Let’s face it, our current real estate market is soft at best. What this means is that it’s not impossible to sell a home, but if you want to get a decent asking price you need to make sure it’s in tip top shape. In order to attract more buyers and make your home more memorable, consider room upgrades or additions, such as landscaping, high grade windows or a new roof.

Residential roofing is a huge make it or break it element of your home. No one wants  to have to replace the roof as soon as they move in. So, if you want the buyers to make an offer on  your home you need to make sure your roof in in great shape or replace it. Many are even opting to go the metal roof route because it lasts pretty much forever and can withstand severe weather conditions.

Asphalt shingles perform extremely poorly in adverse weather conditions.  Plus, asphalt typically only lasts 10-15 years! Erie Construction of Evansville, Indiana is a trusted leader in the industry and would love to show you your roofing options.

Making sure your kitchen and bathrooms are in great shape will also help you sell your home because buyers are not after fixer uppers anymore. Many want turn key homes they can move their belongings into and call it a day. If your home is not move in ready, buyers will most likely move on to the next house and we all know there is definitely not a shortage of homes on the market right now.

Smaller bathrooms can find you standing by the sink with no place to set a razor or hair dryer, or to restock the weekly vitamin holder. Improve the situation with three replacement items that, as a bonus, will also refresh the room’s appearance. A bit of shopping and a day or two of work from an experienced remodeling contractor can achieve wonders. Here’s the magic formula:

• No storage doesn’t have to be a problem. Replace your mirror with a surface-mounted medicine cabinet as wide as your sink’s countertop. Depending on width, the cabinet can have one to three mirrored doors that hide shelves. Some even have built-in lights above the mirrors. Bonus: 3-door models provide side and rear views for styling your hair.
• Be careful with vanities. Pedestal sinks work best in bathrooms with plentiful storage. In small bathrooms, however, they steal storage space. Have your contractor build you a vanity if the space is odd-shaped; otherwise, ready-made ones come in many styles, widths, and prices. Some have countertops and built-in sinks. Some are footed cabinets, and others have recessed toe-kicks.
• Shelves are your friends. Add a lipped shelf on brackets over the toilet and one or two above the towel rack for open or bin storage of folded towels, bath toys, and bathroom hand appliances.

Does your old, out of date bathroom need a makeover? If your ready to give your bathroom a makeover but don’t want to shell out a bunch of money, we’ve got some great ideas! If your budget is about $150, you can do a lot! Go out and buy paint, vanity hardware, towel and toilet paper storage, and accessories.

First take a look at the bones of your space. Molding, flooring and plumbing tend to be quite expensive to replace, so try to live with them. A bath with innate personality (yes your funky tile) will be showcased best by the addition of subtle accessories. A basic bath, with lets say, a black and white pattern or a simple limestone, requires more eye-popping accessories such as apple green or red walls.

Your sink faucet is another area you can easily update without breaking the bank. For a more consistent look, choose a faucet ($120 to $500) in the same metal that was used for the cabinet hardware It’s easy to overspend on sinks and toilets, so try and spend modestly on the toilet ($190 to $400) and splurge on your sink area.

Wallpaper is making a comeback in a big way. Bold prints, ethnically inspired designs and an array of grass cloths make wallpaper a bathroom luxury that far surpasses even the best paint job. However, the labor can get costly, so try to hang it yourself (if you are handy) or find a friend in the business who is willing to install it for $15 to $20 a roll. Good luck and remember, a beautiful bathroom doesn’t have to cost a fortune!

The bathroom is the new den, man cave, or mom cave! More and more, people are going to the bathroom to relax and even luxuriate after a day in the rush-rush world. Homeowners are upgrading the rooms, outfitting them with everything from soaking tubs to heated floors. But peace and quiet aren’t the only motivating factors. An upgraded bathroom helps sell a home and is a great investment.

One trend that is becoming big when remodeling a bathroom, is the shower. In small bathrooms, homeowners are tearing out the tub to expand the shower. Not only is the stall getting larger, it’s getting more airy, with much more glass. They want to feel like they’re going into a spa. Homeowners want to feel like they are on vacation all year round.

Noisy jacuzzi’s are also being replaced by soaking tubs. These jet-less tubs are often deep, insulated tubs. Notably missing: the huge amount of decking that typically surrounded many tubs installed in nicer homes in the ’80s and ’90s. Top designers say the master bathrooms are more than just bathrooms, they’re becoming sanctuaries. People want master bathrooms to be brighter and more sun-filled than before.

That means adding windows and even skylights to a bathroom. Another big trend in the bathroom scene is steam. People are discovering how wonderful it is to come home at the end of the day and de-stress.

If you are sick and tired of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets you are definitely not alone! Many homeowners “live” with their cabinets for years and years because they simply don’t know how to change them without having then ripped out and starting fresh. Well, I want you to know that you don’t have to “live” with ugly, old looking cabinets any longer. You also don’t have to spend thousands of dollars having them ripped out and having new ones installed. All you have to do is buy some paint and supplies, and roll up your sleeves. Exerting a little time, energy, elbow grease, and about $50 is really all your need to transform your cabinets into the focal point of your space.

The first thing that you need to do is de-gloss the cabinets or no paint is going to get good adhesion. Don’t skip this step, it is vital to getting a good result! Once the prep work is done (the most important part) then it’s up to the look you want. A brush is always going to result in a brush stroke look while a roller will give you a more even finish. If you have a raised panel door you would need a brush to get into the nooks and crannies and then you could finish with a roller. A sprayer will give you the most even finish.

Take the handles off the doors and string them up through the handle hole. Then spray. This will give you the best look (just be careful the spray paint doesn’t run). Purchase some new hardware and once everything is dry, start screwing them in. If you don’t skip any steps and take your time, you will love the final results. Plus, you can brag to your friends that you did it yourself!