Despite what you see on TV and what the conventional wisdom says, most of the home improvement projects with the greatest return on investment are unglamorous. According to Remodeling Magazines 2014 Cost vs. Value report, youll recoup the greatest percentage of your investment on projects such as replacing the front door with a steel one, adding a wood deck, replacing old siding, replacing the garage door and replacing old windows. Also contrary to conventional wisdom, most home improvement projects do not return more than your investment when you sell. In fact, the average remodeling project only recoups 66 cents for every $1 you spend on it. To get the highest percentage of your remodeling dollars back when you sell, heres what to improve, what not to improve and why.

Best Options: Practical, Midrange Projects

Do you want to get back 96.6% of what you spend on a home upgrade? Then replace your old front door with a new, mid-range steel door with a clear dual-pane half-glass panel and a new lockset. Youll spend an average of $1,162 for this project, but youll get back $1,122 when you sell, Remodeling Magazine reports. Another project in the same price range is replacing your garage door for $1,534; youll recoup $1,283, or 83.7%. You wont need a home-equity loan to tackle these projects, and their low cost and high impact on curb appeal make them smart choices.

If you can afford to spend more, consider projects such as adding a 16 x 20 wood deck, which costs $9,539 on average but recoups 87.4% of its cost; replacing 10 old 3 x 5 windows with new, double-hung, wood or vinyl ones, which costs close to $11,000 for wood and nearly $10,000 for vinyl but recoups about 79%; or replacing vinyl siding, which costs $11,475 for 1,250 square feet but should bring back $8,975 when you sell.

Windows, garage doors and decks aren't necessarily big-ticket items in terms of price or luxury, George says, but updating these items gives the home an instant facelift and contributes to a modern aesthetic, which is exactly what potential homebuyers want to see when they drive up to look at a new home.

Pricier Projects

Two of the priciest but still relatively worthwhile improvements include attic bedrooms and basement remodels. These projects will set you back tens of thousands of dollars, but are a relatively inexpensive way to increase your homes useable square footage compared with an addition. Minor and major kitchen remodels also make the cut, as do bathroom remodels. However, while it may be true that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, forget about doubling your money. Youre likely to recoup just 82.7% of your $18,856 cost on a minor remodel of a functional but dated 200-square-foot kitchen; 74.2% on a $54,909 major kitchen remodel and 72.5% on a $16,128 remodel of a 5 x 7 bathroom. These are the types of expensive projects you might be tempted to finance with a home-equity loan, but you should think twice before borrowing money and paying 6% interest or more to finance a project with a negative return.

The costs Remodeling Magazine provides are averages. If you can get a project completed well for less, you might be more satisfied with the percentage of its costs you get back when you sell your home. Costs vary by geographic region, project size and scope, and the quality of finishes you choose.

Bathroom upgrades can be done for a minimal cost using materials that look expensive, but are quite affordable, says Jeff Dumas, owner and broker at Home Ventures Realty in Tempe, Ariz., where hes rehabbed and sold residential properties for more than 10 years. Most of the time, I can take an average starter home, put in a new tub with a porcelain tile backsplash, new toilet and vanity, tile the floor, and use some decorative hardware for about $1,500 to $2,000. The results are amazing and help the wow factor when potential buyers are viewing the property, he says.

Surprising Disappointments

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Home Improvements That Really Pay Off

When Parker Home decided to expand its reach into Monroe Township, its management team decided that constructing new buildings was not enough. Parker decided to also build a new paradigm of long-term care a hybrid model called a Long-Term Living Community that combines an assisted living environment with skilled nursing care best practices.

As a leader in the transformation of traditional institutional long-term care practices to person-centered living, Parker provides residents at their New Brunswick and Piscataway homes with a place where they are direct participants in the decisions that affect their care and daily life.As an Eden Alternative-registered home, Parker believes that aging is not a decline; it is a continuous stage of growth and development in life. Parker Home residents have dignity and respect and are assisted in enjoying purposeful living.

How does Parker at Monroe differ from the rest? Parker constructed six small homes instead of one large building. The results is family-style living a great improvement over a standard skilled care setting. In addition, each home consists of 16 residents with similar needs who live together in a family- like setting.The small homes common space include a kitchen and dining area, a living room, a beauty salon, and a sunroom that opens to a secure courtyard patio and garden. Each resident has a spacious private bedroom suite with a fully accessible bathroom and large shower.

