Painting a House Inside and Out - colors

Remember... we told you how important just painting a house could be? Well, this is what a fresh paint does and why:

• Makes the home appear clean and fresh
• Eliminates "old house" odors
• Cover patches and imperfections in walls
• Makes a room addition appear larger and brighter

Plus, remember... Try to choose exterior colors that complement the neighborhood and the period flavor of the house. Avoid interior colors that are too wild or bright. Allow accent pieces in the house to provide the bright colors.

The Kitchen and Renovation

The kitchen has become one of the most popular renovation projects. Almost all kitchens in older homes are small and ill equipped for modern lifestyles. Minor kitchen remodeling can be quite cost efficient and entail as little as new floor coverings and painting of the cabinets. Many manufacturers now offer refinishing kits that replace only the face and doors of the cabinets, leaving the old shelving intact. Minor facelifts can brighten up a kitchen, but will do little to solve major space or functional problems.

Roofing Repair

Nothing will scare a prospective buyer away faster than an unattractive, leaking roof. If the roof is in poor condition, you may have no choice but to replace the roof. But don't expect re-roofing it to add much value to your house. The roof is one of those must do maintenance items. If you are not planning to stay in your house and are doing the remodeling only for a sale, then a stained or unattractive roof can sometimes be improved enough with a good steam cleaning. The same applies to gutters -- if they are in bad shape, their very appearance will hurt the value of your home.

Replacement Windows

Your windows should be in good repair and freshly painted. If you need to replace any windows, make sure you buy ones that suit the architecture of your house. As the price of oil goes up and up, consider ones made out of vinyl (polyvinyl chloride) because they are durable, energy efficient and maintenance free – two qualities that rank high with homebuyers. Realtors estimate that you will get back 85% of the cost of your vinyl replacement windows when you sell your home.