How to Design a Home Theater That Can Help Increase Your House's Value

A well-designed home theater can significantly increase your home's value. Not only that, your family and friends will enjoy coming over for an authentic movie theater experience. If you've wanted to build a home theater, there is no reason not to. The following tips can help you to get started.

Location

The optimum sized room for a home theater is 13 feet by 20 feet. A basement or a garage could make the perfect home theater. But, whatever room you choose must be well insulated; this will help keep the noise down and avoid complaints from the neighbors. You'll need to add insulation to the inside of the walls, as well as place acoustic foam tiles on the ceiling and walls. Also, black or another dark color will work best for the acoustic tiles.

Work With a Reputable A/V Company

Not only can an A/V company help you to design your home theater, but they can also provide recommendations for the audio/visual equipment you’ll need. At a minimum, this includes a screen, home theater projector, a speaker system with subwoofers, a blu-ray player, and an AV receiver. Staying within your budget, while building your dream home theater is not an easy task. However, a reputable A/V dealer can help you stay within your budget while building the perfect home theater.

Wiring Your Home Theater

You'll need to wire not only the speakers and the projector, but also the room lighting. The theater lighting needs to be thoughtfully planned, for an authentic movie theater environment. Unless you're very familiar with home wiring, you will probably need to hire an electrician to do the lighting. The typical home theater includes seven to nine speakers, and these must be placed for optimum sound. Your A/V company can advise you on the proper placement of the speakers.

Furnishings and Carpeting

A plush, thick, well-padded carpet will improve the sound and provide additional insulation. For furnishings, you can go with a comfortable sofa or loveseats, as well as with real theater seating. Comfortable reclining chairs are another option. Carefully arrange the furnishings so that everyone will have a great view of the screen. You can also add a refrigerator for beverages and a popcorn machine as a finishing touch.

Once your home theater is complete, invite your friends over to enjoy the show. You can also rest assured that your home theater has increased the value of your home.

How a Successful Bathroom Renovation Can Enhance Your Home

When it's time to give your home a facelift with a few renovations, the bathrooms in your home are a great place to start. If you're looking to sell your home or are planning to sell within the next few years, updating your bathrooms will make selling your home easier.

Nothing stops potential buyers faster than an outdated bathroom. But whether you're selling or not, a bathroom renovation can do wonders for enhancing your home's look, feel, and appeal. Here are a few other ways a successful bathroom renovation can enhance your home.

Save Money

Older toilets, sinks, and fixtures not only look bad, but they're also not very efficient. To add a modern look and style to your bathroom, add a water-efficient toilet and a water-efficient showerhead to save money on utility bills. If you have a large bathroom, consider adding a separate tub and add modern fixtures to sinks.

It's also a good idea to upgrade your sinks and vanity. Dual sink vanities are trendy and make life easier for couples by adding more counter space, storage space, and an extra sink.

Add Value to Your Home

Few things add more value to a home than a freshly renovated bathroom. A minor bathroom renovation can give you an increased return at resale, and it should include a new tub and surrounding tile, new floor tiles, sinks, vanity, toilet, fixtures, and a fresh coat of paint.

Bathroom renovations don't have to cost a fortune to add value to your home. By doing the painting, decorating, and installing fixtures DIY, you can save money on your bathroom renovation. However, keep in mind that some work should be left up to professionals. Skilled labor, such as installing wall and floor tiles and complex plumbing installations should be done by a professional.

Create a More Functional Bathroom

A successful bathroom renovation should create a space that's both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Don't overcrowd the bathroom with too many shelves or other items that take up space, and sure storage is functional and attractive.

Renovating your bathroom is an excellent way to add value to your home while creating a functional and relaxing oasis for the entire family. Careful planning and budgeting are crucial for a successful bathroom renovation, so it's essential to know what you expect from your renovation and what you can afford.

4 Upgrades You'll Likely Need to Make to an Older Home

Depending on your point of view, upgrading an older home can be an exciting venture or a bad dream. If you have the right tools to maximize the positive, upgrades become much friendlier. All homes have one thing in common; functionality. A home worthy of inhabiting should have the bare basics of a safe structure, decent air quality, and clean running water. If a home's structure and overall integrity lacks attention, health risks increase, and home values decrease.

Foundation, Structural, and Air Quality Attention

Foundation problems will encourage further stresses on walls, windows, and doors. It can allow expensive insulation problems to occur as air escapes due to constitutional shifting. Where cracks are viewed inside or outside, the home should be considered under significant stress. A professional estimate for damage is needed to assure the integrity of the home's structural components.

If mold and mildew are an issue, an HVAC company should be contacted immediately to correct the battle between cold and hot air intruding within the home's bones. Heating and cooling a home are more than just about comfort. It is a significant support system for assisting in a home's building materials and interior possessions from degrading. Air-conditioning vents also should be clean, free of condensation and algae to protect against water damage and poor air-quality.