Six small homes are connected to a centrally located community center with many amenities, including the fitness and rehabilitation center, a great room (that also transforms into the chapel), a relaxing spa, formal dining room and a caf.The community center is also the site for many of the fun and exciting activities designed for residents: group activities as well as individual sensory programs such as aromatherapy and music.The small homes and community center are surrounded by beautiful grounds, courtyards and patios, with lots of space for residents to enjoy outdoor living and socializing.

Parker at Monroe is scheduled to open in the fall. For more information about this unique long-term care model and to schedule a tours, call 732-565-2426. Further information can be found on Parker Homes website: http://www.FrancisEParker.com.

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Parker at Monroe creates unique model for long-term care

Judi Light Hopson

Judi Light Hopson is a national columnist for McClatchy Newspapers. She is founder of Hopson Global Education and Training and co-author of the college textbook, Burnout to Balance: EMS Stress. She holds a degree in psychology from East Tennessee State University, and has been a professional writer for 25 years.

It usually costs more to install a sunroom from a factory package versus one that you design yourself. Assembling a prefabricated sunroom is usually faster, and the typical floor-to-ceiling glass makes the room inviting to use on more days of the year. But designing and building a sunroom from scratch can be a fun project. Designing your own plan offers the opportunity to "go green" and use some recycled materials in a sunroom.

Sunrooms are porch enclosures that feature fully insulated walls, flooring, ceilings, doors and windows. This type of home addition project can add...

A sunroom is an energy-efficient, enclosed space attached to the exterior of a home. A key feature of a sunroom is the...

Sunrooms offer proximity to the outdoors with the comfort of the indoors regardless of the season or the weather. When properly planned...

Adding a sunroom to your home will not only increase the total amount of usable space in your home, it can also...

A sunroom provides a great return on your investment; DoItYourself.com says that the return averages 89%-115% of the original cost.

Cost Vs. Value for a Remodeling a Sunroom. ... The Average Cost of Remodeling a Kitchen. The Average Kitchen Remodeling Costs. How...

The Average Cost of a Sunroom. Featured. Prep Your Property for the Coming Cold. Read Article. DIY Lighted Snowflakes. View Photos. Decoding...

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The Average Cost of a Sunroom | eHow

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) May 31, 2014

NewTechWood, Ltd., one of the fastest growing composite decking companies in the US, has introduced a new product designed to bring the appearance of hardwood flooring to outdoor spaces. Homeowners are looking to integrate their outdoor spaces as an extension of their indoor living areas. We thought, why not bring that hardwood flooring look the design," stated Joel Cone, Director of Sales and Marketing for NewTechWood.

Deck A Floor is a unique, modular outdoor flooring system thats easy to install. The innovative design requires no screws or nails for installation. The system features 40" long flooring boards made with the companys popular UltraShield technology. The color variation in each board provides a very attractive and exotic wood look. Each piece of flooring snaps into a durable plastic clip system, which is laid out on a grid. The grid sections snap together on all four sides.

Deck A Floor is a really attractive, and versatile option for home owners looking for that outdoor wood floor appearance," states Dean Schwartz, President of Sunporch Sunrooms. Weve been offering NewTechWoods deck tiles for installation in our Sunroom enclosures for some time now, and its a really durable and attractive look our customers love. The versatility of the design allows the customer to design a custom installation, with a variety of patterns, and your imagination is the only limit.

Deck A Floor really does bring the look of hardwood flooring to the design. The whole system is patent pending and has attracted some major attention from architects and designers due to its uniquely attractive appearance. Its available in three colors right now, with more expected next year.

Deck A Floor is the newest addition to the NewTechWood family of composite building materials. Were changing the outdoor flooring industry, and were not done yet, stated NewTechWood President Richard Lam.

Homeowners and designers interested in learning more about Deck A Floor and other outdoor flooring solutions by NewTechWood may contact Joel or Richard at 866-728-5273. You can also contact Sunporch Sunrooms at 888-714-5224 or visit http://www.sunporch.com for more information about their Sunroom enclosures.

Deck A Floor is available at HomeDepot.com and stocked in select Home Depot stores this summer. Ask for it at the Pro Desk. Visit http://www.newtechwood.com for more information.

