I’m going to take a moment today to review the underlying basis for all of my home makeovers and remodeling projects.
You always need to think in terms of resale, even if you have no intention of selling the house anytime soon. After all, for most people their home is the largest investment they have. I know many people who don’t like to look at their home as an investment — it’s where they live. But particularly in high-housing-cost areas (despite the big downturn in prices), their home is a family’s most valuable asset.
With this mind, you must think in terms of maximizing the value of your remodeling and home improvement projects. I talk a lot about this in both my free special report and my e-book.
The overall price levels of an area will impact the amount of money and the types of upgrades you might want to pursue, depending on your goals, e.g., immediate resale, longer-term resale, or strictly personal enjoyment. For example, you wouldn’t invest $50,000 to replace all the floors with 3/4-inch hardwood, or $100,000 for a fancy swimming pool, if comparable homes in your area sell for $250,000–you simply won’t get your money back.
But in high-cost areas like coastal California, where prices for even modest homes can easily surpass $2 million, a $50,000-100,000 investment in something like a decorative swimming pool/waterscape as an enhancement to your outdoor living area might be worthwhile.
But no matter where you live, many great ideas can be carried out quite inexpensively (by any measure). In fact, some of my favorite improvements have involved, for example, a fresh coat of paint that I did myself, sandblasting and staining the front door, an antique chandelier found in the classifieds, a sofa set from Craig’s List, or Saltillo tile flooring–which is used in many of the finest Spanish, Southwestern, and Mediterranean-style homes but can be bought for as little as a buck per 12-inch tile.
My personal design credo is: Seek simplicity, comfort and value!
Simplicity means muted neutral colors, bright, open, airy, spacious, and uncluttered. Comfort means designing for function, usability, and durability rather than purely for style. And Value means cost-effective quality, i.e., always seeking good quality for a reasonable price.
If you keep this simple phrase in mind, it will go a long ways in helping you to dramatically & affordably transform your house.
