by Debra on Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Remodeling a ranch house seems to be common these days. People all across the country are taking these familiar houses and remaking them into something new and exciting. Some people are remodeling a ranch house for their own family to enjoy, others are renovating to sell the home and move to something else.
When you’re remodeling a ranch house with plans to sell it, it helps to know which areas of the home will bring you the most return on your investment (ROI). In nearly all cases, it is best to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms before heading to other rooms of the house.
If you can do some of the work yourself by providing “sweat equity,” you will save yourself a good deal of money. You will also be more familiar with what has actually been done in the home whereas you may not be sure if you use outside contractors. To be sure the plumbing and electrical systems remain working, it would be best if you left those elements of the remodel to the professionals.
Ranch Style Home Kitchen Remodel
You may not want to spend a fortune renovating a house just to turn around and sell it, but there are some things that you can do that can greatly increase your chances of interesting potential buyers. Starting in the Kitchen, here are some changes you can make:
- Update the counters. Ranch style homes of the 60s and 70s had Formica countertops which were state-of-the-art at the time. Now people would prefer something more durable than laminates. Look into replacing the countertops with soapstone, tile, stainless steel, or even concrete.
- Uncover the cabinets. It has been a common practice to paint over hardwood cabinetry. Strip the paint off the cabinets and it will give your kitchen an updated and desirable look.
- Replace sinks and faucets. Older sinks may have a certain charm to them but most people want sinks and faucets that are beautiful as well as functional.
Ranch Style Home Bathroom Remodel
Bathrooms are another area of the home that will give you back a good percentage of the money you spend in the renovation.
- Replace the tub. If you can afford it, replacing the bathtub with a spa or whirlpool will appeal to most potential buyers.
- Update the bath fixtures with something beautiful. Nickel and bronze are commonly used today in place of stainless steel and brass. Be aware that some of the bath fixtures can be quite expensive.
Don’t forget that one of the simplest ways of remodeling a ranch house is to paint each room, add new molding, and new flooring. Whether done in the kitchen or bathroom, remodeling a ranch house with plans to sell can be accomplished with the assurance that you will most likely recoup your expenses.
Home Staging: Creating Buyer-Friendly Rooms to Sell Your House
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by Debra on Friday, October 3, 2008
One problem that 1950s ranch style homeowners complain about is the size of the kitchen. Most of the 50s kitchens are small when compared to today’s appliances. That can cause problems when you’re drooling over a new 48” range or industrial size refrigerator.
Before you begin making any plans for renovating your 50s kitchen, establish a budget for new items, cost of materials, and labor. Don’t scrimp on utilities. Be sure to hire a licensed professional to handle your electrical and plumbing needs.
Create a scale drawing of your house particularly your kitchen and the yard on the other side of the kitchen’s exterior wall. Can you safely knock out the exterior wall to enlarge the kitchen? Is the yard large enough for the extension without taking up too much space? What other rooms are on the exterior wall that may be affected by changes you’d like to make?
Write down everything you’d like to do to renovate your 50s kitchen. Do you want new flooring, cabinets, or appliances? Will you need a new sink, trash disposal, or lighting? What about the cost of a new roof as well as wiring, insulation, and siding? Whatever you can think of needs to be replaced, write it down everything.
Prioritize your list. Is a ceiling over the addition more important than a butcher block island? Can you be happy with a lower end set of cabinets and hardware if it means you get the stove you want? Make the decision which aspects of the renovations are “must haves” and which ones are “wishful thinking.”
Look online to find a remodeling cost estimator so you won’t go into price shock when you start talking to a contractor or architect about the renovations you’d like to make. You can find cost estimators at Remodeling My Space, Consumer Reports, or other websites on the internet.
Make the hard choices about how in-depth the renovations will be. Most remodeling cost estimators will have you fill out information and then give you a couple of options to choose from. If you know what is absolutely necessary you’ll be able to make those hard choices when it comes to letting something go so you stay within your budget.
Be sure to get a minimum of three bids for work unless you live in an area that allows homeowners to do that type of work on your own. Any work that you can do will save you money on labor costs.
Don’t feel like you have to choose something just because it is popular. Remember that the kitchen is yours and ultimately it is you and your family that have to be happy with the results.
Comparison shopping can save you a good amount of money. If you have your heart set on a particular range don’t go to the first store that offers them. They may not have the best price. Check with local stores and online to see if you can find the same item for less somewhere else.
It is possible to create your dream 50s kitchen without blowing your budget. Take the time to plan, make hard decisions about everything, and put as much sweat equity into the renovation you can. You may find that your 50s kitchen is everything you dreamed of and you still have money left over for dinner when the work is done.
photo credit: mrbill
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