Thinking about updating your own kitchen? Check out this Kitchen Visualizer Tool – it's a great resource!

1. Remodeling the Kitchen

Most people consider the kitchen to be the heart of the home, and because of this, updates in this room pay off. According to HGTV, you can expect to recoup 60%-120% of your investment on a kitchen remodel, as long as you don’t go overboard. You should never make your kitchen fancier than the rest of the house, or the neighborhood.

2. Bathroom Addition

If your home only has one bathroom, you can recoup a large chunk of your investment by adding another one. HGTV estimates that you can recoup 80%-130% of whatever you spend adding a bathroom.

read the rest of these 7 remodeling ideas here

Note: this is a partnered post and consideration was received for its publication.

House sellers can make terrible mistakes when dealing with property. These errors in judgement and holes in their knowledge can cost them thousands or tens of thousands of pounds and one of the most desperate is the use of a scurrilous estate agent. Regular studies into the behaviour of an average agent rarely show a positive side, simply because of commonly heard falsehoods such as these:

Idyllic/rustic/peaceful

The art of the short property description is a skilled one. And some words and phraseology, while undoubtedly correct, just don’t sell (‘must sell’, for example).

So other, more effervescent wordsmithery is employed, such as ‘manicured gardens’ or ‘elegant’, even if the former is a patch of grass and the latter is about as dignified as an abattoir. The key lesson; don’t believe anything until you’ve seen it with your own two eyes.

“We’ve already had several people looking around the house already”

or

“We had another offer just after yours that was higher, do you want to match it or beat it?”

Two heads of the same beast, both designed to extract more money. They may not have had anyone even look at the property for three months or longer, but it just so happens that on that particular day a glut of visitors decided to book spots. Or bizarrely, table an offer a couple of thousands of pounds north of yours. Totally unproved, of course.

“You like this place, don’t you? We’ll get a good deal for you”

If they’ve picked up on the fact that it’s perfect for you, then they know that they can exploit your emotions, especially if you’ve spent some period of time searching before landing here. Some clients look at 40 houses over a weekend, others get excited by the first they see and don’t search any further – just be careful not to reveal your hand too early.

“Selling a home is too complex for a non-estate agent.”

It’s 2015. Knowledge on every process and step in selling a home can be obtained online, from advice on photography and writing, to templates of forms, to legal clarification. Companies such as HouseSimple.com can also negotiate and manage the entire process for you – it’s worth looking around before diving in.

‘The fffsss sound’

Estate agent David Pollock writes here about this sound that an agent might make, in the form of a sharp intake of breath, when a buyer puts in a low offer. Sometimes that one sound convinces the buyer that their bid is unrealistic or silly and they bump up the price, costing them several thousand pounds in the process.

“You have to get a mortgage with xx company for this house”

“…because I’ll get a commission that way” is the unsaid communication. Many estate agents have connections with mortgage companies and are keen to pick up a little slice of the transaction. Do your own research and look for a lower mortgage rate than what your agent has ‘found.’

“We’ve searched all the mortgage companies and arrived at the best deal”

…which is coincidentally the same mortgage provider mentioned above. It’s very possible that they have scanned hundreds of lenders for deals, but not all of them will benefit the agent or broker.

Before signing up to a mortgage that could cost you thousands of pounds, have a quick search on the Internet, using exactly the same information you gave the estate agent. You might be surprised.

partnered post • CC-licensed photograph by Paul Mison

Note: this is a partnered post and consideration was received for its publication. Creative Commons-licensed photograph by Benny Lin.

There are so many options for improving your home’s interior. Painting the walls, reupholstering furniture, adding new decor elements, and dealing with clutter are all excellent options for giving the interior a “facelift,” as is purchasing and installing new flooring. The decision to renovate floors easily tops the list of most-desired interior home improvements, as it looks fabulous and contributes to a more streamlined appearance; it can also give a big boost in resale. Hardwood floors are particularly pleasing to the eye, and offer an array of benefits few other flooring options can compete with.

Let’s take a deeper look at the benefits of “switching up” your flooring:

Mold Removal

One of the problems with carpets and laminate flooring is the potential for mold growth. Mold thrives in dark, damp conditions, and if floors get wet enough, water soaks through carpeting or floor boards. This resulting mold growth can cause a number of health issues, most of which are related to allergies and respiratory health. When found in large amounts, professional removal is required to prevent additional inhalation of spores. The decision to renovate flooring allows you to identify areas of growth and deal with the issue rather than unintentionally allowing it to get worse.

Less Allergens

The decision to renovate with hardwood flooring and other options such as cork and vinyl flooring results in a serious reduction in allergens. Carpets provide optimal environments for dust, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens to collect, thus increasing allergy problems. Family members with allergy issues continue to suffer, and even those without a history of allergies find themselves sneezing and wiping their eyes. Choosing hardwood and similar flooring options is therefore a great way to decrease your home’s allergen content.

Increased Home Value

Another reason to improve your home’s interior via new flooring, and perhaps the most important for those homeowners thinking of selling in the next few years: It can increase a home’s value dramatically. This is particularly true of hardwood flooring, something the vast majority of homebuyers look for.

Give your home the interior makeover it deserves! Contact GoHaus today for information about wholesale wood flooring and hardwood prices.