However, before you decide on that old rickety house and breakout all your tools, you need to first understand what you’re getting into. If you don’t have much experience with fixing up homes, there’s a chance you could overlook something so significant that it either blows your budget or makes the home unfixable. Before you buy a fixer upper, be sure you don’t overlook these areas.

Choosing a Fixer Upper Home? Essential Tips to Consider

 

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Inspect the Home’s Foundation

The home’s foundation is one of the most important elements of a home. Damage to the foundation can make the home unstable, be the cause of flooding, or allow rodents and pests to get in and out of the home. Before you decide on a home, be sure that you thoroughly inspect the foundation. Go into the basement and walk along the walls. Look for signs of water damage, cracks, holes, or rotting. You can even look for signs of previous repair, as this will let you know that you may have a potential problem on your hands. If you find any issues, reconsider buying the house carefully. Fixing a foundation can be extremely expensive, as you may need to jack the house up in order to do so.

Look Through the Attic & the Roof

The attic and the roof can say a lot about a home, so you want to be sure you really inspect these areas before deciding to buy. Check the attic and look for signs of water damage or rot. If you notice any, chances are you’ll need to replace the wood in order to keep the home safe and stable. You should also check the roof for signs of damage. If you notice any gaps, holes, warping, or rotting, you’ll need to factor in the cost of roofing materials to your budget.

HVAC – Is the Heating and Air Conditioning Working Correctly?

Chances are you don’t live in an area that offers perfect weather every day, which means that you’ll need a way to warm up or cool down the house. Be sure that you inspect the current HVAC system that’s in place. Look for signs of damage, or even try turning it on to see if it works. You also should make sure the HVAC system is up to code or made to your liking. For example, if the home window air conditioning units, you may want to splurge on a central heating and cooling system instead. If you don’t factor this into your renovation, you could end up with a pricey fix on your hand.

Check the Plumbing Pipes & System

Having underlying plumbing problems can become a major expense. This is why it’s very important you thoroughly inspect the plumbing components of your potential home. Make sure you look for signs of damage, rot, or mold. You should also be sure to turn every faucet on and off to check the water pressure and see how the water drains. If you’re unsure of the home’s plumbing, you can always hire a professional to inspect the home’s system for any issues.

Don’t Make a Home Purchase Blindly

Having a fixer upper can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be a financial nightmare. Be sure that you keep a keen eye on these areas of the home to ensure you’re not buying a money pit.

For more home maintenance tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Ever walked out of your house and locked the door, only to realize that you left your keys inside? Hiding a spare key comes in handy in such cases, and can save you the cost of having to call a locksmith. But where are good hiding places for a key that would be well-hidden and not leave your house vulnerable to being burglarized?

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Locksmiths recommend some of the best places and warn against some of the worst places to hide a key.

Best Hiding Places

1. Buried –

If you have a regularly dug up dirt area, put your key in a small, water-tight jar and put it underground or under the mulch.  Just make sure all the ground in the area looks the same and don’t forget where you put it.

2. Inside a combination lockbox –

Anyone who will take the time to bust open your lockbox would simply bust through the window or door anyhow, so this is a good way to deter those who are not so motivated to rob that they don’t care about noise.

3. In the backyard –

Choose a place that is far from the back door.  Stand there and ask yourself where you would look for a key, then put it somewhere else.

4. In the dog house –

If you have a guard dog, this is especially effective.

5. With a neighbor –

This is one of the best ideas.   More than likely they will be home late at night when you arrive.

When hiding a key, don’t make it easy for burglars to find it. It should be somewhere that you will easily remember where it is, even if you don’t use it until months or years later, but not some place too obvious where someone else could readily find it or come across it accidentally. Make sure when you do need to use it that you put it back right away, so you don’t forget.

Image via

Worst Hiding Places

1. Under the doormat –

The first place they look should be the last place you hide a key.  It’s been in too many movies.

2. Under a potted plant or planter-

– Yes, that’s the second place.

3. Mailbox or under a windowsill –

The mailbox is going to be looked in, some time or other, and nimble fingers will feel all along the house near the door, hoping you didn’t want to get your shoes wet if you lost your key on a rainy night.

