5 things that’ll totally ruin your bathroom remodel!

March 29, 2017

By: Jennifer Nelson

Dodge any regrets by avoiding these bathroom materials.

A clean, well-planned, and stunning bathroom is every homeowner’s goal. But creating it can be a bit of a sticky wicket. All that water, humidity, and artificial lighting, and those tight corners make the space a real challenge. Don’t make it worse by wasting money on materials that won’t withstand the task or will need replacing when they don’t work out. Dodge bad bathroom decisions by avoiding these five things:

#1 Wallpaper:

In a high-steam area such as a bathroom, wallpaper may start to peel in a few years, according to some designers. In fact, steam is used to strip old wallpaper off walls. Despite the many photos of stylish, wallpapered bathrooms in magazines, unless it’s a half-bath or guest bath that’s seldom used, skip it. Really want the unique look wallpaper provides? Try a solid vinyl wall covering instead. It won’t allow moisture to seep through.

Spend Oh-So-Wisely on a Kitchen Remodel:

1. 6 Materials to Never Use in Your Kitchen
2. How to Shop for a Retro Kitchen — and Not Get Stuck with Junk
3. Refacing Your Kitchen Cabinets: The Options and Costs

#2. Laminate Flooring:

Love the look and affordability of laminate flooring? Use it in another room. Water and laminate floors don’t mix. Even tiny amounts of water will seep between the planks, causing them to expand, peel, swell, and lift from the floor. Even laminate manufacturers advise against installing in high moisture areas. The good news? There are plenty of other products out there that work extremely well in bathrooms. Take another look at linoleum. It’s eco-friendly, budget-friendly, and comes in a wide variety of looks.

#3 Slippery or Glossy Tile or Stone:

Many ceramic, porcelain, and stone floors will become slippery in wet conditions. The more polished a tile, the more likely it will become slippery when wet. Solution: Select your bathroom floor surface carefully, vetting each against slippery conditions. Look for tiles certified to meet slip-resistance standards specified by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

#4 Wall-to-Wall Carpet:

Carpet, while soft and comfy, isn’t ideal flooring in a powder room. Not only is the ick factor apparent, especially around the toilet, but mold and mildew can build up, which can cause health issues. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically advises against carpeting bathrooms to avoid mold exposure. If you really want the cozy touch of carpet in the bathroom, fluffy bath mats add color and comfort — and can be regularly laundered.

#5 Yellow Paint:

When selecting paint colors, remember that color will appear more intense on your bathroom walls than it would in most other rooms, especially if the bathroom relies heavily on artificial lighting.

“In that smaller space, where the mirror multiplies the impact of the lighting, the walls tend to reflect and magnify color from other walls,” says Amy Bell, an interior decorator and owner of Red Chair Home Interiors in Cary, N.C. Be especially wary of yellow or other colors that contain yellow — even neutrals — as yellow can feel brash in a bathroom, and you won’t like what you see in the mirror. Instead, opt for grays with a hint of green or blue, which can feel spa-like.

Are you a cheap vs. frugal homeowner? How to tell the difference!

March 23, 2017

By: Jamie Wiebe

Sometimes trying to save will actually cost you more. Here’s when that happens.

You’ve got all the loyalty apps (free burrito after you buy 10!), you shopped around for the lowest rate on your mortgage, and you never go to the grocery store when you’re hungry. You’re frugal, and the rising amount in your savings account is a testament to that.

Since saving cash is never a bad thing, you’ve got nothing to worry about, right?

Unless, of course, you venture so far past frugality you enter the world of cheap. And cheap homeowners always end up paying more in the end when quick fixes and half-solved issues become big, pricey problems.

Here are six things homeowners do when they’re trying to be frugal, but instead they’re really being cheap (yikes!):

Using the Wrong Tool:

You’ve finally decided to paint the molding in your foyer. There’s not much to paint, so you figure you can get by with that 2-inch flat brush in your garage cabinet, even though the paint guy recommended a different (and pricey!) one. Why buy a new one when you already have a perfectly good one at home?

Halfway into your project (which you thought would take two hours, and now you’re into hour four), your back is aching from trying to get those bare spots in tight spaces. And the paint just doesn’t look right. It’s uneven and splotchy.

