There are many ways of giving your home a makeover and many reasons to do so, but one of the best reasons is to make your living space more comfortable, more cozy, and more like home. One often neglected area during renovations is the bedroom – we all think of redoing our kitchens, our bathrooms and even the living rooms. But when it comes to our bedrooms, we don’t seem to want to change anything about it. Perhaps it is the fact that not many people see your bedroom; perhaps it is because you don’t think renovating your bedroom adds to the value of your home; whatever the reason, it’s time to put it to bed and use these five simple and easy ways to redo your bedroom:

• Revamp the curtains: If your bedroom windows are large, use curtains to good effect to dress up your room. Instead of going in for the readymade stuff available in stores, buy suitable material and get them stitched to match the size and tone of your windows. When you color code your curtains and the walls in your room, you provide a first and lasting effect to people who walk in.
• Invest in new bed sheets and covers: Do up your bed in bright colors and bold textures, suitably in colors that match your wall and curtains. And make sure you have more than just one pillow on the bed. Put a few on the cover just for effect, and make sure your bed is neat at all times, except when you’re in it off course.
• Use a carpet to good effect: A small carpet that fits in by the side of your bed or under your table in the bedroom makes a good addition to any bedroom. Make sure the carpet is soft to step on because it’s what you’re going to be stepping in every morning when you wake up.
• Throw in some personal effects: No bedroom is perfect without a few personal effects, so put up some pictures in vantage positions. Bring in a lamp for your table and keep a vase of fresh flowers on your window sill or on the bedside table. If you like to read, bring in a book case as well, one that goes with the décor of your room.
• Do up your lighting: The best way to provide your bedroom with both comfort and good looks is through the lighting – get help from a professional as to where to position your lights so that they are bright enough without being obtrusive. When your bedroom is well lit, yet not too bright, it shows all your other accessories in good light, literally.

This guest article was written by Elizabeth Johnson, who regularly writes on the topic of online construction management degrees.

If you’re selling your home, or thinking of selling your home, you probably are facing a fierce competitor — that foreclosed home down the street.

The bank is eager to get rid of it. So the biggest challenge you’ll face is price, and price is something you’ll have to come to grips with early in the process.

However, there are ways you can set your property apart from foreclosures and give yourself an edge when sellers are comparing properties.

1. First, see if your neighborhood has foreclosed properties — if you can, you might want to wait until they are sold before listing your home.

Next, figure out a suitable price. Appraisers no longer take into account if a home next to yours is a foreclosure — a comp is a comp. Simply put, the risk factor of buying a foreclosure is no longer considered as high. Also, buyers can still do due diligence on the home — they have the time to do an inspection of the home, and they can still back out of a deal if something risky arises in the process.

2. The one factor where your home will stand out is its livability. A vacant home feels cold and sterile, while one that’s occupied has a cozier feel that’s more attractive to would-be buyers. Exercise this advantage when showing your home, and put extra effort into staging.

3. With all of the foreclosures on the market, many of these homes are being seen at their worst. Keep your home nice and clean and well-maintained. If people can see clearly that it’s a well-cared-for home — and will have fewer potential headaches for them — it will attract more positive attention.

4. Keep a vivid paper trail and photos of work, like any remodeling work, that you’ve done on your home to show potential buyers. This kind of information can be hard to track down on a foreclosure. This will increase buyers’ confidence about considering your home for purchase.

5. Finally, get real about the new market. Things are getting better, but there are still challenges for buyers, including the challenges of nailing down home loans. Be respectful of that.

And buyers themselves are very aggressive about getting a good deal. So don’t be insulted by a low offer; work with any offer to see if you can meet halfway. You know the bank will be doing the same with its foreclosure.

Source: Relocation.com

It’s not surprising that pools are most popular in California, Arizona, and Florida, where the summers are hot and the year-round temperature warm. But even though the National Association of REALTORS® say pools can add as much as 8 percent to the value of a home in these states, not all home buyers will see the value. Families with young children, older home buyers, or those not interested in the upkeep of a pool may not even consider a pool home. Of course, in areas where the winters are cold, a pool can even detract from the home value.

Yet, it’s hard to overlook the benefits of a pool, especially when you live in Florida like I do. It’s a great way to cool off in hot weather, they are a great focal point for entertaining, and let’s face it, kids love them. So if you’re thinking about installing a pool, do it for the fun factor if it’s something you desire, not as a tactic to increase your home’s value or attract buyers.

If you watch Curb Appeal on HGTV, you may think improving your home’s curb appeal requires expensive upgrades.  There’s no doubt that adding faux stone to the exterior or adding a covered front porch will seriously spiff up your home’s curb appeal, but these quick and affordable fixes will still do wonders:

Maintain the yard – A few hours of hard work in the lawn makes a big difference.  Keep the lawn mowed, pull weeds, trim shrubs and trees, and mulch flower beds.

Clean windows inside and out – remove old cobwebs, repair torn screens and broken glass, and pay attention to how your window treatments look from the outside.

Use light for that homey feeling – while your existing light fixtures should be kept clean and in working order, consider installing additional fixtures to illuminate the walkway or landscaping.

Pressure wash surfaces – driveways, walkways, and the exterior walls of your home, including brick and stone, can look brand new with a good pressure washing.

Add finishing touches – nothing says home like a rocking chair on the front porch or a pot of flowers.  Keep walkways and doorways swept, and consider hanging a wreath on the front door.

Remember, your home’s curb appeal will entice prospective buyer’s to take a closer look and even schedule a showing.  Good luck!

When deciding which remodeling projects will get you the most bang for your buck and attract potential homebuyers, opt for the outside.  According to the 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, exterior remodeling projects return the most money as a percentage of cost.

On a national level, wood deck additions and all types of siding replacements returned more than 80 percent of costs upon resale.  Window replacements also return a high percentage of remodeling costs.

Here is a breakdown of the percentage of project costs returned for major remodeling efforts:

Wood Decks – 81.8%
Siding Replacement – more than 80%
Window Replacements – more than 76%
Kitchens – 76%
Bathrooms – 74.4%
Attic-to-Bedroom Conversion – 73.6%
Basement Remodel – 72.7%
Back-Up Power Generators – 57.1%
Sunroom Additions – 56.6%
Home Office Remodels - 54.4%

Of course, the resale value depends on a variety of factors.  Before you begin any remodeling project, whether it’s just a spruce-up or a major remodel, talk to local real estate agents and contractors to determine what is attracting homebuyers. The most important factor is to make sure the home is up to the standard of others in the neighborhood.