Kitchen Duty

The kitchen is one of the most popular hot spots of the home. It is also a very specific area where safety is a high priority. That means keeping appliances, plumbing and moisture in check. If leaks are an issue, check behind walls where faucet and refrigerator connections are. Often, refrigerators require filter changes. When left unchecked, minor flooding capable of destroying flooring can happen.

Bathroom Duty

Refreshing a bathroom doesn't have to be expensive. Replacing an old toilet, sink bowl, faucet, and flooring can instantly spruce up an older home's atmosphere without breaking the bank. Need a little bathtub TLC? DIY bathtub refinishing won't cost an arm and a leg., while giving a cleaner, more updated look.

Curb Appeal

If you're wondering whether your home needs an outdoor facelift, it probably does. Focus on one thing at a time. Check the latest trends in easy gardening or paint colors. Will that sidewalk put others at risk from uneven stepping? What about addressing old mailboxes, bare grass patches, and dead tree limbs?

Smart home upgrades matter. Spend a little or a lot. Either way, that valued older home will thank you!

How to Get the Most Out of Your Kitchen

During this past year, many restaurants were closed or forced to run at minimum capacity, and a lot of people were forced to cook at home. Parents with children were spending more time in their kitchen than they had ever anticipated. Kitchens come in all different shapes and sizes, and it’s important to make the most of the space you have. Whether small or large, a kitchen is a space where organization and continuity should be a priority to aid in reaching the room’s full potential. Here are a few tips to help your kitchen function as smoothly as possible, and cut down on any wasted space.

Take Advantage of Wall Space

Usually when homeowners start searching for storage space, they only identify the space that’s right in front of them. Wall space can often be an untapped resource for creating storage space within your home and especially your kitchen. When considering using wall space, it’s important to recognize that certain spots within your home are harder to manipulate. Often, interior walls are perfect candidates, so this depends on what you want to use the storage space for. 

In your kitchen, a great start to creating storage space is building shelving within the walls. Open shelves in your kitchen can store almost anything you can think of such as spices, ingredients, plates, and other kitchen items. To get even more use out of your wall space, consider creative ways to use wall racks and hooks. For example, a pegboard is a great way to hang utensils and other kitchen tools. In addition, containers like baskets or trays don’t have to sit on the floor or countertops. Instead, rotate them around and strategically mount them to the wall where deemed fit. You can use these accessories for storage or décor purposes while adding new elements to your home.

Pick the Right Appliances

Regardless of the size of your kitchen, the most essential features are your appliances. It’s crucial to make the most of the space you have and choose the proper appliances, as cooking can become extremely difficult and taxing without them. Homeowners with a smaller kitchen might invest in smaller appliances to save room and make space for other items they might need. In other cases, some homeowners might want to consider appliances that are more sustainable or energy-efficient, which can lead to a drastic reduction in your electricity bills. In fact, investing in energy-efficient appliances can be more cost effective over time, as appliances account for approximately 20% of a homeowner’s electricity bills.

Either way, before purchasing appliances, homeowners must review their budget and how much they are willing to spend. Prior to purchasing, it’s important to plan the layout of your kitchen and measure the spaces where these appliances will be placed. Once you’re ready to make the purchase, homeowners should consider utilizing a home warranty to ensure these often-costly investments stand the test of time. This can create peace of mind for homeowners who are just moving into a new home or are looking for a fresh start.

Consider a Kitchen Renovation

At times, a kitchen can be a make-or-break aspect for people house hunting or looking to buy a new home. Similar to picking the right appliances, starting a kitchen renovation can take a lot of planning and budgeting. It’s imperative to accurately plan out a budget and clearly understand your wants and needs to make your kitchen the best space for you.

When it comes to the actual renovation aspect of the project, leave it up to the professionals. Hiring a contractor will help legitimize the process while saving homeowners from danger and time-consuming labor. Although it may seem like you have to go backward to move forwards, leaving tasks in trustworthy hands will save you a great deal of trouble in the future. In the long run, you will be happy you did the renovation as your kitchen will take on a more personalized and comfortable feel.

Utilize Extra Storage Space 

In order to create more space, take advantage of the often forgotten spaces that a kitchen can provide. Kitchen storage is one thing that some homeowners often overlook and can cause frustration down the line. Utilize the space you have by maximizing your counter space and organizing your pantry. Take inventory or use baskets to label each item, so you know exactly where it is and how much space you need. Try using a pegboard or even wall hangers for items like pots and pans to provide excess room in your cabinets.

You should also consider purchasing a stainless steel drying rack for easy access after washing and drying certain utensils and other commonly used items. For essential cleaning supplies often located under the sink, place a rod underneath where you can hang spray bottles leaving room on the bottom of the sink for other supplies. Though there are plenty of other DIY items that can make your kitchen as organized as possible, these are amongst the most effective.

There is a sense of pride in having a well-organized kitchen that uses efficient ways to distribute space. For homeowners, parents, and caretakers, a kitchen is a place where organization is key to production. These suggestions can be used as resources for finding the most effective ways to approach your kitchen space.