For Sale/Rent

On sale for less than $240,000, this riverside condo has industrial character to spare.

Photo by Andrew Snook

99 Allen St. #118, Woonsocket, RI Price: $239,900Size: 1,406 square feetBedrooms: 2Baths: 2

Looking for some primo loft living? Search no more. Formerly a textile mill, these premises, once used for wool dyeing in the 19th-century, are now nearly unrecognizable as open-concept condos. To be sure, the original character of the place persists, visible through the exposed ductwork, brick walls, metal poles, and warehouse windows. But the home has been retrofitted to bring in a homey feel and current flair, too. Take a look at the living room, where an abstract mural claims an entire wall, or the (huge) primary bedroom, where Mediterranean Sun paint embellishes the spaceand enhances the red brick accents.

Opposite the living room, the kitchenwhich sports granite counters, stainless appliances, and cherry-colored cabinetryexhibits a stroke of remodeling genius. Two arched brick doorways, which once led to a pair of water closets, have been reconstructed into one cute alcove, great for a pub-like dining area or out-of-the-way office nook.

While natural light pours in through all of the oversize windows and bounces off the Brazilian walnut floors, the loft itself doesnt have a private outdoor space. No need, though, as the property hosts a communal patio and a riverside garden, where you can enjoy some greenery while listening to the rushing water of Blackstone River below.

For information, contact Andrew Snook, William Raveis, raveis.com.

Photo by Andrew Snook

Photo by Andrew Snook

Photo by Andrew Snook

Photo by Andrew Snook

Photo by Andrew Snook

Photo by Andrew Snook

Photo by Andrew Snook

The Boston Home team has curated a list of the best home design and home remodeling professionals in Boston, including architects, builders, kitchen and bath experts, lighting designers, and more. Get the help you need with FindIt/Boston's guide to home renovation pros.

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On the Market: A Hip Rhode Island Loft in a Repurposed Textile Mill - Boston magazine

Chelsea and Logan Hawley came into five acres of farmland in Florida in 2019.

At the time, the couple were living in a 2,500-square-foot home with their two kids, Madison and Maverick.

They planned to build a farmhouse on the land over the next five years, but they didn't want to have to live paycheck to paycheck while they saved for the house.

Downsizing seemed like the perfect solution to the Hawleys' problem.

The first thing you see when you walk into the home is a daybed.

The daybed serves as a couch in the living room area of the home.

The entire RV has vinyl hardwood flooring that gives the space an elevated look.

The kitchen is next to the living room.

The farmhouse sink takes up a large chunk of the small kitchen, and it makes a statement in the space.

The kitchen only has a refrigerator and a stovetop in terms of appliances, which saves room.

Built-in, open shelving above the sink keeps things organized and pretty.

Chelsea describes the decor aesthetic as modern farmhouse.

Farmhouse touches, like the white walls and wood cabinets, mix with industrial elements, such as the tile on the kitchen walls and the black faucet.

The kitchen also features a separate coffee bar.

The cute addition adds character to the space.

Plus, it ensures the family's main kitchen countertops don't get overcrowded.

Chelsea and Logan's master bedroom is on the other side of the main living area.

Their bed is nestled into a nook in the wall.

The majority of Logan's clothes fit in the cubbies next to the bed.

Chelsea keeps her clothes in the nearby closet, and she told Insider it's more spacious than people would think.

Madison and Maverick's bedroom is the only private room in the house.

The Hawleys intentionally made the kids' bedroom private, as it gives them a space for their toys and enables Chelsea and Logan to continue to walk around and talk after the kids have gone to bed.

"It's really designed for them," Chelsea said of her kids' bedroom. For instance, the ceiling is painted to look like the night sky, which Madison loves.

The kids' room features floor-to-ceiling storage, as does the rest of the RV.

The family also remodeled the bathroom in the RV.

The bathroom originally only had a shower, but Chelsea said they completely gutted it and added a tub for the kids.

Despite the upgrades, the bathroom is Chelsea's least favorite part of her home because of its small size.

Because they're stationary much of the year, the Hawleys also have outdoor space they make use of.

The family has a patio with seating and toys for the kids.

The patio sits on the family's five acres of land, where they've already started growing their farm.

At the time of writing, the Hawleys own one pig, one rabbit, two cows, five goats, and 18 chickens.

