New Kitchen Trends You Should Avoid

Top Kitchen Trends You May Want To Avoid

Engaging in a kitchen renovation is one of the most efficient, most effective and proactive home improvements you can make today. This is very important, and you should never regret doing this.

Perhaps you have come across this famous maxim, ‘kitchens sell houses’. This simply implies that a functional and beautiful kitchen will increase the value of your home, should you decide to sell it.

But not all kitchen designs are created equal. Some are passing trends that won’t be popular in three years and others are just plain blah. We spoke a company in the UK who make some of the best kitchens Northampton, and they told us some of the top kitchen trends you may want to avoid.

Over-The-Range Microwave

Installing your microwave over the range is something that has been in practice for many years. Such practice is no longer feasible; it is gradually fading, it doesn’t give you amazing beauty or favor global design principles. Microwaves should be kept in an accessible place for every member of the family. Thus, it would be better you move it to drawers and under-the-counter nooks instead.

Pot Racks

Keeping your large pot racks in your central kitchen island is no longer ideal; instead pans and pots should be kept neatly in drawers. You are expected to go for a universal design that is minimalist and sleek. Research shows that this would remain a vital option for many years to come.

Kitchen Desk

Most family life revolves solely around the kitchen, and this is why most people treasure putting a desk in the kitchen, and some held this as a great option. The truth is that most times a kitchen desk is left with the option of getting stacked with papers and clutter you wouldn’t like to see. Thus, you are directed to kindly pass on the desk, and keep certain household activities to your home office.

Distressed Cabinets

In most kitchens, glazed and distressed cabinet finishes have been in practice for decades. It is important to remark that this type of kitchen fashion is gradually fading out.

Thus, if you are searching for your cabinet replacement, then it is better to look for the ones with modern aesthetic design, whether clean wood tones or crisp paint colors.

Faux Finishes

Faux finishes are gradually fading today. But, updating your kitchen with simple and beautiful designs is still supreme. To make your kitchen extremely beautiful, and unique, you are advised to go for fresh paint in neutral or bold tones. Even a simple wallpaper design can be a good option.

Be a trend setter, not a trend regretter. Avoid these common faux pas when it comes to kitchen design.

Different Types of Roofing Materials and Their Benefits

How many Roofing Materials are There?

There are many things to consider when you are choosing the roofing material to use for your new or old home. The fact is that there are many roofing materials you can choose from. But you should never make a guess when choosing. Consider the entire strengths and shortfalls before choosing. Below is a look at the roofing materials and their benefits to help you make the best choice.

To discuss different materials, we spoke to roofers in Kansas City Missouri, who said that Metal Shingles are used for the traditional style of roofing and they are very durable. They are made of metal materials, so they come with the durability and strength of metals. But they also come with the look of shingle roofing. They are very good in protecting the house against inclement weather. There are some metals that enjoy a wind resistance of up to 120 miles per hour, which is of very high impact.

The Architectural Shingles are another set that comes in the shingles appearance and shape. They give the best value to the homeowners because the durability is top notch. They have a very aesthetic look and are thicker and of a better quality than the standard shingles.

Clay Tiles are the type used in most of the houses in Europe. They have a very romantic and sexy look, and add amazing flair and elegance to the house. The architecture has a links to the Mediterranean, American southwestern and Spanish missions. The clay tile is very effective against extreme weather conditions. Things like fire, high moisture and even the insects are deterred by this roofing material. Clay is so durable that it is always expected to last for more than a 100 years when used on a house.

Asphalt Shingles are the most common. In fact, up to 80% of houses are roofed with these. They have the quality to resist wind and fire. Many people choose them because they are affordable, a bit light in weight and are fitting for different types of slopes. But the problem is that their eco-friendliness is in doubt and they are not durable, meaning that they do not last long.

Plastic Polymers are high tech plastic blends used for roofing. Presently, they are made to look like wooden shakes. They are low maintenance materials and very durable. They have variations that will suit your taste, and can resist fire and wind well.

Slates are also prevalent roofing materials. Many buildings have them and they are very beautiful on homes. They last long, resist fire and wind, and are completely recyclable. This is because they are made of natural materials.

