Remodeling Your Home - Top to Bottom

You might be looking around your home and say, "This place is so outdated, it's time to fix it up." And so you might go to the library for information on how to design and plan a home improvement; how to deal with the city building department; how to do tear out--and where to dispose of debris; how to do carpentry, electrical, plumbing, dry wall, painting . . . Hmmmmm . . . Perhaps you will hire somebody to do this, instead. Whether you decide to do it yourself or decide to hire a contractor, the first thing you have to do is clear all your stuff out of the area that is going to be remodeled. Take a deep breath and get ready for MESS. Having had my own kitchen extensively remodeled, I know how stressful it is to have one's house torn up. Our home is our safe place. Even if it is an ill-suited, messy nest, it is our shelter; and we have strong feelings about that shelter.

I think the time it takes to complete the job has a big impact on weather you think it was worth it when completed. In order to get the job done in as short a time as possible, whoever does the job, a home owner or a contractor has to plan in advance. Make a schedule of every action before starting.

There is a list of things needed in every job. One important item not to forget is to make sure you order all the materials in advance especially the cabinets. Don't do anything till you open the boxes and inspect the contents for damage and to make sure the correct model and color cabinets are there. Make sure there are enough cabinets and moldings. You don't want to have to stop and order anything in the middle of the project and have to wait 2 weeks for something.

• Empty all the cupboards and closets. This may take a couple days
• Demolish the cupboards and counter tops. - Don't forget this includes cutting up the debris to fit in garbage bags and carrying around or loading into a dumpster. Probably a couple days.
• Demolish all the drywall or plaster and put in bags. Don't forget old drywall and all plaster is loaded with asbestos. Maybe a day.
• Remove all the old wiring and pipes that won't be needed.
• Remove all the old flooring. This too may have asbestos. Pay attention to the wall heights at this point, especially if you will be having any full height cabinets later. This can take 2 full days.
• Rough plumb and rough wire for the new utilities and be sure to install what ever tin work for moved heating or microwave vents. This could take several days.
• Change out any windows and door openings. This can take several days.
• Install the new drywall. This can take as long as a week.
• Paint on special drywall primer. A day to dry.
• Install sub floor (and finish floor if using ceramic). Another week maybe.
• Install the cabinets then the counter tops. If the counter tops are made by someone else this is 2 days.
• Small misc. jobs and clean up and trim - A couple days.

Even a careful crew makes noise as they tear out drywall and flooring. Though they lay down plastic and tarps, they will be tracking endlessly through your house--the door will seem never to be closed!

Kitchens are particularly difficult to bear with. My appliances and table were in the living room. I washed dishes in the laundry room sink, and cooked with small electrical appliances on the washer and dryer. Everything was misplaced.

And then the drywall was taped and sanded. Even though plastic was taped to the walls to keep the dust from the rest of the house; dust still found its way into rooms it had no business being in!

The stress of spending money, having to work your schedule around other people, noise, distraction, dust, endless discussions and decisions; it is stressful--be prepared! There is no getting around it, construction is messy.

But the result is SO worth it. Having a beautiful new room that works efficiently. New appliances, new plumbing, new lighting. It just feels good! You will forget the aggravation and difficulty of the remodeling phase as you take delight in your new skylight, or Jacuzzi, or shower, or kitchen, or fireplace. Pleasure in your remodeling job lasts a long time. It is all worth while.

"Vail Real Estate News"

Vail Construction Slows - Contractors Seek Buyers

The Vail Colorado housing market softened further over the last quarter, only custom built homes remained firm. General contractors stuck with new homes more than 120 days are now resorting to gimmicks and giveaways. How would you like a free Hummer with your home? It’s a buyers market again!

Most of the home builders and construction firms in Colorado report sales have turned very sour lately as their inventories of unsold houses soar, cancelled orders pile up and prices sink. Many contractors have dozens of homes for sale, but these “middle-class homes” are turning out to be bad long-term investments. Prices of these mid-range Vail Valley homes are down as much as 10%.

Yes, prices of these freshly painted homes are dropping everyday, but there seems to be a shortage of buyers. One real estate seller said" The carpets are fresh, appliances are new..."; yet, they still await their first owners. The other side of the Vail market, the custom built "luxury" homes; are holding fast and selling firm.

