Thinking of selling – RENOVATE YOUR KITCHEN with a Budget friendly makeover

Kitchens are the heart of our homes. Give your kitchen an update without great expense. Remodeling your kitchen can be the budget buster for your home improvement project. In many cases you can bring life to your house without the extreme expense of completely gutting the kitchen and starting over. You must look at your house and especially your kitchen from a whole new perspective. Are you ready for the mind shift?

Next weekend, drive to three open houses. Walk through the homes with the eye of a buyer. Stick with us here. We are opening your eyes and changing your perspective. As you walk through the homes, think about the nice features and the negative ones. Pay particular focus on the kitchen and adjoining rooms.

Drive home immediately after your tour.

Keep your buyer’s hat on. Walk into your house through your front door. No cheating, use the FRONT DOOR. Look at your house with the same discerning eye that you had when you walked through the open houses. What would you do to make your house more appealing? List 10 items. What makes your house special? List those items.

Now lets get to business. Start with the list of items that make your kitchen special. What can you do to make accentuate those features? Make a list.

Now take a look at the list of 10 items that will make your kitchen more appealing. Rank the items in order of expense and effort. Once complete, rank the same list again in order of the effect the change will have on the feel of your house. Look at the three lists that you have compiled. Do you see any items on the ‘make my kitchen appealing’ list that will contribute to accenting the items that make your house most appealing.

We are looking at building your house’s muscle; strengthening its strengths. In other words, we are creating a clearer and more unified focus on the positive features of your home.

5 inexpensive solutions to update your kitchen:

1. The obvious first choice is paint. This is the weekend warrior’s special. Almost anyone can paint a minor portion of their home over a weekend. Myself included; and this is from the voice of a believer that “if I can do the home improvement project, there must be thousands that can do it better.”

Look as paint as a woman looks at her hair. If you get tired of the look, make a change. In fact, paint is more like a haircut than you may think. As with a bad haircut, a poor choice in paint colors can easily be changed. The wrong paint color can be quite forgiving.

There are some simple rules and ideas to keep in mind when painting.

2. Light, Light and More Light. Natural light is the best form. Adding light will alter the feel of your kitchen for the better. Your kitchen will feel larger and more open with the use of natural light.

Adding a solar tube or two is easy and inexpensive. That is if you don’t have another room above your kitchen. If all else fails, add lighting to your kitchen. A thoughtful choice in light fixtures can add the pop you are looking for in your kitchen home improvement project.

3. Cabinet door pulls can give just the right touch to your kitchen. In most cases, affordable door and drawer pulls can be an affordable way to add character to your kitchen.

4. Kitchen faucet is the next item for sprucing up. Not only will a new faucet look good, it will be a functional addition to your kitchen improvement.

5. Appliances can have a big effect on the look and feel of your kitchen. The refrigerator and range are the two most visible appliances. There is no need to worry here. There are tactics to saving on appliances.

With your revised mindset and samples of effective remodeling solutions to improve look of your kitchen at a minimal expense, you are ready to move forward with your budget kitchen remodeling project.

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Refrigerators – there is a lot to know!

Refrigerators now come in a huge array of styles with many optional features so choosing a new one can be a complicated endeavor. Style, mechanics, costs, repairs, energy use, and lifestyle factors all play an important part in how you shop for and ultimately purchase a refrigerator.  

Exterior Configurations

You’ll have many choices where exterior configuration is concerned. Often, the final choice is highly influenced by finances. Refrigerators come in the following shapes and styles:

  • Side-by-side
  • Top freezer conventional
  • Bottom freezer conventional
  • French door
  • Counter-depth
  • Built-in
  • Under-the-counter small units
  • Commercial styles—such as glass front, or triple units

If you’re installing a new refrigerator in an existing kitchen, it’s important to accurately measure the width, depth, and height of the designated space. Allow wiggle room to slide the refrigerator in and out, especially if the space is completely enclosed by cabinets or walls. However, it’s advisable to get the largest unit that will comfortably fit into your space.

