Evelynton - A modular home!

Jeff Held would like you to have a better understanding of manufactured and modular homes. Why? Because his company, Riverview Homes, is the premier provider of “quality family-affordable homes” in western Pennsylvania.

According to Jeff, “We can do anything a home builder can do, we can do it for less money, we can do it faster and, in a lot of cases, we can do it better.”

In business since 1970, they’ve been educating consumers and providing high quality homes for purchase while also impacting the manufactured and modular home industry by working with federal, state and local government officials and lawmakers to make sure their manufactured and modular homes meet or exceed these governmental agencies codes and regulations.

I got curious and decided to do a little digging to better understand the differences between modular homes and those that are site-built (those built right on your lot, hence “site-built”). It’s pretty interesting stuff – especially if you’re in the market to buy a new home, but find the cost of site-built homes out of your price range before you even get started.

This article will focus on modular homes. My next article feature Riverview Homes’ other offering:  manufactured homes.
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These are our top ten home improvement Twitter picks. Who are your favorites?

If you are one of those who loves to do home improvement projects, you probably surf online for hours for the best websites for home improvement tips and tricks. 

To help you solve this problem, we created a top ten list of our favorite home improvement websites.  We compiled our list from the most popular sites on Twitter, so if you’re on Twitter, check them out.

If we’ve missed any of your favorite Twitter home-improvement sites, please add them to the comments section at the end of this article so we can all enjoy them!

1. Home Improve Now is a home improvement idea site for information on your home and lifestyle.  They have home improvement resources and they suggest easy home improvement projects.  To go straight to their website, go here.

2. Improve Your Home and Garden. Of course the next Twitter site we recommend is the one you are currently visiting! We feature the expertise of local craftsmen and contractors who are well known in the community as the “best in the business” in home improvement and incorporating sustainable living lifestyle elements into your home. From our articles, you’ll learn how to recognize good craftsmanship and how to hire the most qualified home-improvement contractors.
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Wall cladding is a widely used method for copper roof shingles. This house has a vertical wall shadow of copper on the side.

Fashionistas have always known the secret to standing out in a crowd when there’s no money for couture is: Wear one signature piece of jewelry.  Same with houses.

With the economy such that it is right now, if you can’t afford to move out of the neighborhood or buy new onto the street of your dreams, renovate with copper. It’s signature homeowner jewelry that turns heads.

Copper not only adds a long-lasting aesthetic pop, it’s also good for the environment. Did you know that copper…

• Has the highest recycling rate of any engineering metal, and rarely ends up in a landfill?
• Is naturally corrosion-resistant because of its protective patina–that beautiful green film that occurs when copper is exposed to the elements? That patina adds to its durability, sustainability and beauty. 
• Is fire-resistant and withstands heavy snow, rain and high winds? Copper roofs can last 100 years or longer.

The average single family home of 2,100 square feet uses 439 pounds of copper. But most of that’s tucked away behind dry wall or hidden away in your basement.  If you’re going to make a dramatic and very visible signature statement with copper, consider one or more of these accessories:
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Thompson Price Kitchen, Bath & Home Designed Kitchen

I love kitchen design. I would move every-other-year just so I could redo my new kitchen, if I could afford to. While I’m not crazy about the mess of a remodel, I truly enjoy the design process and rummaging through all the choices that are available today to create unique, one-of-a-kind kitchens.

A word about kitchen remodeling …

Kitchens provide the greatest opportunity to increase the value of your home, if you remodel smart, according to Thompson Price of Thompson Price Kitchen, Bath & Home in St. Louis, MO. “You don’t want to spend more than 10%-20% of your home’s value on a kitchen remodel.”

To illustrate – if you’re home’s current value is $200,000, then you’ll not want to spend more than $40,000 to update and revise your kitchen. This is especially important if you plan to move within five years of your remodel. If you spend more, you likely won’t recoup those extra dollars. Which brings up another point. If you plan to sell, you can count on your remodel adding to your bottom line. Says Thompson, “the average ROI (return on investment) on a kitchen remodel is anywhere from 69 to 78 percent. So a kitchen remodel is a great investment in your home.”

So, with Thompson’s expertise in mind, I thought it would be fun to share with you four of the latest trends in kitchen design and, maybe, whet your appetite for a few changes in your own kitchen.

