Why You Really Need (A) HOUSE & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Simply pick up a couple of cheap, framed floor-length mirrors for less than $10 at your local big-box store, then paint the frame to match your space. Attach to your closet door with construction adhesive for a permanent look or use removable picture-hanging strips if you’re renting. Glue thin trim pieces to the mirrors for a high-end look. You don’t have to go big when it comes to kitchen projects. Install new kitchen cabinets or give current cabinets a refresh. Upgrade old kitchen countertops and add a kitchen backsplash for a new look.

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  • If you refinance with an FHA loan, you’ll need 15% equity in your home.

A cash-out refinance is a low-cost way to make home improvements when you don’t have the money on hand. Refinancing can be a good way to borrow a lot of money at once, which means expensive renovations are in reach and won’t take much from your monthly budget. Taking down a wall between the kitchen, living room, or dining room can expand your entertaining area, and make the footprint feel larger while you’re not actually adding square footage. However, to remove a wall safely, it needs to be non-load-bearing, meaning a wall that isn’t integral to the structure of your home. You can hang a mirror just about anywhere, but it’ll be most effective facing opposite a window to reflect the outdoors and sunlight. When you’re hanging a heavy mirror, be careful to use anchors, cleats, or picture wires to ensure it’s properly installed in the wall.

Which home improvements add the most value?

Overhead pot racks can hold your bulky kitchen items right where you need them while making a rustic design statement in your home. Removing the doors only takes an afternoon and a few basic tools. It’ll cost you little to nothing beyond the cost of paint and caulk. If your bathroom is small, chances are it feels even more cramped with an opaque shower door and enclosure. Swap this out for a crystal-clear shower door to open up the room and make it feel bigger.

Laminate flooring comes in a variety of shades, and costs between $3 – $8 per square foot. You can pay, on average, $2,352 for a professional installation, or measure precisely and DIY it on your own. Similar to cool-toned walls, a lighter-colored floor can make a room feel bigger by better reflecting natural light. The best time to get a skylight installed is when you’re getting a new roof. “Nobody will install a skylight on a roof that’s not brand new,” explains Pacific-Northwest agent Dawn Rushton in HomeLight’s guide to the added value of skylights.

Kitchens

In addition to the amount of cash you can gain, getting a cash-out refinance can come with other benefits, too. You can subtract your current loan balance from the appraised property value to determine how much equity you have in your home. Let’s look at how cash-out refinancing works, and what you need to know about using cash from your home for repairs and renovations. Overhead racks start at $50 and need to be installed in the joists on your ceiling to make sure they can hold the weight of your pots and pans. If the wall you want to remove isn’t below one of these beams, it’s much less likely to be a load-bearing wall.

Thousands of Satisfied Homeowners

“The process is simple,” says Mike McAllister, owner of Riverside Kitchen Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. “Remove the small flange that holds the existing insert, then replace the insert with your material and add wood or metal stops to keep it in place.” If you’re considering replacing an appliance, replace it with an energy-efficient product.

Neutrals are always a good idea for walls, but cool-toned neutrals in a small home makes walls look further away than they are, visually expanding the square footage of a space. British homes tend to be dark, and those with lots of natural light feel larger. Even if you’re not planning on moving, adding these can promote a sense of wellbeing. As long as you don’t live in a listed building, you should be fine to move the bathroom upstairs without planning permission.

By sambo