Chelsea said that the money the family saves with the RV is what allowed them to start the farm.

"We have been able to save for our farmhouse," Chelsea said. "We've been able to start a farm. We were able to start a lifestyle that we wanted much earlier."

Chelsea is a stay-at-home mom, so the extra income is a big help for the family.

Although they're in one place much of the year, the Hawleys also get to travel in their RV.

"We are able to do monthly RV trips, and we've been able to see a lot of cool places in Florida," Chelsea said.

They're hoping to explore other areas in the South once it's safer to travel.

Living in the RV can be difficult for the Hawleys when they can't spend time outside.

It rains frequently in the summer in Florida, so the Hawleys had to stay inside for most of the hot months.

"When you're inside in a tiny space, there's so much clutter and you're just on top of each other all day long," Chelsea said. "That was definitely a challenge of trying to figure out how we could manage in a small space."

She told Insider that keeping the home clean, giving the kids chores, and teaching them to play by themselves helped a lot.

"My kids have learned to be content with less, and they have learned to entertain themselves," Chelsea told Insider of what it's like raising children in a tiny space.

"I've noticed that their imagination has soared because there are fewer things for them to do," she said. "They've had to kind of create their own play, which has been so cool."

The small space has also helped the kids' bond with each other flourish.

"They are the best of friends," Chelsea said of Madison and Maverick. "I'm sure that would've happened in a big space, too, but I definitely think the tiny space has made them rely on each other more."

"It's been precious to watch," she added.

Chelsea advises people who are considering downsizing to really focus on their purpose.

Whether you want to live minimally or save money, focusing on the reason you're downsizing will help you transition successfully, according to Chelsea.

Chelsea and Logan gave away the majority of their belongings when they moved into the RV, and focusing on why they were doing it helped her a lot.

"Take a good look at what you have and think about what you could live without," she said. "It's very hard to get rid of your things at first, but the moment you start doing it, you get a new perspective."

"For me, it was very freeing," Chelsea said.

You can follow Chelsea on Instagram here.

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A family of 4 moved into a 250-square-foot RV to save money while they build their dream farmhouse - Insider - INSIDER

Heroes of the Crisis

From medical professionals to social-justice activists to culinary stars, here are some of the locals who have helped get us through the most challenging of times. By Daniella Byck, Rob Brunner, Rosa Cartagena, Sherri Dalphonse, Mimi Montgomery, Luke Mullins, Jessica Sidman, and Anna Spiegel.

For the first time in memory, there are serious questions about whether the worlds oldest democracy can actually pull off a democratic election. We asked a bipartisan group of five experts to unspool their own disaster scenarios. Compiled by Benjamin Wofford.

Inside Washingtons super-luxe lockdowns. By Mimi Montgomery and Jessica Sidman.

Cosponsored by Washingtonian, these annual awards honor distinguished reporters and editors. Meet the 2020 winners.

Bidens Mar-A-Lago?: Would Rehoboth become Joe Bidens Mar-a-Lago?By Washingtonian Staff.

Dating Games: The DC dating guru who will play a better you online. By Jane Recker.

ESPN Goes G0-Go: How Trouble Funk got on SportsCenter. By Andrew Beaujon.

Bird Watching: The Twitter account that IDs helicopters. By Rob Brunner.

Netflix Heads to Gallaudet: Deaf U captures students sometimes messy lives. By Rosa Cartagena.

Big Picture: A swimsuit-company-turned-face-mask-factory in Vienna. By Lauren Bulbin.

Books, movies, TV, music, and other things were loving this month.

Interview: Howard president Wayne A.I. Frederick leads a historic university. And performs cancer surgery. Interview by Michael Schaffer.

Politics: A top Republican operative on why the GOP is dead. By Benjamin Wofford.

Culture: The challenge of marketing a Covid vaccine. By Jane Recker.

Drinking Responsibly: Six nearby wineries with big outdoor spacesso you can sip safely with a great view. By Sherri Dalphonse.

Lesson Plans: Six ways private schools have changed in the wake of coronavirus. By Sherri Dalphonse.

Status symbol: The $4,295 treadmill. By Mimi Montgomery.

