Category: Construction

How to make big profits from ugly homes

ugly home

Due to generalities related to what constitutes true real estate value – exaggerated by advertising and the media hype machine – most of us are led to believe wealthy real estate moguls only got that way through posh mansion homes and elegant resort properties.

In reality, many of the planet’s rich and famous accrued their wealth via a traditional path of buying and selling the ugliest homes they could unearth on the market. Purchasing homes in tatters is profitable for those with a vision to see beyond all the warts and cosmetic flaws.

The gorgeous houses in the neighborhood stand out like sexy supermodels. If you happen to be the owner of the worst looking house on the block where other residences have been restored, your property will appear to be a diamond in the rough. That is great news if you are a real estate investor.

Location, location, location

Do next to nothing to it, and the value of the residence will still increase, because location is important, and your ugly dwelling is located in close proximity to the expensive homes. Do a few cosmetic touch ups – paint, install a new roof, do some landscaping – and you can transform a rundown property into a thing of beauty, both physically and financially.

It’s rather likely that your profit margin will exceed the margins of those homes that had costly face-lifts before investors bought them up.

The value you add to house turns into your equity. When you sell at a cost that includes that added worth, you can make other-worldly profits. Through the process, it is possible to get financial assistance based on the equity you are creating. This will allow you to let your home improvements pay for themselves as you proceed withe the project.

Follow a proven strategy

Some savvy investors will only work with properties that are rejected by others. By concentrating their time and efforts on neglected homes, they accomplish two key goals.

First, they limit competition. If you’re purchasing residences nobody else wants, you will seldom get into a bidding war, and you will likely never pay full price.

Secondly, buying houses in need of renovating involves essentially the same process each time. You buy it, make repairs, or sell it to a fellow investor, and sell it or rent it out for income producing property. By repeating the this strategy, investors can sharpen their skills and focus on developing a stable niche in an otherwise undervalued market.

Build a team to help you

If you make the choice to rehab properties, you can create a team of pros to help you, and move your group fluidly from project to project. Foe example, one person handles paint and wallpaper, one does plumbing, another does junk removal, and one tends to the landscaping. Generally, investors move with their teams from one place to the next, and continually make money to invest in future projects.

The bottom line: Buy the ugliest house on the street, dress it up real nice, and you will surely cash in on one of the oldest and most fundamental principles of real estate investment prosperity.

How Foundation Piers Work to Stabilize Basement Walls

foundation wall

Have you ever heard of foundation piers? Many homeowners are probably not familiar with this term and only hear about it the moment they start to experience some foundation problems.

Foundation Piering Defined

Piering refers to the process of driving sections of concrete or steel pipe pilings under a foundation to stabilize it and avoid future moment. A hydraulic pump is used to push the piers into the ground. Foundation piers that are concentrically loaded are installed right below the middle of the wall that will be lifted and the foundation is used as resistance for pushing the pier into the ground.

The piers should be driven deep enough so that they will hit bedrock or any stable strata for them to be effective. It serves as a solid and strong base required for supporting the piers that will then support the foundation. Foundation piering is considered as the strongest and most reliable method to stabilize a sinking or settling foundation.

Push Piers

Foundation push piers provide maximum foundation support that makes them most suitable for heavier loads and larger jobs. These have been designed for driving deep down to the earth to solid supporting strata or bedrock under the foundation. Since these are installed with the least skin friction, they provide the deepest penetration of any form of foundation support with no bending in the strata. Push piers are also useful for low impact interior installations.

Push piers also allow a sinking foundation to be raised to a flatter and more level condition. Through careful application, these can shrink and close existing cracks in drywall, stucco, brick, and other exterior finishes, while other issues such as jamming, sticking doors, leaning chimneys, and windows may be improved with push pier application as well. However, push piers will not guarantee perfectly flat or level conditions or a moisture-tight or water condition. These are also not effective as repair for fatigue or bowing foundation walls.

Helical Piers

Foundation helical piers provide an effective means of adding structural support to lighter and smaller structures such as patios, rooms, porches, steps, and other similar installations. But, once used for supporting a house’s heavy weight, they might not be that effective.

Helical piers have been designed with steel shaft including a corkscrew design at their end. A part of the foundation should be excavated to install these. The shaft is then drilled under the house, with the installation attached to the structure using a steel bracket. It is easier to install helical piers on weaker or older structures. These can also be used for new construction or pre-construction bearing systems in poor soils.

Foundation helical piers can provide an opportunity to try to lift the structure to return it into a flatter and more level position. But, helical piers don’t ensure perfectly level or flat conditions and these cannot lower moisture level of basements or improve water tightness.

