Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Geoff Williams, U.S. News & World Report

So you're thinking of buying a fixer-upper? Maybe you're a do-it-yourselfer, or you just love this home so much that you don't mind lavishing extra TLC on it in the years to come. Or perhaps you're enthralled with home renovation television programs where every home has a camera-ready happy ending.

But there is a reason movie plot lines have been based on the darker idea that rehabilitating a home can result in disaster. Sometimes fixer-uppers turn out to be dismal downers. So if you're weighing the pros and cons of purchasing one, here are some thoughts to put in your mental toolbox.

Some projects are fun; others aren't. If you're going to lay down $10,000 to turn an outdated kitchen into a modern marvel that will be the envy of the neighborhood, that's fun. But if you need to spend $10,000 on a center beam in the foundation of the house that no one will see or care about, the joy of fixing up your home might start to fade.

And future buyers may not be impressed, either.

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That was the scenario Christopher Rither found himself in several years ago when he was working in due diligence services in real estate, including inspecting residential homes. "I bought an old plantation home in a great location in Hawaii and decided to fix it up, live in it for a few years, and sell it," says Rither, who now teaches conversational English at Myongji University in South Korea and runs a lifestyle website. "I thought restoring the entire house would make it a cinch to sell.

It didn't. Rither moved from Hawaii in 2010 and just sold the home a few months ago. As he found, "People really only care about what they can see. Nearly all buyers didn't seem impressed that I spent well over $25,000 ripping out and replacing all the plumbing, electrical lines and fixtures. What eventually sold the house was the clean exterior and the appearance of the interior. This could have still been achieved without new wiring and plumbing. A few upgrades would have been just fine."

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Can you afford a fixer-upper?

MESA, AZ (CBS5) -

A Mesa woman says she got hit with a $150 fine from the city for not having a permit for her security system but says the installers never told her she needed one.

A security system is a good investment for many homeowners, it gives them peace of mind. But if the police are ever called to your home, and you're required to have a permit, you better have one or that peace of mind will get real costly.

"I guess I should have researched it more," Luise Lucas said.

Lucas says the home security system she bought makes her feel more safe at home. She says some neighbors also signed up after ADT reps (Through a distributor named ASC Security Systems) conducted a presentation in her mobile home community. About six months in, Lucas says she made a mistake with the key fob that operates the system.

"The buttons are little, fingers are big, I pressed the wrong button and walked away from the house with the dog," Lucas said.

When she returned twenty minutes later, MesaPolice was out her door. They were accidentally called out because she pressed the emergency button instead of the arming button. About a week later she gota letter from Mesa.

"I didn't obtain a permit for this, and I had a $100 fine, and there's also a $50 fine for having the police come out," Lucas said.

Lucas says her installer never mentioned a permit. She complained to ADT and says they referred her to the contract she signed. It does state she is required to obtain an alarm permit if necessary.

"The permit is $20 and you have to pay it every year, but nobody told us there was a permit," Lucas said.

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Buying a home security system? Get an alarm permit

Published: Monday, August 4, 2014 at 2:52 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, August 4, 2014 at 2:52 p.m.

THOMASVILLE | Minutes after Thomasville Mayor Joe G. Bennett cut the ribbon celebrating the Lexington Housing Community Development Corp.'s 1,000th repair at a home on East Guilford Street on Monday morning, homeowner Maryanne Stokes couldn't hold back her emotions any longer.

"Praise the Lord!" exclaimed Stokes, who has resided on East Guilford Street since 1999. "I am truly blessed and cannot thank you all enough. I am very happy, very happy. I know one thing, if it wasn't for the good Lord, I wouldn't have nothing. I'm very grateful for everything."

Thanks to LHCDC's repair program, which began in 2001, and its partnerships with Piedmont Regional Weatherization, North Carolina Housing Financing Agency, the United Way, New Beginning Church and numerous volunteers, Stokes' house is back to being home, sweet home once again.

Antionette Kerr, executive director of LHCDC, said the 1,000th repair celebration has great personal significance for her since she is a native of the area.

"It is very gratifying for me personally because I was born and raised in Lexington," Kerr said. "A lot of the homes we've worked on are homes that I had grown up sitting on their porches and going to their houses. It is really gratifying because a lot of these families I know."

Keith McCurdy, director of construction and repair at LHCDC, compared the urgent repair work performed at the East Guilford Street residence to emergency room treatment. Before Stokes' home received a new hot water heater and repairs to the heating and ventilating systems, she was without heat and hot water last winter.

