Saturday, September 26, 2009

Home Improvement For Investors (TIPS)

Home Improvement Remodeling your home is an excellent way to start building equity for your property. I have seen so many people take home improvement overboard. This article is designed to help you build a foundation when starting a remodel project on an investment property. As an real estate investor you have to keep price in mind but you cant just buy the cheapest thing because it cheap, being cheap doesn’t make something a good deal. Its all about finding someone that can help you get your projects done in a fast and an effective matter.

First things first, set a budget; so many times people go into these things without knowing what they want to spend and what they can spend. This should be the first decision you make because all of your following decisions will be made according to the budget for the project. This is a simple concept but knowing how much you can spend will make everything else easy because you will know if you can afford something or not.

The next thing is knowing what you can and cannot do. I mean if you don’t know how to put up walls don’t just assume that it is an easy task and that anyone can do it. What will happen is; you will get started on a construction project and after a few hours you will realize that you are in way over your head. Don’t be this person because you will waste time, materials, and money. If you think you can do it, odds are you can’t. Don’t start a construction project if you don’t have the skills to get the job done right.

With that said, you will probably need to hire a professional to take on the construction process for you. Don’t just hire the first contractor you talk to, you need to talk to at least 3 or four because there are three things you need to compare; experience, qualifications, and price. You will notice that I listed price last, don’t be so concerned with price because you might find a builder that is really cheap but what if he doesn’t have the experience or the qualifications? Many people choose a contractor because they are cheap and a lot of the time after the project is complete they realize that it doesn’t meet code or isn’t structurally sound. So in the end you really just added to your costs because you have to call back the guy that was a little bit pricier but had the experience and qualifications. Do your homework, get references on your contractors, make sure they are qualified to work on your property.

The last thing I want to mention is; think energy efficient. I have a good article on my person real estate that is totally about the importance of energy efficiency in homes and steps you can take to achieve this. The easiest ways to do this are; check your doors, windows, and garage doors. The windows being one of the biggest, go down to your local home improvement store a check out the energy efficient certified windows. Yes, this will cost you a little money but its worth it because it servers as a great selling point to your potential buyers, because they will know that they are going to save money on energy bills.

These steps are just the building blocks to starting a property remodel. After all having a good foundation is key because if you don’t, everything that is built on top of it will have problems. This article was designed to stress the importance of finding a contractor that get your projects done fast and right the first time.

Author: Benjamin DeBell
Website: http://www.bendebell.com
Added: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:54:47 -0500
Category: Real Estate

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Home Improvement Loans: Change the Way Your House Looks




Home improvement involves changing the way your house looks. It can be anything, from painting walls to getting new bathroom fixtures. You may redesign your kitchen so that it looks better. You may change the way your garden looks or convert your backyard into a basketball court. When your children grow up, they require separate rooms. For this, you may need to build a new room. House repairing also comes under home improvement. You need to repair the air conditioning or heating systems if they break down. Every now and then, you need to carry out electrical repair work.

Home improvement does not come cheap. You have to spend money to carry out home improvement. You can spend money from your pocket or take out a Home Improvement Loan. There are several lenders who offer Home Improvement Loans. When you take out a home improvement loan, you do not need to pay a lump sum amount to home improvement loans. The lender pays money to home improvement professionals on your behalf, which you can pay him back over a period of time.

Home improvement loans are of two types – secured and unsecured. Secured loans are given against the security of a property. The rate of interest on such loans is lower than the rate on Unsecured Loans. There are some other advantages of secured loans as well. Lenders offer flexible repayment terms on such loans. Moreover, such loans are easily available since they reduce the risk for lenders.

Unsecured home improvement loans carry higher rates of interest than secured loans. Since such loans are repaid within a short period of time, borrowers have to pay big monthly installments. Another disadvantage of an unsecured loan is that they are not easily available. Lenders prefer secured loans to unsecured loans.

You can take out a home improvement loan even if you have a bad credit history. It is not impossible to obtain a bad credit loan. You will have to search for a lender who can offer you such a loan. Lenders usually charge a higher rate of interest on a bad credit loan.

About The Author: The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting cheap-home-improvement-loan as a finance specialist.

For more information please visit: http://www.cheap-home-improvement-loan.co.uk