Bizzibid’s Remodeling Blog

Sometimes we forget how important gutters are, until a torrential rain sends sheets of water flying off the roof, turning the yard into a sloshing mess for a week. If you’re looking for new gutters, your first question is probably going to be about the price.

The cost of your gutter replacement depends on the length of your gutters and the material being used. The average residential home has 120-250 feet of gutters. For vinyl gutters, you can expect to pay around $3-$5 per linear foot for installation. That comes out to anywhere from $360 to $1250 depending on how much you need.
Aluminum gutters are slightly more expensive at around $4-$9 per foot, with the downspouts costing about $8 per foot. Galvanized steel costs about the same as aluminum, so roughly anywhere from $480 to $2250 total cost. Wood gutters are also available, although these are usually only used in restoration projects and can cost $12-$20 per foot.
Stainless steel and copper gutters are two of the highest quality gutter materials. Stainless steel gutters run at about $20 a foot ($2400-$5000 for the average house). The upside to this is that stainless steel gutters are very strong, rust-free, and will remain shiny for years to come. Copper gutters cost between $15 and $20 per foot ($1800-$5000), and are also low maintenance and rust-free. Copper, however, will develop a green color from being exposed to air over a lengthy period of time.

On average, gutters can cost anywhere from $360 to $5000 depending on the size of your roof and the materials you choose. Also, expect to pay somewhere between $40 and $100 for the hauling away and disposing of your old gutters. As with any home improvement project, it’s best to shop around and get estimates before beginning.

Get Gutter Replacement Estimates

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

When choosing a fence for your home, you’ll want to choose a style that will compliment your home and your personality. Fences come in many different styles, and each one has its own advantages. If you’re thinking of building a fence around your home, you’ll want to consider the initial cost, as well as the maintenance that a fence will require. Fencing costs generally take into account the cost of materials, the perimeter of the fence, and the difficulty of the terrain (when applicable).

The cost of a new fence varies mostly depending on the cost of the materials. For example, wood rail fences often cost $9 per foot in materials, while the vinyl alternative can often cost twice as much. Ornamental steel and wrought iron fences can cost around $20-$30 per foot, and they often include stone or brick posts which add to the cost. Privacy fences in wood or vinyl generally run about $15-$20 per foot, with vinyl being more expensive.

The final cost of your fence largely depends on the size of the area you are enclosing. Building a fence around one or two acres will be more expensive than a fence around the backyard of a townhouse. Also, if your property is in the mountains, or if the terrain is steep and difficult to build on, the cost may be higher.

Related to cost, durability is another important factor to consider when choosing a fence, as certain types of fences require more maintenance than others. For example, many homeowners choose to build rail fences out of vinyl instead of wood, as vinyl doesn’t decay, though many people still prefer the classic look of real wood. Iron and steel fences are generally the most expensive to build, but they usually require very little upkeep over the years.

Get Fence Installation Estimates Fast and Free

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

If you’re thinking about updating your home, you have a few things you need to consider before your break out the power tools and paint. A little planning now can go a long way to preventing a home remodeling nightmare later on. Here are 4 things you need to consider before starting your home improvement project.

1. Your Budget—Before you begin your home remodel, you need to have a clearly defined budget. More importantly, you need to make sure you stick to your budget (after all, that is the point of having a budget). See, the costs of a home remodel can start to add up pretty quickly. Once you see one thing renovated, you might be tempted to renovate something else. It can be easy to get carried away, leaving you with a drained bank account. When setting your budget, think about how long you plan on staying in your home (the longer you plan on staying, the more money you should probably spend), your other monthly expenses (car, mortgage, credit cards, etc.), and how much money you need to maintain your standard of living.

2. Return on Investment—If you’re going to put money into remodeling your home, you want to make sure you get a decent return on your investment. Each year, a report is compiled analyzing the return on investment for various home improvement projects. Deck additions, kitchen remodels, and bathroom renovations always tend to earn top returns.

