Despite a steep decline in home prices, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) reports that many homeowners are still choosing to invest money in their homes, especially for projects "that promote greater energy efficiency and accessibility throughout the home," writes Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA.
Top Home Design Trends for the second quarter of the year include outdoor living spaces, home offices and mud rooms. Of the nearly three hundred residential architects interviewed for the survey, several also reported a decline in specialty rooms such as media rooms/theaters, home workshops, fitness rooms and guest wings, a trend precipitated by an overall decrease in home size.
We wall want to save big during a renovation and because we feature reader tips, tricks, projects and inspiration as often as possible, it's no surprise that I love taking a voyeuristic peek into someone else's home to follow along with a renovation experience that can save save me money.
In the latest installment of the Brownstone Diary, a column published in the Wall Street Journal, I received not just insight into a conversation regarding the validity of having two dishwashers in a kitchen, but also one of the single most valuable tips for anyone going through a renovation.
It's been a few weeks since I checked in with my fellow Kansas Citians over at Dwelling:3918, and what do you know? One post detailing their stone exterior repairs and a Google search later, and I now have a basic understanding of tuckpoint mortar -- and when, as in the case of Dwelling:3918, it can be sloppily done and end up detracting from a stone exterior.
First, a quick tutorial. Tuckpointing mortar is a repair technique used in lieu of replacing an entire brick or stone. The process involves "tucking" mortar into the damaged area with a pointed trowel - see the name inspiration?
There are bound to be some home improvement projects that won't fit into your skill set. They may not even fit into your best friend or neighbor's skill set.
And that means you'll need to hire somebody else.
This is where things can get tricky. DIY enthusiasts know the value of a one-man show, from both a cost and a service perspective. But if we actually need to hire out for something, shouldn't we want to hire a big contractor with all of the necessary equipment and know-how?
What are the risks? And how can we choose right every time?
Pros and Cons
Right off the bat we'll assume that a big contractor is more expensive than the one-man show. It may not always be the case, but let's just assume it is. That's strike one for the big guy.
But often big contractors have multiple crews, allowing for a more flexible schedule--that can be a major pro in their favor.