Winter Restaurant Preview: There will surely be heartbreaking closures in the coming months. But a surprising number of new places are on the way, too. By Ann Limpert, Anna Spiegel, Jessica Sidman, and Daniella Byck.

Brass Appeal: Five stunning kitchensall with brassplus our directory of kitchen remodeling resources.

The Briefing: Bethesda:Whats new in the popular suburb.

Our New Home: Look inside Washingtonians new offices.

Off the Market: The months luxury home sales.

Svetlana Legetic on her first jobat a Serbian casino. As told to Ann Limpert.

Join the conversation!

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October 2020: Heroes of the Crisis - Washingtonian

ST. LOUIS These are unprecedented times for the airline industry. With business pummeled by the pandemic and federal aid expiring October 1, furloughs and layoffs loom.

American Airlines flight attendant Allie Malis is one of more than 30,000 airline industry employees holding out hope for a last-minute stimulus agreement.

Its crazy. Tomorrow Im unemployed and today Im waiting for Congress to do something, she said.

Dan Reed, a senior contributor for Forbes, says COVIDs effect on business travel created a problem the airline industry it might never solve.

Without those higher business fare travelers on board, or without as many of them, something is going to have to change in the back of the plane, something is going to have to change in the schedule. Which all affects the economics, he said.

Reed says the longer planes and the people who operate them sit idle, the more difficult and expensive it becomes to recertify them.

Now with a third of the employees being removed from the equation, and probably 45 percent of the fleet being parked, its just hard to see how the equation ever comes back to being the way it was, he said.

Even for Southwest Airlines, the lifeblood of St. Louis-Lambert International Airport, and one of most nations most financially healthy airlines, Reeds outlook is grim.

If it gets worse, and the delay of a return to travel extends deep into next year, all bets are off, even on Southwest when it comes to layoffs, Reed said. This is an unprecedented time when were seeing an industrys foundational economic equation being changed. How it will come back together is hard to predict.

And for airline workers like Malis, navigating a holding pattern unlike any theyve ever experienced.

I mean, I dont know how to feel right now. Do I feel sad? Do I feel scared? Do I feel angry and frustrated? Theres so many emotions that are pulsing through my veins and through the veins of, you know, a thousand other American Airlines flight attendants who are also on this last day of the payroll support program, which is stabilize our jobs, maintain our health care, and we dont know whats going to happen next, she said.

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Uncertainty grows within airline industry amid grim outlook for the future - fox2now.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Global Residential Digital Faucets Market 2020-2024 The analyst has been monitoring the residential digital faucets market and it is poised to grow by $ 1.88 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. Our reports on the residential digital faucets market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05192437/?utm_source=PRN

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the increasing consumer expenditure on bathroom and kitchen remodeling, flourishing residential construction industry, and technological advancements in residential digital faucets. In addition, increasing consumer expenditure on bathroom and kitchen remodelling is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well. The residential digital faucets market analysis includes type segment and geographical landscapes.

The residential digital faucets market is segmented as below: By Type Automated Manual

By Geographical landscapes North America Europe APAC South America MEA

This study identifies the strong distribution network between manufacturers and retailers as one of the prime reasons driving the residential digital faucets market growth during the next few years. Also, new product innovations and the growing popularity of smart bathrooms will lead to sizable demand in the market.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our residential digital faucets market covers the following areas: Residential digital faucets market sizing Residential digital faucets market forecast Residential digital faucets market industry analysis

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05192437/?utm_source=PRN

About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

__________________________ Contact Clare: [emailprotected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

http://www.reportlinker.com

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The Global Residential Digital Faucets Market is expected to grow by $ 1.88 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast...

Union, N.J. Bed Bath & Beyond has put together a three-year plan as part of its transformation strategy. Full details will be announced at the companys Investor Day event on Oct. 28, but during this mornings second quarter analyst call, executives previewed some of the changes.

Sourcing: A newly formed procurement organization will crated a centralized spending control and vendor management process to deliver substantial savings. BBB had previously announced that it plans to develop more house brands, cull duplicative skus and pare its supplier roster.

Product priorities: The retailer plans to expand and double down on private label brands in bedding, bath, kitchen and storage/organization, said Tritton.

