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I have been working on my rental home now for a few years but it wasn’t until this past Dec/09 that I really got into the “spirit” of renovating the house by renovating my bathroom. A complete gut and haul out for a major makeover kind of renovation job. Renovating a bathroom can be overwhelming, but with the help of bathroom renovations Northern Beaches they can provide you with the right products. A mirror glass cut to size can possibly done quickly because these people are already experience.

With the moving in of my Uncle at the end of Nov, while he recovers from the major cancer treatments he received for 45 days straight I found that my 1 bathroom wasn’t going to work. Not for a 72 year young man who couldn’t lift his leg up high enough to get into a bathtub and not even enough room to turn around in the bathroom, let alone dry off, dress and brush your hair.

It was an old, smelly and wayyy past it’s prime kind of bathroom that needed a major makeover. The colors in there were originally Lime green tiles and white walls, cream colored bathtub (not because of the paint but rather age) and sink. Oh and of course we can’t forget that lovely gold flecked off white lino on the floor that had more cracks in it then something with crackle paint on it!

I had wanted to renovate the bathroom for 5 years (that is how long I have lived in this place). My husband would have nothing to do with the changes I wanted. Stating that the landlord wouldn’t allow it. Was he wrong!

Upon my uncle starting to feel more his old contractor self (minus the strength and stamina) agreed with me that it needed doing. He wanted to just repair the walls around the tub and do something about the counter and sink area, that was so gross. I talked him into the idea of putting a corner shower stall in instead. Not mentioning that it would be much easier for him to get into, but said it would give us more room in the bathroom. After much deliberation and discussion, he started chipping away at the walls around the tub and realized just how much rot there was. He realized I knew what I was talking about when it came to what really needed to be done.

We gutted the bathroom completely. He and I did it in 2 days, with the help of my husband who came to help me roll out the old cast iron bathtub that was too heavy for me to lift.

As we started tearing out the sink, tub shelves, cupboards and flooring, we saw just what was making the stink. The toilet had been leaking for years! Again, I love when I am right:) My husband realized that I wasn’t trying to be difficult about what needed to be done but rather for the sake of our health, my sanity and the landlords pocket book this room needed a major repair, fix and update.

We cut away the walls around the tub to replace the rotten drywall from the leaking bathtub pipes and found we had to replace the pipes, drains and dry wall. We had to even replace the sink plumbing as well because of corrosion and rust in the pipes. Galvanized pipes aren’t the best thing to have in a house, that is why we have plastic ones now. Modern is sometimes better.

My Uncle and I didn’t replace the wood floors in the bathroom though. We looked at everything that had been water damaged and felt that both floors (yes, two floors one of old 1930s and one from 1960s all hardwoods) were just fine. We repaired around the toilet it’s self and I sealed the whole floor in a stopz sealer. It sealed the floor so well that when it was dry, the wood floor was hard again, not soft near the tub or sink. We then put a beautiful dark grey and brown floating foam backed lino down on the floor.

After the plumbing was replaced and new drywall up, I mud and painted the bathroom. Then in went the pedestal sink, corner shower and the toilet. What a difference it was just with those changes. The bathroom felt clean and when you had a shower in there you didn’t feel like you needed another one!

I have added a free standing white shelving unit to match everything in there. However, to make sure it wasn’t to “institutional” feeling I put in a dark brown framed oval mirror over the sink, a small handmade bench that my uncle made that I stained dark. A few different sized dark baskets and some dark and light brown towels, shower mats, etc.

By incorporating door knobs to hang towels on instead of a rack. I did this so we could have more room to hang towels for everyone but also because it brought in the nostalgia of the era that the house had been built in. The handles and taps on the sink are also old style in keeping with the feel I have been trying to carry throughout the house.

My family says that going in the bathroom now feels like they are in a spa or hotel bathroom. Hee hee I had to laugh at that. But they mostly like that it smells better in there and more room! I like that when I clean the bathroom now, it actually feels and smells clean in there.

We showed the landlord and his wife what we had to do in the bathroom and they saw all the pictures of the water damage, the pipes that were corroded and rusting away along with how serious the plumbing was getting. They asked for receipts and when I showed them that I actually spent less than a $1000 on giving the bathroom an overhaul, they were shocked. They paid for everything immediately and said that it was a great job!

My husband was very surprised that they would pay for it, but he couldn’t argue with that!

Needless to say my family is very appreciative of the fact that after all my complaining and fussing about the awful bathroom, they are now showering and dressing in a sterile, clean environment. As you can see in my photo albums of the before and after, there is a great deal of improvement in there.

So ladies, I want you to know that anyone can do these renovations and make changes in their homes. I have been learning a lot with the help of my uncle. He has been the construction and renovations business for over 50 years. But there are lots of people out there willing to help even if you don’t have an Uncle Ernie or a dad like I do. Check your local Home Hardware store, Rona and Home Depot for instructions, directions, and even hands on training.

