Category Archive 'Housing'

What Can You Do With a Finished Basement?

Housing

The basement remains of of the largely untouched areas of the house. You seldom enter the space other than to tuck away something that will never be used again anyway. Why not make the space into something that you can use? With the aid of professionals from Basementscanada.com, Ontario basement renovation leader, there are all sorts of ways to convert the basement into something that provides benefits. Here are some ideas to consider.

Create a Home Office

Do you currently use a corner of the bedroom as a home office? Maybe you have to set everything up on the dining room table and then put it away when you’re done. Along with being a hassle, it’s easier to lose track of documents and other things that you need.

Convert the basement into a home office and everything can stay exactly where you need it to stay. Include shelving for storing reference books, include space for filing cabinets, and have plenty of space for your devices. A comfortable chair to sit in while you work on a laptop or desktop that’s residing on the desk provides the ideal setting to manage household assets, work on projects, or even manage a home-based business. Best of all, you can close the basement door and not be distracted by any noises coming from the main floor.

Make the Space Into a Guest Suite

Weekend guests usually end up sleeping on the fold-out couch in the den. In some cases, you give up your bedroom and sleep in the den. That’s not the way things have to be if you finish and renovate the basement.

Make the space into a guest suite, including a private bath. Your guests can settle in and enjoy a good night’s sleep in attractive surroundings. They can also enjoy a nice shower in the morning without having to compete with other family members for bathroom space.

The Perfect Place for a Craft Room

If you or someone else in the home is into crafts, finding a place to work can be difficult. The dining room may work, but you feel the compulsion to bundle everything up and shove it into the closet when someone is coming over. A craft room in the basement changes that.

With your own craft room, all the projects can remain where they are. The Ottawa basement remodelling can include storage so you can keep the supplies organized. Also include surfaces where you can lay out larger projects and leave them there until they’re completed. When company comes, close the basement door and no one will be the wiser.

How About an Efficiency Apartment to Rent Out?

Would you like to create a new source of income? It may be possible to rework the basement into an efficiency apartment. With it’s own entrance, tenants could come and go as they please. You in turn have a steady flow of extra money each month. Set aside part of the money for home maintenance and use the rest for something that you would like. Everyone wins.

These are only some ideas of what to do with a renovated basement. Talk with a contractor if you have something particular in mind and see what it would take. In less time than you thought possible, the basement will be space that makes life a little better rather than where you dump things that may never be used again.

Will Replacement Windows Really Benefit Me Financially?

Housing, Personal finance

If you own a home long enough, the day will come when you need to invest in new doors and windows. Even as you begin to pore over a list of window companies in Calgary, there may be some hesitation on your part. Will new windows really bring about much in the way of benefits? Given the condition of the current ones, new windows will do a lot for you financially as well as in other ways. Here are some examples to consider.

Reducing Heating and Cooling Costs

Windows that are worn out are likely allowing a fair amount of air to seep in through cracks and other problem areas. Add in the fact that an older home may still be sporting single pane glass instead of the newer double or triple pane glass and you have one more issue that makes heating and cooling the space more difficult. New windows can change all of that.

New windows get rid of any tiny cracks in the framework as well as between the sashes. With more energy efficient glass in place, you also have a stronger barrier against extreme weather. The result is that your heating and cooling system runs less and still keeps the temperature inside at a comfortable level. Less energy usage translates into lower monthly energy bills.

New Windows and Your Home Insurance

Did you know that your home insurance provider might smile on those new windows with a lot of favor? That’s because the glass of today is not just better suited to keeping out the heat and the cold. It’s also harder to break.

Why does this matter? Windows that make it harder for intruders to get into the home means that you’re less likely to file any claims due to being a victim of a burglary. Some insurance providers are willing to provide discounts if the new windows include features that make the place more secure.

Saving Money on Upkeep and Maintenance

How much are you spending on repairs and general window maintenance right now? Did you know that the right choice of window style and materials could reduce those expenses by a noticeable margin? From eliminating the need to repaint the frames to replacing components that have decayed, smart choices will save a lot in the years to come.