Physical stores: The plan includes what president and CEO Mark Tritton intimated will be a broad store remodeling program launching next year. In the meantime, one-third of the 200 stores slated to close permanently will go dark by the end of this year. The company expects to transition 15% to 20% of the sales generated by those locations to digital or other nearby company stores.

New customers: BBB gained roughly 2 million new online customers during the second quarter 40% of them new to the brand. The latter are six years younger than established customers and less likely to use coupons, which have long been a drag on the retailers bottom line. Coupons arent going away, but in the future coupon offers will be more curated, Tritton said.

In another plus, new customers are buying from higher margin categories, specifically bedding, bath, kitchen, food prep, cleaning and home maintenance, he added.

The second quarter ended Aug. 29 generated healthy results for Bed Bath & Beyond, including its first positive quarterly comp since Q4 2016 and strongest adjusted earnings per share in more than two years. We bel this was a pivotal quarter for our organization, said Tritton.

Q2 net sales slipped 1% to $2.7, driven in part by the sale of the One Kings Lane division. Digital sales jumped 88%, while net sales from stores fell 18%. Total comp rose 6%.

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BBB: Strategic sourcing, store remodel initiative on the agenda - Home Textiles Today

Debbie and Greg May

SAN JOSE, Calif. (PRWEB) October 01, 2020

Greg and Debbie May, co-owners of May Construction, a Santa Clara Valley residential remodeling firm, have recently seen a surge in new business as a direct result of changes made to their customer service model, which they attribute to their status as a married couple working in business together.

The success of May Construction, Inc. has occurred despite the challenges residential remodelers have faced over the past six months. Through careful planning and adapting their business approach to a new reality, the Mays have brought in 12 new design/build projects over the past several months an unprecedented leap in growth for their business.

"It is not altogether uncommon for residential contracting firms to have a family-owned business with married couples working together," Debbie explained. "But a shift in our communication has led to tremendous growth that would not have been possible had we not been a couple in business together."

"We would not have seen this type of growth even during normal times," Debbie went on We continue to receive referrals from satisfied clients, but this positive shift is something else entirely.

"As a married couple who own a business together you develop special tools to draw on," Greg added, "especially what I believe is the most important tool of all -- clear communication. It has helped us withstand some hard times in the past and right now has catapulted us forward.

"Greg and I have distinct roles in the company," Debbie elaborated, As a licensed contractor Greg handles anything directly related to design and/or construction. I do the initial evaluation with clients, as well has oversee business development, do the bookkeeping and manage the office staff."

"In a way it's like a well-timed baton transfer in a relay race," Greg went on. "Everything is planned out well in advance to ensure success. Debbie makes the initial contact with a client, and it's important for her to gather information and see if the project is a good fit. From there, after Debbie's careful screening, I speak to the client in more detail about their remodeling needs."

Greg May is an expert builder, providing the highest standards for superior customer service and backed by integrity, dedication, and commitment to superior craftsmanship.

This important but subtle change in understanding, the Mays believe, could only have come about by being wedded in marriage and in business. "There was an ah-ha couple-type of moment," Greg said. "Debbie and I shared a knowing glance and knew right away we were onto something that would benefit our customers."

That's something we would not have realized had we not been a couple in business together," Debbie affirmed.

"We found a silver lining," Greg added. "We will continue to use this approach. We feel pretty optimistic about where May Construction is headed.

Greg May was trained in construction by his father, and has continued his family's tradition of excellence since 1977. May Construction. Inc. specializes in design-build, whole house remodels, additions, kitchen, and bathroom remodels throughout the Santa Clara Valley.

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Wedded in Marriage and Work: Greg and Debbie May's Construction Business Thrives During These Challenging Times - PR Web

Tim Griffin is leaving The Kitchen after nearly a decade as the director and chief curator of the experimental New York art space. During his tenure, Griffin continued and expanded the storied institutions focus on interdisciplinarity and oversaw a program featuring Chantal Akerman, ANOHNI, Charles Atlas, Gretchen Bender, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Ralph Lemon, Aki Sasamoto, and Tyshawn Sorey, among others. His term also led to new initiatives including the hybrid talks series The Kitchen L.A.B. and electronic music series Synth Nights. Griffinwho began helming the nonprofit in 2011 after a seven-year run as the editor-in-chief of Artforum, where he is currently a contributing editorwill shift into an advisory role at The Kitchen by years end; he has accepted a visiting professorship in the art history and English departments at Ohio State University in Columbus, where his wife, Johanna Burton, directs The Wexner Center for the Arts.

