New room addition is a very costly undertaking and one that requires careful considerations; the reality is that adding a new room is more complicated that building a house and the cost per square foot can be up to two times higher than the cost per square foot of a newly built house, although this ratio is normally within the 130% to 150% region. This is due to the fact that the builders will have to make an addition to your house that not only matches its exterior and take into account various construction details, but most likely they will have to work while you and your family are still living there. You can get a free contractor quote here as well.

However, even before you begin, you need to pay your local zoning office a visit: photograph your house from a few different angles, measure the size of the room that you desire to build, and then your local zoning officials will inform you if what you have in mind is allowed by the zoning laws. Once you have taken care of this, you will need to secure the financing of the room addition – unless you have quite a large sum of money lying around, you will probably need to speak to your bank or borrow from your family and if you borrow from the bank, you will be charged interest, which will add up to the total cost of your project. You might want to also visit an estate agent and discuss if a new room addition is likely to increase your house resale’s value and base your decision on his or her advice as well.

The next step is to have your room addition plans sorted out – keep in mind that having kitchens and bathrooms in the room addition will increase its cost quite a bit and if you have a large kitchen and two or more bathrooms in your house, you might want to leave that out. In order to get accurate bid estimates and good price, contact a few remodeling contractors and make sure that you have a checklist in place – this will help you compare the cost of items and labor side by side from the different contractors, and once you take their expertise and your friends’ and family recommendations into account, you would be able to make an educated choice.

The more detailed your specifications and plans are, the less are the chances of the contractor encountering unexpected problems and charging you extra as the work progresses. If at all possible, you might want to purchase the necessary materials yourself (after obtaining the material list from the contractor) since this is likely to cost you less and also do some of the cleaning and the preparation work as well since the contractor will charge you a premium rate for his time. The costs of the materials and the labor largely depends on the state of the housing market and when this market is hot, you would clearly pay more for both; on the other hand, in times when the market has cooled down, you will probably end up saving quite a bit of money.

Related posts:

1. Cost Of A Sunroom Addition

If you see puddles in your own basement, wet spots or white chalk substances on the walls, then you might have a problem that needs to be addresses right away. You would you want to waterproof your basement for great number of reasons – in the most serious cases water can cause some damage to the foundations of your house and present electrical shock hazards, but even in mild situations the dampness can promote the growth of mildew and mold that are known to cause allergies and asthma.

If your basement is waterproofed, you can use that extra space for storage or turn it into a lovely home theater or gaming room. Waterproofing your basement comes at a cost, but before you pick up the phone and start calling local contractors or asking you bank manager for yet another loan, take the time to investigate the problem. If you aren’t up for the task you can contact a few basement waterproofing specialists here and compare quotes.

In order to do so, find out where the water is coming from – in the case of seepage, caused by insufficient outside drainage, you can easily rectify the problem yourself by clearing out the debris that block the gutters or the downspouts. You should also make sure that the downspouts extend ten feet or more from the house and the ground wound the house slopes away from the foundation. In this case, you can either spend no money at all or in the worst case scenario pay a few hundred in case you need to replace any damaged downspouts or gutters.

If condensation is the problem, then in order to reduce the cost of waterproofing your basement, there are few steps that you can take and see if you can avoid calling a contractor. You can examine all the piping that runs through the basement and replace or repair any leaking pipes and also insulate the cold water ones; having dehumidifier in the basement and air conditioner that keeps it heated in the winter and cool in the summer will also reduce condensation considerably.

More difficult to fix are problems caused by seepage through the concrete pores or cracks in the foundation and in these cases you are likely to need the help of a local contractor. The costs for the materials and the labor will vary from one region to another, but you can lower these costs by getting at least three different quotes and choosing the one that is the most affordable. You can also ask the hired contractor to pass some of the discount on the materials that he is getting to you, or ask him if you can purchase the materials yourself if that is less costly. In most instances, the local contractors will give you free, no obligation estimate so you can call as many contractors of them as you wish, but you should take their experience and skills into account as well since waterproofing your basement is something that you would want done right and only once.

