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Long Live Real Living Rooms
According to the National Association of Home Builders, the living room is officially dead. Silent spaces with slipcover sofas are now viewed as a waste of money, builders say.
Instead, homebuyers want to live in all of their rooms. A large family space with a fireplace, television, and homework space that is connected to the kitchen is preferred. Parents preparing food want to be able to monitor what their children are doing. And, everyone knows the kitchen is the place to hang out at a party.
So builders and architects have shifted housing designs to exclude formal living rooms. Flexibility and openness are what homebuyers are asking for and getting.
Ilyce Glink is the bestselling author of 100 Questions Every First Time Home Buyer Should Ask, and is the Managing Editor of Right at Home Daily.
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Building Your Renovation Team
Selecting the right professionals to help you design and construct your home project is critical to its success. But do you really need an architect, contractor and a designer?
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After closing on your new home, don't be surprised if your
first impulse is to pick up a paintbrush. Even if your new
condo, townhouse or single family house is in perfect
condition, our natural instinct is to make a house our
own. Barbara Buchholz, former editor of House & Garden
Guides Magazine and co-author of Porch Style and the
New Homeowner's Handbook presents some issues to
consider before you start.
 How to Find a Contractor
Writing and Negotiating the Contractor's Contract
Finding a Competent Contractor, Architect and Designer
Managing the Renovation
Getting Your Warranties
The Truth About Estimates
Your Rights as a Contractee
Unless you're going to do the work yourself, you'll need
to pull together a team of folks to help you. For small
jobs, you may only need, say, a painter. But for major
jobs, expect to hire a contractor, architect and perhaps
even a designer and landscape designer upfront. Lisa
Skolnik, city editor for Metropolitan Home magazine and
co-author of Porch Style, tells you what to look for.
Landscaping and Hardscaping
The True Costs of Home Improvements
Do It Yourself or Hire a Pro?
Assessing Your Needs vs. Your Wants
Should You Renovate or Tear Down and Start From Scratch?
New curtains, new paint job, new appliances, new light
fixtures, and new carpet. The list of things you can do to
improve a home is endless. But ask yourself, "What's the
budget?" Lisa Skolnik, city editor for Metropolitan Home
magazine and co-author of Porch Style and Jim Sulski,
real estate development and home improvement
contributor for numerous publications including the
Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business and
Consumer's Digest offer some things to think about when
planning and budgeting for your renovation project.
Building Your Renovation Team
How Much Can You Afford to Spend?
Change Orders: How They Affect Your Budget
Pre-Renovation: Design Plans, Blueprints, and Estimates
Financing Your Renovation: Home Equity vs. Construction Loans
Ways to Reduce Remodeling Costs
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