Have you ever walked into a house and thought "Oh, this is a 70's house?" I have - many times. Perhaps because I was a Realtor. Back in the 70's the "in'' thing was to use harvest gold and olive green for kitchen and bathroom fixtures. And people didn't stop there - carpets, throw rugs, towels, bedspreads, and of course the range and refrigerator, all shone in harvest gold and olive green. By the 90's people were looking at homes for sale and reducing their offers by enough to replace those fixtures and appliances. No one wanted those "dated" colors any more.
Even homeowners who chose those colors were sick of them after a few years, but the price to replace a bathtub is pretty steep - especially a bathtub that won't fit through a bathroom door and down the hallway.
While we don't seem to have any "in" colors right now, there's still a temptation to express individual tastes by installing say, a bright red kitchen sink - or perhaps a bathtub of royal blue.
But do think twice. Or maybe three times.
Changing bathtubs can require cutting holes in walls, and even replacing the kitchen sink requires some major plumbing expense. It could even call for carpentry and new counter-tops if you can't find a sink the exact same size as the old one.
That's one reason why I recommend expressing yourself through paint color - not fixture color. Paint is the least expensive way to express your personality, project a feeling, and create an atmosphere.
You can get a little extreme with carpet and counter-tops: price-wise they fall in the middle - they aren't cheap to replace, but you can do it without major carpentry expense.
And in the case of carpet, you may want to make a switch after the first ten years or so anyway, so making a color decision isn't quite as critical.
Paint, on the other hand, is inexpensive. You can go wild with a vibrant color on one wall and completely change the atmosphere of a room - and if you decide you don't like it, you can choose a new color and repaint for a minimal cost.
I've even heard of people who repaint their living rooms to match the seasons - red and green for Christmas, pastels for Spring, etc. That's a bit over the top for my taste, but if you enjoy it, why not?
This is a part of your home building project you can do yourself - and if you have the time, you should. Your house painter will charge extra for changing colors from one room or one wall to the next, so cost is one issue. But there are more reasons.
If you have the time and talent you can have fun with this step. Get a few of those small sample jars of paint and test them out in various rooms - stand back and let yourself feel how the color affects your mood - and then try a different one if it doesn't hit you exactly right.
If you do that with your house painter, he or she might run out of patience!
A second benefit to adding your own color touches is the feeling you'll get from actually taking part in your home building. When we built our home, I let the painting contractor put on the primer and spray the ceilings and walls that were to be off white. Then I painted the walls I wanted in different colors.
Even though my contribution was small, it made me feel like I had helped build my house. That made me pleased with myself and gave me a true feeling of "ownership."
About Author
Marte Cliff is a freelance copywriter - a former real estate broker, and the wife of a retired home builder. Over 20 years experience in dealing with both new home construction and clients who were financially damaged over land purchases and home construction projects led her to write two consumer e-books on the subjects.
The Land Buyers Guidebook and Home Building Simplified were both written to prevent the headaches and heartaches that come from moving forward without the proper knowledge. You can learn about both at http://www.marte-cliff.com/Survival.html
Marte also offers a free report: "How to Spot a Bogus Contractor" To get your copy, just send an e-mail to: helpmebuild@getresponse.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marte_Cliff
Find More
No comments:
Post a Comment