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Kitchen Renovation – Tips for a New Backsplash

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Kitchen Renovation – Tips for a New Backsplash – Adding Value to Your Home

Martha Loveless of Loveless Real Estate Services
The Best Carmichael Realtor | HomeSmart ICARE Realty 916-.270.7081
Homes for Sale in Carmichael / What’s Your Carmichael Home Worth?

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You’ve been watching HGTV again and you’ve been inspired to do something about that dated backsplash in your kitchen. It’s not exactly a small job, but certainly one an adventurous first time homeowner can do with just a few tools. Installing a backsplash is a pretty straightforward process, with a few caveats. Just make sure you’re really ready before you put mastic to wall.

Choosing Backsplash Materials

Anything you can glue to the wall can be used as a backsplash. How effective it will be, on the other hand, is a point you really need to consider. Sure, that wine cork backsplash you saw on Pinterest is cool, but how well will you be able to clean it the first time you splatter spaghetti sauce on it? Remember that backsplashes are exposed to tough conditions, including:

* High heat.
* Steam.
* Water.
* Food splatter.

Even though you may love the idea of making your kitchen backsplash out of old newspapers, ask yourself how you’re going to address these issues. If, for example, you somehow transfer the images from a newspaper onto a piece of tempered glass, you might be on to something. On the other hand, just taping newspaper to the wall is going to result in a very short-lived mess.

What the backsplash is made of is almost the most important question there is to answer. Many homeowners choose tile because it’s easy to install, universal and, hey, it’s what’s in the bathroom so you know it’s great with moisture. Before you rush out the door to buy supplies, consider the pros and cons of the materials you’ve been imagining as you cook dinner every night.

Prepping the Space

Changing out the backsplash in the kitchen isn’t the hardest job out there, but it can be an incredibly gross one, especially if the old backsplash was tile. You’ll want to move all the appliances out of the way (don’t just dodge around them, people get hurt this way), don’t forget to take the range hood down for access behind it. At the store, you’ll want to pick up some heavy drop cloths, either thick plastic or the reusable canvas ones. Also nab a respirator for each person who will be helping. You really don’t want to breath in the dust you’re about to generate.

Turn the power to the kitchen off, and with a heavy metal putty knife or small claw hammer, lift the first tile off the wall. Just shimmy under it and give it a twist of the wrist. Also have a bucket or something nearby to toss the tile into. Repeat this until all the tiles are gone. You’ll also need to have a plan for leveling the wall afterward — it should look nearly new, in a perfect world.

Depending on what was used to attach the tiles, you may be able to just knock the ridges down with your putty knife and sand the rest out or you might be able to go over the top of old, existing mastic with new mastic and tiles. Ask your home improvement store for specific help on this because the combinations and solutions are nearly limitless.

If you’re dealing with a formica backsplash (the same material as many countertops and a common backsplash choice for homes built and remodeled in the 1970s and 80s), you’ll need a heat gun to melt the glue, but you can essentially just peel it off as the glue is heated. The same applies to any other glued-on materials, short of wallpaper. Don’t heat that with a heat gun unless you like kitchen fires.

Is it Prepped Yet?

You’ll know your kitchen wall is ready for action when there’s no sign of anything behind the new material, including bumps, discoloration and the like. For glass tiles, for example, this might mean you’ll need to go over the drywall with a thin coat of white mastic for consistency, false tin tiles might look better after you’ve completely stripped any evidence of old backsplashes down to the drywall.

If you neglect this very important step your backsplash will look awful. It might even fall off. So prep like crazy. If you spend half the time on your project doing prep work, you still might be better off prepping a little more. Ultimately, the quality of the project is primarily determined by the quality of your preparation.

Image result for tips for a new backsplashTips for Doing a Great Install

The worst feeling in the world is reaching the end of a project only to realize that it looks nothing like you had imagined. Pinterest (and pre-Pinterest) fails are common in home improvement projects, but you can avoid the worst of them with a little pre-planning. Consider these tips before you go back in with your new material.

Ensure your backsplash actually fits. Laugh all you want, but sometimes people are drawn to particular materials or tiles and can’t be swayed otherwise. Measure your space and then measure it again. Not all materials are easy to cut down, keep that in mind as you make the final decisions.

