Decorating Guides

What Is a House Having an Open Floor Plan?

Open floor plans appeal to home buyers looking for flexible living spaces and airy interiors. Great rooms unite kitchens with living spaces, so parents with little children can watch children play whenever they cook, and couples may easily participate guests in meal prep when they amuse. Modern homes frequently feature open floor plans, and some elderly home remodels eliminate walls to open up an interior. History Barns were among the first structures with floor plans. Post and beam construction allowed for cavernous interior spaces created by breaking walls. Before, insufficient insulation and lack of central heating generated open floor plans reveled in colder climates. Rustic cabins used post and beam construction to open up insides, and the prevalence of open floor plans grew after World War II. Architect Cliff May (1909 to 1989) initiated casual living with all the open-floor-plan, ranch-style home he helped encourage and develop. Function Open floor…

Decorating Guides

Suggestions for Fireplace Remodel

If you’ve purchased a pre-owned home, it could have come with a lot of out-of-date decoration. Because fireplaces are built, remodeling is generally a more extensive procedure than just applying a coat of paint, however when the fireplace is the focal point within a space, the money spent on remodeling may be well worth it. Not only can upgrading an important focal point boost your everyday enjoyment of your home, it can aid with resale later on. Replace Old Materials Lava stone was cool at one time, but it hasn’t made an attractive fireplace surround in decades. With any luck, it won’t make a return to popularity. Remove old, outdated surrounding substance and replace with stone, marble or tile which complements the decor of your home. If your fireplace surround is the floor-to-ceiling kind, now may be a good time to replace the bottom half of this fireplace surround with…

Eclectic Homes

Home Warranty Facts

A home warranty from the builder of a new house is intended to protect homeowners from costly repairs for a specified period. While new-home guarantees offer reassurance, they are sometimes misunderstood, which may result in disputes between builder and homeowner. It pays to know just what is covered and for how long, and to supplement a builder’s warranty with additional coverage from a third party if necessary. What is Covered A typical new-home warranty in the builder covers the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) components of the house. Warranties also cover windows, plumbing and electrical systems for workmanship and materials. Siding, drywall, paint, trim and stucco are covered as well. The whole period of protection varies from builder to builder and from component to component. Ordinarily, home warranties cover repairs for one to two decades. Major structural defects that affect the safety of the house are covered for up…

Decorating Guides

How to Design a Modern Living Room

When purchasing a house, or furnishing a newly bought property, consider modern design options. Modern living room design infuses a house space with contemporary style while keeping warmth and comfort. For bringing buyers, entertaining friends or just enjoying peace and quiet, a contemporary aesthetic is relatively simple to achieve with a few basic design know-how. Paint the walls with a soft, light, neutral color. In accordance with American Modern Living, white, white, beige and cream walls are staples of contemporary living room design. Contemporary design is all about minimalism with dynamic pops of color for visual interest. You need your walls to serve as a neutral palette, making it simpler for focal furniture and artwork to be noticed. Maintain the floor neutral and nondescript. Some contemporary living rooms even utilize bare concrete floors, based on HGTV. As with the room’s walls, a neutral-colored floor helps take focus off of this…

Eclectic Homes

What Increases Property Taxes?

One of the continuing costs of owning a home or business property is paying property taxes to local authorities. Property taxes are essential for financing local authorities and colleges, but they’re also able to add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to a homeowner’s tax burden. Understanding what causes property taxes to grow can help you anticipate future budget and payments accordingly. Home Improvements One of the most significant causes of property tax increases, which can be one of the very despicable, is a increase in the value of a house due to home improvements. Adding a home office, finished basement, or addition to your home will definitely increase its worth at the time of the following assessment. Since assessments determine the worth of the home, and property taxes are based on this value, a greater assessment usually means a higher tax bill. Additional developments, such as adding a garage…

Eclectic Homes

Tax Lien Programs

Purchasing tax filings from county and municipal authorities can offer returns ranging from 10 to 50 per cent or more a year, based on the taxing authority. Holders of tax lien certificates have valid rights into a fixed, stated return or name to your property through the foreclosure process. Although investing in tax exemptions can be rewarding, it may be risky if you do not know the proper techniques needed to be successful. There are lots of programs available to help interested investors with learning tax lien investing. Tax Lien Training Site “The Tax Lien Training Site” is a subscription program for tax lien training. The program provides six one-hour training videos. The movies cover tax lien principles, in addition to step-by-step instructions which include researching tax exemptions on the internet and managing investment risk. This program also offers tax sale lists from several counties in the United States. The…

Budgeting Your Project

FSBO Vs. Realtor

Sellers want to find every dime from the sale of the home that they can. Many sellers think that the commission earned by a realtor is wasted money and decide to sell their house as a FSBO, or even available by owner. In some cases, this may be quite a intelligent choice when you are selling your house, if houses are selling quickly in your area and you are inclined to do the job. Selling a house is far more than just sticking a sign in the yard and signing a generic contract downloaded on the internet. Paperwork There’s a great deal of paperwork involved in a property transaction; both you and the buyer may lose a lot of money and time if it is worded or handled incorrectly. This is especially true concerning particular stipulations, the composed additions to some contracts which act as exceptions to the contract or…

Eclectic Homes

FHA Termite Guidelines

The Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, insures mortgages across the nation and throughout the application enables borrowers to obtain financing with little if any downpayment. The lender needs particular instructions, such as for termites, to confirm that the land is well-built and also to protect its investment. In some areas of the nation, termites are a threat to land and are scrutinized to aid in determining property condition. Termites and other wood-destroying insects destroy property and causes billions in damage each year. Properties must meet with specific criteria concerning termites to qualify for an FHA loan. Termite Inspections Not all properties are subject to termite inspections under FHA. It only needs a termite inspection if the property has signs of termites or the area in which the property is located in is famous for termite activity. Areas with hot climates have more termite activity, even though wood-destroying pests are found…

Budgeting Your Project

Common Mistakes With a Reverse Mortgage

Homeowners 62 and older have the choice to take out a reverse mortgage on their home. A reverse mortgage is based upon the owner's amp & equity;mdash;the amount the house is worth, less any mortgages or home equity loans attached to it—and the owner doesn't need to pay it back so long as the house is her main residence. Borrowing Too Far Lenders charge a reverse mortgage to be arranged by fees, as they do to other types of loans; the bigger the loan, the higher the charges. According to the Federal Trade Commission, taking out a loan means spending money on charges than required. Not Considering Alternatives Loan fees and other expenses can add up to thousands of bucks, therefore it's worthwhile to check at options to a reverse mortgage. A home equity loan or line of credit, as an instance, will need to be repaid sooner, but if…

Eclectic Homes

Is Homeowners Insurance Needed?

Homeowners need insurance as it protects them from costly liability suits, covers them in case of weather- or fire-related damage to their homes, also pays for losses sustained from theft. When a homeowner owes money on his house, he wants to get insurance to protect both himself and the lending company. Homeowners whose homes are completely compensated for also carry insurance to protect themselves financially. Construction Coverage At the minimum, all lenders require the construction of the house to be insured. Policies cover losses from fire and weather, but may not cover a building that’s damaged by earthquake or flood. Homeowners can add protection against these dangers to the policy, which will increase the premium. Conventional insurance policies cover damage from fire, smoke, hail, wind, vandalism and theft. The building is insured for its value. At a volatile housing market, worth can go up or down quickly, and it’s the…