2011 Top Trends in Home Renovations

Home renovations always seem to lead in one direction or another each year. What was hot and trending last year is no longer the norm this year and probably is not the following year, either. While trends do come and go, money is spent each year in different areas of the home and as homeowner, it pays to keep up with these trends.

You can use them to help build a bigger return on your investment of property by updating and renovating your home. This is how you can keep all the rooms and areas of your home looking great, while also keeping up the value of your property.

The top trends for 2011 have been projected to be smaller projects that are more necessary in nature rather than working on large-scale renovations.

Here are some 2011 Top Trends in Home Renovations

Bathrooms - The bathroom is a much quicker and less expensive renovation than other rooms in the house, in most cases. Renovating the bathroom can be as simple as putting in new tiling and flooring. The return on the investment can be much more than the cost of time and materials particularly if it is a DIY project instead of using a contractor.

Warmer Tones - It is has been very popular to be minimalist and to use whites and clean looks for homes. The new trend is moving away from that outlook and home interiors are becoming warmer. Instead of black and white floor tiles, warm tones of oranges and browns are taking their place. Carpeting is also becoming warmer along with painting and other upgrades and renovations. Simply switching out the flooring is a great return on the investment as buyers are looking for these warmer tones when they are considering their choice of home.

Immediate Repairs - If a home has repairs that are needed, they should be taken care of before renovating a room that does not have any issues. Simply fixing a leaking roof or replacing a cracked driveway can add thousands to the value of a home and are repairs that absolutely must be completed. These types of renovations are not as cosmetic as others but need to be completed nonetheless.

Create One Space - One of hottest trends this year is creating one large living space out of two or three smaller spaces. If the home has a small kitchen, living room and dining room, knock out the walls and create one large space that has a flow to it. This can also work in the bedroom that has an adjoining bathroom. Create a larger area by opening up the bathroom and only enclosing the toilet. Put in a Jacuzzi tub and an enclosed shower and you have more space and larger fixtures. This renovation also has a great return on investment and adds a great deal of value to the home.

The Green Theme - This is a trend that is continuing and getting more and more popular. Anyone who wants the best investment percentage and the highest return on their investment in their renovations is "going green". This means uses sustainable materials such as bamboo for flooring, water collectors for collecting rainwater for gardening and tri pane windows. Any type of energy saving renovation does increase the value of a home by a great deal. Some are more costly than others, but if a homeowner starts with small projects, in no time at all they can have a home that is worth much more and is much better for the environment.

Home renovations follow trends just as any other industry and the savvy homeowner knows that they need to stay on top of these trends if they want to increase the value of their house. Simply changing flooring colors or replacing a leaking roof can add thousands to the value of it. Do an assessment of your home today to see what types of changes you might make in keeping with the 2011 home renovation trends as well.

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content in more than 10 years as a professional writer.