Home improvement gets a makeover
Homeowners are being choosier about which projects they undertake February 01, 2013|Kelli B. Grant No longer content with new cabinet pulls or a fresh coat of paint, homeowners are beginning, again, to dabble in home remodeling projects. Contractors say they’re getting more requests for upgraded kitchens and bathrooms, as well as home additions and major improvements that cut energy bills and reinforce structures against storms. It’s a significant shift from recent years, when homeowners were focused on only vital home repairs, “preserving...
read moreKitchen renovation: Hubby surprises wife with weekend remodel while she’s away
Love letters, flowers and jewelry would make a lot of women swoon, but Nick Bylsma wanted to do something extraordinary for his wife, Melissa, on their second wedding anniversary. So when she went away with her family one weekend last year, he told her that he’d be spending the time working. And that wasn’t exactly a fib: She left on a Friday morning, and when she returned the following Sunday evening, he had remodeled the entire kitchen. “How many women do you know who want something like that?” said Nick Bylsma, 28,...
read more3 Recession Home Remodeling Trends Likely to Stick Around
In-law apartments, outdoor living spaces, and smarter kitchens may be here to stay By RACHEL KONING BEALS January 30, 2012 A soft economy prompted some homeowners to take a new look at their existing footprint. Even as housing-market conditions turn a little brighter, many homeowners still opt to stay put and update their current quarters instead of selling at lower prices. The numbers prove it. Remodeling industry sentiment, as tracked by the National Association of Home Builders’ Remodeling Market Index (RMI), hit a five-year high in...
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