The first step to completing this countertop upgrade is to measure your countertops to calculate the area you need to cover. It is important to make sure you buy enough material on the first trip because of variations among lots. You will be buying contact paper! If you these simple directions, most people won’t even be able to tell you used contact paper rather than completely replacing your countertops.

When purchasing the contact paper, it is important to compare the rolls before you buy them. Check for variations in color, pattern, etc. Try to get the rolls that match the closest. Often rolls can come from different dye lots and you may not notice until you are actually applying the contact paper that the color is varied in one of the rolls. It was only a slight variation and while no one else may ever notice, you will know it’s there.  One of the better places to purchase contact paper is your local discount retailer. They usually will have good selection and also carry a non-brand name products which cost less but look just as good.

Once you have purchased your contact paper, the next step is to prepare the surface. If you have some cuts or scratches on your existing countertop, you need to use some fine sand paper and gently smooth the area. This will allow the contact paper to hold better and also prevent it from creating dips in the new surface. Also, if you have any chips or gouges, you can fill them in with wood putty. Simply let it dry and sand it down to get a smooth surface. After you are confident the surface is smooth, make sure to clean it with any common household cleaner to allow for maximum hold.

Now you are ready to apply the contact paper and this can be tricky. It is best to recruit someone that can help you out. Start at one end of the counter and work your way towards the other end. Depending on the pattern you chose, you may need to match up patterns.

When you apply the contact paper, it is very important to get all of the bubbles out before moving on to the next section. You can use a large of cardboard or buy a tool made specifically for smoothing the area down.  If necessary, for those little bubbles that just won’t o away, use a thumb tack and “pop” a very small hole in them to allow the air to escape.

After the bubbles are gone and the piece is smooth, move on to the next section. Be sure not to overlap the contact paper any more than necessary as the more it overlaps, the more noticeable it will be. Follow this process until you have completely covered you countertops.

People have been able to improve their countertops for under 20 bucks which is a serious savings over the hundreds to thousands it would have cost to replace the countertops. When you are finished, you will be amazed with your results as well as the money you saved!

It’s difficult to look at our own house in the same way that other people do, because when we become accustomed to the way something looks and functions, we can’t see its faults. When that matters is when you put your house on the market. That’s when it ceases to be a home and becomes a commodity you want to sell.

So how can you tell if you have good curb appeal?  Well, you could walk down the street until you can give it some distance between you and your house. Turn around and take a good look of the house and the surroundings. Note your first impressions, best features of the house and yard, the worst features of the house and yard, and how can you enhance them.

You might also want to take photos of the exterior or the house. It’s surprising what a photo can tell you. Make a list of the problem areas you discovered. Tackle clean up and repair chores first, then put some time into projects that make the grounds more attractive. Instead of adding landscaping, you may realize you need to remove or trim overgrown landscaping.

Don’t forget the side yard and back yard, too. Also, take a look at your home’s first impression in the evening. Buyers often drive by a house after work. Make sure you have attractive lighting—not only outside but inside the house. There’s nothing more welcoming at night than  an inside window lit by a lamp. For outside ambiance, string low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks, and near important landscaping elements and/or add a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch.

A Few Curb Appeal Tips

• Give the outside of your home a fresh coat of paint job
• Install a new front door  with leaded glass inserts or repaint or stain your current door
• Replace or polish doorknob hardware

First of all, you may want to consider why you feel the need to remodel or buy a new home. Do you want the latest and great stainless steel kitchen with cherry cabinets that the neighbors just put in? Is your house in need of updating? Have the kids moved away and the house feels too big? Are the kids getting bigger and the house feels too small? Do you love the neighborhood and wouldn’t want to move to a new one?

If you choose to remodel, you need to consider how this will impact your day-to-day living with rooms torn up and construction workers coming and going. Do you have small kids or pets? How will this affect them? Is it cost-effective? Also, don’t forget to pad the budget because it always takes longer and costs more than you first expect.

What about moving to a new home? Doesn’t selling your home, moving, and buying a new home cost money too? The costs of selling your home, buying a new one and moving, can drain away 10% or more of the value of your home each time you move.

But a study printed in theWall Street Journal reported that the price of keeping a typical home up to current standards over a 30-year period is almost four times the home’s purchase price. In fact, if you’re not a committed do-it-yourselfer, you might be no better off than had you rented all those years. The cost of repair and renovation bills as you deal with failing household systems can easily overwhelm your profit.

Are there alternative to a fully remodeling your home or selling it and buying a new one? You may want to consider some of these solutions:

Declutter—It’s amazing how new a place can look if you get rid of the old and bring in the new or just get rid of the old.

Refurbish—You can update your kitchen and give it a fresh new look if you reface the cabinets, resurface the countertops and replace worn flooring. You’ll save a lot of money over ripping out the whole kitchen and you’ll still get the desired new, updated look.

Repurpose—Maybe the formal dining room you never use can be converted into a home office or maybe it’s time to put away the college kids’ things and use that room for a guest room, office, media or crafts/hobby room.

Sometimes a small change can make a big difference.

