Christmas is around the corner!
What not ask for a remodeled Kitchen or that new Sun
Room that you have been wanting to add on to the
house.
You will just have to ask Santa if one of these ideas or
another one strikes you as a great idea!!!
Better get your request in!! Might take longer than the
sled Santa is building for your son or daughter!
6 Smart Ways To Splurge on Your Home Remodel
A little luxury goes a long way toward making your home truly your castle — and more marketable when it’s time to sell.
Every remodel should add value to your home; that’s our mantra. But HouseLogic knows that some luxuries just make your home life sweeter and easier — and there’s terrific value in that, too.
Here are some of our favorite remodeling splurges that are great for your life now and someday may pique a buyer’s interest.
1. Central Vac (aka Whole-House Vacuum)
What: A super-suction, built-in vacuum system that features convenient inlet ports throughout the house where you plug in 25-to-50-foot lightweight vacuum hoses. The collection bin is usually located in a basement or garage.
Why: No more dragging heavy vacuum cleaners up and down stairs and throughout the house. With central vacs all you need to schlepp is a lightweight hose fitted with a power brush.
Central vacs have up to five times the suction power of portable vacuums, and they store dust far away from where it’s collected — great for allergy sufferers. Some high-tech systems have retractable hoses that disappear into the wall.
Tip: Make sure you have enough ports — at least one for every 500 sq. ft.
How much: $1,500-$2,500 to retrofit a house; add about $500 for retractable hose.
2. Steam Shower
What: A sealed shower attached to a steam generator that turns the stall into a steam room. You can build a steam shower from scratch or buy a prefab fiberglass unit.
Why: Steam relaxes, opens sinuses, soothes muscles, and cleans pores. Installing a steam shower is a major project that includes wiring for the generator; vapor-proofing walls, floors, and ceiling; installing a tightly-fitting door; and having a bathroom fan outside the shower to suck up the extra humidity.
Tip: A sloped ceiling in the shower room ensures that condensation runs off.
How much: Fiberglass unit: $1,000-$5,000; framed-in unit and generator: $7,000-$10,000.
3. Heated Bathroom Floors
What: Thin, thermostatically-controlled electric radiant mats that install under tile.
Why: No more cold tootsies when stepping out of the shower in the morning. Many systems come with timers so warm bathroom floors await you each morning.
Tip: Heated floors help stem mold growth in humid places.
How much: $15.59/sq. ft. for material and installation (not counting cost of tile or adding 20-amp GFCI dedicated circuit with 110 volts, $97-$245).
Related: More About Radiant Heat
4. Super Skylights
What: Roof windows that let sunlight in. Upscale models feature insulated glass, solar-powered shades, and rain sensors that’ll automatically close an open skylight in bad weather.
Why: Nobody likes dark, dreary rooms and hallways. Skylights let the sun shine into areas you can’t brighten with windows — hallways, interior rooms, even closets. Skylights save you money on heating, cooling, and lighting bills.
Tip: If you plan to open and close skylights, order screens to keep out bugs and roof debris.
How much: $500-$3,500 (depending on size, glazing, and complexity) installed.
5. Towel Warming Drawer
What: A stainless steel, heated drawer that slips into cabinetry, plugs into an outlet, and warms towels.
Why: Because there’s nothing more snuggly than wrapping a warm towel around you after a bath or shower.
Tip: Towels take time to heat up — some people say as much as 45 minutes — so you’ll have to plan ahead to have a toasty one ready when you are.
How much: $1,700-$3,400.
6. Whole-House Electrostatic Filters
What: Also called “electrostatic precipitators,” these dust-removing wonders are incorporated into your HVAC ductwork. They charge polluted air with a high-voltage current, and then collect particles on plates with the opposite charge. Great at removing tiny particles that slip through regular fiberglass filters.
Why: Whole-house electrostatic filters remove smoke, dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and dust, improving air quality and health. But they also create ozone as a byproduct which is a lung irritant, so the health benefits could be a wash.
Tip: The filters last indefinitely, but you’ll have to clean the plates, some say as often as once a week; others advise every 2-3 months.
How much: $600-$1,000 installed.
Related:
These New Homes Focus on Keeping Germs Away
Do You Need to Clean Your Ducts?
What: A super-suction, built-in vacuum system that features convenient inlet ports throughout the house where you plug in 25-to-50-foot lightweight vacuum hoses. The collection bin is usually located in a basement or garage.
