via Home Improvements News

It’s a fact that the Consumer Protection Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office receives more than 70,000 phone calls per year and will handle 25,000 complaints about improvement scams.

Read full article via The Newark Advocate.

Read full article here: Daimer Industries Announces Three New Dual-Function Carpet Cleaners that Work on Hard Floors.

Read full article here:  The Providence Journal.

Here are three smart ideas from William Millholland of Case Design/Remodeling for those considering  small-scale renovation projects.

Facelift on the front of the house

Making a house more attractive from the street is an often overlooked project. Add a portico, shingled roof and columns ($8,000 to $15,000).
Put slate or brick on top of your basic walkway ($3,000 to $5,000). Replace an old front door and embellish it with new hardware and new chimes ($1,500 to $3,000).

Cosmetic makeover of the kitchen

Remove laminate countertops and put in granite or quartz, install a stainless under-mount sink and add a modern faucet ($5,000 to $8,000).
Replace an existing floor with hardwood or tile ($3,000 to $4,000 for wood, $5,000 to $10,000 for ceramic or porcelain tile).

Closet upgrade

Extra closet space is always in great demand. Most people will trade some bathroom space for a closet. Outfitting an existing 6-foot closet with shelves, hanging space and shoe racks is something that adds 
to the quality of daily life ($1,500 and up).

“Remodelers traditionally suffer during economic downturns, but not as much as home builders or car dealers,” he says.

“People are trying to stretch a dollar, and they are not embarrassed about spending less. They almost celebrate it. As long as we are proud of our work and its quality, this is OK for us, too.”

Read full article at Local home and garden news for Wenatchee, Washington.

But remodeling can also play a role in financial planning. The home is typically one of our biggest investments. While much of its value is controlled by location and the general economy (things we can’t easily change), some portion of our home’s value is determined by its condition, size and the degree to which its layout and decor are up-to-date.

Home Maintenance

From a straight financial standpoint, it makes sense to maintain the home well. Taking care of small problems while they are still small can eliminate the need for most larger expensive repairs. Problems that are ignored tend to foster additional problems. For example, a simple thing like clogged gutters can lead to wet basement problems and even pest infestations.

Remodeling as an Investment

But what about big expenditures like remodeling a kitchen or creating a master bedroom suite? Clearly such improvements can have a very positive effect on lifestyle and comfort, but how do they fare as investments?

A number of national magazines publish detailed guides to the return on investment of various kinds of remodeling and home improvement projects. Typically, they say something like the average bathroom remodel costs $4356 and adds about $5150 to the resale value of the home. That’s an 18.2 percent return in a few weeks. Not a bad investment, if only you could count on it being true.

Read full article – WHNT.

Shankle, who owns the design studio Eco-modernism, has been using IKEA products in her work and in her home for more than a year.

So what’s the big deal about IKEA?

“It’s really affordable,” Shankle says. “It enables people to spend more of their remodeling budget on the greener finish materials, such as bamboo countertops, recycled glass tile, some concrete countertops and energy-efficient appliances.”

Anne Watson of Durham and Susan Edelstein of Cary are remodeling their kitchens with Shankle’s help. And they’re both using IKEA.

Edelstein has been an IKEA customer for 20 years because its products are well-priced and well-designed. “This is my third kitchen redo,” she says. “I’ve had custom, semicustom and now IKEA. And I like these as well if not better … at a much, much better price point.”

She says she paid less than $5,000 for the cabinetry for her kitchen and master bath, plus a dishwasher and microwave.

Shankle, the designer, likes that the cabinets have clean lines, and she says they’re easy to assemble. Even when more than 100 boxes are delivered? She admits it can be overwhelming. She also says the instructions leave a little to be desired. But she has gotten pretty good at putting the pieces together, and she thinks the price makes the effort worth it.

Read full article via: News & Observer

When Congress passed the financial bailout bill late last year, it included a range of federal tax credits and cash gifts for businesses — but also a suite of new and renewed tax credits for individuals who want to make energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to their home or cars. When President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill in February, the federal government expanded and extended some of those credits.

So what’s in it for homeowners and other regular taxpayers? There are several important provisions anyone can take advantage of (changes made by the economic stimulus bill are in bold). This list includes:

$1,500 Home Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

You can claim a home tax credit for energy efficiency improvements made in 2009 (but not for improvements made in 2008) if you installed new insulation, energy-efficient windows or an energy-efficient furnace, boiler or air conditioner.

Read full article here: thedailygreen.com.

