NINE WAYS ON HOW TO MODERNIZE YOUR OUTDATED KITCHEN

NINE WAYS ON HOW TO MODERNIZE YOUR OUTDATED KITCHEN

Whether your kitchen is a true fixer-upper from decades ago or your once-trendy laminate countertop and linoleum flooring fell out of style fast, it may be time to modernize your outdated kitchen. With new design trends showcasing creative uses of colors, modern appliances, and functional design, there are endless ways to bring your kitchen into the present day.

Whether you are trying to sell your home, or if you plan on staying in your space for generations to come – these ideas can help you transform your kitchen into the cooking space of your dreams.

Here are 11 stunning ways to make your out of date kitchen feel new and nice once again.

                                                            ONE.

 Get energy efficient with your appliances

We’re all trying to lessen our carbon footprint, and your outdated kitchen appliances are a great place to start. If an appliance upgrade is in your future, be sure to make it energy efficient.

Consider replacing plumbing fixtures as well, as low-flow kitchen faucets save a lot of water. Updating your kitchen shouldn’t only be for aesthetics; it should also

help save you money and the Earth’s resources

                                                          TWO

 Upgrade your metals

Outdated kitchens were made with materials that were popular decades ago, including metals used for kitchen hardware. With manufacturer’s releasing innovative materials and design trends following suit, it may be time to rethink your drawer pulls and lighting fixtures.

Metals going modern in kitchen design include matte aluminum, stainless steel, brushed gold, and copper – try these materials out in your cabinetry hardware, pendant lighting, and range hood options.

                                                       THREE

 Give people a place to sit

Your kitchen is most likely the busiest area of your home, and the place people are most likely to congregate in. Modern kitchens embrace this by adding seating to the kitchen. Whether you choose countertop stools and seats at a breakfast bar, or you opt for a banquette or bench at a window side table, seating can make your kitchen have a whole new appeal. Busy families with children doing homework to parents entertaining friends while cooking make seating essential in your modern kitchen.

                                                         FOUR

 Swap out your flooring 

Flooring is an area of your kitchen that is often forgotten, and yet plays a major role your entire kitchen. If your flooring is keeping you in the past, try switching from your traditional rolled vinyl or linoleum flooring to a more resilient, timeless material — we’re talking wood, tile, or stone.

These materials will last longer as well as boost the value of your home. In recent years, ceramic tile that mimics the look of hardwood has become popular, as well as travertine and slate.

                                                         FIVE

Consider removing your upper cabinetry

Many outdated kitchens were built to include walls and walls of upper cabinetry to house dishes and cookware. Often times, these cabinets consume the eye and make the kitchen feel crowded. If you’re looking to open up the space of your kitchen and don’t have and room to grow outwards, consider removing the upper cabinets. This frees up the wall, allowing for modern open shelving with a few decorative items and dishware.

                                                         SIX

Paint your existing cabinetry

New cabinets not in the cards for you? Painting and staining your kitchen’s existing cabinetry is a great option for homeowners on a budget. You could choose a vibrant and bold blue, or a dark, modern black finish to cover up outdated wood and dingy colored cabinets of yesteryear. From distressing doors to paint glazes and stains, you will be surprised how your elbow grease and some additional color will transform your old cabinetry into new.

                                                          SEVEN

Modernize your countertops

Your countertops also get a large portion of real estate in your kitchen. While outdated kitchens may have the inconvenient tile-and-grout or cheap vinyl for workspace, the variety of countertop surfaces options out there today are endless. Foom solid surfacing varieties that consist of resin and polymers to natural stone varieties such as marble and granite, there’s an option for everyone’s style and budget.

Over the last few years, designers are becoming increasingly creative and are using heavy-duty structural materials for countertops. So add concrete, brick, tile, to your list, too.

                                               EIGHT

 Install new lighting options

Once you have modernized the major components of your kitchen, don’t forget the lighting! While kitchen lighting can sometimes be an afterthought, it is essential for safety, ambiance, and versatility of your kitchen. If your kitchen solely contains one overhead ambient lighting fixture, look into recessed lighting for a modern illumination source.

Consider installing a dimmer switch for versatility while entertaining, cooking, or just relaxing for a midnight snack! Pendant lighting over a kitchen island, under cabinet lighting to illuminate countertops, and chandeliers are all becoming great options for updated lighting sources.

