Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

When you can’t afford what you want, you’ve got to be creative.

That moment when you realize the home you want to buy is not the home you can afford: What do you do?

Eve and Jason Trombley didn’t give up. Nor did they wait until they could save up for their dream home. They were ready to buy, so they did. Even though it wasn’t what they first imagined.

Then bit by bit, they turned it into their dream home.

Here’s their story:

Homeowners: Eve Trombley, 40, and husband Jason Trombley, 39

Their home is in: Schaghticoke, N.Y.

Type of home they wanted to buy: Custom built, down to every detail

What they bought instead: A 1977 ranch fixer-upper

Sale price: $167,000

Image: Eve Trombley of Decor Deconstructed

Why did you choose this house after giving up on custom building?

Eve: The location. It’s in the country, close to our jobs, family, friends, and in a good school district. It was also reasonably priced and had the potential for a facelift without being overwhelming.

The bones were good. It didn’t have expensive, pressing issues. We weren’t going to have to jack the foundation up or reinstall a furnace and heating system.

What did you want to change about it?

Eve: The exterior needed a paint job, the fence and landscaping were kind of a hot mess, and we ended up having to replace the well pump within the first year of living here.

We were planning more to improve the floors, gut the bathroom, replace light fixtures, that type of stuff. We really hadn’t intended to touch much in the layout other than finishing the basement and adding a bathroom.

But the longer we lived in it, the more possibilities I saw in it. I really need to live with something and think about flow as well as symmetry before settling on the best options.

And that led to bigger changes?

Eve: Oh yes. After we had lived here three years, I figured out the kitchen and dining area could work better, so we completely redid the space. The two spaces were open to each other, and the fridge was encroaching on the dining area.

So we closed a hallway off the kitchen with a wall, and put the fridge there.

It kept the kitchen from being the thoroughfare for the hallway, and in a way it created more floor space. Then we built a doorway between the dining area and kitchen that made each space more defined, but kept the floor plan open.

We also put a doorway between the kitchen and the living room that mirrored the one between the dining room and living room. It made the three spaces flow together much better.

What’s still on the to-do list?

Eve: We are planning to build a 16-foot-by-24-foot deck off the back of the house so we can have both an eating area and a sitting area. I want to put board and batten with wallpaper in our hallways soon-ish.

We’re going to add a bedroom for my son in the basement, a formal office/studio space for me, and add a toilet and sink down there. And our bathroom is a mess; it needs a new tub, sink, and toilet.

Yowza. Will you ever be finished?

Eve: I have some more big updates in mind. I’d say in about three years we should be mostly settled with what we want to do — if we stick with the existing footprint and don’t add on to the house.

I really need to live with something and think about flow as well as symmetry before settling on the best options.

Eve Trombley

Of all your projects, which has had the biggest impact on your life?

Eve: Definitely the reworking of the kitchen/dining room/living room layout. We used to only seat four people in the dining area; now we can seat six comfortably and up to 10 for holiday dinners.

We can talk to guests in the living room now while we’re in the kitchen, so the space is better for entertaining.

How much have you spent on renovations? Ballpark estimate is fine.

Eve: Around $20,000. That tally is 99% just materials. Everything has been DIY. Jason works in construction, so we’ve done most of the work. And he has a network of handy friends to help him with different projects.

Wow, having a husband who’s a carpenter with generous friends is handy. How much do you think you saved on labor?

Another Way to Save

If you’re not the savviest DIYer, you can still save by buying materials yourself.Read More InBuying Materials for Your Contractor: How Much Do You Save?

I would say we probably saved at least $10,000 to $20,000, but I’m not super well-versed in labor costs.

What do you think your house is worth after all your work?

Eve: We would probably be able to sell it for about $190,000. Things like the pool have been expensive and can go either way with resale. But we weren’t concerned about recouping the cost if we ever sell; it’s been worth it because we use it so much.

What’s the hardest part of a home renovation?

Eve: The middle of a project can feel monotonous and never-ending. There’s often a point where you think, “What did I do? I should have left this alone!”

You may need to step away for a week or two so you can recharge and come back with new motivation and fresh eyes. It’s all normal.

What advice would you give to someone tackling their first home renovation?

Eve: I would say not to bite off more than you can chew. Look at your obligations to figure out how much work you can put into a house. If you can only work on the house on weekends, it might be better to go with something that is livable and doesn’t need to be torn down to the studs.

Also, make a list of all the things that need to be done, per room. And expect to spend more money than you planned. And more time.

Has it been worth all the work?

Eve: Yes, it has, and here’s when I knew that. The original owner of the house stopped by. She brought photos of what the house looked like when she owned it. We could see there had once been an enclosed porch off the dining room, like we’re planning to add!

It made me feel even more connected to the house. Maybe we were meant to buy it.

