Al Heavens is a Haddonfield, N.J.- based, nationally syndicated, home-improvement writer and author whose newspaper columns, magazine articles and books have been the first word on remodeling for 50 million readers for more than three decades. He is the author of What No One Ever Tells You About Renovating Your Home and Remodeling on The Money: Fifteen Innovative Projects Designed to Add Value to Your Home and was “The Gadgeteer” on Discovery Channel’s Home Matters program
Although every month should be home improvement month, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry officially designates May for this purpose.
It makes sense. In most areas of the country, May is the best month for doing anything.
Alaskan ice is melting and the mud in Maine is drying rapidly before the blackflies and mosquitoes begin making outdoor work unpleasant. The desert Southwest and the humid South are not usually as consistently hot, dry, and sticky before Memorial Day as they typically are after the holiday.
Although May is the NARI-designated month, do not be disappointed if contractors you are hoping will pay you a call are too busy. The COVID-19 pandemic has done much more than limit visits to my grandchildren to two weekly Facetime sessions for 14 months. It has increased the demand for remodelers, builders, plumbers, electricians, designers, decorators, and, most importantly, materials.
But, please, I advise that you do your homework and take into consideration these suggestions before you begin your project.
Even I am having difficulty getting people to answer my calls … and I am very picky about whom I hire, requiring pedigrees akin to those of the contestants at the Westminster Dog Show. You should be, too. As I said recently, beware of contractors who are not busy when there is more than enough work for all.
As I also have mentioned at least twice a month since March 2020, limits on movement – working from home and school by Zoom, to name two – have made us more familiar with our homes and their shortcomings. Those with disposable income not reduced by the pandemic and increased by three rounds of federal stimulus payments want changes and want them now.
Some of us procrastinate, which comes with its problems, but the worst thing you can do is rush into something just to get the job out of the way.
The folks at NARI urge you to “think about your renovation project thoroughly from start to finish.” Careful planning of your home improvement projects will enable you to update your home, increase the value of your investment and customize your living space ― all for a lot less than the cost of a new home, they say.
Here is what they mean when they say “think about your renovation project:”
- Look over your property carefully.
- What repairs are needed?
- What improvements would you like to make?
- Think ahead and determine your future needs.
A lot of people think they “know” their property, but too often our knowledge is limited to what we can see. For example, we see that the stairs leading to the patio need to be replaced, and Internet research (done with a wary eye, of course) suggests a possible cost for the work.
When the contractor arrives to provide an estimate, he notices that the problem is not limited to the stairs but extends to the sill, which was in direct contact with wet soil created by water from poorly maintained gutters and downspouts and has rotted so much that it all needs to be replaced.
The price doubles or triples.
Of course, get one or more estimates. Too often, however, homeowners tend to go for the lowest price (ask any contractor) and they get the work they paid for.
Before you improve, repair (see the last four paragraphs). It is foolish to add a third-floor bathroom if the roof above it is leaking or finish a basement if the foundation spews water even when it drizzles.
Say your house is perfect (send me your address because I have never seen one) and you want to make improvements. Make a list and then call a professional for advice. Do not over-improve for the neighborhood, meaning that if you live in an area where two-bedroom starter homes selling for $250,000 are the norm, do not make changes so substantial that you will need to sell yours for twice that much to get some of your money back.
Case in point: I like the idea of a conservatory, but if adding one to the front of your house in a neighborhood of ranchers makes you odd man out, forget it. On the walks I used to replace gym time during the early days of the pandemic, I saw such a house lingering for months on the market while those around it were selling in less than a week.
It was just too different for the neighborhood. One of a kind often has few or no buyers. Do not be cookie-cutter but do not be an acquired taste, either.
Ask the professionals for advice. They should be aware of the latest trends and should be familiar with what is “hot” in your neighborhood.
