Finished Basements: Do They Add Value?

Whether you are an owner looking to invest in your property or a real estate professional working to help a seller, the topic of basement remodeling is sure to come up. Before beginning any project, it is important to understand what you want to get out of the remodel, what is possible on your budget and whether you will receive a return on your investment when you decide to sell your home. Achieving a return on investment can sometimes be difficult. The following are three key considerations for you to keep in mind.

Moisture
If you are taking a basement from unfinished to finished, you will have to take moisture into account. Any leaks, condensation or flooding will have to be dealt with before you start remodeling. This can be a large factor in your rate of return, because the cost to fix these issues can run into the thousands of dollars. If you neglect to deal with these issues first, however, you will pay far more in mold removal, ruined carpets and musty smells.

Labor costs
If you plan on hiring contractors, keep in mind that labor is typically the largest part of the cost. A rule of thumb is that materials are about one-third of the cost to the owner and labor accounts for the other two-thirds. This means that handy homeowners can save significant money by doing part of the remodeling job by themselves. Keep in mind that attempting to do a job that you are not qualified for may end up causing damage or simply look shoddy, which can ultimately mean more expense to pay someone to undo your mistakes. Plumbing and electrical work should always be left to professionals, but installing insulation, hanging drywall, painting and even installing carpet may be within reach.

Egress
Often, for a basement room to be considered a bedroom, building codes will require that a basement have a window large enough for occupants to safely escape in the event of a fire, and for a firefighter to enter wearing full gear. This is important, because adding an exit to your basement's foundation can be expensive if there isn't one present already.

Remodeling a basement can be fun, but to get the best return on your investment, it may take some elbow grease. For those homeowners willing to take the time to do the job inexpensively and effectively, however, there can be a significant payoff.

Heated Floors: Everything You Need to Know

Picture this – it’s a chilly winter morning and when you step into your kitchen to make yourself a cup of coffee, your bare feet are warmed by the floor beneath you. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Heated floors are a great alternative to traditional heating methods, and they can keep your home, and your toes, warm all winter.  So whether you are planning your next home remodel in Owen Sound, or considering buying a home with heated floors in Toronto, here is everything you need to know when deciding if heated flooring is the right choice for your home.

What are heated floors?

Heated floors, also known as radiant heating, are a type of heat system that is located underneath the flooring of the home. With radiant heating, the warmth rises evenly from below via heat radiation, so the temperature of the room is uniform from top to bottom, rather than hot air rising from forced-air systems. Although expensive to install upfront, this efficient way of heating is a great alternative to traditional heating methods and may be worthwhile for your household in the long run.

What are the different types of heated floors and how do they work?

There are two types of radiant floor heating systems: hydronic and electric.

Hydronic radiant floor heating: With this type of radiant heating system, hot water is generated from a boiler, which is then pumped throughout the floors via tubes. These pipes snake throughout the flooring, radiating thermal energy through materials like tiles, concrete, or wood. Hydronic heating is more efficient than conventional heating and works best at heating larger areas – more typical for whole-house installations rather than room by room. Since hydronic systems require additional parts like a boiler and a pump, the upfront cost of installation can be expensive. However, you can save up to 30% more in operating costs compared to conventional heating systems.

Electric radiant floor heating: This type of radiant heating system is powered by electric wires located underneath the flooring. Due to the cost of electricity, warming an entire home with electric radiant heating can quickly become expensive. Therefore, this method is most popular for heating individual rooms, such as a bathroom or bedroom, rather than the whole house. Electric installations heat up floors in about 30-60 minutes and can be set to a schedule, heating your floors in the morning at specific hours – or whenever you need it.

How much does it cost to install?

When it comes down to price, hydronic solutions are a more cost-effective alternative in the long run since the operating costs are lower than electric systems. This is because the water conducts and holds heat more efficiently which lowers the operating time. Hydronic heating systems range from $6-$20 averaging at $13 per square foot for professional installation, while electric heating systems range from $8-$15 averaging at $11 per square foot. 