Consider grout color choices as a part of the process. If you’re going with tile, grout is not an afterthought. Grout colors can completely change the way a tile backsplash looks in the space. If you use black grout with a white subway tile, it’s going to pop like mad, but that might not work in a kitchen that’s otherwise pretty calm. The reverse is also a problem, a white grout with those white tiles is going to make a kitchen with a lot of energy feel sterile and lifeless.

Plan your cuts ahead of time. This applies to any material you can cut. When you’re making cuts, you’re changing the pattern just so much and sometimes that little bit matters a lot. For example, if you’re using a piece of heavy acrylic that has fish silk screened onto it, you don’t want to lob a head off or cut a fish in half. Consider where you’re going to place each piece of material, where it’ll be cut and how it’ll all fit together at the end and your backsplash will steal the show.

Number your pieces. Use an oil pencil (or a Sharpie works if you’re using tiles) and label each piece on the back, in order of application. It can get very confusing when you’re in the middle of an install, there are a lot of things to keep on the brain. Labeling everything and drawing out even a crude diagram to show yourself where they go will make your job so much easier.

Remember, it’s not a race. No matter what type of backsplash you’re installing, slow and steady is the way to go. Going too fast ultimately means sloppy work. You don’t have the experience of a pro, you can’t expect to have the speed. Just put one tile, panel, or chunk of glass in front of the other as you move across the kitchen.

You Could Dream Big and Have a Pro Bring it to Life

One of the most important skills any homeowner can develop is realizing when they’re in too deep or when it just makes sense to hire a pro over DIYing a project. Often, you’ll end up saving a lot of time and frustration by using someone who has already been there and done that hundreds or thousands of times.

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What’s my Carmichael Home Worth? Call us today at 916-270-7081 for a free consultation or log on to www.HomeValuesinCarmichael.com to find out.

Martha Loveless
916.270.7081
The Best Carmichael Realtor
www.LoveSacMetroHomes.com

What is Title Insurance and Why do I Need It?

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What is Title Insurance and Why do I Need It?

Martha Loveless of Loveless Real Estate Services
The Best Carmichael Realtor | Keller Williams Realty 916-.270.7081
Homes for Sale in Carmichael / What’s Your Carmichael Home Worth?

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When it comes to buying a car, you understand the benefit of car insurance.  And when you buy a home in Sacramento, you understand you must have homeowners insurance. But chances are you’ve never thought about title insurance until you started the process of buying a house. What is title insurance? It’s a policy that insures that you won’t have any unknown claims made to the ownership of your home.

What could go wrong?

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A clean or clear title is important because the title is what gives you ownership of a property. Imagine buying your dream home in Sacramento, closing the deal and then realizing the previous owner hadn’t paid property taxes for several years. Those taxes remain charged against the property and as the new owner, you are responsible. The taxing entity could even take your home. Or perhaps two sales ago someone sold the home without getting the signature of an estranged husband who now wants to stake his claim. Perhaps the previous owner didn’t pay a contractor for some work on the home and the company put a lien against the house. Or the power company shows up with a crew to take advantage of an easement though your new backyard. The scenarios are seemingly endless and tracking down every last possibility is more than you can practically do on your own. That’s where title insurance comes in.

An ounce of prevention

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Unlike most insurance policies, you pay just a one-time fee and your property is covered for as long as you or your heirs own it. If you are taking out a loan to buy a home in Sacramento, the lender will require you to purchase lender’s title insurance to cover its investment. Essentially, the lender wants to make sure this is a legitimate deal with someone who has the full right to sell the property to you. But the lender’s policy will only cover the outstanding amount of the loan at the time a claim is made. You also want to make sure you have a policy that covers your interest, called an owner’s policy. When purchased together, the owner’s policy is a relatively inexpensive addition.

As you’ve probably guessed by the one-time fee, title insurance doesn’t work the same way most other policies do. The truth is that title insurers rarely have to pay out on claims. But that doesn’t mean you’re paying them for nothing. To the contrary, unlike other types of insurance, title insurance companies mostly incur their expenses upfront and help prevent any kind of title surprise later on.

