the cityhammer blog

Last December, the world was a different place, and many people were concerned with doing the right home renovations that would pay off in resale value. Fast forward 12 months and now the bigger concern in December of 2008 is being able to afford the home, period!

Looking at the specific resale value resolutions from last year, we'd say that only 3 are still important for this environment...

Resale Resolutions for 2009

• I will revamp my wood or marble floors through screening and polishing, rather than tear them out to start over. While new floors are an important selling point, floors that look “as good as new” are equally coveted.

• I will not waste time with projects that do not add much value or are not necessities. I will heed the research that shows that new windows, while possibly more energy efficient, add very little to the price of my home. The same goes for central A/C, which while infinitely more convenient, is very rarely recouped in a sale. A new swimming pool may keep my friends around this summer, but will certainly not increase my home’s sale price, and may even be a liability.

• I will acknowledge that, in terms of resale value, nothing is more important than my kitchens and bathrooms. I will not ignore the power of adding new appliances to my kitchen and I will no longer put off that re-glazing and re-grouting project in the master bath.

Re-grouting a tile floor or spending a few hundred bucks to clean up a wood floor are jobs that are both practical in times like these, yet they also can may a big difference in both your own eyes and those of a prospective buyer.

Getting these little things done should be the priority if your home is on the market in New York or you plan to put it up in 2009. Find a cityhammer member to help with the job here:
New York Remodeling Companies

Labels: 10036, Kitchens and Baths New York, New Windows NY, NY Home Improvement, Re-Grouting Tile Floors, Resale Value, Wood Flooring NY

Photo by katmere

Yesterday, our fave TV contractor Danny Lipford put out an incredible newsletter called "The Rites of Spring" and we thought we'd pass it on...

You may know Danny Lipford from his TV show "Today's Homeowner" or from his appearances on the Weather Channel as their resident home improvement expert. In The Rites of Spring, Danny goes over an Early Spring Gardening Checklist, a primer on Spring Planting Season and shows us 2 great videos on Weed Control and Gardening Equipment.

Best of all, here's the Spring Fix-Up, a plethora of tips involving everything from Barbecues, Pressure Washers and Gutters for the outside, plus Thermostats, Sealing and Filters for the inside.

Danny recommends changing your own Return Air Filter to improve the efficiency of your Air Conditioner:

One of the easiest, and yet most overlooked, is changing your return air filter. If allergies are part of your springtime experience you’ll want to consider using something more than a simple fiberglass filter. Some of the new pleated air filters actually catch the microscopic contaminants that cause problems for people with allergies and asthma. These filters also allow you to go 2 to 3 months between changes instead of every month.

Click the link for the whole enchilada: Danny Lipford's Home Tips Newsletter

Labels: AC Air Return Filters, Danny Lipford, NY Home Improvement, Spring Home Improvement Tips

Happy Chinese New Year! Exciting, even if 2008 is the Year of the Rat.

Also...

Happy President's Day. I remember we used to get days off for Washington and Lincoln's birthdays separately... oh well.

Here's what you may have missed over the last few days...

On Brownstoner's backpages, the Bed Stuy Reno Blog has taken a decidedly vintage turn in the resurrection of their shower. Going with a tile color that can only be described as "hospital scrubs" green, the finished product should be interesting.
Green Tile Shower

The Property Grunt hosted the 76th Carnival of Real Estate over on his blog earlier this week... your humble editors from cityhammer made a contribution as well. We went for humorous while the other writers went for sophistication; we were blown away by the depth and insight from some of the guest bloggers (especially Matrix). Great job all...
Grunt's Carnival of Real Estate

Lastly, Noah and the Gang over at Urbandigs are hosting a cocktail get-together over at the Upper West Side's Evelyn Lounge on February 20th. Should be a good opportunity to throw a few back on a Wednesday night and (perish the thought) learn something!
Drinks with Urbandigs

Labels: Bed Stuy Renovation, Chinese New Year NY, NY Home Improvement