Electric radiant floor systems are cheaper to install because they are composed of electrical wire mats and do not require additional parts that hydronic systems demand. The rate of installation can vary based on a number of factors. For example, if you already have a boiler or a water heater and the floors are already opened, it will be easier for plumbers to install the heating system. If you are remodeling your home and need to open the floors for install, that will add to the cost of installation. If you have some experience wiring and installing pipework, then a DIY radiant floor heating can cut your prices down significantly.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of radiant floor heating?

When contemplating radiant floor heating for your next remodel or home, you’ll want to consider the advantages and disadvantages of radiant floor heating.

Advantages 

Silence: When compared to air forced systems, there is little to no noise with radiant floor heating systems. This is because there isn’t a furnace that turns on and/or vents to push the warm air out. 

Non-allergenic: Radiant floor heating systems depend on conduction throughout the home through systems in the floors and walls. Since there are no vents or ducts, there is no dust being circulated that could worsen allergies. 

Energy efficiency: Without ducts and vents required for the warm air to circulate, radiant heating is much more efficient in keeping your home warm. Traditional heating systems can leak warm air through ducts, forcing you to keep the heat on for longer periods of time. 

Consistent heat: Heated floors radiate heat to objects in a room, and because of this, the air temperature stays consistent throughout the areas of your home rather than rising to the ceiling. 

Maintenance: Minimal maintenance is required for radiant flooring and most companies that install this type of heating system offer a minimum of a 25-year warranty. 

Disadvantages 

Cost: The costs of radiant floor heating systems overall are dependent on the size of the project and which type of system you opt for. Installation can be expensive when compared to forced air systems – especially if you’re remodeling an existing home. Radiant heating can be made more affordable if installed in only one or two rooms – the bathroom is always a popular choice.

Installation: If you’re retrofitting an existing home that currently has a forced-air system, the process of installing radiant heating requires removing the existing flooring so the systems can be put in place, all of which will be costly. If you’re building new construction, see if your contractor can work within your budget to install radiant heating throughout your new home.

What types of flooring work best for radiant floor heating systems?

While there are many different types of flooring options compatible with radiant floor heating systems, which one is the most efficient? The most common materials to use with heated flooring are ceramic and stone tile. There are several reasons for this – they conduct heat effectively, and they are a common flooring material in areas where people are most often barefoot. Other popular flooring materials that can be used include vinyl and linoleum, wood, or carpeting. However, keep in mind that if any flooring material has too high of a degree of insulation, your heating system will be less effective.

So, whether you are ready to start your next remodeling project, or looking for houses with heated flooring as a home feature, consider everything that goes into radiant heating so you can choose the best option that fits your needs and keeps you warm and cozy all year round.

5 Gifts To Leave For Your Old Home's New Owners

Selling a home is an emotional event. You are leaving behind a house filled with memories and venturing off to someplace new. The people buying your home are excited to create their own memories in a home that you loved for so many years. Welcome them with a thoughtful gift that will leave a lasting impression.

Here are some ideas for gifts to leave for your home’s new owners.

• Personalized Key Rings: Mark this milestone in the new owners’ lives by giving them a special key ring. Engrave it with their initials, the date of the move, or even a special message from you. Not only is this thoughtful, but it’s a practical gift as well.
• Mailing labels and stationery: Personalized gifts go a long way. Create mailing labels with the owners’ names and new addresses; if you want to go the extra mile, create personalized stationery for them as well. Leave these paper gifts on the kitchen counter with a nice note to surprise the owners.
• Monogrammed Doormat: Doormats are something that may not be at the top of a new homeowner “to-buy” list. Give them a monogrammed one or one that fits well with the decor of the home. They will surely appreciate this gesture.

Do I Need Neutral Painted Walls To Sell My Home?

"If you want to sell your home, paint your rooms beige." That could be the rallying cry of real estate agents across the country, and for good reason. Presentation and first impressions mean everything when selling a home, and neutral colours will generally spark more interest from buyers than bold colours.