Remember that the new windows are likely to come with something that the old ones don’t provide: a life-time warranty for Edmonton windows. If you do need some type of work in the future, there’s a good chance that the warranty will cover all or most of the expense. That’s another way you save money.

Protecting the Home’s Market Value

You may not be planning on selling the house immediately, but what happens if you decide to move a few years from now? Would your property be able to earn top dollar in the housing market? If you have windows that are in excellent condition, the odds of getting a better asking price are quite real.

While some buyers look for places they can fix up themselves, others are more interested in houses that need little to no work. One look at the windows may be all it takes for a buyer to choose your home over a similar one that will likely need new windows in the next several years.

There’s no doubt that new windows benefit you in more than one way. Talk with a contractor today and see what options are available. With the right choice, those new windows will serve you well for decades.

Home Improvement – What You Need to Know

Housing

When it comes to home improvement, you have to be aware that it is strongly based on your current financial situation. This is the case just because this segment is considered as an investment. So, you have to take suitable measures that will help you cover all of the costs that home repair might cause you. These things often call for unpredictable situations where you have to be extra prepared for every possible situation. But how can you actually achieve this? Well, this is where home improvement loans come into play. This way of financing is proven to be a common solution for the majority of people when they want to repair or renovate their homes.

There are so many things that you have into consideration if you want to successfully deal with this type of loan, so, in order to help you in this process, we have created this guide that will walk you through every single point that is crucial for understanding these loans. So, without any further ado, let’s get right into this.

Finding the Right Loan for Your

This is probably one of the hardest tasks you have to deal with because it will determine the following course of things. Understanding that owning a home is expensive, and if you add on the repair costs, you will definitely have to look for other sources to finance your project. You can see what the experts at bestinstallmentloans.com say regarding the best types of home repair loans that are best suited for your particular needs. Taking this step will allow you to make a well-informed decision that will be crucial in the long run because dealing with loans is a complex responsibility that has to be done the right way.

Doing complete research before you sign your contract will be of a great benefit as well. Further on you can look for the most popular loan options that people are choosing like personal loans, home equity loans, and home equity line of credit. These types of home repair loans are best for a bad credit score.

This approach will definitely help you find the right loan for your specific needs.

How Do Home Improvement Loans Work?

One of the things that you have to pay extra attention to is the fact that you have to qualify to get a home improvement loans. If you are a qualified candidate, then a lender will lend you money that you can use in the home improvement or better-said home repair project that you have been working on. Because it is a loan, you have to repay the money that you have borrowed over a designated period of time.

When dealing with this type of loan, you should take into consideration the interest rate and other possible fees that you should cover over the repayment period of the loan. Another crucial technique that will be of great help in this process is learning to calculate the monthly loan repayment that you are obliged to do.

This is a great tool to incorporate in the beginning stages even before you apply for a home improvement loan qualification. By calculating the monthly rate you will be able to determine whether you are capable of proceeding with the home improvement or home repair services.

When Is a Good Time to Get a Loan?

Well, to deal with this segment you have to think about all of your specific needs in the first place. This refers to what type of improvement are you considering, some minor repairs or a complete home renovation, what is your current financial situation and that what are your financial capabilities.

Further on, you have to think for the long run and as well as your current credit score and history. These factors might determine the loan rate you will end up paying off in the following years. Take into consideration every minor detail regarding your financial situation and the actual state of your home because these factors might end up determining the interest rate and the loan terms you will be offered.

The Bottom Line

When you apply for a home improvement loan you have to be aware that the major deciding factor ends up being your current financial situation and the urgency of your request. Here you should also pay attention to your overall cred score and credit history and also the condition of your home which includes the age of the house and the location.

Another thing that has the power of determining whether you will get higher or lower rates is your equity. Before you make the final decision you have to carefully explore all of the available options regarding this subject.

New Homeowner Expenses to Expect That You Wouldn’t Expect

Housing

“I need to buy a house. Right now is the time to buy my own place.” 

