out as
well. Use the floor cleaner and a vacuum to get the floor
ready for sanding. Now you want to cover any light
fixtures with the trash bags mentioned earlier using the
masking tape to help secure the bags. Cover any electrical
outlets in the room with the tape as well. When it comes
time to sand, you want to plug the sander into an extension
cord plugged in an outlet outside of the room.

Now is the time to remove the baseboards if you are going
to replace them. Once everything possible is covered and
the room and any closets or cubbyholes emptied, it is time
to block the room off from the rest of the house using the
plastic sheets. You will want to use the masking tape to
keep the plastic sheets closed on any doorway you will not
be using. Be generous with the plastic sheets and leave a
little room on each side, the top and bottom of the
doorway, this will help in keeping the mess inside the
room. Finally, open a window and put a fan in it blowing
outwards. This helps keep the room healthy for you to work
in. I recommend a box fan, as they are easier to clean and
fit in most windows. Doing this makes Refinishing Hardwood
Floors a safer project.

When you sand be sure you move quickly and smoothly while
using the machine. Letting the sander sit in one spot to
long while running will cause serious damage to your floor.
Start out with a lower sander setting to help even the
floor, and work up to the highest setting such as 120 to
finish the sanding process. This helps with getting the
floor even and smooth. If you do the sanding properly, you
will notice the grains or markings in the wood returning.

A drum sander is recommended by many to do the sanding
process, but be forewarned though it is very efficient and
does the job quickly it can damage the floor if not
properly operated. Tilt the sander towards you before
starting it up, once it is moving as fast as it is supposed
to be then slowly lower it to the floor. This makes sure
you start out with an even sanding. Start on plywood or
some other wood you will not be using so you can get used
to the feel of the machine. Once you get the hang of it
start in the center of the room. After you have finished
sanding each time, vacuum the floor before starting again
and at the end. Follow up with a dry clothe.

It is now time to stain and seal or just seal your new
floor. Remember to check the drying times on each making
sure you do not mess up all your hard work.
Congratulations, you just refinished your Hardwood Floors.


----------------------------------------------------
Get step-by-step do-it-yourself instructions for
refinishing hardwood floors at
http://www.household-helper.com . Household-Helper is your
one stop solution to getting your home repair questions
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