Turns out you used a brush meant for latex paints, and you’re using oil paint, which requires natural bristles to get a polished look. Plus, you needed an angled brush to get into tight corners. Four hours wasted, and it looks worse than when you started. Now you’ve got to buy more paint — and that darn brush!

Financial planner Daniel Grote says not buying the brush the paint guy recommended is a classic sign of cheapskate-ness: “Frugal homeowners buy when it’s necessary — and are fanatical about good-value purchases. Cheapskates don’t buy, even when they should.”

Some other cheap tool moves homeowners often make instead of spending money:

• Using glue when you really should use a screw.
• Using chemicals for clogs instead of calling a plumber or investing in an auger.
• Using cheap screwdrivers that strip screws.
• Using a hammer in place of a mallet.
• Using a manual saw in place of a table saw.

How to be frugal: Invest in the right tools, not cheap knockoffs. “Finding the right tool is important,” says personal finance expert Bob Lai. “It will take less time and money in the long run.” If it’s an expensive one that you only need once or twice, rent it or borrow it.

Bonus: You’ll find DIY projects get easier because your skills (and the results) will improve with the right equipment.

Letting the Yard Wither Away to Avoid High Water Bills:

You swear your water bill is trying to topple your heating bill as the king of Utility Mountain. You’re terrified it just might do that next month. You may just as well give up and stop trying to nurture your landscaping. Survival of the fittest, right? Besides, that means less time maintaining it.

But a wilting yard also means a drop in the value of your home (read: $$$ lost when you sell). Or if you’re in an HOA, you could face costly fines that’ll make you pine for those high water bills.

How to be frugal: Invest in water-wise landscaping. It’s not just about desert-friendly plants, it’s about plants that thrive on the amount of rain that naturally occurs in your climate, which translates to less watering and lower utility bills. And if done right, it can actually boost your home’s asking price when you sell. Plus, you’ll still get the advantage of less maintenance. For even more savings, invest in rain barrels. That water is free.

Never Paying Retail:

Everyone knows that if you’re patient enough, you’ll be able to get that slate flooring (it’s slip resistant, yay!) for your new bath at a deep discount.

So you waited, and, yes, the price was cut almost in half. But, wait, there’s not enough tile left to cover your entire floor. Sigh. Back to square one.

In the meantime, your contractor is threatening to walk out because you’re running more than two weeks behind schedule, and he’s got another job lined up he doesn’t want to risk losing while sitting around waiting on you.

How to be frugal: Definitely do some serious comparison shopping, but don’t forget to consider delivery times and prices as part of the equation. Once you’ve identified the most-value-for-your-money price, lock it in.

Otherwise, you risk costly delays and disappointing results if you keep waiting for a lower price.

Focusing Only on the Bottom Line When You Get a Bid:

Crooked countertops. Misaligned tiles. Paint that warps and cracks if it’s even the slightest bit humid. Cheap contractors often cut corners to give you that low quote — and fixing their errors is definitely not cheap.

How to be frugal:

• Make sure each bid has the same line items.
• Ask why high prices are high and low prices are low.
• Check references.
• Scour online reviews.

Putting Off Maintenance Tasks to Save Money:

You know you’re supposed to keep your gutters clear, but, geez, it’s like your trees are laughing at you and raining down debris as soon as you get them clear. You don’t have the time to deal with it, so you’re going to have to pay a pro.

That being the case, what’s the real harm in waiting until the end of the leaf-falling season to clear the gutters? Pay to have it done once instead of twice or thrice? That’s how to save, right?

While you’re waiting for all the leaves to fall, your gutters already are full. And that means water could already be sneaking into your foundation because it’s spilling over the sides instead of through the downspouts that take water away from your foundation. Clogged gutters can also damage your gutter system, forcing you to replace part of it or suffer even more costly damage. A clogged gutter can also create an ice dam, which can slowly release water into your home’s walls and roof causing thousands in damage. So much for saving a couple of hundred of dollars.

How to be frugal: Anticipate maintenance costs, knowing that they are insurance against more costly repairs. Build them into your budget so they don’t feel like unexpected expenses.

Overestimating Your DIY Skills:

When you got the bid for refinishing your hardwood floors, you thought, “Why not do it myself and save that $5K?” So off you go to your big-box store to rent a sander. How hard could it really be?

You’d be surprised. You could create dings, dents, and even valleys if you’re not sure what you’re doing. And keeping it dust-free during the polyurethane stage is practically impossible unless you’re such a neat freak that no speck stands a chance.