The first thing to consider is the expense associated with hiring an agent. While it is true that most agents work on commission and only get paid if they sell your house, it is important to check the realtor out. Ask for previous clients to speak with regarding the agent’s selling ability. Ask how they advertise, the number of open houses they intend to hold, how long the contract exists, etc.

If you decide to go about selling a house yourself, you must be aware of the steps you need to take in order to be successful. The first thing you need to do is make sure the house is in good repair. If you want to get top dollar for your house, you need to ensure the prospective buyer there are no major issues he will have to deal with.

You may decide to paint a room or two in order to make them more presentable. Be sure the exterior is in immaculate condition because this will be the first impression any potential buyer gets of your house. Keep the lawn mowed and the bushes trimmed. I wouldn’t suggest doing any major landscaping however, because the new owner may have different ideas than you.

Once you are sure your house is ready to go on the market, the next step is to get it appraised. Knowing the value of your home will make it easier to set a realistic price as well as give potential buyers a good idea as to the value of the house. Now that you know the current value of your home, it is time to start advertising.

The first thing you need to do is buy a for sale sign to place in your front yard. If you live in an area without a lot of traffic, you may want to consider placing “house for sale” signs with an arrow pointing in your direction at each end of your street. It is also a good idea to place a tube with the for sale sign in your yard to hold flyers detailing the house.

Next, you need to place an ad in your local classifieds. People who are looking to buy a house usually start by looking in the classifieds. You may also want to hang flyers on local community boards for more attention.

After you have your advertising plan developed, start to plan an open house. Most open houses are held for a couple of hours on the weekends. It is a good idea to hold one per month until your house is sold. Open houses allow people to come and see what your house has to offer as well as offer them an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

With proper planning and good advertising, you should have no problem in selling your house with or without a realtor. Be sure to evaluate your personal situation and decide what works for you.

Where to Begin. It has been said that home ownership is at the core of the American dream.  And, in most respects that is true, because it is a reflection of the affluence of our society.  And the ability to be able to buy a house reflects the freedom of our culture.  It’s a symbol of independence.  And most importantly, it must be valued.  If you doubt that, then try to purchase a home in another country.  Some nations will not allow you to own your own home.  Others make it very difficult.  Here, the process is complicated, but not difficult.

So, you begin by understanding that this is free nation and with an appreciation of all that is offered to you.

The Look at Money. A thorough review of your finances should precede any purchase of property.  This not only insures that you have the money to make the purchase, but also serves as a gateway into which you will pass or not pass given your assessment.  If you do not have adequate income to make the payments, then you should wait.  Or, find ways to increase your income to be able to make the purchase.

Next, you should look at your cash on hand.  Do you have any money from which you can make a down payment?  If not then you should wait until you have acquired enough to have at least ten percent of the purchase price.

Existing Debt. Do you have significant existing debt?  If so, wait until you can retire a good portion of that debt in order to make sure you can afford the monthly payments.  A wise buyer will defer the purchase of a house if the debt ratio of their finances is too far in the wrong direction.  You will find that your financing institution can and will help you with this assessment.

Do Not Stretch Yourself. Because the purchase of a house is an emotional decision, it is often easier to try to figure out how you can make the payments by talking yourself or others into thinking that you can make enough money if you are right on the edge.  Especially if this is your first home, do not make this mistake.  Yes, it’s true that your best earning years are ahead of you, but making your financial picture tight by trying to squeeze into a house that is slightly out of reach is not a good idea.  The stress alone can cause not only emotional issues, but relational ones as well.

Better it is to go into a decision like this with your eyes wide open.  Take a conservative approach and do not set your sights too high.  Bring your expectations into check with reality so that you are not caught in a precarious position later on.

When you lay in bed at night in your new house, you will be glad you took the conservative approach vs. the aggressive one.

Ask Around. Certainly the input from family and friend is valuable in this situation.  But be careful of two things:  one, family members who are in the real estate business.  Not because they might not be good, but because they are referred to you by other family members.  Just because they are family does not mean you should do business with them until you know that they are good at what they do.  Hence, the next step should be to ask acquaintances for referrals.  Even if it is one of your family members.  What is being said about them in the community when it comes to their skills and abilities as a real estate representative?

Go Visit. Take time to go visit with several real estate agencies in your area.  Take a list of questions that you feel are important to you as one who will be entrusting the purchase of a house into their hands.  You might be surprised to find that some agencies are better than others.  Some might not value you your business as highly if you don’t look a certain way or act in a manner acceptable to them.  This is certainly discrimination, and it should not be tolerated.  A good real estate agency and its representatives value everyone who walks through their doors, no matter how you look, talk, act or how much money you appear to have.

What to Value. You should value their attention to your concerns.  Do they question you often about your preferences?  Do they make comments about the types of issues that a buyer in your position should be watching for?  Do they make time for you when you call?  Are they responsive when you call them?  Remember, they are a representative and should be working to find you a house that fits you not the other way around.

