Are you renovating your home and are anxious about the looming problem of storing your household goods? Space for a growing family or time a new look may lead you to go in for house renovation or remodeling. This requires shifting and packing up your house and then the headache of storing it all safely.

Self storage facilities are the answer to your problem as they provide you with a convenient storage facility with a variety of storage units of different sizes. The advantage of these storage facilities is that you only pay for the time that you utilize its services. The easy 24 hour access and round the clock security takes a weight off your shoulders when you are in the process of renovating your house.

Organizing, packing and piling the boxes may make room in the house but you need to protect your furniture, appliances and valuable collections once the work gets going. Security and handling of house hold goods and furniture becomes a major issue of concern as your precious collections, valuable antique furniture and household goods cannot be left at the mercy of renovators and construction workers.

With many different self storage facilities available in your area, you can check them out and pick the one which suits your requirement for safe storage.

How can you evaluate self storage facilities?

Some points to consider when choosing a safe and secure storage unit to hold your household goods and treasures are:

• Climate controlled storage units

This is essential to protect your furniture and valuable collections from mildew and fungi, during the storage period. So evaluate the ventilation and climate control features. Will you have control over your storage environment?

• Insurance

Does the self storage facility provide you with insurance or do you have to buy a separate insurance cover? It is best to check before signing the lease deed. They might have stringent security but may not protect your goods against fire, floods and natural disasters.
• Security in the storage facility and storage units

If you want to store precious heirlooms and valuable collections, its best to go with a ultra modern self storage facility with state of art security systems. But if you only need to store house hold goods while renovations are underway, you can go for a less expensive self storage unit offering normal security options.

• Moving facilities

Before packing and stacking, it is better to check with the self storage company about their moving facilities. Most of the self storage companies provide for cartage and moving trucks, so you may even be able to negotiate a discount.

It is better to be prepared while packing and organizing your belongings inside the self storage unit.

Handy tips for organizing your valuables and boxes in a self storage facility:

• Judge your storage requirement and discard your junk:

You need to sort out the essential items that need storage and throw out the junk so that you rent the space for storing what you really want to keep. You will save money by renting out less space and then time when you resettle the house.

• Packing and storage inside the storage unit:

Put the heavy unbreakable items be on the floor and pile up the fragile items on the top. Disassemble and store large furniture and appliances to save on space. It is better to store goods in completely covered locked boxes to keep them away from dust and mildew.

As renovation might take some time, it is better to have everything safe, stored and out of the way. After the renovations are done, just arrange to get back your boxes put your home back together again.



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The Canadian government revealed on January 27th, 2009 a temporary Home Renovation Tax Credit. This renovation credit will apply to work done on houses, cottages and condominiums owned for personal use, and projects can range from finishing a basement to remodeling a kitchen, to painting, to laying new sod. This home renovation tax credit works as follows: Homeowners can get a 15% tax credit of up to $1,350  for renovations that  exceed $1,000 up to a maximum of $10,000 worth of work or materials. The renovations must take place and be completed between January 27, 2009 and January 31, 2010 to be eligible for this credit. 
Under this $3-billion program,  you may choose to hire a contractor or to do the work yourself. However, contractors must be registered for the GST so you cannot hire friends or family members. The Canadian government estimates that over 4 million families will take advantage and benefit from this tax credit. 

The Home Renovation Tax Credit was created to encourage Canadians to spend now to help create jobs in industries typically hurt by an economic downturn.

“These measures to support home construction and renovation will help stimulate our construction and building-supplies industries,” Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in his speech.

The tax credit will apply to a variety of home improvements, such as renovating a kitchen, bathroom or basement, new carpet or hardwood floors, building an addition, deck, or fence, installing a new furnace, painting the inside or outside of a house, or laying new sod. Expenses such as building permits, professional services, and equipment rentals are also eligible.

The cost of purchasing furniture, appliances, electronics, or construction equipment do not apply. Routine repairs and maintenance will also not be eligible for the credit. 

Remember that the Home Renovation Tax Credit can be used in conjunction with other government renovation programs. For example, if you plan on making your home more energy-efficient, you may qualify for grants of up to $5,000 under the ecoENERGY Retrofit Program. In addition to this $5,000 grant, you will still be able to claim these renovations under the Home Renovation Tax Credit. The same is true for eligible expenditures that are claimed under the Medical Expense Tax Credit.

Here are some tips if you plan on hiring a contractor to do the renovations for you. Please make sure that your contractor is licensed and ask them to show you their license. Ask for references. A good contractor will be happy to provide you with a list of references as well as pictures showing the type of work they have done in the past. Get more than one quote and get them in writing. The quotes should outline exactly what will be done and how long it will take. Just remember that the lowest quote may not be the best. This contractor may be cutting corners. Ask to see the contractor’s certificate of insurance. A standard insurance would cover worker compensation and third-party liability for everyone on the job as well as damage they may cause. If the contractor does not have insurance, you may be held liable if case of an accident. 