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Beautiful plantings by Pro Care Horticultural Services

It’s an all-too-frequent mistake new homeowners make. They move in and immediately begin the process of making the home “theirs.”

I’m not talking about slapping some paint on the walls and pulling up or installing carpeting. The changes I’m referring to are major – walls taken down, kitchens dismantled, bathrooms ripped out. If the homeowners move in the spring or summer, their zest often shows up outside, too, in a new deck, hardscaping and landscaping.

But experts in the remodeling and landscaping industries will tell you that it’s best to live in the home with the existing landscape for at least 4 seasons (if you can stand it) to truly understand what you want, what works best and, in the case of plants in the yard, what will thrive.

By spending a year with your yard, you’ll gain an intimate knowledge of its beauty and its flaws, its true potential and your willingness to alter it. After waiting a long 12 months, you may want to jump in with both feet and do something big the following spring.

Lowell Rolsky, of Pro Care Horticultural Services in Carmel, Ind., cautions against trying to do everything at once. “In most cases, we believe landscapes are best when implemented in stages. Prioritizing and compromising to meet the aesthetic and financial need at any given time allows for everything.” He brings up another point. Our lives aren’t static and things can happen to make us change course. By not trying to manage a huge landscape revision all at once, Lowell believes, “This creates opportunities to live with the landscape, and adjust based on current conditions as things change around you or lifestyles change.”
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Title: Better Living Home, Garden, & Lifestyle Show
Location: Portland Expo Center
Link out: Click here
Description: Free admission. As the idea of sustainability and healthy living grows, this show has gained in popularity each year.
Start Date: March 26, 2010
End Date: March 28, 2010

Green Acres Furniture designs custom contemporary bedroom sets

Has this ever happened to you? You have the perfect spot for a beautiful furniture piece. You can see it there, imagine using it and enjoying the compliments of friends and relatives as to your decorating savvy.

The only problem?

You can’t find exactly what you envision. Some pieces come close, but not close enough that you want to give up your dream. So what to do? Settle for something less than you want? Or do you go custom? Just saying “custom” sends shivers down the backs of many. Yet, there are some very compelling reasons why a custom piece might be the perfect solution for your furniture dilemma.

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Automated skylight shades

If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent some time staring at your windows, trying to decide the best window treatment to buy to dress them up. There’s no shortage of options available – curtains, drapes, blinds, shades – and materials to consider – opaque fabrics, sheers, wood, plastic and metal. Just for fun, I’m going to throw one more option into the mix:  automation.

Did you know that just about any window treatment you desire can be automated? What it takes is a company knowledgeable about window treatment automation. In the Pittsburgh area, you’ll find the experts at Automated Shade located in Cranberry Township, Pa. Now, I know their name says “automated,” but they also sell non-automated window treatments. This means they’re a one-stop shop for all your window dressing needs.

Automated shades have come a long way since their introduction years ago. Unfortunately, some misconceptions still exist such as:
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Title: 29th Annual Builders Home & Remodeling Show
Location: St. Charles Convention Center
Link out: Click here
Description: The Builders Home & Remodeling Show has been going on for almost 30 years and is the perfect place to go to prepare for those fall and winter home projects. With more than 200 companies filling 62,000 square feet at the St. Charles Convention Center, is a great place to shop products for your home.

Local and national celebrity speakers present seminars on a variety of home-related subjects. Kid-friendly feature areas make it a great event for the whole family. This is your one-stop source for information, products and services for your home!
Start Date: October 09, 2009
End Date: October 11, 2009

Security Systems of America integrates all key systems in your home, taking the hard work out of managing it.

It used to be that a “home security system” was simply monitoring equipment that, when triggered by an intruder made a lot of noise and called the police.

Today, “home security systems” are a lot more complicated. Americans lead busy lifestyles and their homes have become the hub where they work, learn and entertain. We want a variety of services to keep us safe, comfortable, entertained, informed and connected (but not with too much spaghetti–we want wireless!). we want video surveillance cameras, two-way communication, a home theatre and automation systems. The days of “one size fits all” burglar alarms are over – consumers want systems that are modular, integrated and customized to their lifestyles.

Oh, and we want it all now–not with any 3-second screen delays.

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