Related posts:

1. Cost of Basement Waterproofing: Basement Waterproofing Techniques
2. Basement Flooding Cleanup and Prevention
3. Cost of Basement Remodel

Wood is great for flooring since it has unmatched natural beauty and warmth, and is easy to maintain and eco-friendly as well. It also offers great variety – apart from the different species of wood, today you can find great number of styles and colors to satisfy even the most exquisite taste. It has also been proven that houses with hardwood floors on average sell faster and if you add the fact that this type of flooring can easily last for hundred years, you have plenty of reasons why you might want new wood floors in your home.

However, as with any other home improvement, you are likely to work with a budget that will influence your choices one way or another: in order to find the right balance between your personal taste, the best quality possible, and the amount of money that you would want to spend on a new wood floor, you should familiarize yourself with the different available options. The best place to start is to get free local flooring quotes and compare prices and contractors to see what suits your needs and budget best.

Engineered versus solid flooring – in order to get the best value for your hard-earned money, take the time to learn the difference between the two. Engineered hardwood floors are less expensive, but made by attaching one layer of hardwood to another layer, which is typically made of cheaper material. In most instances, the engineered flooring will wear faster than the solid wood, especially if you purchase the least expensive type that has a very thin layer of wood veneer. However, the engineered wood flooring has its advantages as well – it doesn’t have to be glued or nailed to a base and often the pieces can be clicked together and don’t require glue either; the engineered wood is also capable of handling moisture better due to its plywood (or similar material) base, which makes it suitable even for basements and any other rooms, where solid wood might not be appropriate for. Solid wood on the other hand typically comes unfinished, which gives you greater control over the final look of your flooring since you can choose the wax or the varnish.

The cost of your new floor will also depend on the species of wood that you choose: keep in mind that apart from checking out the cost of the material itself, the labor cost is likely to differ from one food type to another and some of the most exotic woods can come with up to three times higher labor cost than pine. If your budget is comfortably large, all you have to do is call a few professional installers, let them give you their quotations and choose the one that appeals the most to you. On the other hand, if you want to bring down the costs, you can take the time to visit the various dealers and stores in your area, learn about the different wood floor types and styles, take note of the material and delivery prices, and find out if you can do at least some of the work yourself in order to avoid paying premium hourly rates.

Related posts:

1. Benefits of Wood Floors
2. Refinishing Old Hardwood Floors
3. Which Flooring Is Best? A Home Flooring Comparison

Bathtub replacement can be quite a costly endeavor and before you start calling the different local contractors for quotations or applying for a loan, you can take a look at the alternatives as well. Quite a few companies offer bathtub restoration (compare bathtub replacement quotes here) which is likely to cost you just a few hundred dollars, compared to the few thousand that you are likely to spend on removing your old bathtub and replacing it with a new one. Resurfacing can be done on-place and without the need to tear down walls or break the tiles in your bathroom and can repair damage and scratches to your bathtub and make it look like brand new for years to come.

However, when necessary, bathtub replacement should be done wisely since, as we have already mentioned, it is going to cost a few thousand dollars. The exact cost will vary from one region to another and the only way to get an accurate estimate of the full cost is to follow the golden rule and get three different estimates. Even if you are replacing your older bathtub with a new one with exactly the same dimension, this still isn’t a simple task – piping has to be disconnected, sections of the walls might have to be torn down, and the toilet and the cabinets might have to be removed as well. And this is why this complicated task to be left to the professionals – keep in mind that a professional team of contractors might need anywhere from two-three days to more than a week to get all this work done and if you try to go the DIY route, you are likely to need twice as much time. And unless you are demolition expert and a qualified plumber, you are also likely to make quite a few mistakes, which can be pricey to repair.

The total cost of the project depends on good number of factors and apart from labor, the cost of the bathtub itself will make a significant difference as well – steel and fiberglass bathtubs are more affordable than cast iron, but not as durable and don’t retain heat that well. Water jet and jet-air tubs are quite trendy right now, but some of the models can cost as much as five thousand dollars and more and the quality and the type of the fittings that you choose will also have an impact on final cost as well.

You might be able to save some money by purchasing the fixing and the tiles yourself and also doing some of the preparation work if at all possible. However, unless you are well qualified and have the necessary expertise, let the professionals do all the work; it doesn’t hurt to ask them for discounts on material and labor though and with some careful planning and a lot of common sense, you will get your old bathtub out of the way and replace it with a brand new one without having to pay more than you need to.