Vail contractor, J. P. Sunderland said, "Investors see real value in building a home in Vail. These homes are great real estate investments; they really hold their price.” Sunderland owns SunderInc, ( www.VailCustomHomeBuilder.com ). He is just one of the custom home builders in Vail that have been busy these days. He and others report custom home orders have held strong all quarter.

The housing market in Vail, Colorado is typical of what is happening all across America. While some construction firms sit and wait for buyers, big time investors seem to be sinking their dollars into million dollar custom homes and other vacation retreats.

Demand and supply conditions have been deteriorating rapidly. The real estate market has changed into a buyers market. New home sales are off 22%, while the inventory of unsold new homes is up 22% in the past year. Not surprisingly, prices are flat and probably down significantly considering all the extras builders are throwing in for free to sweeten the deal. One Colorado builder is giving away a free Hummer when you buy a new $400,000 home. That is a far cry from just a year ago, when interest rates were low and prices were at an all time high.

What is the future outlook? Home builders are reluctant to begin new projects and are reacting to an increase in cancellations. Speculators, who drove the Vail market for new homes over the past few years, have now fled. Investors who sunk money into average homes are now looking at their home values drop, while their short term interest rates rise.

The record profits over the last 15 years seem to be over for most home builders. Across the country, a record 1.73 million homes are vacant and awaiting a buyer. The pace of the decline in starts and permits so far this year is the largest since the recession of 1991. A year ago, two thirds of builders were upbeat about the market, but now less than one third are positive about future sales. Economists expect a deeper drop in the market which is already at a 15-year low.

Build A Custom Home

Sometimes the house of your dreams just can't be found on the market. No problem, luckily you can build your own custom home. If your plans are well thought out and you carefully go through each step of the process, you could be living in an outstanding home you never thought was possible! SunderInc; Vail, Colorado's top custom home builder can help.

The most important aspect of building your own home is deciding on a budget. This will dictate each step of the process all the way through completion and beyond. Don't forget to add land cost to the budget of the entire project. It is also important to not forget Murphy's Law when doing a project this big, building estimates are just that, an estimate. There are numerous reasons that construction costs can increase slightly; be sure to leave a little extra room in your budget for changes to the plan.

The next step is deciding what kind of home you would like to build. Browsing through home and real estate magazines is a good start. The internet is also a great resource to get great ideas about your homes style and function. Once you have a general idea of the type of home you like, you should try to see some similar ones in your area. They don't need to be identical, but you can go down to a model home and see if you like or dislike certain features. Taking pictures of things you like is also a good idea; it can only help your designer draw up a plan exactly like you imagine it.

Purchasing the land is the next big step. You should, of course, have a general idea of what kind of land you want, but don't automatically filter out properties that don't exactly fit your search criteria. Keep in mind how much backyard space you would like, how big the house is you are planning on building, and what you are going to use the land for. For example, do you plan on putting in a swimming pool? How about having animals on your property? Would you like a little privacy from the neighbors, or just a good view?

As soon as you have purchased the land that fits your dream home, the next step is hiring a general contractor to oversee and manage the building of your house. It is a very good idea to call at least a handful of contractors and to have each of them give you an estimate. Make sure you ask their price per square foot, inquire about specifics that you would like on your house that may cost extra, and definitely ask for some references from each builder. Most contractors will be more than happy to show you homes they have built before and the homeowners will often answer any questions or concerns you have about the contractor. This is also a good time to check your budget. Is the home you have imagined going to fit into your budget?

The biggest determining factor of your budget is going to be securing financing. Contacting lenders is the next step towards building your home. Make sure to shop around for the best rates and situation that fits your finances best. By securing a loan you will get the money to go forward and will also have a better idea about how big your budget for the rest of the project will be.

The hard part is now over and the exhilarating part begins. Choosing paint colors, carpeting, and cabinets are just a few of the many exciting options you have when building your own home. You also get to observe the building process in action and see your new home being erected each and everyday. For many people this is fun, because they have put a lot of work into their project and are excited to see it come into fruition.

Building your own home is certainly a lot of work, but the benefits can not be overlooked. Careful planning and patience will go a long way into making sure everything works out just as expected. Believe me, once you move in to your new home you will be thrilled!
For more details, contact Custom Homes by SunderInc