It’s not just the sander. Other powerful tools, like power washers and lawn aerators, can cause more harm than good in the hands of amateurs.

How to be frugal: Concede that sometimes paying someone else really is the better fiscal thing to do. If you ruin your floors, you’ve hurt your home’s value. If you sell, you might not get the best price. Or you’ll have to replace the floors completely, which would cost more than hiring a pro in the first place. Research the difficulty of projects and tools before committing to them.

No one wants to be a cheapskate. Now you can be sure you’re not.

The 7 worst habits homeowners need to break now!

March 18, 2017

By: Jamie Wiebe

Guilty of buying cheap stuff? Pack-ratting? Here’s how to change your ways.

A date with a glass of wine and your favorite curry dish while watching the latest season of “Orange Is the New Black” may seem like the perfect way to spend your evening — until you hear something alive in that leaning tower of plates you’ve been ignoring all week.

Why, oh why, do you keep procrastinating dish cleanup night after night?!

Don’t beat yourself up too much. Bad habits are just way easier to maintain than good ones. They’re “the opposite of what makes you happy. They’re what make you miserable,” says M.J. Ryan, author of “Habit Changers: 81 Game-Changing Mantras to Mindfully Realize Your Goals.” Especially when they cost you money.

Here are 7 bad habits to break now for a happier you and a fatter bank account:

1. Showering Without Precautions:

Spending 20 minutes in the steam may be good for your pores, but it’s also great for mold and mildew. Run the exhaust fan while you’re singing in the shower, squeegee the walls afterward, and scrub that grout every few months.

“Once you let the grout go, it gets worse and worse, and harder and harder to maintain,” says Mylène Merlo, a REALTOR® in San Diego. Grungy grout is a big turnoff for buyers. And redoing it is a pain and expensive to hire out.

2. Keeping Out the Sun:

Shutting your shades on winter days might seem smart. More insulation from the chilly weather, right? Your energy bill disagrees. A sunny window can warm your home and lower your heating costs. And as a bonus, you could see a decrease in seasonal depression.

But your original idea wasn’t totally wrong. Closing those blinds at night can keep your home toasty.

3. Compulsively Buying Bargains:

Finding a deal feels so good, but cheaper isn’t always better. In fact, budget buys might cost you more in the long run. For instance, dollar paintbrushes will leave annoying streaks, requiring a costly re-do.

And when it comes to appliances, permit a little splurge — especially if selling your home is on the horizon.

“I always err with going for high-quality appliances,” Merlo says. “There is a noticeable difference between the cheapest and next-cheapest models. And buyers want to see stainless steel.”

4. Running a Half-Full Dishwasher:

You get a gold star for always remembering to start your dishwasher before bed, right? Clean dishes every morning! Go you! Yeah, about that: Your dishwasher wastes water unless it’s completely full.

Dishwashers do save more water than washing by hand (just try telling that to your mom), but most machines use the same amount of water regardless of how many plates you’ve stuffed inside, making a half-empty cycle significantly less efficient. For a household of one or two, once a day can be overkill.

5. Mega-Mulching:

A “tree volcano” might sound like a grand ol’ time, but it’s actually damaging your foliage. Too much mulch suffocates your tree, causing root rot and welcoming invasive insects. REALTOR® TipYour precious trees really are precious. Each one can add $2,000 or more to your home’s value while saving on energy costs.Read More InPlant Trees to Save Energy and Grow ValueProtect your precious trees by packing mulch loosely, letting water filter properly toward the trunk.

6. Going on a Remodeling Rampage:

Don’t break out the sledgehammer for a demo three weeks after moving in unless your home needs serious, obvious work. Give yourself time to understand the home’s quirks before renovating.

“You don’t know what your needs are when you first move into a home,” says Merlo. “You should live there for at least six months to figure out the space you need. If you do too much too soon, you’ll regret it.”

For instance, you could dump $15,000 into a kitchen remodel — only to realize the original layout would have worked better for holiday parties. Or you paint a room your favorite color, Wild Plum, only to realize the natural light in the room makes it look more like Rotten Plum. Whoops.