While you are in the escrow phase of purchasing a home, the title insurance company will conduct a comprehensive search to make sure there are no such surprises lurking in the dusty files in some forgotten corner of the county courthouse. The title company searcher looks at deeds, wills, and trusts, tracing the history of the property back many, many years. The search can be manual or on a computer or both, depending on records in your area. Among the important questions is whether all past mortgages and liens have been paid. Does anyone hold an easement? Are there any pending legal actions? That’s where most of your insurance premium goes – to conducting that search. Then, just to make sure you’re protected in case they missed something, title insurance will cover your losses if it turns out later that they missed something.

In some areas, the cost of the title search and the title insurance are separate, while in other regions they are lumped together.

What kinds of policies are there?

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What’s covered depends upon your policy. If you purchase only lender’s title insurance and end up losing your home to a previously unknown lien, your mortgage will be paid off. That’s the good news. The bad news is that you won’t get anything to cover the payments you’ve made, including the down payment. You’re out a house. That’s why experts advise buyers to get an owner’s policy as well.

Owner policies come in different flavors. A standard policy will generally cover you up to the purchase price of your home. If you want protection that will cover inflation, you’ll want an enhanced policy or an inflation rider. That also provides coverage for liens filed after your closing date. Say, for example, you buy a new home in Sacramento and at closing everything is clear. The next day, a subcontractor who worked on construction of your home files a mechanic’s lien. Without an enhanced title insurance policy, you aren’t covered and may end up paying the subcontractor. It’s up to you to look at coverage and decide which owner’s policy you want to purchase.

Shop around

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The only time you can purchase insurance is at closing. Whether buyer, seller or both pay for the coverage varies according to what is negotiated on the contract. In some areas, the seller buys the owner’s policy and the buyer pays for the lender’s policy. Both policies take effect on closing day. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act prohibits sellers from requiring you to buy coverage from a specific title insurer. However, if the seller is paying for it, the seller can use whichever company they want.

You can purchase title insurance from whichever company you choose. But the reality is that your lender probably has a preferred title company and it is much cheaper to piggyback your policy onto the lender’s. If you have a strong preference, you may be able to convince the lender to use the company you prefer. Costs are fairly similar from company to company in any region.

If you find yourself looking at the prospect of finding a title insurance provider with dread and want to just go with your lender’s choice, don’t feel bad. You buy title insurance whenever you purchase a home. Lenders buy it several times a day. In this case, the lender’s interest – a good, solid insurance provider – lines up with yours. So don’t beat yourself up for not pushing back on selecting your own title company.

Martha Loveless
916.270.7081
The Best Carmichael Realtor
www.LoveSacMetroHomes.com

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Bring Fall into Your Home…Starting with the Front Porch!

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Bring Fall into Your Home…Starting with the Front Porch!

Top Carmichael Realtor Martha Loveless
of Loveless Real Estate Services at Keller Williams Realty
916-.270.7081 / Home Search / What’s Your Carmichael Home Worth?

 

The best fall looks are all about warm hues, natural materials, and soft, golden light. Haystacks, pumpkins, and scarecrows are classic front porch pieces but too much of any of these can easily turn your seasonal decorating plan into a busy, kitschy mess. Follow these tips to recreate the simple allure of a cool autumn day, starting with your front porch!

shutterstock_114516766Even if you don’t have room for rocking chairs and antique wagons, you can transform your front porch into an autumn wonderland with a few simple pieces. Let the colors and textures of fall inspire you. Flowers in warm oranges, bright yellows, and deep reds evoke the natural beauty of the season. Choose plants that do well in cooler weather like mums, pansies, and coneflowers, which will look beautiful planted together. Terracotta pots or rustic wooden baskets are the perfect choice for colorful, seasonal container gardens.

Pumpkins are probably the most popular choice for fall décor, but hard-shell and ornamental gourds can also be used to add color and texture. Place in clusters leading up your steps or beside your welcome mat. More narrow entrances will look better with fewer pieces—one small pumpkin on each step will do the trick.

shutterstock_108095741To achieve a traditional, Americana look, use natural materials that allude to our nation’s rich agricultural history. Capture the simple essence of the harvest season with scarecrows, hay, and dried ears of corn, but remember: less is more. Plaid flannel accents—whether on a scarecrow’s shirt, a lightly frayed table cloth, or a wreath’s ribbon—are a nice touch.

If you can find them, antique farm crates or wooden wagons make gorgeous statement pieces. They can also be used as planters, accented with gourds, or even stacked with hay to create rough, stylish side tables.