It’s important to determine how much space is available in front of the installed refrigerator for opening the door and standing or walking by. Side-by-sides and the new French-door refrigerators are wide-width units; however, since they have narrower doors, they need less space out front. Picture yourself standing in front of the open refrigerator. Are you able to walk past the open door without running into existing cabinets or countertops? If you choose a conventional refrigerator, should the door open to the right or to the left? Remember that many standard refrigerators are deeper than standard cabinets, so they protrude forward past the cabinets.

Counter-depth refrigerators lack some interior space, but recede into the décor of the kitchen for a more finished look. Care must be taken with commercial refrigerators—they can be too wide to carry through a doorway, much less install in the kitchen.

You may want to consider looking for the following exterior features:

  • Trim kits—colored panels, brushed aluminum or stainless steel panels, or cabinetry
  • Special stain-resistant exterior finishes
  • A water filter located behind the base grille
  • A door lock feature
  • A reversible door swing, especially if you move often
  • A “clean back”—condenser coils are located on the bottom of the unit, instead of the back
  • An open-door alarm
  • A through-the-door water and ice dispenser

Interior Features

Judge the interior of a refrigerator by matching it to your family’s needs. What kinds of foods will you be storing? Side-by-sides often are attractive because of their exterior water and ice dispensers, but the narrow lines limit the size of items that can be stored and reduce visibility and access. Does your family love pizza? Most side-by-sides are too narrow to store them. Ditto that large cake pan. When judging the interior of a fridge, look for the following:

  • Is the interior layout convenient and adjustable to your needs?
  • Can you store wide or tall items conveniently?
  • Can large drink bottles be stored in the door?
  • Can you easily reach items at the back of the fridge?
  • Are temperature and humidity controls easy to reach?
  • Is the interior well-lit?
  • Do the available compartments suit your food-storage needs?
  • Are the shelves sturdy, adjustable, and easy-to-clean?
  • Are slide-out shelves available?
  • Are the foods you use the most storable at eye and arm level?

Comparative Costs

Top-freezer refrigerators account for 50% of all refrigerator sales, and are by far the most economical to purchase and maintain. They make good use of space and tend to be energy-efficient. Most models have factory-installed interior icemakers, which are less repair-prone than through-the-door dispensers. 

Bottom-freezer fridges are next in sales, and are still economical. Side-by-sides take a leap in price, but are still cheaper than counter-depth refrigerators. The new French door models are pricey, but desirable for their wide-width interiors and bottom freezers. Built-ins are costly, luxury refrigerators and are often available with designer fronts or cabinet fronts. Commercial refrigerators can cost even more than built-ins, and are for dedicated cooks with state-of-the-art kitchens. As far as finishes are concerned, stainless steel is more expensive than brushed aluminum or basic colors. Custom cabinet fronts are still more expensive.

Potential Repairs

Refrigerators break down much less often than other major appliances, and all brands rate good to excellent in quality. Through-the-door water and ice dispensers are the primary cause for repair calls.

Energy Use

Your refrigerator is probably the top energy consumer in your home. However, due to regulations implemented in 2001, new refrigerators use 60% less energy than those made 25 years ago. If you have a refrigerator that is 15 years old, you should probably consider buying a new model.

When buying a new refrigerator, look for one that is Energy Star® compliant. Many municipalities and utility companies offer rebates if you replace an old refrigerator with an Energy-Star® compliant model. Check with your local utility company for information regarding rebate programs.

Top or bottom freezer models are generally more energy-efficient than side-by-sides. However, because of the through-the-door water and ice dispenser, family members might open the doors less often with a side-by-side, thereby keeping the cold air in. It’s worthwhile to know, however, that the difference in yearly running costs between the most efficient and least efficient models is only about $30 a year.