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Stamped concrete holds great number of advantages over other popular pavement materials and will not only enhance the aesthetic value of your property, but also add to the resale value of your house. And its longevity, moderate cost, and availability in great number of colors is what makes it a favorite patio option.

The stamp concrete patio is likely to cost you less than natural stone one and is yet fully customizable and relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain as well. The price of your new stamped concrete patio will vary from one area to another, depending on the cost of the materials that you choose and the local contractor’s rates. (You can compare stamped concrete patio quotes here for free.) However, there are quite a few other factors that will inevitably add to this cost and quite a few steps that you can take in order to reduce them.

At the time of this writing, expect to pay anywhere from ten to twenty dollars per square foot and quite a bit more for more intricate, custom designs. The access to the site, number of steps (if any), electrical work, borders, weather conditions, and the thickness and strength of the concrete will all influence the cost of the whole project. You won’t have control over all of these factors, but some of the options you can decide on after carefully evaluating the pros and cons, while keeping the price in mind. Luckily, most local contractors will give you free estimates and you should call a few of them and discuss the project in details; ask them if you can get some of the work done yourself in order to save money – you might not be able to do all the excavation, but clearing the area and even doing some of the prep work and the small finishes might be well within your capabilities and likely to bring the total cost down.

Keep in mind that many contractors have a minimal fee for patio installation and always ask them about that in advance. And keep in mind that when it comes to stamped concrete patios, size does matter – smaller size patio is likely to cost you more per square foot than a larger patio and this is quite logical since the contractors would want to cover their overhead costs. As always, before even commencing the project take the time to consider the long-term applications as well: one of the few disadvantages of the concrete is that it cracks with time and even though these cracks are relatively easily repaired, these repairs can be costly. Ask your contractor what he can do in order to minimize future cracks and also make sure that he adds non-slip additive, especially if you have elderly people or children living in your household.

Maintaining the stamped concrete patio is relatively inexpensive, but nevertheless you will probably have to apply sealant six months after the construction and once a year from there on; you should also make sure that the patio furniture has plastic glides in order to protect its surfaces from scratches.

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Aside from wanting to replace carpets for wear and tear, people buy new carpets for many reasons – they want to redecorate their houses, they don’t like the color of their old carpet any more, the carpet doesn’t feel as soft as before and there might be multitude of other reasons why you might want to buy a new carpet and remove the old one.

However, the cost of a new carpet can really add up, and that cost isn’t only the price per square yard that you are going to pay; in order to stay within your budget, you should take the time to do some careful planning and evaluation. Decide on the type of the carpet – you would want either wall-to-wall or area carpet, and then decide on how many rooms and areas you would want covered, and finally take accurate measurements of these rooms and areas.

Once you have all this done, it is time to visit a few local vendors (or just get a free new carpet quote here) and while you are there, ask all the questions about the different types of carpet fibers as well. Typically, you will have to choose between nylon, polyester, wool and polypropylene and each one of them has different qualities, feel and price. And even though the price is important, there are a few other factors that you will have to consider – is the carpet in a high-traffic area of your house, is it in a room where your kids or pets are likely to play all day long, and finally take into account the weather conditions in your area as some carpets take wet and snowy shoes better than others. On the other hand, if you plan on redecorating your house in a few years time, you can easily opt in for cheaper and not so durable carpet.

Other costs that you have to factor in for are the delivery and installation costs – make sure to ask the vendor if the quoted price includes delivery and as for installation, you can either install the carpet yourself or let a professional do it for you. Most vendors will have their own carpet installation crew or will refer you to a professional, but installing it yourself is always cheaper and an option that you should consider, as long as it won’t void the manufacturer’s warranty.

What else can add to the cost of a new carpet?

Removing the old one and any repairs to the subflooring can add to the cost and you should do this well ahead of time and, if at all possible, do it yourself in order to save some money. Any extras that you might need such as stair fixtures or baseboards will also cost money and so will the padding; you might be able to reuse the old padding, but this isn’t always the case. Keep in mind that thicker and higher quality padding costs money, but it is likely to provide better insulation, make your carpet richer and the room quieter.

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Building a new deck will give you great outdoor space that you and your family can enjoy in the warm days of the year, and can also add to your house’s resale value. However, although not overly complicated task, building a new deck still requires some careful planning and cost calculation. Luckily you can compare local contractor quotes here to help you find the best price.

