Head Over to the Home Show, Oct. 26-28

A little while back I mentioned the Design Happening event in New York City, and I’m sure that traveling to NYC wasn’t possible for many of you. The good news is that there will be a home improvement and design event right in our backyard this weekend.

Make plans to attend the Home Show (October 26-28) in Upper Marlboro, MD at The Show Place Arena for ideas on remodeling, landscaping, and redecorating. The show floor will have displays of the latest appliances and products as well as indoor and outdoor vignettes. Exhibitors will have samples of flooring, window treatments, fixtures, lighting, and almost anything else you can think of that goes in a house.

These events are both practical and fun. You get inspired by all of the great stuff you see and can talk with exhibitors. This is your opportunity to gather the knowledge and wisdom of a wide array of experts. Instead of traveling from store to store, you can talk to them all under one roof! You can even bring photos of the rooms or areas of your yard that you want to makeover.

If you are thinking of buying a home in the area, you can click on the title of this post to see some of our great listings. Then you can apply some of the expert advice you pick up at the Home Show to decorate your very own home!

Home Remodeling Projects Get Back to Basics

Just in case the proliferation of home store ads hasn't tipped you off, May is National Home Improvement Month. The slowdown in the housing market has cooled homeowners' ardor for high-end remodeling projects. Savvy homeowners want to make certain that when they sell they'll recoup most of their investment.

Gone are the fancy faucets, fireplaces in the master bath, custom hardwood floors, Italian tile and other expensive extras that tickled the fancy of home remodelers a few years ago when a hot housing market guaranteed a 90% return on their investment. Today, with return on investment running at 70%, popular remodeling projects focus on safety, energy efficiency and home maintenance.

What gives you the best return on your remodeling dollar?

• Safety upgrades. Electric and gas systems should be in top shape and comply with current codes. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are good selling points.
• Energy efficiency. Have your furnace cleaned and your A/C checked. Add insulation to your attic. Replace old appliances with new energy-efficient ones that are cheaper to operate. Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Home maintenance. Have the roof and gutter system checked and make necessary repairs. Scrape and paint peeling siding, or better yet, replace it with aluminum siding. Install energy-efficient windows. Repairs left undone can wind up costing your thousands of dollars in damage to your home, so fix problems as soon as they're discovered.

Once you've covered these important basics, if you still have the remodeling bug, you'll get the best return from updating your kitchen (75%) and bath (72%).

If you want to know what remodeling projects sell best in your neighborhood, contact veteran realtor John Day. If you're planning to sell your house, don't waste unnecessary repair and remodeling dollars, talk to John and have him take a look at your house. He can let you know what you need to do to make your house saleable in today's market. Visit John's website to see what the competition has to offer. If you're buying or selling a home in Maryland or the Washington DC metro area, realtor John Day is your key to success.