Many people take advantage of home remodeling to increase their home value. They often sell their property quicker and at a higher price thanks to their home remodeling achievements. Many times you can earn $2-3 on every $1 you spend. That means remodeling your home can actually earn you money.

The problem is most people aren’t sure where to start with their home remodeling project. The two most popular areas to increase home value via remodeling are:

• Kitchen Remodeling
• Bathroom Remodeling

The wonderful thing about these two areas of home remodeling is they aren’t very large in nature. Unlike opening a den where you need to remove walls, a bathroom remodeling or kitchen remodeling project is done on a smaller scale. As a result, you don’t have to spend nearly as much money on your home remodeling project to make your house look fresh and new.

But let’s discuss some specific projects that will increase your home value in these two particular areas.

Kitchen Remodeling

If you’re considering remodeling your kitchen, a good place to start is with the cabinets. That’s because they’re one of the first focal points you notice when entering any kitchen. A fresh coat of paint on any exposed walls also helps. Not only will the room smell fresher, it will look new as well. Other items on your to-do list can include:

• New Appliances
• Stainless Steel Sinks
• New Counter Tops
• New Tiles or Backsplashes
• Hardwood or Laminate Flooring

Kitchen remodeling can also include new furniture such as breakfast nook tables and chairs, island carts, or barstools. You don’t need to spend a small fortune on your kitchen remodeling project. It just needs to appear visually appealing to potential buyers.

Remember, the newer your home appears, the sooner you’ll sell it at a price you want. Remodeling your kitchen is a cost-effective way of doing just that.

Bathroom Remodeling

Much like kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling also increases your home value. Better yet, the bathroom is even smaller in size than the kitchen…at least in most homes. So if you’ve considered remodeling your bathroom to earn more on a home sale, don’t forget the following areas to update:

• Cabinets
• Counter Tops and Vanities
• Sinks
• Flooring and Tile
• Tubs and Showers

Home Remodeling Cuts Taxes 

Another fact that many people don’t realize is there can be an additional benefit to home remodeling when tax time comes. Here’s how it works:

When you earn money on the sale of a home, you’re charged a capital gains tax. What that means is any money you make over the value of a home can be taxed. However, according to the IRS’s Publication 523, Selling Your Home, you can declare certain improvements you made to a home, like kitchen remodeling or bathroom remodeling. This can also include items such as:

• Additions such as bedrooms, bathrooms, decks, garages, porches or patios.
• New plumbing or wiring.
• Any new heating and/or air conditioning units.
• Interior upgrades such as built-in appliances and wall-to-wall carpeting.
• Exterior upgrades like paving the driveway.

Any tax-acceptable improvements are those that add value to your home and prolong your home’s useful life according to the IRS, not you. So check with your accountant who knows IRS tax law to make sure any home remodeling you do will be covered. In addition, be sure you save receipts so you have proof of cost.

Where To Look For Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Products and Services

If you’re not a do-it-yourselfer, it’s probably best to get quotes from home improvement contractors to help you with your remodeling project. Most of the products needed for your project can be found in various retail outlets or home improvement stores. However, you can likely save the most money by buying discount home remodeling products direct from the manufacturer.

Remember, not only will remodeling your home make it more livable and enjoyable for you, but any renovations you make to your home will increase its sale price…and maybe save you money come tax time too.

LKN Cabinets and Remodeling has “flipped” over 50 homes in the greater Charlotte area before offering fulltime kitchen and bath remodeling to clients. Give them a call www.LKNcabinets.com or 704-232-5169.

When you first think about tiling your walls you may think that it is going to be an easy job, well it isn’t too hard if you know what design you want and how you want it all laid out. But if you don’t then you are going to need to think about it for a while and have a look about for wall tiles that will fit your needs,

Wall tiles can have take so many different designs and styles but also you will want to think about what type of material you would like them to be made from. I would definitely suggest looking at tiles that are ceramic. I suggest this because ceramic tiles are the strongest tiles and most resistant to scratches and damage, they are also easy to maintain.

Ceramic wall tiles are made from clay which are placed into huge ovens which heat the clay to very high temperatures giving the tiles a very hard structure. Due to the way that these tiles are created means that the tiles are very strong and will be able to last quite a long time if they are installed and kept properly. Ceramic wall tiles are very low maintenance because they are so easy to clean and keep in good shape. All you need to do to clean these types of tiles if to wipe them with a wet cloth or a use a mop. Ceramic wall tiles do not hold onto dirt so they do not get dirty easily

You can get wall tiles in many different sizes so you are going to need to think about this when you are deciding which tiles to use, you will probably want to make sure that your tiles are a proportionate size to the room that you are putting them in, for example if you put a lot of large tiles into a small room then the room may look strange and out of place (unless that is the look you are going for).

If you are installing wall tiles and you want to have a curve shape of tiles then I would recommend using mosaic tiles because they are smaller tiles and you can install them a lot easier on a curve than any other tile. This is because the joints for these wall tiles allow the finish to bend rather than bridge therefore it makes sure that the back of the tile is securely fastened to the wall.

Also if you are thinking about installing wall tiles you are going to need to make sure that your wall has a flat surface for you to place them onto, ceramic wall tiles can be placed on pretty much any flat surface. You need to make sure that the wall is going to be able to support all the tiles weight when you put them into place. If the wall doesn’t support the weight then you will need to think about getting the wall reinforced first with a wall board or something along those lines.

Remember to always consult a expert that you know or at your local tiling store before proceeding just to make sure.