Whether you are just wanting to change the paint color in your home, add shelves, update a fireplace, change the flooring or gut and update a bathroom, anything is possible for you to do.

By the way, I told the landlord that I needed to work on the kitchen and make it more cook friendly and improve the environment in there, they gave me their blessings. I will detail this renovation project when it is complete.

In her blog about these renovations, before/after pictures have been included. Click here at http://myspace.com/funtodotheimpossible or if you have questions leave a message there.

At all of my public talks on Preparing Your House for Selling home sellers want to know ‘Which are the most important rooms for selling? My answer is always – the bathroom and the kitchen. Other rooms are important but since women make 85% of the buying decisions you need to pay attention to what we look at first! Many a restaurant has lost our business because of the condition of the bathroom – right ladies! A designer shares insider tips and tricks for your bathroom renovations Eastern Suburbs. Find the right people for mirror glass cut to size Sydney that can do the job perfectly.

As a professional home stager I have worked with hundreds of clients getting their home ready for selling. Home Stagers are part of a growing service sector in the real estate industry. We know our business and we know how to give a home that ‘Open House Ready’ look.

One of the most important criteria that home stagers work with is determining who your target market is. We provide many services that allow us to assist the home seller to save them TIME, MONEY & ENERGY. Make no mistake – selling is a very, very big job.

My advice to you is not to spend too much money on major renovations in your bathroom or kitchen. These are very personal rooms and they are the ones that are most often updated once the new owner has moved in. Do what you need to do to make the rooms look good. There will be other places for you to spend your money.

I am going to share some simple tips that you can take to get your bathrooms looking great for selling no matter who your target market is. You can make these changes to your bathroom on a very small budget.

TIPS For Selling & Simple Bathroom Renovations:

• Remove all the clutter and all of your personal items. Buyers don’t want to see your hair brush, tooth brush or your cat’s litter. (Honestly this is what I walked into one day…) Now is the time to sort through what you really need to keep, give away, sell or throw out. Recycle where you can. Counter tops should be clear with the exception of a few accessories.
• Clean until every single thing sparkles in this bathroom. If you have a shower curtain buyers will pull it back to see the condition of the tub so clean all the grout until it is white.
• One of the biggest changes and best investments is painting your walls. Choose a paint colour that will go with the colour scheme of your home which will be in a neutral colour. Light blues and/or greens are easy on the eye colours in bathrooms – think ‘spa’ and calm – a warm beige is always a safe colour.
• If your lighting fixtures are old then replace them. You can buy very current brushed nickel light fixtures for very reasonable prices at Home Depot, Ikea, Canadian Tire or Rona. The old brass plates just don’t have the look home buyers want.
• Flooring does not have to be an expensive item for your bathroom update. There are many excellent products on the market. Peel and stick tiles work beautifully in small bathrooms and powder rooms. Linoleum works well in bathrooms.
• Choose a neutral tile not too dark and not too bright. Avoid using carpet in a bathroom.
• If you have an old sink and counter tops you can purchase some inexpensive replacements at ReStore Habitat for Humanity, Costco, Home Depot, Canadian Tire and/or Rona. There are many excellent low cost laminates that you can use for new counter tops. Double sinks are the rage right now but not worth the investment for selling.
• Toilets that are dated in colour such as green, pink, burgundy or blue are to be replaced with new white toilets and toilet seats. Try and keep all of the furnishings in the bathroom white or off white.
• Tubs and shower stalls can be more of a challenge if they are old and full of mildew. At the least clean as much as possible. Sometimes you can create a cleaner look simply by cleaning with a strong environmentally friendly cleanser and a toothbrush; then add a new grout. If you need to buy a new tub or stall while they may seem inexpensive it is the labour that will cost the most. Buy a new shower curtain in a fabric cloth rather than plastic as this will add warmth to the room. White is always the best colour but other colours will work if they match your towels. Think ‘spa’ and hotel ensuites. You may need to call in the experts if your bathroom really needs fixing up!
• Cupboards and shelving should be white or off white. If you have wood such as oak now might be the time to consider painting it. You can buy a primer and then a latex paint to update the look. Keep the contrast of colour to a minimum in the bathrooms.
• If your mirror is cracked or slightly damaged then replace it. The current trend is to individual mirrors if you have double sinks, or one large mirror with a brushed nickel-like border around it. Find a mirror that suits the style of your home. Home Sense, Ikea, Home Depot, Canadian Tire and/or Rona are good sources.
• Depending on the size of your bathroom hang some art that is restful to the eye and in soft colours. Abstract art is not a good choice in the bathroom but ocean scenes & florals are good. Home Sense is a favourite store for accessorizing for staging.
• Select contemporary accessories for the finishing touches in the bathroom:
  Towels – choose towels that are big and fluffy – white, beige or matching paint colour towels are a good choice. Make sure everyone in the family knows that these clean, new, fluffy towels are for show only at this time. Put them away when you are not having a showing.
• An orchid or small plant or vase can be a nice addition to any ensuite, bathroom or powder room.
• If you have space wrap some hand towels up in a basket and put them in a corner or center if you have double sinks.
• Avoid using bathmats when showing a bathroom. You can cozy up the room with your paint colours, towels and shower curtain. Keep the floor clear and clean.
• Avoid potpourri in the bathroom and the use of heavy deodorizers. Try putting some fresh lemons in the bathroom in a glass bowel.

