Is It Worth Your Financial Investment To Finish Your Basement at Home?

>> Feb 17, 2013

If you are already in your new house and you have done the touch-up jobs that we all hate thinking about doing, one of the first questions that always comes up is, ‘Should I finish my basement?” It is a tough question, depending on what you are trying to get out of your house or what you think you might have planned for the house in the future.

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Is your new house something you will be in for five years? 10 years? Forever? Those questions are critical right off the bat in determining whether or not to invest money into making your basement, your ‘man cave’, or just an extra room to entertain friends and family.

Regardless, if you are going to take on the project like many of us have done so, either by trying it ourselves or hiring a contractor, you might want to take a quick look at a real estate investing course to gauge your thoughts on the how-to’s and what-to-do’s.

That being said, let’s take a quick look at whether the investment is going to give you a good Return On Investment, or ROI. Return On Investment is pretty self-explanatory, but you have to be careful before diving into this project to see if it really will make it worth your time and money.

Here are some of the key topics you should mull over before starting the ‘man cave’:

Value of the Finished Basement:

A finished basement will no doubt add value to your home, because it can’t hurt having more space and room, but you need to make sure it is enough to result in a profit. The space is typically large enough, something similar to a couple of rooms combined on the main or upper levels, so it does add great value for the opportunity for an extra bedroom, playroom for the kids, or a nice entertainment area when having the guys over. No question it has its plusses, but it is important to figure out if the money you are putting into it will help on the back end.

Cost vs. Value Report:

In the latest version of the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report (2013), the overall average cost-value ratio improved, reaching 60.6%. Additionally, cost-recouped percentages were up for all 35 projects in their survey. That being said, according to Remodeling.com, the average cost of a basement remodeling was $61,303, which carried a higher-than-average cost-value ratio (70.3%). Regardless, the basement remodeling is still one of the least expensive ways for homeowners to add space to their house.

Investment Returns:

Despite the basement remodeling being one of the cheapest investments in order to make the biggest improvements in your house, the extent of your project will incur many costs, most of which will probably not be recouped if and when you plan to sell the house. When you factor in the insulation, carpeting, lighting, heating/cooling, furnishing or electronics, as well as a possible half or full bathroom, that is going to dig into your pockets a ton on the front side of the project. Will it be worth it in the long run?

Solutions:

If you are just moving into your house and you don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon, then I would suggest that the investment you are making is a calculated risk that you would want to take. However, if you are planning on only being in the house for 5-10 years and you are looking to make the house more profitable on the back end, I would stay away from putting too much money into this type of investment of the basement. At bare minimum you are going to be spending around $15,000 to do somewhat of a finished basement that is even worth the time and effort, but could that $15,000 be used for more profitable things outside of the house to make it more curb appealing? These are answer you need to answer depending on your length of anticipated stay in the house.

Author: Doug Chapman is a staff writer for HomeDaddys, a stay at home dad blog. He specializes in diapers and sippy cups, but is a successful real estate investor on the side.

After a Bath

>> Feb 16, 2013

Captured at a bird cage inside the Ragunan Zoo (Jakarta, Indonesia).

This bird has just taken a bath; he's drying up :)

I don't know the accurate bird species; I guess he's including pigeon family.

Camera Critters

The Importance of Supplying Good Books for Your Child

Once children start going to kindergarten, most parents wish for their children learn to read as soon as possible. Parents try hard for this achievement as they believe their child’s reading capability is the first step of learning and obtaining knowledge. To improve your child’s reading skill, of course, you must provide lots of good children books that suits with your child’s age. You don’t need to spend a fortune to have a great variety of book collection at your home if you always use abebooks coupon whenever buying books. It’s a smartest way to save money while you’re still able to provide your child with interesting reading materials!

Support your child to reach successful academic accomplishment in the future by developing him to be an enthusiastic reader. As parents, you must spend times regularly to read out aloud to your child since younger age. Many studies have approved that reading with your child will bring significant outcome in reading comprehension and vocabulary abilities. It will definitely boost your child’s progress toward reading independently.

When your child is already able to read without help, create a home that surrounded with attractive books at his reading grade. Place books in bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom and your car –your child will be attracted to pick a book and read it. Thus, a good supply of exciting reading materials is crucial.

Don’t hesitate to buy a book as it will give many benefits to your child. Books can introduce your child to broad knowledge and build up your child’s creative imagination. Any quality reading material will become a healthy substitute to television and teach him to be an active thinker.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that the majority children books engage characters who getting into a difficulty and at the end of story coming up with a resolution. It will gradually help your child to increase problem solving and critical thinking skills –an important ability that needed to solve actual problems in life. Books surely have many benefits to offer!

The Benefits of Joining Food Clubs

>> Feb 14, 2013

Most of us enjoy giving gifts but the type of gift that we give can vary from one individual to another. Something that you may want to consider, however, is giving a gift that is going to be both healthy and something that can be enjoyed every month for a considerable length of time. I’m talking about giving the gift of food and there are many options available which will allow you to do so. These food subscription gifts can vary from one place to another, allowing you to give gifts that are going to suit almost anybody who enjoys eating (and everybody enjoys eating). By giving mostly food gifts, using one of the food of the month clubs, you are opening the way for those individuals to have something enjoyable every month. It also has the benefit of reminding them that you care about them every month as well.

Another type of gift that you may want to consider is a wine club. This is very similar to the food club but instead of sending food, it sends different and interesting types of wine. This is a perfect type of gift for many individuals who enjoy trying different things and would enjoy tasting wine that they may otherwise never have tried before (Source: monthly food gifts from Hungry Globetrotter). In some cases, these gifts can also include cheeses, crackers and other delicacies which go well with the wine that is delivered. It is another gift that will be appreciated every month for as long as the subscription is active.

Getting Benefits from Garage Door Operators

Garage doors which are functional for homes are also widely used for commercial and industrial buildings. Basically, the industrial garage doors have the similar functions with home garage doors but most are larger and mechanically operated.

Compared to sliding type, roller garage doors are more preferable to be applied in many business buildings as this entrance system may save much space in a garage.

Many people store valuable items inside a garage. For security reason, a roller garage door can be a great option for your garage. Its strength and durability make this kind of garage doors can defend against pressure and breakage from unwanted trespassers. The common usage at industrial buildings has led many home owners to follow installing roller garage doors for their home garages.

With the assist of garage door operators and a garage door remote, a roller garage door will have opening instrument that allows you to open and drive into your garage without getting out of the car. It seems very practical and useful, especially during rainy days. Say goodbye to any hassle of manually opening and closing the garage door!

Let’s say that your garage has already attached to your home, but you still can’t enter your home straightly. To reach more easiness, you may consider creating a direct entry way from your home into the garage.