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Home OrganizationTo Upgrade or Not to Upgrade: That is the Question
by:
ARA
(ARA) - You’ve found the perfect neighborhood, designated a home plan you love
and chosen a estimable builder. So you think all the stress and decision fashioning in building a new home is now over? Think again! With so many a route to customize a home today, there are hundreds of upgrade options from which you wish have to choose . . . cabinetry, countertops, carpets, faucets, appliances . . . the list goes on and on.
Also, if you are like many a new home buyers, you have fallen in love with the model home in your community and hope to add similar upgrades to your own residence. Once you discover, though, the figure of money the builder put into all those extras, you wish need to decide which upgrades you actually want (and can afford) or whether you should take what the builder provides and consider fashioning upgrades yourself former in the future.
According to Laura Jonke, design arranger with Bob Schmitt Homes, Inc. of North Ridgeville, Ohio, and an American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member, there are some advantages to upgrading during the building process including customization, business incentives, marketing benefits and convenience.
Customization
One of the better reasons to include upgrades in your building plan is to infuse your own style into the home. Whether you want to give your home a country look or a contemporary flair, the options you choice wish help convey that style throughout the house. Upgrades as well offer the home client a better grade of product.
Another reason for upgrading is functionality. The standard white goods
offered by the builder (often referred to as “builder grade”) may not give you the side-by-side door style you prefer with ice and filtered water in the door. And, you probably wish not get that great showering system with the multiple body sprays and large nose
without acquisition
the cost of an upgrade.
Financial Incentives
One major benefit of upgrading during the building process is that it allows you to roll the cost of the upgrades into your mortgage loan. Tho'
you may pay more in taxes initially, upgrades can be paid off with your monthly home payment at a lower interest rate than if you wanted
out a home equity loan in the future. In addition, most builders wish include upgrades in your home assurance program.
Resale Benefits
What you choose now may play a big role in deciding the marketing value of your home in the future. Name brand appliances and popular custom upgrades wish appeal to potential buyers. Concentrate on rooms like the room
and master bath which buyers “zero in on” once
purchase
a home.
“For marketing appeal, try to avoid creating spaces that aren’t functional for anyone but your family,” aforementioned Jonke. “Spaces should be versatile enough to accommodate a wide range of folk and lifestyles.”
Convenience
If you decide to wait and upgrade after you come in, you’ll have to deal with the disruption in your household. It is commonly more easier and more convenient to have the builder upgrade items during the construction process and spare you the hassle and headaches of having a home that is torn up and areas that are unusable.
Advantages of Upgrades
Although there are incalculable areas of your home that can be upgraded, Jonke advises her customers to put money into the most-used areas of the home. Several of the items to consider include faucets, flooring, appliances, countertops, cabinets and lighting.
Faucets
When it comes to faucets, upgrades provide more style and functionality. In the kitchen, consider upgrading to a fallback spout model in which the regulator
wand can be extended to easily fill vases and pots or for clean up purposes.
Moen’s latest room
offering is Aberdeen. This regulator
has a classic look, but features a unique “pause” button which allows users to interrupt the water flow patch moving the spout outside of the sink so there is no mess on the tabletop
or close
areas.
In the bathroom, style is the name of the game. Choose a bathroom regulator
such as the new Kingsley that offers traditional styling in a host of finishes -- including new Formed Iron -- to complement your bath accessories. This regulator
and others in the Moen line are built on the M•PACT common valve system which means a number of some trim options wish activity on the same valve body, allowing for instant upgrades from above the sink.
Floor Covering
Upgrading to a better grade wish prolong the carpet’s life. With higher density carpets, the dirt doesn’t break down the carpet fibers as easily, meaning the carpet wish be less likely to show traffic areas. Upgrading can as well provide more options such as a Berber or rough carpet.
It as well does sense to upgrade the sheet or wood
flooring in high traffic areas of the home like the room
or utility room. Choosing vinyl with a polymer
coating wish provide more of a wear layer and longer-lasting beauty. Flooring upgrades increase the value of the home and provide better longevity.
Appliances
According to Jonke, most folk now are asking their builders to upgrade to glass top ranges, quieter dishwashers, and a built-in microwave with a ventilation feature installed over their range. Several new home buyers are as well opting for the new GE Advantium kitchen appliance
which uses grouping
bulbs for quicker
cooking.
Countertops
Granite or Corian are the upgrades folk want once
it comes to room
countertops. If the budget does not permit these, Jonke suggests adding a beveled edge to the builder-grade laminate countertops. This provides an upmarket
look but won’t break the budget.
Another option is to use a laminate countertop, but add a composite sink, like MoenStone Granite. This sink wish provide durability, scratch and stain resistance and can be installed as an under or overmount.
Cabinets
Cabinet upgrades give home buyers the option of solid wood doors rather than veneer and as well allow for stylish features such as raised panel doors or a Shaker style. Also, cabinets like the Diamond line from MasterBrand provide plenty of functional features inside the cabinet including fallback shelves, lid organizers, cutlery dividers, spice racks and wine glass holders.
Lighting and Technology
Jonke encourages clients to wire for lighting if they are even as considering adding a fixture to a room in the future. It is always easier to wire during the building process and then cap it off rather than add a fixture after the home is built. Several upgrades to consider include ceiling fans, recessed or track lighting and under cabinet lighting. Also, wire for the technology age with Cyberspace accessibility throughout the home as well as cable, fax and surround sound capabilities.
Universal Design
Universal design no longer has to bring an institutional look into your home. The growing population of seniors wish appreciate the new artificial elevated toilet seats, tub grips, remove benches, nonfunctional grab bars, and tub and shower chairs from suppliers like Creative Specialties International. Finally, a safe and functional home can benefit from today’s style options.
For more information just about Moen products, contact Moen Incorporated at 25300 Al Moen Drive, North Olmsted, OH 44070-8022, call toll free (800) BUY MOEN (289-6636) or visit its Web site at www.moen.com.
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