“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”

Common problems. Genius solutions.

As a DIY home repair junkie, I’ve learned lots of tricks . . . most of them the hard way. Here’s a compilation of my favorite tips to take your project to the next level.

#1 Pre-Painting Prep

Before you paint, use a floor duster to remove all the dust from your walls. Because of the long handle, you won’t even need to pull out a ladder, and your paint result will be a million times better.

#2 Perfect Paint Lines

I have a secret for you. Even if you have texture on your walls, you can achieve perfect paint lines! You can’t stop paint from bleeding, especially if you have heavy texture like popcorn walls. So the trick is to make the bleed invisible. 

After you’ve painted your base color on the wall and taped off your pattern, use the same base wall color and paint along the edges of the tape. This will make the bleed invisible. Then after it’s dry, paint your accent color over the space. Perfect paint lines every time!

#3 Smooth Caulk Repairs

Getting a smooth finish on caulk can be maddening. And since it’s one of the most common DIY home repairs, knowing to do it easily is key. The chunkiness and unevenness of the caulk can be quite the headache, but luckily, you’ve got everything you need in your house to resolve this problem, and it won’t cost you a thing.

Grab a disposable cup from your kitchen and fill it with water. After you’ve squeezed the caulk onto the seam, dip your finger in the water and run it along the caulk. The water creates a perfect lubricant for your finger. This will give you a smooth finish, and it’s virtually mess free. See how easy here:https://www.youtube.com/embed/Endo66d3oxg?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1Vintage Revivals

#4 Easy Wood Refinishing

Let’s say you just came across the score of a lifetime at the thrift store: a wooden mid-century dresser that’s in great condition, but the finish isn’t up to your standards.

Don’t worry about having to sand and restain it — just use a product called Danish oil. It’s a cross between a wood conditioner and a stain and will fill in and disguise the places where the color of your finish is all wrong.

#5 Paint Preserver

If you find yourself mid-paint project and have to take a break, roll your roller in the paint to get a nice thick coat and then wrap it in a garbage bag and put it in the fridge. This will keep the paint fresh for up to a week until you can start again.

#6 Art Straighteners

Do you have a problem with the art on your walls staying level? There’s nothing more distracting than having one or two crooked pictures in a gallery wall.

Buy a package of adhesive strips, cut them into small sections, and place them on the back of the frames. It will keep pictures straight and not damage the walls. 

I hope that you’ll use these tips to make your DIY home repairs a little bit easier!

“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”

Easy-to-afford solutions for your tools, sporting and seasonal gear (so you’ll have room for your car, too).

If you’ve got a garage, most likely you’ve got waaayyyy more than cars in there. It’s the catch-all place to keep stuff (mostly) out of sight and out of mind.

Put order to the chaos and protect your car’s paint job with simple storage systems and organizing hacks for everything from sports equipment to tools.

Bikes, Skates, and Other Wheels

#1 Hoist bicycles to the rafters with a rope-and-pulley system (about $42) that makes it easy to raise the bike and lock it safely in place. When you’re ready to ride, release the lock and lower your bike to the garage floor. You’ll need an hour or two and basic tools to secure the pair of pulleys to ceiling joists and thread the ropes. (Similar hoists are available for kayaks or small boats; starting around $25.)

#2 Use a specially designed wall rack to hang helmets and skateboards together; starting around $20. Secure this one to wall joists in less than an hour.

#3 Keep scooters and bikes out of the way with tool hooks installed on a length of 1-inch-by-6-inch lumber. You’ll pay $3 for each pair of vinyl-coated screw-in tool hooks and $1 per foot for lumber. You’ll need only an hour or two to secure the lumber to wall joists and screw the hooks into place along the board.

Sporting Goods

#4 Bring together balls and bats on a convenient wire rack equipped with hangers that hold gloves too; starting around $31.

#5 Stash two pairs of snow skis, poles, and boots in one handy steel ski rack; $25. Securing this rack to wall studs helps it hold the weight of the equipment. If you can’t position it on studs, use wall anchors for a secure installation. You can do the task with or without anchors in an hour or two.

#6 Stow your fishing rods by suspending two wire shelves from your garage ceiling about 5 feet apart, then threading the rods through the openings. Use shelves left over from a project or purchase a 4-foot-by-16-inch vinyl-coated wire shelf for $25, and saw it in half crosswise (or clip with bolt cutters) to make two 2-foot shelves. Snip additional wires where you need wider slots to accept pole handles or reels.

Tools

#7 Hang wrenches and bungee cords using an ordinary vinyl-coated wire tie-and-belt rack, available at big box stores, starting at $10.

#8 Hang metal tools on a magnetized rail, keeping items in view and easy to retrieve; starting around $15. Simply screw the rail to wall studs to safely hold the weight of the tools (it’s an idea you may be drawn to.)

