Author: Lee Dobbins

Before starting any interior design or remodeling project, you need to think about the three biggest areas. Do you know what they are? You’ll find out below along with some interior design tips on how to handle them

What To Do With The Walls?

This is perhaps the biggest question and the area that can make the most difference in the outcome of your interior design. Wall color can set the tone of the room, but many people are afraid to paint their walls with anything but white. One way to get around this is to buy small samples of paint that you think you may want on the walls and paint it on a section of the wall. You don’t have to paint the whole wall - just a 1 foot square section. Live with it for a day and see how it looks in all different kinds of light. Be advised, however that many colors - especially darker ones - attain their true beauty from the look of the entire wall after being layered with several coats of paint.

Don’t be afraid to go ahead and paint the walls - paint is cheap. If you don’t like the way it looks you can always paint over it!

What To Do With The Furniture?

Should you buy new furniture? What if your old stuff is still good, should you have it re-upholstered? While budgetary concerns may dictate, you should evaluate the furniture for style and value versus the cost of the re-upholstering. If you are looking for a sleek modern style living room and your old sofa is a country style, you should probably consider buying new. If expense is a problem, take a trip to your local consignment store. You can buy like new furniture for a fraction of the cost and if your old stuff is still in good condition you can consign it and get some money for it to help pay for your new one.

What To Do With The Floors?

Decisions about floor designs should be based on your personal taste as well as your budget. Some flooring is extremely expensive and, although it may be the type that will look best with your design it may not be affordable, or even practical. When replacing flooring, you should always consider the use of the room and if the flooring will hold up well. A wood floor might be a bad choice for a kids playroom and will soon show the marks and wear of toys being slid across it.

Author: Treatrea

What a home inspection is. A home inspection is visual surveillance over the physical structure and major interior parts of a residence. This “home” can be a house, a condominium, an apartment or any other sort of dwelling up to four units. A home inspector will look over parts of the structure of the home that are easily visible. Examples of the structures looked over are walls, ceilings, roofs, windows, floors, basements, air conditioning systems, the plumbing, heating systems, doors and electrical systems.

A home inspection is not an appraisal. It has nothing to do with insurance policies or building code inspections. There are no guarantees given in an inspection. Home inspections also don’t cover simple blemishes in a structure visible to the eye. Cosmetic imperfections such as chipped paint are also flaws that a home inspector does not pause on.

What a Home Inspector Will Do

As mentioned above, during a home inspection an inspector will examine walls, floors and electrical systems. They are getting you information on the condition of the home you are thinking of purchasing. They will let you know if there are visible problems in areas that you were unable to get to for inspection. Their trained eyes will also be able to let you know if your potential future residence has concealed damage. They will provide you with a list of what they feel should be repaired.

Additional tests/visual inspections may be made depending on what you desire, or what your home inspection professional feels might be advantageous. This can include inspections for rats, bugs such as cockroaches and termites, or air quality tests for Radon. Other potential red flags include lead paint and faulty insulation.

Finding and Choosing a Home Inspector

A mortgage broker is the best place to find a recommendation for somebody who can give you a home inspection before purchasing your next property. You can also look in the phone book to find local listings. Alternately, you can learn the basics of home inspection yourself and even study to become certified. Not all states require certification for their inspectors, so it wouldn’t hurt to ask to see the paperwork from a potential home inspector. Knowledge and experience are more worthwhile at times than a piece of paper stating a person is certified. Use your own judgement.