by Staff Reports
Your home and garden can be a favorite refuge in the spring. Now is a great time to take a look around and plan your upcoming projects for spring and summer.
Remodeling and Adding Space
If you’re feeling a bit cramped in your space, you might want to think about remodeling or adding on extra room. For larger projects, you’ll definitely want to hire a contractor who is licensed with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
Attorney Jon Fornara explains in his article, “Hire a Qualified Professional for Those Home Improvement Projects,” how this can provide resources and support in the event that not all goes as well as hoped for.
Licensed contractors can also help guide you through the maze of necessary permits and inspections. Most projects you tackle will require government permits, and if you’re not experienced in this area you can find yourself a bit overwhelmed.
It’s not a bad idea to call your local governmental building department in advance to find out what permits you need and the associated costs, which will help you with your budgeting.
Another advantage to hiring a licensed contractor is finding skilled workers. Right now, there is a building boom in Yavapai County, and skilled workers are in high demand. A good contractor will have a crew available and subcontractors lined up to do all the needed work so you don’t have to worry.
Finally, a licensed contractor will help keep your project on schedule. If you ever watched the movie, “The Money Pit,” you’ll remember how the home remodeling project kept getting delayed with a dismaying but cheerful “two weeks.”
When you sit down with your contractor, ask for a reasonable time estimate for the project completion. Do understand that if you make changes in the middle of the project, “I think I really want a window over there, please …” this can mean a delay in the timeline.
Need help finding a licensed contractor? Word of mouth can be great, but isn’t always as reliable as you might like. Give Sandy Griffis at Yavapai County Contractor’s Association a call and she can help you find the perfect partner for your project. She’s also a great resource for any questions you may have.
A New Home
When considering either upsizing or downsizing, it may end up that adding on or remodeling is not the best solution — you need to move. That’s when you want to have a friendly neighborhood Realtor® on your side. They can help walk you through the steps of finding a new home and selling your current home. They’ll have the most up-to-date information about what properties are on the market and suitable for your needs.
Additionally, real estate professionals can assist with identifying needed improvements before putting your home on the market. Sometimes simple repairs and changes can reap huge returns when it comes to selling your home. A checklist from your Real estate professional® on what is needed is a great tool and may provide a needed fresh perspective.
On the other hand, the real estate agent you select can also help you make a wise choice in purchasing your next home. He or she can see potential issues you might miss. Of course, you’ll want to have inspections done, and your real estate professional will be able to assist in scheduling those for you.
Expect the real estate market in Yavapai County to be pretty active well into fall, so the sooner you get started, the better.
A New Look
Perhaps you don’t need to remodel or move, maybe you just need to rearrange and freshen up your space. Need a little or a lot of direction and inspiration? An interior decorator might be the perfect solution. Interior decorators can work magic in just a day or go shopping with you for the complete makeover project. They’ll also help you make sure that whatever you do will add value to your home and comfort to your living area.
After you’re done with the new look, treat yourself to a professional house and carpet cleaning. Everything will feel fresh and sparkling. You deserve it.
Curb Appeal
No matter what you do, improving your curb appeal is one of the best dollar-for-dollar investments in your home and well-being. A beautiful yard can be a wonderful place to refresh and relax, and it can also increase the value of your home by up to 20 percent, according to Bob Vila*.
Not so great on your gardening design skills? No worries, there are lots of resources for you to dig into. Landscapers can help you do everything from maintenance to design and beautifying.
Your yard can be beneficial as well as appealing. Like to cook? Set aside a section for an herb garden. Love salads? Grow your own — some assembly required, of course. Hate to bend over? Consider raised beds and potted plants on benches and risers.
The Prescott area is fortunate to have one of the best garden centers in the nation. Ken Lain and the staff at Watters Garden Center can help you find the perfect plants for your yard, porch and home. They know just how much shade, water and upkeep each will need. They can help with choosing trees and shrubs; you just have to tell them how you want to use them (beauty, privacy, fragrance or all three). Watters even offers a tree planting service if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Do your plants look ill or diseased? Snap a photo and take it in to the friendly folks at Watters — it’s likely they can identify the issue and the solution.
Finally, Watters is a prolific provider of information specific to mountain gardening with weekly columns, garden classes, podcasts and handouts.
After all, your garden doesn’t have to be just your project, it can also be your haven.
*https://www.bobvila.com/articles/347-landscaping-a-good-investment
