Posted July 21, 2010 by Bonnie Burgett

Payback is a ..... 3 to 5 year time frame on remodels.

The final piece of advice from Money’s article on getting a great return on home improvements deals with the time it takes to recoup the value of your investment.  Only a few years ago the payback on a home improvement project was virtually instantaneous, however homeowners are now looking at 3 to 5 years as the new payback time (some people might argue longer considering we are still in a down market).  Or maybe 3 to 5 years after the market picks back up...  

Posted July 5, 2010 by Bonnie Burgett

Money Magazine’s tip #5 – “Let the Joneses be Your Guide”

My dad always says that you want to be the smallest house on the block…. While there may be reasons to disagree with my dad, one thing that I don’t disagree with is that you don’t want to be the biggest or have more upgrades to your home than the neighborhood market can support in terms of returns. 

Posted June 25, 2010 by Bonnie Burgett

Money Magazine’s Tip #4 is “Tech Infrastructure Trumps Cool Gadgets”

Sure the new speakers are cool but it’s the wiring and stuff behind the wall that matters when getting a return on your home improvement projects.  During my remodel, while there was dust everywhere I took this opportunity to open up the walls and drop cables and appropriate wiring in for flat screen TV’s, well positioned wireless internet, phones, and a sound system.  Technology changes fast and those cool gadgets will be replaced by something cooler when you are selling your house… but

• Categories:
• buying real estate,
• Real Estate,
• remodeling,
• return on investment,
• selling real estate,
• technology

Posted June 21, 2010 by Bonnie Burgett

Biggest Housing Trend – Go Green – Duh!

The 3^rd point of Money Magazine’s real estate article touted that eco-friendly upgrades can save you cash.  This is the without a doubt the hottest “trend” out there today and unless you live in a hole in the ground you’ve already heard this. 

• Categories:
• eco-friendly,
• green,
• remodeling

Posted June 16, 2010 by Bonnie Burgett

Big Home Additions: Out of Fashion

Posted June 14, 2010 by Bonnie Burgett

Take care of home repairs before tackling other renovations!

In the January/February edition of Money magazine there was a 2 page article on home repairs and renovations that really caught my attention.  I’m going to use this article as the basis for my next 6 blogs.

• Categories:
• home repair,
• maintenance,
• renovations