Remodel your living room for real living

The living room is arguably the most important room in your house. This room serves many purposes: the formal place where you entertain company, where the family gathers or where you relax alone.

For this month's Client Appreciation Program, I'm sending you information that will guide you in planning a living room remodel. It identifies the key remodeling projects, including flooring (likely to be your biggest investment) and walls (offering the most versatility). These are two projects that do-it-yourselfers often tackle, and this guide helps by listing different materials with their benefits and drawbacks. You'll also learn about what it takes to make your home a "smart home."

On the reverse side on this month's Item of Value, you'll find a checklist to help you evaluate what repairs might be needed, what your living room has (or lacks) and how you want to use the space. The budget worksheet will help you with the nitty-gritty planning for materials and labor costs. This piece also includes information about when and how to obtain a building permit.

If you're in need of a referral to a good trade or service professional, let me know. Since I'm so active in the market, I've come across some excellent resources and would love to share them with you.

Oh, by the way...if you know of someone like yourself who could benefit from the services I provide, remember, I'm never too busy for your referrals! You can reach me by cell phone at (410) 978-9532 or send an email to sherryrich@wesellmore.com. I'll be glad to follow up and take good care of them for you.
 

Sincerely,

Sherry Rich, REALTOR(r)
Sales Agent, RE/MAX Hall of Fame
Accredited Buyer Representative, Certified Relocation Professional, Certified Residential Specialist, Graduate REALTORS Institute

RE/MAX 100  (800) 899-7629

Read previous newsletters:


Get more life from your living room
Does your home have curb appeal?
Allergy-proofing the home
Get your garden growing for summer
Remodeling by the numbers
A less taxing tax season
Mail service users get their 2 cents' worth
The true spirit of the season
Making real and positive connections
All the facts to getting mortgage free
Client appreciation program
Breaking the mold
Homeowners insurance tips
Ringing in the new year
Thanksgiving spirit
Curb appeal
Summer greetings
Summer energy saving tips
"Back" to health
Tips on buying a home
Budgeting to buy a home

 

Generally speaking, remodeling your living room means doing one or more of the following projects:

• Replacing or renovating the floor
• Refinishing walls
• Upgrading lighting and other electrical systems
• Adding or changing integral features, such as fireplaces and recessed shelves
• Expanding the overall space

Depending on the circumstances (your budget, skill level and the extent of any damage), you might be able to do the first two or three of these yourself. Because the last two touch on structural changes, they often require building inspection, permits and the hiring of contractors. Use the guidelines below to help you get started.

TIP: As an alternative, consider reupholstering a piece of furniture, trying a new rug, or changing your window treatments. Sometimes a simple change is all you need to achieve a fresh new look!

FLOORING

Unless you're tearing out walls or installing new electrical wiring, the floor is likely to be your biggest investment. It will also last a long time, so thing about it carefully.

• You may change color schemes of furnishings before you change the floor.
• You can use flooring designs and materials to visually enhance the space, such as geometric patters that "open it up."

WALLS

Wall treatments offer the most versatility in your living room remodel—and they're not just about paint and wallpaper anymore.

Here are the most common materials along with some pros and cons:

The Smart Home Foundation defines it as a "home or working environment which includes the technology to allow for devices and systems to be controlled automatically." In other words, the switches, dimmers and thermostats of your home's various systems (entertainment, HVAC, security) are hooked up to one central communications network.

Your living room is a center for many of the devices on the network. If you're interested in having a smart home, looking into it before remodeling.

Visit www.smarthomeusa.com for more information.

First, you must determine the scope of repairs to be done. Walk around your living room and take notes on any damage, paying attention to telltale signs like these:

• Stress fractures at corners where walls and ceilings meet
• Water stains
• A saggy ceiling
• Deteriorating plaster
• Squeaky floors

Next, you should think about the look and functionality of the room. Following are some of the questions architects ask clients who want their living rooms redesigned. Ask yourself similar questions:

• Will there be heavy foot traffic?
• Will pets or kids be frequently in the room?
• Is your living room a formal or casual place?
• What do you do here (entertain guests, work, read, watch movies)?
• Do you want a fireplace in this room?
• What kind of art and furniture do you have in the room? Would you like to change it?
• Will you have a lot of books here?
• What kind of electronics will you have here?

Lastly, compile a prioritized list of what you would like to do. Strive to balance aesthetic improvements with issues of health, safety, and functionality.

A building permit is required for many remodeling projects. Although you can certainly paint your walls or have your floor recarpeted without permission, it is best to enquire before doing any work that involves tearing out and replacing existing parts of your home.

Simply call your municipal government office and ask to speak to someone about a building permit. If you do need one, the process will be explained to you when you pick up the paperwork at the building department. If you suspect the room is in poor condition, you can request an inspection from there as well.

Using your to-do list, compile a budget with three columns, including materials, labor and total for each task. Click here for an easy-to-print blank worksheet.

Add the subtotals from every category to get an overall budget for your remodel. This allows you to look at the most and least expensive parts of the plan, and see where you can make cuts or spend more. It also forces you to think about supplies, shop around to find out how much they cost, and compare the value of doing it yourself with hiring a contractor.