Human beings are sensitive to colour on a deep, emotional level. This makes sense: Our earliest ancestors relied on colours to tell them if a plant was ripe or safe to eat, for example. Those deeply ingrained senses of what colours mean in nature stay with us in our cities and suburbs; we may not need to make life-and-death decisions based on the colour of a strange fruit, but we still carry the emotional cues that kept our ancestors safe.

This trait can complicate things when painting a house, however. A certain hue that you think looks perfect in your living room might trigger a deep sense of discomfort in a visitor. The deeper the colour you choose for your walls, the stronger effect it might have on others. Conversely, the closer your home's colours are to pure, neutral white, the less they will emotionally affect visitors -- or potential buyers.

But an all-white home can be dull, not to mention extremely hard to keep clean. With a little awareness of colour theory and some creative restraint, you can have the best of both worlds: a home in which colour brings out each room's best features, and a house that's likely to sell without requiring major repainting.

Colour psychology is the study of the emotional cues prompted in humans by various colors. These can be quite strong: Bold yellow, for example, can upset small children, while light yellow is commonly used as a gender-neutral color for babies' rooms. Blue is often associated with calmness, serenity and cold temperatures. Red, on the other hand, may symbolize excitement, love, anger, warfare or energy. These are useful traits to understand as you plan how to show off your home's best features to potential buyers.

But how do you turn an understanding of colour psychology into an attractive, sellable interior design? The process is easier than you might think.

The Power of Colour

The first step in applying colour theory to your home is to understand what you want each room to say. Is a bedroom used for rest and relaxation for the adults in the home, or is it a bright, happy playroom for the children? Is the kitchen a family gathering place, or is it an area where high-tech styling makes meal preparation fast and efficient? Asking questions like these will help you define moods for your rooms. Compare these moods to the emotions evoked by different colours, and you'll quickly create a list of general hues that are most appropriate for each room of your house. Narrow your colour search further by looking at the paint colours in the middle or lighter ends of these ranges, since this will help you avoid painting too much wall space with a too-bold colour.

Now comes the fun part: designing your rooms with colour and furnishings to capture the moods you've identified. There are countless factors that play into making each room right, including the furniture and decorative items, the flooring, the quality of light through the windows and your desire (and budget) to change these. In general, you can often create stunning effects by choosing one or two items to showcase with bold colour, offset by neutral complementary colours in the rest of the walls and furnishings.

It helps to keep a sense of restraint when choosing colour and design layouts; a bold color can quickly become overwhelming if used too much, and too many complementary colors in one room can make even sparse furnishings look busy and cluttered. Try to limit each room's colour palette to no more than three colours: a bold accent, a middle-tone that can be used to frame the accent and a more neutral colour for the background, like the walls. This will ensure that, while you will be able to break free of the all-beige, neutral-colour blahs, you will still have a home that has a good chance of selling without major changes!

3 Ways to Make a Small Home Office Look Huge

The struggle of the way-too-small home office: a space that needs to be functional often doubling as a guest room and the holding pen for all the random stuff you couldn’t find a home for elsewhere. And did we mention these rooms are often tiny? You spend many of your waking hours in this small, cramped place. So, how can you figuratively supersize one of the hardest-working and smallest rooms in your home?

1. Pick the right-sized furniture

One of the worst home office fails? Furniture that simply doesn’t fit! Just because you want a large work surface (who doesn’t?), it doesn’t mean you want to overwhelm your space with a massive CEO-style desk. Start with the right-sized desk, and orbit other furnishings around it. There isn’t a formula for size; the more compact you can go, the better. The small-home mecca otherwise known as Ikea offers countless affordable desk options. Take measurements of your room before you shop, and don’t forget to account for other furniture that needs to go in the tight space. And maybe factor in a bit of walking space, too. Find a desk that has ample storage and just enough surface space for your computer. If you primarily use a laptop, you can get away with a small laptop desk for tight spaces. For bigger devices, consider a storage-rich desk that’s both stylish and sturdy.

When it comes to your chair, you want comfort, but you don’t need the gargantuan seat on wheels that you’d see in an office building. Pro tip: Go for a stationary chair with style. Standard dining chairs work well because they’re smaller than most office chairs, but they have high backs, so you don’t have to worry about being down too low. Dining chairs are a lot more attractive than office chairs, and they just blend in better.