"This is an urgent repair program" McCurdy said. "We're not out to make it look pretty, we just want to make the home functional and livable again. It's great to help people get out of situations they don't need to be in. Nobody needs to be without water, nobody needs to be without heat or electricity or proper heating and cooling."

Of the over $6,000 in repairs to Stokes' house, another significant improvement was the work completed to stop rainwater from collecting underneath the structure. Additional repairs included new fascias, gutter downspouts, a crawl door, a new bath ceiling, bathroom fan-ceiling light and small tile repair.

Although McCurdy has only been with LHCDC since 2013, he has been involved in 60 urgent repair projects throughout the county.

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LHCDC marks 1,000th home repair with celebration

Southwest Allen County Schools needs just over $9 million for building improvements and maintenance in 2015, board members were told Tuesday.

The board approved a capital projects budget of $9.2 million last year and has spent $7.4 million to date, according to Jim Coplen, business manager for the district.

Overall, the district will lose more than $2.1 million this year because of state property tax caps, resulting in a loss of over $1 million to the capital projects budget.

About $1.5 million is needed for utilities and insurance, Coplen said, adding that the harsh winter was noticeable in the high cost of utilities, especially gas.

In the first six months of the year, we spent $85,000 more on utilities than the year before, Coplen said.

No additional project expenses are expected at Aboite and Covington elementary schools in the coming school year, while Lafayette Meadows, Deer Ridge and Whispering Meadows elementary schools were expected to have minimal costs of under $30,000 each, mostly for painting, paving and mulching. Haverhill Elementary will need $295,000 for an energy savings plan, $16,000 for Learning Lab expenses and $10,000 for a new sound system.

Woodside Middle School will use about $35,000 for physical education equipment, paving and external lighting, and Summit Middle School will need $29,000 for student tables and chairs and $300,000 for roofing maintenance, Coplen said.

Homestead High School will need $785,300 for a variety of projects, including athletic, P.E. and science equipment, heating and cooling system upgrades and floor repairs. The largest portion about $575,000 will be spent on roofing, Coplen said.

Technical services and audio visual equipment will total over $1.6 million and the administration office is budgeting $76,000 for professional services, equipment repair and data collection.

About $1.7 million will go for districtwide maintenance, including roof repairs, lawn care and snow removal with the bulk $1.4 million going toward wages and benefits, he said.

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SACS maps out repairs budgets

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August 5th, 2014 2:49 am by Ned Jilton

Enjoy good food, good music and help maintain one of Kingsport's historic sites by attending the 7th Annual Lo Country Boil at the Kingsport Farmer's Market this Saturday.

The Lo Country Boil is the annual fund raiser for the Netherland Inn and this year is featuring Frogmore Stew with beverages, bread and homemade desserts. An alternative meal of chicken strips, baked potato, tossed salad and bread is available.

The musical entertainment for your dining and dancing pleasure this year is "Dueling Pianos" from Asheville, NC.

The Netherland Inn Complex is the "Centerpiece" of the City's 20-year "Riverwalk" / Kingsport on the Holston re-development project. It is essential the financial support for its continued existence be insured.

In the early years of the Netherland Inn Association, federal grants were available and much of the restoration was financed by these grants. Today, the Inn is maintained and expanded completely with Association dues, memorial donations, gift shop sales and fund raising events. Maintenance costs for the complex are major, and construction of historic additions (such as the bank barn and flatboat) has magnified the operating and maintenance expenses.

100 percent of the funds raised from past Lo Country Boils have gone to continuous repair and maintenance of building and grounds, replacement of the heating and cooling system in the Inn and the completion and furnishing of the Museum of Pioneer Transportation and replica flatboat.

Funds from this year's boil will go to exterior repair and re-painting the Inn, construction of a reproduction King's Warf and the salt ware house.

In addition, funds will be needed for the moving, reassembling, roofing and wiring of a pre-Civil War cabin to be used as an interactive children's pioneer museum.

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HARDTACK and HARD TIMES: 7th Annual Lo Country Boil is this Saturday.

Waco, Texas (PRWEB) August 05, 2014

Mold doesnt ask for much when it comes to a place to call home. In fact, all mold needs is a warm, moist surface to settle in and begin growing and causing damage and health issues for homeowners. Rainbow International says its important for homeowners to have a professional assessment of affected areas, remove the damaged materials, and eliminate moisture sources to reestablish a healthy home environment.

