Renovations February 2017 Newsletter
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Your Dream Home is Right Under Your Feet!

Judy's Tip of
the Month...

Granite ..
Caring for your Granite Counters

There has been a flood of advice, often conflicting, on the proper care and maintenance of granite surfaces. Based on our experience, and some sound advice from our granite fabricator, here is what we recommend:

•Wipe spills of ANY kind as soon as practicable. Granite is hard and as a quartz-based stone it is not generally as porous as marble or travertine. Given the variations in the stone however, some areas may be more porous than others. So it’s a good idea to wipe up the spill.

•If you keep cooking oils on the granite surface, consider a trivet or some such base upon which to set the bottle.

•Clean your granite regularly with warm water and a soft rag. There are daily cleaners out there that you can use. Dish soap might leave a dull surface after a while, so avoid using it.

•Seal your granite. Depending on frequency of use, you may want to think about resealing every 12 months. More if you clean the surface with cleaning products a couple of times a day, less if you don’t.

•Generally be aware of grit on your cloth or on the counter. While granite is hard, it can be scratched. Never use cleanser or steel wool. If a stain is deep there are deep cleaning products that are designed for stone. Don’t scrub!

Judy

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Cost vs Value

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2016/

There is the link (listed above) to the most comprehensive, nationwide analysis of remodeling costs and their values.

So why is this important? The data provides valuable information on several decision-making levels.

As a consumer looking to remodel, the data establishes an average cost for various types of remodeling projects. You can use this as a guide to establish a “ballpark” budget for your project(s). I have heard others refer to this report as sort of a ‘Kelley Blue Book’ for remodeling.

The problem with that analogy is that automobiles are far more standardized than are remodeling projects. You get the idea I am sure.

Another valuable takeaway from this report is the immediate return on investment (ROI) you might expect. Should you be considering selling your home, and you and your Realtor feel it needs updating, you can refer to the data again to give you some notion as to what you might expect.

Often I am asked by Realtors and sellers to give advice on the efficacy of remodeling with an eye to selling. The question always leads to the variable of time. How soon are you looking to sell?

As a rule, the report give us a time frame of one year. That is to say, if you were to add a bathroom, or remodel your kitchen, the average value returned (ROI), can be fairly determined.

If, however, you were to remodel and remain in your home for another 2 years or more, this report begins to lose its accuracy. This is primarily due to the fluctuations of your local real estate market.

So look at the report, read about the process used to gather and interpret the data. If you are considering remodeling your home, and wanted some notion as to cost, here it is.
Tom