I cant imagine a more inspiring or humbling experience among artists than what The Kitchen, and its dedicated staff and board, has offered me over the years, said Griffin. Few places have such a history, decade after decade, of presenting the unexpected. Even fewer have people so deeply committed every day to supporting artists innovative work, and who, time and again, manage to pull it off whatever the challenges.

In addition to organizing exhibitions and performances, Griffin has spent the last two years fundraising in anticipation of The Kitchens fiftieth anniversary in 2021 and the renovation of its building at West Nineteenth Street in Chelsea. The organization has raised $11 million ahead of its special benefit show, Ice and Fire, curated by Kitchen board members Wade Guyton and Jacqueline Humphries opening with online viewing October 8. In the last few months, the venue has also adapted to pandemic-induced lockdown, introducing The Kitchen Broadcast and revising its residencies to include a TV studio model. A search for a new director is being conducted by Isaacson Miller.

Excerpt from:
Tim Griffin to Depart The Kitchen After Nine Years as Director - Artforum

Asia Pietrzyk

It has come to my attention that my apartment sucks. Objectively, that might be too harsh an assessment, but it certainly feels true right now. Dont get me wrong: It has big, sunny windows; appliances that are functional, albeit old and ugly; and an amount of closet space that I would describe as enough. But the many things the apartment leaves to be desiredcheap fixtures, landlord-beige walls, and an ancient tile kitchen floor that never quite looks cleanhave become unavoidably obvious to me as Ive sat inside of it for the better part of this year.

The longer I sit, the more the flaws taunt me. The shallow kitchen sink, combined with the low slope of its faucet, makes it impossible to fill a pitcher straight from the tap, but most of my daily drinking water used to come from a machine at the office. The back wall of my kitchen, swathed in white paint, has borne the brunt of gurgling vats of spaghetti sauce and sputtering pans of fried-chicken grease, but I failed to notice the unscrubbable spots when I wasnt standing in front of the stove preparing three meals a day, every day. The dusty ledges and shelves, unsightly window-unit air conditioners, and scuffed, jaundiced paint job werent so irritating when they werent my whole world.

In May, when the novelty of quarantine baking began to wear offone can make only so many galettes out of frozen fruit originally bought for smoothiesmy idle hands turned to the problems around me. Armed with my pathetic beginners tool kit, I started small. I raised and releveled a shelf that had been crooked for, by my estimation, at least two years. I ordered frames for prints that had been stashed in my closet and charged my long-dead drill battery to hang them. I scrubbed my tiny kitchen with Ajax from top to bottom, and in the process realized that some of my stoves components werent supposed to be the color theyd been since I moved in. I sharpened my chefs knife. I flipped and rotated my couch cushions. I ordered and assembled a new shoe rack, even though my feet dont go very far these days.

[From the July/August 2020 issue: Amanda Mull on the end of minimalism]

The sense of satisfaction I got from these projects grew as the weekends went by, along with my belief that I could do pretty much anything after watching a couple of instructional videos on YouTube. I couldnt control much in the pandemic, but I could control what happened in my own 450 square feet. As summer began to creep toward fall, my ambitions expanded: Install a new showerhead? Paint my cabinets? Put up a peel-and-stick tile backsplash? What couldnt I do with Google, a Home Depot credit card, and a total willingness to lose my security deposit?

I was stymied only by the popularity of my impulses. As I looked for cabinet paint, backsplash tiles, and even a new kitchen faucet, out of stock warnings abounded. Gathered around a firepit in a Brooklyn backyard, a friend of a friend complained that the citys home-improvement stores appeared to be out of lumber, one of the many effects of skyrocketing demand atop shaky supply chains. Millions of Americans had simultaneously decided the same thing: If were going to be inside, it might as well be the inside we want.

Gretchen Schauffler had been through this before. In 2008, she and her husband were running a business called Devine Color, which she started by selling customized paint shades to her Portland, Oregon, interior-design clients out of the trunk of her car. The couple was in the midst of selling the brand to Sherwin-Williams, she told me, when the economy collapsed, and with it, all talk of a deal. The market crashed, and we were buried, Schauffler said. Homes were being foreclosed upon, not freshly repainted.