Wooden Shakes are also good roofing materials. They are made of cedar and other woods. Their features are that your home gets a natural look from them, and older homes are given character and charm too. They are affordable, fabricated from natural materials, and could be recycled.

Thatched Roofs may also be good for you. Cottage and rustic homes are best for this. They can last up to 65 years if you use Water Reeds. But the Long Straw can last up to 25 years only. They are all natural and easy to dismantle.

Concrete lasts long, resists fire and are cheaper than both clay and asphalt. But they could be so heavy that reinforcement may be needed.

Rise of Importing Products?

Are Building Material Imports on the Rise?

When the housing boom happened back in 2004, the demand for building supplies rose drastically above the available quantity. Things like flooring, steel, and drywall quickly ran out, and construction companies began turning to overseas supplies to fill the void. What happened next was something unheard of. Chinese companies shipped millions of tons of drywall into the United States (mainly Florida), which were tainted with toxic chemicals. Those chemicals quickly made people sick and it became clear the drywall was the cause.

Despite the health risks, many companies still do import materials from overseas in order to cut costs, which is something that could be potentially dangerous for consumers. Furthermore, if the housing market continues to trend upward, it is likely that supply will once again fall below the demand, and there will be nowhere else to turn but to offshore companies to get the materials.

Now, we are not saying that all imported material is bad. Some of it is great, and there are a lot of good companies out there that want to do business at a high level and standard of quality. However, if you are a company considering importing merchandise, we suggest you read about the pros and cons of importing materials first.

How Mold Can Throw a Wrench in Your Home Sale

Buying or Selling Real Estate – With Mold

Nothing scares home buyers away faster than discovering the dream home they were just about to hand over a bunch of cash for has a mold infestation. While some mold strains are more harmful than others, at the end of the day they are all the same to potential buyers. Because of this, you will want to be sure to cover yourself in the event that you find mold in the building you were planning on selling. You can start with these simple steps below.

Get an Inspection! It’s Better Than Finding out Later

Mold will grow just about anywhere there is moisture, which means it can probably be found in just about any home in the United States. With this knowledge, it is highly advisable to bite the bullet and get a mold inspection done before you complete the sale of the property. While mold inspections aren’t cheap, paying to have one done will save you money in the long run if mold were to be found and you had done nothing. There are plenty of companies to turn to for inspections, and your best bet would be to find a national business with a branch in your area. You can find a list of mold removal company locations here. Simply call one of these companies and ask them to do a preliminary inspection of your home.

The reasoning behind this is that if someone purchases your property and finds that there is a mold problem you didn’t disclose, you could be faced with a pricy lawsuit. It is best (in this authors opinion) to simply get an inspection, document it thoroughly, and let the potential buyer know it was done.

If you need an inspection, Toxic Mold USA provides lists of local companies that will be able to handle this for you!

I Found Mold. Now What?

If you find mold, it isn’t the end of the world. In fact, I recently sold a building that had a mold issue but, because of the step above this one, I found it before the sale. This really saved me because it turned out to be pretty extensive and, while the cost of remediation was high, was worth it to get rid of before the sale was made. After the inspection came back with the bad news, I called up a remediation company in NYC and they took care of the rest. I documented everything and made sure the buyer was aware of the fact that there was mold but that it had been totally remediated. Their home inspector did his tour and found everything was good to go, and they went through with the purchase.

The thing that made this sale successful was not that I had taken care of the mold, but that the company I used had identified the source (leak in the basement) and had fixed that as well. This decreases the likelihood that the mold will come back from that specific source, which is what the buyers really cared about.

Document and be Completely Upfront

Documentation is one of the keys to making sure everything is on the up and up and both buyer and seller know the situation. Leaving a paper trail not only covers you if something goes wrong down the line, but also gives the buyer peace of mind knowing you are doing your part to make sure everything is as it should be.

The bottom line is that you should always be upfront with your buyer and do your bit to ensure the property they are buying is in the condition they think it is when they showed interest in purchasing it. This is not only ethical, but is just a staple of good business, and will save both parties from a lot of headaches after the transaction is complete.