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NewTechWood Introduces Hardwood Flooring Look With Composite Decking, In A Box

Looking like flecks of paint rising from an artists canvas to seek freedom in flight, butterflies personify beauty and hope as well as an indescribable lightness of being.

Butterflies fascinate people. Learning about their life cycle is a rite of passage for children throughout the world, as evidenced by the popularity of the childrens book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written by Eric Carle. Chronicling the changes a caterpillar goes through on its way to becoming a glorious butterfly, this book has sold more than 38 million copies and has been translated into 58 languages since it was published in 1969.

Now, after years of delighting humans by giving us a glimpse into a world of visual enchantment, these beautiful pollinators need our help. Their natural habitat is shrinking as buildings and roads replace forests and meadows. In addition, plants necessary for their survival are less plentiful.

Around the world, people who appreciate these winged creatures can assist them by providing butterfly gardens that include blooming flowers, resting places and garden damp spots.

Butterfly gardens are becoming popular in Napa, according to Van Winden Nursery Manager Becky Horne. People enjoy the same colorful plants butterflies need, so it is easy to attract them into a yard.

Van Winden Nursery sells Milkweed plant, critical to Monarch butterflies, during late spring and in the summer, Horne said.

Butterflies like many kinds of flowers, but they are especially drawn to umbel shaped flowers, Horne explained.

My mother-in-law always called Scabiosa, also known as Pin Cushions, the landing pads for butterflies, Horne continued. They like the shape of this form of flower that is very flatyarrow and Queen Anne s lace are, too.

Locally, Penny Pawl and Pat Orr, both master gardeners, are at the forefront of protecting butterflies.

Pawl first planted Milkweed the only plant Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on in her yard, 25 years ago. For two years, she didnt see an egg or caterpillar on her plants, although she checked nearly every day. Then, when she needed a life affirming message most, the butterflies came.

More here:
Butterfly gardens gain popularity in Napa

Looking like flecks of paint rising from an artists canvas to seek freedom in flight, butterflies personify beauty and hope as well as an indescribable lightness of being.

Butterflies fascinate people. Learning about their life cycle is a rite of passage for children throughout the world, as evidenced by the popularity of the childrens book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written by Eric Carle. Chronicling the changes a caterpillar goes through on its way to becoming a glorious butterfly, this book has sold more than 38 million copies and has been translated into 58 languages since it was published in 1969.

Now, after years of delighting humans by giving us a glimpse into a world of visual enchantment, these beautiful pollinators need our help. Their natural habitat is shrinking as buildings and roads replace forests and meadows. In addition, plants necessary for their survival are less plentiful.

Around the world, people who appreciate these winged creatures can assist them by providing butterfly gardens that include blooming flowers, resting places and garden damp spots.

Butterfly gardens are becoming popular in Napa, according to Van Winden Nursery Manager Becky Horne. People enjoy the same colorful plants butterflies need, so it is easy to attract them into a yard.

Van Winden Nursery sells Milkweed plant, critical to Monarch butterflies, during late spring and in the summer, Horne said.

Butterflies like many kinds of flowers, but they are especially drawn to umbel shaped flowers, Horne explained.

My mother-in-law always called Scabiosa, also known as Pin Cushions, the landing pads for butterflies, Horne continued. They like the shape of this form of flower that is very flat - yarrow and Queen Anne s lace are, too.

Locally, Penny Pawl and Pat Orr, both master gardeners, are at the forefront of protecting butterflies.

Pawl first planted Milkweed -- the only plant Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on -- in her yard, 25 years ago. For two years, she didnt see an egg or caterpillar on her plants, although she checked nearly every day. Then, when she needed a life affirming message most, the butterflies came.

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Floating flowers

Tony Krasinski wasn't sure what to try next after Joe Rockhead kicked the bucket.

He opted for the Bucket List, who won't pail by comparison. This is something different, a cover band with four veteran musicians who plan to go wild on songs they never got to play in their previous bands.

In addition to Krasinski, the Bucket List includes Mike Dattilo, who toured with Kevin DuBrow's Quiet Riot and most recently played in Drunk in Memphis, plus Danny Rich (60 Inch Slick) and Kirk Alexander (Hear No Evil, Thirst 'n' Howl).