                                                  NINE

 Add decorative elements and Take down walls

While you may not think about it, your kitchen is a great place to add decorative elements that bring a sense of you and your lifestyle into your kitchen. For many homeowners, plant shelves on top of cabinets allow room for plants, artwork, and other decorative items.

Built-in display shelves below your kitchen island can showcase your prized kitchenware, your favorite cookbooks, or display an heirloom set of china passed down through generations. Add a vase of flowers, and a fresh bowl of lemons for a shot of color.                                              

The compartmentalized and boxed-in feeling of outdated kitchens built generations ago is very common. If you’re looking to open up your kitchen and share the view with an adjacent dining room or living room – consider knocking down some partitions! This method works well for non load-bearing walls that don’t carry any structural value. Your kitchen can grow in size or it can just get opened up to other areas of your home.

While your kitchen could look fabulous as-is, what would it look like without that bothersome wall? If you’re unsure if this is possible – consult a structural engineer or architect to see what possibilities there are for your kitchen.

From updating finishes and materials to bringing in color, illumination, and space – the options abound for your outdated kitchen. While you may not use all 10 of these ideas, see which ones are perfect for your lifestyle, budget, and family. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do with your space!

Any tips or tricks we missed? Reach out to us in the comments below, or on our social media pages!

HOME/BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS: BUOYANCY RAFT OR HOLLOW BOX FOUNDATION IN BUILDING

Buoyancy rafts or hollow box foundations also known as the floating foundations is a type of deep foundation is used in building construction on soft and weak soils. Types of buoyancy foundations, their construction methods, and advantages are discussed in this article.

The decision of construction of a deep foundation is taken when the load has to be distributed to an area either with soft weak compressible soils or to reach strata that have strong soil or rock or any other special concerns. One such generally used a type of deep foundation is called as Hollow box foundations or buoyancy rafts foundation.

These types of foundations are designed such a way that they behave as buoyant (floating) substructures for the net loading over it. Hence reducing the load intensity over the soil.

Buoyancy Rafts or Hollow Box Foundations

The buoyancy raft foundations are also known as compensated foundations or deep cellular rafts. Whatever be the name they are known for, they come under the category of floating foundations.

These are known as fully compensated foundations as during their construction the soil underneath the foundation is removed, whose weight is equal to the weight of the whole superstructure. Hence the weight removed from the soil is compensated by the weight of the building.

The buoyancy rafts are adopted under the following cases:

The soil bearing capacity is very low

The estimated building settlement is more than the safe limit

Need for Buoyancy Rafts in Building Construction

Those areas with soft soil, layer in a huge depth is observed, it is economical to go for floating foundation. No other foundation like pile foundation cannot be an efficient replacement for these.

Occupants in low-altitude areas face the problem of high floods resulting in the collapse of houses. The construction of buoyant foundation would help in increasing the elevation of the house.

This arrangement is a flexible method, as the building would remain on the ground under the normal conditions. When flood approaches, the building would rise to a necessary height, as shown in the figure-1.

Fig.1: Buoyancy Rafts or Hollow Box Foundation in case of Flood

Types of Buoyancy Rafts or Hollow Box Foundations

Now the floating foundation can be of two types,

The basement rafts, and

The buoyant raft.

The buoyant rafts differ from the basement rafts and both should not be confused. The basement rafts, unlike buoyant raft foundation, involve only excavation of soil whose weight equals to a part of the weight of the building. The whole building weight is not taken and hence called as a partially compensated foundation.

Construction of Buoyancy Rafts or Hollow Box Foundations

In the case of buoyancy rafts construction, the shear strength of the soil in the site is very low. Now under such conditions, the construction by floating of the foundation is the only way that works.

To have such a foundation, cellular rafts are sunk in the form of the box section. These forms a raft foundation that is rigid in nature, which reduces the settlement.

Fig.2: Arrangement of Buoyant Foundations

As shown in the figure-2, the load from the soil is reduced and hence the superstructure floats like a boat. The bottom basement as explained is placed on the excavated area.

Fig.3: Arrangement of Cellular Buoyant Raft Foundation

As shown in the figure-3, the bottom slab can be treated as the basement for the foundation. This is connected to the ground slab, which forms a raft foundation. The foundation can be made cellular as shown.

By the usage of hollow raft or cellular rafts substructure, the total load value contributed by the building and the foundation itself is reduced to a lower value by the soil that is excavated, which make us clear about the designation, fully compensated foundations.