Read full article here: DC Home Design Examiner:

Need roof repairs in Loudoun County? Visit Roofing Repairs VA

Garden enthusiasts, casual gardeners, and homeowners can logon from their computers for expert tips and advice on organic pest control, organic gardening techniques and organic plant care as well as comprehensive information for diagnosing and solving your garden maladies.

Resources available include an extensive insect & plant disease library, an easy-to-navigate gardening 101 section with basic tips & strategies to a beautiful garden and an entire section on organic gardening practices. Also available is a comprehensive FAQs section and much more.

We understand how confusing the organic and natural market place can be, so we set out to clarify the true nature of organic solutions. Learn about how to identify truly organic products by looking for the OMRI® Listed logo and the USDA National Organic Program validations of true organic. We answer your questions about the difference between organic and natural so you are able to make an informed choice.

read full press release here:  Safer Brand

The developer, Buccini Pollin Group, Inc. has created this stimulus package specifically to appeal to prospective resort condominium buyers. This limited-time offer (the next ten-homes sales only), includes reducing prices to “bare bottom” lows, paying closing costs, and offering seller financing up to 90%. With mortgage rates approaching historic lows, the developer believes their new stimulus package will instill a stronger sense of buying urgency toward owning a luxury resort beach condominium in Ocean City Maryland.

Through specialized marketing campaigns, (both online and conventional) the developer’s are encouraging prospective buyers to tour Rivendell’s furnished models and explore the sophisticated lobby, state-of-the-art fitness facility, sumptuous indoor & outdoor pools, and spectacular verandas and waterfront views. Now, assuredly, the most elegant beach condominiums are also now, the best value. Rivendell’s 3 & 4 Bedroom condominiums are priced from $489,000!

Ocean City, Maryland Developer Gets On National Bandwagon by Creating Own Stimulus Package.

The lender made an estimated 425,000 loans for home improvements in 2008 – a 53% increase on loans in part or wholly for home improvements compared with 2007.

Read full articel…’Improve not move’ proven.

The economy stayed on consumers’ minds as they perused hot tubs, window treatments, appliances and more at the Maine Home, Remodeling & Garden Show this weekend.

Linda and David Jenkins of Auburn are do-it-yourself enthusiasts who draw inspiration from such events.

The owners of an older house, they’d like to replace their windows and tackle other improvements. But in this economy, it makes sense to be careful about spending, said David Jenkins, a building supplies salesman.

“You pick your projects wisely,” added Linda Jenkins, who works as a hospital secretary.

The two-day show, held at the Cumberland County Civic Center, addressed the economy with a focus on cost-effective improvements and energy savings. Seminar topics included home energy audits and tips on how to make economical improvements to bathrooms and kitchens.

Though organizers wondered if the recession would dampen attendance, they were pleased with the results. It looks like numbers will meet or slightly beat last year’s attendance of about 5,700 people, said Cynthia Dickson of Dickson & McGonigle, the Fryeburg-based event planner. Final figures won’t be known until later in the week.

Read Full Article…| Portland Press Herald.

“Earlier this decade, the ability to borrow against equity created by rising home prices fueled remodeling activity, as well as broader consumer spending,” said Nicolas P. Retsinas, director of the Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, in a news release. “Now that prices have softened, owners cannot finance home improvement projects as easily. Even those with equity find credit harder to obtain due to tighter standards.”

But remodeling’s downturn won’t be as severe as the one in home building, according to a report released Wednesday by the center’s Remodeling Futures Program. There are a few reasons why, including:

• A continued interest in “greening” America’s homes, particularly in making them more energy efficient. Consumers are looking for products and systems that will provide them with lower energy bills like building insulation upgrades.
• Foreclosures typically require improvements before they are fit to live in, and the market is flooded with foreclosure inventory. The remodeling industry will benefit as more people buy these properties and fix them up.
• An aging rental stock in need of improvements and a growing population of immigrant homeowners also will create remodeling demand and help reverse the downturn.

Read full article here:  Remodeling industry has room for recovery: Harvard study – MarketWatch.

Many over-the-counter products promise a solution to pests by eliminating the symptoms of infestation, instead of focusing on the root of the problem. Since rodents and insects have been around from the beginning of man, many myths and old wives tales have been developed.

Read Full Article…Setting the record straight on myths regarding pest control this summer.

The team, led by Professor Jane Memmott at the University of Bristol and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has shown that caterpillars are attacked by parasites to the same degree on both conventional and organic farms.

Bristol University | News from the University | Pests.

Squirrels and The Hartford insurance: both headaches for homeowner – George Gombossy | CT Watchdog.

Read Full Article…Your old house made new – JSOnline.

Read Full Article..The Canadian Press

Read the Full Story Here: The Peninsula On-line

Increase your home’s energy efficiency with an insulation upgrade