If not prevented or treated quickly, mold can grow and cause health issues for those living in a home. Headaches, breathing difficulties, persistent cough, cold symptoms, burning or irritation of the eyes, nose, throat or lungs, asthma attacks, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, skin irritation, allergic reactions, and infections in immune-compromised individuals are all common symptoms families experience when mold is present in the home.

The best way to prevent mold in the home is to control moisture and clean up water damage quickly. Consider these basic suggestions for mold prevention in the home:

If you suspect mold issues, dont wait. For information on dealing quickly with mold in your home or preventing it in the first place, contact your local Rainbow International or visit RainbowIntl.com.

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Stop Mold In Its Tracks Before It Spreads: Rainbow International Offers Tips on Controlling Mold in the Home

By Susan L. Serbin Correspondent

The Springfield Planning Commission met in a special summer session to see the application of a new project at Springfield Country Club complex. Somewhat reminiscent of the process for the Marriott Courtyard, the principals like to get moving as soon as ready. Planners accommodated the request for the meeting and recommended approval after an hour of the presentation.

Referred to as the hotel spa, the new structure will provide needed storage, office space, a spa and several bridal suites.

The hotel has been a great success, and the township is very happy with it, said Solicitor Jim Byrne.

Byrne appeared on behalf of the township which has granted a land lease for the Marriott. This property is included in that agreement. Pat Burns manages the township-owned country club banquet facility and, in cooperation with Marriott, owns and operates the hotel. Burns is the applicant for this project as well.

The golf course and banquet facility in particular have storage needs which have substantially outgrown the existing out buildings. A garage and shed are run down, outdated, deteriorating and have nowhere near modern standards, Byrne noted. However the necessary utilities and infrastructure are on site for use. Once the old buildings are demolished, the new structure will have a footprint only slightly larger.

As with the country club and Marriott, the project has no taxpayer expense, Byrne stressed.

The lowest level for storage will be visible only from the golf course side. The top levels will be approximately the same elevation as the Taylor-Evans House, a historic home on the property. The second level will feature a spa under the same management as the Joseph Anthony Salon and Spa in Glen Mills. The upper floor will have several suites, which are particularly suited but not limited to wedding parties, said Burns.

The new building will be linked to the Marriott by a covered walkway and designed to appear as a seamless addition to the overall complex.

The applicant and township are aware of restrictions relevant to any changes at the Taylor-Evans House, the oldest portion of which dates back to the late 1600s, and has had numerous additions and adjustments in the ensuring centuries. If the decision is made to refresh the paint and better coordinate it with newer building, colors will be discussed with the appropriate organizations.

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More construction planned at SCC golf course

Stunning by night or day, the outdoor patio is always available for a summer barbecue with family and friends.

Well established landscaping creates a lovely border around the home - but don't worry, it's low maintenance.

The lush lawns and gardens are kept alive during the East Coast summer by using water from a large dam that's on the shared property.

The large flat lawns are perfect for a variety of outdoor activities - backyard cricket anyone?

The outlook is one of the Turnpenny's favourite features on the property; from stunning sunrises to an ever changing landscape of colour throughout the seasons.

The kitchen is a lovely light space with a beautiful view out to the garden.

With extensive lawns and hills to roam, the Turnpenny family live a 'free range' lifestyle, and their chooks do too: it's actually one of the things they love most about their Patutahi property.

"With fresh eggs at the back door, who could want for more! We also enjoy growing produce in the veggie garden - especially when we get to enjoy the asparagus patch in spring and raspberries all summer," says Julie Turnpenny.

The couple decided to move to the country from the coast in 1993, and while the original house on the property was very run down, they still saw plenty of potential in the site.

"The elevation gives us seasonal views over a landscape of vineyards, pasture and agriculture, and we also see spectacular sunrises over the Poverty Bay flats."

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House of the week: Gisborne

Inspira Hotels - Feng Shui Rooms
This is a presentation of all the rooms at Inspira Santa Marta Hotel, based on the 5 Elements of Feng Shui - Water, Tree, Earth, Metal and Fire.

By: InspiraSantaMarta

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Inspira Hotels - Feng Shui Rooms - Video

Farben Kche
Farben Kche farben kchenfronten farben kchenwand farben kche streichen kchenfarben wand alle farben kallias alle farben kings purpur Wandgestaltung abwaschbare Fliesenfarbe farbe...

By: shaeuanca

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Farben Kche - Video