2. Find a place for everything

On websites, floating, open shelves look amazing. Know why? Because they’re styled for photos, not living. They probably hold about half the stuff you really need. Your pile of crumpled and mismatched paper? It’s not nearly as eye-pleasing as the perfectly stacked piles you see in design books. Here’s a good way to leverage wall space: Use it to hang file holders. You’ll find plenty of options at The Container Store or any office supply retailer. Every item should have a dedicated place that’s not your work surface or the floor.

If you can squeeze another piece of furniture in your room, Petty suggests a closed cabinet. A stylish armoire could be a nice touch. Use bins to store your office wares inside. Purchase cord organizers and tuck away that laptop when you’re offline to make everything look seamless. If you must leave things out, then do it in style.

3. Have fun with decor

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to make your work ambiance more Zen is through color. You can paint, but a hued wallpaper looks great, too. The key, productivity-wise: You want a design that’s inspiring but not distracting.

While overhead lighting is the best lighting for task-orientated work, a desk lamp can add a great decorative detail. Don’t opt for one that looks too utilitarian. With practically no effort, you can find options that are stylish, attractive, and affordable (the trifecta!).

One thing to skip: rugs. Chairs are harder to move on rugs and placing them under a desk ends up cutting the rug off awkwardly.

 

5 Gifts To Leave For Your Old Home's New Owners

Selling a home is an emotional event. You are leaving behind a house filled with memories and venturing off to someplace new. The people buying your home are excited to create their own memories in a home that you loved for so many years. Welcome them with a thoughtful gift that will leave a lasting impression.

Here are some ideas for gifts to leave for your home’s new owners.

• Personalized Key Rings: Mark this milestone in the new owners’ lives by giving them a special key ring. Engrave it with their initials, the date of the move, or even a special message from you. Not only is this thoughtful, but it’s a practical gift as well.
• Mailing labels and stationery: Personalized gifts go a long way. Create mailing labels with the owners’ names and new addresses; if you want to go the extra mile, create personalized stationery for them as well. Leave these paper gifts on the kitchen counter with a nice note to surprise the owners.
• Monogrammed Doormat: Doormats are something that may not be at the top of a new homeowner “to-buy” list. Give them a monogrammed one or one that fits well with the decor of the home. They will surely appreciate this gesture.
• Practical Items: If you’re skeptical about buying personalized gifts, stick to practical home items. Things like smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, unpacking supplies, or even a utensil organizer are useful to new homeowners. They’ll be so busy when they first move in, and these are essentials that they should have immediately.
• A Neighborhood Guide: Write a detailed list of your favorite places in the neighborhood. Mention your favorite restaurants, boutiques, gyms and more. They’ll love having your recommendations on hand when they start to explore! 

6 Space-Saving Secrets to For Your Laundry Room

Let’s face it—when it comes to laundry rooms, most of us are lucky to have a single shelf to hold detergent and a tiny counter for folding shirts. But because doing laundry is a weekly task that will never, ever end, finding more space to deal with it is a big bonus. Here are six smart ways to squeeze extra storage into your little laundry room. Who knows, maybe these tricks will make laundry a little more enjoyable. Maybe.

Stack the units

Need extra inches to treat stains or store supplies? Investing in a stackable washer-dryer set could be your quickest fix. Vertical units help save space and the cost is comparable to side-by-side versions. For a clever hack, consider jacking up your washer-dryer set onto pedestals. Not only do they raise appliances to an ergonomic level, but you can stash a small hamper, soaps, and other supplies in them without taking up floor space.