Bring the whole look together with a simple autumn wreath. You can purchase beautiful wreaths at home decorating stores or make your own! Wreaths make great do-it-yourself projects and are easy enough for beginners; you can even get your kids involved. To create a classic fall display for your front door, simply add faux leaves to a grapevine or rattan wreath and affix small decorative gourds to complete the look. You can even add the first letter of your surname to give it a more personal touch.

Perhaps you’re looking for a twist on classic fall styles. Don’t be afraid to stray from traditional autumn colors. For a modern alternative, paint several different types of decorative gourds and pumpkins in the same shade of soft white. You can even use painted leaves, pine cones, and twigs to add more texture and variety.

Autumn is truly the time of year for pared-down, natural design. Avoid overdoing your décor by keeping it as simple as possible. The beauty of the season is that fall displays can work from the first sign of changing leaves on through early winter. Add a jack-o’-lantern at Halloween or a cornucopia for Thanksgiving and you’re all set!

Money-Saving Tax Benefits for New & Long-Term Homeowners

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Money-Saving Tax Benefits for New & Long-Term Homeowners
Top Carmichael Realtor Martha Loveless
of Loveless Real Estate Services at Keller Williams Realty
916-.270.7081 / Home Search / What’s Your Carmichael Home Worth?

Buying and owning a home in Carmichael, CA is not only an important step in life, it’s an area rich with benefits when it comes to filing an annual tax return. Your CPA or Tax Consultant can remind tax filers not to forget or overlook the many tax credits and deductions that relate to home ownership.

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There are special tax credits for first-time home buyers, to the numerous tax incentives for making energy-efficient changes to a home, there are multiple reasons for taxpayers to speak with a tax preparer and ensure they take advantage of all home ownership-related credits and deductions for which they are eligible.

Homeowners must keep the following tax benefits top-of-mind as they gather their tax-related documents to have their tax return prepared:

First Time Home Buyers:

The IRS allows first-time home buyers to withdraw up to $10,000 from their traditional IRA (and even Roth IRAs) penalty-free to help with the purchase of the home. You can also borrow half of your 401(k) balance up to $50,000 for the purchase of a home. But, the interest you pay on that 401(k) loan, unlike a mortgage loan, isn’t tax-deductible.

New Home Energy Credits:

Taxpayers can receive a credit for making their homes more energy efficient by caulking doors and windows, adding new insulation to attics, buying an energy-efficient hot water heater or air conditioner and more. The credit amount is a total of 30% of the cost of qualifying improvements, up to $1,500.

Tax Deductions and Buying a Home:

Most of the expenses incurred when buying a home are not deductible. Yet there are certain closing costs (such as brokers’ commissions, attorney’s fees, recording fees, abstract fees, surveys, title searches, owner’s title insurance policy and transfer taxes) that are added to the basis of your residence that are important to keep track of. When you sell, the basis is needed to calculate any gain or loss.

Real Estate Taxes:

You may deduct real estate taxes in the year paid. They are generally reported on Form 1098 (Mortgage Interest Statement) or on your county real estate tax assessment statement. You should also deduct any prorated taxes collected from you at closing. These amounts are usually included on Form 1098, but you can get the total paid at your local tax assessor’s office if they are not reported on your Form 1098.

Local Real Property Taxes and Assessments:

Local taxes are deductible if they are charged uniformly against all property in the jurisdiction and if they are based on the assessed value of your home. Many states and counties also impose local benefit taxes for improvements to property, such as assessments for streets, sidewalks, and sewer lines. These taxes cannot be deducted but you can increase the cost basis of your property by the amount of the assessment.

Mortgage Interest:

The amount of mortgage interest you paid on your principal residence (or second home) is deductible if you itemize deductions. This amount is generally shown on Form 1098 (Mortgage Interest Statement). You can also deduct the points paid to purchase your residence, even though some may have been paid by the seller. Mortgage insurance premium payments that are related to the purchase of your home are deductible annually.

In addition, Steber notes that taxpayers should keep records of the cost of improvements made that add value to the home, such as landscaping, patios, swimming pools, decks, room additions and roof replacements, as these items can be added to the cost basis. Repairs such as fixing leaks, repairing roofs and painting are not deductible and are not basis additions. The cost of your own labor is not deductible.

Always consult your CPA or Tax Consultant.

Martha Loveless
916.270.7081
www.LoveSacMetroHomes.com

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