Caisson Type Buoyancy Rafts

These forms cellular caissons as shown in the figure-4. This method is found economical, except for the cases during the sinking. The sinking may cause disturbances to the nearby soil causing further loosening of the soil arrangement.

Fig.4: Buoyancy Rafts with Cellular Caissons

The construction of these rafts can be limited to certain individual areas or in the form of strips. Later these are connected to have a proper bond. This limited use would help in reducing the amount of excavation conducted in the construction area.

The figure-5 shows a construction of a buoyancy raft or hollow raft foundation for a G+15 Building in Glasgow.

Fig.5: Construction of a Buoyancy Raft or Hollow Raft Foundation for a G+15 Building in Glasgow

Design Considerations for Buoyancy Raft or Hollow Raft Foundation

The general design involves following step by step procedures:

The initial step involved is to determine the depth of the excavation. Its size is determined by the plan of the building.

Next is to calculate the center of gravity that is required for the overburden removal that must be equal to sustain the structural buoyancy

Compare the decision obtained in basement design with the client’s needs as well as with his opinions.

Calculation of the water pressure, to check for the flotation phenomenon

To bring up a design combining all the needs and requirements obtained from above four steps. This would give us avoided foundation

The final step in design is to prepare to design details for external walls, floors as well as the separating walls. The main concern is to design for earth pressure, the bending moments and the shear forces. Special design for flotation must be considered.

Advantages of Buoyant Raft Foundation

The building is elevated to a required height, which makes them stay above high water levels.

The chances of settlement are reduced. As the total weight coming is equal to the excavated soil, there is no settlement. A slight increase in this load would not bring any drastic change in exceeding the settlement limit.

Watertight material for foundations would help in the durability of the underground structure.

Foundation having a height of 3 or 4 floors are used for skyscraper construction. This construction is found for efficient than pile foundation in areas with very weak soils for a larger depth.

Disadvantages of Buoyant Raft Foundation

As the depth of weak soil increases, the amount of excavation also increases. In construction, the excavation process is an activity found very costly.

Catastrophic Movement possibilities- These occur when the excavation is done beyond the critical depth of stability.

Support of deep foundation may undergo settlement due to the earth pressure it is subjected to, from the surrounding soft soils.

Space is wasted as hollow raft foundations cannot be used for any other purpose.

Uplift pressure would affect the whole foundation arrangement.

Leaving the cells unoccupied would result in water entering or seepage. This may be through the substructure or due to any complaints in the water pipelines going underground.

There are possibilities of leakage of gasses into these hollow cells. As these situations are unaware, they remain unventilated. This would cause unexpected explosions, even if there are small chances of ignition anywhere around.

ALL PROCESSES AND STEPS NEEDED IN CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW HOME

ALL PROCESSES AND STEPS NEEDED IN CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW HOME (RESIDENTIAL HOUSE)

In building a new HOME or Construction of residential building the following preliminary paper works are needed before commencing or embarking on the actual construction.

These processes/steps include;

·         PREPARATION OF WORKING DRAWINGS as required by the client (End user or Direct owner).

Working drawings cover the plot layout, floor and roof plans, elevations or views, sections, kitchen/toilet detailing, etc. An Architect is responsible for the drawings.

Also, structural drawings are prepared by a Civil Engineer if necessary, especially when the proposed HOME/building is more than one floor, or to be sited in a poor soil. Please consult a Structural Engineer for a proper design. HOMES should be safe.

·         BUILDING COST ESTIMATION. Estimation of material cost, labor cost and unforeseen contingencies comes next. This is professionally carried out by a Quantity Surveyor (Q.S) using a current and standard format of BOQ or BEME because cost of materials and labor varies with time and location. Proper estimate should be provided to the client so as to know how financially buoyant he/she is to fund the project execute. Cost should be affordable.

·         APPROVAL OF DRAWINGS AND COST ESTIMATES FROM CLIENT. The client must go through the documents (drawings and bills) submitted by the contractor and make an approval if it’s ok by him/her without any corrections or adjustment.

·         DRAWING APPROVALS FROM TOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. This is very necessary when building a new HOME in the urban locations with a master plan, It is important because both residential and commercial building drawings must meet up the authority’s slated regulation. The Physical Planning units, Building Control Agencies, etc review the submitted drawings and issue out an approval number.