7. Packratting:

You know clutter is bad, but you just… can’t… help it. You had to put that unused exercise bike in the spare room instead of by the road as a freebie because what if? Plus, there’s so much in there already, and decluttering seems like such an insurmountable goal — even though every jam-packed square foot is space you can’t enjoy.

If the task seems impossible, Ryan recommends starting small.

“Do one small thing,” she says. “Clean out a drawer or reorganize your counter, and then you feel the satisfaction of having done it. It becomes easier to do the next small thing.”

Just remember: Breaking habits takes time and a lot of slip-ups. “It’s important to be kind to ourselves when we blow it,” Ryan says. “When we create new habits, we’re building new wiring, but it’s not like the old wiring disappears. Don’t turn goof-ups into give-ups.”

Thinking of taking the lowest bid? 5 tips from homeowners who did!

March 15, 2017

By: Stacey Freed

How to tell if that low remodeling bid is a bargain — or not.

All Ed and Sheila Dornan wanted was to create a gracious entryway in their modest Ypsilanti, Mich., home. And because they’d had a wonderful experience with a local contractor before, they assumed everything would go just fine.

But this time, they chose a contractor who made a far lower bid than the others. Any guesses where this story is headed?

They said they were in a big hurry, and they thought [my estimate] was too high,” recalls remodeler Debra Moore, owner of Custom Design/Build in Ann Arbor. The Dornans had hired Moore a while back to upgrade their home’s exterior and renovate the master suite and family room.

But this time, the work was more complicated because it involved removing two structural walls, which had the domino effect of relocating electrical lines and heating ducts (never a cheap endeavor).

The Dornans chose a contractor’s bid that promised to do the work for less than half what Moore said it would cost — and in less time than her eight-week estimate.

A year later, their house was still under construction. They realized they’d made a big mistake.

It was a tough way to learn the perils of taking the lowest bid, but their experience provides a lot of insight on how to tell if a low bid is the real deal, or if it’s a giant red flag.

Here are five tips to help you avoid the same pitfalls as the Dornans

#1 Properly Vet Your Project:

Dreaming of an entirely brand-new kitchen? Thinking that $25,000 you’ve saved up ought to do it? When your highest bid comes in at $64,000 and the lowest at $29,000, you’re bound to snag the lowest bid because it’s the closest to meeting your expectations — even though your expectations are way off.

Research what projects cost in advance. Check out the National Association of REALTORS®’ Remodeling Impact Report (full disclosure: NAR is HouseLogic’s sponsor), which can help you get a guesstimate of how much various projects cost. For a complete kitchen renovation, for example, you’d learn that $60,000 is the average cost.

Suddenly that low bid looks more troubling than the high one.

#2 Properly Vet Your Contractor:

The Dornans’ low-bidding contractor was charming and a good salesperson, but, as it turned out, he wasn’t good at estimating costs or overseeing subcontractors.

Picking a contractor shouldn’t be purely a personality contest. That referral from a trusted friend seems like a great way to pick a contractor, but it has its faults.

“Whenever you get a reference,” Moore says, “check that the type of work you want done is similar to what the remodeler did for the person referring him or her to you.”

In the Dornans’ case, the friends who referred the low bidder had him do a much smaller project in their home that was nowhere near as complex as their project.

In other words, if you want a custom kitchen, don’t hire the guy who installed your friend’s new front door.

Visit a couple of projects done by the remodeler in question. See if the work is up to your standards and includes the type of changes you want done.

3 other things to know about contractors:

1. Are they licensed and insured? Contractors-license.org can point you in the right direction.
2. Do they belong to a professional association such as the National Association of the Remodeling Industry or the National Association of Homebuilders? That’s an indication they’re vested in their business.
3. What do online reviews from sites such as Angie’s List say?

#3 Compare Apples to Apples on Bids:

Everyone tells you to get bids from three different remodelers — which is smart! — but in order for those three bids to be accurately compared, they’ve got to be detailed, and they have to contain the same details.

“You’ve got to compare apples to apples,” Moore says. For example, if one estimate includes pulling permits and one doesn’t, make sure to ask about that cost. You don’t want a remodeler who’s going to start adding on costs down the road.

The estimate the Dornans got from their remodeler was not very comprehensive. But Moore says, the Dornans’ job included “some tricky structural and trim details that required design expertise and tight project management.” A too-brief bid didn’t account for such challenges and, unsurprisingly, the project reflected that poor planning.

