Home Improvement

The Term Home Improvement has often been misused in the real estate business to some extant. I have seen numerous circumstances where the homeowners projects have done nothing to improve the value of their home, and in many cases have actually devalued it. If your intention is to sell your home in the near future, you need to think about whether the project will help find a buyer.

I prefer to use the term 'Home Personalization' for the overwhelming majority of the projects I have seen as they have done very little to improve the value of the home. In many cases the workmanship is shoddy, the materials used are second rate, and the project was ill-conceived.

On the other hand I have also seen some projects that were well thought out and the workmanship was professional in all respects. They were the exception.

Recommendations:

If you would like to get involved in a 'personalization' project, you need to have some training to do a satisfactory job. Even a simple project like painting a room can be disastrous if you have had no previous experience. Many of the major Home Improvement Centers, such as Lowes and Home Depot offer lessons on 'how to' do home projects. Most of them are free. If they don't have the schedules posted, ask the service desk if they are offering classes and what will be presented.

If you are thinking about a major overhaul of your home, HIRE A CONTRACTOR. Some walls in a house can be removed, others are load bearing and any tampering with them could bring the house down. Plumbing and Electrical work can be disastrous if you are not experienced with it. Load bearing qualities of some floors, particularly in older homes may prohibit, or limit such things as bath and kitchen remodeling or even waterbeds.

If you are working on an older home beware of hazardous materials. Houses built before 1978 may have lead paint. Sanding lead paint without a respirator can be deadly. Insulation around piping probably contains asbestos. Only licensed professionals can remove asbestos materials and properly dispose of it.

Exterior Recommendations:

ALMOST ALL EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS TO YOUR HOME REQUIRE A BUILDING PERMIT.

Again, if you have asbestos siding and you plan to remove it, you need professional engineers.  Lead paint was widely used as an exterior paint on houses prior to 1978 so precautions have to be used if removal is in your plans.

Decks, Swimming Pools, and Home additions all require professional expertise. They also require building permits. If the contractor states that he will get the permit, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COPY BEFORE YOU ALLOW ANY WORK TO BE DONE! Verbal statements, like verbal contracts are worthless in a court of law.

Pay contractors after the work is completed. Reputable contractors normally do not request payment up front. Make sure you have a WRITTEN CONTRACT before allowing work to start. If there is something you do not understand in the contract, question it. If the project is substantial, you may want to have your attorney review it.

Almost all townships have a requirement for a fire inspection (smoke detectors) and many require some sort of property inspection before issuing a Certificate of Occupancy when you sell your house. If a building permit has not been issued for an improvement, the Inspector may request it be removed before issuing the certificate. There will be penalties of some kind and it will be the homeowner who pays. The Contractor is probably long gone or out of business.

Again, I have to emphasize that it is very important that you know the rules and regulations regarding real property in your community. If a building permit is required, get it. Do some research into local building codes that relate to the project you have in mind.

If your remodeling is substantial, Hire a contractor. It is OK to putter around the house but leave the big stuff to the professionals.

The following link to Kimberly Painting is to an excellent website devoted to improving the value of your home. We are providing this link as a courtesy to them. The Permanent Venture staff is not connected to Kimberly Painting in any way. For those in the Georgia area it is well worth a look.