·         COMMENCE CONSTRUCTION WORK. You can either go through contractor or hire labor on daily basis. Whichever suits your budgets and depending on the complexity of the HOME project. I always advice for a competent, professional and qualified personnel to handle building projects. It costs more correcting an error rather than avoiding it. Don’t be too smart.

·         BARRICADING AND MARKING OF PLOT PERIMETER BOUNDARIES. The site has to be protected from people coming in, safe for workers thus it has to be barricaded for safety. Mark out boundaries to know extent of clearing.

·         CLEANING OF SITE. Every construction site should be cleared out of trees, shrubs, grasses, unwanted and harmful materials and debris before commencing activities or construction phases.

·         SETTING OUT/PREPARATION OF SITE LAYOUT AS SHOWN IN THE DRAWING PLANS. Here, the ground floor or basement floor plan is transferred to the gound via setting out or pegging. Accuracy is needed at this level to get the correct positioning, measurements, angles squared or curvatures.

After the completion of this, the actual construction on plot begins via the following procedures;

A.    EXCAVATION/EARTH WORK

Depending on the type of foundation to be dug, it could be manually or mechanically aided. Generally excavation is carried out for the construction of wall foundations. Excavation should be carried out as per the drawings defined lengths & widths. After excavation, layout the foundation and backfill the remaining excavated area around foundation with soil.

Floor levels of residential buildings are higher than the natural ground level. Fill the area with soil up to floor levels and compact the soil. Now earth work of residential building is finished.

B.     CONCRETE WORK IN FOUNDATION

Level the foundation base to same level. It is very necessary to check the levels of foundation before concrete work to avoid using concrete to fill up excess volume which will cost much. There are patches where excavated depth slightly exceeds and vice versa. Now pour the concrete as per drawing specs. Generally concrete of ratio 1:4:8 is used for foundation. Sometimes it is even 1:5:10 etc.

Here 1:4:8 means;

1 part cement per cubic

4 parts of sand per cubic

8 parts of coarse aggregates

Depth of foundation varies from 9” to 18” and normally for most of the cases it is considered as 12’’ depth. Keep foundation width equals to its depth.

C.     DAMP PROOF COARSE.

To protect walls from moisture, a layer of damp proof coarse material is laid down at floor level. Thickness of this concrete layer is 0f 1 inch. Material of damp proof coarse layer consists of concrete ratio 1:1.5:3 with a mixture of water proof material 1kg/bag.

D.    MASONRY WORK

Masonry work is carried out with cement mortar. Cement mortar is a mixture of cement & sand. Ratio of cement mortar varies from 1:4 to 1:6. Here (1:6) mean, 1 part cement and 6 parts of sand. Dampen about 25 bricks with a hose pipe and clean away all loose dirt from the top of footing and moisten about a meter of surface at one end of the foundation with the hose pipe. Throw a mortar line just behind the threaded level line and lay bricks on the mortar bed. Make sure bricks exactly follow the threaded horizontal level line

E.     LINTEL

Masonry work of buildings is carried out in one go till roof. Openings for windows & doors are left during masonry works. Reinforced cement concrete beams are laid down on the top of openings. So, those loads of structure above openings not directly come on to the door frames.

F.      PARAPET/ROOFING

Parapet are formed by carpenters and cast reinforced before casting with concrete. Roof slab of building is poured after completion of masonry works. Now a days, roofing is of reinforced cement concrete slab. Slab thickness & reinforcement details should be according to approved drawings.

G.    DOORS & WINDOWS

Traditionally, doors and windows of woods are used. But, steel & aluminum is also not a bad choice. In case of wooden doors & windows, frames are fixed in walls during masonry work. Panels are then fixed with hinges after plaster work. Steel and aluminum doors are fixed after completion of paint work.

H.    M & E SERVICES

These are Electricity supply, gas supply, water supply, sanitary etc. Conduits for electric supply are fixed in walls before plastering. Every conduit pipes, both mechanical and electrical must be standard. For hot water pipes, no substandard is allowed. Similarly water supply and sanitary lines are also laid before pouring of building floor. Services are very important for every single house. Different types of services are provided during construction.

 Note: Gas lines are not fixed in walls or slabs. Gas line remains open in air

I.       PLASTERING & PaINTING

Form work is removed after 21 to 28 days of slab pouring. Now plaster work begins. Good plaster sand must be used and a thorough mortar mix to avoid cracks on plastered walls. Mortar for plaster work is generally of 1:3 or 1:4 is used. Thickness of plaster layer should not be more than 0.75inch. Cure the surface about 7 days. So that, plaster gain proper strength.

