The worst return on investment with home remodeling projects
Recently I was writing on the return on investment with various remodeling projects, little did I know that someone would turn that on its head and look at the worst return of investments. Bob Villa, once upon a time the host of HGTV's This Old House, wrote that the worst of the worst is a built in home aquarium and to avoid worsening the worst don't even consider turning it into a reptile dwelling. Ugh!
Just slightly better is the addition of built in electronics systems. The problem … (9 comments)
west fargo: Return On Investment With Home Remodeling Projects
- 02/21/13 11:09 PM
The return on investment with home remodeling projects is frequently a concern when planning upgrades and can top 80% or be only for your own enjoyment. Sometimes we overlook the enjoyment factor when looking only at return on investment. Remember, it's your home and should be, well, homey. According to a recent article in RealtorMag, currently one of the best returns is on a new front door, topping 85% while a new deck returns only 77%. If you plan on listing in the near future then maybe the door makes the most sense but if you are not planning on … (4 comments)
west fargo: Don't be swept off of your feet!
- 01/27/13 06:51 AM
A home inspection of any home with a wood burning fixture, be it furnace, stove or fireplace should include a recommendation to have the chimney and flue inspected, and serviced or repaired if warranted, by a certified chimney sweep. Yeah but... since it is a violation of our ethical standards to provide the service or repair ourselves or to recommend a specific provider (appearance of possible conflict of interest) how does our client know who to contact? Our suggestion is to look to the national certifying agencies. There are several with the best know being CSIA, Chimney Safety Institute of America, … (0 comments)
This past weekend I had an opportunity to go to the Fargo Dome where the arena was filled with bouncy slides and dozens of other inflatable fun toys for young kids. Watching our five, “Going on six!”, year old granddaughter expend a seemingly endless amounts of energy dashing from one toy to the next and the obvious joy on her face always makes me smile.
Unfortunately, for me this weekend I had hurt my leg and so I found a table where I could watch the people and happenings. A couple of local … (7 comments)
west fargo: How long before I have to do this again?
- 11/14/11 02:47 PM
Replacing or upgrading the many components in our home is a costly enterprise and one recurring question is always, “How long before I have to do this again?” Frankly, the answer will always be a little fuzzy, even to home inspectors, since it is an average of those that fail right out of the box and those that appear to cling to life far beyond our most outlandish expectations. It also does not take into account the fact that older, simpler machines may be expected to survive longer than newer, more complex units do and that weather and usage may … (0 comments)
Fall is well on us and the leaves are nearly gone. This is the time of year we try our best to seal out the colder weather by making our homes as air tight as we can. Storm windows go up, caulk installed and heating systems fired up for the first time in months. This year, if typical, will see about 170 Americans die from non-vehicle related carbon monoxide poisoning. The majority of these will from poorly maintained or improperly used heating appliances. These are almost 100% preventable. Here is a check list to … (1 comments)
west fargo: A Home Inspector’s day off and a trip to Fargo's Yonker Farm
- 10/09/11 02:30 PM
A Home Inspector’s day off On a rare Saturday off I had the chance to take my family to Yunker Farm in north Fargo for a very nice Fall festival. My daughter loved the children’s museum and I would recommend the fun activities and hands-on learning to any parent looking for an affordable and educational outing. While waiting for my wife and daughter to finish their mini-train ride around the grounds I found myself checking out the house the museum is located in. I couldn't help but notice the poor condition of the roof shingles. Many were missing and I could … (1 comments)
Those beautiful fall colors forming on the trees and shrubs are not just for your enjoyment. They are also a warning that cold weather waits just around the corner. Those, who do not heed the warning, run the risk of spending more money this winter than they need to and not being as warm and cozy as they might like.
These suggestions can help you, and your clients, be as cozy as can be this winter and not break the bank at the same time.
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