Why: No more dragging heavy vacuum cleaners up and down stairs and throughout the house. With central vacs all you need to schlepp is a lightweight hose fitted with a power brush.
Central vacs have up to five times the suction power of portable vacuums, and they store dust far away from where it’s collected — great for allergy sufferers. Some high-tech systems have retractable hoses that disappear into the wall.
Tip: Make sure you have enough ports — at least one for every 500 sq. ft.
How much: $1,500-$2,500 to retrofit a house; add about $500 for retractable hose.
2. Steam Shower
What: A sealed shower attached to a steam generator that turns the stall into a steam room. You can build a steam shower from scratch or buy a prefab fiberglass unit.
Why: Steam relaxes, opens sinuses, soothes muscles, and cleans pores. Installing a steam shower is a major project that includes wiring for the generator; vapor-proofing walls, floors, and ceiling; installing a tightly-fitting door; and having a bathroom fan outside the shower to suck up the extra humidity.
Tip: A sloped ceiling in the shower room ensures that condensation runs off.
How much: Fiberglass unit: $1,000-$5,000; framed-in unit and generator: $7,000-$10,000.
3. Heated Bathroom Floors
What: Thin, thermostatically-controlled electric radiant mats that install under tile.
Why: No more cold tootsies when stepping out of the shower in the morning. Many systems come with timers so warm bathroom floors await you each morning.
Tip: Heated floors help stem mold growth in humid places.
How much: $15.59/sq. ft. for material and installation (not counting cost of tile or adding 20-amp GFCI dedicated circuit with 110 volts, $97-$245).
Related: More About Radiant Heat
4. Super Skylights
What: Roof windows that let sunlight in. Upscale models feature insulated glass, solar-powered shades, and rain sensors that’ll automatically close an open skylight in bad weather.
Why: Nobody likes dark, dreary rooms and hallways. Skylights let the sun shine into areas you can’t brighten with windows — hallways, interior rooms, even closets. Skylights save you money on heating, cooling, and lighting bills.
Tip: If you plan to open and close skylights, order screens to keep out bugs and roof debris.
How much: $500-$3,500 (depending on size, glazing, and complexity) installed.
5. Towel Warming Drawer
What: A stainless steel, heated drawer that slips into cabinetry, plugs into an outlet, and warms towels.
Why: Because there’s nothing more snuggly than wrapping a warm towel around you after a bath or shower.
Tip: Towels take time to heat up — some people say as much as 45 minutes — so you’ll have to plan ahead to have a toasty one ready when you are.
How much: $1,700-$3,400.
6. Whole-House Electrostatic Filters
What: Also called “electrostatic precipitators,” these dust-removing wonders are incorporated into your HVAC ductwork. They charge polluted air with a high-voltage current, and then collect particles on plates with the opposite charge. Great at removing tiny particles that slip through regular fiberglass filters.
Why: Whole-house electrostatic filters remove smoke, dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and dust, improving air quality and health. But they also create ozone as a byproduct which is a lung irritant, so the health benefits could be a wash.
Tip: The filters last indefinitely, but you’ll have to clean the plates, some say as often as once a week; others advise every 2-3 months.
How much: $600-$1,000 installed.
Related:
These New Homes Focus on Keeping Germs Away
Do You Need to Clean Your Ducts?
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- The only item listed here that's worth having is the electrostatic air filter. They're low maintenance and are easy to access for repairs. The rest have been around for quite some time and are prone to have problems which can be expensive to repair. Most stay broken after the homeowner finds out the cost or discover that nobody is willing to work on them. The central vacs are OK until the homeowners notice that the hose rubs off the paint on door casings and/or get fed up with the ultra-long hose using it then trying to store it. I've been doing painting/remodeling/repairs for 34 years and have removed around a dozen central vacuum systems then patched the walls where their inlets were located. Six still worked and six didn't due to the motors being shot. Eight were missing their hoses and attachments. The four present looked as if they hadn't been used for years. I turned those into dual bin sawdust vacuums (first bin catches the big stuff and the second with the motor catches the fine material) The best skylight is the Sun Tube. It only requires a small hole in the roof deck and the tube is adjustable so it can snake over to where ever you want without having to frame up then finish a tunnel. It's inside dome throws an incredible amount of light 360 degrees.
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