This is what a buddy has been telling me lately. This guy is convinced that he has to buy a house. All that he’s talking about is buying a place and having his own home. He’s so in love with the idea of being a homeowner that he doesn’t really think about much else. He forgets the fact that is job is unstable and that he has little savings. He’s not afraid of the debt. He just wants to own a home to tell people that he owns a home.

So I got into a debate with him, as any good friend would do. I looked past the normal expenses and problems with buying a place.

What are expenses that you should be expecting as a homeowner that you might not expect?

Landscaping.

Landscaping isn’t easy or cheap. You need to always stay on top of your lawn. From the basic grass cutting in the summer to shovelling the snow in the winter. This will cost you time and money.

If you enjoy sleeping in or relaxing, you won’t be too happy with Mother Nature when the snow storms hit and you’re stuck scraping ice off your window.

You’ll also be in for a surprise when you see how much it costs to buy a new lawn mower or just to replace shovels. This is money that you wouldn’t have to spend if you were renting an apartment or living in a condo.

Furniture.

What will you put in your home? Where will people sit or sleep over?

We all overlook furniture because we figure that we can always buy something for cheap or get second-hand items off friends. That’s not the case. In reality, the second you see that extra bedroom, you’re going to want to spruce it up.

Is a couch cheap? Not really. You could easily spend thousands of dollars to fix a place up and furnish it nicely.

Home maintenance.

What about the equipment that makes your home function? Your furnace could break down. A window could break. Anything could break.

Guess what? You’re on the hook for everything. That’s tons of money that you need to spend just to maintain your home. Are you ready for that?

What do you think your expenses will be like? I bet that expenses you never imagined could creep up on you.

What’s the point of all of this? I just want you to sit down, run the numbers, calculate how much you need to buy a home, and then save some more on top of that. You need to have a nice cushion when you buy a home because you don’t want to put your life savings into your mortgage and then have nothing left for anything else.

Why I Decided to Rent My Condo Out

Housing

In early-2010, I finally closed my condo and was given the keys to my very first property. I was excited to be a property owner in my early-20s. I was even more excited about the prospect of renting out the place while I built my equity. Well, I ended up living in the condo for a year and a half. It was the best time of my life. I have many memories from that time.

Eventually the time came to decide what I wanted to do next. I had to answer a few questions about my condo and my life…

Should I become location independent and travel the world?

Should I find a job and settle into my condo?

Should I not do anything?

I wasn’t sure of what to do. I did know that I wanted to blog full-time. I also knew that I needed to cut back on my expenses if I wanted to go all in with blogging. What was I to do? I started to think about the idea of renting out my condo. Below are the pros and cons of my decision to rent out my place.

The reasons against renting out my condo were simple:

  1. Move back with parents. Anyone that has moved out knows how great it is to be on your own. Moving back with your parents is well pretty lame to be honest. I was pretty worried about this.
  2. Less freedom. I won’t get into detail but let’s just say that I did plenty of things that I couldn’t even do if my parents lived on the same street as me!
  3. Uncertainty. I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do next. Would it be a wise move to actually move out? Would I regret my decision in six hours?

These are some serious negatives. I was starting to get pretty nervous about actually giving up my place.

Since I mentioned why I didn’t want to rent the place out, I must share with you why I actually was leaning towards renting out my place:

  • Travel more. I would be able to travel more without the stress of property ownership. I would be able to leave the country and not have to worry about much (aside from the usual tenant issues). I could go on more trips and see more of this amazing world.
  • Save money. I could also save so much money by cutting back on the plethora of costs that come with owning your own place. I would get excited thinking about the savings.
  • Make money. I would be able to make more money by renting the place out. I would also finally be able to focus more on my business since I wouldn’t have to worry so much. Sounded like a win-win to me.

As you can tell, all of the reasons in favor of renting out my place revolved around money.

I chose to rent out my place. I had to suck it up and move back with my parents (technically). Now I spend most of my time at my girlfriend’s place. I’ve also been able to do lots of traveling. I started off by buying a ticket to spend a month in Europe. I went all around Europe until I had to come back. Then in January I went to Cancun. I plan on traveling often now that I decided to rent out my condo.