This said, your ROI calculation might be a bit fuzzier…  Often home remodeling investments are evaluated in terms of ROI when considering resale price, but if you are planning on staying in the home than its resale value isn’t really of importance.  Instead, try and quantify the value you will derive from a new space, new layout, style, etc.  Its a bit of a gray area, but it would be silly to only look at resale unless you plan on moving soon.

3. The Purpose—What’s the purpose of your home improvement project? Are you simply looking to add value to your home before you sell it? Or do you just want to make a more comfortable living space? By clearly defining a purpose for your remodel, you’ll be sure to make sure everything you do is aimed at achieving that ultimate goal. Without a purpose, you could end up blindly spending money on random renovations that really don’t meet your true needs.

4. Your Home Remodeling Skills—How much of this home remodel will you be handling yourself? Before you start remodeling, you need to truly assess your handyman skills. And be honest here because an amateur mistake on your part can end up costing you more money than you’d spend on hiring an experienced contractor. Only take on those tasks that you know you can handle. For other assignments, hire a trusted home remodeling contractor in your area.

Once you consider all of these things, you should be ready to begin your home remodeling project. Good luck with your renovations!

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

Bathroom remodeling. It just sounds expensive, doesn’t it? I mean, doesn’t a bathroom remodel mean you have to rip up the flooring, tub, sink, and toilet?
Not necessarily.

Even in these tough economic times, there are several simple renovations you can do in your bathroom that won’t leave you with an empty wallet. And with bathroom remodels fetching a high return on investment, you can make your modest budget go a long way in terms of adding value to your home.

Here are a few budget-friendly ideas for updating your bathroom…

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

Regardless of what you think of the political side of the green movement, a one thing is certain: going green in your home can save you a lot of money down the line, getting you maximum return on your investment. And going green doesn’t have to be hard. Here are 5 easy ways you can increase the energy efficiency of your home.

1.  Get New Light Bulbs — Probably the simplest thing you can do to increase your home’s energy efficiency is to swap out old incandescent light bulbs with new compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). While these might cost more up front, CFLs use about 66% less energy than normal light bulbs. They also last about 10 times longer. A single bulb will save you about $30 in energy costs over its lifetime. Now, imagine how much money an entire house full of these bulbs will save you…

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

The basement is usually the last space to be remodeled in a home. And, by the time most homeowners get to this space, they may be bursting with ideas or fresh out of them. Following is a basement remodeling checklist. It will not only help you define how to use the space, but keep you within budget once your plans are defined.

What Are Your Family’s Needs: Before tackling a basement remodeling project, clearly outline your family’s wants and needs. Do you need a playroom for the kids; a workout room for the whole family; or an office for a home business start up?

Many approach the basement with a “want list” in mind. But in order to make sure you’re not just wasting money, you should take into account how you all actually live as a family. This way, you’ll get the most bang for your remodeling buck!

How Long Will You Be in the Home: This is a question every homeowner should ask before tackling a basement remodeling project. Consider this: Remodeling Magazine’s 2008-09 Cost vs. Value Report puts the average cost of a full basement remodel with wet bar and bathroom addition at $61,011…

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

How many times have you heard that the kitchen is the heart of the home? Like anything close to your heart, you want to show it off to the best of its ability. But, kitchen remodeling can be extremely expensive. Following are three things you can do to update your kitchen without breaking the bank.

Reface/Paint Cabinets: One of the reasons tackling cabinets is a great idea when remodeling a kitchen is that they occupy the largest “eye space” in this room. Hence, if you change the cabinets, you can make a big impact relatively easily…

[Read more →]

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

Most of us crave a large bathroom. It often tops the list of wants when choosing a home. If you happen to have a bathroom that is smaller than you want, following are three bathroom remodeling tips to make it appear larger.

Mirror It

This is one of the easiest, most inexpensive design tricks you can use when remodeling a bathroom to make it appear larger. Following is how to use mirrors effectively.