When one contractor includes more detail in their bid, ask all other contractors to explain how they’d cover each of the costs mentioned.

#4 Motivate Contractors With Money:

It’s no secret that money motivates. And if your contractor gets too much too soon, there isn’t much to motivate them to stay on schedule — especially if their low bid has them running over budget.

The Dornans didn’t pay all at once, but their remodeler would periodically ask for money, which they would give him, and then he would disappear for awhile.

“Sometimes when that happens, it could mean that the remodeler figures out he’s in over his head, and then takes on another job to pay for the first one,” Moore says. That causes delays on your job.

The Dornans’ job was big — bigger than the low bidder thought. But if the Dornans had agreed on a payment schedule that required benchmarks and deadlines to be met before handing over more cash, they could have avoided the inconveniences (or been within their rights to fire the contractor).

#5 Build Trust With a Contractor:

Between the poor workmanship and the remodeler skipping off, nearly a year passed and the Dornans’ entry wasn’t completed. The Dornans called Moore back.

It took six more weeks to finally complete the job because Moore had to correct a lot of the previous remodeler’s work. But because the Dornans knew and trusted Moore, they could be confident the work would finally be done — and done well.

Though getting three bids is always wise, factor the trust and personal experience into the bids of those you’ve worked with before. Paying a bit more for someone you know and trust can save a load of grief (and money) down the road.

“The whole episode caused Sheila and me much distress and extra expense,” Ed says. Now, they say, they understand the value of having a contractor they can trust. In fact, they “look on Debra as a good friend.”

Must vs. Lust: What do you really need in your new home?

March 4, 2017

By: Mandi Gubler

The super-simple (and fun) way to separate needs from nice-to-haves.

This article was contributed by Mandi Gubler, a DIYer and home decor blogger, who writes “Vintage Revivals” and believes “your house should look like you and no one else.”

When you embark on the home-buying process, your heart is filled with all the dreams in the world. It’s really easy to get caught up in the “I have to have ___________,  so I’ll cut back somewhere else ” game, even when you don’t actually know where that somewhere else is or if you can realistically cut back there.

This post will show you how to pare down the excess and make sure to get the things you really NEED.

Make a List of Wants:

Start by making a list of everything you want in your house. If you love it, jot it down. Have your spouse or partner do the same thing in a separate document.

Once you and your partner have everything down, start sorting your wants by order of importance. What’s your No. 1? Do you need large windows? How about a sunroom? Double sinks in the master? You get the idea.

Come up with your top 10, and then compare your list to your partner’s top 10. What things appear on both lists? Those items should carry more weight because you both want them in your home.

Highlight the Important Stuff:

Next, look at your list and consider:

• The things that can’t be changed without a massive investment. I’m talking things like square footage, window size, and number of bedrooms. This is your heavyweight list. These things should take priority in your home-buying decision.

• Features that are purely cosmetic, especially things that can be DIYed. These items should be moved waaay down the list or taken off entirely. Backsplash tile, paint color, and lighting can all be changed inexpensively and after you’re living in your house. You don’t want to pass up a fantastic house because you can’t see past a red accent wall.

At this point, you should have a combined list of 10 or so items.

My last tip is to figure out the priority of each one of the items. Ask yourself, would you be willing to give up item number 4, say, to have item number 5? Would you be willing to give up hardwood floors for a home theater room? This is the hardest question to answer, but it’ll put your must-haves in the right order.

I always picture this activity like an eye appointment when the doctor says, “1 or 2? OK, now 2 or 3?” Do that with your list! Pool or flooring? Flooring or yard size? Yard size or square footage? Make sense?

Bring Your List When You Look at a Home:

As you’re out looking at houses, keep your list handy. Maybe you’re not willing to give up hardwood floors for a jetted tub, but would you be willing to compromise for a jetted tub and extra square footage? Refer back to your must-haves list often. It’s easy to get distracted.

Here’s a quick checklist that I use when searching for a home. If you answer “yes” to all of these, then a “want” may be worth the splurge — that is, if you can be sure that you’ll be able to afford the feature (in terms of your monthly mortgage payments and living expenses).

1. Is it on both of your lists?
2. Is it something that’ll be extremely expensive and difficult to change or add?
3. Would you be willing to sacrifice something else to have it?
4. Would you feel like your house would be incomplete without it?

Happy house hunting!