4. Anywhere within ten feet of the door it opens –

Farther away than ten feet will give your own personal thief too much to do.  He’ll move on to easier pickings.

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5. A faux rock (especially if it looks pretty fake, or you don’t have other rocks around in your yard) –

As a rule, do not buy anything that is sold for the purpose of hiding a key.  Burglars have seen all the commercials as well.  They’ve likely studied them.

These are common areas that burglars will check when attempting to break in. If one can be original in choosing a hiding place, then burglars will be less likely to find it.

Having a spare key hidden somewhere can save time and frustration, as long as you find a suitable hiding place. Keep it simple enough to remember, but difficult for others to guess. Check every so often to make sure the key is still there and in good shape. Then the next time you accidentally lock yourself out, you will be able to quickly get back in.

Meg Jones works with an emergency locksmith service in Toronto, ON.  Security issues such as losing a key can become life-threatening in very cold winter climates.  Keep yours safe and readily available.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

This is the time of year when people are spring cleaning their homes. With that, there sometimes comes the urge to do a bit of renovating. As you’re looking at the curtains in your living room and kitchen, you may have found yourself thinking about switching over to blinds. After all, the look of them tends to be more modern, you definitely have more control over the natural light in your space and they come in a wide variety of options to choose from including both faux and wood blinds.

Actually, the more thought that you’re putting into updating your window treatments, you are reaching the conclusion that blinds are definitely the way to go. Your online search is proving that you like the “wood look” and you think it’s something that would fit nicely in your home. Now you just need to know if you should go with the faux or the wood.

Before making a final decision, here are three things to consider.

Image via: Decor8 Blog

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Appearance

Fake wood, in many ways, has definitely come a long way. Just think about how many hardwood floor homes you’ve gone into, only to discover that they were actually laminated. Yet, there’s still something very genuine and authentic about real wood and this definitely applies to the difference of appearances when it comes to real wood blinds vs. faux wood ones. Plus, real wood blinds come in a vast variety of colors and stains that simply provide a rustic and timeless feeling to any room. They also tend to be lighter in weight than faux blinds. Plus, faux ones tend to have sizing limitations and over time (because, again, it’s just wood that looks like it’s real), it can turn a shade of yellow.

Cost

If you’ve ever purchased any kind of real wood anything before, then you can probably guess which comes out on top in this department. Real wood blinds are definitely more expensive than faux wood ones are. The main reason is because fake wood blinds are made from synthetic materials. You can go to Blinds.com to get a comparison of the difference in cost between the real thing and the imitations.

Image via: Smith and Noble

Quality

This one may depend on how you define “quality” because wood blinds are, without question, an investment that can be made into your home for years and years to come. However, there are some things about faux blinds that may cause you to want to go with them, instead. For one thing, they are definitely more durable and so if you have children or pets in your house, faux ones would probably be a wiser choice. Another plus is that since they are made to be moisture-resistant, they are the perfect kind of window treatment for rooms that traditionally have more humidity in them like kitchens and bathrooms. Also, being that they’re made from synthetic materials, they are much easier to clean. All you need is a wet cloth to wipe them down with.

So, if you’re looking for a bottom line answer of what is better, it would probably depend on what you’re looking for overall. If you want blinds that are classic and luxurious, go with the wood ones. Oh, but if you want some that are cost-effective and convenient, the faux will, by far, be your better choice.

For more living room and bedroom ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Are you one who enjoys eating inside your kitchen or out of it? I have heard cases for both sides. Many like the convenience of being adjacent to the kitchen to tend to children, and engage with guests when entertaining. While others prefer a separate dining area where they don’t have to see dirty dishes while they eat!

Image courtesy of Dining Room Decorations

What’s your preference? Dining inside your kitchen or dining out?

One from the archives….

Original Entry #311, October 25, 2010

When my husband and I were shopping for houses this time last year it seemed like the trend in new homes was shrinking down the dining room area and adding the space to the kitchen. In some cases it made sense, because the informal dining area was moved into the kitchen or the kitchen island became larger for bar stools.