"Basically, everybody had been frustrated by prior bands," Krasinski said. "Either too much of playing the same ol' thing that everyone always plays and you run it into the ground, or just outright not being allowed to play certain type of songs."

Krasinski, for instance, will take some rare detours from rock. Cat Stevens, anyone? And how about Stevie Wonder?

"There's a couple songs I'm really excited about," he said. "I just love 'I Wish' by Stevie Wonder. It's just a great song. And 'Love Is Alive' by Gary Wright. You wouldn't imagine the pushback I got in past bands when I mentioned a song like that. But it's a great rock song. People will love it. I've never heard people play these songs, so I think that'll be really refreshing."

He also aims to sing Stevens' "Wild World," an outtake of Friday-night sessions of watching classic-rock videos with his wife, Amy.

"I plug in the iPad on the stereo in the sunroom, and we watch videos from the '70s," he said. "You go to YouTube and there are literally 50 versions of some songs, ranging from pop to jazz to reggae."

Inspired by that approach, Krasinski said the Bucket List won't always play the studio versions of song. They may play a live version, or a different take.

"That keeps it a little fresher and more current," he said.

See the article here:
Bucket List debuts Saturday at Public House

Editor's note: We recognize how quickly Charlotte has changed over the years, so here's us trying to preserve its story. In this series, native author David Aaron Moore answers reader-submitted questions about historic places in Charlotte. Submit inquires about unusual, noteworthy or historic people, places and things to davidaaronmoore@post.com.

You've covered the Richard Wearn House both here and on a WSOC news report I saw last year. I know much of the property was razed to make way for a housing development, but I see the Wearn House is still intact. Will it be razed, too? - Elaine Edwards, Mint Hill, N.C.

For those who have just joined the conversation, I'll quickly recap the story of the Richard Wearn House. Construction finished on the pre-Civil War home in 1844. It started life as a log cabin and evolved into a wood-plank federal-style farmhouse that was later Victorianized with the addition of period-appropriate latticework and a wrap-around porch.

One of the oldest structures remaining in all of Charlotte, it is important for a number of reasons. Builder Richard Wearn spearheaded the Charlotte gold rush, the first in the country. The house was built prior to the abolition of slavery, so it serves as an example of an important time in history for both black and white Charlotteans, reminding us of the unimaginable struggles faced at the time. For nearly 100 years, it was part of the Hayes estate, a massive piece of property that stretched from what is Freedom Drive to Tuckaseegee Road and beyond, and was a nursery, providing ornamental plant life for many of the city's most important sites.

The Wearn House has been teetering on the edge of the chopping block since the 1980s, when the last member of the Hayes family moved away from the property and into a care facility, where he died in 2006. The house was sold at auction the following year, to Magnolia Acres LLC.

I attended that auction and can still hear the words of one potential buyer ringing in my ears now, eight years later.

"Looks like a tear-down to me," he said flatly. I looked at him in shock and responded sharply: "I don't suppose you have any idea what the history is behind this house, do you?" He shrugged and walked away, oblivious and disinterested.

The phrase tear-down would later come back to haunt me.

Less than two miles away, near the corner of Tuckaseegee and Little Rock, stood a similar two-story, late-19th century farmhouse.

It wasn't as old as the Wearn House, but it had survived for over a century and was a fine example of federal-style architecture. Inside the two-story house were secret passageways hidden behind oak panels in closets. A huge living room boasted an ornate fireplace. On one end was a screened in day porch, the other a glassed-in sunroom. The house was for sale for many years, but a buyer was never found. Other than exploring it on a few occasions, I never took the time to learn the story behind the owners, other than it was built by the grandparents of the son, who was trying to sell the property. I still cringe today when I recall driving by the house and catching it in a state of half "tear-down."

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Question the Queen City: The historic Wearn House can still be saved

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Sunrooms Additions Company | Sunroom Kits | Sunroom Prices

Middletown CT Homes Real Estate for Sale: 914 SAYBROOK ROAD
http://www.bhhsneproperties.com/listingdetails.aspx?lk=2984649 Offered at $189900 Fantastic opportunity to own this quaint raised ranch nestled on its own private lot. Newer sunroom...

By: Middlesex County CT Properties

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Middletown CT Homes Real Estate for Sale: 914 SAYBROOK ROAD - Video