Category Archives: Remodeling

Selling Your Home – Is Now the Time?

storage for sale signThinking of selling your home?  If not, maybe you should.  According to U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report 2018 may just be the right time for you to sell your home for four reasons:

  • Buyers are chomping at the bit: most markets currently have low inventory, which means that buyers are getting a little frustrated at the lack of options.
  • Interest rates are currently low: lower interest rates are good for everyone. Rates aren’t predicted to spike this year, but they mayrise to 4.6% by the end of the year and 5% in 2019.
  • Cheaper property taxes elsewhere: Due to the passing of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act at the end of 2017, people may want to move to areas where the property taxes aren’t so high.
  • Pay-off for renovations won’t come back in full until next year.  Zillow predicts that homeowners will focus on renovations and updates this year rather than selling.  If you are considering a remodel make sure that the remodel is one for you and not one you are doing in the hopes of selling your home for more, because it’s unlikely that you will see a return for that investment.

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Repurposing Your Child’s Room When They Move Out

hobby-roomAn empty nest can be a happy nest. In a previous post, we talked about using tough love to get your children who have left the nest to stop using your house as a storage unit.  Now that you have tackled that issue, you are faced with the delightful dilemma of what to do with all that extra space. When you finally have the green light to repurpose your grown child’s bedroom, the possibilities are almost endless. Craft room, office space, meditation retreat, home theater – name your bliss.

There are some very sound reasons to do this that you might not have considered. A 12’ x 12’ room actually represents a sizeable percentage of your overall floor space. Most of us don’t live in big, old rambling houses with lots of room to spare. It just doesn’t make economic sense to turn 10% of your living area into a cobweb-filled, little-used space, especially if you are going to use it for a hobby that you were spending money to do outside the home.

Now, having said all this, you certainly don’t want to make your child feel they are not welcome in your home. But there is a way to do this without leaving their room just as it is, as some sort of shrine to their childhood. Keep a few carefully chosen pieces that represent the place they have in your home and your heart, and display them in your new reading room or game room.  This will go a long way toward making them feel like they have come home when they come to visit.

Those of us who live out West don’t usually have the luxury of using basements and attics to store all our unused stuff. If you repurpose your child’s room, but need to keep their bedroom furniture just in case they have to move back at some point, or you decide you need a guest room more than a yoga room, you’re going to need a storage unit. If you live in the Phoenix area, there are several Dollar Self Storage facilities available that are clean, safe, and secure!

Using a Storage Unit While Remodeling Your Home

remodelingRemodeling your home can be a nerve-wracking experience.  Aside from the obvious expense, the disruption of your life can be a huge factor in your decision to proceed with the renovation. Loud hammers and sanders, smelly glue and varnish, dust and debris everywhere, strangers in your home at all hours of the day – make no mistake, it is a noisy, messy experience. But if all goes well, the payoff can be tremendous. You will reap the benefits for years to come.

So how to survive the remodel without losing your sanity?  Here are a few tips: Continue reading