Although, it also made me think – is the dining room starting to become obsolete and informal dining in the kitchen becoming mainstream? I personally, don’t care for it. While eat in kitchens and kitchen island dining looks glamorous in the magazines… is it realistic or practical. I for one am a pretty neat cook, while others in my house (who shall remain nameless) tend to use every utensil, bowl, and pan in the house when they cook. I would hate to look at all those dirty dishes as I ate!

While some feel the eat in kitchen is perfect for entertaining and with kids to be able to prepare food and have the accessibility to them an arm’s reach away. How do you feel? Eat in kitchen or no?

I’m sure that for some families the new trend fits their lifestyle well. Don’t get me wrong…I love it in pictures!

We opted for the 1987 home that still has the separate kitchen… yep still love it!

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

If you’re in the process of building a home, have you considered whether you will build with traditional wood framing or use metal studs? Today, my Guest Blogger gives tips for selecting framing for your home and weighs the pros and cons of metal versus wood studs.

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Although hard-core, residential builders swear by wood studs when framing a stick-built home, is this really the best choice?  The typical contractor tends to stick with their old, trusted habits instead of seeking out different materials or techniques that might offer additional value to the final owner.  That is, of course, until building codes or a picky client changes their mind.  On the other hand, many potential buyers consider a homemade of organic materials to be of the highest quality; they picture metal studs as something only used in cheap, manufactured homes.  To find out which material really is the biggest stud, take a closer look at both as well as their benefits:

Wood Studs: The Old Standby

Wood studs are used to construct the vertical framework of most buildings, especially older homes.  Usually, a combination of 2X4 and/or 2X6 planks is placed between 12- and 24-inches apart, depending on the building codes, to create both the interior and exterior walls of the structure. Because studs must support the vertical load, or downward weight, of the entire building, lumber designated as a stud is graded to reflect the amount of weight it can hold as well as for visual defects and knot size.

Metal Studs: Time-tested Newcomer or Expensive Joke?

Commercial construction and the manufactured-home industry have used metal studs for years with success.  Most metal studs are made by combining thin sheets of galvanized steel into a plank-like shape that closely resembles a wooden stud.  Aluminum is sometimes used, but this type of metal stud is generally more expensive and heavier that its steel counterpart.  Metal-stud advocates point to the fact that they can be used in exactly the same way that wooden studs are used, but they’re not prone to damage from termites, fire, or rot.  Most expert builders don’t use metal studs for the exterior, load-bearing walls although newer product lines are advertising load-bearing products and charging premium prices for the stronger item.

Which One is the Biggest Stud?

This might just be one of those “chicken or egg” questions.  Both wood and metal studs have significant benefits and some definite drawbacks. Use this list of important features to make the final choice:

• Cost – Prices vary depending on market conditions and current demand, but metal construction is usually more expensive and always requires a higher grade of electrical outlets and junction boxes.
• Durability – Although galvanized-steel studs are coated to prevent rust, most products are only guaranteed against this corrosive condition for about 10 years.  On the other hand, metal studs won’t burn, rot, or become infested with termites.
• Strength – Wood is still considered the clear winner in this category.  Compared to the stiffness of wood, metal studs may feel flimsy until sheetrock is attached to firm up the wall.  Even then, some homeowners find that hanging cabinets or shelving on a wall supported by metal studs is far from trouble free.
• Ease of Installation – Wood studs are easier to cut to size, but metal studs are simple to adjust after they are installed.  Because a metal stud is screwed into a modular grid, it can be easily removed by simply unbolting the item.
• Heating Concerns – This is an important, but often ignored, concern.  Metal, unlike wood, transfers the cold from the outside into the home. In addition to increasing the cost to heat the building, this temperature transfer can cause condensation to build up on the inside of the walls.  If metal studs are used on exterior walls, extra attention should be paid to the insulation needs of the structure.

Like most things, there is no clear winner in the stud competition.  The final choice should be made based on the pros and cons of each type of material and the desires of the final owner.

This guest post is brought to you by DIY Home Center, an online retailer specializing in Deckorators and FastenMaster home building products and accessories.

For more architecture ideas on Stagetecture, click here.