Pop quiz: Whats the home-improvement project that comes closest to paying for itself when you sell?

Not a snazzy new kitchen or bathroom. A lowly steel front door.

So says Remodeling magazine in its annual survey breaking down the cost benefits of spiffing up your home. Nationally, the survey says, replacing your door costs an average of $1,137 and has a resale value of $978.

Thats the entrance of the home, said Dave MacLean, director of sales at Brothers Services Co., a Hampstead, Md.-based remodeling firm. Thats the absolute first impression.

A steel door, if Remodeling magazine is right, will recoup 86 percent of its cost at sale. The survey suggests that beats the heck out of a major kitchen renovation (69 percent) or a bathroom remodel (65 percent).

The takeaway is to think on a smaller scale at least if your priority is resale.

Costs for the surveys five most valuable projects range from the $1,137 door to a minor kitchen improvement of about $18,500 (new cabinet fronts and hardware, plus replacement countertops and the like). For the bottom five, costs start at $11,400 for a backup power generator and top out at nearly $73,000 for a sunroom addition.

The survey relied on appraisers and real estate agents about 3,900 nationally for its resale estimates. But appraisers warn that home improvement is not an exact science. It depends on the property, the neighborhood and what buyers expect.

At a certain point say, a property with a bathroom and kitchen predating the Eisenhower administration you might need to do major updates just to get anyone in the door to look. And market expectations vary a lot by neighborhood.

In affluent areas, You need to know your competition, said Sharon L. Cremen, an appraisal and consultant. If they all have these great gourmet kitchens, you need to have a gourmet kitchen if youre putting your house on the market. Or you need to be extremely realistic about how much the property is going to sell for.

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Make it count: When it comes to home improvement, simple upgrades can pay off

You want to end up with a well-proportioned conservatory that is fit for purpose. Inevitably, this means sacrificing part of your garden, but hold tight to your goal of creating a structure that, through good design, provides an effortless link between inside and out.

A conservatory will reduce your gardens footprint, says Brendan Day, head of design at Apropos, who has been building glass structures for 50 years. But dont forget that with glass theres a lot of growing to be had. A conservatory could meet your planting needs just as well, if not better, than your garden space.

Choose furniture, size of planting beds and accessories (eg staging, large containers) at the design stage. These dimensions will determine the final proportions and internal floor layout and help to ensure that the best views are incorporated and that the natural light will be a plus, not a hindrance.

As for architecture, the obvious choice is to echo the style of your home. Yet contemporary conservatories alongside period homes are increasingly popular, often making minimal impact. Indeed, for this reason English Heritage often recommends contemporary glass structures for listed buildings.

3 Aspect

A south-facing aspect may seem the obvious choice to ensure year-round sun, but the suns rays become magnified and can burn through glass. Also, air becomes hot and dry, an environment that no plant (or person) enjoys, and which also encourages pests and disease. Blinds will be an essential addition.

Some of the nicest buildings Ive experienced, in terms of lovely, breathable atmosphere and comfortable sociable space, are on the north sides of peoples homes, advises Lisa Rawley, of conservatory plant specialist Fleur de Lys.

4 Glazing

A conservatory relies on its glass to operate to capacity. Solar-controlled glass can help minimise the temperature of the room and control glare. In a north-facing conservatory, low-emissivity (lowE) glass will reduce heat loss.

Architecturally speaking, lanterns and coloured glass can create interest, but Nick Bashford, a director of glasshouse and conservatory specialist Alitex, advises against fussy effects or, for example, replicating the details of your propertys windows.

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How to design the perfect conservatory

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Lisa Garner said demolishing the dangerous mobile home near her own home will help her neighborhood transform.

Neighbors began calling in complaints about the mobile home on West Applegate Drive three years ago. Austin Police logged more than 200 calls to the single-wide home since 2006.

"When you have a bunch of drug addicts, that is not safe at all," Garner said. "You have them walking the streets. They were on bicycles; they are climbing fences. They were everywhere."

Manuel Villegas with the Austin Code Compliance Department said the home had exposed wiring, had unsafe floors and was rife with rats and cockroaches.

"The neighborhood was looking at this and saying, 'Hey Code Compliance, we call you. What are you doing about it?'" he said.

Villegas said as many as 18 people lived in the home at one time. Inspectors found tenants circumvented having their utilities cut off by running jumper cables off nearby power lines and a car radiator hose around the water meter.

"That allegedly had some lead, so that contaminates the water system," Villegas said.

He said the health of families within a 10-block radius was put at risk. That included Charles Fruzia, who lived about a block east.

"Whoever is responsible for seeing to it that it is taken down, all I can say is thank you," Fruzia said.

Austin Code Compliance said it is just getting started. Five other properties in the area are expected to be demolished in the next month for similar reasons.

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Crews demolish unsafe home

2s415 Emerald Green Dr # 38-a Warrenville, IL 60555 Presented by Chris Johnson
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Landmark Home Warranty

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Landmark Home Warranty - Video

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(PRWEB) February 19, 2014

Its a great time to be in the home building industry again! Theres a rebirth of sorts going on and Residential Warranty Company, LLC (RWC) is in the midst of it. Just like builders sprucing up floor plans or offering new and exciting options, RWC has injected new life into its system and home warranty programs, making them work better for builders, remodelers, and homeowners.

RWCs shiny new website features a sleek new logo to complement a refined business approach. Whats more, full-color warranty books are now available, offering builders winning marketing materials and sensible home warranty tools to effectively manage liability.

Website Details:

The brand new site is easy to navigate, easy on the eyes (regardless of viewing device), and most importantly, chock-full of useful information and features for home builders.

Logo Details:

This modern symbol of warranty protection will be displayed on all RWC warranty books, brochures, and paperwork. Builders can request to incorporate the new logo on personal materials or websites by contacting RWC.

Warranty Book Details:

RWC has completely revamped the look of all warranty books! Beginning with the Customized State Warranty (CSW) series and continuing on through the Standard Full Coverage, Remodeler books and Building Systems books, every single one has transformed into a full-color, eye-catching marketing tool that home builders will be proud to extend to homeowners. Members are welcome to request sample warranty books with the new look!

If new to RWC and its home warranty plans, heres a run-down of the Customized State Warranty. Besides the great new look, there are several reasons to consider incorporating the Customized State Warranty into a risk management and marketing plan:

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Residential Warranty Company Launches New Website

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