Generally, internal walls of buildings are covered with plastered layer and external walls with pointing. It is better plaster the external walls rather than pointing

J.       FLOOR AND CEILING FINISH. (TILING & POP)

Depending on the type of floor and ceiling finish the client wants. Floor could be screeding, tiling, carpeting, marble, terrazzo, etc. ceiling finish could be POP, PVC, Asbestos, suspended ceiling, etc.

K.    FURNITURE, INSTALLATIONS AND FITTINGS ARE DONE.

TEN (10) THINGS YOU ''MUST'' DO BEFORE GETTING A HOME

Getting started;

Buying a newly built home provides some exciting options that may not be available to you when purchasing an existing home, such as the ability to choose the exact kitchen cabinets, flooring and even floor plan you prefer.

Most home buying advice is aimed at people who are buying an existing home, but what if you're in the market for a new construction house? What do you need to know to ensure the home you're having built will meet your family's needs?
But it also creates some additional challenges, including making sure your builder is reputable, the community is sound and your home will be ready when you are.

You need to begin your search, looking closely at the location and making out some important findings and features about the community because you don't want the home of your dreams in an area that's a nightmare and terror for you, whether that's because your commute to work is too long, you don't like the schools or there's not great Internet service, etc.
Making a visit is a good way to find out not only about the quality of the homes that are being built, but also about how the house or homeowners association operates and so on.

ONE

INVESTIGATE THE AREA.

Prior to purchasing a new home, always make out time to find out as much as you can both about the area, street and the subdivision or apartment. Visit at different times of day, preferably in the evening when most street residents are back from work and talk to residents about what they do and don't like. Do a thorough and feasible survey about the neighborhood.

TWO

SELECT A SPACE AND LOCATION OVER UPGRADES. 

You need to think about how you want to spend your limited budget of acquiring a new home. You can never utter or change your home's location, but you can remodel, renovate, restructure or upgrade later. Apply that logic to other choices as well. If you're choosing between an extra bedroom and granite counter tops, you probably should choose the extra bedroom, which is much more expensive to add later, secure the extra space in the house earlier than creating the additional later on. 

THREE

SEARCH FOR THREE OR MORE BIDS FROM AGENTS.

 Your builder may have a preferred lender and a preferred closing agent, and you may be offered discounts and other incentives to use those professionals. They may or may not be your best choice. Get quotes from additional lenders and closing agents, and then decide which is the best option for you.

FOUR

CHECK OUT THE BUILDER. 

Many home builders have been in the business for years and produce a quality product. However, a few do not. Check review sites, state licensing boards and the local court records to see whether the builder you're considering has run into any trouble, including lawsuits, complaints with licensing agencies and disciplinary actions by state and local agencies. This is also a good time to talk to previous customers.

FIVE

GET A REAL ESTATE AGENT IF YOU CAN. 

Since the seller typically pays the commission, it costs a buyer nothing to be represented by a real estate agent and many builders are happy to work with agents. An agent who regularly deals with builders and knows the local communities will provide lots of helpful information.

SIX

UNDERSTAND THE HOME SPACE/FLOOR PLANS AND LAYOUT. 

Majority of the home floor plans include living room, bedroom(s), kitchen, dining, toilet and bath, etc. Others might include lobby, laundry, dry and wet stores, ante room, etc.

However it comes, you should have the clue of the space types and sizes of the home you desire to acquire, but if you don't possess the knowledge of those, take a measuring tape to your current home or a friend’s apartment you prefer the sizes. Many builders offer virtual reality technology that lets you see what's going to be built, but a better option is to visit a home with the floor plan you want, even if it's still under construction or in another town.

SEVEN

HIRE A LAWYER

Getting a lawyer for legal advice and all legal document signing would be very necessary. Contracts for new construction are complex. As with all legal affairs, it makes sense to have an expert look them over before your sign.

EIGHT

DON'T OVER IMPROVE.

Select a home design, size and options related or comparable to those of your neighbors’ homes. It has to be relative with the homes in the vicinity, if at all you want to keep up with the Joneses, do but not getting too far ahead of them.

NINE

ASK ABOUT WARRANTIES. 

