Home Renovation Project - Straight Answers To Frequently Asked Questions

Here's a look at some questions that come up often and the best answers about home renovation projects:

A lot of great home renovation ideas come from what we see in magazines. Are these how-tos really enough?

The wealth of information on home renovations that you can find in a bookstore is amazing. For every project you undertake, from the tiniest task to the biggest layout changes, there's a book that will give you the steps to take. Books can show you where your plans aren't really practical, or they can point you in a direction that you thought was difficult but is simple. Most of the information published in books today is expert advice and there are really no worries about going wrong. You'll also gain plenty of knowledge and self-confidence to undertake other jobs or bigger projects.

Are there home renovation projects that can increase the value of homes?

Absolutely. When you're thinking of trying to do some home renovations to sell your home for a profit, invest your money in the more high-traffic areas, such as the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Flooring is another good place to sink some money, and the choice of options as well as ease of changing flooring makes this area a nice project to undertake. Freshening up rooms with a little color can help increase the appeal of your home. Bedrooms come in a close second for best renovation areas, but keep in mind that investing in updating the look of the kitchen will go a lot farther when you're trying to resell.

Finding ways to make money is important these days, and many people think that buying a fixer-upper to renovate and then resell is a good idea. Is renovating to turn a profit really worth it?

If you're not planning on moving soon, home renovations to increase value may not be worth the cost or effort. Also, if you're the kind of person that attaches emotion to things, then fixing up your living environment only to give it to someone else may be difficult to do. For those who don't mind living in construction material and partly-unfinished rooms, renovating may be a good idea, though making sure you have the time and money to carry out projects is a wise thing to do. Should you decide to renovate to turn a profit, choose projects that have a high rate of return, such as kitchen remodeling, changing a bathroom or adding a second one, or replacing windows for ones that are of better quality.

Is doing home renovations yourself a worthwhile undertaking?

Yes and no. Thinking about changes to your home and its potential can be fun and exciting, but there are some areas that are better left to professionals. Having a contractor come in and hear about your ideas is a good thing to do, as a professional can provide you with some proper plans and point out some areas of the project that you may not have considered, such as headspace or lighting.

A lot of people think it's not worthwhile to carry out home renovations. Are there good reasons for renovating?

Of course. Wanting a change is the first good reason. If you're not happy with where you live, and you don't feel like moving to another home, changing the house you live in to suit you better is a fine reason to do some home renovations. Your needs might have changed as well, such as needing a new room for a baby on the way or wanting a home entertainment room for that new big screen television. Increasing the resale value of your home is another good reason for renovations. Of course, maintaining your home goes hand in hand with home renovations, otherwise your house will fall into disrepair. Most of all, it's important to be comfortable in your home, so renovating to be happier in your living space can pay off.

Author Steven Gaines takes us from New York's most expensive condominiums and co-ops to the offices of its most powerful real estate brokers to reveal the outlandish displays of ego, bad behavior, and status hunger that come into play when the best addresses in the city are on the line.

With his signature elan, Gaines weaves a gossipy tapestry of brokers, buyers, co-op boards, and eccentric landlords and tells of the apartment hunting and renovating adventures of many celebrities - from Tommy Hilfiger to Donna Karan, from Jerry Seinfeld to Steven Spielberg, from Barbra Streisand to Madonna.

Here, too, is a fascinating chronicle of the changes in Manhattan's residential skyline, from the slums of the nineteenth century to the advent of the luxury building. Gaines describes how living in boxes stacked on boxes came to be seen as the ultimate in status, and how the co-operative apartment, originally conceived as a form of housing for the poor, came to be used as a legal means of blackballing undesirable neighbors.

A social history told through brick and mortar, The Sky's the Limit is the ultimate look inside one of the most exclusive and expensive enclaves in the world, and at the lengths to which people will go to get in.

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