Happy 2009 renovations!



Quick Property Sale

The most popular Split Level house renovations are projects to finish unfinished or partly finished areas, opening up the main floor, updating the kitchen, adding bathrooms to the main (formal living area) floor and to the upper level (bedrooms area).

Many people want to create more openness in the main floor of a split level, which usually consists of living room, dining room, kitchen and possibly a bedroom. Openness can certainly be achieved by removing some of the walls between rooms. You will need to be sure you know which walls are load-bearing walls. For example, you might want more openness between the kitchen and the dining room. Either removing the wall or replacing the wall with a counter will open up the area and feel more spacious. Removing the wall between the living room and dining room can also open up the area and make it more conducive to entertaining.

It is not uncommon for split level homes with four levels to have an unfinished bottom level. Finishing this area is really no different from finishing any basement. It will be important, however, to check on ceiling height early in the planning stages of the project. A number of split level homes have lower ceilings on the bottom floor.

The desire to add a bathroom to any home is quite common. Split levels often offer two important opportunities for bathroom additions. First, most split level homes were not built with a bathroom on the main (formal living area) floor. Many homeowners would like to add at least a half-bath or powder room on the main floor for the comfort and convenience of guests or for elderly or disabled family members. Determining the location of the new bathroom is a challenge in most split levels. Logic and cost-consciousness would suggest locating the new bathroom near (next to, above or below) existing plumbing. This allows you to use existing supply and removal pipes. Depending on the floor plan, however, this might not be workable. Location of pipes to a new bathroom on the main floor will also require some attention to the ceiling height of the floor below (if there is one). If the lower level has typically lower ceilings, placement of plumbing might depend upon where you can run pipes without making the lower level unusable. You can get a quick estimate of the cost to finish a split-level homes basement at www.remodelestimates.com.

Adding a bathroom on the bedroom level is also a very popular renovation to a split level. Many split level homes have only a shared bathroom on this floor. Other designs include a very small master bathroom. Whether your remodeling plan involves adding a second bathroom or enlarging a master bathroom, it will be necessary to sacrifice space somewhere on that floor. Again, you will probably want to try to build the new bathroom close to existing plumbing, if possible to reduce the amount of work required and to control the cost of your renovation. Enlarging a master bathroom in a split level will almost certainly require taking space from the bedroom. One solution might be a bump out or add an addition that spans both the bathroom and the master bedroom. The key to success for remodeling projects is to be organized — try getting an organizer like the one at www.remodelingorganizer.com.

Although split level home designs present some unique challenges to remodelers, with a creative eye to design, careful planning, and attention to detail, most of the changes you might want to make are possible.

Copyright 2007 by ABCD Publishing



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Bathrooms

When getting into a bathroom renovation, it is always better to start from scratch! Newer homes are easy if the builders did everything right. Older homes is another story.

In this chapter we will be referring to older homes that are in serious need of help. The reason is if you can do a bathroom renovation in and older home, you can do any home with a lot less work.

First thing you should do is always access the situation. This is a process that can apply to every renovation project that you decide to take on.

Keep in you mind to remember the first rule it is better to start from Scratch. I always tell people they should gut the Bathroom completely.

You probably already knew I would say that so get the hammer, pry bar if you even know what they are, if not stay away from the local hardware store and go straight to the nearest Home Depot or Lowes store.

You bought this book to renovations in your home so you need good tools that you will need for this job and the next.

Take your hammer and start smashing a straight line down the middle of the back walls first, be careful there is wiring and copper pipes behind those walls. Do not even bring a hammer close to a pipe or wire. Use a little pry bar for those area’s.

Then if you should replace the tube so disconnect the drain and the vent cap. If it is a really old tub that is made of cast iron. Buy a Sludge Hammer and smash away and make sure you were your safety goggles.

Don’t leave anything that you can trip over, you will thank me latter for that.

Now that you have a bare naked bathroom. You can check to see if the wiring is old and the plumbing is leaking. If the plumbing looks old change it! If the wiring is old change it! It is always better to start from scratch! Make sure all drains are vented trough the roof because the smell is toxic and you will not be able to live in that house.

99% of the time when a drain has a really bad smell it is because it is not vented or the pipes are old. Older homes didn’t put vents in back more than 25 years ago. Use PVC drain pipe instead of iron our cooper. It lasts forever. Don’t forget the glue!

Wen soldering cooper water lines make sure you use new pipe, not the you got from a friend. Lead free paste and solder, no 50-50 here you are asking for trouble, and it is against code. You solder all pipes to the shower taps and shower head before you can put anything back together.