By Dana J. Smithers

PRES® Staging Resource Centre founder, Dana J. Smithers, (founder and president of Sun On My Back Redesigns), has enjoyed a prestigious and successful career in Interior Decorating, Home Staging and Interior Redesign. Dana is passionate about this industry and has prepared over 700 students for successful Interior Decorating and Home Staging & Redesign careers of their own. Want to redesign your personal bathroom? Click here for more details.

A noted industry expert, Dana appears regularly on television and is published in many BC and Canadian design magazines. A “Staging Guru” of trends and data in the industry, Dana’s insight and knowledge is often tapped by other home staging related websites. Dana is a sought after keynote speaker and has presented 100s of Staging & Redesign seminars, talks and workshops at schools, libraries, private businesses, and trade shows to thousands of participants. Dana and her team have a flawless reputation in the Home Staging industry and the accolades are many.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1604773

With good planning and preparation, electrical contracting companies can submit their quotes for big projects they have always wanted – or must have to grow. All that is required is sufficient lead-time and a knowledge of industry partnering on the supply side of materials and manpower. Spend the next five minutes reading the article and you will see there are options, both achievable! You will also read about a growing industry many electrical contractors are discovering to help propel them to the top with minimal financial, overhead and legal risk. With many years of experience, service today provides all types of electrician Melbourne services to domestic, commercial and industrial sectors in Melbourne.

Risk and reward: You must “take it to get it”

The scenario is you have grown your business with the proper mix of office personnel and electricians, have decent cash flow, and enjoy an amicable working relationship with your materials supply house(s). You have your estimating fundamentals down and your business is cruising along at a good pace ready to advance to the next step. Your willingness to accept risk is going to place your business over the top or keep you in check. Which way do you go? Are you comfortable or are you ready to progress in the electrical contracting industry? If your answer is “no” – stop reading here. Otherwise, go on to the next step…

Opportunity

Steven Covey said it the best, “Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity minded.” Maintaining the status quo simply obstructs growth. In a 40-hour workweek, a couple of office support personnel and ten electricians in the field can easily handle a manpower availability factor of ten electricians. With overtime – in perfect conditions – you can squeeze overtime at fifteen man-days (ten at 60 hrs/week) out of your crew and still keep projects on schedule over a short-term period. Now the big knock at the door sounds and an opportunity to grab a big project presents itself. You find you have a requirement for an additional ten electricians to handle the job. Your current crew is stretched to the point of diminishing return. You have a few options; turn the work down and maintain the status quo or go with one or a mix of the remaining two below:

In-house: Focus on the people and the job

OK, start your clock and watch it good! Bid and allow lead time to advertise, drug screen, check references, test for knowledge, interview, notify your worker’s compensation insurance company, gather social security, federal, state tax withholding information, perform payroll functions and then hire to double the size of your staff before the project start date. This will, of course, take time away from getting your materials take-off list in order, ironing out job details with the GC, attend planning meetings, pull permit(s) along with other miscellaneous tasks. You decide to bring in an additional part time office employee to assist the other two already focused on their full-time functions. Also, consideration for the post-project issues must be factored in, like handling unemployment forms, adjusting your worker’s compensation insurance, letting workers go, etc. OK, stop your clock; count the days juggling schedules, whew! Next option is for those ready to throw away the pain and hassles or effectively managing human resources.

Outsource: Focus on the job – not the people

Have time to place one five-minute phone call and want to focus on job preparation, not human resource headaches? Call an electrical staffing company and have the right skill sets assembled for you with all administrative burdens delegated. The price, you ask? Slightly marked up but, it includes the price you would pay for all of the insurance, overhead, payroll, time tracking, advertising, and recruiting duties incurred. By taking on the big job, your return on investment will be surprisingly large by rolling in the known manpower cost. You will have the freedom to focus on the job and maintain your current employee base to supervise job site duties. Do you want more work without added administrative headaches? Want others to handle hiring, replacing, and termination of employees and avoid legal pitfalls with tax and insurance issues? If yes, then select a staffing agency that has licensed electricians in the office who understand what it’s like out there in the real world. Speaking of risk, multi-trade staffing firms let a “staffing technician” hire your electricians. Demand an Electrical Contractor and Master Electrician – backed by human resource experts – hire the specific electrician or electrical crew you require!

Mike Widner, Director Strategy Construction Company

Learn more about outsourcing electricians [http://www.strategy-construction.com] by contacting Strategy Construction Company at 719.574.1881.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mike_Widner/29255

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