In 2018, out of the paint business for years, Schauffler started Design Is Personal. The company makes products for the do-it-yourself projects that you might be inspired to undertake after an HGTV bingesticky-back wallpaper in fun prints, easy-to-install carpet squares, and wall planks that give you the fixer-upperlook, no nail gun required. In early March, as the United States first pandemic hot spot blazed in neighboring Washington, Schauffler was terrified that the same thing was happening againdisaster had come, and it might take her company with it.

But in April, she realized that she had the opposite problem: Orders had started pouring in. Schauffler told me the companys sales are up 400 percent over last year, and her best sellerssheets of peel-and-stick white subway tiles and metallic mosaicshad completely sold out twice already. Everyone was at home, they had time, they looked at their environment, and they went online, she said. They started watching tutorials and ordering supplies.

Home Depot and Lowes registered monster sales increases not long after the pandemic began, both on the internet and in their brick-and-mortar storeswhich Home Depot lobbied local governments to label essential businesses. Thats in spite of interruptions in residential construction and professional remodeling in many areas of the country.

At Apartment Therapy, a website about home improvement and design, editor in chief Laura Schocker viewed the countrys pandemic anxieties through the prism of her readership, which is 60 percent larger than last year compared with the same period in 2019. Home, if were lucky, is our safe place, she told me. Customizing it to reflect back who you are as a person is something positive we can do right now. Early how-to-sanitize traffic gave way to people looking for tips on setting up home offices and workout nooks, then to those in search of ways to maximize tiny yards and balconies as summer set in. Now, as temperatures cool, people are settling in for the long haul, looking for more complicated DIY projects.

Of all the things that Ive done to better my apartment, soothe my anxieties, or occupy my time during the pandemic, nothing has worked quite as well as replacing my kitchen faucet. The project cost $75 and took about an hourit would have been even faster if I hadnt needed to learn some tricks for removing bolt covers with needle-nose pliers and loosening a seized nut with a lighter. But those roadblocks made it all the more satisfying. Not only does the more functional faucet make my now-constant dishwashing less of a slog, but installing it was a reminder that there are still some problems that can be solved by one person wielding the right toolor even the wrong one, if you can figure out the magic combination of search terms to punch into Google.

Humans have a need to be competent, to feel like they have some control over their existence, says Sally Augustin, an environmental psychologist, especially when theyre feeling emotionally tender and isolated. Nesting is another way to describe the impulse that is likely driving many of the newly minted DIYers, she told me. Its a desire to eliminate your homes nuisances and aggravations in order to maximize comfort. One way thats done, Augustin said, is by moderating the complexity of your space. We dont realize were doing it, but were always sweeping our environment, visually, and when you have a lot going on, when there are many objects and colors and shapes in view, it makes you stressed. The same thing can happen when an environment is too spare. Humans tend to like soft lines, colors, and textures.

DIYing, as a pursuit, has some baked-in advantages in these bizarre times. Namely, its just you, doing things by yourself in the safety of your own home, without the intervention of outside disease vectorser, professionalsunless you screw something up. New technology has met the moment. Both Schauffler and Schocker told me that DIY-friendly products have improved substantially in recent years, with adhesives and finishes that are more durable and affordable and less amateur-looking, which might make a weekend project more attractive to people who never would have done home repairs themselves in the past. Then, too, if youre one of the millions of newly unemployed Americans, finding a way to feel useful might help combat the depressing aimlessness of being out of workand the internet is teeming with guides for free or low-cost home-improvement projects.

When it comes to the mostly young, mostly female consumers who buy renter-friendly home-upgrade products and read articles about how to make a some-assembly-required dresser look like a million bucks, theres probably an even simpler explanation for why theyre investing in their environs this year: What else is there to do? The (somewhat shaky) conventional wisdom is that Millennials, who range in age from their early 20s to nearly 40, prefer to buy experiences instead of things. They supposedly rent in exciting cities, travel, go out to dinner, and spend money gallivanting. In a world in which almost all experiences have been precluded by a global disaster and an American passport is basically uselessand in which many of those young adults were striving for a lifestyle that their bank accounts could only occasionally support, anywaymaybe notions about what constitutes an experience will change. You can learn to do anything on YouTube.