In order to keep to a building standard which is safer, most builders offer warranties on materials and workmanship. For example, any competent and reliable construction company comprises of different departments such as electrical section, mechanical section, structural section, architectural section, etc. Such company should be able to offer warranty on mechanical, electrical elements, on water leaks, on structure, etc. Make sure you understand what is and isn't covered and what process you need to follow to get something fixed.


TEN

INSPECT THE HOME YOURSELF OR GET AN EXPERT

It is very necessary to inspect a home before closing. You may think you don't need to have a home inspected, but getting an independent inspection is always a good idea, and you want to be there so you can learn more about the home. Some new homes can have just as much faults as older homes, and it's always better to know what you don't know before endorsing and signing any paper or document relating to this in closing the contract.

15 Construction Tips and Other Ways to Save Big When Building a House

Building With Lower Cost - 15 Construction Tips and Other Ways to Save Big When Building a House

No one wants to pay more than necessary when building a home. But only the experts know how to save money on construction, right? Not necessarily. Here are 15 tips that may help keep your building budget within reason, without compromising on the home you want.

1.   Buy a large lot with a friend or family member that can be split into two smaller lots. Some of the most appealing properties may be much larger than what you want or can afford, yet the seller may not be willing to break up a large parcel. So if you can share the cost with someone else (preferably someone you don't mind having as a neighbor), you may be able to pick up a great building site for a reasonable price.

2.   Consider a so-called problem lot — a hillside, narrow, or in-fill property. Generally, these types of lots are not as desirable as others, so they don't sell as quickly and often go for a much lower price. With the right plan and a capable contractor, however, a potentially difficult lot might be perfect for your new home.

3.   Choose a canal or bay lot instead of ocean or lakefront property if you must have a waterfront site. These choices are usually less expensive but still water accessible. Plus, they provide great protection against inclement weather.

4.   Buy low-maintenance building materials — vinyl siding and metal roofing, for example. Even if they are somewhat more expensive at installation, they will pay for themselves in the long run as you won't have to repair, replace, or repaint.

5.   Collect salvaged materials from demolition sites. Old barnwood, used bricks, and distinctive wood doors add inexpensive character to a home without exorbitant cost. Many times you can have the materials at no cost, as long as you're willing to haul them away. Just be sure to check first with the owner of the building being demolished.

6.   Splurge only on those things you truly cannot live without. However, don't skimp on structural components or doors and windows — for the safety and security of your home, you'll want to purchase the best you can afford in these areas.

7.   Don't overbuild for the neighborhood. A home that is better and bigger than any other in its area will not command a fair price at resale. Instead, the assessment will be colored by the lower-priced homes around it.

8.   Monitor construction allowances as the home is being built to ensure you're getting what you asked for (and are paying for). This includes decorative details as well as structural elements. If you and your builder agreed, for instance, that a particular brand of insulation would be installed, don't accept a lesser brand — at least not without a cost adjustment.

9.   Use only a certified general contractor. The experience of a well-qualified contractor is invaluable to the home-building process. In addition, seasoned professionals have established relationships with suppliers and subcontractors — something you cannot possibly hope to get without years of experience in the business.

10.             Try to avoid site preparation charges — hauling in-fill dirt, grading, clearing trees, blasting rock. These processes are expensive and add time to the building schedule right off the bat. Choose the best site you can afford and then pick a plan that fits that site or can be modified to better suit the site.

11.             Avoid change orders — the changes in materials or blueprints that invariably occur in the midst of the building process. Not only do change orders cost more money, they add considerable time and frustration to the building process. Decide exactly what you want before ground is broken — and then stick to it.

12.             Keep the depth of your home at 32 feet or less. Any more than that and roof trusses may need to be specially designed, which can add significant dollars to the overall building cost. If you have sufficient land and want a larger house, consider adding width or additional stories.

13.             If you really want ceramic tile or hardwood flooring but feel you can't afford it right now, consider vinyl flooring. Vinyl makes a good underlayment, and the tile or wood can be installed right on top of it at a later date.

14.             Choose a stock plan over custom-drawn plans. The savings in total cost are great and you can probably customize the stock plan to get exactly what you want.

15.             Do you really need a three-car garage? If you only have two vehicles and you're counting on the extra bay for storage space, consider other areas of the home that will work just as well — attic space, space under a stairwell, or spare bedroom. Or put up a garden shed, which is cheaper than building a huge garage.

SOURCE: eplans