#9 Cushion and protect tools by padding your toolbox drawers with a soft, nonslip liner. The open-weave design keeps moisture away and prevents tools from rolling around. Enough material to line eight average-size drawers is $9. Just cut the liner to length to fit and slip it into the drawer.

#10 Organize small items — such as pencils, box cutters, and tape measures — by stashing them in electrical junction boxes; about $0.53 each (free if you have spares). Purchase a variety of sizes and shapes and secure them to studs or pegboard.

Yard and Garden Gear

#11 Transform an old filing cabinet into storage bins for various yard tools. Remove the drawers, turn it on its backside, and use a couple afternoons to apply paint and pegboard sides. Less than $25.

#12 Mount heavy tools, long-handled implements, and ladders on long steel rails with extruded holes high on the garage wall and secured to studs. Add hooks and pegs on the rail to hang big tools. Two 48-inch rails sell for $26 to $30.

#13 Secure a wooden pallet to wall studs to create a pocket for holding long-handled garden tools. To find free wooden pallets, check with local businesses as well as online classifieds, such as Craigslist. Cost: free.

#14 Use a can rack to keep bottles of fertilizers, repellents, and lubricants upright and easy to retrieve. Rack ($14) prevents cans and bottles from tumbling off shelves.

“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”

No need for fancy DIY skills, a lot of money, or a ton of time to pull off these yard upgrades.

It’s your yard — yours to do with as you wish. And while that’s great, that doesn’t mean you have to be one of those people who spend every spare moment in their yard, sprucing it up. 

But, still, your landscaping could use a little something. But something easy. 

Here are five totally doable projects that your budget will barely notice, but your neighbors definitely will:

#1 Add Some (Tough) Edging

Tell your grass who’s boss with edging that can stand up to even the crabbiest of all crabgrasses. 

But don’t make the mistake that many homeowners make of buying the flexible plastic stuff, thinking it will be easier to install. It’ll look cheap and amateurish from day one.

Worse, it won’t last. And before you know it, you won’t be able to tell where your garden bed ends and your “lawn” begins.

Instead buy the more rigid, tough stuff in either fiberglass, aluminum, or steel.

Tips on installing edging:

• Lay out a hose in the pattern you want.
• Sprinkle flour or powdered chalk to mark the hose pattern.
• Use a lawn edger (or spade) to make an incision for the edging.
• Tap the edging into the incision with a rubber mallet.

The cost? Mostly your time, and up to $2.50 a square foot for the edging.

#2 Create a Focal Point with a Berm

A berm is a mound of gently sloping earth, often created to help with drainage. You can also build them to create “island beds,” a focal point of textures and colors that are so much more interesting than plain ol’ green grass. 

Plus, they’ll give you privacy — and diffuse street noises. What’s not to like about that? Especially if you live in a more urban area.

For most yards, berms should max out at 2-feet high because of the space needed to properly build one.

They need a ratio of 4-6 feet of width for every foot of height. That’s at least 8 feet for a typical 2-foot-high berm. So be sure you have the room, or decrease the height of your berm.

Popular berm plantings include:

• Flowering bushes, such as azaleas
• Evergreens, such as blue spruce 
• Perennials such as periwinkle
• Tall, swaying prairie grasses
• Lots of mulch to keep weeds away

Save on Soil

Soil costs a whole lot less in bulk — $20 / cubic yard vs. almost $70 for the same amount in bags from a big-box store. Even with a delivery fee, you’ll come out ahead.

The cost? Usually less than $300, depending on how big you make it, how much soil you need to buy to get to your desired height, and which plants you choose.

#3 Make a Flagstone Wall

Aim to build a wall no more than 12 inches tall, and it becomes a super simple DIY project — no mortar needed at all! 

How to build an easy flagstone wall:

• Dig a trench a couple of inches deep and wide enough to accommodate the flagstones.
• Fill with pea gravel and/or sand and tamp to make level.
• Lay out the flagstones to see their shapes and sizes.
• Stack the smaller stones first.
• Save the largest, prettiest flagstones for the top layer.
• Backfill with gravel.

Choose a stone of consistent thickness. Flagstone might be limestone, sandstone, shale — any rock that splits into slabs. 

The cost? About $300 for stones and sand (a ton of 2-inch-thick stone is enough for a wall 10 feet long and 12 inches high).

#4 Install a Path with Flagstone or Gravel

There’s something romantic, charming, and simply welcoming about a meandering pathway to your front door or back garden — which means it has super-huge impact when it comes to your home’s curb appeal. 

You can use flagstone, pea gravel, decomposed or crushed granite, even poured concrete (although that’s not easy to DIY). 