This article appears in the November 2020 print edition with the headline Fluffing Your Own Nest.

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The Higher Purpose of Home Improvement - msnNOW

Many of us are spending more time at home in 2020, which could mean having more time to take on home improvement projects. But home renovations arent just a way to fill time; you want the results to be worth the hard work. The key to any successful project lies in careful planning including financial strategizing long before the power tools come out.

Roughly 3 in 5 American homeowners (61 percent) have taken on home improvement projects since March 1, spending $6,438, on average, according to an Aug. 18-20 NerdWallet survey conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,414 homeowners.

Whether youre outfitting your home with a new office or classroom, or taking on long-intended improvements such as painting or installing new flooring, here are six tips to help you make sure youre heading into the right project, the right way.

Any project may be worth your time if doing it makes you happy, but if you plan to sell your home soon, make sure you focus on projects that give a good return on your money. Many renovations cost thousands of dollars but wont increase the value of your home by the same amount.

For example, it costs about $50,000 to add a new bathroom, but homeowners typically recoup only about 54 percent of the cost in increased home value, according to Remodeling Magazines 2020 Cost vs. Value Report. A minor kitchen remodel, on the other hand, returns about 78 percent of its cost, so that type of project might make more sense.

Consider calling local real estate agents to ask them about the return you might receive from a home renovation project. Some local markets or neighborhoods may reward certain upgrades more than others.

You dont want to run out of cash in the middle of a home remodeling project. But unless youre careful, your project may get more expensive while its underway. That nicer tile may add only $7 per square foot, but if your kitchen has 100 square feet of floor space, watch out! To avoid running short on cash, add up your expenses before you start the project. Then add 10 percent or 20 percent to the total to allow for cost overruns.

To get an idea of how much youll have to spend on a specific project, look at what others have spent on comparable projects using a project estimate calculator or perusing sites like HomeAdvisor or Remodeling Magazine.

Since March 1, 34 percent of homeowners who undertook home improvement projects used cash on hand to fund those projects, 25 percent used money they had saved for those projects specifically and 14 percent used money from their economic stimulus check, according to the NerdWallet survey. As long as these projects arent being funded to the detriment of more important expenses, using available cash or savings can be a good way to keep from paying interest on your home improvement project.

If you have to finance your project, explore your funding options carefully. Among them are a home equity line of credit, a personal loan, a cash-out refinance or even credit cards. But they come at varying costs depending on the interest rate and how long it will take you to pay off the loan. A home improvement financing calculator can help you weigh these costs and make a savvy decision.

If youve decided to hire a professional, get written estimates from different contractors. As those estimates roll in, check their references and ask about their credentials. At a minimum, make sure each contractor is properly licensed to do the work on your home. You can also ask about their membership in trade associations. Many reputable contractors belong to professional trade groups such as the National Association of the Remodeling Industry or the National Association of Home Builders.

A good contractor will guarantee the work and offer a warranty. You can check Better Business Bureau ratings to see if others have had complaints about companies youre evaluating. If there have been complaints, check to see how they were resolved.

When you select a contractor, make sure you get your agreement in writing.

Permits help protect your home and your safety. Without the necessary approvals to perform work on your property, theres a chance the renovation wont meet local building codes. It could even affect your ability to sell your home in the future. Contact your municipality for details about what permits you must have for your renovation project. And follow up to make sure your contractor has permits in hand before beginning the work.

Youre probably planning to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars on a remodeling project. Its understandable to look for ways to save money, but dont automatically cut corners by using the cheapest materials.

Talk to your contractor about the trade-offs between quality and price for your project. Youll probably be better off selecting the best-quality products that fit your budget. Otherwise, you could be stuck with having to make costly repairs after a few months because you skimped on quality.

A home remodeling project can give a big boost to your homes aesthetics and market value if you avoid costly mistakes. By setting a budget, researching contractors and making sure your improvements use quality materials, you can help avoid expensive pitfalls and enjoy your homes new design.

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from Aug. 18-20 among 1,414 U.S. homeowners ages 18 and older, among whom 883 have done home improvement projects since March 1. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Anna Palagi at apalagi@nerdwallet.com.

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6 ways to avoid costly home renovation mistakes - Tampa Bay Times