Before spending money on bathrooms or kitchens

The popular home-repair referral service, Angie’s List, says its annual poll indicates that home owners will spend an average of $11,250 on home improvement and maintenance projects in 2008, up 13 percent over the average they reported spending in 2007.

On average, home owners responding to the survey say they plan to spend 2.9 percent of their home’s value on repairs and renovations this year.

“Building experts tell us they’re getting calls for work from home owners who would otherwise move and put their current home on the market, but are afraid they can’t sell it quickly enough to afford the newer, bigger house,” says Angie’s List founder Angie Hicks.

The most frequently planned projects are kitchen and bath updates—areas that real estate experts say provide the best return when selling a home. Other popular projects include landscaping and yard work, painting inside and out, flooring, doors and windows, and decks and porches.

However in an article  published by The Associated Press on 12/29/07 James and Morris Carey say " Here are five basic steps that every home owner ought to take — before spending money on dream bathrooms or gourmet kitchens.

1. Safety. Make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and in good working order. Check fuel-burning appliances to make sure they are properly vented and no gas connections leak. Make sure the electrical system is adequate. Flickering lights and popping breakers are the sign of a problem. Anchor handrails and grab bars adequately.

2. Preventive maintenance. Repair any leaks in the roof, seal gaps in the siding, paint bare wood, replace damaged decking, patch cracks in concrete, and caulk around tubs and showers.

3. Conserve energy. Install a programmable thermostat, weatherstrip doors and windows, fix leaking faucets, upgrade insulation, and replace leaky windows.

4. Go green. Consider environmentally friendly materials for windows, doors, siding, decking, fencing, roofing, flooring, and insulation.

5. Improve comfort. Get rid of clutter, open up spaces, update window treatments to allow in more light, and organize closets and storage."

On going green Susan Thurston wrote in St. Petersburg Times (12/28/07) "Energy-efficient products. Choose Energy Star appliances, double-paned windows, low-flush toilets, and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Spray foam insulation. Seal the home with insulation that doesn’t let the heat or cooled air leak out.

Sustainable wood flooring. Select flooring certified by Forest Stewardship Council, which protects forests by managing the amount of wood harvested annually.

Locally made products. Buy products made less than 250 miles away to reduce transportation costs. Granite, for instance, is generally imported from afar.

Nontoxic paint. Use paint that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — chemicals that evaporate into the atmosphere. Look for Green Seal certified brands."

The University of Pennsylvania recently held a forum where planners, health officials, researchers, and lawmakers discussed gender-specific needs in growth planning.
 
According to the discussion urban planners are increasingly taking gender into consideration when they revise building codes, zoning rules, and growth plans, considering that women account for more than 50 percent of the urban population nationwide. Additionally, women account for 60 percent of seniors living in urban locales; and many of them live alone.

For example, women who want to leave their homes to exercise sometimes find sidewalks that are in disrepair and high crime rates that pose a challenge. Many women also report difficulty in navigating stairs with groceries and, if they have small children, strollers.

In response, planners are considering sidewalk repairs, longer pedestrian crosswalk signals, and homes without stairs. Safe walking and biking trails, as well as enhanced security near public transportation, also have been deemed important.