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
photo credit: reubenaingber
photo credit: skvidal
photo credit: billaday
Tweet This Post
by Debra on Saturday, September 20, 2008
Improving your home’s Curb Appeal is one change that you can make that can greatly affect how much you can make if you decide to sell your home. Ranch style homes with courtyards in the front will make your house stand out among other ranchers in the neighborhood.
Anyone who knows about architectural styles knows that ranch style homes are simple, one story houses that have a low profile. There’s very little decoration to them, inside or outside, so they appear plain and non-descript. Consider creating a courtyard for your ranch house to make your landscape more beautiful.
Many ranch style houses are rectangular and asymmetrical. You can change the appearance of your home by adding solid walls to create a courtyard at the entrance. The difference will be amazing, especially if you take as much care with landscaping in front of the wall as you do within the courtyard.
People generally won’t use their front yard much because they don’t have the privacy they desire. Not only will creating an entryway courtyard increase your curb appeal, it can also give you that privacy. Of the exterior of your home will determine the type of courtyard walls you build, so try to match them as closely as possible, or paint the house and wall to match.
Be sure to keep the style of garden appropriate to the style of your home. For example, if your house has a rustic style you don’t want to plant a formal English garden in the courtyard. Keep in mind the temperatures in your area and plan your courtyard garden with plants for your hardiness zone.
Don’t be afraid to include water features within your courtyard if it is in keeping with your home’s style. You may even decide to create an outside seating area around the fountain or small reflecting pool. What could be more relaxing on a warm summer evening than to relax outside with the beauty and sounds of nature around you?
Remember to landscape in front of the courtyard wall that faces the street to make it appealing from the curb. Plant flowers along the walkway to draw the eye to the entrance even though it’s behind the wall.
Some ranch style homes with courtyards have them in the back yard. Many were designed in an L- or U-shape which creates a courtyard area. If this is the case, they probably have an open floor plan with sliding glass doors that open up into the courtyard. By incorporating the courtyard you’ll increase the beauty and curb appeal of your home which could bring you monetary rewards when and if you decide to sell.
photo credit: ZeePack
Tweet This Post
by Debra on Thursday, June 12, 2008
I think we all will agree that wood paneling is going to be a part of owning a ranch style home. It’s just a given that when you walk into a 1950’s ranch… you start looking for the wood paneling and if it’s something you could live with.
This question is from a gal who just can’t live with it and is looking for ways to cover wood paneling.
photo credit: hour
What options are available for refinishing/redecorating wall paneling, OTHER THAN painting or wallpapering?
For physical reasons, I cannot perform all the steps (cleaning, wiping, sanding, base coat and top coats) necessary for painting and do not have any help available.
The paneling is in our den,and is “floor to ceiling” on one wall, and “chair rail down” on the other walls. I’m not sure if it is solid wood or a veneer paneling.
Is there a relatively simple, 1 – or 2 – step “treatment” for the paneling – perhaps like a “white-washing”, stain, colored glaze, colorwash, etc.?
I really have no idea what to do, or how to do it, but I need to keep it very simple.
Have you ever heard of a product called “Paper Illusion” or “Wallpaper Illusions”? It is a wallpaper-type product that is torn into random shapes and sizes and pasted directly on the paneling – they claim it does not require any sanding or prep.
Any help or suggestions would be VERY much appreciated. Thanks soo much! Beth
Of course I went straight to the resident expert… she seems to have had more than her share of paneling and has learned a trick or three about covering it up!
THAT Painter Lady – Tawn spends a lot of time now over at ThatPainterLady.com answering questions… but I talked her into answering one more Paneling Question:
WOW! Well, this is a quandry.
Since the paneling has grooves and you can’t do the major steps to change this I only see one or maybe two “short” options.
Of course, the easiest and most cost-effective way to change the look of a paneled room is to add color by painting the paneling. But..it does involve all those steps that you can’t do. So…let’s move on… 
Paper Illusion looks like a good solution Paper Illusion but I’ve never used their product. While it says you don’t have to put down a paper liner to bridge the grooves (if they are 1/4″ or less) I would be concerned on how well they’d cover up the grooves.
Wallpaper Paper Illusion Multi Colored
You could buy a small amount and then I would certainly try it in an area that doesn’t show. See if it covers it up to your satisfaction and then go for it!
Or
#2 – Painting without the sanding. There are chemicals (like paint) out there that you can apply to the paneling to “de-gloss” the surface. This way, paint will stick, but withoutall that sanding and stuff!
Apply a de-glosser, then paint the walls with Kilz or any other primer/sealer and then paint the walls a solid color using a woolie. It’ll give you a faux finish look and is fairly easy to do.
Woolie #100607 Lambwool Faux Appl Tool
You will never go wrong with this simple inexpensive tool.
THAT Painter Lady has instructions for using a Woolie Pad here:
What sort of faux painting would you use on very rough textured walls?
I know you said “other than painting” but you can’t use any of these ways to cover wood paneling successfully without the basic steps of cleaning, sanding, etc.
Tweet This Post
