Big gains on a $3000 budget

OK, so maybe you’d like to be one of those folks on a TV do-it-yourself show spending big bucks on a big-major home upgrade. But you don’t have big bucks.

Does that mean your house can’t get a dramatic change that might make it easier to sell or nicer to live in?

Nope, according to Fort Wayne area home improvement specialists. You don’t need $10,000 in your hand. With $3,000 to spend, you really can be in a better place.

Entry doors

If you’re selling your house, what’s the first thing prospective buyers see up close and personal? The front door.

So make sure it’s not faded, dated or worn, says Jim Bushey, owner of Bushey’s Windows, Doors & Sunrooms in Fort Wayne.

Bushey says a stained oak- or mahogany-finished fiberglass door and side panel will easily come in less than $3,000, and Uncle Sam is still willing to throw in a 10 percent energy tax credit.

Last year, a new steel entry door recouped 102 percent on a $1,200 investment – the largest amount of any remodel, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors and Remodeling magazine. A new garage door was second, returning 83.9 percent on $1,200 spent.

Baths

Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. Trouble is, totally redoing them tends to dent the profits. But $3,000 can still make a difference, says Guy Colvin of Colvin Kitchen and Bath in Fort Wayne.

Colvin says you can easily redo a powder room for $3,000. At his business, you’ll get a 30-inch hickory or oak vanity with a granite top, an under-mounted ceramic sink and oil-rubbed bronze faucet and matching accessories, a beveled-edge mirror and a water-saving toilet. You might even squeeze in a new do-it-yourself coat of paint.

In a full bath, he recommends redoing the tub surround if the tub itself is in good shape. He likes a Simstone surround with a luxe marble or stone look and built-in corner shelving. Hardware can be updated and a spa-inspired curved shower thrown in for about $3,150.

Kitchens

Don’t expect a TV-style cabinet demo and do-over or adding a center island with electricity or plumbing for $3,000. But if your kitchen is about 30 years old and still has a California ceiling, you’re in luck, Colvin says. Indeed, replacing those 1970s relics is one of his company’s most popular upgrades.

The $3,000 remodel gets rid of the fluorescent tube lights under plastic panels in favor of recessed can lighting or a ceiling-hung fixture and task lighting. You can deck out the ceiling with tile that mimics stamped tin or bronze and still come in under budget.

Steel Vs Granite Composite Sinks | Acrylic Kitchen Sinks Guide

Stainless steel is used in kitchen sinks for many years. Most of the houses they built this type of sink, especially homes in the last 10 years. While most of this falls fairly standard with one or two rectangular glasses, are made of stainless steel is also easy to mold into any shape imaginable. Of course, the more unique the bowl is formed, the more expensive it will tend to increase. In general, these reasonably priced opportunity to loweron the market and offer a variety of looks for your kitchen.

Acrylic Kitchen Sinks

Stainless steel is a metal bit 'tough, that's why it was chosen to be used in this application. Remember that while it is scratch resistant, not scratch resistant. Most of these wells have a brushed surface that help the small scratches that will occur during the life of the basin will disappear. Any major scratches can usually be made by the manufacturer indicating the cleaning tracingInstructions. These wells require maintenance to keep it looking good, but nothing too extensive.

Granite composite sinks are the result of recent technological advances in the sink area. These basins are composed of granite or quartz composite, and acrylic. They are incredibly scratch, heat and stain-resistant, stainless steel sinks more. These sinks are available in different colors, the best known are black, brown and black.They are more expensive than stainless steel sinks, but also offer other advantages. Granite sinks can be made with environmentally friendly materials, which are produced make it a good choice for green homes.

Both types are reduced in various forms and styles and the inclusion or underground installations. Lay-in sinks are typically used with non-solid surface or laminate countertops like Formica. These types of countertops, sinks can not be due to the factthat water could enter the work surface and cause damage. Undermount sinks are used with solid surface countertops such as granite and marble. The default is that insertion plants are much less expensive than underground systems.

The choice of a stainless steel sink might be the best option if the price is more important. However, recent advances in the field of granite sink, is the best choice in terms of functionality and durability.

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