Your first undertaking would be to decide where you would want to build your new deck. The back of the house is what most people choose and you would also have to choose in which direction to build your deck, unless you are constricted by the size of your yard and the position of your house.

Once you have figured out the area of the new deck, it is time to think about the cost: how much you would have to pay in total largely depends on the materials that you choose, the size of the deck, the fastenings, the rails, and the various amenities like in-ground pools and benches.

Your most challenging task would be to pick the right material: wood is no longer your only option and new and today more durable decking materials are available as well. Composite decking is what is hot and trendy right now, but composite decking is what can cost you three to four times more than pressure-treated pine; this is the time to find the right balance between your budget and your personal preferences.

Keep in mind that the initial building cost is not all the money that you would have to spend on your decking – in most instances, you will need to clean the entire deck once every four or five years in order to properly maintain it. One great way to reduce your initial costs is to check out some of the reclamation yards for decking material, where you can normally find great bargains.

Apart from the cost of material, labor cost is likely to be your second biggest expense and at times it can even surpass the cost of the material: if you decide to hire a professional build your deck, always get at least three different quotes and if you want to save even more money, you can build the deck yourself. Multi-leveled deck with great number of built-in amenities might not be something that you would want to tackle if your skills are basic, but more straightforward projects are definitely doable.

What else can add to the cost of your new deck?

Railings – they are at times necessary, but quite often decorative; take the time to figure out how many railings you would need and how much they would cost. The same applies to stairs, waterproof flooring, stepping stones, decoration around the deck, fire pits, and benches – all these can be great, but they all add to the cost of the project. Also, hidden fastening systems is what many people opt in for since they can make your deck look like natural extension of your house, but these not only cost money, but are also more labor intensive to install and likely to increase the labor cost as well.

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Adding a sunroom to your house is relatively easy and not overly expensive way to get some extra space, where you and your family can spend a lot of quality time. In order to calculate all the costs and budget for a sunroom addition, you will need to do some careful planning and choose the materials, the roofing, and the size of the sunroom according to your needs and what you can afford.

Your first and most important task is to decide what kind of sunroom you want – all-year-round sunroom is naturally more expensive to build since it requires better insulation and higher-quality materials; in most instances, two-season sunroom is what you would want and if you happen to live in warm area, you will probably end-up enjoying it throughout the year anyway.

The location of the sunroom is also important and should be decided on according to the climate – if you live in the South, then you might want to consider northern exposure, which will ensure that the sunroom is in the shade most of the day; however, if you live in colder area, then the southern exposure is probably the wiser choice since it will give you the most sunlight. If you get the exposure wrong, then you might end up installing heating or cooling system later on, which will add to the costs of the sunroom.

Whether the sunroom has its own entry and exit and the glass is full-length or there is a knee-high wall will also make an impact on its cost and you will have to find the balance between the need for privacy and more closed-in build and the expenses.

In general, the prefabricated sunrooms can be two or even three times more expensive, but building your own requires some skills, careful planning, patience, and free time. It is also advisable to build a sunroom that is directly attached to your house only if you have experience and expertise since when done wrong, you might devalue your own house. If you dont think you are up to the task you can get started today by comparing contractor quotes here (it’s free and there’s no commitment).

Regardless if you choose a self-built sunroom or hire a contractor, you will have to consider the different available materials: Vinyl, aluminum, wood and Clad are the four most commonly used materials and each one of them has its own qualities and weaknesses. While aluminum gives better structural support, it isn’t as good an insulator as Vinyl, and although wood has great natural look, Clad is easier to maintain.

The type of glass that you choose for the sunroom is also important and here, again, you will have to find the balance between higher quality and better insulation and the price – if you live in the warmer area, single glazed glass might be all you need, but in colder regions double glazed or triple pane glass might be necessary.

If you are hiring contractors, get at least five different estimates, take a good look at each one of them and choose the contractor that has extensive experience, provides quality work, and gives you good price as well. In the case of prefabs, always find out if you can visit already built sunroom in the area in order to decide if this is what you really want. Keep in mind that the foundation work, permits, and interior decoration will add to the final cost of the project and make sure to budget for them as well.

