Consumer E-Newsletter - 03/20/2007 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
Keeping Your Eye on the Ball: The Financial Benefits of Homeownership
Finding Your Perfect Builder
It IS Easy Being Green — Simple Household Products to Green Your Home
The New American Home 2007 Showcases Cutting-edge Green Technology
Piece by Piece: How Homes Become Green
The Home of the Future: Looking at New Homes in 2015
The Victorian: The British Contribution to American Architecture
When Renovating, Take a Simple Step to Reduce the High Cost of Heating and Cooling Your Home
You Think You've Got Problems Now? Home Headaches You Can Easily Avoid
How Much Can You Expect to Recover From Your Remodeling Investment?
What’s Hot? The International Builders’ Show Had the Scoop
The Vernacular Architecture of the American Southwest
Builders are Bringing Green to the Mainstream
Photo Gallery: Go Green
Blast from the Past: Vintage Bathtub Folds Up Like a Murphy Bed
Did You Know? The Good on Green
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How Much Can You Expect to Recover From Your Remodeling Investment?

While there are many reasons homeowners choose to remodel, the bottom line is that remodeling makes your house more enjoyable to live in. The intangible value of this added pleasure must be considered, along with any resale value you hope to gain. But there is no doubt that as far as improving the sale price of your home, all remodeling projects are not created equal.

A minor kitchen remodel, such as updating obsolete tiling, can mean the difference between selling and not selling your home.

A good rule of thumb is that any remodeling project which brings your home up to the level of the others in your neighborhood is a worthy investment.

For example, if your home has just one bathroom, adding a second bath will probably more than pay for itself when you sell the home, since the average home has two and a half baths.

The same is true for a minor kitchen remodel where you add a few amenities and resurface worn and obsolete tiling, counter tops and cabinets.

Not only will projects such as these raise your home’s value, but they may mean the difference between selling and not selling your home.

Potential buyers will be comparing your home to ones newly built. When planning a remodeling project, you’ll want to look at the design trends and amenities built into new homes. Master bedroom suites, media rooms and improved use of natural light are three trends often found in newly built homes.

Be sure to consider, too, the quality of the craftsmanship. During the housing boom of the last few years, home prices were rising so quickly that even remodeling projects of mediocre quality could raise a home’s value. That’s not the case now, as the economy has leveled out. Buyers are better informed than ever before, and they are demanding a higher level of quality and professionalism.

By making careful choices of projects and contractors, you will ensure that the investment of your hard-earned dollars in a remodeling project is worthwhile.

To find out more about remodeling, or to locate a professional remodeler in your area, visit www.nahb.org/remodel.