Here are some tips to help you conserve energy when using your refrigerator:

  • Keep the door shut.
  • Defrost the freezer often if you have a manual defrost. Heed the manufacturer’s instructions; being careless during defrosting can cause damage to the point of destruction.
  • Avoid buying a fridge with a drink and ice dispenser—they use a lot of energy.
  • Buy a fridge with transparent drawers to decrease searching time.
  • Keep the fridge filled 2/3 full, or switch to a smaller fridge.
  • Consider a model with auto-close doors.
  • Don’t overload the refrigerator with food; it cuts down air circulation.
  • Avoid buying a frost-free fridge; it uses more energy.
  • Avoid placing the fridge near a heat source.
  • Never place hot foods in the fridge.
  • Defrost frozen foods in the fridge to boost the cool factor.
  • Consider turning off the butter conditioner—it actually heats.
  • Vacuum the exterior coils often.
  • Wipe the condensation off containers when putting them back in the fridge.
  • Check the seals all the way around the door: Insert a sheet of paper, and close the door. You shouldn’t be able to pull the paper out.
  • Set the temperature between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle is the most important consideration when choosing a refrigerator. How much food will you be storing? What are the container sizes you’ll be storing? What is eye-level for the people in your household? The food you access the most should be stored at eye level. Do you entertain often? Do you need extra space for drinks? Perhaps you should consider purchasing an extra under-the-counter drink fridge. Are you unable to bend over? A bottom-freezer model might be your best option, since a freezer is accessed less often than a refrigerator. Are you a professional cook? If so, you might want to leap into the realm of commercial refrigeration.

A refrigerator is a major investment for your home; yet, refrigerators are more serviceable and energy-efficient than ever, and can provide good service for years. The huge variety of exterior and interior configurations and designer looks can make buying a refrigerator a confusing, but exciting, prospect. Knowing what to look for can give you much peace of mind.

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Seven EASY ways to be less trashy

Who really wants to contribute to our growing landfills? There are things we toss away everyday that make up the bulk of our trash and they don’t even belong in our garbage bins. Here are my Top 7 ways to be less trashy so you can get started today.

 

1) RECYCLE ALL PAPERBOARD

Paperboard is the thin cardboard packaging that holds so many of the items we buy – think cereal boxes, packaging for toys and even tissue boxes. Nearly all curbside recycling programs accept paperboard but many won’t accept pizza boxes. Why? That paperboard generally contains greasy food residue that is not good for the recycling process.

 

2) PAPER IS VALUABLE

Do you recycle all the paper that comes into your home? You know – schoolwork, junk mail, magazines and the like? Remember, all paper is recyclable and that includes coloured paper and those envelopes with the plastic window. The general rule for paper is that if it’s free of food waste, it can be recycled.

 

3) DON’T WASTE THE LEFTOVERS

It might shock you to find out that a third of what goes in our trash bags is food. Instead of letting it go to rot in a landfill, consider composting it instead.

 

4) GIVE ELECTRONICS A SECOND LIFE

E-waste is the fastest growing disposal problem in this country. Electronics contain heavy metals that are both dangerous and valuable. For where in the CRD to drop off old electronics, visit return-it.ca/electronics/locations/ capital-regional-district/. Many businesses will take in old electronics when you buy new.

 

5) REUSE, REUSE, REUSE

Don’t trash what you can reuse. Whether you turn baby-food jars into paint containers, milk cartons into bird feeders, or this year’s holiday cards into next year’s gift tags – there are plenty of ways to get creative with things that might ordinarily wind up in the trash. This goes for sporting equipment, too. There are loads of thrift shops that accept donations of gently used or worn items.

 

6) WHAT ARE YOU (NOT) WEARING?

Well-cared-for clothes hold a lot of value and can be sold to others through consignment shops or online sites such as eBay. If you’re looking to donate them, consider the Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul thrift stores, the WIN stores or Dress for Success programs. Clothes that are worn or torn but not contaminated with chemicals, can be recycled as mixed textiles.

 

7) DON’T SHOP FOR TRASH

Think twice before buying items such as paper plates, bottles of water or food in individual serving sizes. There are less trashy options such as renting or borrowing extra party supplies, buying in bulk and using reusable containers. That way, those items don’t spend decades waiting to decompose in our landfills.

 
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