I always put in shut-off valves on every tap and line. Lets say you have a leak somewhere. The store is closed and you have to shut the water off to the hole house to fix it. Think first, if there is a shut off on every tap they you can isolate the problem area and still have plenty of water. Sounds better does it not.

Wiring is easy if you can remember a few things. Shut power off to any lines you are working on. Run all wires first before you put up the gypsum board. Make sure all wires have merited ends and all have a proper ground, ground the box too. Why not drywall in the bathroom or the green drywall that they say is water proof. Gypsum board is the blue stuff, just in case somebody tells you different. It is water and mildew resistant.

For the shower tile area use Denishield Boards. They are more expensive but they are water resistant and mildew resistant. Better than cement board that falls apart after 10 years. Cement produces moisture.

Make sure that every joint is taped and adhesive.

Now you can start putting the tub first after running the boards all the way to the floor. The tub should always be anchored to the wall.  Hook up drains and use plumbers putty, even if it has a gasket! Now it will never leak. Always check tapes and joints for any leaks before you close up the walls. Sometimes it may drip just a little, redo the job. At least you have a shut off valve this time.

No leaks you are on your way to freedom now! Drains don’t leak taps don’t leak what are you going to fix? TV remote!

If your going to install a standing shower use the kerdi system. It will be the best 600 after tax you ever spent. I personally use this system all the time. Shower boards should be on top of it, not behind like the tub.

Install a water proof membrane for the floor. If the subfloor needs replacing do this before you do anything you heard before. The membrane should be adhesive to the subfloor and allow 24 hours to dry.

Now the hole bathroom is safe and waterproof.

Choose a tile you wish and tile from the tub to the ceiling. Let dry for 24 hrs. Same thing for shower tiles. If you are using heavy tiles use a product that is made for it. When using marble tiles always use white adhesive. Grey adhesive will change the color of the marble!

If you can tile the floor the same day, if you wish but it is always better to do one area first. If you do the floor at the same time do not walk on the floor for 48-72 hrs.

After installing tiles, grout every joint and push the grout all the way to the wall backing board. This will last forever, if you seal the tiles and grout the next day. You can find different types of sealer and cleaners at the home depot store. For marble the adhesive and the sealer should say right on the bottle for marble. If it doesn’t go somewhere else.

After grouting wait about 20-30 minutes and use a lot of clean water, changing it every time it gets really dirty. You should see a light film on the tiles. Before sealing take a dry towel and dust it off, then seal. For marble seal before and after you grout.

Hey that bathroom is starting to look like something special. 24 hrs after that you can install the vanity and toilet, pot lights, vanity lights, mirror. Make sure all pot lights in the bathroom are waterproof pot lights. Yes you can pot them in the shower too. For a tub install a whirlpool tub for two if you can more room the better. Silicone the grout lines at the lowest joints and everywhere you think water might get in and cause damage.

Congratulations! You now have a spa bathroom remember to install glass shower doors at the end.



Sell and Rent Back

Many homeowners have come to know that remodeling the home is an affordable and cheaper option than to buy a new home. With the cost of new house going up day by day, remodeling is considered to be the best option of getting new look and feel from one’s old house. Home Remodeling design trends for homeowners in Florida have changed and instead of thinking bigger they’re choosing to be smarter. Through renovating, their motivation is not only to update the look and feel of the home, but also to improve the comfort and utility of their space to meet the changing needs of their lifestyle.

Remodeling helps to enhance the look of your home and the task of remodeling is performed to replace the old and traditional material with the fresh and latest one. Florida has many trained and experienced remodeling professional who hold specialization in remodeling of homes as per the clients taste and requirements. Team of experts carries out the designing and construction works after studying the location of the property and do the renovation as per the need of the customer. Some of the major areas of the house that are renovated are kitchens, bathrooms, room additions, floor plan with latest designs and also reconstructing the damaged area of the house. One of the common remodeling that is done in a house in is its entrance. The entrance of the house is renovated by stately covered porticos, columns etc. These not only provide aesthetic up gradation to the house but it also increase the economical value of the house.

Home remodeling team first shows the pre-designed structures to the clients so that they can get their approval and after that only they start the construction work. Careful planning of the home renovation reduces the unexpected things that occur during the renovation. Today’s major need of home remodeling in Florida is to have an airy, well ventilated house with lesser extra walls. The need of fresh air circulation in all the rooms is considered at the first step of planning. These home renovation company of Florida consider all the requirements of clients and perform the renovation as per their needs.

In Florida number of bedrooms and baths vary from person to person and the dinning room and kitchen are connected through the big rooms of the house. Some of the major aspect due to which remodeling is required are, many houses in Florida are not able to handle the scorching sun of summers. Houses should be energy-efficient in its construction. These types of houses surely require remodeling so that the owners can avail maximum comfort and relax at their home. Remodeling also raises the value of your house and the purpose of remodeling the house varies from person to person and the further usage of the property.



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