Get creative with your shelving

Adding more shelves is an obvious storage fix, but there are ways to make these built-ins work harder. Wire or mesh shelves give a unique look and utility. You can gain storage and a place to dry delicates simply by poking hangers into the holes. You should also think vertical: Overhead shelving doesn’t usually extend to the ceiling, so this is an excellent spot for more storage. Adding in custom details can also maximize your space, experts say. Pull-out hampers, U-shelves for sink bases, and roll-out trays make drawers and shelves much more efficient. A large shower caddy also tucks neatly between machines to hold supplies. Or try floating shelves for a clean, airy look. And it doesn’t have to look ugly—you can spruce up your storage space by spray-painting baskets. A single color is trendy and makes your random collection look so much better. Don’t have space for shelves and baskets? Back-of-the-door organizers are also handy. You could install wire, molded plastic, or a hanging shoe holder for supplies.

Lose the doors

Many laundry rooms are made even smaller by doors that don’t open all the way, so remove them to free up your nook. And don’t worry about exposing your appliances for the world to see. The modern washing machine is a thing of beauty. Not OK with no way to hide your machines? Try pocket doors—they’re a space-saving miracle.

Tuck in an ironing board

The iron is likely the biggest item to store in your too-small laundry room. We all struggle with the archaic ironing board, so think about installing an Iron-A-Way to save precious space. Wall-mounted boards or pull-out drawer styles are ideal for a tiny laundry room. It’ll look like a closed drawer, but when it’s open, it expands and rotates as needed.

For drying space, look up

Ceiling space is often underutilized in a small room. Mount a drying rack from hooks for instant storage, air drying, and hanging newly ironed garments. For a clever hack, you can repurpose an old ladder from the garage, which allows you to do away with a conventional drying rack. Another hack is filling overhead space with racks and rods. A pull-down rod allows you to reach up to access hanging clothes and then gently send it back. An adjustable shower rod or a retractable clothesline are cheap, but efficient options. It’s a nice option because it takes up less space and can be hidden away when not in use.

Choose clear storage

Not sure where to put your laundry pods? A wall-mounted fishbowl saves shelf space and looks pretty cool. You can also recycle glass jars to hold detergent and clothespins. Clear jars are practical and decorative in a laundry room. Try placing them on a space-saving Lazy Susan for a hint of style and a smart use of space.

Five Reasons to Replace Your Windows

Replacing your home’s windows can seem like a task that is not your top priority, but the benefits you can gain will make a huge difference.  Over time, windows need to be replaced, just like your appliances or roof shingles. Don’t wait until the weather gets cold, now is a good time to take a look at your windows and determine if they will need to be replaced.

1. Energy Efficiency
If you are starting to notice your energy bills are going up, you might want to take a look at your windows to see if they are the cause of the problem.  Window replacement is a common recommendation among construction professionals as a way to improve energy efficiency. According to a study on the energy performance of residential windows, new windows reduce annual heating and cooling costs by 22%.  Although new windows are an investment, they will save you money in the long run. Now is the time to swap out your old windows with double-pane, energy-efficient windows.

2. Window Defects
If you start to notice any defects in your windows, such as small cracks or chips, it is a good time to replace your windows.  Leaving a crack will only cause more damage in the future. Some problems include air leaks, water leaks, and letting in small insects. Visible cracks also weaken the strength of your window.  Having a crack or broken window can cause a lot of problems down the road. It is a good idea to replace them sooner rather than later to save money.

3. Security
Windows are an entry and exit point to your home so windows that aren't opening or locking correctly pose a security risk. Some signs that burglars might look for to identify vulnerable windows include old or wooden windows, windows with cracks, or condensation in windows.  You also don’t want small critters like bugs or chipmunks getting through window openings. 

4. Curb Appeal
Updating your windows might seem odd to increase your curb appeal, but instead of simply focusing on changing the outer appearance of your home, be sure to incorporate changes that add into your home’s structural integrity and energy efficiency. For instance, if your window frames have rotted then you’re ready for new windows.  They will not only improve the functionality of your home, but the appearance too. Installing new windows will increase the value of your home and make it more appealing.

5. Value
If you’re thinking of selling your home in a few years, replacing the windows can help your home stand out in a crowded market, plus raise its value before you list your home. Some buyers love buying homes that are not only move-in ready, but updated with modern amenities. New windows improve your home’s marketability and help you command a higher selling price.

If you have old windows in your home or are planning on listing your home in the near future, your windows maybe the key to sale success!