Remodeling Vs. Moving

Remodeling your current home may be a better option for you than finding a new home that fits your needs.  Yes, there are plenty of homes on the market, but consider these reasons why many are improving your existing home rather than thinking of packing up and relocating (according to the National Home Builders Association):

• Remodeling allows you to customize your home to meet your needs and desires. The only similar, but much more costly alternative, is to design a new custom home and have it built to your specifications.
• Remodeling means that you don't have to give up a familiar neighborhood and schools.
• Remodeling is a more efficient use of your financial resources. According to the American Homeowner Foundation, selling your home and moving typically costs about 8-10% of the value of your current home. And much of this goes into moving expenses, closing costs, and broker commissions - items that have no direct impact on your home's quality.
• Remodeling can be stressful, but few experiences are more stressful than moving.

While your home may have fit your living requirements over the years, remodeling it will make your home a more enjoyable place to live while adding resale value.  While remodeling may improve the resale value, though, remodeling projects vary greatly as far as investment vs. value.  According to the NAHB, “the general rule of thumb is that any remodeling project that brings your home up to the level of your neighbors' is a worthy investment. But it doesn't pay to be the most expensive house on the block - real estate experts recommend that a remodeling investment should not raise the value of your house to more than 10-15% above the median sales price in your neighborhood.”

Remodeling can all you to live comfortably for several more years in your home while you wait for the market to recover fully in your area.  Remember, though, that when you do sell, potential buyers will be comparing your home to newer homes.  The solution?  If possible, says the NAHB, you should look at the current design trends for new homes and incorporate popular features like “great rooms (open kitchen/family room arrangements), master bed and bath suites, and higher ceilings”.

Also, suggests the NAHB, read Remodeling magazine’s “Cost vs. Value” annual report, which assesses which projects give homeowners the greatest return on investment.  You can’t go wrong updating your kitchen and bathrooms, as these are the first things potential buyers consider in buying a new home.

Our tip?  Hire an architect for your home renovation project.  Read another blog on why it's beneficial at http://timberframeblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/home-renovations-hire-architect.html.

Spring Skiing at its BEST! NH Ski Up

Join us at the 2nd annual NH Ski Up on Saturday, March 19, 2011 for great skiing, snowboarding, networking, tailgating, and a BBQ!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Skiing, Snowboarding, Networking, Tailgating & BBQ

$45 per person includes full day lift ticket and BBQ on the "beach" at Mt. Sunapee State Park.  If you are a season's pass holder at Mt. Sunapee, or want to go and not ski, the BBQ is FREE!

Tickets are limited!  Register at http://nhskiup1.eventbrite.com/
Want more information and pictures?  Visit these sites:
http://www.facebook.com/NHSkiUp
http://www.sunapeeregionblog.com/2011/02/the-2nd-annual-nh-ski-up-at-sunapee-is-here/

NAHB: Ten Tips to Sell Your Home

Photo courtesy of NAHB

Are you building a new home but need to wait until you sell your current home?  If so, you’re not alone.  Here are ten tips to selling your home, provided by the National Association of Home Builders:

You may think your house is perfect just the way it is, but a prospective buyer may not see it that way. To give your home "curb appeal" and make it more attractive to buyers, there are some tasks you should see to before you place that "For Sale" sign in your front yard.

Many of these suggestions are simple, common-sense items; others will require some time and investment. But you'll reap the rewards when a buyer walks into your house and exclaims, "This is the home I've been waiting for!"

1.   If your home needs to be painted, this is the time to do it. The interior paint job should be fresh and clean and in a single, neutral color throughout. This is not the time to experiment with lilac walls in the bedroom. The same goes for the exterior. Don't forget shutters and windows. If your home has vinyl or aluminum siding, be sure it's clean. Moldy, dirty siding will tell a buyer that your home has not been taken care of properly.

2.   The green shag carpeting still gracing your floors should be replaced. Old, matted carpeting will be a detriment to your home selling. Real estate agents all have a dozen stories of a home that sat and sat on the market until the old carpeting was replaced. Then, it sold immediately. If you have hardwood floors under old carpet, tear up the carpet to expose them; today's buyers love hardwood floors.

3.   Make a list of all those little repairs you've let go. Then fix each one. The hole in the screen, the loose doorknob, the doorbell that doesn't work and the leaky faucet must all be repaired before buyers start looking at your home.

4.   If your home's appliances, like the dishwasher, oven, refrigerator and washer and dryer, are old and outdated, it could pay to replace them. Buyers do not want to be faced with the possibility of having to replace appliances upon moving in to a new house. Shiny, new appliances already in place will be a big selling point.

5.   Clear your house of clutter and debris. Get rid of piles of old newspapers and magazines, the old clothes that don't fit, the closet full of small appliances that don't work, dust-filled collections of knickknacks, etc.  Clean, open spaces make your home look bigger to prospective buyers.

Continue reading here

When you are ready to start thinking about building your new home, the first step is to hire an architect.  Bonin Architects is licensed in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New York (inquire as to other states).  We're happy to talk to you about budgeting and costs, green building materials, and sustainable home design!