Go Bigger: Most small bathrooms tend to have a small mirror over the sink. Replace it with a larger one. For even more flair, make it unusual. This will encourage the eye to travel, which gives the illusion of more space.

Use More than One: Another design element most small bathrooms share is that they tend to only have one mirror. Placing more than one in the space will expand it. Good places to place additional mirrors are:

1. On the back of the bathroom door – a full-length one here is not only practical, it’s stylish as well; and
2. Over/near the towel rack, depending on how the space is laid out.

Sink Replacement

This bathroom remodeling tip requires that you forego some storage space. Most bathrooms have a storage cabinet under the sink. Using a freestanding sink will make the space appear less cluttered, giving it a streamlined more airy look.

Design Tip When Choosing a Sink for a Small Bathroom: Look for sinks with an elongated base. There are many decorative options from which to choose in this category. Bathroom sinks have come a long way! You’ll be pleasantly surprised once you start shopping.

Paint

Painting is one of the quickest ways to redesign a room. Lighter colors enlarge a space because they let in more light.

Bathrooms should evoke soothing, calming emotions, ie, be spa-like. So choose light paint colors that evoke these emotions – sages, sea greens, ocean blues, calming yellows, etc. There are so many to choose from and many home improvement stores have “paint centers” that can help you select just the right shade.

The 24 Hour Bathroom Remodeling Project

As these tips demonstrate, bathroom remodeling can be fun and inexpensive. And the best part is it call all be done in one day, which means you can start going to your own “spa” right at home.  You can certainly do it yourself, or consider hiring a bathroom remodeling contractor if you want to do something more dramatic like a shower or bathtub replacement project.

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

Need a part-time job with totally flexible hours???

Our blog was just recently launched and we need a bit of help!  If you are interested in possibly being a guest blogger and have some experience with home improvement (either as a professional or DIY-er) please let us know.  Just leave a comment…

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »

Lets be honest.  Everyone at one point or another has gone into their bathroom and has wanted to rip the towel racks off the walls just for some sort of change.  Ideas of beautiful bathrooms are certainly had by a majority of homeowners.  These days anything is possible with an experience contractor working for you.  The possibilities are endless when it comes to renovating or completely remodeling your home’s bathroom, so sometimes the toughest part is deciding on exactly how you want this new room to look.

The first step is to choose a design theme.  Are you looking for more of a modern look?  Old country feel?  Dark woods contrasted by light walls?  Figure out what the feel or general theme of your bathroom will be and then work in from there.

Choose a focal point for your bathroom and stick with it.  An infinity jacuzzi tub maybe?  A gorgeous double vanity, or a beautifully tiled walk-in shower perhaps?  Work with an experienced bathroom remodeling company to properly design this focal point and then place other key elements in spots which will accenting it accordingly.

From here you’re getting down to smaller details.  Choose faucets, shower heads, door rails, hardware, towel bars and door knobs which match your theme but can also help bring attention to areas which are lacking.  Choose a type and sheen of metal to use and stick with it.  Decide on wall colors, keeping accent walls in mind.  Finding great artwork to accent your new bathroom really makes the difference.  Look for framed paintings and prints which help bring out your accent colors, as well as standing or wall mounted sculptures to help bring depth to your newly remodeled basement.

A great way to get your brain moving is by simply checking out examples of and photos of bathroom remodeling projects.  These great bathroom ideas will help you decide what you want to incorporate in your new bathroom.

Find more Bathroom Remodeling Design Ideas and Photos by browsing the web.  Also ask for quite a few sample project photos from every remodeling contractor that you speak with about your new bathroom remodeling project.  Every bathroom remodeling idea can help you with designing the perfect bathroom for your home.  Because a new bathroom typically has quite a bit of cost assocaited with it, take your time and be sure your new room turns out exactly as you’ve imagined!

Tags: Uncategorized by Ryan
No Comments »