Posts Tagged ‘updating your kitchen or bathroom’

Bathroom Updates Add Value to Your Brooklyn Home

Wednesday, June 11th, 2014

By Charles D’Alessandro | Leave a Comment

When buying or selling a home, a kitchen is the number one place a potential buyer will focus their attention, and you as the seller should, too. Since bathrooms come in at a close second, let’s take a look at how bathroom updates add value to your Brooklyn home.  Learn what your bathroom’s key measurements are along with the sizes of common fixtures and begin discovering the many advantages compact spaces offer. Your bathrooms will turn into inspired occasions to fashion beautiful and useful rooms that will increase the value of your home.

Steven Corley Randel, ArchitectClick the link or image above to view photos of the following bathroom update ideas.

Add pedestal, floating or braced sinks to make your small space feel larger.

Extend the vanity countertop over the toilet tank. Will the fixtures fit comfortably under an extended countertop? The tank needs to be low enough, and you must be able to remove the lid without difficulty.

Store bathroom items efficiently and comfortably in a custom-designed medicine cabinet that stretches over the vanity and over the toilet. A tall, narrow strip of lighting could be built into the cabinet. A light fixture placed on each side of mirror would be ideal to provide even lighting while getting ready for the day.

Line up all bathroom fixtures on a single wall. This cost-effective layout saves on the cost of plumbing installation and allows hot water to be distributed efficiently, especially when the wall with the fixtures is near or directly above the water heater in the basement.

Install a clear glass shower door to create a larger feel to the compact space of a bathroom.

If you prefer a shower only, install a glass wall with a curb that is 3 to 4 inches high, 4 to 6 inches wide. Or define the shower area by a glass wall and shower floor that is flush with the bathroom floor for a sleek and very updated look.

Install a ready-made medicine cabinet and build trim around it. Add small shelves to store personal items in baskets that will fit in or on the small shelves to maintain a clean and organized look.

Mount towel bars or hooks between 36 and 42 inches above the floor, 48 or 50 inches if you are taller or use extra-large bath towels/sheets. The top of the mirror should align with the top of the tile in the shower which should align with top of the window if your bathroom space has a window.

A clear space of 24 inches in front of a toilet is required by current U.S. codes. Be sure to allow for this dimension – more than the minimum if possible is even better. In older homes it is not uncommon to come across arrangements that don’t meet minimum standards. But if you are renovating, make sure you have ample space provided for the measurements of the toilet. If you choose an elongated toilet over a standard-size toilet, another 2 to 3 inches will need to be allowed for the extra length of this choice.

In extremely tight spaces, place the sink at the end of the tub with the toilet next to the tub. Nooks added above the toilet will provide storage. Everything will need to be waterproofed in this compact layout. The use of mosaic tile outside of the shower to keep everything waterproof is a good idea in tight baths and will add subtle contrast, too.

For your compact space you may need to consider installing an oval-shaped sink and cabinet tucked into a hollowed niche in a wall. The toilet could be placed next to the shower, still providing enough space to get in and out of the glass doors of the shower.

As you can see, the beautiful possibilities to make the most of your bathroom spaces and add value to your Brooklyn home are almost limitless.

Want more ideas on how bathroom updates add value to your Brooklyn home?  Subscribe to Brooklyn Real Estate Blog for more home improvement tips.

Give Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate a call at 718/253-9600 ext. 206 or email  [email protected].

Resource: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26567086?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u517&utm_medium=email&utm_c

7 Ways to Prepare your Brooklyn Home for an Appraisal

Monday, June 27th, 2011


Prparing for An Appraisal on your Brooklyn Home

Have you ever considered that preparing your Brooklyn home for an appraisal could increase its appraised value?

While many owners consider a home appraisal as simply another step in the process of selling or refinancing their Brooklyn homes, homeowners who prep their homes for the appraisal often fair better than those who do nothing.

Here are seven ways to prepare your  Brooklyn home for the best appraisal possible:

  1. Give the appraiser a list of recent home sales. Ask your real estate agent to make a list of properties similar to yours that have recently sold in your neighborhood.  Be sure to include the sales price.  This is one less thing the appraiser has to do.
  2. Supply a copy of your home’s blueprint. This will help to verify room measurements and lot size.  Also, provide the date your home was built.
  3. Provide a list of improvements. Make a list of improvements you’ve made to your property since you bought it. Include the dates the improvements were made. Be sure to list all improvements such as adding a room, updating your kitchen or bathroom, pouring a patio or replacing a roof.
  4. Make it easy for your appraiser to see the entire property.  Do you have an attic or crawl space that’s hard to access?  Do whatever is necessary to make it easy for the appraiser to get to those hard to reach spaces.
  5. Spruce it upA clean home makes a good impression. Trip the lawn, clean the garage, and make minor repairs both inside and out.
  6. Point out amenities. Do you have a sprinkler or security system, built-in vacuum, or other special features that aren’t obvious?  Give a list of these amenities to your appraiser.
  7. Provide a copy of your most recent property tax assessment. The assessed value of your home is what your taxing authority (your county, city or town) uses to determine how much property tax is due. The period between assessments varies by jurisdiction. Some taxing authorities might conduct full assessments every six years, for instance, but update their records annually to account for new homes or building improvements.  Contact your county, city or town to get the most recent tax assessment for your property.

Thinking of selling your Brooklyn home?  Let me help you sell it faster with less stress and for as much as possible. Give me a call Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn Realtor® with Fillmore Real Estate at 718/253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected].