Using a Home Renovation Consultant

Online Florida auto insurance quotes: That car insurance rates differ from insurer to insurer is no longer news. Don't be surprised if you realize that an insurer somewhere charges a fraction of what you're paying for a comparable plan. If you have an existing plan, you could be the one who pays double the premium others pay for a comparable package. Here's how to ensure you don't pay more than your should.

Getting a good number of online Florida auto insurance quotes will only require a few minutes. This way, you will even lift your savings to a new height as you will be able to contrast rates and packages and be able to make truly informed decisions on what's best for your vehicle insurance. Add the ease of use and you will realize that there's no reason to get your quotes any other way.

Apart from the ease of online Florida auto insurance quotes, you'll also receive lower rates than if you buy elsewhere. Why this is the case is beyond the scope of this article.

With sites that return online Florida auto insurance quotes you won't have to flip through the Yellow Pages or call anyone. You can, with just one request, get assorted rates from up to five insurers on several of these insurance quotes websites. To ensure you get all the help you need, some even provide live chat facilities.

And the process is also very simple: An online form is presented to you in order to capture details that will help them determine your rate. Shortly after you will receive rates from a number of insurance companies that are licensed to provide auto insurance in Florida. When you're done with obtaining as many online Florida auto insurance quotes as you can from several sites, contrast them to pick the best price to value ratio.

Who Does Your Home Improvements?

A recent survey looked at who did the home improvement projects around the house. A very popular media service known as Arbitron carried out this research and came up with some interesting results.

About 49% of adults have actually made home improvements within the past year. It also came to the conclusion that people living in smaller towns are much more likely to spend money on DIY improvements than those in large cities.

The city where DIY was most popular was in Harrisburg, Penn. In this town over 59% of the population started their own home renovation project within the last year. In buffalo, NY 56% of the population carried out some form of DIY project on their own home.

Other markets which where DIY was popular included Atlanta, Syracuse NY, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Flint MI and Rochester NY. Each of these markets has had over half of the population carry out some form of DIY project within the past year.

On the other end of the scale, people living in Honolulu were the least likely to do any DIY projects, only 37% spent any time improving their homes within the past year. Other large cities did less DIY than average, including New York 48%, Chicago 46%, Miami 45%, Las Vegas 40%, and San Diego 42%.

These surveys have suggested that there are quite a few useful opportunities which companies could use when promoting their products.

The study also indicated that there were certain types of home improvement projects which were much more popular than other types. 25% of people carrying out home improvement projects decorated their homes with wallpaper, or landscaped their garden. 2% of people installed a home security system and only 1% installed a pool to their homes. You can see that there are big trends in the types of project which want to be undertaken.

Small projects are becoming increasingly popular, however people are becoming more likely to spend more money when improving their homes. 36% of people renovating their homes spent over $3,000 which is an increase of 6% since 1999.

46% of people that started home improvement projects are middle aged. 63% of these are married, and 55% of people doing DIY projects earn more than $50,000 a year.

Other interesting facts from the report:

- Users of the internet are much more likely to improve their home. Many people who use the internet to buy products and seek advice are more likely to carry out DIY.

- Half of the people surveyed remodeled their kitchens by themselves. Four percent of people paid someone to do some of the work for them. Other popular DIY projects included wallpapering, bathroom remodeling, and landscaping. Popular paid projects where professionals were used included installing a home security system, air conditioning and carpets.

- If you listen to classical music, new country or sports radio then you are 14% more likely to do home improvement projects.

Home Renovation Trends - Extensions

Online Florida auto insurance quotes: That car insurance rates differ from insurer to insurer is no longer news. Don't be surprised if you realize that an insurer somewhere charges a fraction of what you're paying for a comparable plan. If you have an existing plan, you could be the one who pays double the premium others pay for a comparable package. Here's how to ensure you don't pay more than your should.

Getting a good number of online Florida auto insurance quotes will only require a few minutes. This way, you will even lift your savings to a new height as you will be able to contrast rates and packages and be able to make truly informed decisions on what's best for your vehicle insurance. Add the ease of use and you will realize that there's no reason to get your quotes any other way.

Apart from the ease of online Florida auto insurance quotes, you'll also receive lower rates than if you buy elsewhere. Why this is the case is beyond the scope of this article.

With sites that return online Florida auto insurance quotes you won't have to flip through the Yellow Pages or call anyone. You can, with just one request, get assorted rates from up to five insurers on several of these insurance quotes websites. To ensure you get all the help you need, some even provide live chat facilities.

And the process is also very simple: An online form is presented to you in order to capture details that will help them determine your rate. Shortly after you will receive rates from a number of insurance companies that are licensed to provide auto insurance in Florida. When you're done with obtaining as many online Florida auto insurance quotes as you can from several sites, contrast them to pick the best price to value ratio.

A Successful Kitchen Remodel - It's All in the Bones

If you've ever shopped for antique furniture or an old home, you've probably been asked the question, Does it have "good bones"? This expression is similar to the age-old adage "Don't judge a book by its cover." What it means is that if the foundation of a structure is good to start with, you can easily spiff it up to its original brilliance so that it lasts a lifetime. But like all good things, you must start with a solid core. The same can be said of your kitchen when you're tackling a remodel, which was the premise behind a recent "Chicago Tribune" article titled, "Nate's Approach: Build good bones." The Nate of which the article speaks? None other than Oprah regular, interior designer Nate Berkus.

Subtitled "How to design a timeless, classic kitchen," the story offered an ingredient list and a few style pointers for a kitchen remodel that never goes out of style. Before diving into Berkus's suggestions, however, the article pointed to "Remodeling" magazine's annual "Cost vs. Value Report," to pinpoint the price of a major kitchen remodel in 2008-2009 at a whopping $56,661. Faced with a price tag like that, you're going to want to make sure your kitchen remodeling efforts are ones that will endure the test of time.

"Ideally, it [your kitchen remodel] should look as sharp and attractive in a couple decades as it does the day the renovation crew clocks out," the article stresses. But how do your accomplish this formidable feat? Here is Berkus's main piece of advice: From the get-go, give your kitchen "beautiful bone structure."

Short of ripping your home apart and starting new or adding on, there are parts of your house that are not going to change. "The entire Berkus team consider flooring and other unchanging materials "the bones" of a house, and they consider it their job to build bones that are timeless."

In Berkus's opinion, what do timeless bones consist of?
1. White or red oak flooring for its sturdiness and ability to age gracefully.
2. Marble on the countertops
3. Shaker-style cabinetry, which has avoided trends and managed to endure almost forever while still remaining classic
4. Glassed-in upper cabinets, "which bring a lighter quality to the room"
5. A tiled backsplash
6. White and gray paint
7. Polished nickel hardware
8. Stainless appliances

"With these [elements] as the foundation, Berkus and his team contend, homeowners can shake things up down the road by manipulating less permanent details, such as chair cushions, window treatments and accessories," the article concludes.

Now the challenge remains in finding and bringing all of these elements together into a kitchen remodel that will never go out of style. An online kitchen supercenter can provide you with kitchen remodeling ideas and links to manufacturers for Armstrong hardwood flooring, DuPont countertops, KraftMaid cabinetry, Florida Tile, Behr premium paint, Liberty Hardware and GE appliances all in one convenient place. By browsing its showcase of designs, tips and insight, you can plan your goals, measure your space properly, plan your storage and manage your overall remodel.

New Remodeling Trends For 2011

Online Florida auto insurance quotes: That car insurance rates differ from insurer to insurer is no longer news. Don't be surprised if you realize that an insurer somewhere charges a fraction of what you're paying for a comparable plan. If you have an existing plan, you could be the one who pays double the premium others pay for a comparable package. Here's how to ensure you don't pay more than your should.

Getting a good number of online Florida auto insurance quotes will only require a few minutes. This way, you will even lift your savings to a new height as you will be able to contrast rates and packages and be able to make truly informed decisions on what's best for your vehicle insurance. Add the ease of use and you will realize that there's no reason to get your quotes any other way.

Apart from the ease of online Florida auto insurance quotes, you'll also receive lower rates than if you buy elsewhere. Why this is the case is beyond the scope of this article.

With sites that return online Florida auto insurance quotes you won't have to flip through the Yellow Pages or call anyone. You can, with just one request, get assorted rates from up to five insurers on several of these insurance quotes websites. To ensure you get all the help you need, some even provide live chat facilities.

And the process is also very simple: An online form is presented to you in order to capture details that will help them determine your rate. Shortly after you will receive rates from a number of insurance companies that are licensed to provide auto insurance in Florida. When you're done with obtaining as many online Florida auto insurance quotes as you can from several sites, contrast them to pick the best price to value ratio.

What Should You Do Before Renovating Your House?

Before you get contractors to work on your residence, think your renovation plan through. Getting your house renovated is a great thing! You can have a rock garden as you always dreamed and extended storage place which you always needed, possibly also a large garage to park the extra cars whenever you throw a party for friends! However, you need to be informed before embarking on the difficult task of renovating your house. Before picking out a home renovation book or watching a video, talk to friends and people who have recently had their houses renovated. Remember the saying: measure twice, cut once.

The contractors that you will hire will do the job as required but you need to develop a flawless renovation plan because mistakes once done cannot be fixed or are mostly expensive to fix.

Consider the following questions before going for renovations:

Is your home renovation practical?

Maintenance renovation is not a choice. You have to do it for the safety of your family. It also protects your investment.

According to experts, practicality and not luxury is in, these days. This means bidding adieu to a top-of-the line kitchen and bathroom remodeling and getting improvements that are functional. You can renovate almost any part of your house but bathroom and kitchen renovations will pay you back the most when you are selling your house.

Another trend big in market these days is to go 'green'. Insulation, energy efficient lighting and water-saving fixtures save money in the long run.

Is it worth your money?

No doubt you will save by renovating and making your home greener. However, do consider payback of the renovations you are undertaking.

According to the 2006 figures of Appraisal Institute of Canada, bathroom and kitchen renovations give the highest payback of 75- 100%, meaning they increase resale value and appeal of the house. Next are exterior and interior painting, both with paybacks of 50-100%.

Is renovation adaptable?

Flexhousing brings flexibility and practicality in your house such that you can re-use a room as your needs change over the years. For instance, you could convert a large room into two smaller ones and convert the basement into a rental suite.

Is it healthy?

Choose an energy efficient design making the most of natural light. Choose products made with recycled content such as salvaged lumber. Building material should not give off toxic gases when used in construction and should involve minimum waste.

Fitted Kitchens and Your Home Renovations

Online Florida auto insurance quotes: That car insurance rates differ from insurer to insurer is no longer news. Don't be surprised if you realize that an insurer somewhere charges a fraction of what you're paying for a comparable plan. If you have an existing plan, you could be the one who pays double the premium others pay for a comparable package. Here's how to ensure you don't pay more than your should.

Getting a good number of online Florida auto insurance quotes will only require a few minutes. This way, you will even lift your savings to a new height as you will be able to contrast rates and packages and be able to make truly informed decisions on what's best for your vehicle insurance. Add the ease of use and you will realize that there's no reason to get your quotes any other way.

Apart from the ease of online Florida auto insurance quotes, you'll also receive lower rates than if you buy elsewhere. Why this is the case is beyond the scope of this article.

With sites that return online Florida auto insurance quotes you won't have to flip through the Yellow Pages or call anyone. You can, with just one request, get assorted rates from up to five insurers on several of these insurance quotes websites. To ensure you get all the help you need, some even provide live chat facilities.

And the process is also very simple: An online form is presented to you in order to capture details that will help them determine your rate. Shortly after you will receive rates from a number of insurance companies that are licensed to provide auto insurance in Florida. When you're done with obtaining as many online Florida auto insurance quotes as you can from several sites, contrast them to pick the best price to value ratio.

Custom Home Remodeling Increasing In Popularity

With home prices increasing and mortgage rates rising, many homeowners are opting to turn their current home into the home of their dreams through custom home remodeling.

The National Home Builders Association reports that approximately $280 billion was spent on home renovations in 20051. This amount is expected to continue to rise due to the concern for homeowners to add value to their existing home along with their desire to modernize their home. A custom remodel allows the homeowners to reflect their own style and individual tastes - from integrating a theme to using unique styling and colors.

Two of the most popular custom projects consist of kitchen and bath remodels. These traditionally consist of incorporating a more luxurious look and feel to the existing rooms and may include adding custom products such as high-end tiling, fixtures or elements.

With the current trend in creating an "open" kitchen and living area for entertaining, comes the emphasis of creating specialty areas specifically designed for individual family needs. With added square footage to open up an area, along with stunning granite countertops throughout, custom cabinetry, and stainless steel appliances that are as beautiful as they are functional, homeowners can now created a modern kitchen that takes center stage and looks fit for a gourmet chef to cook in.

The increasing desire for homeowners to remodel their homes can also be attributed to the increased interest in adding value to an existing home. By incorporating additional square footage, you've not only transformed the living space but you've instantly increased your home's resale value. For example, a recent remodeling survey found a midrange remodel costing $10,499 would recoup 102.2% of its cost if the house sold within a year2.

Once you've made the decision to remodel, you'll need to contact an experienced and reputable, licensed general contractor. When considering hiring a general contractor, it's important to do your homework and thoroughly research your options. Your local homebuilder's association is an excellent source to find out information on local and established general contractors. Also, ask the contractor for customer references and contact these customers to find out what type of work the contractor did as well as their opinion of the contractor.

What do you look for when hiring a contractor? Hiring the right contractor is detrimental to your remodeling project's success. Below are some helpful tips to follow:

o Search for a contractor who specializes in the type of remodel job you are interested in.

o Find an experienced contractor who is established and has a presence within your community.

o It's important to find a contractor who communicates with you and shows enthusiasm about the opportunity.

Your home is one of your most precious and valuable assets.