Although many homeowners are thinking about present needs, they should keep an eye on the future. While Americans traditionally have moved every seven years, the latest trend shows a tendency to remain longer in one place for a host of reasons.
The substantial growth of remodeling activity indicates a desire to increase or renovate space rather than buy a larger house, at least among homeowners in the 30-to-55-year range, and those 65 and older seem to want to stay where they are as well rather than move to “active-adult” housing.
I am from the school of “they will have to carry me out of here,” although my wife has other ideas. Still, when I bought a new trash can the other day, I noticed it came with a 10-year guarantee. When I asked my wife “What do I need that for?” she just rolled her eyes.
If you are considering adding a room or converting an existing one, the experts at NARI recommend thinking about things such as how you plan to use the space and how it flows from and to the next room or to other parts of the house.
Think meat and potatoes (unless you are vegan, of course) – where should the electrical outlets be located, where do you want the telephone jacks and cable hook-ups to be, the kind of lighting required, your current and future storage needs, and “whether you want to include luxury items” in the project, NARI says.
First, no matter how much storage you think you will need, it is never enough. We are a nation of “stuff” collectors. With people increasingly dropping their landlines in favor of smartphones, telephone jack locations are no longer an issue, although you will need to have them for the next owner.
Wifi has made cable placement more flexible as well. As with storage, there are never enough electrical outlets, and I would highly recommend getting rid of older generation wiring even if it is undamaged and usable, because what we will be plugging into those outlets will require the latest of everything.
When talking about trends, NARI focuses on three things: bathrooms, kitchens, tile, and color.
Bathrooms: Considerations include more comfortable features, a preference for showers or baths, and whether there are enough sinks and counter space for everyone.
If you like baths, do you prefer a clawfoot or whirlpool tub, or a tub and shower combination?
Are there enough bathrooms in the house or should you be adding another one – an important consideration when your children reach their teen years?
Storage (I realize that I am mentioning it again, but where do you keep the towels, the extra toilet paper that you hoarded in the first days of the pandemic, the medicines)?
Again, what about lighting? Makeup is my wife’s issue, but I certainly like to have a full view of my face at 6 a.m. when I am shaving. I shave in the downstairs bathroom, which has plenty of on-the-spot lighting, but we are shy, my wife says, of light in the master bath, which is one of the electrical issues being tackled.
Kitchens: How you use your kitchen and how would you like to use it are great starting points for the discussion. NARI is on the ball with this one, realizing as most professionals do that too many people want the kind of kitchen that Julia Child used even though they will never be Julia Child.
If you have pots and pans that you acquired at a tag sale or at a discount outlet, you do not need a 14,000 BTU commercial stove for cooking. The same is true if takeout is your chief source of meals or your idea of cooking is microwave popcorn.
I guess functional with some bells and whistles is the goal for most people.
If there are multiple cooks, the layout is key. If you are a baker, you may need plenty of free counter space to roll out the dough, and it may have to be lower than the rest, to avoid backaches.
Should your kitchen be eat-in or galley? If it is a gathering spot, should it be large enough to accommodate cooks and guests at the same time?
Should it have a desk for family use? And, yet again, what about storage (a kitchen is truly a place that there is never enough, thanks to the increase in bulk buying as well as hoarding in the early days of the pandemic)?
Tile and color: These trends apply to all rooms, including baths and kitchens, NARI says.
Try different shades of paint, for example, white and gray. Neutral colors create a warm and inviting space. Avoid “discord,” such as mixing yellow/gray with blue/white.
Use different types of tiles and surface stones. You can have ceramic with quartz and marble. The use of scale –subway tiles paired with mosaic tiles — help create interest.
I have been doing my own tile work for 40 years, and I am always amazed by its versatility and the amount of creativity its use fosters. If tiling is part of your project, make sure the contractor buys at least 10 percent extra in the event replacements are needed.
Tile styles change every five years, so perhaps even more extra is necessary.
Happy home improvement month. Most of all, good luck.