If you notice some problems with the stability of your basement walls, foundation piering may be the best solution you can consider. Contact foundation repair in Cleveland for assistance.

4 reasons why you should hire a pro to install hardwood floors

hardwood floor installer

Hardwood floors have become popular in homes and offices. They are durable and have good aesthetics for any room. You should hire an expert to install your hardwood floor instead of doing it yourself. Experts have installed many hardwood floors, and they are in a better position to deal with challenges that may occur during installation using best approaches.

Wouldn’t it be great to not have to worry about replacing stained and outdated carpets or having to pay professional carpet cleaners to restore your floors?

You want hardwood floors, but you need them done right.

The following are additional reasons why you should hire a professional to install your hardwood floor.

You Get Professional Expertise

You will encounter problems when trying to install panels and applying the finish. The main reason why you will have a hard time is that the room may not be evenly shaped. Asymmetrical room designs are more challenging than open floor plans. You should hire certified hardwood flooring contractor because they have the skills required to come up with solutions that will save you from incurring any loss. Besides, they have all the tools needed to do the fitting with precision.

Saves Time and Money

Hardwood flooring contractor works with a team of trained individuals. The skills the team posses enable them to work efficiently. Efficiency saves time. They also have the equipment the installation process requires and you will not be required to buy tools that you may not use again. Therefore, you will save money.

Secure Investment

Working with a licensed hardwood flooring contractor will give you a chance to enjoy the benefits of liability insurance. Only licensed installers qualify for a liability insurance to cover all damages related to the project. Working with a certified hardwood flooring contractors assures you everything will be done according to set standards and you are protected from damages that may occur.

High Quality

A licensed hardwood installation contractors offer high-quality materials and high-quality installation. They focus on quality because they want to build a good reputation for their business. Every contractor wants his customers to be his ambassadors since a satisfied customer will always recommend the contractor to friends. If you decide to do the hardwood floor installation on your own, you will spend a lot of time researching to establish what materials will give you a durable and attractive floor.

The benefits of hiring a professional hardwood floors installation contractor outweigh the cost you will incur. A pro will take shortest time possible allowing you to continue using your room. They will do the installation properly and offer advice on how to maintain the floor. Hence, your floor will serve you for the longest time possible. Hire a top-notch contractor to get the most out of your hardwood floor.

Create A Temporary Garage With Fence Panels

There are times in life when you really have to make your mind work hard. When you decided to pull down your old brick garage and build a replacement yourself, you know that the task is going to take you weeks, if not months, if you’re completing the assignment by yourself and only at the weekends. In the meanwhile, where are you going to keep your vehicles?

A temporary garage is an obvious answer, but how you are going to install one and where are you going to put it?

Where to install your temporary garage

It is perhaps easier, first, to state where you can’t install a temporary garage.

You should speak with your local planning authority and tell them that you are considering the installation of a temporary garage. They will supply you with rules and regulations that will dictate the types of temporary garage you can install, along with measurements and location possibilities.

They may not allow you to install anything ahead of your normal front building line – that is to say, you might not be able to build anything in front of your house.

If they do give you permission to install a temporary building, which comes with a different set of rules to those governing permanent buildings, they might restrict the height of the building and it might not be sufficient for your choice of temporary garage.

If your plot of land is large enough, you might be able to remove secure fence panels or part of a brick wall that forms the border between your front and rear garden. This might give you enough space to drive your vehicle over your front building line and install a temporary garage, technically, in your rear garden.

You probably won’t be able to install your temporary garage anywhere close to the garage that you are building because the two will get in the way of each other and you wouldn’t want to damage your vehicle as you are building your new garage.

Possibilities for your temporary garage

As this is a temporary garage, you won’t want to overspend on its construction, but you will still need to spend enough to provide a secure location for your vehicles, to protect them from the weather and car thieves.

This is a good reason to use secure fence panels, on fence posts, to mark a new area for you to park your vehicle, to provide a weatherproof area and to ensure the car thieves don’t have easy access to your vehicle. The advantage of using secure fence panels, perhaps choosing to use the hit and miss fence panels so that sufficient air can pass around your vehicle, is that you can relocate them to other parts of your garden later, perhaps to provide a secret garden or to replace ageing fence panels that form part of your current border.

When you install six-foot secure fence panels, you will be keeping your car out of sight of nosy people, and if you are able to secure a roof, perhaps by the use of a large tarpaulin, or if your vehicle space is small by using further fence panels, over the top of your fence panels, you will have weatherproofed your vehicle as well.

You can use to hit and miss fence panels as your garage gates to your temporary garage. As these are substantial and secure fence panels, you will be able to fix a temporary locking mechanism to your satisfaction and then your temporary garage is ready and available for use.