Related posts:

1. Cost of a Room Addition
2. Cost of a Garage Addition

If you start seeing any puddles of water around the house or any water leaks in the basement, this might well be caused by damaged or clogged gutters. Once this happens, you should take action immediately since in the long run the seemingly small problem can cause great damage to your house, basement, or the driveway, which can be very costly to repair. In the case of clogged gutters, you can easily clean them yourself at no cost at all: all you need is a ladder, tool belt and some tools and gear that you most probably already have – a ladder, bucket, salad tongues, garden hose, and a towel are typically all you will need in order to unclog the gutter.

However, when your gutters are damaged and need to be replaced, then you will have to spend some money on new ones and you might have to pay for labor as well. Replacing the gutters of your house yourself is likely to save you roughly 50% of what a contractor would charge and is something that can be done fairly easily, as long as you are comfortable with heights. If you don’t think you’re up to the task you can get started by comparing contractor quotes here and find the best price on gutter replacement.

First, you will have to decide on what gutters to buy – the most popular ones are made of galvanized steel, aluminum, copper, vinyl, and stainless steel. Some of these are more expensive than the others, but what can add to the cost is the ease of installation as well – stainless steel gutters used to be the norm a few decades ago, but installing them requires skills and is also costly. The aluminum gutters, on the other hand, are what most people use today and for good number of reasons: they are much easier and therefore cheaper to install, can be easily painted in different colors in order to match the colors of your house, and, unlike the steel gutters, never rust.

The cost of replacing gutters on your house will also be influenced by their size: the aluminum gutters are typically either five or six inches and the latter are probably necessary only if you live in a rainy area or city. Keep in mind that replacing five inch gutters with six inch ones might require some planning and more work. The way the gutters are attached to the house also matters and using floating hangers instead of the more traditional ferrules and spikes might add to the cost, but will also improve the longevity of the gutter system. Another factor to keep in mind is that seamless gutters are typically pricier, but they aren’t as watertight as many salesmen would like you to believe – with time, they are just as likely to develop leaks and get damaged.

If you have to hire a contractor to install the gutters for you, you will once more have to use some common sense that can save you money – call three or more local contractors and let them give you an estimate, but keep in mind that the cheapest bid might not be the best. Always choose a contractor that has been around for a while, is known for his high quality work, and is likely to be around if any problems arise a few months or even a few years down the line.

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This is one frequently asked question that is very difficult to answer, but we will try our best to analyze the cost of a new house plumbing and take a look at what can unnecessarily add to the cost, as well as list a few tips that can potentially save you money as well.

The reason that this question is impossible to answer is that there are way too many factors that can influence the total cost: the size of the house, the number of stories that it has, the number of the bathrooms in the house, the foundation materials, as well as whether or not the plumbing has to be connected to a sewer system – all these factors need to be considered and the only way to get an accurate estimate of the total cost of a new plumbing is to get an in-place evaluation by a local plumbing contractor. The labor and material costs also vary by location and finding a professional, reliable and affordable contractor requires some hard work as well.

The cost of new plumbing is also higher if old piping has to be replaced – this is quite often necessary when moving to a house, where the faucets and the pipes are corroded and cannot be salvaged. Since the final bill of such plumbing work can be considerably high, there are a few simple tips that can help you bring the cost down:

1. Always get more than one quote – write down all the work that you think needs to be done, call no less than three different plumbing contractors and ask them to evaluate the cost and the time necessary to complete the work, and then carefully consider each bid. Not sure where to get started? You can compare multiple plumbing quotes here (it’s free and there’s no catch).

2. Purchase the necessary materials yourself – in most instances, regardless if you have to replace old plumbing or install entirely new one, the material of choice would be CPVC and if you purchase all the pipes and the fixtures yourself (after consulting with the plumbing contractor), you are likely to save money. When making such large purchases, always try to negotiate a better price with your local store and you would be surprised how often you would actually get a hefty discount.

3. Do some of the work yourself – this can save you a great deal of money, but undertaking plumbing renovation of the installation of new plumbing from scratch might not be something that you would want to do, unless you have the necessary experience and expertise. Quite often, hiring a professional can be considerably cheaper and get the job done in less time, which also means less inconvenience.

If you have just bought a new house, it is quite understandable that you would want to move in as soon as possible, but installing new plumbing requires careful planning and quality execution since this would result in lower maintenance costs as well. Choosing water-saving plumbing materials and finishes is also a wise choice since it can greatly reduce your monthly water bills.

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