What They Value. Are they all about appearances?  Do they have to drive fancy cars for show?  Do they try to direct you towards properties that you are clearly not in the position of being able to afford?  Do they go out of their way to show you that they value you as a client by keeping in touch, even when they have nothing to show at the moment?  Do they appear to be good listeners?

All of these things are important for you to think about when choosing an agent.  If you take your time in finding the right representative, you will find one, because the best rise to the top, and they are not hard to discover.

Do Not Go Overboard. It is easy to look at a house and want it badly.  So badly in fact that you find yourself reasoning away the red flags that pop up that tell you that this might not be the best purchase for you.  The most important of these red flags is the price.  If the price is on the edge of being out of your range, then be skeptical.  You might be able to get the seller to go down on their price, but how far?  Will it be far enough to put you into your comfort zone financially?  If you have thought this through at the beginning and have made solid decisions on what you can and cannot afford, then this will not be as difficult a decision.

Emotion vs. Reality. When purchasing a house, emotions come into play very much.  In fact, one of the questions you should ask yourself is “can I see myself in this house?”  Imagine yourself living in the house from day to day.  Imagine your pictures on the walls, your furniture in place, and the rooms painted the colors you like.  This will help you make the emotional part of the decision because if you cannot do that and like what you are visualizing, then you do not even have to proceed to the next step.

Reality dictates that you understand the consequences of a home purchase in spite of the emotional feelings about it.  Will the house require major improvements?  Is it in the right neighborhood for you based on schools (if you have children), proximity to your job or other considerations?  What are the negatives about the house that you do not like?  Are they ones that can be remedied, or are they permanent?  These questions will often override any emotional ties that you find yourself attaching to a certain property.

One thing to keep in mind that might help you in your search is to ask yourself what other house could you purchase that is at or near the same price as the one into which you are looking?  What houses could fill a need or emotional tie better?  Make the process of looking at houses an adventure.  Expect to find better and better houses and then see what is available.  Keeping an outlook like this can help you from making a purchasing decision you might regret later.

Real Estate investors have certain criteria that they adhere to in order to find that perfect property from which they can profit handsomely.  The whole concept of ‘house flipping’ has become popular in the last few years.  Fueled by those who are successful in this endeavor, the information has been propagated to others who would “like a piece of that action” too.  This produces an environment where some get caught up in unprofitable deals from which there is no way of getting out of without losing money.

Get Advice. If you are looking to invest in property as a way to make money, the same advice applies to you as when you purchase other investment vehicles: find a professional who can help you.  The opinions of one who makes a living in this area can be invaluable.  But the best advice one can obtain will come from one who has no financial stake in your decisions.  This takes any coloration of their advice out of the equation.

Go Slow. Moving quickly to secure deals that are low on details and high on promises are almost a sure way of losing money.  Anything that is worth pursuing fits into a comfortable schedule of allowing for time to weigh costs vs. benefits.  If not, then be wary.  Try not to listen to those who operate on this basis.  Their quick, money-making deals more often than not are losers.

Gain Experience. Find a way to get experience in this area before you jump in as an investor.  Consider becoming a real estate agent in order to get this experience.  What better way to look at things from that side of the ‘counter’ than this?  You will be able to gain insights that you otherwise would not be able to do.

Start Small. Once you do get started, do not take on more than you can handle.  Make your first deal by itself without allowing another deal to demand your time and attention.  Keep your advisors close at hand.  Listen and learn as you move through the experience.  Keep a journal of your thoughts so that you can re-visit them once the deal is done, and use any key learnings on your next pursuit.  You will be better for it.

If you’re tired of  listening to your upstairs neighbor walk around the apartment or play music at one in the morning, you may find yourself wishing you could purchase a home of your own. Before you listen to well meaning family and friends that tell you it just isn’t possible, look into it a little more closely:

First time homebuyers: If this is your first time buying a home, you are probably eligible for various programs offered to first time homebuyers. Check both your city and county’s web sites for information. There are programs that offer down payment assistance, renovation loans that are only paid back if you sell the house or refinance it.

Improve Credit Score: It will take time to find and buy a home, so use the time wisely to work on improving your credit score. It really does make a difference in the rates and programs you qualify for, and can mean the difference in becoming a homeowner or remaining a renter. Don’t take out new credit cards or loans, and work on paying off your debt on time. These steps will start increasing your score over time and help you qualify for better mortgage options.

Live Frugally & Save: Becoming a homeowner is a big goal. You need big savings to back your goal up! You may be surprised at the various areas of your living expenses that you can cut back on and save money. The money you save by reducing living expenses can be saved in a high interest account and used towards down payment and other home buying expenses you may not be aware of. If you don’t absolutely need it- don’t buy it. This can be a big adjustment if you’re used to treating yourself to dinners out or a new pair of shoes every now and then – but if you really want to find yourself in a home you can call your own, and avoid listening to your neighbors every movement, you’ll have to make changes in how you use your money to make it happen.

Seek Assistance From People Who Know: Working with first time home buying programs and realtors can help you understand your options and how to prepare to purchase a home. There isn’t an abundance of realtors out there who focus on first time home buyers, but if you do some research you will find a few that have experience with first time buyers and can better help you realize your dreams.