A few tips for building a pathway:

• Allow 3 feet of width for clearance.
• Create curves rather than straight lines for a pleasing effect.
• Remove sod at least 3 to 4 inches deep to keep grass from coming back.
• If you live in an area with heavy rains, opt for large, heavy stones.

The cost? Anywhere from a couple of hundred bucks to upwards of $500 depending on the material you use, with decomposed granite being the least expensive, and flagstone (also the easiest of the bunch to install) the costliest. https://www.youtube.com/embed/J1gIoLElJYw?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1Stefan Grunkemeier

#5 Build a Tree Surround

Installing a masonry surround for a tree is a twofer project: It looks great, and it means you’ve got less to mow. Come to think of it, it’s a threefer. It can work as extra seating when you have your lawn party, too! 

All it takes is digging a circular trench, adding some sand, and installing brick, cement blocks, or stone. Just go for whatever look you like best. 

The trickiest part is getting an even circle around the tree. Here’s how: 

1. Tie a rope around the tree, making a loop big enough so that when you pull it taut against the tree, the outer edge of the loop is right where you want the surround to be. 
2. Set your spade inside the loop with the handle plumb — straight up and down. Now, as you move around the tree, the loop of rope keeps the spade exactly the same distance from the base of the tree, creating a nice circle.

Then build the tree surround:

• Dig out a circular trench about 8 inches deep and 6 inches wide. 
• Add a layer of sand. 
• Set bricks at an angle for a saw-tooth effect or lay them end-to-end.
• Fill the surround with 2 to 3 inches of mulch.

The cost? Super cheap. You can do it for less than $25 with commonly available pavers and stones. 

“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”

Budget ideas to transform your outdoor living space into a beautiful (and fun) retreat.

Americans are putting their own spin on the Scandinavian passion for open-air living–friluftsliv. We’re not just doing things outside as much as possible. We’re expanding our indoor living space to the outdoors. And that’s increasing the value of homes and adding features buyers are looking for. 

More than 80% of home buyers said patios and front porches are “essential” or “desirable,” according to the “What Buyers Really Want” survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

So why not jazz yours up with these outdoor living space ideas on a budget?

#1 Design Your Space To Blur the Line Between Inside and Outside

Creating a seamless transition between your home’s interior and exterior isn’t as simple or low cost as adding some cushy cushions, but it’s seriously the best way to pull you outside more.  

• The most affordable way: switch out a standard door with french or sliding doors.
• The wow-way: add weatherproof flooring, such as stone tile or scored concrete, for the space outside and the adjacent room inside. 

#2 Go Overboard on Comfy

Comfy is easy to achieve and can be as low cost as you want. Start simple with a cushion or two or even a throw. A couple more simple starters: 

• Get some cushy cushions. Make sure they’re outdoor-worthy and can handle downpours.
• Put down outdoor rugs for barefoot comfort.

#3 Make It Easy to Use All Your Devices

Our devices and electronics have conspired to keep us on lock down inside. Here’s some fun ways to stay charged outdoors: 

• Get a Wi-Fi antenna to boost your range. 
• Create a new habit of using solar chargers and you’ll rarely be without juice.
• Add some wireless speakers for the simplest DIY sound enhancement you could ask for.

#4 Crank Up the Mood Lighting

Outdoor lighting dresses up your home’s marketability and appeal (exterior lighting is buyers’ second most wanted outdoor feature, according to the NAHB study), makes it safer, and lets you spend more time outside.

• Use uplighting to highlight trees, architectural details, or other focal points.
• Add sconces or pendant lights to make evening entertaining, grilling, and reading easier.
• Illuminate walkways, rails, and steps with landscape solar lights.
• Hang fairy or string lights to set an enchanting tone.

#5 Personalize It

• Paint a faux rug with your favorite colors.
• Create a path made with colored glass, brick, or other interesting found materials.
• Craft a one-of-kind outdoor chandelier.
• Build a pizza oven, custom seating, or other feature you crave.
• Add personal décor that makes you happy.

In fact, make your outdoor retreat an ongoing project where you can hone your DIY skills.

#6 Add Some Fun Stuff to Do

• A fire pit is a proven winner. Food and fire have brought humans together since the dawn of time.
• Give wee ones the gift of magical thinking with an outdoor playhouse.
• Add whimsy with a chalkboard fence that both kids and fun-loving adults will enjoy.
• Add a doggie window in your fence to entertain Spot. Installing a dog run may even boost your home’s value. FYI: It’s been said that pets are one of the top reasons why people buy houses.

#7 Arm Your Space Against Bugs, Weather

• Install an awning, canopy, or pergola. 
• Rig glass fence windscreens to the keep your BBQ fires burning.
• Screen in your porch or deck against bugs.

If you already have a screened porch, don’t forget the slats between wood planks. Cover the floor with outdoor carpet or staple screening to the underside of floorboards.

“Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this.  Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.”